“In the end the Obama administration is not afraid of whistleblowers like me, Bradley Manning or Thomas Drake.
“We are stateless, imprisoned, or powerless. No, the Obama administration is afraid of you. It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised — and it should be.”
So, James, if you worked for a government department that consistently broke the law and monitored all communications you’d do what exactly? Justify it to yourself? Work harder to enable it? Get excited at your poweriness?
A whistleblower is someone who despite having signed a confidentiality or secrecy agreement, goes ahead and publicly reveals evidence of significant wrong doing or malfaesence.
Therefore, Snowden is a whistleblower, both in the letter of the definition and the spirit of the definition.
That he sought to put himself into a position where he could gain additional evidence of that significant wrong doing or malfaesence – that’s besides the point.
Also note the power imbalance here: Clapper, who is a very senior official now proven to have lied directly to Congress several times i.e. each count being a felony, is still running around scot free in charge of his empire, while they hunt down a very junior 30 year old analyst in an attempt to crucify him.
Its like the old pricks have decided to wage a generational war on the young adults of conscience in their own country.
Signing an agreement to perform illegal acts does not make them legal.
If I join an organisation indulging in illegal activity and participate in it, I am guilty. If I do not participate but remain silent, I am possibly guilty as an accomplice.
It seems that the correct slogan is no longer “Arbeit Macht Frei”, but “Schuld Macht Frei.”
What he deserves is a medal, at the very least. Justice would be served if Obama’s Peace Prize were revoked and given to Snowden. I also hope (not think) he gets what he deserves.
Yup, you said it, Putake. He is no longer a member of the Liberal Party. He is well connected in Melbourne and further abroad. I am not sure how much to read into it at the moment, but it could be a straw in the wind.
By today’s standards , the Second Liberal government was pretty left wing. Tariffs, public ownership and even a youth radio network! Even with hardcore right winger John Howard as Treasurer 🙂
meanwhile (“it’s all about the economy), 😉
Aussie sharemarkets have been down 2% as investors shed resource stocks in the wake of China slowdown and the Aussie dollar slides against most currencies
Hopefully this goes pretty smoothly, with elections by the end of the year.
And what amazed me during the news reports last night was how many women were in the protests on both sides. While not that many, during the 2011 protests rapes and assaults were common so by the end you rarely saw any women. Seems the reporting of such fell acts spurred some changes for the better.
[edit] Nope – 91 rapes reported over the last 4 days :/
Also:
“They have beards! They have beards! There are beards inside!” shouted one of those anti-government demonstrators, Mohamed Mustafa, as a minibus approached the gate, packed with more than a dozen Brotherhood supporters.
Lawl.
I wonder when we’re going to hear reports of forced beard-shavings 👿
This morning’s Herald cartoon is a cracker and it raises an interesting comparison.
Remember back in 2011 when a well publicised chat over a cup of Tea in a Newmarket cafe which was inadvertently recorded resulted in police charges, search warrants on media outlets and condemnation from the International Federation of Journalists? The insistence on rights of privacy and the use agents of the state appeared to be a bit extreme to preserve privacy in a very public setting.
Fast track to now when our intrepid Prime Minister is so incredibly relaxed at the potential for all of our metadata being recorded and handed over to the Americans. And he considers that Peter Dunne’s rights of privacy are usurped by his role as a Minister.
Why was Key’s and Banks’ rights of privacy considered sacrosanct but Dunne’s and Vances rights ignored?
“Why was Key’s and Banks’ rights of privacy considered sacrosanct but Dunne’s and Vances rights ignored?”
Because in the world that Key envisions, it’s the people with the right kind of power that get protected. It’s not even the very rich (hence KDC), and it’s not politicians on the right side (hence Dunne), it’s those that have the right connections at the right time, and are working for the right paymasters. As far as I can tell, that’s an indictor of fascism.
The scary thing here is that NZers won’t protest until it starts affecting them directly eg food shortages, high unemployment etc. So it makes sense to change all the other things that can be before then. By the time we start protesting seriously, it will be very much harder, because we will have lost so much sovereignty and democracy, and handed so much over to the proto-fascists.
And does anyone here seriously expect Labour to do anything useful to solve this should they get to form the next government?
Footage of the opening moments of the Dotcom raid – over the gates, the second operative comically less nimble than the first – the target unceremoniously cuffed and speedily bundled away. Said target having made the crucial tactical error of cordially meeting a handshake.
I know, I know, bigger issues and all that, but for those who may be interested in the Lone Ranger and the very poor portrayal of Native Americans within it including depp’s bit this analysis is great.
Hamfisted handling of another’s culture and history is par for the course Marty but this below – I doubt I could imagine how much distress it must cause.
Fascinating comment on the DotCom sage, Key, and privacy – there is so much going on, its almost impossible to keep up with what this Govt is trying to do to us.
They’re now trying to undermine local government on GMOs – just because those councils don’t think the current rules and regulations go far enough to protect the environment.
Environment Minister Amy Adams says she’ll change the RMA to make sure Govt makes the rules about GMOs, not local govt which has to deal with the mess left behind. NZ Herald 26 June 2013.
“And if councils have concerns about the way GM regulation in New Zealand works, they should raise those with the [Environment Protection Agency] and attempt to address the legislation on a national basis… …” she said. Yeah – right !
But “Local Government New Zealand president Lawrence Yule said it was unfair for councils to cop the potential costs of contamination when they did not make the decisions to approve a trial or release of GM organisms.
Mr Yule, who is Mayor of Hastings, said his region wanted to to put a moratorium on GM for ten years because it believed this would give its wine and food products a greater advantage in export markets. Under Ms Adam’s proposals, the council would not be able to reject a GM trial or release in their region which was approved by the Environment Protection Agency.
Auckland Council was also considering a ban on GM releases and also a policy of making organisations prove they could cover the cost of a GE contamination before a trial was approved.
And imagine — while this much at least is out in the open, what on earth can be going on secretly with TPPA arrangements? Observing Key’s true incompetence and lack of intellectual heft in the hearing yesterday, I deeply fear what is going on hidden from us all, especially with Monsanto et al.
The scariest thing I’ve seen in all of the Dotcom saga is the eyes of John Key on the front page of today’s DomPost. The shivers are still running up my spine.
I’d say Key won’t be making any noises towards the Cons, private or otherwise, before they get a few straight months above the margin of error in some polls, surely?
Reading through the posting of the last couple of days I get the impression that because Key’s partners are currently f… this means dead and buried. I don’t know how any of them can come back, but in political history there are some lessons:
…. Obama in 2010 was dead in the polls, the republicans picked a real f…w…, Obama got into election mode, and in 2012 Americans started to think about the options, and Obama won
…. After the 2002 NZ elections the Nats were history for least a couple of terms, they then went with a ‘one tick pony’ who only had one speech and came bloody close to rolling Clarke.
We should not dismissed out of hand that the real blue voters of Epsom and Ohariu are faced with this choice of either
1. Two ticks for Nats but this could result in a Labour/Green/Others government
2. If Dunne and Banks/New ACT candidate or even a new RW party stand then hand the electoral seat over and maybe providing the numbers for a Nats lead government. These voters have been voting like this for a couple of elections – they know they have two votes.
Why I don’t dismiss this happening and with Epsom voters wanting Banks out I see Blue voters of either electorate today saying No to both option but come polling having to make a choice between a Labour or Nats lead government.
Let’s also charge money to people to go and stare at them. And they could be used as test subjects for cosmetics and drugs. And the chopped up for pies. Problems solved!
I’m devasted, the day I thought would never come has arrived. The day when Labour would unviel the game changer, the guaranteed election winner and its finally here. All the planning, all the misdirection by Labour and Its what the people of NZ are most worried about, have been clamouring for and Labour have delivered:
New Rule 289A. For the 2014 election the Moderating Committee shall, in determining the list, ensure that for any percentage of party vote likely to be obtained, and taking into account the electorate MPs likely to be elected with that level of Labour support, the resultant Caucus will comprise at least 45% women. For the 2017 and subsequent elections the percentage shall be at least 50%.
New Rule 248A. An LEC may request that NZ Council determine that only women may nominate for the position of Labour candidate for their electorate. Such approval overrides the right granted in Rule 251 for any member to be eligible for nomination.
I hope this is an elaborate hoax for I fear for the future of the National if this goes ahead…well played Labour, well played
I’m sorry to hear that you’re devastated by the thought of women with power.
Here’s what I find interesting. From poison dwarf Farrar: “No more having to compete on merit.”
If you acknowledge that women have the same inherent merit as men, then in positions of power in a meritocracy you’d expect to see roughly equal gender distribution.
If you see a gender imbalance, then either you don’t have a meritocracy at all, or one gender has less inherent merit.
To believe that we currently have a meritocracy, in which women are under-represented, you have to believe that women have less inherent merit than men. This is the unspoken position that Farrar at Kiwiblog, Lusk at Whaleoil, and their little friend above are all taking.
No no you misunderstand, I certainly don’t have a problem with women with power (I’m looking forward to the day Judith Collins leads this country :)), I’m devasted because this is a brilliant play by Labour, they’ve shown they’re more progressive than the Greens (co-leaders…pfft we’ll have a co-party!) and they’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen
I especially like the New Rule 248A. An LEC may request that NZ Council determine that only women may nominate for the position of Labour candidate for their electorate. Such approval overrides the right granted in Rule 251 for any member to be eligible for nomination.
Maybe Labour could rebrand as the She-Woman Man Haters Club..?
Winston gets outraged at the thought that any organisation refuses to allow idiots like him to saunter into positions of power purely on the basis of their privileged status, rather than having to display merit.
Winston, you obviously have a problem with rule 248A. Why don’t you just say what the problem is? I know you are trying to do something witty and clever, but you’re failing, so just make your point straight.
I suspect Winston’s not quite sure what the point is, hence he’s reduced to meaningless gibberish. That’s what happens if you only read the headlines on Kiwiblog.
I suspect that position is only unspoken when no one outside their circle jerk is listening, felix. The women they do accept gain acceptance on the basis of overemphasising the traits which those guys see as masculine. Hence Thatcher, Collins, Bennett…….. Those who are “one of the boys” and fully prepared to attack other women in particular, especially poor ones and single mothers.
1. decline preceded financial crises by 2 to 3 years [but that crisis intensified it]
2. US Vehicle Miles Travelled is now 9% below peak and equivalent to 1995 percent level per capita.
3. it definitely reflects a generational shift:
4. and seems to be related to new technology:
Perhaps Joyce’s investment in Ultra Fast Broadband will be the complete undoing of the longed for great economic outcomes from his other and much much more expensive idea; The RoNs programme?!
But the most interesting fact was this:
Basically, and I bet almost 99% of westerners will be shocked at this thought, but people in China, India, and, yes, Iran, are increasingly more able to do what we used to do without thinking about it: They are outbidding us for oil.
And yet this government is building roads – roads that won’t be used because we won’t be able to afford to use them.
Oh dear, I’ve been co-opted by a southern neanderthal:
“Mission: To preserve New Zealand sovereignty and maintain our heritage and history TRP will stand up for Western traditions, morals and values. We will not kow-tow to foreign pressure, government intimidation, or guilt-based media propaganda We must preserve our nation from mass immigration, over population, and the destruction of our way of life.”
The above is from this year’s iteration of Kyle Chapman’s two decade long white power army fantasy, The Resistance Party (TRP). The immigration policy is particularly clever:
“Anyone from an alien culture such as those from the savage parts of Africa, Asian dictatorships and any country who has shown a hatred or disrespect for our Nation and our way of life, such as Middle eastern countries must be stoped.”
Dunno what stoping is, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be effective, Kyle.
stope, v.
Pronunciation: /stəʊp/
Etymology: < stope n.2
1. trans. To cut (mineral ground) in stopes; to excavate horizontally, layer after layer; to extract (ore) by this process. Also with out. Also absol.
KC wants to stripmine aliens, apparently.
Personally, I love the fact that every organisation he forms ends up having a schism between its dozen or so members, so he goes of and forms another one.
and wotta ’bout the price of petrol? prices equaling record highs with 91 at $2.23, 7c more per litre than last week; according to BP spokesman, in line with overall trend of declining NZ Dollar.
But what does it all mean 😀
Parliamentary QT.
Oi notice that mole on Soimun Brudgizz left cheek is getting bigger. Does Collodi have an explanation? Gepetto’s screaming blue murder and daddy KeyS is worrying about the size of his shhnozz.
Meanwhile Obama is still worrying about the size of his ears. (Don’t you wish!)
Whaleoil had it on his site before it was made public, someone in the Labour camp doesn’t like where Labours heading and is leaking like a sieve to Whaleoil
Wonder who it is and what more information will come to light…
(Party secretary Tim Barnett) said the proposed rule changes were circulated to members yesterday, and were to be released to the media later today but were provided early after a copy was obtained by Right-wing blogger Cameron Slater.
Source: stuff.co.nz
So a fan of whaleoil is on the Labour Party’s members mailing list. Big deal. Hardly a ‘scoop’.
lol
I almost sarcastically wrote that lusk will “uncover” that some unions donate funds to left wing parties (when someone “leaks” him the party returns web address), but then recalled that yes, they do periodically make a big deal out of this like it exposes some conspiracy.
It’s a sad day when one can’t even exaggerate the stupidity or duplicity of tories. Such an indictment of humanity.
Fucking hell, great way to alienate the vast majority of the voting population.
Not only do you piss off all the Men but you piss off a great proportion of female voters as well.
What Labour is saying to Women is that you’re not good enough to compete with the Men so we are going to change the rules to make it easier for you.
Women HATE to be patronized.
Utter stupidity.
The current stuff article and poll on this which this is currently headlining is 80% against.
Do we currently have a society which selects for the top positions on the basis of merit? A society in which, given an equal distribution of merit between genders, we should expect to see an equal distribution of gender in positions of power?
Why aren’t there equal number of male/female teachers or male/female nurses.
Answer: these professions tend to attract a lot more women, they appeal to women so you get a lot more women than men.
Being a politician of business manager appeals much more to men than what is does women, guys love the competitive, in your face environment of business and politics a hell of a lot more than what women do which is the reason why you see more men than women.
Being a politician of business manager appeals much more to men than what is does women, guys love the competitive, in your face environment of business and politics a hell of a lot more than what women do which is the reason why you see more men than women.
Lolz, I thought you said women hated to be patronised. I’m surprised you didn’t put something in there about menstruation.
Thanks BM, that perfectly illustrates why the Labour party has to regulate itself to reach gender equity – because too many men will be patronising, and run self-serving arguments before they will share (my apologies to the many fine men who get why gender equity is important and why it needs to be structured in).
I’m a bit surprised that you think you have explained it. All you’ve done is state it as fact!
Still, good to see you think for yourself and contradict Farrar for a change. He thinks the current system is a meritocracy and this will be the end of it.
These emails go out far and wide. As far as I am aware they are sent to all members. So the chances of the information being forwarded to Slater is exceedingly good.
The information was always going to be made public. In fact if you go to http://www.labour.org.nz/about-us you will see all sorts of stuff.
It is pretty weird that suggesting that Parliamentary representation should reflect society. The bigger issue for me is that Parliament is not reflective of Aotearoa as a whole.
I must say that my opinion of Slater today went down and I did not think this was possible. His misogynist streak is really strong and his post about Te Reo is frankly stomach turning.
Being that his blog is more popular then this blog, martyn brabdburys blog and red alert put together its not suprising he reads it, in fact it’d be more suprising if he didn’t
And faux news might be the most viewed “news” organisation in the states, but I’d still be surprised if an otherwise intelligent human being admitted to watching it regularly.
Slater’s hate blog reminds me of Health and Efficiency in the old days – all the fuckwits would buy it for the nude pictures but they knew it wasn’t real porn and had heard that the real good stuff came from Sweden. But Stormfront, like Hustler, isn’t work safe.
I try not to but I had a look today. I am still trying to hold onto my stomach …
EDIT I also meant to say above that “It is pretty weird that suggesting that Parliamentary representation should reflect society receives such a negative response. The bigger issue for me is that Parliament is not reflective of Aotearoa as a whole.”
WO is calling it a “man ban”. I personally don’t see this going down well with male voters and plenty of female ones. Selection should be on merit – if I think of a party that needs this it would be National as it is very much an old boy’s club.
The NZ murder case before the privy council has one person in the frame, with motive, having had the chance to plead insanity, self-defense, etc, now cut to TV3 and yet another Bain exposure. The simple facts are that Bain did not have adequate legal council at his first trial, there were other potential murder suspects, he could have pleaded insanity or even self-defence had the evidence been there, and then what was his motive. Now add on top the Police forensics, missing basics like firearm residues, etc and the court could not even tell who killed whom. Because its obvious that in any act of self-defense there would be a scuffle, I just wont believe any journalist who says they know his guilty and then proceed to explain why, that’s pure journalism, its not even due process of law, starting with a conclusion is so gutter journalistic. Now precisely because the state cannot adequately make a case, due in large part to failures of its own resources, implicitly demands that the motto be applied, ‘innocent until proven by a fair court’. David Bain proven he did not get a fair trial, that’s enough for anyone who believes in justice for him to receive compensation, and its a damn shame so few in the media believe in justice.
David Bains guilty and he can consider himself fortunate that a travesty occured at the retrial. He wants compensation then he needs to put himself up for questioning so he can answer some questions.
No he doesn’t. The state, with all its resources available to the prosecution, needs to answer some questions. It particularly needs to answer questions about how such a cavalier attitude can be taken to issues which result in life imprisonment. It needs to answer why Teina Pora is still in prison, why a top police officer can think integrity only ends well past the level of planting cartridge cases, why the GCSB and police routinely use powers they will only have rubber stamped by later legislation, and so on. That’s the real travesty here.
Bain, like everyone, has the right to a fair trial, and when not presented with one must be afforded the same right as everyone, you included, that of innocence until proven otherwise. Not as some have been claiming, the right to be guilty until proven beyond the balance of probabilities innocent.
Look I don’t blame the Police for botching the case, its obvious that for decades to come that the most inept commentators will fail to provide a motive, will dismiss the likelihood of self-defense or insanity, will appreciate even less the argument that all the deaths were attributed to just one murder, or that David Bain was setup. And, let’s not forget that David Bain will not get those 13 years in jail back, so its not like he’s walking away smiling. So the question becomes why are so many, so self-assured, so rancid in their firm belief of the mans guilt. Guilt by association, the act of walking in on a murder scene, the attempt to save your loved ones, and then the realization that all you’ve done is put yourself in the frame and so made it easy for armchair windbags to opine.
Take out the evidence, take out the personalities, and ask yourself the simple question, does innocent until proven in a fair court of law count so little in your beliefs. A fair trial has yet to find David Bain guilty, and that should be good enough for all of us.
One of the changes Labour are making to their Rules:
A6 Concerning the improvement of women’s representation in electorate seats
New Rule 248A. An LEC may request that NZ Council determine that only women may nominate for the position of Labour candidate for their electorate. Such approval overrides the right granted in Rule 251 for any member to be eligible for nomination.
Is that a typo, that should read “only women may be nominated”? (rather than nominate).
Weka, I think it is saying that the potential candidate nominates herself for the seat. Possibly not the best wording, and somewhat contradicted by the last sentence, but technically correct because, as I recall, it is the candidate that nominates themselves, with seconders.
I really need a low orbital anvil cannon for shit like this.
Funny too how the libertarians treat this as a free speech issue when victims are usually harassed to stay quiet. But hey, what can you expect from the bunch of sheltered, delusion, mostly male douchebags most college libertarians are?
Pete George has raised a concern that the GCSB was used for gathering the communications and security data of Peter Dunne and Andrea Vance.
“And also of extreme concern is what data [to the Henry Investigation] was provided by the GCSB. Appendix Three of the Henry report states that the GCSB provided “substantial assistance, particularly in the gathering of records”.
That rings alarm bells. What “authority” did Key give the GCSB to gather data? Whatever it takes? And what data did the GCSB gather, and from where?”
If it didn’t happen directly to you personally it can have no effect on you ever. Which is why Native Americans today are hunky-dory, US slavery didn’t impact the present lives of African-Americans, Australian Aborigines enjoy equal participation in society with whites, and South African inequality was eradicated the day Mandela was released.
Just once I’d like one of these fuckers – BM, chris, Winston et al – to say out loud what their alternate hypothesis for this astounding series of coincidences is.
Wow, went over to Kiwiblog for a short time, to see what there take was on the KDC vs. JK battle. Found myself almost agreeing with redbaiter! Had to come back here to save my sanity. I should have taken the blue pill.
Huh! John Key is a “leftist” who, from the GCSB hearings, clearly should be in the Labour Party? It took a while for the penny to drop. So RB sees John Key as “leftist” because of his support of invasive surveillance by the GCSB. I guess that means RB is thinking “St@lisim” and thus Key is totally like Helen Clark.
One News were reporting that there may be a sweetener to sell the Meridian shares, they gave an example where one may buy $3000 worth, pay 2 grand up front, the other grand 18 months later, but still receive their dividends for the 3 grand figure in the meantime. Interest free I presume.
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New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Asia Pacific Report About 500 people honoured Palestinian journalists in the heart of the New Zealand city of Auckland today for their brave coverage of Israel’s War on Gaza, now in its seventh month with almost 35,000 people killed, mostly women and children. Marking the annual May 3 World Press ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
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Barack Obama: You visited Mandela’s cell;
now make a public visit to Bradley Manning’s
A petition:
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/barack-obama-you-visited-mandela-s-cell-now-make-a-televised-visit-to-bradley-manning-s-2
Will it happen? No. But hopefully exposes the hypocrisy, and undermines the saintly glow, of his most recent publicity stunt.
In other words, Jenny, the Obama regime is as radically anti-democratic as its predecessor.
.. and part of the post-9/11 Ascendancy.
I hate the whistleblower tag he is getting – simply put he is not.
To me he deliberately set out to deceive, with the predetermined objective to leak. All agreements he signed were done with the intent to break.
I personally think he gets what he deserves.
“My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked,” he told the Post.
“That is why I accepted that position about three months ago.”
The newspaper said when he was asked if he specifically went to Booz Allen Hamilton to gather evidence of surveillance, he replied: “Correct on Booz.”
He knew what Booz had b/c he’d been working elsewhere.
This line of argument goes nowhere really.
But explain to me why it means he wasn’t a whistleblower.
Because he knew what was going on from a previous job, and took a new job to get the dox to prove it?
Try harder, coz that’s still whistleblowing.
So, James, if you worked for a government department that consistently broke the law and monitored all communications you’d do what exactly? Justify it to yourself? Work harder to enable it? Get excited at your poweriness?
A whistleblower is someone who despite having signed a confidentiality or secrecy agreement, goes ahead and publicly reveals evidence of significant wrong doing or malfaesence.
Therefore, Snowden is a whistleblower, both in the letter of the definition and the spirit of the definition.
That he sought to put himself into a position where he could gain additional evidence of that significant wrong doing or malfaesence – that’s besides the point.
Also note the power imbalance here: Clapper, who is a very senior official now proven to have lied directly to Congress several times i.e. each count being a felony, is still running around scot free in charge of his empire, while they hunt down a very junior 30 year old analyst in an attempt to crucify him.
Its like the old pricks have decided to wage a generational war on the young adults of conscience in their own country.
Its not going to end well.
Signing an agreement to perform illegal acts does not make them legal.
If I join an organisation indulging in illegal activity and participate in it, I am guilty. If I do not participate but remain silent, I am possibly guilty as an accomplice.
It seems that the correct slogan is no longer “Arbeit Macht Frei”, but “Schuld Macht Frei.”
What he deserves is a medal, at the very least. Justice would be served if Obama’s Peace Prize were revoked and given to Snowden. I also hope (not think) he gets what he deserves.
er ist sich keiner Schuld bewusst?
I hate the whistleblower tag he is getting – simply put he is not.
You are out of your depth, fool.
How’s the Arab Spring going in Egypt? Another military sponsored coup? 2 in 2 years?
There is a flurry of activity across the Tasman before Rudd has to face an interesting general election. Shades of Gough Whitlam ..
It makes the NZ political scene look sclerotic by comparison .. the Melbourne establishment’s Malcolm Fraser campaigning with the Greens.
http://news.google.com.au/news/rtc?ncl=d2mydW6RYMtzRMMa8v4BBpSBymONM&topic=n&siidp=0ffc78ac29139290494b2c31d54cc3bd2001
http://news.google.com.au/news/rtc?ncl=dxGvHUfc7Ulmm2MqBL9vyZyf8gMlM&topic=n&siidp=0ffc78ac29139290494b2c31d54cc3bd2001
http://news.google.com.au/news/rtc?ncl=dqolhq14ntSwgqMTC0XedR6E0qc5M&topic=n&siidp=0ffc78ac29139290494b2c31d54cc3bd2001
http://news.google.com.au/news/rtc?ncl=dxqxuN3Q-O_rn3MP2UQ1jK2OvcncM&topic=n&siidp=0ffc78ac29139290494b2c31d54cc3bd2001
http://news.google.com.au/news/rtc?ncl=do5f2beILPPKLgMrh2qeHujZb0a-M&topic=h&siidp=0ffc78ac29139290494b2c31d54cc3bd2001
Fraser’s an interesting character, Tom. He seems to have moved significantly to the centre in the last decade. No fan of Tony Abbott either.
Yup, you said it, Putake. He is no longer a member of the Liberal Party. He is well connected in Melbourne and further abroad. I am not sure how much to read into it at the moment, but it could be a straw in the wind.
‘Rudd puts NSW Labor into administration’
Perhaps we could request Rudd’s intervention over here as an honest broker between various factions .. but I hear he’s a busy man at the moment.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-04/federal-labor-party-to-overtake-nsw-alp-in-bid-to-stamp-out-cor/4798382
I don’t think Fraser has changed at all. The centre of the political spectrum has been dragged a long way to the right.
By today’s standards , the Second Liberal government was pretty left wing. Tariffs, public ownership and even a youth radio network! Even with hardcore right winger John Howard as Treasurer 🙂
meanwhile (“it’s all about the economy), 😉
Aussie sharemarkets have been down 2% as investors shed resource stocks in the wake of China slowdown and the Aussie dollar slides against most currencies
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/485921/20130703/kevin-rudd-chris-bowen-australia-economy-reserve.htm#.UdTVJjtHLTo outlook uncertain
http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/stevens-puts-dollar-in-tailspin-20130703-2pann.html
Egyptian military ousts Morsi, suspends constitution
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/egypts-morsi-defiant-under-pressure-as-deadline-looms/2013/07/03/28fda81c-e39d-11e2-80eb-3145e2994a55_story.html
Hopefully this goes pretty smoothly, with elections by the end of the year.
And what amazed me during the news reports last night was how many women were in the protests on both sides. While not that many, during the 2011 protests rapes and assaults were common so by the end you rarely saw any women. Seems the reporting of such fell acts spurred some changes for the better.
[edit] Nope – 91 rapes reported over the last 4 days :/
Also:
Lawl.
I wonder when we’re going to hear reports of forced beard-shavings 👿
Good. Never really keen on the Allah-botherers. Nasser had the right idea – string them up.
This morning’s Herald cartoon is a cracker and it raises an interesting comparison.
Remember back in 2011 when a well publicised chat over a cup of Tea in a Newmarket cafe which was inadvertently recorded resulted in police charges, search warrants on media outlets and condemnation from the International Federation of Journalists? The insistence on rights of privacy and the use agents of the state appeared to be a bit extreme to preserve privacy in a very public setting.
Fast track to now when our intrepid Prime Minister is so incredibly relaxed at the potential for all of our metadata being recorded and handed over to the Americans. And he considers that Peter Dunne’s rights of privacy are usurped by his role as a Minister.
Why was Key’s and Banks’ rights of privacy considered sacrosanct but Dunne’s and Vances rights ignored?
+1 there Mickey
“Why was Key’s and Banks’ rights of privacy considered sacrosanct but Dunne’s and Vances rights ignored?”
Because in the world that Key envisions, it’s the people with the right kind of power that get protected. It’s not even the very rich (hence KDC), and it’s not politicians on the right side (hence Dunne), it’s those that have the right connections at the right time, and are working for the right paymasters. As far as I can tell, that’s an indictor of fascism.
The scary thing here is that NZers won’t protest until it starts affecting them directly eg food shortages, high unemployment etc. So it makes sense to change all the other things that can be before then. By the time we start protesting seriously, it will be very much harder, because we will have lost so much sovereignty and democracy, and handed so much over to the proto-fascists.
And does anyone here seriously expect Labour to do anything useful to solve this should they get to form the next government?
They are going to hold an inquiry. It might be a short inquiry and it might be a long inquiry but Shearer boy says they are going to hold an inquiry!
Yeah, that should sort it.
Someone should make a list of the things that need undoing by the next L/GP govt.
Nope, they’ll just ring their hands and whinge that it’s too hard and that we can’t afford it.
Footage of the opening moments of the Dotcom raid – over the gates, the second operative comically less nimble than the first – the target unceremoniously cuffed and speedily bundled away. Said target having made the crucial tactical error of cordially meeting a handshake.
Gotcha !
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8870216/Kim-Dotcom-arrives-for-GCSB-hearing
Extraordinary. Now a “Police Academy XIV” how not to training video. KeyStonedCops. ShonKey Python’s SikorsKey Flying Circus.
No wonder Ben Affleck shredded the “Argo” script submitted by the PM’s office.
Now to the more recent event – the select committee – PM owned by Sir Kiwi Kim Dotcom. Cringe making for all New Zealanders !
I know, I know, bigger issues and all that, but for those who may be interested in the Lone Ranger and the very poor portrayal of Native Americans within it including depp’s bit this analysis is great.
http://nativeappropriations.com/2013/07/i-saw-the-lone-ranger-so-you-dont-have-to.html
You may also like to read the balance.
http://entertainment.time.com/2013/07/03/johnny-depp-as-tonto-is-the-lone-ranger-racist/
and the public are speaking – it is bombing at the box office.
Hamfisted handling of another’s culture and history is par for the course Marty but this below – I doubt I could imagine how much distress it must cause.
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2013/07/01/2241261/tulsa-is-using-the-trail-of-tears-to-market-its-bid-for-the-2024-olympics/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears
thanks marty.
“It really should have been called ‘Tonto’ “, pronounced Letterman to Depp.
Fascinating comment on the DotCom sage, Key, and privacy – there is so much going on, its almost impossible to keep up with what this Govt is trying to do to us.
They’re now trying to undermine local government on GMOs – just because those councils don’t think the current rules and regulations go far enough to protect the environment.
Environment Minister Amy Adams says she’ll change the RMA to make sure Govt makes the rules about GMOs, not local govt which has to deal with the mess left behind. NZ Herald 26 June 2013.
“And if councils have concerns about the way GM regulation in New Zealand works, they should raise those with the [Environment Protection Agency] and attempt to address the legislation on a national basis… …” she said. Yeah – right !
But “Local Government New Zealand president Lawrence Yule said it was unfair for councils to cop the potential costs of contamination when they did not make the decisions to approve a trial or release of GM organisms.
Mr Yule, who is Mayor of Hastings, said his region wanted to to put a moratorium on GM for ten years because it believed this would give its wine and food products a greater advantage in export markets. Under Ms Adam’s proposals, the council would not be able to reject a GM trial or release in their region which was approved by the Environment Protection Agency.
Auckland Council was also considering a ban on GM releases and also a policy of making organisations prove they could cover the cost of a GE contamination before a trial was approved.
And imagine — while this much at least is out in the open, what on earth can be going on secretly with TPPA arrangements? Observing Key’s true incompetence and lack of intellectual heft in the hearing yesterday, I deeply fear what is going on hidden from us all, especially with Monsanto et al.
Hmm…
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/07/tale-re-routed-bolivian-presidents-plane-falling-apart/66838/
http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-case-france-denies-blocking-bolivia-plane-090257428.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10894619
John Armstrong … on setting the rodent trap (with noose even) for Slippery.
The scariest thing I’ve seen in all of the Dotcom saga is the eyes of John Key on the front page of today’s DomPost. The shivers are still running up my spine.
pse can you post it somehow ? not on Stuff website .. thx
Sorry. I looked on Stuff site but not there.
I’ve inserted it into the bottom of my post on “John Key’s disdain for democracy” (my limited skills, don’t know how else to put it up on this site)
thx karol … just saw this now.
From the article:
WTF, Armstrong? That’s the opposite of what happened!
Norman sought leave to ask that the committee grant further time, and Key, Banks and Ryall refused it.
FFS is there no-one editing this shit at the herald at all?
len brown and john key have come up with a new ‘brilliant!’ solution to the problem of aucklands’ beggars..
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/satire-len-brown-and-john-key-welcome-innovative-solution-to-beggar-problem/
(excerpt::
“..the solution?:..it involves the gearing up of a failed wildlife park..
..and the rounding up of all of aucklands’ beggars and street-people..(the ‘unsightly-ones’..)
..and re-homing them in tents in the ex-animal compounds..
..len brown said that of course there would be some extra expenses from strengthening the perimeter-fence/ramping up security/guards..
..(‘but we can save money by utilising existing troughs for feeding’..said brown..)..”
phillip ure..
Daily Blog:
Will Maori Party, ACT and United Future meltdowns open door for a cup of tea with Colin Craig?
I’d say Key won’t be making any noises towards the Cons, private or otherwise, before they get a few straight months above the margin of error in some polls, surely?
Well you’d hope so, I’m sure memories of the bretheren debacle are still reasonably fresh
He doesn’t recall anythying about those emails which he deleted without reading. Shame on you.
and jokes, too!
Reading through the posting of the last couple of days I get the impression that because Key’s partners are currently f… this means dead and buried. I don’t know how any of them can come back, but in political history there are some lessons:
…. Obama in 2010 was dead in the polls, the republicans picked a real f…w…, Obama got into election mode, and in 2012 Americans started to think about the options, and Obama won
…. After the 2002 NZ elections the Nats were history for least a couple of terms, they then went with a ‘one tick pony’ who only had one speech and came bloody close to rolling Clarke.
We should not dismissed out of hand that the real blue voters of Epsom and Ohariu are faced with this choice of either
1. Two ticks for Nats but this could result in a Labour/Green/Others government
2. If Dunne and Banks/New ACT candidate or even a new RW party stand then hand the electoral seat over and maybe providing the numbers for a Nats lead government. These voters have been voting like this for a couple of elections – they know they have two votes.
Why I don’t dismiss this happening and with Epsom voters wanting Banks out I see Blue voters of either electorate today saying No to both option but come polling having to make a choice between a Labour or Nats lead government.
Let’s also charge money to people to go and stare at them. And they could be used as test subjects for cosmetics and drugs. And the chopped up for pies. Problems solved!
Don’t be disgusting, I don’t want any of those smelly oiks near my pies!
I’m devasted, the day I thought would never come has arrived. The day when Labour would unviel the game changer, the guaranteed election winner and its finally here. All the planning, all the misdirection by Labour and Its what the people of NZ are most worried about, have been clamouring for and Labour have delivered:
New Rule 289A. For the 2014 election the Moderating Committee shall, in determining the list, ensure that for any percentage of party vote likely to be obtained, and taking into account the electorate MPs likely to be elected with that level of Labour support, the resultant Caucus will comprise at least 45% women. For the 2017 and subsequent elections the percentage shall be at least 50%.
New Rule 248A. An LEC may request that NZ Council determine that only women may nominate for the position of Labour candidate for their electorate. Such approval overrides the right granted in Rule 251 for any member to be eligible for nomination.
I hope this is an elaborate hoax for I fear for the future of the National if this goes ahead…well played Labour, well played
I’m sorry to hear that you’re devastated by the thought of women with power.
Here’s what I find interesting. From poison dwarf Farrar: “No more having to compete on merit.”
If you acknowledge that women have the same inherent merit as men, then in positions of power in a meritocracy you’d expect to see roughly equal gender distribution.
If you see a gender imbalance, then either you don’t have a meritocracy at all, or one gender has less inherent merit.
To believe that we currently have a meritocracy, in which women are under-represented, you have to believe that women have less inherent merit than men. This is the unspoken position that Farrar at Kiwiblog, Lusk at Whaleoil, and their little friend above are all taking.
Is there another explanation I’ve missed?
No no you misunderstand, I certainly don’t have a problem with women with power (I’m looking forward to the day Judith Collins leads this country :)), I’m devasted because this is a brilliant play by Labour, they’ve shown they’re more progressive than the Greens (co-leaders…pfft we’ll have a co-party!) and they’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen
I especially like the New Rule 248A. An LEC may request that NZ Council determine that only women may nominate for the position of Labour candidate for their electorate. Such approval overrides the right granted in Rule 251 for any member to be eligible for nomination.
Maybe Labour could rebrand as the She-Woman Man Haters Club..?
Then what’s your explanation for what I wrote above?
Do women have less inherent merit than men or do we not currently have a meritocracy?
Winston gets outraged at the thought that any organisation refuses to allow idiots like him to saunter into positions of power purely on the basis of their privileged status, rather than having to display merit.
And fair enough too. It must be bloody terrifying for him.
Again you misunderstand me, I’m filled with admiration for the bravery Labour are showing
To paraphrase KDC, you know I know exactly where you’re coming from.
Noooo, I don’t know what you’re referring to 🙂
Well then, you’re either a liar or an idiot or (most likely) a misbegot unregenerate combination of the two.
Thats quite a mouthful for a Thursday afternoon
nah, but you’d need to take your foot from your mouth and stop talking shit before attempting it.
Women have as much merit as men as evidenced by Helen Clark and Judith Collins
Then you’re acknowledging that we don’t have a meritocracy.
Winston, you obviously have a problem with rule 248A. Why don’t you just say what the problem is? I know you are trying to do something witty and clever, but you’re failing, so just make your point straight.
No problem at all, I think its quite brave to legistimise sexism in this day and age
So that’s a big fat “no way” to weka’s request that you make a straight point.
I suspect Winston’s not quite sure what the point is, hence he’s reduced to meaningless gibberish. That’s what happens if you only read the headlines on Kiwiblog.
Yeah, he figures if Farrar and Lusk are both crowing about it simultaneously, it must be something he’s supposed to be saying something about.
He just has no idea yet what his position is supposed to be.
Another scoop for Whaleoil but more worrying for Labour is that theres a mole and they’re sending stuff Whaleoils way…
Wonder who the whistleblower is 🙂
The information is in the public domain.
“Another scoop for Whaleoil”
Sounds like a good one for the front page of Truth. Oh yeah.
I suspect that position is only unspoken when no one outside their circle jerk is listening, felix. The women they do accept gain acceptance on the basis of overemphasising the traits which those guys see as masculine. Hence Thatcher, Collins, Bennett…….. Those who are “one of the boys” and fully prepared to attack other women in particular, especially poor ones and single mothers.
The Decline of Car Culture in the West
But the most interesting fact was this:
And yet this government is building roads – roads that won’t be used because we won’t be able to afford to use them.
Oh dear, I’ve been co-opted by a southern neanderthal:
“Mission: To preserve New Zealand sovereignty and maintain our heritage and history TRP will stand up for Western traditions, morals and values. We will not kow-tow to foreign pressure, government intimidation, or guilt-based media propaganda We must preserve our nation from mass immigration, over population, and the destruction of our way of life.”
The above is from this year’s iteration of Kyle Chapman’s two decade long white power army fantasy, The Resistance Party (TRP). The immigration policy is particularly clever:
“Anyone from an alien culture such as those from the savage parts of Africa, Asian dictatorships and any country who has shown a hatred or disrespect for our Nation and our way of life, such as Middle eastern countries must be stoped.”
Dunno what stoping is, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be effective, Kyle.
OED:
KC wants to stripmine aliens, apparently.
Personally, I love the fact that every organisation he forms ends up having a schism between its dozen or so members, so he goes of and forms another one.
That’ll show them savages! btw, funny that he should have a problem with dictatorships, eh. It’s just the Asian ones he finds distasteful, apparently.
q. did you hear the one about the NSA guy spying on New Zealand.
a. he got bored to death.
and wotta ’bout the price of petrol? prices equaling record highs with 91 at $2.23, 7c more per litre than last week; according to BP spokesman, in line with overall trend of declining NZ Dollar.
But what does it all mean 😀
But what does it all mean
That gvt stealth taxes are higher in 2013 then 2008.
it’s a growth industry, along with ‘small government’.
the stealth tax ( funding of motorways) has a significant constraint in the forecasting scenario peak cars.
a hypothesis that usage of vehicles in a number of industrialised countries has peaked and will continue to reduce over the coming years
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_car
seems to concurs with Draco’s buzz.
Parliamentary QT.
Oi notice that mole on Soimun Brudgizz left cheek is getting bigger. Does Collodi have an explanation? Gepetto’s screaming blue murder and daddy KeyS is worrying about the size of his shhnozz.
Meanwhile Obama is still worrying about the size of his ears. (Don’t you wish!)
At Weka
Whaleoil had it on his site before it was made public, someone in the Labour camp doesn’t like where Labours heading and is leaking like a sieve to Whaleoil
Wonder who it is and what more information will come to light…
Whatever. You still haven’t answered the merit question.
Source: stuff.co.nz
So a fan of whaleoil is on the Labour Party’s members mailing list. Big deal. Hardly a ‘scoop’.
There’ll be more to come no doubt 🙂
Yeah, next time the Labour party publishes a newsletter or a press release, Lusk will have his next big scoop.
Fuck off back to his site Winston, you’re no use to yourself or anyone else here.
lol
I almost sarcastically wrote that lusk will “uncover” that some unions donate funds to left wing parties (when someone “leaks” him the party returns web address), but then recalled that yes, they do periodically make a big deal out of this like it exposes some conspiracy.
It’s a sad day when one can’t even exaggerate the stupidity or duplicity of tories. Such an indictment of humanity.
all will out.
You didn’t understand the point of my comment at all, did you?
Fucking hell, great way to alienate the vast majority of the voting population.
Not only do you piss off all the Men but you piss off a great proportion of female voters as well.
What Labour is saying to Women is that you’re not good enough to compete with the Men so we are going to change the rules to make it easier for you.
Women HATE to be patronized.
Utter stupidity.
The current stuff article and poll on this which this is currently headlining is 80% against.
“What Labour is saying to Women is that you’re not good enough to compete with the Men”
No, that’s what you’re saying. And Winston, and The Poison Dwarf, and Lusk.
It’s the way the vast majority will interpret this.
How about your interpretation, BM?
Do we currently have a society which selects for the top positions on the basis of merit? A society in which, given an equal distribution of merit between genders, we should expect to see an equal distribution of gender in positions of power?
Or not?
Hurry up BM, you’ve had plenty of time to check what Farrar thinks.
Of course not.
Why aren’t there equal number of male/female teachers or male/female nurses.
Answer: these professions tend to attract a lot more women, they appeal to women so you get a lot more women than men.
Being a politician of business manager appeals much more to men than what is does women, guys love the competitive, in your face environment of business and politics a hell of a lot more than what women do which is the reason why you see more men than women.
Bit surprised I have to explain this.
Being a politician of business manager appeals much more to men than what is does women, guys love the competitive, in your face environment of business and politics a hell of a lot more than what women do which is the reason why you see more men than women.
Lolz, I thought you said women hated to be patronised. I’m surprised you didn’t put something in there about menstruation.
I’m a man, it just comes naturally.
You are an idiot of a little man.
How do you know woman don’t enjoy the ” competitive, in your face environment of business and politics” ?
I’m not, I’m just saying there’s not as many of them proportionally when compared to Men.
Which is why you find more men than women in Parliament.
“I’m a man, it just comes naturally.”
Thanks BM, that perfectly illustrates why the Labour party has to regulate itself to reach gender equity – because too many men will be patronising, and run self-serving arguments before they will share (my apologies to the many fine men who get why gender equity is important and why it needs to be structured in).
Indeed weka.
Those who scoff at gender equity measures unwittingly make the best arguments in favour.
“Bit surprised I have to explain this.”
I’m a bit surprised that you think you have explained it. All you’ve done is state it as fact!
Still, good to see you think for yourself and contradict Farrar for a change. He thinks the current system is a meritocracy and this will be the end of it.
Just to help its currently running at: No, it seems one-sided 78.3% 🙂
These emails go out far and wide. As far as I am aware they are sent to all members. So the chances of the information being forwarded to Slater is exceedingly good.
The information was always going to be made public. In fact if you go to http://www.labour.org.nz/about-us you will see all sorts of stuff.
It is pretty weird that suggesting that Parliamentary representation should reflect society. The bigger issue for me is that Parliament is not reflective of Aotearoa as a whole.
I must say that my opinion of Slater today went down and I did not think this was possible. His misogynist streak is really strong and his post about Te Reo is frankly stomach turning.
holy shit, you still bother to read his b[
l]og?Being that his blog is more popular then this blog, martyn brabdburys blog and red alert put together its not suprising he reads it, in fact it’d be more suprising if he didn’t
“…more popular…”
[citation needed]
Hit mining may be a good way to get advertising but it renders all claims of “popularity” moot.
Yep keep running that line, I’m sure someone probably believes it 🙂
You’re the one making the assertions, fool. If you’d been talking about The Penguin you might have had a point.
How are the sales of the Whale-oil branded merch going btw?
I’ve never seen any of it around, which seems weird for the most popular blog in the country dontchareckon?
Beats me but I do know that his views are published in other papers, he gets invited onto various radio shows and pops up on tv programs
But hey as you say his merch probably isn’t selling too well 🙂
So you’re not really seriously arguing that he has the most popular blog in the country then, just that he gets on the telly now and then.
At least I think that’s what you’re saying, it’s hard to tell when you haven’t made a straight statement all day.
lol
shame one can’t hit-mine a hardcopy newspaper.
And faux news might be the most viewed “news” organisation in the states, but I’d still be surprised if an otherwise intelligent human being admitted to watching it regularly.
Slater’s hate blog reminds me of Health and Efficiency in the old days – all the fuckwits would buy it for the nude pictures but they knew it wasn’t real porn and had heard that the real good stuff came from Sweden. But Stormfront, like Hustler, isn’t work safe.
lolz
I try not to but I had a look today. I am still trying to hold onto my stomach …
EDIT I also meant to say above that “It is pretty weird that suggesting that Parliamentary representation should reflect society receives such a negative response. The bigger issue for me is that Parliament is not reflective of Aotearoa as a whole.”
Well that’d be a nice change for your hand.
Ouch, lol
smurfed you have all the charm and sophistication of Slater himself.
The quality of wingnuts is definitely on the decline.
Shouldnt the labour party sue Cameron Slater?
Obviously not even labour is going to have electorals when only woman can stand for them.
What is the real story?
WO is calling it a “man ban”. I personally don’t see this going down well with male voters and plenty of female ones. Selection should be on merit – if I think of a party that needs this it would be National as it is very much an old boy’s club.
The NZ murder case before the privy council has one person in the frame, with motive, having had the chance to plead insanity, self-defense, etc, now cut to TV3 and yet another Bain exposure. The simple facts are that Bain did not have adequate legal council at his first trial, there were other potential murder suspects, he could have pleaded insanity or even self-defence had the evidence been there, and then what was his motive. Now add on top the Police forensics, missing basics like firearm residues, etc and the court could not even tell who killed whom. Because its obvious that in any act of self-defense there would be a scuffle, I just wont believe any journalist who says they know his guilty and then proceed to explain why, that’s pure journalism, its not even due process of law, starting with a conclusion is so gutter journalistic. Now precisely because the state cannot adequately make a case, due in large part to failures of its own resources, implicitly demands that the motto be applied, ‘innocent until proven by a fair court’. David Bain proven he did not get a fair trial, that’s enough for anyone who believes in justice for him to receive compensation, and its a damn shame so few in the media believe in justice.
David Bains guilty and he can consider himself fortunate that a travesty occured at the retrial. He wants compensation then he needs to put himself up for questioning so he can answer some questions.
No he doesn’t. The state, with all its resources available to the prosecution, needs to answer some questions. It particularly needs to answer questions about how such a cavalier attitude can be taken to issues which result in life imprisonment. It needs to answer why Teina Pora is still in prison, why a top police officer can think integrity only ends well past the level of planting cartridge cases, why the GCSB and police routinely use powers they will only have rubber stamped by later legislation, and so on. That’s the real travesty here.
Bain, like everyone, has the right to a fair trial, and when not presented with one must be afforded the same right as everyone, you included, that of innocence until proven otherwise. Not as some have been claiming, the right to be guilty until proven beyond the balance of probabilities innocent.
Look I don’t blame the Police for botching the case, its obvious that for decades to come that the most inept commentators will fail to provide a motive, will dismiss the likelihood of self-defense or insanity, will appreciate even less the argument that all the deaths were attributed to just one murder, or that David Bain was setup. And, let’s not forget that David Bain will not get those 13 years in jail back, so its not like he’s walking away smiling. So the question becomes why are so many, so self-assured, so rancid in their firm belief of the mans guilt. Guilt by association, the act of walking in on a murder scene, the attempt to save your loved ones, and then the realization that all you’ve done is put yourself in the frame and so made it easy for armchair windbags to opine.
Take out the evidence, take out the personalities, and ask yourself the simple question, does innocent until proven in a fair court of law count so little in your beliefs. A fair trial has yet to find David Bain guilty, and that should be good enough for all of us.
One of the changes Labour are making to their Rules:
A6 Concerning the improvement of women’s representation in electorate seats
New Rule 248A. An LEC may request that NZ Council determine that only women may nominate for the position of Labour candidate for their electorate. Such approval overrides the right granted in Rule 251 for any member to be eligible for nomination.
Is that a typo, that should read “only women may be nominated”? (rather than nominate).
I assume that if 50% of selected candidates are already women, then any remaining positions will automatically go to Men?
Weka, I think it is saying that the potential candidate nominates herself for the seat. Possibly not the best wording, and somewhat contradicted by the last sentence, but technically correct because, as I recall, it is the candidate that nominates themselves, with seconders.
Thanks TRP, that makes more sense.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/07/03/2248421/mccain-doj-college-harassment/
T_T
I really need a low orbital anvil cannon for shit like this.
Funny too how the libertarians treat this as a free speech issue when victims are usually harassed to stay quiet. But hey, what can you expect from the bunch of sheltered, delusion, mostly male douchebags most college libertarians are?
I quite like listening to Julie Borowski for her views on things libertarian
AKA McNasty.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html
edit: scroll down, the article renders half way down the page.
Pete George has raised a concern that the GCSB was used for gathering the communications and security data of Peter Dunne and Andrea Vance.
“And also of extreme concern is what data [to the Henry Investigation] was provided by the GCSB. Appendix Three of the Henry report states that the GCSB provided “substantial assistance, particularly in the gathering of records”.
That rings alarm bells. What “authority” did Key give the GCSB to gather data? Whatever it takes? And what data did the GCSB gather, and from where?”
http://yournz.org/2013/07/03/key-gave-henry-inquiry-extraordinary-authority-including-gcsb/
How many nephews does Hone Harawira have, and why are they all violent thugs?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8879069/Harawira-nephews-guilty-of-iPod-bashing
1. Probably a few
2. Upbringing
Nah, it’ll be society’s fault.
I’m thinking colonization…
Your joke is funny, because colonisation never has any effect, ever! 🙄
If it didn’t happen directly to you personally it can have no effect on you ever. Which is why Native Americans today are hunky-dory, US slavery didn’t impact the present lives of African-Americans, Australian Aborigines enjoy equal participation in society with whites, and South African inequality was eradicated the day Mandela was released.
Just once I’d like one of these fuckers – BM, chris, Winston et al – to say out loud what their alternate hypothesis for this astounding series of coincidences is.
As if we didn’t know…
lolz, you guys usually discount the environment people are brought up in and instead attribute all failings to personal morality.
You know, it doesn’t matter where you come from if you’ve got the right attitude even a kid from a state house can be prime minister etc etc
What’s changed?
Your right, Felix, individuals are not responsible for anything they do.
Which is exactly what I said 🙄
Wow, went over to Kiwiblog for a short time, to see what there take was on the KDC vs. JK battle. Found myself almost agreeing with redbaiter! Had to come back here to save my sanity. I should have taken the blue pill.
Crikey. Just did the same and yep, Redbaiter.
ps the best blue pill to take for reading kiwiblog is a 10mg diazepam.
Linky? (to save us the excess slime)
1. http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/07/pm_v_dotcom.html#comment-1168117
2. http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/07/pm_v_dotcom.html#comment-1168122
3. http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/07/pm_v_dotcom.html#comment-1168131
Of course you have to ignore all the “leftist progressive devils” stuff, RB thinks everyone is one of those.
Oh and after these three relatively cogent comments is a rapid descent into his usual paranoia.
Huh! John Key is a “leftist” who, from the GCSB hearings, clearly should be in the Labour Party? It took a while for the penny to drop. So RB sees John Key as “leftist” because of his support of invasive surveillance by the GCSB. I guess that means RB is thinking “St@lisim” and thus Key is totally like Helen Clark.
Thanks felix.
“low information left wing voters”
Is that a euphemism?
They only give them out in yellow 5mgs now – so will require 2.
One News were reporting that there may be a sweetener to sell the Meridian shares, they gave an example where one may buy $3000 worth, pay 2 grand up front, the other grand 18 months later, but still receive their dividends for the 3 grand figure in the meantime. Interest free I presume.
Farking Key ain’t half relaxed with bribes.
From Youtube: Is the discovery of global warming our greatest scientific achievement?
Interesting video.