Tony said rightly; “More funding shortfalls thanks to the nats.”
That’s what happens when the National Party “divert funds to their preferences” (for nine long years) as they did with taking all funds ‘payable’ from road and rail maintenance costs away from the regions, and putting them into their ”
pork belly “National roads of significance” playbook.
Truly a bunch of modern day “Robbing hoods” aren’t they just?
Some of what they don’t pay is spent on private health insurance premiums, retirement savings, private school fees, charitable donations and accomodation for adult family members, thereby reducing demand on the public purse.
Private health takes resources away from the public health system and thus making it worse.
Retirement savings are a scam – just like capitalism itself.
Charitable donations never cover the full needs of society.
We cannot afford the rich because they’re all bludgers.
And they import as many workers as possible to create a low wage economy and overload the welfare system with as many people all who qualify for subsidies, as possible to ‘stimulate demand’ for the private sector, such as building more prisons, privatising prisons, privatising healthcare, privatising charities, privatising welfare through private agencies, more roads, more houses, more PPP’s of ha ha ‘public’ transport…. etc IN short taking from the people and giving to corporations who are apparently the holy grail of a special type of community (who knew?).
Unfortunately the government have not worked out that in previous times aka 19th and early 20c this government investment in infrastructure led to local jobs and local goods being used to service the economy. In the 21c this doesn’t happen anymore, you borrow money or increase taxes, but it’s just as likely to go offshore corporations and not provide many local jobs, instead create havoc by lowering wages, decreasing jobs for local workers who suffer, not buying local products, create havoc more houses needed, more hospitals, more health care to provide for all the new previously offshore but now onshore workers.
Apparently government don’t keep any statistics and immigration is all based on arrival cards and what people decide to put on there. (likewise census). So I’m guessing if you are coming to NZ to work illegally as a stopper than you don’t exactly declare it… nor the people trafficking and so forth. Basically the government has no ways to even work out how many people are working illegally here or just using the welfare system under false names. How many people leave as soon as they obtain residency (clues are there is now a big amount of people going out of NZ). Migrants will behave the same way as Kiwi workers, if they are not paid enough or the opportunities are not there, they will leave as well… so it solves nothing to not look at the causes of skilled people leaving NZ.
Maybe time the government gets some hard facts on what’s actually going on. How many babies being born and registered as NZ citizens, how many people are actually on welfare and is it after they gain their residency, how many people who have just moved here will be able to claim the pension in a decade or less. How many people leave once getting residency. The get somehow who actually knows what they are doing to get some predictions going.
The original premise of migration in NZ was apparently to bring ‘young workers’ in to provide taxes for our aging population, but the story keeps changing, because now we seem to have a whole lot of young people who need WFF or social welfare if their relationship breaks up and elderly relatives and siblings seem to be able to come in as well, with a bit of creative paperwork. Skilled people can leave after gaining residency.
All roads are leading to a huge change in NZ society and look at what’s happened overseas, it does not lead to a left wing government after excessive migration (either in or out, aka some countries have been left with not enough skilled people aka Poland and trying to get them back). It leads to social disruption, and right wing governments getting in if the left wing government denies there is an issue.
And then those people paying taxes, are told, ‘pay more’, we also need more workers and more taxes to pay for the infrastructure of all the new workers.. the Ponzi continues
I’m complaining that the census and arrival/departure cards are based on what people choose to put in it and I think it’s time to look more at hard facts, like birth registration data, house and assets transfers, hospital and school records and welfare payments across all sectors from unemployment, WFF, super, DPB etc more in depth rather than relying on what people volunteer which is used as facts, to build a much more detailed picture of what happened in the last decade and how that is going to impact the country.
You seem to be looking for one shop that does everything, whereas pretty much all your requested data is already gathered by different departments.
People earning under the table are looked for by IRD, as well as companies fiddling books to pay the employees. Immigration officers look for overstayers or people in violation of their visas. Beneficiaries need id just to get into the bloody office, so it’s not like just putting a fake name on the form. IRD, WINZ and I believe a few other organisations all share data to detect frauds.
All a one-stop-shop data shop would do is maximise the damage of a data breach. For what? What is the clear, simple and explicit objective you wish to achieve with this data collation?
Stats NZ identified the issue with relying arrival cards a couple of years ago and have come up with a new report where they use Customs data to compare intentions with actions.
If we paid people unable to work the same way as pensioners, many problems could be solved. Taxation would even out anomalies of part time or full time work and it would replace the current pittance working for families etc.
I suppose that if you were challenged to produce some evidence for this claim you would offer something like.
“Well for XXX the overseas ownership is 0;.26%. That is “Up to 49%” so my statement is true.
What are the real numbers. If you don’t know you an simply admit you don’t know.
Your claim is about as honest as the statements by your leader when she says something is “an excise. It’s not a tax”.
Just look at the shareholding of each of the powercos. Anything “nominees” is a corporate holding (incl RBNZ). The actuals will be different across each but they’re already far from the Mum and Dad ownership that John Key sold the sale to NZers as.
That doesn’t answer the question.
You labelled them as “multi-nationals”, implying that the ownership was foreign based. I don’t dispute the accuracy of your answer but it says precisely nothing about where the beneficial owners are situated.
How can I see that the ownership is foreign?
It actually doesn’t matter. Selling them was a mistake and even that false market that National put in place was stupid. Power generation and distribution is a natural monopoly that should be run as a state service.
Power distribution may be a natural monopoly.
Power generation is not.
Indeed, many commenters on this blog argue that it really should be a small scale DIY operation with solar panels on the roof. That would be about as far from a “monopoly” as it would be possible to get.
Indeed, many commenters on this blog argue that it really should be a small scale DIY operation with solar panels on the roof.
Which is the really expensive way to go about it as it minimises economies of scale rather than maximising them. It also contributes to inequalities that are detrimental to society.
I’m all for solar panels on every house roof but have them emplaced and maintained by the state service. That gets the economies of scale maximised, the service to be stable and spreads the benefit across society at maximum speed.
LOL! The looting of Africa. A continent that receives the least amount of FDI than any other (bar Antarctica) is somehow being looted because people hardly invest there. You are having a laugh.
Then apply the same or similar scenario to just about anything that can be transported from Africa, and reflect on that going on for nigh on 200 years.
I haven’t ignored them. I’ve looked at what went wrong and the answer is almost always a hierarchy that mimics capitalism and a serious misunderstanding of economics and societies.
The USSR didn’t collapse because it was socialist but because it was state capitalist.
NZ’s hydro generation produced some of the cheapest sustainable power in the world. Since privatization consumers, far from enjoying the price reductions promised by disgraced former politician Max Bradford, now pay among the highest electricity prices in the world, including penalties to solar conversions. One average NZ bill would pay a year of my Korean power bills with some left over. It’s a fucking disgrace.
Based on that Table we are a long, long way from being amongst the most expensive in the World. Thanks for providing the link.
BTW that doesn’t take in to account purchasing power. 15 US cents per kilowatt hours is a lot more costly for the average South African than 19 US cents in NZ.
“Despite the rise in residential prices, New Zealand still has the 11th lowest residential electricity prices among the 32-country OECD, and the seventh lowest industrial prices.”
Thanks also Michael Cullen, Bill English and Grant Robertson and every future finance minister who sits by while this carries on. Only Robertson may yet redeam himself…
Can we add Big Supermarket to that?
granted Foodstuffs is NZ owned, but the duopoly that no government forever seems to have to balls to break up is responsible for unjustified extortion of basic food prices for the simple reason that they can. There is no “choice” for the vast majority of NZers where they get their food from and that extortion is a contributing factor to people not eating well, or enough.
Yeah that’s part of it too, possibly coming under a big food umbrella.
Reminds me of the Hughs War On Waste doco from the UK, that looks at consumer waste and how the supermarkets play their part in it too. Can watch it here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3c4g04
Just look round the market man, now we see the cost of building products is now said to be 3 times the cost of Australian building supplies now and the cost per meter of building is four times higher according to a report i heard today on AM radio Duncan Garner.
The Australian reporter said ( quote;) “we are being screwed”.
Go look at the media releases on Australian building costs vs NZ costs.
Yes it was far better when everything was state controlled, the so called elite where those who had the various government licenses etc, no choice, no freedom, hey but every one had to put up with same shite, shoddy service, for god sake you could only get white bread, took 6 week to get a phone connected, could only move something by truck for 100 miles then had to rail ( good luck if it turned up at all or let alone in full) and needed permission to get 1000 dollars fix to go overseas on holiday but hey every one was equally miserable so all good however so all good
Where a nightwatchman could afford to own a large racing yacht. Almost all families were fed and housed adequately, you could support a family on one income, poverty almost non existent, it cost buggerall to play sports, to go tramping, swimming or exploring the back country. good medical care and education was cheap or free, weekends, and evenings, were free time, not only for a few rich, and we had one of the highest standards of living in the world.
Gotta agree that was my up bringing And I do think been a kid then was easier however the technology, choices, freedom you have today is fantastic but I do agree their are downsides and less certainty Irrespective give me today’s freedom and choice over the blandness and one size fits all of the pre 80s. The other thing that lifestyle was funded off the sheep backs where the uk brought all we had that all ended in the early 70s and we borrowed to maintain that lifestyle
We had plenty of freedom. Certainly more than we have today.
The service was shoddy and is actually getting worse as more cowboys enter the market and drive down wages.
Actually, it took three days to get a phone connected in most cases. Some took a little longer because we actually had to run the lines out first. Now, consider that in many places today it’s a six month wait and other places you can’t even get ADSL never mind fibre. Yeah, in telecommunications things have gone seriously backwards.
Moving anything by truck for more than 50km is bad planning as it uses excessive resources. See, forcing freight onto the trains had nothing to do with protecting the trains and everything to do with limiting resource usage.
Despite your complaints getting foreign exchange wasn’t really that hard. You just had to plan for it.
Crap about white bread. My parents owned a dairy in the 60’s and you could get brown and also this chunky whole meal. But true food was a bit limited back then
No, because they have not been accused of malpractice. They are just fortunate that the heralded crash has yet to occur, and shares have generally risen. Tuppence reflects the value of your contribution this time. (And others, I suspect.)
Ed made no mention of their practices, just the nationalistion of their profits. Nz superfund repatriates it’s off shore profits. How would we feel about those being nationalised by a foreign country
Personally, I would fully sympathise with the foreign country. I have no time for profit-gougers – those whom Bernard Shaw correctly called the Idle Rich.
Hine was a snow maiden who fell in love with Wawe, a warm-blooded man. Every time they touched, his warm hands would melt her frozen skin, so Hine, an experienced mountaineer, took Wawe up the mountain to see Aorangi, the frozen son of the sky father Rakinui, for guidance. Wawe had been forbidden from climbing the mountain and was blown off the edge by a vengeful Tāwhirimātea, the God of wind, sending Wawe plunging to his death. Hine Hukatere wept for Wawe, and her tears froze as they dripped down the valley forming what many now call Franz Josef glacier.
“Yet each man kills the thing he loves, by each let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look, some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss, the brave man with a sword!
Some kill their love when they are young, some kill it when they are old;
Some strangle it with the hands of Lust, some with the hands of Gold:
The kindest use a knife, because, the dead so soon grow cold.
Some love too little, some too long, some sell, and others buy;
Typical mean spiritedness from Ministry of Health Disability Support Services at calls for funding for carbon fibre splints to support normal gait and reduce falls and musculoskeletal issues in those with disabilities.
They, the Miserly of Health,really have no concept at all of ‘investment’ when it comes to disability, especially when it comes to funding equipment that has the potential to transform lives. And the difference with this technology is akin to the old ‘brick’ mobile phones being promptly ditched for pocket sized tech. Only fools would continue to use the old when the new is so much better for the user.
“”As technology improves over time and costs are likely to come down, there may be the ability to consider funding this type of technology in the future,” said Toni Atkinson, the ministry’s group manager of disability support services.”
And this lot seem unable to do cost benefit analyses….higher initial cost offset by lower downstream costs….foreign concept.
And god forbid they fund new technologies that enable people to go out into their communities with confidence.
Because that would mean that seeing more people with disabilities out and about would be normal….
NB…it is my understanding that this technology is funded by our lucky cousins on ACC.
Like the scrapping of funding reduced costs for funding visits to G’s I’m afraid.
Anything to improve health funding has to be sacrificed to fund a years paid holiday for would be “students”.
That and paying for the “Save New Zealand First” slush fund to make Shane Jones’ flights out of Kerikeri more comfortable.
alwyn. Sigh. Seriously? Sighs again, and decides not to do the TS thing of blaming the Natz for everything.
alwyn. The very least one should do before one comments is to read the post, maybe google the named persons and get a real sense of the history…
Toni ‘what a wonderful job we’re doing for the disabled’ Atkinson has been group Manager at MOH:DSS since way, way before the latest election. She is the problem, as are her fellow MOH bureaucrats.
The incumbents of the government benches are not in control here…this lot, or the previous lot….IMHO.
Quite true Rosemary, the MOH, PHARMAC and other health QANGOs with their assorted mandarins potter on in their usual way regardless of who’s sitting on the right hand side of the debating chamber.
My youngest son has Spina bifida and walks with the assistance of plastic AVO’s. We have to have these replaced ever 6 months or so due both to his growing and more importantly the fact that they just flat out can’t survive a 7 year old trying to run around at school for 6 months. I use try as they are also very limited in how much they do for him. They basically allow him to walk and try to run.
Obviously I can’t say if these would suit his circumstances however with what the article describes the difference it would make to my boys life to actually be able to run around the play ground with the other kids would be huge. To play tag and not always be it because you are easy to catch and then can’t catch others.
These sorts of things go beyond the initial cost. This sort of thing could help make going to school a far more enjoyable prospect for kids with disabilities.
Hiya crashcart, and thanks for commenting and giving your input as someone who has the benefit of lived experience.
“To play tag and not always be it because you are easy to catch and then can’t catch others.
These sorts of things go beyond the initial cost. This sort of thing could help make going to school a far more enjoyable prospect for kids with disabilities.”
Could someone put this before Clark or Genter please?
Labour’s positive changes coming for RMA to reverse the ‘rot ‘that national intentionally changed to benefit the rich investors for profit and charging the public for cost for their ‘perceived right’ to plan their commercial ‘extensions’ instead of considering environmental consideration and charging all investigative and legal costs to the taxpayer. and away from their rightful costs.
Super important to change RMA to give long term environmental risks much more importance, if we don’t, we turn into a polluted little back water, with a brigade of Bill n John’s truck stops… I’ve always thought we were working towards a Thailand type system… luxury overseas owned tourist ventures, with sewerage in the streets and cheap drugs with Los Angeles transport and large houses and a Phillipines type overseas population of workers escaping for better wages. But I’m not sure that government/business vision is a good one.
Yes because I’d prefer another McMansion and MegaStore/Mall luxury hotel /conference centre, with the small price to pay of sewage in the beaches, dead native forests and lower wages for the economic workers…. many of whom have to be ‘bought’ in for our ‘skills’ shortages but also need additional housing and cars… to keep the Ponzi going strong.
The other day, some recent migrant was caught having 3 babies concurrently to different women. That’s dedication to the cause…. imagine instead of 1 house 1 family, he now probably needs three houses to be supplied for his increasing brood … talk about increasing your own demand for housing…
With this in mind I’m sure there are more practical ways to stop the housing crisis through legislation, than destroying our immediate environment with bizarre short term RMA, for the next generation.
That imagination again, Solka. Someone give real examples of what is going on and you respond as usual without any sensible solution or even concern that that not be a good thing.
Never mind, I think someone might have made something up about someone in government and we can all spend government time and media on that rather than what is actually going on and then pretend what is going on, is not happening.
That’s because you talk such a load of shit where there is no actual discernible point. So one immigrant has gotten three women pregnant and you try to suggest from that that there is some kind of conspiracy – “That’s dedication to the cause”. Like WTF?
You say he was caught. What law did he break? Is there really no NZ born men who have done this?
I’m not saying it’s a conspiracy (as usual adding your own delusions), but we have a housing shortage and supposedly he’s got residency because he’s helping solve that??
And nope not broken any laws apparently immigration are fine with that, my guess only came to light due to the women going on a benefit and being investigated for fraud, which says a lot about who we think are the fraudsters in this country.
If you can’t see the relationship between more people and the effects on the housing crisis then that says more about your intellectual capacity… and your sense of justice seems more like a market driven one, oh Kiwi’s can do it, lets roll with that, the more the merrier having loads of concurrent kids …. if you were not a part time champion of the Greens (scary enough), you could easily be an ACT supporter.
and there we have your prejudice oozing out. You seem to be saying that we should have one set of rules and expectations for those who were born here and another for immigrants. Clearly you have no respect for human rights or natural justice.
Not sure how valuing such would make me an Act supporter.
Sounds like there’s property in Queenstown if you have $30 million. I don’t think we have any issues building houses, it seems more how the resources are being allocated and for whom, that might be the issue of shortages.
The Labour-led government invests $100 million to combat homelessness, and launches it on the same marae that took in hundreds and hundreds of people last winter:
Yes, it is good they are doing something, big plus for Labour led government. But are they looking at the changes in government policy under the Natz that have led to this massive rise in homelessness in particular over the past 6 years?
I’m more interested in policy that stops the homelessness happening in the first place. Increased wages and conditions that can provide a decent living not an increasing number of workers scrounging for benefit top ups because you can’t survive on wages, bigger focus on kids and education which is having the next generation of kids having skills, mental health and ability to cope, morals , decency for all, entrepreneurship and so forth, not having them scared out of their wits that someone is going to gun them down or a tree falls over and some private course will save them, also having little provision of them in the work force due to their lack of experience… a tax system that helps people who live in NZ and pay taxes here, not actually encouraging undercutting through offshore completion with lower wages and conditions and materials, having a decent retirement for people who lived and worked in NZ for most of their lives… a housing market that is not skewed by allowing people who don’t live here/pay full taxes here to invest here as though they do live here, a focus of quality exports, not cheap ones and making sure that Kiwis can afford their own quality food and buy a house and it is not all exported off for wealthier people, while through loopholes residents are expected to pay to support overseas families lifestyles (or in the case below, employers low wages), while not actually being able to afford a lifestyle of their own.
It’s not even about the money, so much as the rot it’s causing in society when people become commoditised.
This is an increasing type of employer. A ex Serbian man killed while working as a security guard probably on minimum wages with minimal training. When the union offered courses the company who employed him declined saying, I will just hire someone who already has the qualification. Companies whose prime motivation is profits, increasingly seem to see their employees as disposable commodities and when things go wrong the tax payer will clean up the mess, financially as well as socially and the family just suck up the death. Meanwhile another low paid, untrained worker will only be too willing to take his place in the race to the bottom. http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/05/union-hits-out-at-security-firm-after-guard-s-death.html
Of course income won’t push house prices higher. House prices are driven by demand. Demand comes from immigration, tourism, more people coming to live in NZ either permanently or temporality.
The cost of building a house is astronomical. The profit driven free market NZ system has created a monster when every step you take is a rout of profiteering.
That is why people concentrate on land creation for profit. Why would you build when it is so risky and you can just get the council to re zone your land and create massive value aka with rezoning land can go from 1 million to 30 million overnight. It’s free money created out of nothing. Natz love it. Council love it (more rates).
Building is a different kettle of fish because so much more can go wrong and profiteering is even more rife. You then have to provide the infrastructure as well and if you have not bothered to do that before consenting then you start getting big problems with pollution.
The numbers don’t work for Labour’s housing. I mean every day we hear how they need to import hundreds of people into NZ which of course takes up housing adding to demand. Even the hospitality people are jumping up and down these days about demand. I’m sure unemployed people/students/single parents could manage to be trained to wait a table or pour a drink, but no apparently hospitality also suffer severe ‘skilled’ sic. shortages!
As soon as immigration wanes, housing prices stop going up. Already happened in Auckland, the rapid increases have slowed with Labour getting in.
Labour have built 18 affordable houses so far. Good on them, but seriously when they go to ballot what is going to happen if 1/2 of them go to new migrants while long term tax paying Kiwi workers miss out? And if the migrants miss out people like the banned Wei will be up in arms too, as discrimination. What happens to the million+ residents who are renters?
Personally think all the taxpayer housing should be kept under taxpayer control and rented out with provisions in place so the Natz can’t sell them off when they next get in.
This is a moral question and there is no right answer, but in the interests of fairness or perception of fairness, I think the government will have a problem when the affordable houses start being divvided out on who gets them.
As soon as government bumps up wages to living levels aka $20p/h and removes zero hour contracts on jobs that are not casual aka fast food/supermarket/service stations then more people will be able to afford rents.
Rents are governed by what it costs to build a house and pay to maintain it. There is a massive discrepancy between wages and the price of building a house/buying a house/renting a house. Adding more houses is not going to solve that especially if you are adding more people into NZ than the new houses. Even if you add massive amount of new houses, where are the higher paid jobs for the people???
Why don’t you give us the news then Solka, how many house to be built this year and how many available under $650,000 by the government and how many available for renting… Personally I don’t think $650k should even be considered affordable.
I’m taking move in housing, not a spread sheet or plan for 2018.
So, let me help you out here with your awareness of actual policy being delivered since you clearly lack the motivation or skill to do it for yourself.
All you had to do, SaveNZ, as I recommended, is actually acquaint yourself with the number and interlocking impact of the policies and funded announcements and initiatives that are already underway.
The moral question you wail about is long since answered, and it goes like this: if you elect a Labour-led coalition government it is better for workers and home owners in a pretty short space of time.
he or she probably assumes your continual nasty invective is most commonly connected to a J Key Nat supporter. I, however, think your just another nasty 3rd way-er overly invested in neoliberal identity politics.
Seeing as Housing First providers manage the tenancies and the properties but don’t actually supply the homes, would it be correct to assume that out of the $63 million going to be given to Housing First, not a cent will be going to increase our housing supply?
The “Land Transport (Random Oral Fluid Testing) Amendment Bill” is a relic from last millennium’s War On Drugs, is deeply flawed, and should be binned. The presence of traces of a drug does not prove impairment!! The only regimes for drug testing of drivers which have any validity are those which involve blood testing and in which a limit has been set above which impairment is considered to be established. I’m a bit puzzled about the true intent of this bill. Is it Virtue Signalling? or is it a strike in a Class War of Social Conservatives Vs Drug Users??
The presence of a drug from urine tests in my industry is enough to have people marched off site. NZTA are continuing to roll out their anti-drug-driver campaigns for similar reasons to ours.
Like yourself I’m not sure what a further legislated testing regime adds to this picture. The existing enforcements surely are enough.
The “illegal” part is often much more problematic than the “drugs” part. You appear to be self-identifying as the Social Conservative sub-species of Right Whinger; it must be sad for you that John Banks is but a distant memory…
The thing is i don’t believe any National MP had anything to do with this, after everything that went down Dirty Politics you’d have to be completely brain dead to think no one would make a connection between the rumours and the National party
I suspect its either the non-affiliated National voter or (more likely) non-political trolls doing this
I did say nat henchmen . the MPs are far to greasy to be caught at it first hand . you need to reread the dirty politics book to see how national operate
Disagree Ad – it beggars belief that a spend of what will likely be in the order of 2 billion for a population of 250 thousand is considered a good spend when there are far larger population centres in NZ that a proportion of this spend could be targeted to.
It is long past time that NZ faced facts about trying to have a gold plated health service in every population centre.
See I don’t mind this at all in fact its a good idea, much better to spend big money on something like this (something but useful and tangible) then something dumb like a free years study
About 25% of people in Dunedin are directly or indirectly employed by Otago University.
The procuremement will be interesting because as a lead beneficiary of this investment I would expect the University to contribute substantially to the construction cost and fitout. After all the medical school and all the specialists who work between hospital and teaching and research have huge interdependencies.. And I would hope it is kept under very close surveillance by the Minister – just as Parker did with Americas Cup facilities in Auckland – to ensure that officials and planners don’t take the easy and cheap routes to success.
The construction itself is going to be really interesting for a number of reasons:
– at 4.4% headline unemployed where are we going to get the workers to build it? Construction workers with the skills to take on an entire hospital are few and far between here.
– at almost 0% rental vacancy in Dunedin where are we going to put the workers, even if we can get them?
The City of Dunedin itself will have some role to play as well to ensure that this isn’t just the largest single CAPEX to ever happen to the city; it should be a full spatial rejuvenation of the entire precinct. It will surely need a relaxation of their height rules to enable the long-needed hotel capacity into Dunedin. The have turned down multiple large high quality hotel projects there recently when they are sorely needed.
I sure hope this procurement and the whole project demonstrates a once-a-century boost to the whole of Dunedin.
The hotel projects were all a bit shit. 27 glass storeys on the waterfront? Bugger that.
I suspect it will be a bit like the stadium, where the university basically built the fourth wall as a separate building with their own stuff in it. The real issue will be whether they shift some of the anatomy/path folk down to a facility next to the hospital, as I think many of them are currently in varsity buildings across the road from the hospital (as well as some departments actually having facilities in the hospital itself).
Then I suppose they can rip the asbestos out of the current hospital and turn it into a hotel. Everyone’s happy lol
trying to have a gold plated health service… yes because that is why we have a private system gaining a lot more traction…
Funny though, US pay the most in the world for health care, but so many can’t afford health care, and American’s seem to be almost encouraged to be as unhealthy as possible through food choices and lifestyle, all putting $$$$ into private health.
About time people understood ‘the markets’ is about profitability, morals don’t come into it.
So a society based around ‘the free market’ can easily become a morally bankrupt, dysfunctional society because bad things tend to be just as profitable as good things.
You need other measures such as environmental regulation, societal regulation such as human rights and so forth to try to keep the balance.
Expecting social things like hospitals to make money creates stupidity of decision making. Such as at Middlemore hospital, government money was funded for extending buildings that housed things like meeting rooms for consultants (they could then artificially make a ‘profit’ on that not like the sick kids that returned a ‘loss’) while the mould and sewage in the children wards was not deemed worthy of government funding.
Our problem is that we firstly don’t have a closed free market system so the theory is wrong straight away, we are also becoming less moral as a society (days of leaving door unlocked gone, full prisons, more stories of fraud), and also massive changes in legislation or the way it is applied under law, under the Natz has removed most of the regulation governing any sort of standard from human rights to environmental safeguards to tax law to resource/building consenting standards and norms.
So fuck the markets. It’s one part of living a life, but unfortunately seems to have taken over and we are now in stupidity land of ideology of leadership/advice from free marketeers who stopped thinking practically years/maybe decades ago.
What tax laws, human right laws, environmental laws, resource building laws and consents did Natz remove I can’t really think of any, hey but I may be wrong Also do you have any stats to show fraud and crime is up most of what I see is a these crimes are down
It depends on how many lives get saved, not having to truck or chopper so many people up to chch or further. And that’s at DHB cost, not including “your appointment is on the 12th at 8am, get there somehow” transport barriers.
So you’ll probably find the capex offsets a lot of the operational costs that result from whatever crumbs of healthcare you want to throw in our direction.
Those services which are in high demand and which are in overflow to private providers such as orthopaedics and ophthamology and cardiology would be fully resourced in the major centres and decrease the need for private providers.
The very specialist services for rarer conditions and specialities would be fully resourced in the large population centres where there is the most resource and demand and which can be maintained as centres of excellence for such services.
It is long past time that NZ faced facts about trying to have a gold plated health service in every population centre.
Actually, it’s long past time that NZers stopped trying to do everything on the cheap as doing so means that we don’t get the service that we need and it costs more in the long run as we keep trying to fix the sub-par service to do the job which also never works because we’re doing that on the cheap as well.
Impractical in the Auckland isthmus under the current setup and with the current bricks and mortar we have in place.
There is however, very significant gains to be made from not having 3 DHBs replicating their own bureaucracy and IT systems, returning to the RHA system would be worth investigating.
People dying because they don’t get the treatment that they need soon enough in an emergency because they have to be freighted to Auckland first.
Having to wait for the necessary surgery and can’t do anything while they wait.
the added costs upon people as they now have to traverse the country to stay with people.
Added costs of having to find accommodation when they do.
If there’s work for them down here, why not base them here?
That goes for every damned speciality – the problem the Southern region faces isn’t that we’re demanding specialists to be paid full time to do one surgery a month as and when needed.
The problem is that over decades we’ve been fucked by a funding model that assumes three dhbs are within an hour or two’s drive of their neighbours’ base hospitals, or chopper range at a pinch. And this funding approach combined with sub-sustainable levels anyway has resulted in putting off capex to keep the lights on, and other false economies. Not just Dunedin hospital – Queenstown hospital has structural osh issues.
The place has lots of advantages that can be easy to overlook if you need a bucket in the operating theatre to catch drips from the leaking roof when it rains, or you can’t access patient records because they’re in the asbestos-contaminated area, or you have to knife-fight a funding manager to attend a conference because the DHB is the only DHB in the country with a core objective of meeting an unrealistic budget set in Wellington.
Dunedin and other such places are fine places to live. The lack of funding to provide decent services is the problem.
People get up and leave when the services that they want to provide aren’t funded enough so that they can provide them. It’s highly stressful knowing the job that needs to be done but unable to because because some fuckwit, usually in National, has come up with the slogan Do more with less and implements budget cuts that make it so that it’s doing much less with less.
This is what we’re seeing now. National has cut the budgets so much that the necessary levels of service are well below what’s needed.
Your 250 thousand population figure only covers Otago. Dunedin hospital is the primary facility for the whole lower South Island. So you can add in 100 thousand from Southland, some from South Canterbury (Waitaki patients go both ways) and in South Westland you go where ever they can get you quickest in the helicopter.
We’re really fortunate that the medical school is in Dunedin to make the hospital viable, if it wasn’t a lot of people would die getting to Christchurch. Distances are huge, From Queenstown or Invercargill to Dunedin is nearly 4 hours drive, so equivalent of Taupo to either Auckland or Wellington. Both are on the limit or helicopter transfer or recovery.
The Cadbury building sits at sea level. A hospital is vital infrastructure that’s meant to last many decades.
1m sea level rise by 2100 is essentially only taking thermal expansion into account.
The estimated several meters from Antarctica and Greenland that are going to accompany 2 degrees and 400ppm in the short to medium term have not been factored in to current projections.
So….as ideas go, that site for a hospital is bloody stupid.
Winter sea ice cover in the Bering Sea did not just hit a record low in 2018; it was half that of the previous lowest winter on record (2001), says John Walsh, chief scientist of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
“Labour’s decision to issue no new oil and gas prospecting permits offers no impediment to utilising fully those already granted.”
Russel Norman National Director of Greenpeace Aotearoa
There are 31 oil and gas exploration permits currently active, 22 are offshore. These permits cover an area of 100,000 square kilometers, nearly the size of the North Island, and run as far out as 2030 and could go an additional 40 years under a mining permit.
As I read it; According to this above report, under Labour’s partial “ban”, new oil and gas reserves can be discovered, and then exploited up until 2070!
As well as this, the government’s so called and much vaunted “ban” on “issuing of new permits” is at best, merely a hiatus.
The hiatus on issuing new permits announced by this government, will not stop any new government reissuing new oil and gas exploration permits, (as Simon Bridges has promised to do). Only the banning the exploration for all new reserves and cancelling the existing permits could do that. Once done, the oil companies are unlikely to come back, even with a change of government.
The new analysis calls into question the gigantic sums of private and government investment being ploughed into exploration for new fossil fuel reserves, according to UCL’s Professor Paul Ekins, who conducted the research with McGlade. “In 2013, fossil fuel companies spent some $670bn (£443bn) on exploring for new oil and gas resources. One might ask why they are doing this when there is more in the ground than we can afford to burn,” he said.
“The investors in those companies might feel that money is better spent either developing low-carbon energy sources or being returned to investors as dividends,” said Ekins.
“One lesson of this work is unmistakably obvious: when you’re in a hole, stop digging,” said Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org which is campaigning to get investors to dump their fossil fuel stocks. “These numbers show that unconventional and ‘extreme’ fossil fuel – Canada’s tar sands, for instance – simply have to stay in the ground.”
“Given these numbers, it makes literally no sense for the industry to go hunting for more fossil fuel,” McKibben said. “We’ve binged to the edge of our own destruction. The last thing we need now is to find a few more liquor stores to loot.”
Meanwhile away from the above government pantomime NZ Greenhouse emissions continue their inexorable rise, under this administration just as they have done under the last administration.
Isn’t everything deliberately planned and carried out ‘orchestrated’?
So Labour Party people planned to tackle a problem, get it sorted and that included at the end presenting it to the public. In what they hoped would be its final throes. It’s final 24 hours.
Soper said, “Make no mistake, Labour orchestrated the events of the past 24 hours.”
How disappointing that they orchestrated things. I can’t see why they didn’t leave it to reputable media folk like, say, David Farrar, Cameron Slater or Matthew Hooton since orchestrating is clearly their field. Or maybe they could’ve left it to those who caused the need for some orchestration.
Make no mistake, by presenting as he did Soper orchestrated further negativity to be aimed at Labour. What chance for that to be a 24 hour thing?
In a Fight Over Syria, Echoes of Spain’s Civil War and the Battle for Truth in Guernica
IF YOU LISTEN closely to the angry war of words over whether or not the Syrian government used poison gas in its final assault on the town of Douma, it is possible to detect echoes of a similarly heated dispute that took place during another civil war, eight decades ago.
In the days after the firebombing of the undefended Basque town of Guernica, on April 26, 1937, Spain’s embattled government drew attention to what was then an unprecedented atrocity, the result of more than three hours of airstrikes carried out by a fleet of bombers dispatched by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in support of their fascist ally, Gen. Francisco Franco.
Within 24 hours, as the blogger Joey Ayoub noted in a discussion of Syria last week, spokespersons for Franco’s rebel junta offered an alternative explanation. Guernica, the fascists said, had not been bombed at all, but set on fire by their retreating enemies as part of a plot to garner international sympathy…..
…..Although Steer’s report, which inspired Pablo Picasso to begin work on his painting about the massacre, was entirely accurate, Franco’s press office immediately offered a counternarrative, claiming in a statement headlined “Lies, Lies, Lies,” that the Basque president, José Antonio Aguirre, was attempting to blame the fascist air force for fires set by his own troops.
Pure lies, Says Berlin
Wireless to The New York Times.
Berlin,April 29. – The Diplomatische Korrespondenz, semi-official organ of the Foreign Office, after characterizing as pure lies reports that German planes participated in the bombing of Guernica, reminds the world and particularly Britain, that aerial bombing has been freely resorted to in Northwestern India and Aden.
The communique says that this evidently was overlooked by the Opposition in the Brtitsh Parliament. No country deplores more than Germany that methods of warfare are still employed that result in the suffering for cicilian populations, the paper continues.
Attention is drawn to Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s appeal of May 21, 1935, when he proposed an international agreement to stigmatize all air bombings as barbarism and forbid them absolutely. But this proposal, says the communique, “was unfortunately ignored by powers that at that time felt they possessed far superior air forces.”
German newsreels and propaganda of the time gave huge coverage of the crimes of the British Empire, and it was all true. The crimes of British Imperialism are some of the bloodiest in human history, resulting in over 40,000,000 dead. As well as death by fire and sword, carried out in countless wars of invasion, occupation and suppression, millions more died by disease and neglect resulting from imperial policies of economic dislocation and appropriation, theft and slavery.
Exposed to this twisted one-sided propaganda, millions of German Socialists and Leftists became committed National Socialists.
Apologists for the Assad regime today, even on this site, just like the German Nazis, continually bring up the crimes of the US and their allies in Iraq and Afghanistan and Yemen and even occasionally, Vietnam.
At the same time as they point to the crimes of American imperialism, these apologists for Syrian style fascism, consciously and deliberately ignore, or deny the crimes of the Assad regime.
Sometimes, when they can’t deny these crimes, they alternatively use the crimes committed by the US and its allies, as an excuse to justify the genocidal crimes of the Assad regime committed against the Syrian people.
Just as the Nazis continually and repeatedly brought up the crimes of British Imperialism in India and Africa to hide their own criminal imperial designs and crimes against humanity.
This is why Bill and Ed and other committed Assad apologists on this site refuse to answer the question;
No she is not John Key, nor Bill English but she has worked with both and has their support.
Having seen her in action on the campaign trail in Wellington and having watched her maiden statement on Wednesday, and her first speech on the Second Reading of the Families Commission Act Repeal Bill on Thursday, I actually suspect that she is going to put up the backs of a lot of her National Party fellow MPs.
I agree that she is a good speaker – but IMO it also comes with a level of self-assurance that verges on the arrogant; and a self-expectation that she is going to be the one to make a big difference. I suspect this attitude may well get up the noses of some of her colleagues who have been in the House for a lot longer than her – for example, some of the more experienced women, and people like J-L Ross, and also possibly Bridges himself. We shall see.
Your logic is sound as far as it goes – certainly none of her colleagues have much to offer. And she hasn’t publicly blotted her copybook yet – though if she spent much time with Key the expectation must be that she will at the first opportunity.
IMO she is a very different kettle of fish to Key – more a younger Collins? I think she is going to get up the noses of her fellow (but more experienced) Nat Party colleagues in the House as mentioned in my comment above at 14.1,1,4. LOL
Exactly. I think that it is going to be interesting in the months ahead to see what happens within the National ranks. I suspect we are going to see some new internal groupings forming. Willis certainly had the support there on Weds for her maiden speech – Key, Joyce and many others.
On Thursday, support for Willlis was very evident from two of the other new Nats, Denise Lee and Erica Stanford, sitting immediately behind her.
Mind you IMO, Stanford is also a competent speaker and I suspect also very ambitious. Despite only coming into Parliament in Sept 2017, Stanford has already scored a position as Associate Spokesperson on the Environment in Bridges’ reshuffle in March 2018 under Scott Simpson who was appointed by Bill English last Nov as main Environment Spokesperson. (In March, Bridges also replaced Maggie Barry appointed by English as Conservation Spokesperson with Sarah Dowie in this position – another ambitious young woman …)
Stanford in the General Debate on Wednesday, 11 April. Enough said.
I think your criticism is unfounded, Cleangreen. It could even be said that you are opportunistically taking a cheap shot.
Personally I think that the Nats have shot themselves in the foot on this one. And the “Nat trolls” you speak of, are in full retreat. Good one.
I also might add here;
That it not just the Left that has fallen for the Assad regime, and like you will use any excuse to shut down any criticism of the regime.
This is because, as well as being a darling of the Centre Left, Assad is also a darling of the Right and Far Right, and not because Assad falsely paints himself as an anti-imperialist and secular leader, (which is Assad’s attraction to the Left), It is not because of this fiction that the Right love Assad, but because they acknowledge and applaud the real nature of the Assad regime as repressive and sectarian and reactionary.
But don’t take my word for it;
Miream Salameh is a refugee from Syria. She gave this speech at a refugee rights rally in Melbourne on Saturday, 5 November, 2017
My name is Miream Salameh. I’m a Syrian refugee artist who came to Australia three years ago.
I am from a Christian family. I never needed to say that here or in my country because Muslims and Christians always live together in harmony and peace, but I say this today because I need to explain that my family and I escaped from the Syrian regime violence before ISIS even existed in my country.
The Assad regime claims that it protects minorities like us from extremist groups. That is not true. The regime protects itself by using minorities as a playing card to tell Western societies that it is the only source of protection for us.
You Tokoroa sandflys I have observed you enough to know your behaviors everyone seen the 2 who you hired to try and intimidat me in Putaruru yesterday.
I don’t believe in coincidences so everyone knows who my Whano is in this neck of the woods and I say that if anything happens to my Mokopunas on the roads they will know that it was uses who are to blame for anything bad happening to them this raru is one you started we me so leave my – – – – – Whano out of this Ana to kai. If I did not have this wonderful website and the backing of MY——— I would be locked up druged up in Jail on FALSE CHARGES ECO MAORI FEELS for the others that this has happened to. Ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub that volcanic eruption on Hawaii show us that man is nothing with out mother nature blessing I send my condolences to the natives who are displace by Ruaumoko in Hawaii .
Sugar is a poison to Te tangata te Pacific and should be taxed higher than other foods a lot of us have 10 15 cups of tea or coffee a day x 2 to 3 teas spoon of the stuff = 20 to 45 teaspoon of sugar a day one’s body can not cope with that our body are designed to use the unprocessed sugar that comes naturally in the food we eat not the man made sugar.
Prosessed food once again.
Boxing in not the only sport that can cause early dementia in people any contact sport that cause concussion can cause this problem and not only in Pacific people it’s all people who suffer from this we need head gear as a compulsory law in all contact sports. The old Maori tradition te manaw is highly Tapu you never hit a Mokopuna on the head for very good reasons Eco Maori says. It’s a good weekend of sports I see it Ka kite ano
Eco Maori will have to be extra dilagint in what he say to whom as the sandflys put a mean spin on everything I say it’s a phonomen that I will have to be careful what I write on this site to as I have not had a schools education but life has educated me and I read things and tell it like I see it with out knowing that the people I write about have had a very significant role in OUR history. Their are other reasons as well that I will have to be careful to. Eco Maori can see all te tangata that reads his post and it is quite a vast and diverse audience. Ka kite ano
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 ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
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More funding shortfalls thanks to the nats.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/103585348/education-minister-reveals-the-11-billion-problem-facing-schools-nationally
That’s what happens when the rich don’t pay enough tax.
Tony said rightly; “More funding shortfalls thanks to the nats.”
That’s what happens when the National Party “divert funds to their preferences” (for nine long years) as they did with taking all funds ‘payable’ from road and rail maintenance costs away from the regions, and putting them into their ”
pork belly “National roads of significance” playbook.
Truly a bunch of modern day “Robbing hoods” aren’t they just?
Some of what they don’t pay is spent on private health insurance premiums, retirement savings, private school fees, charitable donations and accomodation for adult family members, thereby reducing demand on the public purse.
None of which is any good for society.
Private health takes resources away from the public health system and thus making it worse.
Retirement savings are a scam – just like capitalism itself.
Charitable donations never cover the full needs of society.
We cannot afford the rich because they’re all bludgers.
😩
ah the rich vein of resentment that emanates from a bludger when they see someone doing better than themselves
I’m not resentful of the bludgers – I’m angry.
They’re stealing from us and government keeps supporting it.
Thanks for the tuppenny wank TS.
And they import as many workers as possible to create a low wage economy and overload the welfare system with as many people all who qualify for subsidies, as possible to ‘stimulate demand’ for the private sector, such as building more prisons, privatising prisons, privatising healthcare, privatising charities, privatising welfare through private agencies, more roads, more houses, more PPP’s of ha ha ‘public’ transport…. etc IN short taking from the people and giving to corporations who are apparently the holy grail of a special type of community (who knew?).
Unfortunately the government have not worked out that in previous times aka 19th and early 20c this government investment in infrastructure led to local jobs and local goods being used to service the economy. In the 21c this doesn’t happen anymore, you borrow money or increase taxes, but it’s just as likely to go offshore corporations and not provide many local jobs, instead create havoc by lowering wages, decreasing jobs for local workers who suffer, not buying local products, create havoc more houses needed, more hospitals, more health care to provide for all the new previously offshore but now onshore workers.
Apparently government don’t keep any statistics and immigration is all based on arrival cards and what people decide to put on there. (likewise census). So I’m guessing if you are coming to NZ to work illegally as a stopper than you don’t exactly declare it… nor the people trafficking and so forth. Basically the government has no ways to even work out how many people are working illegally here or just using the welfare system under false names. How many people leave as soon as they obtain residency (clues are there is now a big amount of people going out of NZ). Migrants will behave the same way as Kiwi workers, if they are not paid enough or the opportunities are not there, they will leave as well… so it solves nothing to not look at the causes of skilled people leaving NZ.
Maybe time the government gets some hard facts on what’s actually going on. How many babies being born and registered as NZ citizens, how many people are actually on welfare and is it after they gain their residency, how many people who have just moved here will be able to claim the pension in a decade or less. How many people leave once getting residency. The get somehow who actually knows what they are doing to get some predictions going.
The original premise of migration in NZ was apparently to bring ‘young workers’ in to provide taxes for our aging population, but the story keeps changing, because now we seem to have a whole lot of young people who need WFF or social welfare if their relationship breaks up and elderly relatives and siblings seem to be able to come in as well, with a bit of creative paperwork. Skilled people can leave after gaining residency.
All roads are leading to a huge change in NZ society and look at what’s happened overseas, it does not lead to a left wing government after excessive migration (either in or out, aka some countries have been left with not enough skilled people aka Poland and trying to get them back). It leads to social disruption, and right wing governments getting in if the left wing government denies there is an issue.
And then those people paying taxes, are told, ‘pay more’, we also need more workers and more taxes to pay for the infrastructure of all the new workers.. the Ponzi continues
Weren’t you one of the ones complaining about the census? The most basic of tools the government uses to get some of those hard facts.
I’m complaining that the census and arrival/departure cards are based on what people choose to put in it and I think it’s time to look more at hard facts, like birth registration data, house and assets transfers, hospital and school records and welfare payments across all sectors from unemployment, WFF, super, DPB etc more in depth rather than relying on what people volunteer which is used as facts, to build a much more detailed picture of what happened in the last decade and how that is going to impact the country.
You seem to be looking for one shop that does everything, whereas pretty much all your requested data is already gathered by different departments.
People earning under the table are looked for by IRD, as well as companies fiddling books to pay the employees. Immigration officers look for overstayers or people in violation of their visas. Beneficiaries need id just to get into the bloody office, so it’s not like just putting a fake name on the form. IRD, WINZ and I believe a few other organisations all share data to detect frauds.
All a one-stop-shop data shop would do is maximise the damage of a data breach. For what? What is the clear, simple and explicit objective you wish to achieve with this data collation?
Stats NZ identified the issue with relying arrival cards a couple of years ago and have come up with a new report where they use Customs data to compare intentions with actions.
11bn
Number 11 featuring…again…
11bn dollar holes…
Do rightwingers in positions of power undervalue education because they feel threatened if people know too much, ie… dodgy dealings?
Space for comments below article
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/removing-the-conditions-on-welfare-works
If we paid people unable to work the same way as pensioners, many problems could be solved. Taxation would even out anomalies of part time or full time work and it would replace the current pittance working for families etc.
When will a New Zealand journalist bother to challenge the Australian bankers about the obscene profits they loot out of this country every year?
When are they going to state this is another failed market?
Banking
Insurance
Power
Oil
Failed markets.
That allow.
Multinational corporations.
To loot our country.
Thanks Roger Douglas, John Key and Ruth Richardson.
Friends of international finance.
Traitors all to the ordinary citizens of this country.
Which of our power companies are multi nationals ed?
Up to 49% of pretty much all of them. Only that much because John Key knew he couldn’t sell a full sale to the public.
I suppose that if you were challenged to produce some evidence for this claim you would offer something like.
“Well for XXX the overseas ownership is 0;.26%. That is “Up to 49%” so my statement is true.
What are the real numbers. If you don’t know you an simply admit you don’t know.
Your claim is about as honest as the statements by your leader when she says something is “an excise. It’s not a tax”.
Just look at the shareholding of each of the powercos. Anything “nominees” is a corporate holding (incl RBNZ). The actuals will be different across each but they’re already far from the Mum and Dad ownership that John Key sold the sale to NZers as.
That doesn’t answer the question.
You labelled them as “multi-nationals”, implying that the ownership was foreign based. I don’t dispute the accuracy of your answer but it says precisely nothing about where the beneficial owners are situated.
How can I see that the ownership is foreign?
It actually doesn’t matter. Selling them was a mistake and even that false market that National put in place was stupid. Power generation and distribution is a natural monopoly that should be run as a state service.
Power distribution may be a natural monopoly.
Power generation is not.
Indeed, many commenters on this blog argue that it really should be a small scale DIY operation with solar panels on the roof. That would be about as far from a “monopoly” as it would be possible to get.
Which is the really expensive way to go about it as it minimises economies of scale rather than maximising them. It also contributes to inequalities that are detrimental to society.
I’m all for solar panels on every house roof but have them emplaced and maintained by the state service. That gets the economies of scale maximised, the service to be stable and spreads the benefit across society at maximum speed.
How do Multinationals “loot” anything?
By owning it.
So when you own something you loot it do you? How very odd.
I might be interstellar from time to time but I’m not a multinational.
Ownership allows unearned income. This is income from everyone else for doing nothing.
Otherwise known as theft.
https://medium.com/nine-by-five-media/looting-africa-299932cc22f1
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/may/24/world-is-plundering-africa-wealth-billions-of-dollars-a-year
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/06/05/new-report-shows-corporations-and-western-governments-continue-to-profit-from-looting-of-africa/
Gosman, Google “Looting countries by companies”.
Stop asking questions and start looking for answers yourself.
You can do it.
LOL! The looting of Africa. A continent that receives the least amount of FDI than any other (bar Antarctica) is somehow being looted because people hardly invest there. You are having a laugh.
You seen “Darwin’s Nightmare“?
Have a wee watch.
Then apply the same or similar scenario to just about anything that can be transported from Africa, and reflect on that going on for nigh on 200 years.
See if you’re still so blase then.
He will be. Anything that proves his ideology wrong will be ignored.
And the countless failed attempts at socialism you’ve ignored?
I haven’t ignored them. I’ve looked at what went wrong and the answer is almost always a hierarchy that mimics capitalism and a serious misunderstanding of economics and societies.
The USSR didn’t collapse because it was socialist but because it was state capitalist.
NZ’s hydro generation produced some of the cheapest sustainable power in the world. Since privatization consumers, far from enjoying the price reductions promised by disgraced former politician Max Bradford, now pay among the highest electricity prices in the world, including penalties to solar conversions. One average NZ bill would pay a year of my Korean power bills with some left over. It’s a fucking disgrace.
Where is your evidence that we pay amongst the highest electricity prices in the World?
Gosman, Google world power prices.
Go on, you can do it.
Then you’ll find this out.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/electricity-rates-around-the-world.html
Look at the table, and then add in New Zealand at $US 0.19.
Then you will know, and no longer have to ask questions.
Where did you get $USD 0.19 for NZ electricity?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_pricing
Based on that Table we are a long, long way from being amongst the most expensive in the World. Thanks for providing the link.
BTW that doesn’t take in to account purchasing power. 15 US cents per kilowatt hours is a lot more costly for the average South African than 19 US cents in NZ.
This would tend to support the view that your opinion is nonsense.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11941663
“Despite the rise in residential prices, New Zealand still has the 11th lowest residential electricity prices among the 32-country OECD, and the seventh lowest industrial prices.”
So you can do it? Knew you could.
You seem to suggest NZ has some of the highest rates yet that isn’t supported by any figures I have seen.
And it is not amongst the most highest in the World according to the link you very kindly provided me. Thanks for that.
Not a problem. I’m not involved in the argument.
Just pointing out that you can do your own research if you want, and thereby stop asking questions for which the answer is readily available.
Are you aware of the ratio of questions to answers you provide in your ‘comments’?
Yes. And so what?
The reason I ask the question is to highlight the fact that the person making the claim has NOT provided any supporting evidence.
You understand the concept of burden of proof I presume. Apply the concept here.
BTW your links “supporting” the idea that Africa is being looted were risible.
Facts do not align with neoliberal propaganda
Kids in the cold: outcomes for New Zealand households with children using prepayment metering for electricity
Power Failure: New Zealand Electricity Deregulation
Kiwis lose $871 million from power company privatisations
Messy Path to Privatization for New Zealand Power Company
Something is very wrong with New Zealand’s electricity market
Behind Auckland’s power crisis – Profiteering, deception and anti-democracy
When the capitalists take over, services turn to shit
Yeah nah – a Herald article vs actual bills? Nope. $8 a month was about average for my time in Seoul.
And they of course don’t have enormous state built hydro assets.
Who’s gonna be the last one to turn off the lights after we all leave?
We’ve got such cheap power nobody will bother to turn the lights off…
Thanks also Michael Cullen, Bill English and Grant Robertson and every future finance minister who sits by while this carries on. Only Robertson may yet redeam himself…
I don’t have any faith that Robertson will redeem himself. He’ll still support the capitalist plunder of the country.
Here’s some related ones according to Guy McPherson too,
Big Ag
Big Ad (no relation)
Big Pharma
Big Energy
Can we add Big Supermarket to that?
granted Foodstuffs is NZ owned, but the duopoly that no government forever seems to have to balls to break up is responsible for unjustified extortion of basic food prices for the simple reason that they can. There is no “choice” for the vast majority of NZers where they get their food from and that extortion is a contributing factor to people not eating well, or enough.
Yeah that’s part of it too, possibly coming under a big food umbrella.
Reminds me of the Hughs War On Waste doco from the UK, that looks at consumer waste and how the supermarkets play their part in it too. Can watch it here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3c4g04
How are any of those failed markets ?
Just look round the market man, now we see the cost of building products is now said to be 3 times the cost of Australian building supplies now and the cost per meter of building is four times higher according to a report i heard today on AM radio Duncan Garner.
The Australian reporter said ( quote;) “we are being screwed”.
Go look at the media releases on Australian building costs vs NZ costs.
Yes it was far better when everything was state controlled, the so called elite where those who had the various government licenses etc, no choice, no freedom, hey but every one had to put up with same shite, shoddy service, for god sake you could only get white bread, took 6 week to get a phone connected, could only move something by truck for 100 miles then had to rail ( good luck if it turned up at all or let alone in full) and needed permission to get 1000 dollars fix to go overseas on holiday but hey every one was equally miserable so all good however so all good
Where a nightwatchman could afford to own a large racing yacht. Almost all families were fed and housed adequately, you could support a family on one income, poverty almost non existent, it cost buggerall to play sports, to go tramping, swimming or exploring the back country. good medical care and education was cheap or free, weekends, and evenings, were free time, not only for a few rich, and we had one of the highest standards of living in the world.
Terrible times, Indeed!
You could by a decent, watertight, durable 3 bdrm house on a quarter acre in an Auckland suburb for less than 3 x your annual income.
All the local kids (and quite a few of the adults) would play cricket, spotlight, etc together out in the street with no fear of getting run over.
Milk cost 3 cents and was delivered to your door.
People actually physically talked to one another. You knew all your neighbours.
10 bucks an hour was a decent wage.
Space Invaders.
Bare feet.
Bull Rush
Sunday night double features at the local cinema. 40 cents a ticket.
Nothing open on Sundays except the dairy.
Nothing miserable about anything back then. Life was great and we appreciated how lucky we were.
Gotta agree that was my up bringing And I do think been a kid then was easier however the technology, choices, freedom you have today is fantastic but I do agree their are downsides and less certainty Irrespective give me today’s freedom and choice over the blandness and one size fits all of the pre 80s. The other thing that lifestyle was funded off the sheep backs where the uk brought all we had that all ended in the early 70s and we borrowed to maintain that lifestyle
What freedom?
What choice?
We had plenty of freedom. Certainly more than we have today.
The service was shoddy and is actually getting worse as more cowboys enter the market and drive down wages.
Actually, it took three days to get a phone connected in most cases. Some took a little longer because we actually had to run the lines out first. Now, consider that in many places today it’s a six month wait and other places you can’t even get ADSL never mind fibre. Yeah, in telecommunications things have gone seriously backwards.
Moving anything by truck for more than 50km is bad planning as it uses excessive resources. See, forcing freight onto the trains had nothing to do with protecting the trains and everything to do with limiting resource usage.
Despite your complaints getting foreign exchange wasn’t really that hard. You just had to plan for it.
Crap about white bread. My parents owned a dairy in the 60’s and you could get brown and also this chunky whole meal. But true food was a bit limited back then
WTF do you mean by ‘true food’?
New Zealand superfund makes a better return of its assets than the Aussie bankers. Shall we ask them to explain at the same time?
No, because they have not been accused of malpractice. They are just fortunate that the heralded crash has yet to occur, and shares have generally risen. Tuppence reflects the value of your contribution this time. (And others, I suspect.)
Ed made no mention of their practices, just the nationalistion of their profits. Nz superfund repatriates it’s off shore profits. How would we feel about those being nationalised by a foreign country
Personally, I would fully sympathise with the foreign country. I have no time for profit-gougers – those whom Bernard Shaw correctly called the Idle Rich.
‘
The Tears of Hine Hukatere
A love story
Typical mean spiritedness from Ministry of Health Disability Support Services at calls for funding for carbon fibre splints to support normal gait and reduce falls and musculoskeletal issues in those with disabilities.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=12007443
They, the Miserly of Health,really have no concept at all of ‘investment’ when it comes to disability, especially when it comes to funding equipment that has the potential to transform lives. And the difference with this technology is akin to the old ‘brick’ mobile phones being promptly ditched for pocket sized tech. Only fools would continue to use the old when the new is so much better for the user.
“”As technology improves over time and costs are likely to come down, there may be the ability to consider funding this type of technology in the future,” said Toni Atkinson, the ministry’s group manager of disability support services.”
And this lot seem unable to do cost benefit analyses….higher initial cost offset by lower downstream costs….foreign concept.
And god forbid they fund new technologies that enable people to go out into their communities with confidence.
Because that would mean that seeing more people with disabilities out and about would be normal….
NB…it is my understanding that this technology is funded by our lucky cousins on ACC.
Like the scrapping of funding reduced costs for funding visits to G’s I’m afraid.
Anything to improve health funding has to be sacrificed to fund a years paid holiday for would be “students”.
That and paying for the “Save New Zealand First” slush fund to make Shane Jones’ flights out of Kerikeri more comfortable.
alwyn. Sigh. Seriously? Sighs again, and decides not to do the TS thing of blaming the Natz for everything.
alwyn. The very least one should do before one comments is to read the post, maybe google the named persons and get a real sense of the history…
Toni ‘what a wonderful job we’re doing for the disabled’ Atkinson has been group Manager at MOH:DSS since way, way before the latest election. She is the problem, as are her fellow MOH bureaucrats.
The incumbents of the government benches are not in control here…this lot, or the previous lot….IMHO.
Quite true Rosemary, the MOH, PHARMAC and other health QANGOs with their assorted mandarins potter on in their usual way regardless of who’s sitting on the right hand side of the debating chamber.
My youngest son has Spina bifida and walks with the assistance of plastic AVO’s. We have to have these replaced ever 6 months or so due both to his growing and more importantly the fact that they just flat out can’t survive a 7 year old trying to run around at school for 6 months. I use try as they are also very limited in how much they do for him. They basically allow him to walk and try to run.
Obviously I can’t say if these would suit his circumstances however with what the article describes the difference it would make to my boys life to actually be able to run around the play ground with the other kids would be huge. To play tag and not always be it because you are easy to catch and then can’t catch others.
These sorts of things go beyond the initial cost. This sort of thing could help make going to school a far more enjoyable prospect for kids with disabilities.
Hiya crashcart, and thanks for commenting and giving your input as someone who has the benefit of lived experience.
“To play tag and not always be it because you are easy to catch and then can’t catch others.
These sorts of things go beyond the initial cost. This sort of thing could help make going to school a far more enjoyable prospect for kids with disabilities.”
Could someone put this before Clark or Genter please?
Labour’s positive changes coming for RMA to reverse the ‘rot ‘that national intentionally changed to benefit the rich investors for profit and charging the public for cost for their ‘perceived right’ to plan their commercial ‘extensions’ instead of considering environmental consideration and charging all investigative and legal costs to the taxpayer. and away from their rightful costs.
Clever deceptive people weren’t National?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1805/S00034/change-to-eez-act-is-start-of-resource-management-reform.htm
And at the same time they will somehow be able to get more houses to be built to solve the housing crisis – Yeah right.
so you have finally admitted there IS a housing crisis, how long did that take????
nine years and some breathing space 😉
You mistake me for a National party supporter
all tories look alike.
and smell.
“Yeah right”
Super important to change RMA to give long term environmental risks much more importance, if we don’t, we turn into a polluted little back water, with a brigade of Bill n John’s truck stops… I’ve always thought we were working towards a Thailand type system… luxury overseas owned tourist ventures, with sewerage in the streets and cheap drugs with Los Angeles transport and large houses and a Phillipines type overseas population of workers escaping for better wages. But I’m not sure that government/business vision is a good one.
Yeah and then see how housing costs increase even further.
Yes because I’d prefer another McMansion and MegaStore/Mall luxury hotel /conference centre, with the small price to pay of sewage in the beaches, dead native forests and lower wages for the economic workers…. many of whom have to be ‘bought’ in for our ‘skills’ shortages but also need additional housing and cars… to keep the Ponzi going strong.
The other day, some recent migrant was caught having 3 babies concurrently to different women. That’s dedication to the cause…. imagine instead of 1 house 1 family, he now probably needs three houses to be supplied for his increasing brood … talk about increasing your own demand for housing…
With this in mind I’m sure there are more practical ways to stop the housing crisis through legislation, than destroying our immediate environment with bizarre short term RMA, for the next generation.
Yes, obviously male immigrants should be sterilized at the border.
That imagination again, Solka. Someone give real examples of what is going on and you respond as usual without any sensible solution or even concern that that not be a good thing.
Never mind, I think someone might have made something up about someone in government and we can all spend government time and media on that rather than what is actually going on and then pretend what is going on, is not happening.
That’s because you talk such a load of shit where there is no actual discernible point. So one immigrant has gotten three women pregnant and you try to suggest from that that there is some kind of conspiracy – “That’s dedication to the cause”. Like WTF?
You say he was caught. What law did he break? Is there really no NZ born men who have done this?
I’m not saying it’s a conspiracy (as usual adding your own delusions), but we have a housing shortage and supposedly he’s got residency because he’s helping solve that??
And nope not broken any laws apparently immigration are fine with that, my guess only came to light due to the women going on a benefit and being investigated for fraud, which says a lot about who we think are the fraudsters in this country.
If you can’t see the relationship between more people and the effects on the housing crisis then that says more about your intellectual capacity… and your sense of justice seems more like a market driven one, oh Kiwi’s can do it, lets roll with that, the more the merrier having loads of concurrent kids …. if you were not a part time champion of the Greens (scary enough), you could easily be an ACT supporter.
“oh Kiwi’s can do it, lets roll with that,”
and there we have your prejudice oozing out. You seem to be saying that we should have one set of rules and expectations for those who were born here and another for immigrants. Clearly you have no respect for human rights or natural justice.
Not sure how valuing such would make me an Act supporter.
ps. The first Key Principle in the Greens Immigration Policy is:
Treat all migrants with dignity, compassion, and respect in accordance with international conventions on human rights.
https://www.greens.org.nz/page/immigration-policy
I just want to see more houses built. I don’t care about their size particularly.
Sounds like there’s property in Queenstown if you have $30 million. I don’t think we have any issues building houses, it seems more how the resources are being allocated and for whom, that might be the issue of shortages.
The Labour-led government invests $100 million to combat homelessness, and launches it on the same marae that took in hundreds and hundreds of people last winter:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12044775
Makes me feel good paying taxes for that one.
Yes, it is good they are doing something, big plus for Labour led government. But are they looking at the changes in government policy under the Natz that have led to this massive rise in homelessness in particular over the past 6 years?
Are you aware of the government’s housing policies?
Go have a read. There have been a few announcements this year on that topic if you go through the Beehive site.
I’m more interested in policy that stops the homelessness happening in the first place. Increased wages and conditions that can provide a decent living not an increasing number of workers scrounging for benefit top ups because you can’t survive on wages, bigger focus on kids and education which is having the next generation of kids having skills, mental health and ability to cope, morals , decency for all, entrepreneurship and so forth, not having them scared out of their wits that someone is going to gun them down or a tree falls over and some private course will save them, also having little provision of them in the work force due to their lack of experience… a tax system that helps people who live in NZ and pay taxes here, not actually encouraging undercutting through offshore completion with lower wages and conditions and materials, having a decent retirement for people who lived and worked in NZ for most of their lives… a housing market that is not skewed by allowing people who don’t live here/pay full taxes here to invest here as though they do live here, a focus of quality exports, not cheap ones and making sure that Kiwis can afford their own quality food and buy a house and it is not all exported off for wealthier people, while through loopholes residents are expected to pay to support overseas families lifestyles (or in the case below, employers low wages), while not actually being able to afford a lifestyle of their own.
It’s not even about the money, so much as the rot it’s causing in society when people become commoditised.
This is an increasing type of employer. A ex Serbian man killed while working as a security guard probably on minimum wages with minimal training. When the union offered courses the company who employed him declined saying, I will just hire someone who already has the qualification. Companies whose prime motivation is profits, increasingly seem to see their employees as disposable commodities and when things go wrong the tax payer will clean up the mess, financially as well as socially and the family just suck up the death. Meanwhile another low paid, untrained worker will only be too willing to take his place in the race to the bottom.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/05/union-hits-out-at-security-firm-after-guard-s-death.html
How will increased wages solve the housing crisis? Won’t more income just push prices higher?
You don’t mention housing policy. As Ad asks, are you aware of the government’s housing policies?
Of course income won’t push house prices higher. House prices are driven by demand. Demand comes from immigration, tourism, more people coming to live in NZ either permanently or temporality.
The cost of building a house is astronomical. The profit driven free market NZ system has created a monster when every step you take is a rout of profiteering.
That is why people concentrate on land creation for profit. Why would you build when it is so risky and you can just get the council to re zone your land and create massive value aka with rezoning land can go from 1 million to 30 million overnight. It’s free money created out of nothing. Natz love it. Council love it (more rates).
Building is a different kettle of fish because so much more can go wrong and profiteering is even more rife. You then have to provide the infrastructure as well and if you have not bothered to do that before consenting then you start getting big problems with pollution.
The numbers don’t work for Labour’s housing. I mean every day we hear how they need to import hundreds of people into NZ which of course takes up housing adding to demand. Even the hospitality people are jumping up and down these days about demand. I’m sure unemployed people/students/single parents could manage to be trained to wait a table or pour a drink, but no apparently hospitality also suffer severe ‘skilled’ sic. shortages!
As soon as immigration wanes, housing prices stop going up. Already happened in Auckland, the rapid increases have slowed with Labour getting in.
Labour have built 18 affordable houses so far. Good on them, but seriously when they go to ballot what is going to happen if 1/2 of them go to new migrants while long term tax paying Kiwi workers miss out? And if the migrants miss out people like the banned Wei will be up in arms too, as discrimination. What happens to the million+ residents who are renters?
Personally think all the taxpayer housing should be kept under taxpayer control and rented out with provisions in place so the Natz can’t sell them off when they next get in.
This is a moral question and there is no right answer, but in the interests of fairness or perception of fairness, I think the government will have a problem when the affordable houses start being divvided out on who gets them.
As soon as government bumps up wages to living levels aka $20p/h and removes zero hour contracts on jobs that are not casual aka fast food/supermarket/service stations then more people will be able to afford rents.
Rents are governed by what it costs to build a house and pay to maintain it. There is a massive discrepancy between wages and the price of building a house/buying a house/renting a house. Adding more houses is not going to solve that especially if you are adding more people into NZ than the new houses. Even if you add massive amount of new houses, where are the higher paid jobs for the people???
Are you aware of the government’s housing policies? It doesn’t seem so.
Why don’t you give us the news then Solka, how many house to be built this year and how many available under $650,000 by the government and how many available for renting… Personally I don’t think $650k should even be considered affordable.
I’m taking move in housing, not a spread sheet or plan for 2018.
Go do your own research.
So, let me help you out here with your awareness of actual policy being delivered since you clearly lack the motivation or skill to do it for yourself.
Here’s today’s policy on homelessness:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/100-million-tackle-homelessness
First KiwiBuild homes going up:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/frames-go-first-kiwibuild-houses
Increase the minimum wage substantially …
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/minimum-wage-increases-weekend
… together with putting $28 billion into high paying jobs in the civil construction industry:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/record-investment-get-auckland-moving
Further investment from Kiwibuild:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/unitec-deal-marks-major-kiwibuild-milestone
Reversing market forces into public housing:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-stops-sale-state-houses
And put a billion dollars into regional growth initiatives, along with a whole bunch of other initiatives:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/pre-budget-speech-business-nz
All you had to do, SaveNZ, as I recommended, is actually acquaint yourself with the number and interlocking impact of the policies and funded announcements and initiatives that are already underway.
The moral question you wail about is long since answered, and it goes like this: if you elect a Labour-led coalition government it is better for workers and home owners in a pretty short space of time.
@Ad/Solka So either you don’t know the number, too lazy to provide it, or there is nothing concrete for delivery for this year! Thought so.
If you can’t find the numbers in those releases then you’re not ever going to understand numbers better than a primary school child.
Waste someone else’s time.
Yep, you don’t know, and probably neither does the Labour Party or the Greens.
If you can’t actually give proper figures and delivery times after allocating all that money, something is wrong with accountability.
As i’ve explained before, the problem lies with Woolworths and the crappy magic wands that they supply.
Still no number even though a primary school child can apparently work it out…
But the child has to do it themselves if they’re going to learn anything.
solkta; – “Was you aware of national’s ‘housing policies” – you know the one that failed us all?
Not sure what your point is.
he or she probably assumes your continual nasty invective is most commonly connected to a J Key Nat supporter. I, however, think your just another nasty 3rd way-er overly invested in neoliberal identity politics.
I’m a “3rd way-er” now am I? I’ll add it to the collection.
So funny the labels that get thrown at you here just for challenging something stupid that someone said.
Seeing as Housing First providers manage the tenancies and the properties but don’t actually supply the homes, would it be correct to assume that out of the $63 million going to be given to Housing First, not a cent will be going to increase our housing supply?
Saliva testing bill drawn from parliamentary ballot
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/356560/saliva-testing-bill-drawn-from-parliamentary-ballot
The “Land Transport (Random Oral Fluid Testing) Amendment Bill” is a relic from last millennium’s War On Drugs, is deeply flawed, and should be binned. The presence of traces of a drug does not prove impairment!! The only regimes for drug testing of drivers which have any validity are those which involve blood testing and in which a limit has been set above which impairment is considered to be established. I’m a bit puzzled about the true intent of this bill. Is it Virtue Signalling? or is it a strike in a Class War of Social Conservatives Vs Drug Users??
The presence of a drug from urine tests in my industry is enough to have people marched off site. NZTA are continuing to roll out their anti-drug-driver campaigns for similar reasons to ours.
Like yourself I’m not sure what a further legislated testing regime adds to this picture. The existing enforcements surely are enough.
Meh – dont do illegal drugs and it wont be a problem.
Don’t make people so devoid of hope for a better life, that they turn to drugs, or gambling, or alcohol, or borrowing from loan sharks.
Fixed it for you.
Have a look at Portugal or Iceland, if you really want to solve drug problems.
Drug tests are another rort by a solution looking for a problem, Like the P house testing.
+111
Most illegal drugs are no worse than the legal ones.
The “illegal” part is often much more problematic than the “drugs” part. You appear to be self-identifying as the Social Conservative sub-species of Right Whinger; it must be sad for you that John Banks is but a distant memory…
Hmmm, I sound a bit grumpy there. Am usually reasonably goodnatured; it must have been a particularly inane comment…
It’s National being their normal authoritarian selves and seeking to cut the fun that other people have in some belief that it will help employers.
DNA Database?
Thats (one of) the problems with rumours, the speculation
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12043768
Soper proves he’s to stupid to understand that if the nats scummy hench men had not spread lies then labour would not have had to deal with it .
The thing is i don’t believe any National MP had anything to do with this, after everything that went down Dirty Politics you’d have to be completely brain dead to think no one would make a connection between the rumours and the National party
I suspect its either the non-affiliated National voter or (more likely) non-political trolls doing this
I did say nat henchmen . the MPs are far to greasy to be caught at it first hand . you need to reread the dirty politics book to see how national operate
I don’t think theres any need for National and their “henchmen” for this kind of thing to happen.
Theres always been rumours and innudendo only now, with social media, its much more easier to spread and to have people listen
Does that decrease your workload, or do folks just have higher expectations of your output?
I don’t do social media
oh wow, you’ll have to work harder to catch up with them then. Don’t want to be downsized.
I appreciate your concern but i don’t need to worry about that sort of thing 🙂
Wait until the Russian bots take yer jerb 😛
Who do you think programs the bots…
In that case, it’s not job security that’s the problem – be careful who pours your tea…
Soapy can’t moralise and pontificate if some rotten spoilsports go around quashing rumours.
hurled link pucky?
Abandon all hope, ye who enter here
Minister of Health David Clark puts the new hospital on the site of the Cadbury’s Building:
https://www.odt.co.nz/in the South
At over $1 billion this is the largest single build the South Island has had for a very long time.
More taxpayer money well spent.
Disagree Ad – it beggars belief that a spend of what will likely be in the order of 2 billion for a population of 250 thousand is considered a good spend when there are far larger population centres in NZ that a proportion of this spend could be targeted to.
It is long past time that NZ faced facts about trying to have a gold plated health service in every population centre.
Well presumably it will also include stuff for the university as well so not just a hospital
Yes the Chancellor and vc is neck deep in ot.
See I don’t mind this at all in fact its a good idea, much better to spend big money on something like this (something but useful and tangible) then something dumb like a free years study
About 25% of people in Dunedin are directly or indirectly employed by Otago University.
The procuremement will be interesting because as a lead beneficiary of this investment I would expect the University to contribute substantially to the construction cost and fitout. After all the medical school and all the specialists who work between hospital and teaching and research have huge interdependencies.. And I would hope it is kept under very close surveillance by the Minister – just as Parker did with Americas Cup facilities in Auckland – to ensure that officials and planners don’t take the easy and cheap routes to success.
The construction itself is going to be really interesting for a number of reasons:
– at 4.4% headline unemployed where are we going to get the workers to build it? Construction workers with the skills to take on an entire hospital are few and far between here.
– at almost 0% rental vacancy in Dunedin where are we going to put the workers, even if we can get them?
The City of Dunedin itself will have some role to play as well to ensure that this isn’t just the largest single CAPEX to ever happen to the city; it should be a full spatial rejuvenation of the entire precinct. It will surely need a relaxation of their height rules to enable the long-needed hotel capacity into Dunedin. The have turned down multiple large high quality hotel projects there recently when they are sorely needed.
I sure hope this procurement and the whole project demonstrates a once-a-century boost to the whole of Dunedin.
“I sure hope this procurement and the whole project demonstrates a once-a-century boost to the whole of Dunedin.”
Couldn’t agree more
The hotel projects were all a bit shit. 27 glass storeys on the waterfront? Bugger that.
I suspect it will be a bit like the stadium, where the university basically built the fourth wall as a separate building with their own stuff in it. The real issue will be whether they shift some of the anatomy/path folk down to a facility next to the hospital, as I think many of them are currently in varsity buildings across the road from the hospital (as well as some departments actually having facilities in the hospital itself).
Then I suppose they can rip the asbestos out of the current hospital and turn it into a hotel. Everyone’s happy lol
Because the stated “unemployment rate” is total bullshit, as we know.
At least half the young people in Whangarei are unemployed, or in zero hours, or 90 day trial non jobs, for one.
“Planet Key” statistics.
Plenty of work available up north picking kumera if they want it according to one news
Great. So the farmers up north will:
1. Pay for people to shift their entire families up north.
2. Pay a living wage once they get there and
3. Not abuse the shit out of them.
Yeah, not holding my breath.
Yeah. If they want to live on minimum wage and pay $300 a week, out of it, to live in a cowshed.
You will be able to determine its plating once the design and coatings come out.
If you have been a patient or visitor or medical professional to Dunedin Hospital you will understand.
Ad I have been to Dunedin Hospital a number of times and agree it is in dire need of destruction and rebuild.
trying to have a gold plated health service… yes because that is why we have a private system gaining a lot more traction…
Funny though, US pay the most in the world for health care, but so many can’t afford health care, and American’s seem to be almost encouraged to be as unhealthy as possible through food choices and lifestyle, all putting $$$$ into private health.
🙄
About time people understood ‘the markets’ is about profitability, morals don’t come into it.
So a society based around ‘the free market’ can easily become a morally bankrupt, dysfunctional society because bad things tend to be just as profitable as good things.
You need other measures such as environmental regulation, societal regulation such as human rights and so forth to try to keep the balance.
Expecting social things like hospitals to make money creates stupidity of decision making. Such as at Middlemore hospital, government money was funded for extending buildings that housed things like meeting rooms for consultants (they could then artificially make a ‘profit’ on that not like the sick kids that returned a ‘loss’) while the mould and sewage in the children wards was not deemed worthy of government funding.
Our problem is that we firstly don’t have a closed free market system so the theory is wrong straight away, we are also becoming less moral as a society (days of leaving door unlocked gone, full prisons, more stories of fraud), and also massive changes in legislation or the way it is applied under law, under the Natz has removed most of the regulation governing any sort of standard from human rights to environmental safeguards to tax law to resource/building consenting standards and norms.
So fuck the markets. It’s one part of living a life, but unfortunately seems to have taken over and we are now in stupidity land of ideology of leadership/advice from free marketeers who stopped thinking practically years/maybe decades ago.
What tax laws, human right laws, environmental laws, resource building laws and consents did Natz remove I can’t really think of any, hey but I may be wrong Also do you have any stats to show fraud and crime is up most of what I see is a these crimes are down
Thieving by National and their mates, for some strange reason, “is not a crime”.
No answer but silly cliches as I expected
human rights: right of prisoners to vote
Was it them that removed that?
It depends on how many lives get saved, not having to truck or chopper so many people up to chch or further. And that’s at DHB cost, not including “your appointment is on the 12th at 8am, get there somehow” transport barriers.
So you’ll probably find the capex offsets a lot of the operational costs that result from whatever crumbs of healthcare you want to throw in our direction.
Instead you want us to pay twice as much for a private service, like the USA?
No you dunce, quite the opposite.
Those services which are in high demand and which are in overflow to private providers such as orthopaedics and ophthamology and cardiology would be fully resourced in the major centres and decrease the need for private providers.
The very specialist services for rarer conditions and specialities would be fully resourced in the large population centres where there is the most resource and demand and which can be maintained as centres of excellence for such services.
Actually, it’s long past time that NZers stopped trying to do everything on the cheap as doing so means that we don’t get the service that we need and it costs more in the long run as we keep trying to fix the sub-par service to do the job which also never works because we’re doing that on the cheap as well.
So lets’s have services like paediatric neurosurgery at every centre in NZ and damn the costs.
More diatribe and drivel from DTB.
Let’s just have one hospital in Auckland.
Impractical in the Auckland isthmus under the current setup and with the current bricks and mortar we have in place.
There is however, very significant gains to be made from not having 3 DHBs replicating their own bureaucracy and IT systems, returning to the RHA system would be worth investigating.
Heard of sarcasm?
Apologies, long day dealing with bureaucrats – my sarcasm meter has become faulty.
It’s you who are ignoring the costs.
People dying because they don’t get the treatment that they need soon enough in an emergency because they have to be freighted to Auckland first.
Having to wait for the necessary surgery and can’t do anything while they wait.
the added costs upon people as they now have to traverse the country to stay with people.
Added costs of having to find accommodation when they do.
The list goes on and on.
As I say, doing things on the cheap costs more.
If there’s work for them down here, why not base them here?
That goes for every damned speciality – the problem the Southern region faces isn’t that we’re demanding specialists to be paid full time to do one surgery a month as and when needed.
The problem is that over decades we’ve been fucked by a funding model that assumes three dhbs are within an hour or two’s drive of their neighbours’ base hospitals, or chopper range at a pinch. And this funding approach combined with sub-sustainable levels anyway has resulted in putting off capex to keep the lights on, and other false economies. Not just Dunedin hospital – Queenstown hospital has structural osh issues.
Also assuming specialist want to live provincal nz, their work place choices and demand for their skills are global
The place has lots of advantages that can be easy to overlook if you need a bucket in the operating theatre to catch drips from the leaking roof when it rains, or you can’t access patient records because they’re in the asbestos-contaminated area, or you have to knife-fight a funding manager to attend a conference because the DHB is the only DHB in the country with a core objective of meeting an unrealistic budget set in Wellington.
Dunedin and other such places are fine places to live. The lack of funding to provide decent services is the problem.
People get up and leave when the services that they want to provide aren’t funded enough so that they can provide them. It’s highly stressful knowing the job that needs to be done but unable to because because some fuckwit, usually in National, has come up with the slogan Do more with less and implements budget cuts that make it so that it’s doing much less with less.
This is what we’re seeing now. National has cut the budgets so much that the necessary levels of service are well below what’s needed.
Your 250 thousand population figure only covers Otago. Dunedin hospital is the primary facility for the whole lower South Island. So you can add in 100 thousand from Southland, some from South Canterbury (Waitaki patients go both ways) and in South Westland you go where ever they can get you quickest in the helicopter.
We’re really fortunate that the medical school is in Dunedin to make the hospital viable, if it wasn’t a lot of people would die getting to Christchurch. Distances are huge, From Queenstown or Invercargill to Dunedin is nearly 4 hours drive, so equivalent of Taupo to either Auckland or Wellington. Both are on the limit or helicopter transfer or recovery.
The Cadbury building sits at sea level. A hospital is vital infrastructure that’s meant to last many decades.
1m sea level rise by 2100 is essentially only taking thermal expansion into account.
The estimated several meters from Antarctica and Greenland that are going to accompany 2 degrees and 400ppm in the short to medium term have not been factored in to current projections.
So….as ideas go, that site for a hospital is bloody stupid.
St John’s water taxis ?
There is a bit of a buffer there – the baseline is MHWS +10 – so it’s more like 11 metres above sealevel under normal circumstances.
http://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/1370/regional-land-elevation-maps-otago.pdf
A low pressure bomb and spring tide might test it, but in most cases it would remain dry – excluding permanent sea level rises from melted ice.
Yep, was thinking that it was actually higher than Bill said.
South Island?
South Island!
Is that like….a place..
hehe
“Shock and Thaw”
Alaskan Sea Ice Just Took a Steep, Unprecedented Dive
Scientific American – May 2, 2018
By Andrea Thompson
“New Zealand is banning future offshore oil and gas exploration”
Mission Accomplished
(Not quite)
As I read it; According to this above report, under Labour’s partial “ban”, new oil and gas reserves can be discovered, and then exploited up until 2070!
As well as this, the government’s so called and much vaunted “ban” on “issuing of new permits” is at best, merely a hiatus.
The hiatus on issuing new permits announced by this government, will not stop any new government reissuing new oil and gas exploration permits, (as Simon Bridges has promised to do). Only the banning the exploration for all new reserves and cancelling the existing permits could do that. Once done, the oil companies are unlikely to come back, even with a change of government.
“Looking for more liquor stores to loot”
Meanwhile away from the above government pantomime NZ Greenhouse emissions continue their inexorable rise, under this administration just as they have done under the last administration.
“Latest greenhouse gas figures show a rise in emissions”
Thursday, 12 April 2018, 10:58 am
Press Release: New Zealand Government
Orchestrated? What?
Isn’t everything deliberately planned and carried out ‘orchestrated’?
So Labour Party people planned to tackle a problem, get it sorted and that included at the end presenting it to the public. In what they hoped would be its final throes. It’s final 24 hours.
Soper said, “Make no mistake, Labour orchestrated the events of the past 24 hours.”
How disappointing that they orchestrated things. I can’t see why they didn’t leave it to reputable media folk like, say, David Farrar, Cameron Slater or Matthew Hooton since orchestrating is clearly their field. Or maybe they could’ve left it to those who caused the need for some orchestration.
Make no mistake, by presenting as he did Soper orchestrated further negativity to be aimed at Labour. What chance for that to be a 24 hour thing?
Whataboutism as practiced by the German Nazi ally of the Spanish fascists in the 1930s.
How can people on the Left be so stupid as to fall for this stuff again?
Spanish Fascists claimed that Guernica was a false flag attack
In a Fight Over Syria, Echoes of Spain’s Civil War and the Battle for Truth in Guernica
German newsreels and propaganda of the time gave huge coverage of the crimes of the British Empire, and it was all true. The crimes of British Imperialism are some of the bloodiest in human history, resulting in over 40,000,000 dead. As well as death by fire and sword, carried out in countless wars of invasion, occupation and suppression, millions more died by disease and neglect resulting from imperial policies of economic dislocation and appropriation, theft and slavery.
Exposed to this twisted one-sided propaganda, millions of German Socialists and Leftists became committed National Socialists.
Apologists for the Assad regime today, even on this site, just like the German Nazis, continually bring up the crimes of the US and their allies in Iraq and Afghanistan and Yemen and even occasionally, Vietnam.
At the same time as they point to the crimes of American imperialism, these apologists for Syrian style fascism, consciously and deliberately ignore, or deny the crimes of the Assad regime.
Sometimes, when they can’t deny these crimes, they alternatively use the crimes committed by the US and its allies, as an excuse to justify the genocidal crimes of the Assad regime committed against the Syrian people.
Just as the Nazis continually and repeatedly brought up the crimes of British Imperialism in India and Africa to hide their own criminal imperial designs and crimes against humanity.
This is why Bill and Ed and other committed Assad apologists on this site refuse to answer the question;
Who did this?
And is it not evidence of genocide?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BSOJdSVtVE
Ladies and gentlemen, the next PM of NZ:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12043677
John Key clone much said there.
John Key era is gone now dreamer.
Shes not Sir John Key, shes what Jacinda Ardern aspires (pretends) to be.
Dunno about that, but she can’t be much worse than the last fmr blinglish staffer who got into parliament.
In opposition?
TO 14.1.1
She was a john Key clone didn’t you even know this?
I am surprised there.
No she is not John Key, nor Bill English but she has worked with both and has their support.
Having seen her in action on the campaign trail in Wellington and having watched her maiden statement on Wednesday, and her first speech on the Second Reading of the Families Commission Act Repeal Bill on Thursday, I actually suspect that she is going to put up the backs of a lot of her National Party fellow MPs.
I agree that she is a good speaker – but IMO it also comes with a level of self-assurance that verges on the arrogant; and a self-expectation that she is going to be the one to make a big difference. I suspect this attitude may well get up the noses of some of her colleagues who have been in the House for a lot longer than her – for example, some of the more experienced women, and people like J-L Ross, and also possibly Bridges himself. We shall see.
Maiden Speech (15 mins) https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=200020
Families Commission Act Repeal Bill speech (3 mins) – https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=200078
Nope, sadly the next PM of NZ is Winston.
Well thats a downer for the weekend
Nah – Winston will be too old by 2026. It might be Golriz – that’d please you eh munted?
Winston will be PM in a couple of months.
If things go to plan, Peters will be Acting Prime Minister in exactly six weeks’ time – for six weeks. Not a big deal really.
Acting Prime Minister, not PM himself. There is an important difference.
Muldoon spent a hell of a lot longer three sheets to the wind than Ardern will ever spend in maternity, but Talboys was never Prime Minster as such.
No he won’t be. He’ll be Acting PM.
Quite a difference.
Your logic is sound as far as it goes – certainly none of her colleagues have much to offer. And she hasn’t publicly blotted her copybook yet – though if she spent much time with Key the expectation must be that she will at the first opportunity.
IMO she is a very different kettle of fish to Key – more a younger Collins? I think she is going to get up the noses of her fellow (but more experienced) Nat Party colleagues in the House as mentioned in my comment above at 14.1,1,4. LOL
Both coherent and rhetorically competent – rings like a death knell for Bridges. Shame she’s applying her skills to a bad cause.
Exactly. I think that it is going to be interesting in the months ahead to see what happens within the National ranks. I suspect we are going to see some new internal groupings forming. Willis certainly had the support there on Weds for her maiden speech – Key, Joyce and many others.
On Thursday, support for Willlis was very evident from two of the other new Nats, Denise Lee and Erica Stanford, sitting immediately behind her.
Mind you IMO, Stanford is also a competent speaker and I suspect also very ambitious. Despite only coming into Parliament in Sept 2017, Stanford has already scored a position as Associate Spokesperson on the Environment in Bridges’ reshuffle in March 2018 under Scott Simpson who was appointed by Bill English last Nov as main Environment Spokesperson. (In March, Bridges also replaced Maggie Barry appointed by English as Conservation Spokesperson with Sarah Dowie in this position – another ambitious young woman …)
Stanford in the General Debate on Wednesday, 11 April. Enough said.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=199854
That a heread link pucky?
Nope.
Good one Jenny good one here, on a day when lots of Nat trolls are attacking us all eh?.
They are livid today and seem worried the crap about nationals failing “brighter future” is dimming much now.
I think your criticism is unfounded, Cleangreen. It could even be said that you are opportunistically taking a cheap shot.
Personally I think that the Nats have shot themselves in the foot on this one. And the “Nat trolls” you speak of, are in full retreat. Good one.
I also might add here;
That it not just the Left that has fallen for the Assad regime, and like you will use any excuse to shut down any criticism of the regime.
This is because, as well as being a darling of the Centre Left, Assad is also a darling of the Right and Far Right, and not because Assad falsely paints himself as an anti-imperialist and secular leader, (which is Assad’s attraction to the Left), It is not because of this fiction that the Right love Assad, but because they acknowledge and applaud the real nature of the Assad regime as repressive and sectarian and reactionary.
But don’t take my word for it;
Miream Salameh is a refugee from Syria. She gave this speech at a refugee rights rally in Melbourne on Saturday, 5 November, 2017
“No to detention and no to dictatorships”
So Farrar left defamatory comments on his sewersite until the media asked him about them and explained that he doesn’t pay much attention to his own website.
What a disingenuous fuckwit.
Well said McFlock,
Wonders never cease to amaze us.
Natz = fiction.
beware of bots.
Why? What’s wrong with us bots? Explain what you mean by bots, please.
You Tokoroa sandflys I have observed you enough to know your behaviors everyone seen the 2 who you hired to try and intimidat me in Putaruru yesterday.
I don’t believe in coincidences so everyone knows who my Whano is in this neck of the woods and I say that if anything happens to my Mokopunas on the roads they will know that it was uses who are to blame for anything bad happening to them this raru is one you started we me so leave my – – – – – Whano out of this Ana to kai. If I did not have this wonderful website and the backing of MY——— I would be locked up druged up in Jail on FALSE CHARGES ECO MAORI FEELS for the others that this has happened to. Ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub that volcanic eruption on Hawaii show us that man is nothing with out mother nature blessing I send my condolences to the natives who are displace by Ruaumoko in Hawaii .
Sugar is a poison to Te tangata te Pacific and should be taxed higher than other foods a lot of us have 10 15 cups of tea or coffee a day x 2 to 3 teas spoon of the stuff = 20 to 45 teaspoon of sugar a day one’s body can not cope with that our body are designed to use the unprocessed sugar that comes naturally in the food we eat not the man made sugar.
Prosessed food once again.
Boxing in not the only sport that can cause early dementia in people any contact sport that cause concussion can cause this problem and not only in Pacific people it’s all people who suffer from this we need head gear as a compulsory law in all contact sports. The old Maori tradition te manaw is highly Tapu you never hit a Mokopuna on the head for very good reasons Eco Maori says. It’s a good weekend of sports I see it Ka kite ano
Eco Maori will have to be extra dilagint in what he say to whom as the sandflys put a mean spin on everything I say it’s a phonomen that I will have to be careful what I write on this site to as I have not had a schools education but life has educated me and I read things and tell it like I see it with out knowing that the people I write about have had a very significant role in OUR history. Their are other reasons as well that I will have to be careful to. Eco Maori can see all te tangata that reads his post and it is quite a vast and diverse audience. Ka kite ano