Yes this drivile is disturbing when we dont see our regional news reported any more except if you are an auckland resident eh?
HB/Gisborne does not even have a RNZ reporter after two years now so we are largely ignored down here, and this is so very disturbing when now we have a labour lead government who needs to get the issues outnthere to sell their new ‘regional policies’ and why our rail is now so vitial to our regions export potential else we will just conitue to wither and die.
Come on Labour!!!!!!!!! – bring back a ‘true regional TV seven type channel’ “publc affairs” media for the public benefits of having a voice finally again.
Many thanks to Shane Jones for his idea of work for the dole. I would rename it as that is not a appealing name and the goal is to make this idea appealing to our youth for this to work. Yes there will be training need I say have a career map for these people driving licence right up to class 5 digger operators ECT and a pathway to the forestry harvesting as these jobs in forestry are hard work and one does not want to be doing these jobs when the gray hair STARTS to show I don’t think that punishing our youth who can work is the right way to make this successfull. What will make this successful will be to make it appealing to our youth so they all want to join this venture. Getting to work in the forestry one gets picked up and dropped of at ones house. If it is really successful no other government will scrap it. As what has happened in the past pep scheme.
Happy birthday Hillary. Ka pai
Is this like Golriz Ghahramen, where unless every statement about employment specifically condemns wage-slavery, the author must be a wage-slavery denier?
In the SME where I do some part time hours, alongside my boss, who gets paid less than me (I know this because I do the accounts), I’m quite happy to do a bit of work for someone else.
Meanwhile, the point about work-for-the-dole was what again?
Presumably you endorse the idea of people being coerced into work if a wage is paid. I don’t.
In the interview given by Jacinda Ardern she was pretty clear (in spite of her general penchant to waffle herself away from making any definitive statements) that WINZ sanctions would remain in place and apply to those presented with the scheme.
At present, if you are claiming unemployment benefit and turn down work that WINZ deems “suitable”, you are sanctioned (ie – you lose money). Those sanctions will remain and apply to those who are offered placement on the “Ready for Work” (or whatever it’s called) scheme.
Ditching the sanction that kicked in around unnamed fathers isn’t in any way related to work readiness sanctions.
Sure. If the “very serious changes that are going to be made to the principles of the Social Security Act” are inadequate or discriminatory (and hey, it’s the NZLP so I think that’s ‘possible’), then I intend to beat Labour about the head with them.
I’m still not going to jump to conclusions on the say-so of Guyon Espiner and Shane Jones.
The PM (not Jones or Espinar) made a pretty clear indication that those sanctions that already exist will remain and be applied.
If they were removed, there would be much, much less to prevent workers exercising a bit of power and walking away from bullshit employers to live on the dole until they found a decent employer.
The principle (ie – “mission statement”) can change all it wants. But will that likely amount to much more than “feel good” twattery? Probably not.
Hey. We’ll see. But I have a good collection of 2x4s and you can borrow one when the time comes.
so is the tax payer now responsible to pay the wages for private industry in order to entice private industry to hire?
Also, what if the work place one is placed is an abusive work place? Can you leave or will your dole sanctioned? If your work for the dole is a pick up and drop of at your home place job and your boss is abusive how could you leave and get a way? Or do you just have to put up with a bit of abuse, sexual harrasment (as i witnessed this week at a Countdown where a bloke berated a young girl collecting funds for the SPCA until my partner, two security guards and I stepped in and ended up calling the Police!) until your driver comes to get you home? What if your driver is the one who abuses the ‘worker for the dole”.
Also, what if a work place fires their employees – McDo, KFC, etc come to mind – to hire the tax payer funded crew – cause nothing is cheaper then a worker who can’t complain lest he / she ‘gets sanctioned’.
IS that really the only thing this country can come up with to find work places for their young ones, or is this again just another way to show some that you don’t count, and if you complain we ‘take away your ‘dole’.
There is so much wrong with this scheme its not funny anymore. How about making sure that private businesses start training again for their own needs? Heck in Europe they call this ‘Apprentice program’ not working for the dole. OH, its in the too hard basket. Lets just bash some young people for not having a job rather then bash businesses for not hiring young ones and training them.
If I was government….I’d levy a specific tax on large employers and use it to fund dole payments. How long then before unemployment levels “miraculously” hit 5/8ths of f.a. I wonder?
And with full employment, all that power accruing to employees again. What’s not to like about that? 😉
but yeah, lets provide a tax payer funded workforce to our large employers who otherwise would not hire as it would affect the share holders value or other such bullshit.
PM Ardern clarifies.
“If it goes ahead, the scheme will differ to past ‘work-for-the-dole’ programmes says Ms Ardern, because participants will actually get paid at least the minimum wage.
“The fact there will be a legal wage attached to it distinguishes it from some of those schemes in the past,” she told The AM Show on Monday.”
The release press from Shane Jones announcing the four schemes stated “at least the minimum wage.” Critics missed this.
“Jones will take four projects to Cabinet for his Working For Your Country scheme before Christmas, which will give beneficiaries a chance to work for at least the minimum wage in industries such as tree planting, riparian planting or regional railway development.”
Hopefully connected will be the Labour commitment to increasing the minimum wage to being a living wage.
Details are needed, but this sounds a lot better than having young people hike around all day leaving their CV’s with employers who wouldn’t hire them anyway.
So now we are funding the employers to hire the people they don’t want to hire cause they would have to pay wages?
Great, how much more taxes can you afford to pay in higher taxes to pay the wages for the local McDo to hire these ‘slaves for the dole”? And of course the dole will be taxed, so the poor slaves fund their own slavery program. Whats not to like ey?
btw, there are a lot of ‘non’ young people that are on the dole. This program will then apply to these too. I am so looking forward to getting served by some 64 year old at the local fast food joint, working for the dole until retirement hits. Yei! Us!
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones wants welfare payments to be cut if beneficiaries refuse to take part in his new Government work programme, which will look to plant trees and build up a railway network for tourists.
I cannot see how Labour and the Greens could agree with this, it’s the complete opposite of what Labour and the Greens are all about.
The fact the NZ First knows this and is still pushing a compulsory work for the dole scheme does rather demonstrate where all the power lies in this government.
There are plenty of Labour people who would support it.
We are at below 5% in overall unemployment, and we need all hands on deck if we are going to see trees planted.
Government choking off immigration is also going to bring rest home workers into very high demand.
Personally I want to see overall unemployment come down to 3%, and immigration choked, so that employers are forced to pay higher wages. So high that that there’s a much clearer step from benefit to wage and abatement triggers are less needed.
My only caveat to Jones’ policy idea is that I would want both worker and employer to commit to 6 months minimum employment, with an option for a further 6 month rollover.
“below 5% in overall unemployment” – is that with, or without, the government’s massaging of unemployment figures to ignore people who aren’t looking for work, people who have insecure casual work, or are otherwise unemployed without being in the official numbers?
None of the global entities like the World Bank, OECD, etc use unemployment figures from countries as a measure of unemployment anymore due to the high level of inaccuracy from using erroneous methodology.
Are you mis-representing the facts yet again here eh BM,
mac1
2.4
4 December 2017
Maci said on 2.4. this;
“Jones will take four projects to Cabinet for his Working For Your Country scheme before Christmas, which will give beneficiaries a chance to work for at least the minimum wage in industries such as tree planting, riparian planting or regional railway development.”
Just listening to Guyon Espiner interviewing Jacinda. Oh. My. God. By the look of things, the next three years is going to consist of the media spending the entire length of every interview trying to foot trip Jacinda Ardern on a matter of semantics in relation to the coalition so they can triumphantly scream “DIVISION IN THE GOVERNMENT!”
It is a depressing. A cynical obsession with horse racing politics and it seems to be one shared by both the MSM and the National party.
Espiner spent nine years constantly saying “the minister declined our invitation…” Now he can get to talk to the PM, instead of the obsequious toadying we got whenever he interviewed Key we get a hectoring bully splitting hairs over taxonomy. White male syndrome strikes again.
In six months, Espiner will again be droning saying “the minister declined our invitation…” and he’ll probably wonder why.
The reason why will be Jacinda will get sick of lazy yellow journalism playing desperate word games to try and trump up divisions in the government. All we want is an informed journalist politely but firmly asking relevant questions about the pertinent issues of the day.
That seems all to hard for the MSM in NZ these days.
I saw this also on TV3 with the “hypoventilating” Duncan Garner!!!!
A discussing display he showed with our new PM Jacinda!!!!
It was disturbing also, as Garner was gunning at the last part of the inverview on “The AM show” as garner was hammering the issue of the so called “33 page agreement between Labour and NZF” as he kept saying; are you lying’, are you lying, are you lying” until Jacinda settled him down from having a potential heart attack.
Hi Cleangreen (4.1) … Acting on a complaint (not hard to guess from who that might be), the Ombudsman has been called in, re the release of the Labour/NZF 33 page coalition negotiation agreement.
So it seems when a vindictive, bitter political party is unable to accept it lost the election and get its own way in the future, it will run to a higher power! That particular political party has now resorted to tittle tattling …. scum politics at its worst!
I hope that same political party is forced to release details of its own negotiations!
Well said Sanctuary.
Espiner is more interested in petty point scoring than in providing listeners with what should be a more balanced view of the subject. I’m not sure whether his rude, argumentative, interruptive and totally unethical mode is due to strongly political bias or sheer incompetence. Maybe it’s sexist but, as you so rightly say, more time was spent trying to trip Jacinda up rather than on eliciting information.
His interview ( ? ) with the Prime Minister of New Zealand this morning was an absolute disgrace by any standard.
PM Jacinda Adern handled the interview well so Guyon will need to be better prepared if he wishes to ruffle her going by that performance….it appears that the strategy for dealing with opposition promoted dissent within the coalition is to allow a range of views but control the policy…and I think those outside the ‘beltway’ are accepting of that provided it causes no major issues…if they are taking any notice at all, after all its only 20 days until xmas.
FFS, stop with the knee-jerk racism and sexism. Every time a person happens to be white and male, this bullshit gets spouted without thought.
You’ve got shit dribbling down your chin sanctuary
[“Every time a person happens to be white and male”. No, it’s when behaviours associated with the dominant class are observed they get named (whether that gets over used or not is another matter). Your hyperbole is inflammatory. Please rethink how to express your points here – weka]
According to the approved and pure ideologies around here vto, only white males can be racist or sexist.
So when you read slightly tedious stuff like ‘white male syndrome’ you just have to harden up and get a sense of humour. Besides it’s what I think is best called a ‘first-world problem’; suck it up mate 🙂
Haven’t seen that personally. Can you please link to an example?
As for “racist”, I’ve seen Bill advance that argument, and make a pretty good case for it. I’m not sure when his view was declared “approved and pure” though.
Nice strawman but. Will you be beating it up yourself or will you let vto have a go too?
Yeah it’s quite an interesting argument, if I recall it correctly. I actually lean towards it, but not to the point of being absolutely convinced, if you know what I mean.
I lean towards it just enough to STFU whenever I feel the urge to yelp “help, help, I’m being oppressed”. Because really, my “feeling oppressed” is almost always little more than my expectations, assumptions, and unjustifiable preferences being challenged.
“Because really, my “feeling oppressed” is almost always little more than my expectations, assumptions, and unjustifiable preferences being challenged.”
Well put.
Some groups in our society have a much longer history of oppression than others. Some imagine they are oppressed but confuse it with angry or disappoindte that things are not how they used to be for them.
not sure what you are meaning by doxing there but it’s rare for people here to try and out other commenter’s RL IDs, including around gender. It happens occasionally and gets moderated.
According to the approved and pure ideologies around here vto, only white males can be racist or sexist.
So when you read slightly tedious stuff like ‘white male syndrome’ you just have to harden up and get a sense of humour. Besides it’s what I think is best called a ‘first-world problem’; suck it up mate
You said on October 16,
And out of respect for my fellow authors and moderators, and because this topic clearly causes far too much disruption … I commit to absolutely never saying anything on any gendered topic ever again.
One day you will have equality mate. Keep up the good fight. Equal pay, pay for voluntary care work, even an honorary seat at the council table is just around the corner for white men.
You do not need to rise above it, anyone in the category of white male has had residence in the privileged towers looming over us all for thousands of years. The residence hasn’t changed it’s just people are knocking on the door asking to be let in rather than staying silent as the dogs are loosed.
I didn’t hear the interview and probably won’t listen to it.
Truth be told, almost all political interviews these days are a dance performed by true believers. They may disagree on the exact steps or the precision of the moves, but both interviewer and interviewee are dancing to the exact same tune.
No-one questions ‘Why this music?’, ‘Why this dance?’ ‘What are we doing this for?’
When political ideology becomes as crystalline as it is now, there is nothing much left to discuss or debate. And so we are subjected to word games and opinions on what clothes are worn – all passed off as critical analysis and measures of accountability or what not.
It’s when the crystal shatters under the stress of its own internal forces – that’s when things get interesting. And the crystal always shatters.
When someone is being as evasive as Jacinda Ardern is in that interview, what would you have an interviewer do Sanctuary? Accept ambiguity and avoidance as upfront and informative responses?
Many thanks to all the Maori organisation joining together to give us a better say in our future. And To hold the government’s accountable for there actions that have oppressed Maori. We need positive news about Maori we need positive Maori leaders and role models. I bet that if I had the money I could find and shape some one into a Maori superstar music artist. Be proud of OUR Maori culture and heritage. Kia kaha
“He’s either being deliberately provocative or ignorant, but probably both.”
Well that’s all he’s got left in life really.
I’ll be sending him dead flowers, but I’m sure HdPA won’t forget to put roses on his rotting corpse
Eugenie Sage will be very pleased.
Nick Smith has now seen the desirability of something that the Green Party has been proposing. https://home.greens.org.nz/bills/kermadec-ocean-sanctuary-establishment-bill
I expect that Nick’s bill will be very close to the Green Party proposal.
With a combination of the Green Party votes and those of the National Party we should see the sanctuary implemented when Nick’s bill gets drawn and passed.
Let us hope it comes up very quickly in the ballot.
We have been waiting far to long.
It’s a smart wedge from Smith, and good pressure on Sage to crack a deal.
The 9 year Key-English government was the worst for conservation in generations, with no new national parks formed, catastrophic biosecurity hits, and spectacular falls in wildlife populations whether tree, sea or airborne.
Sage needs to deliver real goods on conservation, and now she gets to draft her own bill on the Kermadecs and pull the rug on Smith by guilting him into supproting the government on his own concept.
It was always National policy. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pm-announces-kermadec-ocean-sanctuary
Easy-peasy. Just pass the bill with National and Green support.
If Sage thinks she can do it with her own bill she will have to get Winston to agree and that is not likely to be forthcoming.
He doesn’t have any control over a Private member’s bill though.
too sad that Nick Smith would not dare to come up with it when National was in power. Cause surely, if it would have protected the environemnt the Greens would have even then supported the policy. OH, but this is not about the environment?
That is no longer a problem of course so that National can go back to do what they had always wanted.
I’m sure that the Green Party will support it. We have been told that they have the ability to support things they are strongly for without being affected by anything like Cabinet collective responsibility as they don’t have any Cabinet members.
Won’t be any problem there then and there needn’t be any problems like National had.
The problem they had was that they couldn’t get Maori Party support…
They couldn’t get Maori Party support for unilaterally removing part of a Treaty settlement? Gosh, I wonder why that was? What could the Maori Party have had against it? I guess it’s a mystery that will outlast humanity’s time on earth. Those damn Maori!
Tame and Faitaua: Language Enforcers on the Job!
TVNZ1 Breakfast, Monday 4 December 2017, 8:05 a.m.
The sports news features a remarkable clip of an Italian goalie rushing up during a corner kick and heading in the winner. The goal engenders delight and approval in the studio. Then this happens….
HILLARY BARRY:[enthusiastically] I LOVE soccer when it’s like that!
DANIEL FAITAUA:[playfully stern] Football.
JACK TAME:[smiling, apologetic] Football.
Hillary Barry, bullied into silence, obviously wants to respond but thinks better of it.
…The programme limps on in its uninspired way….
Now, you could safely bet Bill O’Reilly’s monthly whoring budget that neither Faitaua nor Tame actually calls soccer “football” in their normal off-camera conversations, and you could also safely bet that virtually none of their acquaintances does either. Yet this enforced charade continues on TVNZ, the result of a management decree from 2005 that soccer must henceforth be called “football”, in spite of what the plebs in the audience think. This decree is being increasingly abandoned and disrespected—for example, nearly all RNZ National commentators, including newsreaders, call it “soccer” in line with common usage when they are not actually required to read from a script. As Jim Mora complained in 2010: “Do we HAVE to call it ‘football’ now?”
Of one thing we can all be certain: during his time as a U.S. correspondent based in New York, Tame never, ever, ever admonished (playfully or otherwise) any of his American colleagues for saying “soccer”. And you can bet he dutifully called that game “played” with helmets, where most “players” are not allowed to kick the ball, or indeed even TOUCH it, “football”.
Could be a major issue for the National Party to beat her with. I note they have nothing else in their armoury, other than attacking young defence lawyers for actually doing their job, and constantly repeating that Jacinda looks like a horse….
I like how its the United States Soccer Federation and that how it’s always soccer there.
I like how in Australia their national soccer team is called the Socceroos.
I like it how when I call that sport “soccer” some people get angsty and want me to call it football. If it was such a foreign word they would’t even know what I was talking about.
I’m still waiting for me to say soccer and the upset listener to fall on the ground and roll around clutching their leg appealing for a penalty!
When Hilary was growing up, and my generation it was soccer. Why? Because Rugby was what people thought of as football and footy, so maybe the youngsters could get a bit of context and a smidge of humility
The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association).
In 1871, English clubs met to form the Rugby Football Union (RFU). In 1892, after charges of professionalism (compensation of team members) were made against some clubs for paying players for missing work, the Northern Rugby Football Union, usually called the Northern Union (NU), was formed. The existing rugby union authorities responded by issuing sanctions against the clubs, players, and officials involved in the new organization. After the schism, the separate clubs were named “rugby league” and “rugby union”.
Ultimately where there is another football code that is dominant e.g. NZ, Ireland, South Africa, Australia then soccer will be used. Where association football is the dominant football game then football will be used.
I suspect that some of the push to convince NZer’s and Australians to use football is based partly around an anti-rugby sentiment, partly around snobbery and anti-Americanism and partly around traditional soccer connotations of being “poofters” etc. The first and second not a good reason, the third I think highly pertinent – changing language can change responses and values.
Alternatively you could just wait for the generations who made such negative connotations about soccer to die off.
The comments about the PM on RNZ and the Garner show point to something to recognise.
Every week the PM ‘has to’ appear in as many media spots as possible. She is there to be visible, to be held to account, to be seen to be available and accessible. The world has got to that stage, it’s what the people demand.
Things of import to be discussed of course. What’s of importance? Everything, now it is everything.
Here is the news: I do not need the Prime Minister in my home every day. I learned to turn the radio off when John Key came on zb and Radiosport. He came on so he could be ordinary John in our house, be one of the mates, be reassuring, bat away gentle questions about significant issues and not have to face a grilling about significant contentious issues. I never once heard anyone suggest he was a liar.
He came onto RNZ when it was to his advantage. When it wasn’t, he was ‘unavailable.’
Hosking was Key’s mate. Ardern is not. Ardern is Hosking’s enemy. As much as he was there to make Key look good, he is there to make Ardern look bad. Same as the Richardson fellow (Dick is it?) on Garner’s thing.
But she has to appear, that is New Zealand the Way We Want it.
We’ve had years of lying scumbags, we’ve the spectacle now of those like Simon Bridges being even less rational now than when he was a minister but know they’re all sitting at their tvs and radios hoping for the leg trips and any morsel they can use.
We definately need TVNZ channel even back again now seriously if Labour coalition is to sell its policies to the electorate.
Heres why; National lied then about the lack of popularity of TVNZ Seven then.
Quote; “This was despite viewing figures that suggested half of all households with Freeview at the time were watching TVNZ7 – around 700,000 people – and not the 207,000 claimed by Coleman”
TVNZ 7 was a commercial-free New Zealand 24-hour news and information channel on Freeview digital television platform and on Sky Television from 1 July 2009. It was produced by Television New Zealand, which received Government funding to launch two additional channels.[2] The channel went to air just after 10am on 25 March 2008 with a looped preview reel. The channel was officially launched at noon on 30 March 2008 with a special “kingmaker” political debate held within the Parliament building and featuring most of the elected minor party leaders. The channel went off air at midnight on 30 June 2012 to the Goodnight Kiwi.
It featured TVNZ News Now updates every hour from 6 am–11 pm, with a specialised rolling 10-minute bulletin ‘zone’ between 8 am and 9 am, throughout which six bulletins were aired. TVNZ 7 also featured an hour-long bulletin, TVNZ News at 8, at 8 pm each night. It was hosted on weeknights by Greg Boyed and on weekends by Miriama Kamo.
While it was originally reported to be a ‘rolling news channel’, similar to Sky News and CNN Headline News, Eric Kearley, head of TVNZ’s Digital Launch team, stated about 70% of the schedule would be “factual variety” programming – a mix of local and overseas documentaries, and programmes that discuss current events and sport, with the remaining 30% being the news updates. A full schedule was released on 28 February 2008.
The channel was relaunched on 1 March 2011, taking some programming from TVNZ 6, another Freeview-based digital channel, when TVNZ decided to transform into an interactive broadcast station TVNZ U.
On 6 April 2011, it was officially announced that TVNZ 7 cease broadcast in June 2012.
This was confirmed when Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman stated on behalf of the government that they would not extend further funding for the channel due to low ratings.[3] This was despite viewing figures that suggested half of all households with Freeview at the time were watching TVNZ7 – around 700,000 people – and not the 207,000 claimed by Coleman.[4] In March 2012, Television New Zealand confirmed this decision and announced there would be no eleventh-hour reprieve for TVNZ7.[5]
TVNZ 7 was replaced on 1 July 2012 by TV One Plus 1, a timeshift channel of TV One.
You are right, Steven Joyce is NZ equivilent to a dicator who likes to contol the media voices of ‘alternatuive views’.
Other countries like Turkey, China and other free press repressive counties often get bad rap by shutting down public media that questions governments.
But in our case NZ was not challenged by shutting down of the popular TVNZ 7 channel sadly.
So Labour please bring back TVNZ 7 again – for your political platform, and our collective benefit too please.
I wonder what is happening in Turkey as lovely keen experienced determined journalist’s death is being investigated. Yasmine Ryan 34. News says that it is not thought that her death was suspicious. It was a stressful job that she had, someone that does such stuff needs a haven I think to take a break and retreat for a while.
A GiveALittle page set up by Jacinta Forde, who works at the University of Waikato with Ryan’s father Tom, said he had “left on the first plane to Turkey last night to bring her back home to New Zealand”.
So far more than $11,000 has been raised. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952232
The sad thing is, we have jobs that need filling but society and private businesses don’t want to pay for.
Our infrastructure needs updating, our hospitals need nurses, nurse aids and other carers, same for our elderly homes, our berms need mowing, our streets need cleaning etc etc etc..
We have a severe lack of tradies of all sorts. Instead of throwing out incentives for Businesses to hire apprentices – and pay them a little – we are again putting the blame on unemployed for not finding a job in a society that refuses to hire, train and pay an honest day wage for an honest day of work.
Yeah, let Shane Jones pass judgment on people who are at the lowest step of our society for not finding a job in this ‘rock star’ economy of ours.
URGENT ATTENTION ALL ANTI-TPPA ACTIVISTS
By Prof Jane Kelsey
“We discovered less than a week ago that MFAT is hosting ‘consultations’ around the country, with David Parker, this week on the TPPA-11. It appeared to be a last-minute decision to do something before Xmas, and somehow they forgot to send invitations to critics who have attended previous ‘consultations’. Presumably the business sector was given priority notice. There is no information on the MFAT website, but we know at least about these:
Dunedin: Monday 4 December, 5:15pm – 7:15pm, Otago Southland Employers Association, 16 McBride Street, South Dunedin: Register now
Auckland: Tuesday 5 December, 6.00 to 7.30pm, Europe House, Auckland University of Technology, 56 Wakefield Street – Register now
Tauranga: Wednesday 6 December, 8:45am – 10:45am: Smart Business Centre, Bay Central Shopping Centre, 65 Chapel Street Register now
Hamilton: Thursday 7 December, 4:00pm – 6:00pm, PWC Building, Level 4, 109 Ward Street Register now
The obvious reaction is WTF? There’s no urgency to do this, as the ministers are apparently not now going to meet during the Buenos Aires WTO ministerial on 10-13 December. That suggests the government has been running focus groups or polling which tells them that people are not buying their spin on the old/new TPPA-11 (please let’s NOT call it the CPTPP). Or that they still hope to get a deal they can settle the remaining four issues and sign in February or March. Consulting now would mean the government could do this, claiming it has consulted, and not try to rush something over January which would create more of an outcry. Then they will have the proper ‘consultation’, when it’s too late to do anything.
No wonder business leaders see themselves as messiahs and critics like Kelsey as pariahs… and now the new govt is feeding the same bullshit. Great news everyone. Business as usual but with a smile and an empathetic nod and donation.
Thanks savenz, ; so they are holding secret meetings to get their support to rush the TPP11 (or whatever it’s called for now) WTF @#$%^&*()_
Bloody irresponsible of them to go behind our backs when they said & promised after comming back from Veitnam, they would take time to get the public input!!!!!!!
No No No they lied there!!!!
So start the ball rollimg, we need some finger pointing here now starting with David Parker. Shit they just had the water tax thing blow up in their faces and still are rushing to sign the blooody thing.@#$%^&*(()
Never trust politicians we learned that today here.
Good to see that the 33 pages of a “document of precision on various areas of policy commitment and development” and “directives to ministers with accountability and media strategies”. (according to the depuity PM)
or “notes” according to the PM
has been seen by the Ombudsman and he has written to Jacinda. A response is due in 5 days.
No idea what he said of course – but if he recommends it being released – its going to be a very bad look not to do so.
I’d like to see those Nat notes; they’d show how ethical and honest the Party may or may not be. It’d be a great thing if they released their notes, you know, in the spirit of transparency and honesty. National are both of those things, aren’t they? Shouldn’t they show the people of New Zealand just how straight is the bat they play with? Hmmmmm?
‘Cause National are such honest folk, James? Wouldn’t “forget, misremember, accidentally erase, refuse to speak etc, etc, etc?
You’re right, of course, honest as the day is long, Key’s crew! And Bill! Taken up John’s torch! Protected Toddy the way Key protected him – that’s National; for you – Team All NZ Black (Inc), bro!
As I remember, Billshit when asked if he would release such documents refused to do so because of a confidentiality agreement that applied to all parties negotiating. Strangely enough, Double Dipper Billshit now seems to have forgotten about that confidentiality.
James (14) … and I take it National will also release its negotiation details with Winston Peters/NZF. You know, good enough for one, good enough for the other, even more so if the complaint has come from National.
Why? National isn’t in government, those notes aren’t worth jack.
On the other hand, the NZFirst/Labour notes are because they are in government and what’s in them should be known to the NZ public as they will no doubt be on the receiving end of whatever arrangments are within these notes.
You do realise that this is an awful look for the government and just makes them look shady and that they’re trying to hide unpopular details from the people of NZ.
For a government that proclaimed they are going to be the most transparent government ever this is just bullshit and undermines their credibility terribly.
Thing is the media won’t let this go, they smell something dodgy and will keep digging away until they get what they want.
You do realise that this is a terrible look for the NATZ and just makes them look shady and that they’re trying to hide unpopular details from the people of NZ.
You do realise that this is a terrible look for the NATZ and just makes them look shady and that they’re trying to hide unpopular details from the people of NZ.
tl;dr: David Farrar is so full of shit it’s overflowed into BM.
Official Information Act S9(2)g:
Other reasons for withholding official information:
(g)
maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through—
(i)
the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation or officers and employees of any department or organisation in the course of their duty; or
(ii)
the protection of such Ministers, members of organisations, officers, and employees from improper pressure or harassment.
BM (14.3.1) …
Ah but the Natz were government during the negotiations with Winston Peters weren’t they? So as such, they have some responsibility for releasing their negotiations with NZF. Don’t you think?
You know that National do not have to – as they are not ministers you see. The whole good for one is good for the other dosnt work – the government have a whole lot of things that they have to abide my that opposition does not.
Of course that may also be the view of the Ombudsman regarding Labour – time will tell.
BUT if it says they are to be released – Will Jacinda? – or will she go against him.
Yes, of course we made notes during the course of those discussions including further areas that we may undertake some work…some issues will see the light of day and at that point we’ll make sure that people are absolutely clear that that was part of our conversation with NZ First but others may not.
Which ties in with what Boshier says about ‘provocative’ advice and ‘blue sky’ discussions: once an idea becomes a policy commitment and then legislation, that is the appropriate time for public scrutiny and comment.
I love how you correct me for something I didn’t say. I never said he could order them.
You sill making shit up person you. I can only assume in your hurry to be clever – you just had to make shit up.
As for your second lie about National always ignoring it – he states in the link already provided “It’s very rare that my decision is not complied with.”
So I guess it’s all made up.
But hey if he says release it and if labour don’t – then they will deserve the pasting they will get.
Personally how rabid some on here are about it – I reckon you guys are scared about what’s in it.
Did you forget to take Matty H’s instructions today @James?.
I think the RNZ still has a podcast up.
It was Matty H that pointed out (as DtB has above) that Bling and Choice were actually government Ministers at the time of negotiations (and leading them), and as such there is more of an onus on them (if not an equal one) to produce their ‘minutes’
Those docs must not be too flattering given even Hooten is saying the new Govt should not need to release what is effectively a political negotiating document not a public interest one… strange bedfellows on this one.
If pre agreement negotiations are to be released as public interest, the TPP negotiation discussiondocuments must be due soon too?
But like I said we used an Ombudsman in a case and he awarded in our case but the government said they didnt agree with the ombudsmans views and ignored his advise and the ombudsman wrote and said his rulinng is not binding it is only advisory.
Same thinf with Commissioners like the Parliamentary commissioer for the Environment, he ruled in our case but the government ignored his ruling too.
This is national playing games just to spook us and dont take the bait.
When will Bill English release the text messages he sent to Glenys Dickson around the Todd Barclay “debarcle” and those he received from her? Not presenting them for scrutiny is a very bad look, don’t you think, James?
Hi Robert
While you are looking at TS perhaps you would let me know if you ever got a copy of the Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig that was talked about earlier this year? It is a great story, a turn-around on the status quo, by Eugene Trivizas, and inspiring to read to one’s grandkids. I’m interested if you managed to get hold of it.
Hi greywarshark -= thanks for the reminder. I just read it online and enjoyed it for sure. I was reminded of the story of Ferdinand the Bull – do you know it? Flowers feature there too, and peacefulness 🙂 This link is to the 1938 Disney version which is very good, imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALYj24vKmR4
As this is such an important issue to you, the transparency of government formation agreements and prior negotiations, can you post a link to the previous 3 coalition notes of negotiations involving the Nats and their coalition parties. I have looked and cannot find them anywhere. Thank you in advance.
Ah but Key also promised greater transparency and honest than the Clark government… there is a recording on youtube of his interview in 2008 with Henry. he probably was lying though, which, apparently, is ok.
Just Water CEO Tony Falkenstein says job hunters failing to show.
“We just cannot get people to even turn up for jobs, let alone apply,” he said.
I understand his feelings. Can he understand the feelings of people who put their heart and soul into applying for job, dream of getting it and how it will change their life then not even hear back from the employer when their application is unsuccessful in their application?
I didn’t hear the interview with Leighton Smith. Since it was with Smith I wouldn’t be surprised if the tenor was one of “lazy a’hole unemployed.” And would be surprised there was any “lazy, unprofessional, a’hole employers.”
Unfortunately Leighton Smith is not retiring until the end of next year (2018) not this year/month. Kerre McIvor will be taking over from him in 2019 under current plans.
God that is awful. You wonder what possesses people to do these things sometimes. I know life in Somalia is no garden of eden existence – and brutality is almost everywhere – but even so.
We need to ignore all the side issues like Ombudsman crap, and the bulllshit press stuff.
We need to concentrate on our task to assist labour to make the right desisions here, and now we need to tell them to rush their good policies for us through under urgency.
We need to strongly tell labour we are not interested in their TPP 11 (or whatever it is called for now) – and tell them not sign that abortion right now until we all agree to the terms that benefit us and our rights first.
And even that is a mere tickle to an itchy scratch on the surface.
As you said @JC yesterday: INZ need a rocket.
I’m holding my breathe because I’m hoping Iain Lees-Galloway is up to it.
So far I think he is, and I’m hoping he’s aware of the potential for his ‘officials’ to spin and bullshit like never before – and that some of them have become so used to it, they’ll do it straight-faced.
‘This piece is about one of the biggest taboos of our times. About a truth that is seldom acknowledged, and yet – on reflection – cannot be denied. The truth that we are living in an inverse welfare state.
These days, politicians from the left to the right assume that most wealth is created at the top. By the visionaries, by the job creators, and by the people who have “made it”. By the go-getters oozing talent and entrepreneurialism that are helping to advance the whole world…..’
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Despite a “historic” ceasefire agreement in Papua New Guinea between Enga authorities and tribal leaders after months of bitter warfare, a young woman has been found brutally killed near Kaekin village, Wapenamanda. Despite the peace agreement and signing concluded in Port Moresby last Thursday ...
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
Are you deeply passionate about sharing Māori stories? We’re on the hunt for an experienced writer/editor to lead coverage in our Ātea section.Ātea is a deeply valued section of The Spinoff site, offering Māori perspectives and insights across politics, current affairs and culture. We are thrilled to be looking ...
By Aisha Azeemah in Suva With the lights on one of his sneakers blinking as he ran through the gallery, a little boy looked up at several works of art. One of them was a sculpture of his grandfather: the man who changed how we see the Pacific — Epeli ...
WHAT: Uber drivers are holding a rally outside the Court of Appeal in Wellington tomorrow, as the company begins its appeal against 2022’s Employment Court verdict (in a case taken jointly by FIRST Union and E tū) that four drivers were permanent ...
RNZ Pacific The Fiji Meteorological Service has a heavy rain warning still in place for the whole of the country after a weekend of flooding, although some floodwaters have receded. Flood and flash flood warnings and alerts are also in place, including a warning for all flash flood-prone areas, small ...
Responding to Grant Robertson’s recent admission on a Q+A with Jack Tame that his only regret from his time in office was that he didn’t take on more debt, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson, Alex Murphy, said: “Grant Robertson has now admitted that he ...
‘Why does the media give these voices so much air’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/345304/why-does-the-media-give-these-voices-so-much-air
Good Morning Ed,
Yes this drivile is disturbing when we dont see our regional news reported any more except if you are an auckland resident eh?
HB/Gisborne does not even have a RNZ reporter after two years now so we are largely ignored down here, and this is so very disturbing when now we have a labour lead government who needs to get the issues outnthere to sell their new ‘regional policies’ and why our rail is now so vitial to our regions export potential else we will just conitue to wither and die.
Come on Labour!!!!!!!!! – bring back a ‘true regional TV seven type channel’ “publc affairs” media for the public benefits of having a voice finally again.
Many thanks to Shane Jones for his idea of work for the dole. I would rename it as that is not a appealing name and the goal is to make this idea appealing to our youth for this to work. Yes there will be training need I say have a career map for these people driving licence right up to class 5 digger operators ECT and a pathway to the forestry harvesting as these jobs in forestry are hard work and one does not want to be doing these jobs when the gray hair STARTS to show I don’t think that punishing our youth who can work is the right way to make this successfull. What will make this successful will be to make it appealing to our youth so they all want to join this venture. Getting to work in the forestry one gets picked up and dropped of at ones house. If it is really successful no other government will scrap it. As what has happened in the past pep scheme.
Happy birthday Hillary. Ka pai
100% eco maori;
Spot on there.
Nothing wrong with work for wages.
Yes there is. It’s called wage slavery and is an affront to human dignity.
Is this like Golriz Ghahramen, where unless every statement about employment specifically condemns wage-slavery, the author must be a wage-slavery denier?
In the SME where I do some part time hours, alongside my boss, who gets paid less than me (I know this because I do the accounts), I’m quite happy to do a bit of work for someone else.
Meanwhile, the point about work-for-the-dole was what again?
Presumably you endorse the idea of people being coerced into work if a wage is paid. I don’t.
In the interview given by Jacinda Ardern she was pretty clear (in spite of her general penchant to waffle herself away from making any definitive statements) that WINZ sanctions would remain in place and apply to those presented with the scheme.
edit – (from about 2:58 through 3:06) http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018624024
I endorse no such thing. When in doubt, ask.
Carmel Sepuloni has specific responsibility for that portfolio:
Labour to ditch sanctions that ‘punished’ mothers…
But Shane Jones runs his mouth therefore the NZLP and Minister Sepuloni must do as he says? Pfft.
At present, if you are claiming unemployment benefit and turn down work that WINZ deems “suitable”, you are sanctioned (ie – you lose money). Those sanctions will remain and apply to those who are offered placement on the “Ready for Work” (or whatever it’s called) scheme.
Ditching the sanction that kicked in around unnamed fathers isn’t in any way related to work readiness sanctions.
Sure. If the “very serious changes that are going to be made to the principles of the Social Security Act” are inadequate or discriminatory (and hey, it’s the NZLP so I think that’s ‘possible’), then I intend to beat Labour about the head with them.
I’m still not going to jump to conclusions on the say-so of Guyon Espiner and Shane Jones.
The PM (not Jones or Espinar) made a pretty clear indication that those sanctions that already exist will remain and be applied.
If they were removed, there would be much, much less to prevent workers exercising a bit of power and walking away from bullshit employers to live on the dole until they found a decent employer.
The principle (ie – “mission statement”) can change all it wants. But will that likely amount to much more than “feel good” twattery? Probably not.
Hey. We’ll see. But I have a good collection of 2x4s and you can borrow one when the time comes.
another nail in the coffin there.
so is the tax payer now responsible to pay the wages for private industry in order to entice private industry to hire?
Also, what if the work place one is placed is an abusive work place? Can you leave or will your dole sanctioned? If your work for the dole is a pick up and drop of at your home place job and your boss is abusive how could you leave and get a way? Or do you just have to put up with a bit of abuse, sexual harrasment (as i witnessed this week at a Countdown where a bloke berated a young girl collecting funds for the SPCA until my partner, two security guards and I stepped in and ended up calling the Police!) until your driver comes to get you home? What if your driver is the one who abuses the ‘worker for the dole”.
Also, what if a work place fires their employees – McDo, KFC, etc come to mind – to hire the tax payer funded crew – cause nothing is cheaper then a worker who can’t complain lest he / she ‘gets sanctioned’.
IS that really the only thing this country can come up with to find work places for their young ones, or is this again just another way to show some that you don’t count, and if you complain we ‘take away your ‘dole’.
There is so much wrong with this scheme its not funny anymore. How about making sure that private businesses start training again for their own needs? Heck in Europe they call this ‘Apprentice program’ not working for the dole. OH, its in the too hard basket. Lets just bash some young people for not having a job rather then bash businesses for not hiring young ones and training them.
Right.
The inner details of Shane Jones’ “thoughts” aren’t worth the effort. Wait and see what changes the government proposes to the Social Security Act.
That will either provide reassurance or solid ammunition.
If I was government….I’d levy a specific tax on large employers and use it to fund dole payments. How long then before unemployment levels “miraculously” hit 5/8ths of f.a. I wonder?
And with full employment, all that power accruing to employees again. What’s not to like about that? 😉
i like your idea. This could actually work.
but yeah, lets provide a tax payer funded workforce to our large employers who otherwise would not hire as it would affect the share holders value or other such bullshit.
I think it’s not an idea that will be getting discussed at “the cabinet table” any time soon 😉
Far easier to keep on throwing society into the chopping blades of commerce for the benefit of the few. It’s a fine arrangement to be sure.
i enjoy working for my wages , cant be bothered running a buiseness and hate being poor
Thank you for pointing that one out.
The dole is for people who can not work due to unemployment, sickness, care for parents/children etc.
Wages are for people who work.
Punishing people for not working comes from the age old (and wrong) idea that people need to be forced to work.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/12/work-for-the-dole-plans-actually-work-for-minimum-wage-ardern.html
PM Ardern clarifies.
“If it goes ahead, the scheme will differ to past ‘work-for-the-dole’ programmes says Ms Ardern, because participants will actually get paid at least the minimum wage.
“The fact there will be a legal wage attached to it distinguishes it from some of those schemes in the past,” she told The AM Show on Monday.”
The release press from Shane Jones announcing the four schemes stated “at least the minimum wage.” Critics missed this.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952429
“Jones will take four projects to Cabinet for his Working For Your Country scheme before Christmas, which will give beneficiaries a chance to work for at least the minimum wage in industries such as tree planting, riparian planting or regional railway development.”
Hopefully connected will be the Labour commitment to increasing the minimum wage to being a living wage.
So the Taxpayer will pay the full minimum wage for the staff that private businesses refuse to hire otherwise?
Can we call it ‘getting the dole for not hiring’ ?
Details are needed, but this sounds a lot better than having young people hike around all day leaving their CV’s with employers who wouldn’t hire them anyway.
So now we are funding the employers to hire the people they don’t want to hire cause they would have to pay wages?
Great, how much more taxes can you afford to pay in higher taxes to pay the wages for the local McDo to hire these ‘slaves for the dole”? And of course the dole will be taxed, so the poor slaves fund their own slavery program. Whats not to like ey?
btw, there are a lot of ‘non’ young people that are on the dole. This program will then apply to these too. I am so looking forward to getting served by some 64 year old at the local fast food joint, working for the dole until retirement hits. Yei! Us!
So, um, given that Shane Jones says that in his “thoughts” they’ll be working for at least minimum wage…?
“Yes there will be training need I say have a career map for these people driving licence right up to class 5 digger operators ….”
Like this….?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952639
I don’t normally watch the videos…but this one is seriously worth it.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones wants welfare payments to be cut if beneficiaries refuse to take part in his new Government work programme, which will look to plant trees and build up a railway network for tourists.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952429
I cannot see how Labour and the Greens could agree with this, it’s the complete opposite of what Labour and the Greens are all about.
The fact the NZ First knows this and is still pushing a compulsory work for the dole scheme does rather demonstrate where all the power lies in this government.
Jones stressed that his preference of removing welfare entitlement still needed to be endorsed by Cabinet.
Which demonstrates where all the power lies, and also that BM lies.
Rubber stamping more like.
This compulsory work for the dole scheme no doubt makes up part of that 33-page document of dead rats Ardern refuses to release.
We’ll see. When we do, it will turn out that you have been lying.
BM = always lies.
BM=BuM
Thanks Nick;
In this tense time, you made me laugh thanks for that.
There are plenty of Labour people who would support it.
We are at below 5% in overall unemployment, and we need all hands on deck if we are going to see trees planted.
Government choking off immigration is also going to bring rest home workers into very high demand.
Personally I want to see overall unemployment come down to 3%, and immigration choked, so that employers are forced to pay higher wages. So high that that there’s a much clearer step from benefit to wage and abatement triggers are less needed.
My only caveat to Jones’ policy idea is that I would want both worker and employer to commit to 6 months minimum employment, with an option for a further 6 month rollover.
Unemployment down, NEET numbers down, wages up, security up. productivity up. Yes.
And to train up NZers skills rather than relying upon importing them.
“below 5% in overall unemployment” – is that with, or without, the government’s massaging of unemployment figures to ignore people who aren’t looking for work, people who have insecure casual work, or are otherwise unemployed without being in the official numbers?
Yeah, true that. 0-3% of regular unemployment is pretty much job churn, but with 1hr a week or month counting as “employed”? Who knows.
None of the global entities like the World Bank, OECD, etc use unemployment figures from countries as a measure of unemployment anymore due to the high level of inaccuracy from using erroneous methodology.
BM,
Are you mis-representing the facts yet again here eh BM,
mac1
2.4
4 December 2017
Maci said on 2.4. this;
“Jones will take four projects to Cabinet for his Working For Your Country scheme before Christmas, which will give beneficiaries a chance to work for at least the minimum wage in industries such as tree planting, riparian planting or regional railway development.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952429
So you misrepresented him. as saying ” build up a railway network for tourists.”
So why did you deliberately signal only ‘rail for tourists’ and not freight?
Mac1 said nothing about just for tourists’.
Do you represent the road freight industry?
Suspiously sounds like it.
Just listening to Guyon Espiner interviewing Jacinda. Oh. My. God. By the look of things, the next three years is going to consist of the media spending the entire length of every interview trying to foot trip Jacinda Ardern on a matter of semantics in relation to the coalition so they can triumphantly scream “DIVISION IN THE GOVERNMENT!”
It is a depressing. A cynical obsession with horse racing politics and it seems to be one shared by both the MSM and the National party.
Espiner spent nine years constantly saying “the minister declined our invitation…” Now he can get to talk to the PM, instead of the obsequious toadying we got whenever he interviewed Key we get a hectoring bully splitting hairs over taxonomy. White male syndrome strikes again.
In six months, Espiner will again be droning saying “the minister declined our invitation…” and he’ll probably wonder why.
The reason why will be Jacinda will get sick of lazy yellow journalism playing desperate word games to try and trump up divisions in the government. All we want is an informed journalist politely but firmly asking relevant questions about the pertinent issues of the day.
That seems all to hard for the MSM in NZ these days.
Yes Sancuary,
I saw this also on TV3 with the “hypoventilating” Duncan Garner!!!!
A discussing display he showed with our new PM Jacinda!!!!
It was disturbing also, as Garner was gunning at the last part of the inverview on “The AM show” as garner was hammering the issue of the so called “33 page agreement between Labour and NZF” as he kept saying; are you lying’, are you lying, are you lying” until Jacinda settled him down from having a potential heart attack.
“Give it up Michael” (credit to Vogel bread ad)
Are these ‘anchors’ on drugs or someting?
Reminds me,Vogels bread special today,28c for every second loaf.You buy the first one.
Hi Cleangreen (4.1) … Acting on a complaint (not hard to guess from who that might be), the Ombudsman has been called in, re the release of the Labour/NZF 33 page coalition negotiation agreement.
So it seems when a vindictive, bitter political party is unable to accept it lost the election and get its own way in the future, it will run to a higher power! That particular political party has now resorted to tittle tattling …. scum politics at its worst!
I hope that same political party is forced to release details of its own negotiations!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952737
SO when will the NATZ release their negotiation paper then?
100% mary-a.
Yes nationals agreements with NZF and ACT also it would be fun to see what they signed up to eh?
I think these ‘anchors’ are probably on something called ‘National Party pills’ .
Well said Sanctuary.
Espiner is more interested in petty point scoring than in providing listeners with what should be a more balanced view of the subject. I’m not sure whether his rude, argumentative, interruptive and totally unethical mode is due to strongly political bias or sheer incompetence. Maybe it’s sexist but, as you so rightly say, more time was spent trying to trip Jacinda up rather than on eliciting information.
His interview ( ? ) with the Prime Minister of New Zealand this morning was an absolute disgrace by any standard.
PM Jacinda Adern handled the interview well so Guyon will need to be better prepared if he wishes to ruffle her going by that performance….it appears that the strategy for dealing with opposition promoted dissent within the coalition is to allow a range of views but control the policy…and I think those outside the ‘beltway’ are accepting of that provided it causes no major issues…if they are taking any notice at all, after all its only 20 days until xmas.
“White male syndrome strikes again”
FFS, stop with the knee-jerk racism and sexism. Every time a person happens to be white and male, this bullshit gets spouted without thought.
You’ve got shit dribbling down your chin sanctuary
[“Every time a person happens to be white and male”. No, it’s when behaviours associated with the dominant class are observed they get named (whether that gets over used or not is another matter). Your hyperbole is inflammatory. Please rethink how to express your points here – weka]
What? Are you offended by it? Stop being so PC.
According to the approved and pure ideologies around here vto, only white males can be racist or sexist.
So when you read slightly tedious stuff like ‘white male syndrome’ you just have to harden up and get a sense of humour. Besides it’s what I think is best called a ‘first-world problem’; suck it up mate 🙂
or sexist
Haven’t seen that personally. Can you please link to an example?
As for “racist”, I’ve seen Bill advance that argument, and make a pretty good case for it. I’m not sure when his view was declared “approved and pure” though.
Nice strawman but. Will you be beating it up yourself or will you let vto have a go too?
Yeah it’s quite an interesting argument, if I recall it correctly. I actually lean towards it, but not to the point of being absolutely convinced, if you know what I mean.
I lean towards it just enough to STFU whenever I feel the urge to yelp “help, help, I’m being oppressed”. Because really, my “feeling oppressed” is almost always little more than my expectations, assumptions, and unjustifiable preferences being challenged.
“Because really, my “feeling oppressed” is almost always little more than my expectations, assumptions, and unjustifiable preferences being challenged.”
Well put.
Some groups in our society have a much longer history of oppression than others. Some imagine they are oppressed but confuse it with angry or disappoindte that things are not how they used to be for them.
+100
Plenty here try doxxing by framing commenters as CIS-dominant or white male.
And of course, to show examples of that is to reverse doxx.
Better rather if people make sure they have really good citations before making sweeping group-identity comments, of any kind.
not sure what you are meaning by doxing there but it’s rare for people here to try and out other commenter’s RL IDs, including around gender. It happens occasionally and gets moderated.
Lots of words but fuck all meaning.
@RedLogix,
You’ve said today,
According to the approved and pure ideologies around here vto, only white males can be racist or sexist.
So when you read slightly tedious stuff like ‘white male syndrome’ you just have to harden up and get a sense of humour. Besides it’s what I think is best called a ‘first-world problem’; suck it up mate
You said on October 16,
And out of respect for my fellow authors and moderators, and because this topic clearly causes far too much disruption … I commit to absolutely never saying anything on any gendered topic ever again.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16102017/#comment-1400748
You also reiterated this in the back end on October 16.
weka
You probably misunderstood what RL meant. I have had that problem before, apparently.
+ 1
One day you will have equality mate. Keep up the good fight. Equal pay, pay for voluntary care work, even an honorary seat at the council table is just around the corner for white men.
lol
Touche
VTO, keep standing up against the hypocrisy..
None of it is necessary..
You will likely get abused for standing up and pointing it out
Rise above it..thus showing the way to the hypocrites..
You do not need to rise above it, anyone in the category of white male has had residence in the privileged towers looming over us all for thousands of years. The residence hasn’t changed it’s just people are knocking on the door asking to be let in rather than staying silent as the dogs are loosed.
Nice one.
I didn’t hear the interview and probably won’t listen to it.
Truth be told, almost all political interviews these days are a dance performed by true believers. They may disagree on the exact steps or the precision of the moves, but both interviewer and interviewee are dancing to the exact same tune.
No-one questions ‘Why this music?’, ‘Why this dance?’ ‘What are we doing this for?’
When political ideology becomes as crystalline as it is now, there is nothing much left to discuss or debate. And so we are subjected to word games and opinions on what clothes are worn – all passed off as critical analysis and measures of accountability or what not.
It’s when the crystal shatters under the stress of its own internal forces – that’s when things get interesting. And the crystal always shatters.
And that’s particularly well expressed Bill!
It’s a bit like watching all five days of a test match, absorbing, diverting and sometimes dramatic … but don’t ask ‘what does it all mean’?
Thank you Red. I should probably only ever comment over morning coffee. Things degenerate from here on out 🙂
Bill,
Change of topic, but this one got my attention big time. Look at those crazy sea temp anomalies. Six degC on the West Coast.
What this may suggest is the deep cold oceanic current that surfaces along the Coast may have shut down. That could have big consequences …
Yes Bill that was sheer brilliance expressed there.
So well expressed. Thank you.
Okay. I listened to it.
When someone is being as evasive as Jacinda Ardern is in that interview, what would you have an interviewer do Sanctuary? Accept ambiguity and avoidance as upfront and informative responses?
Many thanks to all the Maori organisation joining together to give us a better say in our future. And To hold the government’s accountable for there actions that have oppressed Maori. We need positive news about Maori we need positive Maori leaders and role models. I bet that if I had the money I could find and shape some one into a Maori superstar music artist. Be proud of OUR Maori culture and heritage. Kia kaha
Barely Sober calls Winston Peters ‘white’ in his latest shock-jock piece.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952064
He’s either being deliberately provocative or ignorant, but probably both.
Barfly soaker.
“He’s either being deliberately provocative or ignorant, but probably both.”
Well that’s all he’s got left in life really.
I’ll be sending him dead flowers, but I’m sure HdPA won’t forget to put roses on his rotting corpse
Eugenie Sage will be very pleased.
Nick Smith has now seen the desirability of something that the Green Party has been proposing.
https://home.greens.org.nz/bills/kermadec-ocean-sanctuary-establishment-bill
I expect that Nick’s bill will be very close to the Green Party proposal.
With a combination of the Green Party votes and those of the National Party we should see the sanctuary implemented when Nick’s bill gets drawn and passed.
Let us hope it comes up very quickly in the ballot.
We have been waiting far to long.
Your concern for the environment is heartwarming. As for Smith’s mischief-making ….
It’s a smart wedge from Smith, and good pressure on Sage to crack a deal.
The 9 year Key-English government was the worst for conservation in generations, with no new national parks formed, catastrophic biosecurity hits, and spectacular falls in wildlife populations whether tree, sea or airborne.
Sage needs to deliver real goods on conservation, and now she gets to draft her own bill on the Kermadecs and pull the rug on Smith by guilting him into supproting the government on his own concept.
It was always National policy.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pm-announces-kermadec-ocean-sanctuary
Easy-peasy. Just pass the bill with National and Green support.
If Sage thinks she can do it with her own bill she will have to get Winston to agree and that is not likely to be forthcoming.
He doesn’t have any control over a Private member’s bill though.
Yeah – they were just too arrogant in their implementation of it, and so stuffed it up bigly.
Alwyn – strange how easy-peasy rhymes with sleazy.
And greasy.
Hi Ad, nick smith doesn’t do guilt. He only does Bullshit.
too sad that Nick Smith would not dare to come up with it when National was in power. Cause surely, if it would have protected the environemnt the Greens would have even then supported the policy. OH, but this is not about the environment?
It was always National Party policy.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/pm-announces-kermadec-ocean-sanctuary
The problem they had was that they couldn’t get Maori Party support and that made it impractical as it would have disrupted the Government.
That is no longer a problem of course so that National can go back to do what they had always wanted.
I’m sure that the Green Party will support it. We have been told that they have the ability to support things they are strongly for without being affected by anything like Cabinet collective responsibility as they don’t have any Cabinet members.
Won’t be any problem there then and there needn’t be any problems like National had.
The problem they had was that they couldn’t get Maori Party support…
They couldn’t get Maori Party support for unilaterally removing part of a Treaty settlement? Gosh, I wonder why that was? What could the Maori Party have had against it? I guess it’s a mystery that will outlast humanity’s time on earth. Those damn Maori!
LOL
There’s such a long distance between National Party policy and Nick Smith’s capacity to deliver anything though, isn’t there Alwyn?
Sage as a fly will not be tempted into Smith’s web .
I’m sure you don’t have to be reminded of the spectacular mess that Smith made of Key’s United Nations grandstanding proposal three years ago?
Sage need only read out loud in Parliament Smith’s record on the matter, for his initiative to be seen for the mere game that it is.
oh my goodness, they could not get their partner to work with them?
bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha National, useless at working with its “partners”.
National, really good at excuses for not getting anything done.
I must be really getting at there egos A they are swarming me with marked cars like water off a ducks back now Ana to kai
Tame and Faitaua: Language Enforcers on the Job!
TVNZ1 Breakfast, Monday 4 December 2017, 8:05 a.m.
The sports news features a remarkable clip of an Italian goalie rushing up during a corner kick and heading in the winner. The goal engenders delight and approval in the studio. Then this happens….
HILLARY BARRY: [enthusiastically] I LOVE soccer when it’s like that!
DANIEL FAITAUA: [playfully stern] Football.
JACK TAME: [smiling, apologetic] Football.
Hillary Barry, bullied into silence, obviously wants to respond but thinks better of it.
…The programme limps on in its uninspired way….
Now, you could safely bet Bill O’Reilly’s monthly whoring budget that neither Faitaua nor Tame actually calls soccer “football” in their normal off-camera conversations, and you could also safely bet that virtually none of their acquaintances does either. Yet this enforced charade continues on TVNZ, the result of a management decree from 2005 that soccer must henceforth be called “football”, in spite of what the plebs in the audience think. This decree is being increasingly abandoned and disrespected—for example, nearly all RNZ National commentators, including newsreaders, call it “soccer” in line with common usage when they are not actually required to read from a script. As Jim Mora complained in 2010: “Do we HAVE to call it ‘football’ now?”
Of one thing we can all be certain: during his time as a U.S. correspondent based in New York, Tame never, ever, ever admonished (playfully or otherwise) any of his American colleagues for saying “soccer”. And you can bet he dutifully called that game “played” with helmets, where most “players” are not allowed to kick the ball, or indeed even TOUCH it, “football”.
More Jack Tame idiocy…
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26082015/#comment-1062913
And Daniel Faitaua, that vacuous lump, should be doing some reading instead of badgering Hillary Barry about nothing….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13102016/#comment-1244029
Has anyone contacted the PM for her thoughts on this important issue?
Could be a major issue for the National Party to beat her with. I note they have nothing else in their armoury, other than attacking young defence lawyers for actually doing their job, and constantly repeating that Jacinda looks like a horse….
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/12/general_debate_4_december_2017.html/comment-page-1#comment-2091710
I like how its the United States Soccer Federation and that how it’s always soccer there.
I like how in Australia their national soccer team is called the Socceroos.
I like it how when I call that sport “soccer” some people get angsty and want me to call it football. If it was such a foreign word they would’t even know what I was talking about.
I’m still waiting for me to say soccer and the upset listener to fall on the ground and roll around clutching their leg appealing for a penalty!
When Hilary was growing up, and my generation it was soccer. Why? Because Rugby was what people thought of as football and footy, so maybe the youngsters could get a bit of context and a smidge of humility
Both rugby and soccer are football.
Rugby football and Association football.
Rugby and soccer.
Not rocket science.
Doesn’t make your brain hurt.
Wikipedia references explain thus:
The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football Association).
In 1871, English clubs met to form the Rugby Football Union (RFU). In 1892, after charges of professionalism (compensation of team members) were made against some clubs for paying players for missing work, the Northern Rugby Football Union, usually called the Northern Union (NU), was formed. The existing rugby union authorities responded by issuing sanctions against the clubs, players, and officials involved in the new organization. After the schism, the separate clubs were named “rugby league” and “rugby union”.
Ultimately where there is another football code that is dominant e.g. NZ, Ireland, South Africa, Australia then soccer will be used. Where association football is the dominant football game then football will be used.
I suspect that some of the push to convince NZer’s and Australians to use football is based partly around an anti-rugby sentiment, partly around snobbery and anti-Americanism and partly around traditional soccer connotations of being “poofters” etc. The first and second not a good reason, the third I think highly pertinent – changing language can change responses and values.
Alternatively you could just wait for the generations who made such negative connotations about soccer to die off.
Tame is awful.
The comments about the PM on RNZ and the Garner show point to something to recognise.
Every week the PM ‘has to’ appear in as many media spots as possible. She is there to be visible, to be held to account, to be seen to be available and accessible. The world has got to that stage, it’s what the people demand.
Things of import to be discussed of course. What’s of importance? Everything, now it is everything.
Here is the news: I do not need the Prime Minister in my home every day. I learned to turn the radio off when John Key came on zb and Radiosport. He came on so he could be ordinary John in our house, be one of the mates, be reassuring, bat away gentle questions about significant issues and not have to face a grilling about significant contentious issues. I never once heard anyone suggest he was a liar.
He came onto RNZ when it was to his advantage. When it wasn’t, he was ‘unavailable.’
Hosking was Key’s mate. Ardern is not. Ardern is Hosking’s enemy. As much as he was there to make Key look good, he is there to make Ardern look bad. Same as the Richardson fellow (Dick is it?) on Garner’s thing.
But she has to appear, that is New Zealand the Way We Want it.
We’ve had years of lying scumbags, we’ve the spectacle now of those like Simon Bridges being even less rational now than when he was a minister but know they’re all sitting at their tvs and radios hoping for the leg trips and any morsel they can use.
We definately need TVNZ channel even back again now seriously if Labour coalition is to sell its policies to the electorate.
Heres why; National lied then about the lack of popularity of TVNZ Seven then.
Quote; “This was despite viewing figures that suggested half of all households with Freeview at the time were watching TVNZ7 – around 700,000 people – and not the 207,000 claimed by Coleman”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVNZ_7
TVNZ 7 was a commercial-free New Zealand 24-hour news and information channel on Freeview digital television platform and on Sky Television from 1 July 2009. It was produced by Television New Zealand, which received Government funding to launch two additional channels.[2] The channel went to air just after 10am on 25 March 2008 with a looped preview reel. The channel was officially launched at noon on 30 March 2008 with a special “kingmaker” political debate held within the Parliament building and featuring most of the elected minor party leaders. The channel went off air at midnight on 30 June 2012 to the Goodnight Kiwi.
It featured TVNZ News Now updates every hour from 6 am–11 pm, with a specialised rolling 10-minute bulletin ‘zone’ between 8 am and 9 am, throughout which six bulletins were aired. TVNZ 7 also featured an hour-long bulletin, TVNZ News at 8, at 8 pm each night. It was hosted on weeknights by Greg Boyed and on weekends by Miriama Kamo.
While it was originally reported to be a ‘rolling news channel’, similar to Sky News and CNN Headline News, Eric Kearley, head of TVNZ’s Digital Launch team, stated about 70% of the schedule would be “factual variety” programming – a mix of local and overseas documentaries, and programmes that discuss current events and sport, with the remaining 30% being the news updates. A full schedule was released on 28 February 2008.
The channel was relaunched on 1 March 2011, taking some programming from TVNZ 6, another Freeview-based digital channel, when TVNZ decided to transform into an interactive broadcast station TVNZ U.
On 6 April 2011, it was officially announced that TVNZ 7 cease broadcast in June 2012.
This was confirmed when Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman stated on behalf of the government that they would not extend further funding for the channel due to low ratings.[3] This was despite viewing figures that suggested half of all households with Freeview at the time were watching TVNZ7 – around 700,000 people – and not the 207,000 claimed by Coleman.[4] In March 2012, Television New Zealand confirmed this decision and announced there would be no eleventh-hour reprieve for TVNZ7.[5]
TVNZ 7 was replaced on 1 July 2012 by TV One Plus 1, a timeshift channel of TV One.
TVNZ7 was starting to get some momentum so of course National had to kill it off.
Yes Grey Area,
You are right, Steven Joyce is NZ equivilent to a dicator who likes to contol the media voices of ‘alternatuive views’.
Other countries like Turkey, China and other free press repressive counties often get bad rap by shutting down public media that questions governments.
But in our case NZ was not challenged by shutting down of the popular TVNZ 7 channel sadly.
So Labour please bring back TVNZ 7 again – for your political platform, and our collective benefit too please.
I wonder what is happening in Turkey as lovely keen experienced determined journalist’s death is being investigated. Yasmine Ryan 34. News says that it is not thought that her death was suspicious. It was a stressful job that she had, someone that does such stuff needs a haven I think to take a break and retreat for a while.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/99478813/memorials-held-for-kiwi-journalist-yasmine-ryan-after-her-death-in-turkey
A GiveALittle page set up by Jacinta Forde, who works at the University of Waikato with Ryan’s father Tom, said he had “left on the first plane to Turkey last night to bring her back home to New Zealand”.
So far more than $11,000 has been raised.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952232
https://asiapacificreport.nz/2017/12/04/tribute-to-a-nz-media-mentor-how-yasmine-ryan-taught-me-how-to-write/
Incidentally there has been a memorial day started for journalists who lose their lives while doing their job – it is November 19 each year.
The sad thing is, we have jobs that need filling but society and private businesses don’t want to pay for.
Our infrastructure needs updating, our hospitals need nurses, nurse aids and other carers, same for our elderly homes, our berms need mowing, our streets need cleaning etc etc etc..
We have a severe lack of tradies of all sorts. Instead of throwing out incentives for Businesses to hire apprentices – and pay them a little – we are again putting the blame on unemployed for not finding a job in a society that refuses to hire, train and pay an honest day wage for an honest day of work.
Yeah, let Shane Jones pass judgment on people who are at the lowest step of our society for not finding a job in this ‘rock star’ economy of ours.
+++repost+++
URGENT ATTENTION ALL ANTI-TPPA ACTIVISTS
By Prof Jane Kelsey
“We discovered less than a week ago that MFAT is hosting ‘consultations’ around the country, with David Parker, this week on the TPPA-11. It appeared to be a last-minute decision to do something before Xmas, and somehow they forgot to send invitations to critics who have attended previous ‘consultations’. Presumably the business sector was given priority notice. There is no information on the MFAT website, but we know at least about these:
Dunedin: Monday 4 December, 5:15pm – 7:15pm, Otago Southland Employers Association, 16 McBride Street, South Dunedin: Register now
Auckland: Tuesday 5 December, 6.00 to 7.30pm, Europe House, Auckland University of Technology, 56 Wakefield Street – Register now
Tauranga: Wednesday 6 December, 8:45am – 10:45am: Smart Business Centre, Bay Central Shopping Centre, 65 Chapel Street Register now
Hamilton: Thursday 7 December, 4:00pm – 6:00pm, PWC Building, Level 4, 109 Ward Street Register now
The obvious reaction is WTF? There’s no urgency to do this, as the ministers are apparently not now going to meet during the Buenos Aires WTO ministerial on 10-13 December. That suggests the government has been running focus groups or polling which tells them that people are not buying their spin on the old/new TPPA-11 (please let’s NOT call it the CPTPP). Or that they still hope to get a deal they can settle the remaining four issues and sign in February or March. Consulting now would mean the government could do this, claiming it has consulted, and not try to rush something over January which would create more of an outcry. Then they will have the proper ‘consultation’, when it’s too late to do anything.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/12/04/urgent-attention-all-anti-tppa-activists/
No wonder business leaders see themselves as messiahs and critics like Kelsey as pariahs… and now the new govt is feeding the same bullshit. Great news everyone. Business as usual but with a smile and an empathetic nod and donation.
Thanks savenz, ; so they are holding secret meetings to get their support to rush the TPP11 (or whatever it’s called for now) WTF @#$%^&*()_
Bloody irresponsible of them to go behind our backs when they said & promised after comming back from Veitnam, they would take time to get the public input!!!!!!!
No No No they lied there!!!!
So start the ball rollimg, we need some finger pointing here now starting with David Parker. Shit they just had the water tax thing blow up in their faces and still are rushing to sign the blooody thing.@#$%^&*(()
Never trust politicians we learned that today here.
sign of the times…
Pollution stops play at Delhi Test match as bowlers struggle to breathe
Sri Lanka say conditions in smog-hit Indian capital left players vomiting, and some of them took to field wearing face masks….
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/03/pollution-stops-play-at-delhi-test-match-as-bowlers-struggle-to-breathe
Good to see that the 33 pages of a “document of precision on various areas of policy commitment and development” and “directives to ministers with accountability and media strategies”. (according to the depuity PM)
or “notes” according to the PM
has been seen by the Ombudsman and he has written to Jacinda. A response is due in 5 days.
No idea what he said of course – but if he recommends it being released – its going to be a very bad look not to do so.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952737
Not a moment for coy embarrassment from Ardern doing a little defensive dance on semantics.
It can’t be part of the “full and frank” exclusions because they weren’t Ministers yet.
Get it out there.
So James the Natz will or have? released their negotiation notes?
They do need to – its pretty obvious that they are not ministers.
I’d like to see those Nat notes; they’d show how ethical and honest the Party may or may not be. It’d be a great thing if they released their notes, you know, in the spirit of transparency and honesty. National are both of those things, aren’t they? Shouldn’t they show the people of New Zealand just how straight is the bat they play with? Hmmmmm?
How about you write to the Ombudsman and ask him?
He will give a reply and advise – exactly the same as he did to Labour.
I’m confident if they were told to release they would – cannot say the same about Jacinda.
‘Cause National are such honest folk, James? Wouldn’t “forget, misremember, accidentally erase, refuse to speak etc, etc, etc?
You’re right, of course, honest as the day is long, Key’s crew! And Bill! Taken up John’s torch! Protected Toddy the way Key protected him – that’s National; for you – Team All NZ Black (Inc), bro!
As I remember, Billshit when asked if he would release such documents refused to do so because of a confidentiality agreement that applied to all parties negotiating. Strangely enough, Double Dipper Billshit now seems to have forgotten about that confidentiality.
James (14) … and I take it National will also release its negotiation details with Winston Peters/NZF. You know, good enough for one, good enough for the other, even more so if the complaint has come from National.
Why? National isn’t in government, those notes aren’t worth jack.
On the other hand, the NZFirst/Labour notes are because they are in government and what’s in them should be known to the NZ public as they will no doubt be on the receiving end of whatever arrangments are within these notes.
“National isn’t in government
Nor were Labour/greens either while negotiating.
You do realise that this is an awful look for the government and just makes them look shady and that they’re trying to hide unpopular details from the people of NZ.
For a government that proclaimed they are going to be the most transparent government ever this is just bullshit and undermines their credibility terribly.
Thing is the media won’t let this go, they smell something dodgy and will keep digging away until they get what they want.
Best to release it even if it is embarrassing.
Nope.
They are notes!!!
So where are the NATZ note?
You do realise that this is a terrible look for the NATZ and just makes them look shady and that they’re trying to hide unpopular details from the people of NZ.
There fixed it BM
You say they are notes – But Winston peters calls them “directives to ministers with accountability and media strategies”
Who do you think knows best?
Ok lets call them writing on paper!!
So where are the NATZ notes?
You do realise that this is a terrible look for the NATZ and just makes them look shady and that they’re trying to hide unpopular details from the people of NZ.
There fixed it BM
Sorry about double up.
Everything smells dodgy to the media, ‘cept John Key; even his manure smelled of roses, apparently!
tl;dr: David Farrar is so full of shit it’s overflowed into BM.
Official Information Act S9(2)g:
cf: what Boshier says about ‘provocative’ advice.
Thats not the argument that is being made.
I am!!
BM (14.3.1) …
Ah but the Natz were government during the negotiations with Winston Peters weren’t they? So as such, they have some responsibility for releasing their negotiations with NZF. Don’t you think?
In the interests of transparent government of course.
Actually, they’re worth the same as the coalition agreement between NZ1st and Labour and for the same reason.
We should know just what National were offering and why NZ1st said no.
BM “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” 1/ So what do you think?
2/ Is it o/k for James to say that National who want the 33 pages weren’t ministers?
“They do need to – its pretty obvious that they are not ministers.”
Doesn’t make any bloody sense!!!! Take your mate James off the drugs.
again – you seem to be confused.
You know that National do not have to – as they are not ministers you see. The whole good for one is good for the other dosnt work – the government have a whole lot of things that they have to abide my that opposition does not.
Of course that may also be the view of the Ombudsman regarding Labour – time will tell.
BUT if it says they are to be released – Will Jacinda? – or will she go against him.
Official Information Act S9(2)g as cited above. Boshier expands on this in his 9-noon interview.
Indeed. He may recommend that they are released – he may not.
time will tell. But if he does recommend that they are released – its not going to look good for labour if they refuse.
Whereas if he says they shouldn’t be released you will say it’s a bad look for the government.
no. If he says that they should not be released – I will agree that Jacinda was right and that they should not be.
What she actually said is:
Which ties in with what Boshier says about ‘provocative’ advice and ‘blue sky’ discussions: once an idea becomes a policy commitment and then legislation, that is the appropriate time for public scrutiny and comment.
Ans Winston said of the same ‘notes’ that it was a: “document of precision on various areas of policy commitment and development”
with
“directives to ministers with accountability and media strategies”
But I guess its all moot – we just have to wait and see what happens.
But if he says it should be released – do you think that Jacinda should do so?
wrong again James,
Ombudsman cant order anything James only advise. Not a bidding order he has no legal powers silly man.
Labour should do what national always did!! just ignore his ‘advice.’
he was a National stool pigeon anyway.
he will say they should be released, so igniore the advice, & say ‘thanks but no thanks’ just as National always did. Done.
I love how you correct me for something I didn’t say. I never said he could order them.
You sill making shit up person you. I can only assume in your hurry to be clever – you just had to make shit up.
As for your second lie about National always ignoring it – he states in the link already provided “It’s very rare that my decision is not complied with.”
So I guess it’s all made up.
But hey if he says release it and if labour don’t – then they will deserve the pasting they will get.
Personally how rabid some on here are about it – I reckon you guys are scared about what’s in it.
They were ministers at the time that the negotiations happened.
Good point – perhaps you could make your own questions to get them released?
This would apply to National as well, James?
” Winston said of the same ‘notes’ that it was a: “document of precision on various areas of policy commitment and development”
with
“directives to ministers with accountability and media strategies”
My argument would be the same as would my answer.
If they are told to release them – then they should do so.
I can see why that’s hard for you to understand
No james you are without the smarts here.
Ombudsman decision is not binding silly fella.
They told us that the ombudsman is only offered as adviose not binding see the difference here.
Remember national saying “we dont always agree with the………….”
We have our own views.
Labour should say the same thing as this was only a fucking fishing experdition to stymie Labour so they should ignore the national; playing games .
Did you forget to take Matty H’s instructions today @James?.
I think the RNZ still has a podcast up.
It was Matty H that pointed out (as DtB has above) that Bling and Choice were actually government Ministers at the time of negotiations (and leading them), and as such there is more of an onus on them (if not an equal one) to produce their ‘minutes’
In your view.
And I said – if thats the case – they could make a complaint and see what the Ombudsman says about that.
If they are told to release them – then they should do so.
Can you say the same about Labour in this instance?
again, – I think a lot are scared about what is in these “notes”
What about from 2008, 2011 and 2014?
Those docs must not be too flattering given even Hooten is saying the new Govt should not need to release what is effectively a political negotiating document not a public interest one… strange bedfellows on this one.
If pre agreement negotiations are to be released as public interest, the TPP negotiation discussiondocuments must be due soon too?
Good point Tracey,
But like I said we used an Ombudsman in a case and he awarded in our case but the government said they didnt agree with the ombudsmans views and ignored his advise and the ombudsman wrote and said his rulinng is not binding it is only advisory.
Same thinf with Commissioners like the Parliamentary commissioer for the Environment, he ruled in our case but the government ignored his ruling too.
This is national playing games just to spook us and dont take the bait.
When will Bill English release the text messages he sent to Glenys Dickson around the Todd Barclay “debarcle” and those he received from her? Not presenting them for scrutiny is a very bad look, don’t you think, James?
Or the TPP negotiation notes and briefings… they must be released too?
Hi Robert
While you are looking at TS perhaps you would let me know if you ever got a copy of the Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig that was talked about earlier this year? It is a great story, a turn-around on the status quo, by Eugene Trivizas, and inspiring to read to one’s grandkids. I’m interested if you managed to get hold of it.
Hi greywarshark -= thanks for the reminder. I just read it online and enjoyed it for sure. I was reminded of the story of Ferdinand the Bull – do you know it? Flowers feature there too, and peacefulness 🙂 This link is to the 1938 Disney version which is very good, imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALYj24vKmR4
Dang I forgot everything is on line. Will have to go out and smell the flowers.
As this is such an important issue to you, the transparency of government formation agreements and prior negotiations, can you post a link to the previous 3 coalition notes of negotiations involving the Nats and their coalition parties. I have looked and cannot find them anywhere. Thank you in advance.
Cue cries of “Yeah but Labour promised transparency! It’s the hypocrisy I’m wringing my hands and concern-trolling you over…”
Ah but Key also promised greater transparency and honest than the Clark government… there is a recording on youtube of his interview in 2008 with Henry. he probably was lying though, which, apparently, is ok.
Hey, no-one ever accused right-wing trolls of having integrity…
tracey
I believe that your comment in 14.5 above is directed at James who began this thread at 14. Is that correct?
Yes, apologies for confusion
Just Water CEO Tony Falkenstein says job hunters failing to show.
“We just cannot get people to even turn up for jobs, let alone apply,” he said.
I understand his feelings. Can he understand the feelings of people who put their heart and soul into applying for job, dream of getting it and how it will change their life then not even hear back from the employer when their application is unsuccessful in their application?
I didn’t hear the interview with Leighton Smith. Since it was with Smith I wouldn’t be surprised if the tenor was one of “lazy a’hole unemployed.” And would be surprised there was any “lazy, unprofessional, a’hole employers.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11952703
Smith is retiring this month. A woman will take is place. Forgotten her name.
Unfortunately Leighton Smith is not retiring until the end of next year (2018) not this year/month. Kerre McIvor will be taking over from him in 2019 under current plans.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11952746
Well, the swimming pool ain’t getting any deeper.
Hosking.
A rent a gob for fascist interests.
This is fucking awful. The death toll from the October truck bombings in Mogadishu has topped 500, with dozens of people still missing.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/02/567985077/mogadishu-truck-bombs-death-toll-now-tops-500-probe-committee-says?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news
God that is awful. You wonder what possesses people to do these things sometimes. I know life in Somalia is no garden of eden existence – and brutality is almost everywhere – but even so.
I don’t think they are possessed but rather they’re lacking something …
We need to ignore all the side issues like Ombudsman crap, and the bulllshit press stuff.
We need to concentrate on our task to assist labour to make the right desisions here, and now we need to tell them to rush their good policies for us through under urgency.
We need to strongly tell labour we are not interested in their TPP 11 (or whatever it is called for now) – and tell them not sign that abortion right now until we all agree to the terms that benefit us and our rights first.
@The Chairman and @JC – because today’s open mike can so easily become yesterday’s fish and chip wrapper,
the conversation begun yesterday from here https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03-12-2017/#comment-1421812, down,
and with reference to the latest Newsroom/Stuff effort:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/99530117/immigrants-like-slaves-under-broken-system
And even that is a mere tickle to an itchy scratch on the surface.
As you said @JC yesterday: INZ need a rocket.
I’m holding my breathe because I’m hoping Iain Lees-Galloway is up to it.
So far I think he is, and I’m hoping he’s aware of the potential for his ‘officials’ to spin and bullshit like never before – and that some of them have become so used to it, they’ll do it straight-faced.
Why Society’s Biggest Freeloaders Are at the Top
‘This piece is about one of the biggest taboos of our times. About a truth that is seldom acknowledged, and yet – on reflection – cannot be denied. The truth that we are living in an inverse welfare state.
These days, politicians from the left to the right assume that most wealth is created at the top. By the visionaries, by the job creators, and by the people who have “made it”. By the go-getters oozing talent and entrepreneurialism that are helping to advance the whole world…..’
http://evonomics.com/no-wealth-isnt-created-top-devoured-rutger-bregman/