When I became eligible for superannuation I got a sense of how UBI would motivate those who strive – which actually is most of us. "Scum" is getting welfare now anyway so nothing changes there. What changes with UBI (and in my case now with superannuation) , is the ability to get ahead, to "get the foot in the door."
The other point I like about UBI is that we are all recognised as equal, nothing has to be qualified, justified, or scutinised, We are all recognised as equal and are valued at the point of adulthood. From there it is over to the individual to take the opportunity to run with it or to sit back in the sun and become "scum," or as most of us would, do just get on with life in a constructive way.
UBI would be a much more economic to administrate than the many headed monsters that ACC and social welfare have become.
UBI should be available to all New Zealand born citizens.
Ahhhh the miracle of turning 65 when you magically go from bloodsucking scum to deserving recipient who has paid taxes all your life.
It's as magic as caterpillars turning into butterflies or water into wine.
There are some special ones though who despite not having paid taxes all their lives in New Zealand want to get both a full NZ pension and keep their overseas one on top of. They are really extra special those ones – presumably cause the specifically chose to retire here – they have magic wings.
I absolutely agree with the UBI but need to point out:
Overseas pensions – you can choose either but not both.
DoS – you seem to believe that you can both, NZ and OS pension but I reassure you, you cant.
If you are receiving a pension from overseas and opted for the NZ one the former is being paid to the NZ Government. We are talking some 18 billion per annum here that goes into the consolidated fund.
How will this work if you are a permanent resident and worked in NZ 30 odd years contributing possibly more than some not so keen to work? Is it better to keep the overseas pension and what does this say about the status of being a permanent (not so permanent after decades?) resident. There are many reasons why people opt for not taking up citizenship. It does not have to be parochial. Fuel for thought.
UBI payable to Permanent Resident – this needs to be reviewed in the same way as its done with the pension and pegged against minimum years of tax contribution perhaps?
No UBI should be paid for people not living here and have just bought their way into NZ. Millions buy you a seat at the table kind of process.
Some fairness needs to be introduced and some serious thought put into this.
Generally, the UBI would be more efficient to administer.
People need to be prepared to get tax number and registration with the IRD as soon as they turn 18 (?).
"DoS – you seem to believe that you can both, NZ and OS pension but I reassure you, you cant."
Nope you can't but I was referring to all the lobbying that goes on to make this possible as if they were hard done by.
"If you are receiving a pension from overseas and opted for the NZ one the former is being paid to the NZ Government. We are talking some 18 billion per annum here that goes into the consolidated fund."
While you have said opted you still don't fairly represent the position. In essence if you have lived and worked for part of your life in two countries you will often be entitled to a pension in both countries. in essence a part pension for the time you worked in NZ and a part pension for the time you worked overseas. This means you are not advantaged over someone who ha actually lived and worked in New Zealand and contributed taxes for their entire life. You can get a NZ pension if you have lived here for 10 years.
So it is possible that you could have left home and worked overseas at 18 – which many of my peers did especially to the UK, worked there til 55 then returned and lived here til 65. So 37 years of your working life was in the UK and 10 here (if indeed you worked). 37 years of a UK pension is a decent amount.
The standard practise is to have your overseas pension calculated and then top up to the full NZS pension if your overseas pension is less than the NZ one. This will vary on a regular basis due to exchange rates etc and according to my father-in-law was bloody annoying. He was amongst those who lobbied some years ago now to have a simple system that people could opt into. His UK pension wasn't particularly large as he had only spent a small portion of his working life in the UK. You can choose to make the administration easier select to have your UK pension paid to the government and receive a full NZS pension.
It's incorrect to suggest the government takes your pension and puts it in the consolidated fund.You would have only ever been paid the difference between the two pensions so there is no net gain for the government or the consolidated fund. It's just easier administratively to have created that option for everyone.
For 10 years working in the UK you'd get not a lot from their government. We're pretty generous already.
Pigs at the trough. And in light of some contributions on a thread yesterday (I think maybe McFlock and Red), it never ceases to amaze me how some, who profess they follow religious guidance (of whatever religion) will selectively focus on a particular aspect to justify their antics – in this case the idea of 'self-reliance'. These greedy, status-seeking blokes are apt to forget the 5 Virtues and have well and truly signed up the 5 Thieves instead! Nanak would be rolling in his grave – probably let alone their own grandfathers. And these arseholes probably justify it all by thinking that they probably had to go through similar shit when they were starting out. And if they thought about it in any depth, 'self reliance' is actually the last thing they'e up to – taking handouts, ripping off others for their own personal gain, and then trying to justify it by wanking on about how they 'give back'. There are one or two politicians who operate in similar fashion.
I repeat btw, that its not limited to their particular religious belief (i.e. the selectivity in the aspects they use in order to justify their actions)
These pirates should be audited with extreme prejudice, particularly given their penchant for shafting their workers. I would be incredibly suspicious of that money being used appropriately. (There's a fancy mansion to complete and green fees to pay.) They're obviously awash with remorse for their previous actions.
"These pirates should be audited with extreme prejudice……."
Indeed! And not just by WINZ or whichever agency has provided the money, but IRD and others as well. But that won't necessary stop a few others from taking the risk to do likewise. You'll find that not only have these greedy, status-seeking, arrogant arseholes ripped people off, but they've lied to them repeatedly as well by way of false promises and what is effectively bondage – slavery even.
And if we really don't want to see this sort of thing as a feature of the future, we'd go further: Things like offering an amnesty to a few of their former employees and even PR if necessary – a sufficient number to ensure a successful prosecution. There are a few people around that'd be able to assist in tracing those employees if the appropriate agencies don't feel they're up to the job.
I really have to stop myself from beginning a rave, but the damage they do is far worse than they imagine because at times like this, it allows people's prejudices to seemingly become justified: Tarring everyone of like bretheren with the same brush (I've seen it often such as the "us" lecturing on how "they" are ripping off "their own"); ensuring the next/younger generations from becoming utterly cynical of the positive values this religion (but others as well) espouse – even though I'm basically agnostic tending (oops – pivoting) atheist.
No different though than those that religiously espouse "Good, Wholeseome Family Values" that think family, child and sexual abuse is quite OK (as long as its done in private) …. from the Capills and others, to the tithing Tamakis, or the 'exceptional' followers of Islam who are perfectly prepared to gruesomely murder others of the faith.
There's probably a chemical cure for most of them – it'd probably involve massive doses of oestrogen, but suffice to say these two are well-versed in Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Hankaar – AND its a matter of record. I'm kind of wondering if a "kind and transformational" gummint is up to the challenge of facing them down through the various agencies and their supposed capabilities they have. I suspect not – but maybe in the fullness of time ("in this space, going forward")
Then lets look forward to F&P bringing their manufacturing back home!
Further processing of our all primary products, wood, wool, meat , hides, horticultural, fish and the return to the making of medical products from our primary products like thyroxine as Glaxo used to do, would be a logical manufacturing re- development and development!
Will not make sense for all firms. Both the F&P companies must remain focused on overseas markets to be viable (and have shifted manufacturing closer to those) and one is not even NZ-owned anymore.
The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times and Stuff are all owned by Channel 9 (Australian). Personally, I find the Ozzie variants better researched with better comments than Stuff. Think there is a bit of cross Tasman rivalry going on in Oz and there have been a few poorly written articles about NZ's response to Covid-19. Not matched by the NZ equivalents.
I see our Sith African Mayor here in Gisbo, capital of Maori NZ, wants to push on. Oh, to have the virtue of obliviousness. Or, the straight path to National MPdom. I can't remember the particularities of our present MP's unawareness of others, except all we fellow Napier exiles refuse to vote for her, in her Ohope homestead. So much we can get away with, or National.
Michael Reddell has another go at it, on Spinoff this time: "Successful economies tend to be ones where foreign trade – exports and imports – is rising as a share of GDP: especially for small countries the wider world is where most of the potential markets are. In New Zealand, the foreign trade share has hardly changed since about 1980, and has been falling this century – the peak years of the latest wave of globalisation. We were once among the most successful trading nations in the world – matched by really high living standards for the times – but no longer. Ministers and officials like to talk about the numerous preferential trade deals they sign, but the data tell their own story." https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/04-05-2020/rebuilding-a-shattered-economy-in-a-post-covid-world/
Running to stand still for 40 years gives us a good idea of the merit of all the macho business thrusters we had to endure the propanda from during Rogernomics & Ruthenasia. Nothing much heard from our right-wing thinktanks in recent years along those lines though, nor now. Zero from our sole left-wing thinktank.
Michael's point about the contrast between all the media hoop-la surrounding our foreign ministers signing trade deals, and the consequent lack of any bump in foreign trade earnings, shows just how much our media are captivated by froth not substance.
“When the economy is going backwards, when there is little appetite by firms to invest, and a strong precautionary motive to save, we need the OCR to be quite deeply negative for a time.” Nudge.
We were the "most successful trading nation " when we only had one customer, the UK, with butter, cheese and meat because it was desperately short of protein and wool for the mills for clothing. The price of wool was artificially high because of the Korean War at famously " a pound a pound " when average wages in NZ were about 5 Pound a week, that made wool about $180 a pound in todays money. Wool is probably about 12-15 dollars a pound today.
I have a grocery bill of my parents from 1950 and butter and milk even heavily subsidised as they were then, were a lot more expensive than now.
Having only one customer who takes all you can produce at huge prices only makes you "successful "in a limited sense.
to Adrian at 5:1 : Sorry Adrian …. milk was 4d a pint albeit subsidised. I know because had four children from 1955 < , my husband and I drank milk because cheaper than tea ( coffee a rarity then). Therefore we consumed 10 pints a day for years, allowing milk vendor to accept a cheque monthly rather than so much cash ( yes 40d was well worth pinching!) each day.
Not old enough to remember the fifties, but growing up in the sixties, my parents, with one earner, on less than half the average wage at the time, were able to buy 6 pints of milk daily, plenty of bread and other food, and put a lamb roast to feed at least eight, on the table every Sunday.
People on similar income, from two earners today, would be paying half their weekly food budget, after rent, for one roast.
You mean we were selling them quality produce, in return for their shoddy manufactured goods. Little has changed, apart from the countries we are selling to.
I would have a good think about which country was "propping up" the other, if I were you?
We were selling them quality produce in return for foreign exchange. The UK basically provided our high standard of living. They didn't need us at all. As for their ‘shoddy’ goods, you have a very short memory. Remember Tri-Ang, Corgi and Meccano toys, Morris and Austin motor cars, the Beatles (and hundreds of others). They did very well by the world did the UK.
I remember 2 shillings for a pound of butter and a shilling for a loaf of bread. 4 pence for a pint of milk. Nine pence for a seat in local movie theatre. Lamb was cheap and chickens only for special occasions.
2 cents (thats right, cents ) for a pint of milk…mind you wages were equally low.
It is important to remember that when this 'regime' was in place we had a very compressed remuneration structure which included a top tax rate of 60 cents in the dollar….and capital controls. Some of the solutions from the past are relevant….as are some of the lifestyle impacts.
So here's how the Democrats are trying to impress voters: "government programs in the United States—even those supported by the purportedly pro-government party—are not designed to solve problems. Rather, they are designed to solve a given problem only to a degree—and that degree can’t require an amount of spending that would necessitate financial sacrifice on the part of high-income taxpayers. This is not a leftist conspiracy theory, but the overt position of the party’s leaders, who believe they will not be able to achieve crucial voting margins in upscale suburbs if they authorize too much taxation and spending." https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/coronavirus-stimulus-failures-hit-professional-class.html?via=features
"To put it cynically, the job of much Democratic legislation is to make liberal voters of means feel good that something is being done for the less fortunate, not necessarily to actually do that thing."
"Some people might really benefit, but the process of doing so will be time-consuming and byzantine, and will only affect their overall life situation at the margins. (Consider the “free college in New York state” program that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo often takes credit for starting. Seventy percent of those who apply to the program are rejected—and it doesn’t cover the costs of housing or class materials, but you also can’t participate in it if you’re a part-time student, i.e., someone who needs to work on the side to cover the costs of housing and class materials. During his 2018 reelection campaign Cuomo belittled his opponent’s proposal to raise taxes on incomes over $1 million a year and called it a political “nonstarter.”)"
"Voters who might need better benefits have the choice of either accepting these as the best they can get or not voting at all, because the other party wants new programs to be inadequate on purpose—and wants to cut back the ones that do work, like Social Security and Medicare—so as to “incentivize” individuals to work harder to get a job or to get a better job or to save more. The choice is between drowning gradually or all at once."
But hey, Democrats are the progressive option, apparently. "“Our constituents have a lot of questions about where the hell this $3 trillion is going and why it isn’t coming into their pockets,” Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon told Politico in an article about rank-and-file Democratic backlash against the party’s limited stimulus efforts."
Downside of that: those sociopaths who ignore the rules will get new recruits. Did you see those figures for the number of parties on saturday night complained about? Plenty of folks have a `been there, done that' attitude to social distancing…
either we will have a spike in infections which will be traceable to those parties and we go back to L4 and people learn to stop being dicks, or we don't have a spike because the curve was sufficiently flattened and we carry on figuring it all out as we go along and some people politicise the issue and we go back to the old macho politics (except Labour are in charge, with St Jacinda at the helm, lol).
28 days of this 0.00 and I'll be getting the champers out of the fridge. I'm picking that we may stay at level 3 until after the queens birthday weekend.
Saw some figures way back (for Aus) which indicted that lockdown compliance needed to be 70% or above to reduce transmission – we look like we went through level 4 in the high 90's – which makes the track to 0.00 faster. So if level 3 means we have dropped but are still above 70% we will get there but the more compliance the quicker.
Time to roll out the ad campaigns " play to the whistle" , " game not over yet" "fancy going to the beach this summer?" – make it really clear that we are close to full time but need that extra push just to get us there
Yes – brilliant. Now the plan to ensure that in those sectors of the economy that aren't coming back, nobody is left behind. The plan to ensure that after everybody has put in the effort, the result isn't that some people get to make out economically like bandits, while others go to the wall.
The PM working her magic again. Unusual times for sure, but this suggests her stance on AUS/NZ relations has not been as damaging as some alarmists on the right would have us believe.
Fortunately for Ardern the meeting is a phone in, but an interesting turn of events all the same. It's my sense that quite a few Australian politicians are quietly grateful that Ardern has paved the way for SloMo to follow.
But the outcome is a good one, both countries have responded magnificently so far, at least to the best extent you might reasonably imagine. It’s set the stage for a major trans-Tasman refresh.
There are scarcely two nations on earth more tightly linked socially and economically, but we've allowed the political relationship to drift. This may well be a good chance to reset the politics, because I think in this coming unsettled decade we are going to need the relationship working at full strength.
Certainly a common adversary helps focus common interests. If they get this trans tasman bubble working it could strengthen ties even further with each others citizens boosting badly damaged tourism sectors.
Australia's deportation policy is still a massive issue though.
Yes. The trick to sorting that issue will be getting the Australian public and politicians to start putting a higher value on their unique relationship with NZ. Ardern has raised our credibility enormously over here, almost everyone we have spoken with is aware of our govt's bold and gutsy approach. They respect that.
lol @ "SloMo" … their PMs are always good nickname fodder 😂
More seriously, there are stumbling blocks that both nations need to face up to in order to normalise & strengthen relations. Citizenship, border security, foreign policy, the FIRE sector, workers rights
I don’t think it’s so much that we’ve let the relationship drift on our side. It’s more a case of Australia thinking they have bigger fish to fry as they reach for middle-power status. At any rate, if this is a reset it’s welcome.
I think Scomo wants to bask in the positive "halo" effect around Jacinda. She's had a lot of good publicity so he may be wanting some of it to rub off on him. Suspect he needs it. Next Mike Pence will be wanting a phone in!!?
"this suggests her stance on AUS/NZ relations has not been as damaging as some alarmists on the right would have us believe."
Too many hilariously bad takes to choose from, especially after Ardern's last trip across the Tasman, where (shock!) a NZ PM spoke up for NZ. Here's one of the classics …
"Should she be returned to power, a prospect that looks remote, Jacinda Ardern has almost zero likelihood of a rapprochement with our PM." (The Australian, March 5 2020 – emphasis added).
(it's subscription only, but you can copy/Google the quote)
That says it all really doesn’t it? They’ve spent the last 3 years convinced she was just some weird aberration and that normal service would resume. Frankly I’m happy if they continue to underestimate her.
TDB's got a good appraisal of the reeferendum: "under this model almost everyone wins. Access to cannabis will be legal yet controlled, medical access gets easier and cheaper, current providers aren’t locked out and can go legal, social equity provisions are built in, overseas corporates are blocked, micro cultivators have a place, sales taxes support increased health and education and don’t just disappear to a general government fund, our police get better things to do, and people will have legal options other than alcohol." https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/04/cannabis-referendum-bills-recipe-for-success/
"A Yes vote will take away money and influence from organised crime, and it will reduce the dominance of our alcohol industry, and the pharma trade won’t be part of this. There won’t be cannabis stores on every corner. There won’t be a Big Cannabis industry. and imports won’t be allowed. Vertical integration will be banned, and advertising prohibited, so those who banked on a big corporate approach may be ruing their bets. Instead, this model supports local growers, producers and small businesses."
"The parties that make up the current Government have pledged to make the result binding. They’ve put forward the Bill, so they’re obviously supportive of it. Notably, the final version of the Bill has not backtracked on any parts of the earlier draft."
I'm surprised & pleased by the constructive collaboration of NZF. Well done, all involved in the process!
I seem to recall that in the early days of debate about legalisation especially in regard to medicinal cannabis that Grey Power (or a significant part of them) were strongly in favour, so this may have something to do with NZF's attitude.
See the hypocrisy around me almost every day. Employers complaining about young employees doping and drinking. They would never have passed a drug test, back in their day.
Yeah I'm with you on reducing the possibility of cartel formation like petrol retailers, but I assume the regulator will keep an eye on that tendency. Unlike the USA, we are small enough a democracy that regulator-capture isn't obviously happening.
Yet Mullah Bob al-McCroskie of the Christian Taliban is still not happy. If he had his way, people with a spliff in their pocket would be publicly flogged in Aotea Square.
A wee while back the case against the IRA was dropped, and now we find out that the outgoing administration, through the FBI, deliberately set up Flynn on minor crimes of process which they then used to puff up their whole Russia conspiracy crap.
But the lack of those involved anymore in current events and their alienation from organised society in the Rogernomics era is just an open door to bullshit, and the Right has the copyright on that.
The craft industry has promise, based on a long tradition of quality and uniqueness and I'm hoping will continue the Covid 19 rebirth of knitting and other handcrafts. The luxury goods market will not die. A hand knitted item from locally grown, spun and dyed fibres posted to a status conscious consumer overseas with cash to spend and rellies and friends to impress or gift could be a nice little earner.
Blood test today, what a nightmare, queue in the rain, people pushing past to front, maybe texted because its their turn. No staff long wait. In and out same tiny entry. If it was a burger bar would be shut down, Privatisation, lowest tender wins, all for profit. I should have flagged it but its a time dependant test.
"In other words many businesses – whether S&P 500 companies or small and medium-sized enterprises – will be rendered insolvent by the pandemic. No amount of liquidity, however, cheap, will avert that fate.
There are estimates that about 16 per cent of US listed companies either couldn’t cover their interest costs or barely covered them even before the crisis has cost them months of lost cash flow.
With the likelihood that any recovery will be slow and halting rather than the "V-shaped" recovery US markets had been pricing in since March 23, it is probable that the pandemic will cut swathes through corporate and Main Street America, along with similar impacts, albeit to differing degrees, on the rest of the world’s economies."
"We're a society that is governed by the rule of law, which means the state can't exercise power over people without the legal authority to do so," he told Magic Talk host Ryan Bridge on Monday.
Hey, Chris Findlayson, remember that time you let Police exercise power over Nicky Hager without the legal authority to do so?
“I remember, going back to my time as Security Minister, [the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet] had a list of national security concerns, and the pandemic possibility was toward the top of that list.” he said.
Right underneath Nicky Hager, who seemed to be the start and finish of the Prime Minister’s security concerns.
"In fact, nobody upheld the public-health interventions as long as they should have. San Francisco reduced mortality by at least 25% – the highest rate among US cities. But, rather than reinforcing its commitment to its interventions, this success led the city to cancel its restrictions in November; a second, much deadlier wave of infections followed in December and January. Had San Francisco sustained its social-distancing rules for longer, the National Academy of Sciences estimates, it could have cut the death toll by 95%."
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” George Santayana famously quipped in 1905….. all those clamouring for level 2 and trans tasman travel might want to consider such.
Global warming is still having big negative effects yet we still don't have efficient plans to minimise Global warming.
We are lucky to have the 21st century commutation devices to help businesses function during isolation there are many ways to make money using the Internet.?????.
That's is cool a company making a more cost effective ventilator in Aotearoa.
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
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Happy Star Wars Day! 🙂
May the fourth be with you, too.
The problem with universal payments is that scum may be eligible for them as well: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/121359471/coronavirus-wealthy-liqour-store-barons-claim-550k-covid19-wage-subsidy
It goes to their staff.
Audit the hell out of them to make sure because of their past practises, but this is how welfare should be operated.
I agree. There will always be some bad apples but that does not invalidate the whole scheme. May be a challenge we see to UBI.
When I became eligible for superannuation I got a sense of how UBI would motivate those who strive – which actually is most of us. "Scum" is getting welfare now anyway so nothing changes there. What changes with UBI (and in my case now with superannuation) , is the ability to get ahead, to "get the foot in the door."
The other point I like about UBI is that we are all recognised as equal, nothing has to be qualified, justified, or scutinised, We are all recognised as equal and are valued at the point of adulthood. From there it is over to the individual to take the opportunity to run with it or to sit back in the sun and become "scum," or as most of us would, do just get on with life in a constructive way.
UBI would be a much more economic to administrate than the many headed monsters that ACC and social welfare have become.
UBI should be available to all New Zealand born citizens.
[lprent: I removed the double up for you. ]
Ahhhh the miracle of turning 65 when you magically go from bloodsucking scum to deserving recipient who has paid taxes all your life.
It's as magic as caterpillars turning into butterflies or water into wine.
There are some special ones though who despite not having paid taxes all their lives in New Zealand want to get both a full NZ pension and keep their overseas one on top of. They are really extra special those ones – presumably cause the specifically chose to retire here – they have magic wings.
Hi Janet
I absolutely agree with the UBI but need to point out:
Overseas pensions – you can choose either but not both.
DoS – you seem to believe that you can both, NZ and OS pension but I reassure you, you cant.
If you are receiving a pension from overseas and opted for the NZ one the former is being paid to the NZ Government. We are talking some 18 billion per annum here that goes into the consolidated fund.
How will this work if you are a permanent resident and worked in NZ 30 odd years contributing possibly more than some not so keen to work? Is it better to keep the overseas pension and what does this say about the status of being a permanent (not so permanent after decades?) resident. There are many reasons why people opt for not taking up citizenship. It does not have to be parochial. Fuel for thought.
UBI payable to Permanent Resident – this needs to be reviewed in the same way as its done with the pension and pegged against minimum years of tax contribution perhaps?
No UBI should be paid for people not living here and have just bought their way into NZ. Millions buy you a seat at the table kind of process.
Some fairness needs to be introduced and some serious thought put into this.
Generally, the UBI would be more efficient to administer.
People need to be prepared to get tax number and registration with the IRD as soon as they turn 18 (?).
"DoS – you seem to believe that you can both, NZ and OS pension but I reassure you, you cant."
Nope you can't but I was referring to all the lobbying that goes on to make this possible as if they were hard done by.
"If you are receiving a pension from overseas and opted for the NZ one the former is being paid to the NZ Government. We are talking some 18 billion per annum here that goes into the consolidated fund."
While you have said opted you still don't fairly represent the position. In essence if you have lived and worked for part of your life in two countries you will often be entitled to a pension in both countries. in essence a part pension for the time you worked in NZ and a part pension for the time you worked overseas. This means you are not advantaged over someone who ha actually lived and worked in New Zealand and contributed taxes for their entire life. You can get a NZ pension if you have lived here for 10 years.
So it is possible that you could have left home and worked overseas at 18 – which many of my peers did especially to the UK, worked there til 55 then returned and lived here til 65. So 37 years of your working life was in the UK and 10 here (if indeed you worked). 37 years of a UK pension is a decent amount.
The standard practise is to have your overseas pension calculated and then top up to the full NZS pension if your overseas pension is less than the NZ one. This will vary on a regular basis due to exchange rates etc and according to my father-in-law was bloody annoying. He was amongst those who lobbied some years ago now to have a simple system that people could opt into. His UK pension wasn't particularly large as he had only spent a small portion of his working life in the UK. You can choose to make the administration easier select to have your UK pension paid to the government and receive a full NZS pension.
It's incorrect to suggest the government takes your pension and puts it in the consolidated fund.You would have only ever been paid the difference between the two pensions so there is no net gain for the government or the consolidated fund. It's just easier administratively to have created that option for everyone.
For 10 years working in the UK you'd get not a lot from their government. We're pretty generous already.
Previous articles suggested the offenders had committed to no longer being employers, by selling their liquour store.
I guess their greed outed them again, then.
They just parted ways with Super Liquor and rebranded under a new corporate structure.
Pigs at the trough. And in light of some contributions on a thread yesterday (I think maybe McFlock and Red), it never ceases to amaze me how some, who profess they follow religious guidance (of whatever religion) will selectively focus on a particular aspect to justify their antics – in this case the idea of 'self-reliance'. These greedy, status-seeking blokes are apt to forget the 5 Virtues and have well and truly signed up the 5 Thieves instead! Nanak would be rolling in his grave – probably let alone their own grandfathers. And these arseholes probably justify it all by thinking that they probably had to go through similar shit when they were starting out. And if they thought about it in any depth, 'self reliance' is actually the last thing they'e up to – taking handouts, ripping off others for their own personal gain, and then trying to justify it by wanking on about how they 'give back'. There are one or two politicians who operate in similar fashion.
I repeat btw, that its not limited to their particular religious belief (i.e. the selectivity in the aspects they use in order to justify their actions)
These pirates should be audited with extreme prejudice, particularly given their penchant for shafting their workers. I would be incredibly suspicious of that money being used appropriately. (There's a fancy mansion to complete and green fees to pay.) They're obviously awash with remorse for their previous actions.
"These pirates should be audited with extreme prejudice……."
Indeed! And not just by WINZ or whichever agency has provided the money, but IRD and others as well. But that won't necessary stop a few others from taking the risk to do likewise. You'll find that not only have these greedy, status-seeking, arrogant arseholes ripped people off, but they've lied to them repeatedly as well by way of false promises and what is effectively bondage – slavery even.
And if we really don't want to see this sort of thing as a feature of the future, we'd go further: Things like offering an amnesty to a few of their former employees and even PR if necessary – a sufficient number to ensure a successful prosecution. There are a few people around that'd be able to assist in tracing those employees if the appropriate agencies don't feel they're up to the job.
I really have to stop myself from beginning a rave, but the damage they do is far worse than they imagine because at times like this, it allows people's prejudices to seemingly become justified: Tarring everyone of like bretheren with the same brush (I've seen it often such as the "us" lecturing on how "they" are ripping off "their own"); ensuring the next/younger generations from becoming utterly cynical of the positive values this religion (but others as well) espouse – even though I'm basically agnostic tending (oops – pivoting) atheist.
No different though than those that religiously espouse "Good, Wholeseome Family Values" that think family, child and sexual abuse is quite OK (as long as its done in private) …. from the Capills and others, to the tithing Tamakis, or the 'exceptional' followers of Islam who are perfectly prepared to gruesomely murder others of the faith.
There's probably a chemical cure for most of them – it'd probably involve massive doses of oestrogen, but suffice to say these two are well-versed in Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Hankaar – AND its a matter of record. I'm kind of wondering if a "kind and transformational" gummint is up to the challenge of facing them down through the various agencies and their supposed capabilities they have. I suspect not – but maybe in the fullness of time ("in this space, going forward")
Manufacturing returning to NZ: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/prosper/121177344/coronavirus-manufacturing-can-be-the-backbone-the-covid19-economic-recovery
Then lets look forward to F&P bringing their manufacturing back home!
Further processing of our all primary products, wood, wool, meat , hides, horticultural, fish and the return to the making of medical products from our primary products like thyroxine as Glaxo used to do, would be a logical manufacturing re- development and development!
Will not make sense for all firms. Both the F&P companies must remain focused on overseas markets to be viable (and have shifted manufacturing closer to those) and one is not even NZ-owned anymore.
I see a piece in Ozzie daily 'the age' quoting soimon, Gisborne mayor and no one else whining on about lockdown levels.
JA has her work cut out.
Isn't that a Murdoch rag?
The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times and Stuff are all owned by Channel 9 (Australian). Personally, I find the Ozzie variants better researched with better comments than Stuff. Think there is a bit of cross Tasman rivalry going on in Oz and there have been a few poorly written articles about NZ's response to Covid-19. Not matched by the NZ equivalents.
I see our Sith African Mayor here in Gisbo, capital of Maori NZ, wants to push on. Oh, to have the virtue of obliviousness. Or, the straight path to National MPdom. I can't remember the particularities of our present MP's unawareness of others, except all we fellow Napier exiles refuse to vote for her, in her Ohope homestead. So much we can get away with, or National.
Michael Reddell has another go at it, on Spinoff this time: "Successful economies tend to be ones where foreign trade – exports and imports – is rising as a share of GDP: especially for small countries the wider world is where most of the potential markets are. In New Zealand, the foreign trade share has hardly changed since about 1980, and has been falling this century – the peak years of the latest wave of globalisation. We were once among the most successful trading nations in the world – matched by really high living standards for the times – but no longer. Ministers and officials like to talk about the numerous preferential trade deals they sign, but the data tell their own story." https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/04-05-2020/rebuilding-a-shattered-economy-in-a-post-covid-world/
Running to stand still for 40 years gives us a good idea of the merit of all the macho business thrusters we had to endure the propanda from during Rogernomics & Ruthenasia. Nothing much heard from our right-wing thinktanks in recent years along those lines though, nor now. Zero from our sole left-wing thinktank.
Michael's point about the contrast between all the media hoop-la surrounding our foreign ministers signing trade deals, and the consequent lack of any bump in foreign trade earnings, shows just how much our media are captivated by froth not substance.
“When the economy is going backwards, when there is little appetite by firms to invest, and a strong precautionary motive to save, we need the OCR to be quite deeply negative for a time.” Nudge.
We were the "most successful trading nation " when we only had one customer, the UK, with butter, cheese and meat because it was desperately short of protein and wool for the mills for clothing. The price of wool was artificially high because of the Korean War at famously " a pound a pound " when average wages in NZ were about 5 Pound a week, that made wool about $180 a pound in todays money. Wool is probably about 12-15 dollars a pound today.
I have a grocery bill of my parents from 1950 and butter and milk even heavily subsidised as they were then, were a lot more expensive than now.
Having only one customer who takes all you can produce at huge prices only makes you "successful "in a limited sense.
to Adrian at 5:1 : Sorry Adrian …. milk was 4d a pint albeit subsidised. I know because had four children from 1955 < , my husband and I drank milk because cheaper than tea ( coffee a rarity then). Therefore we consumed 10 pints a day for years, allowing milk vendor to accept a cheque monthly rather than so much cash ( yes 40d was well worth pinching!) each day.
And in 1963/4 when i was flatting, a leg of lamb was 7 and 6d.
crikey that's impressive memory and track record.
good to have on this site.
Coarse wool ( which is most wool not off a merino) is about $2.80 a kg at the moment.
Not old enough to remember the fifties, but growing up in the sixties, my parents, with one earner, on less than half the average wage at the time, were able to buy 6 pints of milk daily, plenty of bread and other food, and put a lamb roast to feed at least eight, on the table every Sunday.
People on similar income, from two earners today, would be paying half their weekly food budget, after rent, for one roast.
In the '60's NZ was still being propped up by the UK. Today we have no such safety net.
You mean we were selling them quality produce, in return for their shoddy manufactured goods. Little has changed, apart from the countries we are selling to.
I would have a good think about which country was "propping up" the other, if I were you?
We were selling them quality produce in return for foreign exchange. The UK basically provided our high standard of living. They didn't need us at all. As for their ‘shoddy’ goods, you have a very short memory. Remember Tri-Ang, Corgi and Meccano toys, Morris and Austin motor cars, the Beatles (and hundreds of others). They did very well by the world did the UK.
I remember 2 shillings for a pound of butter and a shilling for a loaf of bread. 4 pence for a pint of milk. Nine pence for a seat in local movie theatre. Lamb was cheap and chickens only for special occasions.
2 cents (thats right, cents ) for a pint of milk…mind you wages were equally low.
It is important to remember that when this 'regime' was in place we had a very compressed remuneration structure which included a top tax rate of 60 cents in the dollar….and capital controls. Some of the solutions from the past are relevant….as are some of the lifestyle impacts.
Hi Denis, follow the money….
Look who was talking about "predators" in 1994
Starts at the 0:30 mark….
Speaking of manufacturing, the past and future and wool.
It is such a great fibre and massively undervalued.
The rise of the plastic/fossil fuel based clothing has to have reached its peak. Surely a clever marketing crowd can put that message across.
Unsustainable vs organic. Foreign sourced vs made in Aotearoa.
All the different businesses/people that would be involved. Farmers, shearers, science (R&D), manufacturing….
Combined with a hemp product it would be unstoppable.
we've been trying for 50 years without success
Cheap plastic vs expensive bespoke organic fibres
A choice few can afford
Boots theory?..we seem to have lost the ability to apply it.
But you are right to observe that price will be even more of a factor in the current environment.
So here's how the Democrats are trying to impress voters: "government programs in the United States—even those supported by the purportedly pro-government party—are not designed to solve problems. Rather, they are designed to solve a given problem only to a degree—and that degree can’t require an amount of spending that would necessitate financial sacrifice on the part of high-income taxpayers. This is not a leftist conspiracy theory, but the overt position of the party’s leaders, who believe they will not be able to achieve crucial voting margins in upscale suburbs if they authorize too much taxation and spending." https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/coronavirus-stimulus-failures-hit-professional-class.html?via=features
"To put it cynically, the job of much Democratic legislation is to make liberal voters of means feel good that something is being done for the less fortunate, not necessarily to actually do that thing."
"Some people might really benefit, but the process of doing so will be time-consuming and byzantine, and will only affect their overall life situation at the margins. (Consider the “free college in New York state” program that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo often takes credit for starting. Seventy percent of those who apply to the program are rejected—and it doesn’t cover the costs of housing or class materials, but you also can’t participate in it if you’re a part-time student, i.e., someone who needs to work on the side to cover the costs of housing and class materials. During his 2018 reelection campaign Cuomo belittled his opponent’s proposal to raise taxes on incomes over $1 million a year and called it a political “nonstarter.”)"
"Voters who might need better benefits have the choice of either accepting these as the best they can get or not voting at all, because the other party wants new programs to be inadequate on purpose—and wants to cut back the ones that do work, like Social Security and Medicare—so as to “incentivize” individuals to work harder to get a job or to get a better job or to save more. The choice is between drowning gradually or all at once."
But hey, Democrats are the progressive option, apparently. "“Our constituents have a lot of questions about where the hell this $3 trillion is going and why it isn’t coming into their pockets,” Pennsylvania Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon told Politico in an article about rank-and-file Democratic backlash against the party’s limited stimulus efforts."
Zero!
Zero new cases today!
WOOT!
Downside of that: those sociopaths who ignore the rules will get new recruits. Did you see those figures for the number of parties on saturday night complained about? Plenty of folks have a `been there, done that' attitude to social distancing…
either we will have a spike in infections which will be traceable to those parties and we go back to L4 and people learn to stop being dicks, or we don't have a spike because the curve was sufficiently flattened and we carry on figuring it all out as we go along and some people politicise the issue and we go back to the old macho politics (except Labour are in charge, with St Jacinda at the helm, lol).
I'll raise a glass to New Zealand. Well done
Then several glasses to JA and AB
I agree with this man and so does my wife!
Lovely Beef Stroganoff tonight thankyou Sanctuary.
We just celebrated too! Extra treats for lunch and I've knocked over my last bottle of Corona!
My partner said "Guess how many we got today" and I could just hear the zero answer in her voice.
28 days of this 0.00 and I'll be getting the champers out of the fridge. I'm picking that we may stay at level 3 until after the queens birthday weekend.
Saw some figures way back (for Aus) which indicted that lockdown compliance needed to be 70% or above to reduce transmission – we look like we went through level 4 in the high 90's – which makes the track to 0.00 faster. So if level 3 means we have dropped but are still above 70% we will get there but the more compliance the quicker.
Time to roll out the ad campaigns " play to the whistle" , " game not over yet" "fancy going to the beach this summer?" – make it really clear that we are close to full time but need that extra push just to get us there
Yes – brilliant. Now the plan to ensure that in those sectors of the economy that aren't coming back, nobody is left behind. The plan to ensure that after everybody has put in the effort, the result isn't that some people get to make out economically like bandits, while others go to the wall.
Hong Kong had zero for last two days,and 14 days with no local infection (cases being repatriation flights)
Clearly not a case of location.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3082640/coronavirus-hong-kong-records-no-new-cases-sunday
A NZ doctor was responsible for HK's pandemic readiness as they had previous experience with Sars early 2,000's.
Taiwan no other countries were as well prepared.
A NZ doctor was responsible for HK's pandemic readiness as they had previous experience with Sars early 2,000's.
Taiwan and HK no other countries were as well prepared.
Desperate blame game rather lame
The PM working her magic again. Unusual times for sure, but this suggests her stance on AUS/NZ relations has not been as damaging as some alarmists on the right would have us believe.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300003988/jacinda-ardern-to-join-australian-national-cabinet-on-tuesday
I wonder if they'll seat her next to Dutton?
Fortunately for Ardern the meeting is a phone in, but an interesting turn of events all the same. It's my sense that quite a few Australian politicians are quietly grateful that Ardern has paved the way for SloMo to follow.
But the outcome is a good one, both countries have responded magnificently so far, at least to the best extent you might reasonably imagine. It’s set the stage for a major trans-Tasman refresh.
There are scarcely two nations on earth more tightly linked socially and economically, but we've allowed the political relationship to drift. This may well be a good chance to reset the politics, because I think in this coming unsettled decade we are going to need the relationship working at full strength.
Yes of course, a virtual meeting.
Certainly a common adversary helps focus common interests. If they get this trans tasman bubble working it could strengthen ties even further with each others citizens boosting badly damaged tourism sectors.
Australia's deportation policy is still a massive issue though.
Yes. The trick to sorting that issue will be getting the Australian public and politicians to start putting a higher value on their unique relationship with NZ. Ardern has raised our credibility enormously over here, almost everyone we have spoken with is aware of our govt's bold and gutsy approach. They respect that.
lol @ "SloMo" … their PMs are always good nickname fodder 😂
More seriously, there are stumbling blocks that both nations need to face up to in order to normalise & strengthen relations. Citizenship, border security, foreign policy, the FIRE sector, workers rights
I don’t think it’s so much that we’ve let the relationship drift on our side. It’s more a case of Australia thinking they have bigger fish to fry as they reach for middle-power status. At any rate, if this is a reset it’s welcome.
I think Scomo wants to bask in the positive "halo" effect around Jacinda. She's had a lot of good publicity so he may be wanting some of it to rub off on him. Suspect he needs it. Next Mike Pence will be wanting a phone in!!?
Mike Pants would be more likely to institute a trade war.
"this suggests her stance on AUS/NZ relations has not been as damaging as some alarmists on the right would have us believe."
Too many hilariously bad takes to choose from, especially after Ardern's last trip across the Tasman, where (shock!) a NZ PM spoke up for NZ. Here's one of the classics …
"Should she be returned to power, a prospect that looks remote, Jacinda Ardern has almost zero likelihood of a rapprochement with our PM." (The Australian, March 5 2020 – emphasis added).
(it's subscription only, but you can copy/Google the quote)
That says it all really doesn’t it? They’ve spent the last 3 years convinced she was just some weird aberration and that normal service would resume. Frankly I’m happy if they continue to underestimate her.
TDB's got a good appraisal of the reeferendum: "under this model almost everyone wins. Access to cannabis will be legal yet controlled, medical access gets easier and cheaper, current providers aren’t locked out and can go legal, social equity provisions are built in, overseas corporates are blocked, micro cultivators have a place, sales taxes support increased health and education and don’t just disappear to a general government fund, our police get better things to do, and people will have legal options other than alcohol." https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/04/cannabis-referendum-bills-recipe-for-success/
"A Yes vote will take away money and influence from organised crime, and it will reduce the dominance of our alcohol industry, and the pharma trade won’t be part of this. There won’t be cannabis stores on every corner. There won’t be a Big Cannabis industry. and imports won’t be allowed. Vertical integration will be banned, and advertising prohibited, so those who banked on a big corporate approach may be ruing their bets. Instead, this model supports local growers, producers and small businesses."
"The parties that make up the current Government have pledged to make the result binding. They’ve put forward the Bill, so they’re obviously supportive of it. Notably, the final version of the Bill has not backtracked on any parts of the earlier draft."
I'm surprised & pleased by the constructive collaboration of NZF. Well done, all involved in the process!
I seem to recall that in the early days of debate about legalisation especially in regard to medicinal cannabis that Grey Power (or a significant part of them) were strongly in favour, so this may have something to do with NZF's attitude.
So they should be. They were all smoking it, back in the day.
not just back in the day. you would be surprised how much gets used in places like waikanae beach.
Not really surprised.
See the hypocrisy around me almost every day. Employers complaining about young employees doping and drinking. They would never have passed a drug test, back in their day.
Personally I think permitting one entity to control 20% (one-fifth) of the market is too much, This should be reduced to 10-15%.
It's also a shame about the gummy bears….
Yeah I'm with you on reducing the possibility of cartel formation like petrol retailers, but I assume the regulator will keep an eye on that tendency. Unlike the USA, we are small enough a democracy that regulator-capture isn't obviously happening.
Yet Mullah Bob al-McCroskie of the Christian Taliban is still not happy. If he had his way, people with a spliff in their pocket would be publicly flogged in Aotea Square.
Let those without a skin cast the first stone(er).
Take heed of the fate of Oedipus.😉
what is it with powermad christians and flogging ? isnt he the loving father who wants to relegalise giving your kids a love punch?
Remember RussiaGate?
A wee while back the case against the IRA was dropped, and now we find out that the outgoing administration, through the FBI, deliberately set up Flynn on minor crimes of process which they then used to puff up their whole Russia conspiracy crap.
Farrar watch:
David reduced to complaining about Hezbollah and their possible influence in New Zealand.
Dd you expect him to headline a certain poll?
With his 400 commenters a blog.
But the lack of those involved anymore in current events and their alienation from organised society in the Rogernomics era is just an open door to bullshit, and the Right has the copyright on that.
Simon's been quiet after today's announcements. Perhaps Crosby Textor have advised him not to jump on the soap-box so soon this time.
The craft industry has promise, based on a long tradition of quality and uniqueness and I'm hoping will continue the Covid 19 rebirth of knitting and other handcrafts. The luxury goods market will not die. A hand knitted item from locally grown, spun and dyed fibres posted to a status conscious consumer overseas with cash to spend and rellies and friends to impress or gift could be a nice little earner.
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/research/crafting-aotearoast
Blood test today, what a nightmare, queue in the rain, people pushing past to front, maybe texted because its their turn. No staff long wait. In and out same tiny entry. If it was a burger bar would be shut down, Privatisation, lowest tender wins, all for profit. I should have flagged it but its a time dependant test.
"In other words many businesses – whether S&P 500 companies or small and medium-sized enterprises – will be rendered insolvent by the pandemic. No amount of liquidity, however, cheap, will avert that fate.
There are estimates that about 16 per cent of US listed companies either couldn’t cover their interest costs or barely covered them even before the crisis has cost them months of lost cash flow.
With the likelihood that any recovery will be slow and halting rather than the "V-shaped" recovery US markets had been pricing in since March 23, it is probable that the pandemic will cut swathes through corporate and Main Street America, along with similar impacts, albeit to differing degrees, on the rest of the world’s economies."
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/bandaids-not-cures-the-economic-reality-of-the-pandemic-may-have-set-in-for-investors-20200504-p54pki.html
Hey, Chris Findlayson, remember that time you let Police exercise power over Nicky Hager without the legal authority to do so?
Right underneath Nicky Hager, who seemed to be the start and finish of the Prime Minister’s security concerns.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/05/coronavirus-troubling-arrests-during-lockdown-undermine-rule-of-law-in-new-zealand-former-attorney-general.html
People like Tinkerbell are really over reacting here. Making it sound like people are being snatched off the streets to be never seen again.
Starting to get other changes being made without full scrutiny – immigration, RMA
Bit of a worry
RIA
"In fact, nobody upheld the public-health interventions as long as they should have. San Francisco reduced mortality by at least 25% – the highest rate among US cities. But, rather than reinforcing its commitment to its interventions, this success led the city to cancel its restrictions in November; a second, much deadlier wave of infections followed in December and January. Had San Francisco sustained its social-distancing rules for longer, the National Academy of Sciences estimates, it could have cut the death toll by 95%."
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/04/how-to-avoid-a-w-shaped-global-coronavirus-recession
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” George Santayana famously quipped in 1905….. all those clamouring for level 2 and trans tasman travel might want to consider such.
Pat Science and truth is better than politicians and BS
Science and truth are also superior to business self interest and deception…the question is , where do those making the decisions stand?
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Global warming is still having big negative effects yet we still don't have efficient plans to minimise Global warming.
We are lucky to have the 21st century commutation devices to help businesses function during isolation there are many ways to make money using the Internet.?????.
That's is cool a company making a more cost effective ventilator in Aotearoa.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Newshub.
That would be good tourists travel between Australia and Aotearoa.
I think our tamariki will be safe going back to school.
We had big thunder storm last night.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
It good seeing tangata moving back to their whenua.
Chur bro great mahi.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora The Am Show.
That's is cool that person gifting $100 dollar notes. The people that needed it would take the money.
That's correct climate change will make some countries very hostile to lives outside of air conditioned building.
That's a good video.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Newshub.
I would not gamble like Sweden is with people lives.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
I think that our government will help Maori through these hard times.
I quite like Troy's waita
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Its great to see grass roots sports getting a funding boost.
Regenerative Agriculture will be a great way to protect our environment for the many generation to come and create more mahi
Ka kite Ano