Seeing as how the corporate world didn’t get the change back to FPP (SM but the same thing in drag) that they wanted, I see they are now talking about extending the Parliamentary term to four years. Now while that may well be a useful reform in of itself… a cynical man just might observe that during the three terms of a Labour led govt there was not so much as a peep on this.
But now they have their ‘natural party of government’ shining its collective fat arse on the Treasury benches; it suddenly becomes fashionable again.
They may see it as a compensation for no FPP. Worst case, four year terms of poor government would encourage the kind of wild swinging voter instability that could only be dreamed of with FPP. One benefit of the system – dependant on a responsible government – is that policy might be debated thoroughly instead of being rushed through – which would endear the political process to people a little more.
It is a comprehensive rejection of Labour as a party fit to lead the government.
A fundamental acknowledgement that we have a major job to rebuild our party and our movement, and to reconnect with voters who we have clearly lost touch with, is the start.
Leadership change is only one part of the refounding process. The depth of the party needs to acknowledge reality and the need for fundamental change too.
UF ate aware a serious look at the future of the party is necessary, but at the moment we are too busy negotiating policy gains and coalition agreements.
PG in other words the one man band will be given some pathetic little quango to fiddle with for the next 3 years so he looks important between hair dressers appointments
Diss us all you like but it doesn’t hide the fact that Dunne and United Future will have more policiy initiatives progressed and more government influence than Labour, NZ First and Mana put together, and you can probably add Greens too, such is the nature of our democracy. Getting party votes is important, but so is getting tangible results.
why dont you jus go away and play on the road
ur jus so pedantic and boring
noone cares for your right wing tory bulllshit and neither obviously does Dunedin
And so what. He stood for Parliament as did many others. And good on Pete George for doing so. It takes a lot of guts especially when you’re in a minor party.
Besides. Pete George may only have got 146 electorate votes but that translated into 151 votes for United Future. In contrast Sue Bradford with a way higher profile was able to get 266 electorate votes but could only get 118 votes for Mana. Not exactly inspiring is it. But you wouldn’t being say half the things about Bradford than you do to George.
The result probably reflects left voters not wanting to risk Harawira losing his seat to Kelvin Davis and wasting their party vote for Mana. It’s not really a reflection on Bradford, good or bad imo.
What CV means is that Mana being in parliament was entirely dependant on Hone winning Te Tai Tokerau, and with that being far from a certainty a party vote for Mana had a good chance of being a wasted vote.
Of course, the same applies to Dunne and UF. I wouldn’t think it was a reflection good or bad on Bradford or Pete George.
My impression was that at electorate level there was little interest in candidates. Candidate meetings were well attended but the focus was on the main parties and policies, and only represented a small proportion of the voters. The ODT virtually ignored coverage of candidates, and Channel 9 went out in the suburbs checking out support and found even the Labour and National candidates were not well known.
At the top of our politics personality is important, but the further down our electoral system (below leaders) you go the more it is simply a party choice.
I tried various things, both traditional campaiging and some different approaches, but as far as election votes go I don’t think doing less or more would have made much difference. The only thing I noticably attracted attention on was establishing a local political lobby, but there were no votes in that.
I know that one or two of us follow John Michael Greer… but from time to time the guy writes a standout. Pepper-Spraying the Future
What all these three news stories have in common is that they display an attitude—it could as well be described as a belief, or even a religion—that treats the satisfaction of short term cravings for material goods as the only thing that really matters. The shopper with her pepper spray, the politician with his absurd claim, and the government with its blind disregard for national survival, each acted as though getting the stuff is all that matters, and any obstacle in the way—whether the obstacle was other shoppers, the laws of physics and geology, or the fate of Canada’s future generations—was an irrelevance to be brushed aside by any available means.
In recent years, there’s been a fair amount of intellectual effort devoted to the attempt to prove that this is inevitably how human beings will act, and this effort has had an influence well beyond the borders of, say, cognitive neuroscience. Glance over anything the peak oil blogosphere has to say about the absurdity of today’s public policies on energy, the environment, or the economy, for example, and it’s a safe bet that somebody will post a comment insisting that this is how human beings always behave. In point of historical fact, though, this is far from true. The popularity of the monastic life across so many cultures and centuries is hard to square with such claims; it has not been uncommon for anything up to ten per cent of the population of some countries and times to embrace lives of poverty, celibacy and discipline in a monastic setting. Clearly, whatever drives push our species in the direction of the satisfaction of short term cravings are not quite as omnipotent as they’ve been made out to be.
If there is one thing above all about the RWNJ mindset that disheartens me above all else it is this; it is the idea that humans are inherently lazy, greedy and violent unless incentives are imposed on them via the mechanism of markets and laws. It’s another sort of Original Sin; just dressed up in secular drag.
That article is a good example of the irony of values driven conclusions in communications – or values as a measure of truth in general. He starts with an idea and sets out to prove it true by reinterpreting complex historical matters to his own ends: can do attitude plus optimism can’t beat access to resources. He even stumbles over his thinking flaw early on in the mention of the pepper spray incident by saying it is more complex than he illustrates. That is the point in his editing where he should have realised the subconscious warning. But instead he brushes it aside to get what he wants – exactly what he accuses his subjects of doing and just like the RWNJs you complain about. J.M.Greer’s article is entertaining opinion, a possiblity on what might have happened, but it isn’t anywhere near the truth.
(I do not suggest that what follows is the Truth either.)
The average RWNJ (and to be fair, most people in general) start off with a point of view and then go the long way round to reveal it, without ever examining the veracity of their idea. Along the way it will look like a discussion, but it isn’t, because the end had already been decided and all other intrusions would necessarily have to be brushed aside to reach it. Frustration ensues and people start calling each other names. The reason this happens is because to do it properly, to engage in conversation, exploration and real discusion is not just a case of opening your mouth about what you think is right. The central focus must be the ideas and what they are based on, not the outcome. This of course leads to the implication that there is no point where a good discussion ends because new ideas and perspectives do not end. So how do we “decide” anything? We have a deadline: the climate is changing; the election is coming up; the deadlines are always present. We choose to decide with a flawed system, under arbitrary urgency: enter the drawn out prejudiced bebate.
Since most discussions are yet another method of projecting personal psychology onto the world, participants would first have to have an uncommon level of self awareness to eliminate their own counteractive influence. As a result, what we usually find online are just really slow arguments based on a mash-up of emotion, culture, feelings; anything but rational consideration or Kantian autonomy. The same thing happens in parliament and it’s infuriating to see our country run by people who blunder about under the wieght of their own self inflicted illusions.
What people forget is that life is not a recipe. If it was, we could all get what we want without effort; every intent of previous governments would have be attained; every business could not fail. Just follow Mr. Smith’s recipe for wealth, fame, or whatever and you too can be trim and toned! Life has a random factor we like to filter out so we can have faith in planning and place our efforts at the centre of the universe. We filter it our from history to show our deeds were right and purposeful instead of haphazard, fearful, cowardly or wrong. Despite our human nature, the hell of the moment ends and then we seek to justify it. Buddhists the world over would laugh.
Without going nto the details of this particular issue… this is how we ALL operate. If you trace back our arguments on any issue, you will find some basic underlying value assumptions. There’s no way of avoiding that. The best thing is to be up front about your underlying values. This doesn’t negate the details of any evidence-based argument that follows from it.
However, it means that others can judge your argument in comparison with their own values, and consider the evidence accordingly. i.e. I put value on the way society is organised, co-operatively, fairly and democratically. I put people over privatised profits. Many on the right wing assume that individual competition trumps co-operation and seem to subscribe to a meritocratic, competitive, individualised profit-gaining value system.
We may all use the method, but it is not the only choice; which is the important point unless we want to go round in the circles of the past. The problem with values driving debate is that it is unavoidably adversarial – there can be only agreement with the speaker – with no examination of the idea necessary – or disagreement, with the same problem. There is US, who agree, and THEM, who disagree. Values are the first step towards war.
As you demonstrate, if we set up an environment where we all know our values will differ, that voicing them is not a crime because they can be openly examined, we can then move on to discuss topics as ideas, rather than determining the end of the discussion before we start by twisting the topic and ideas to fit our values. The Japanese have a saying when discussing, they say, yes, your idea is perfect in every way… what other options are there? And so the discussion eventually continues beyond personal values. All participants can recognise the dignity and individuality of the speaker by seperating the inherent worth of the man from his idea and rationally examine the idea as an object. It will not ensure the truth is arrived at, but it will ensure decision making has at least examined the idea.
From there we can add our arbitrary deadlines, our emotional inputs and whatever else, but it’s not possible to delude ourselves once we know we are deluding ourselves. Politics then has the opportunity to become constructive, rather than destructive.
I don’t understand your distinctions, Uturn. “Values driven debate”? I’m also agreeing with talking the more general ideas, plus examining the evidence and using it to develop a rational argument. But, yes, you do reach a point where some of us have to agree to disagree. There’s no way round the way logic and values are intertwined in our thinking… language is based on this intertwining – a mix of objectivity & subjectivity.
If we do discuss broader ideas, and are aware of our underlying assumptions, then we do get to avoid going around in circles, because we acknowledge they there are some things some of us are never going to agree on. That’s why some of us are broadly left wing in our perspective, others more often right wing, and others straddling the two general positions.
This doesn’t negate anyone’s agurments, but gives us a deeper awareness as to how to judge the arguments of others.
Ultimately, it’s not about winning or losing debates, but using the debates to further our own understanding of what we think about any topic, and of the policies that we think will be the better ones for any government to pursue..
A values driven debate cannot examine an idea because values themselves have ambiguous sources. Measuring an idea primiarily with values is like trying to measure a distance with a ruler that has a randomly shifting scale. For example, how do we determine that a value based on placing people above profit is more or less important than a value based on physical beauty? And if values are built around a personal problem, or a cultural trend, or an aspirational dream, how stable are values as a measuring tool?
“Ultimately, it’s not about winning or losing debates, but using the debates to further our own understanding of what we think about any topic, and of the policies that we think will be the better ones for any government to pursue..”
Here you summarise what I’ve used hundreds of words to say: it’s about breaking down barriers to understanding. Thanks for your comments.
During the years immediately ahead of us, unless I’m very much mistaken, the political, economic, and cultural institutions of the industrial world can be counted on to do just about anything other than a meaningful response to the crisis of our age, and any meaningful response that does happen is going to have to come from individuals, families, and community groups.
During those same years, I suspect, every available effort will be made to convince as many people as possible that the nonsolutions on offer are actually meaningful responses, and the things that might actually help—using less, conserving more, and downscaling our burden on the planet—are unthinkable.
This!
All the political parties are going on about how much we need to save money rather than do the rational thing ans save our resources. Hell, this government are all for digging up our resources and selling them leaving us with nothing.
Why haven’t we had Brian Gould on panels analysing or even questioning the politicians?
That man alone could have kept Key honest – nay better, actually shown Key up for what he is … watch him on “The Nation” yesterday.
Of course I may have answered the question right there. Those in control of the media wanted to stick with the blue-eyed-bushy-tailed wonders.
And then this yesterday from Brian Gaynor (hardly a left journalist) and his seemingly open criticism of Key/English …
…..that humans are inherently lazy, greedy and violent unless incentives are imposed on them…
I cannot accept Performance pay as valid. When a person is employed to do a job you would think that they would do it without extras or else the selection panel were wrong in their choice. And the competitive nature of the winners and losers must play havoc with cooperation. Stealing the credit for ideas or performance must be damaging. And then there is the performance pay/bonuses for execs who have failed as in the Banking world.
(I suspect that the fashion for certificates and prizes in schools set kids up for future expectations that you should expect reward for doing what you should be doing anyway. Different from recognition.)
Recent years have brought reports from the far north of tundra fires1, the release of ancient carbon2, CH4 bubbling out of lakes3 and gigantic stores of frozen soil carbon4. The latest estimate is that some 18.8 million square kilometres of northern soils hold about 1,700 billion tonnes of organic carbon4 — the remains of plants and animals that have been accumulating in the soil over thousands of years. That is about four times more than all the carbon emitted by human activity in modern times and twice as much as is present in the atmosphere now.
tergiversate [tur-ji-ver-seyt]
ter·gi·ver·sate [tur-ji-ver-seyt]
verb (used without object), -sat·ed, -sat·ing.
1.
to change repeatedly one’s attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.
2.
to turn renegade.
A crash in carbon credit prices means the government has no option but to ban or drastically restrict the use of imported carbon credits of dubious quality, or the emissions trading scheme (ETS) could become a national embarrassment.
First time through the wash and the dye ran, the seams gave way and they shrunk to half the size when i hung them out to dry…dubious man, real dubious.
They just don’t make carbon credits like they used to.
…brand new off Trademe. Opened the box, followed the setup instructions, wound it up and let it rip. Thing shot straight up into the air hovered for about 2 seconds burst into flames and smashed into the side of the house.
Read the box again “Manufacturer makes no guarantee on the dubious quality should it crash and burn”
Mate took me round ‘one of his bro’s’ place knowing i wanted some to spruce up the front yard.
Dude looked suss, reminded me off a russian gangster in one of those movies but whatever… the price was right. Bought em, took em home, dug a little hole, planted one, added the magic growing elixir…
NEK MINNIT… it shot up to hip height, wrapped itself around my groin and almost squeezed the life out of me before i managed to disentangle it, at which point it withered and died.
Now i’m dubious of any offers my mate comes to me with. Buyer beware…You get what you pay !
Anon : No, it’s a bunch of links which, when read in sequence, tell a particular story criticizing our PM :
1) Vacuum up whatever arms length political and cultural credit you can lay your hands on into the PMO.
2) Consolidate it.
3) Rebrand it.
4) Jettison everything you can that doesn’t fit the new brand and paralyze the rest.
5) Hire hundreds of unaccountable staffers to replace policy and info exchange with pumping out new brand.
6) Outsource it to assholes.
Canada, the country furthest from meeting its commitment to cut carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, may save as much as $6.7 billion by exiting the global climate change agreement and not paying for offset credits.
The country’s greenhouse-gas emissions are almost a third higher than 1990 levels, and it has a 6 percent CO2 reduction target for the end of 2012. If it couldn’t meet its goal, Canada would have to buy carbon credits, under the rules of the legally binding treaty.
Canada, which has the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves, would be the first of 191 signatories to the Kyoto Protocol to annul its emission-reduction obligations. While Environment Minister Peter Kent declined to confirm Nov. 28 that Canada is preparing to pull out of Kyoto, which may ease the burden for oil-sands producers and coal-burning utilities, he said the government wouldn’t make further commitments to it.
“Canada is the only country in the world saying it won’t honor Kyoto,” said Keith Stewart, an energy and climate policy analyst for Greenpeace in Toronto. Under a previous Liberal government, Canada was one of the first countries to sign Kyoto in 1998. The current Conservative government made a non-binding commitment at 2009 United Nations talks in Copenhagen to reduce emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels, in line with a pledge by the U.S., its biggest trading partner.
Yep, Canada has officially become a petrostate. There is only one country in the world with a worse emissions performance than Canada now, and that is Saudi Arabia.
Canada’s spy agency was so reliant on information obtained through torture that it suggested the whole security certificate regime, used to control suspected terrorists in the country, would fall apart if they couldn’t use it.
That’s the essence of a letter written in 2008 by the former director of CSIS, Jim Judd, obtained by The Gazette.
Yesterday we had “The Little I Know About David Shearer” topic. Can we have one for Cunliffe too? Does anyone know Cunliffe? He seems to be the favourite here, but discussion on his past, his image and potential pros/soncs as leader doesn’t go as far as it has on Shearer already.
That’s true. I would say however that Cunliffe’s performance as a long serving electorate MP, in the House, in media interviews, directly debating English, as a Cabinet Minister, etc. is all a matter of long standing public record.
Compare all that to what we know of David Shearer’s ability to perform as a politician.
Last Friday The Press published a letter in response to an article by Gareth Morgan and Susan Guthrie about ‘reviving the values of an egalitarian society’.
The 240 word letter by D McFarlane of Hokitika was awarded Letter Of The Week and exceeded the 150 ‘preferred’ word limit.
Clearly upset by references to the pillaging of the Niger Delta by the oil companies Shell and Chevron (which is ably assisted by the Nigerian government), McF refers to the ‘primitive creatures’ who live in the Delta and contrasts their ‘mud huts’ to the skyscrapers of New York.
The latter – along with McF’s car, washing machine and cell phone – is the positive ‘flow down’ of industrial capitalism but the former hasn’t got anything to do with the inevitable negative flow down – it’s just collateral damage – and of no concern because it’s only ‘primitive creatures’ who live there and they are the agents of their own suffering because they ‘rape and pillage each other’ and mutilate women and girls. Nothing whatsoever to do with the legacy of colonialism and the extraction of oil.
McF’s ok thank you very much. S/he’s got a car, a washing machine and a cell phone and can gaze upon the skyscrapers of NY and – carefully averting his/her gaze from the 100,000 New York homeless who live in the streets beneath them – can feel proud that s/he’s a part of it.
S/he also constructs an alternative to ‘champagne socialist’ – exhorting those who ‘enjoy a latte or an organic salad’ to thank capitalism for providing them.
S/he ends by professing undying love for laissez-faire capitalism. I hope they’ll be very unhappy together.
McF won some salmon for the letter. I hope it’s got a hefty dose of mercury in it – or salmonella.
The Press says the LOTW is judged on how well the person expresses their views, and leeway on the word limit is granted if the letter is judged to be ‘worth it’.
Google Niger Delta + Christchurch Press to see what the paper has to say about this tragic region and a link to McFarlane’s letter comes up 1st and 2nd.
Way to go Press editorial team – hope the letter was ‘worth’ it.
“…You can live in any way you choose (I will not interfere) and spend your money the way you choose on the priorities you value…”
But if you have resources McFarlane and friends want, he will come and pollute your rivers against your wishes because he can, it is central to his doctrine, and he is a superior human being because none of his people have never cut off women’s breasts (didn’t happen to the Native North American Indians, eh McFarlane?) or rape young girls. Capitalists are blameless and have never done anything wrong and never will because their Iphones prove they are superior.
LOL OF THE WEEK
I reckon I should write a “well presented argument” about how racism, war, dictatorships or famine are good things that form strong cultures and promote growth and see if THE PRESS give me LOTW.
S/he said “The countries that have experienced the flow-down from the Industrial Revolution are immeasurably better off than those that haven’t.”
Well, yes. That’s the whole point of colonial exploitation. It would be a bit rum if the colonising West ended up being materially worse off after the expenditure of so much military effort.
Also, far from ignoring or refusing to participate in the Industrial Revolution Niger has been playing its allotted role right at the hub of the Industrial Revolution, especially those people in the Niger Delta, given the oil extraction, pollution and social destruction that has occurred, and continues to occur, there.
S/he also said “Please don’t tell me those primitive creatures are superior or equal to the West, or have a superior lifestyle because it is non-polluting, equal for all, ‘natural’”
Edit: Pressed ‘submit’ too early. I was going to say its been a long time since I’ve seen such 19th Century racism expressed in a ‘mainstream’ newspaper. It has been even longer since I’ve seen such opinions put on a pedestal and rewarded.
Terrifying really. A friend is adamant that those lazy pricks could improve their lot if they had a bit of initiative! And he was talking about the cafe staff who worked for him, in NZ. Expect that he would agree with McF of those primitives on the Delta. Bluddy awful.
It’s time to stop pretending. Freya Klier on the radical right in East Germany.
Germany is shocked by a series of murders targeting Turkish citizens. Over the course of several years Uwe Böhnhardt and Uwe Mundlos from Zwickau randomly murdered flower sellers and grocery store owners as well as a policewoman. And for years they remained in hiding, while the investigations of local and national police came to nothing. The murderers originate from Saxony, a region of the former GDR, and they were part of a extreme radical rightwing scene. There are Neo-nazis in both western and eastern German states. What is less known, however, is that this ideology was surprisingly alive and well in the GDR. Freya Klier, a former East German dissident, describes how racism was actually promoted in the GDR. Today an atmosphere persists in the “new states” that continues to tolerate rightwing extremism.
Oh, wow, didn’t realise such a clause was in the US law. That will see the US going to state provided healthcare quite rapidly. There’s no way that the health insurers will be able to make a profit with such a law that’s properly enforced.
Here’s a great new booklet that everyone interested in science communication should read – especially science bloggers. It’s the The Debunking Handbook by John Cook, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland and Stephan Lewandowsky, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia.
For those of you who want a left leaning progressive Labour Party without the old guard heres a link to show your support for David Cunliffe and Nanaia Mahuta.
Just a decade ago, private prisons were a dying industry awash in corruption and mired in lawsuits, particularly Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the nation’s largest private prison operator. Today, these companies are booming once again, yet the lawsuits and scandals continue to pile up. Meanwhile, more and more evidence shows that compared to publicly run prisons, private jails are filthier, more violent, less accountable, and contrary to what privatization advocates peddle as truth, do not save money. In fact, more recent findings suggest that private prisons could be more costly.
So why are they still in business?
Why indeed and why is our government so in favour of them?
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Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Seeing as how the corporate world didn’t get the change back to FPP (SM but the same thing in drag) that they wanted, I see they are now talking about extending the Parliamentary term to four years. Now while that may well be a useful reform in of itself… a cynical man just might observe that during the three terms of a Labour led govt there was not so much as a peep on this.
But now they have their ‘natural party of government’ shining its collective fat arse on the Treasury benches; it suddenly becomes fashionable again.
They may see it as a compensation for no FPP. Worst case, four year terms of poor government would encourage the kind of wild swinging voter instability that could only be dreamed of with FPP. One benefit of the system – dependant on a responsible government – is that policy might be debated thoroughly instead of being rushed through – which would endear the political process to people a little more.
“One benefit of the system – dependant on a responsible government – is that policy might be debated thoroughly instead of being rushed through”
Or in the case of this bunch of miscreants, an extra year of crap could be rushed through under urgency with no debate at all.
Exactly!
Hopweful signs that some in Labour ‘get it’.
Leadership change is only one part of the refounding process. The depth of the party needs to acknowledge reality and the need for fundamental change too.
Yawn……do you ever do any real work.
Pete how about you tell us why United Follicles did so bad?
Greg, you’re trying one of your standard diversions from the topic. Too tough to answer, or ostrichitis?
Shouldnt the Exclusive Brethren services be starting soon? Dont b late for it
It’s a case of “those in glass houses shouldn’t cast stones”, Pete.
UF ate aware a serious look at the future of the party is necessary, but at the moment we are too busy negotiating policy gains and coalition agreements.
PG in other words the one man band will be given some pathetic little quango to fiddle with for the next 3 years so he looks important between hair dressers appointments
Diss us all you like but it doesn’t hide the fact that Dunne and United Future will have more policiy initiatives progressed and more government influence than Labour, NZ First and Mana put together, and you can probably add Greens too, such is the nature of our democracy. Getting party votes is important, but so is getting tangible results.
A collaborator justifying his collaboration in the selling of NZ’s most valuable and strategic state assets.
Figured you out long ago mate.
that and their “policies” are so broad that anything good that happens is down to the hairstyle, while badness is alwayssomeone else’s fault.
Sorry thi is late, but FFS Pete, get some help man, you are truly deluded, but not beyond help.
Sighs.. quit with the brain-dead FPP thinking.
A 3% swing to the left and it would have been Goff forming the government.
Disaster really was that close…..
why dont you jus go away and play on the road
ur jus so pedantic and boring
noone cares for your right wing tory bulllshit and neither obviously does Dunedin
“noone cares for your right wing tory bulllshit and neither obviously does Dunedin”
Not quite no one: PG got 146 votes out of 25890 in Dunedin North.
And so what. He stood for Parliament as did many others. And good on Pete George for doing so. It takes a lot of guts especially when you’re in a minor party.
Besides. Pete George may only have got 146 electorate votes but that translated into 151 votes for United Future. In contrast Sue Bradford with a way higher profile was able to get 266 electorate votes but could only get 118 votes for Mana. Not exactly inspiring is it. But you wouldn’t being say half the things about Bradford than you do to George.
The result probably reflects left voters not wanting to risk Harawira losing his seat to Kelvin Davis and wasting their party vote for Mana. It’s not really a reflection on Bradford, good or bad imo.
What you said makes absolutely no sense.
What CV means is that Mana being in parliament was entirely dependant on Hone winning Te Tai Tokerau, and with that being far from a certainty a party vote for Mana had a good chance of being a wasted vote.
Of course, the same applies to Dunne and UF. I wouldn’t think it was a reflection good or bad on Bradford or Pete George.
My impression was that at electorate level there was little interest in candidates. Candidate meetings were well attended but the focus was on the main parties and policies, and only represented a small proportion of the voters. The ODT virtually ignored coverage of candidates, and Channel 9 went out in the suburbs checking out support and found even the Labour and National candidates were not well known.
At the top of our politics personality is important, but the further down our electoral system (below leaders) you go the more it is simply a party choice.
I tried various things, both traditional campaiging and some different approaches, but as far as election votes go I don’t think doing less or more would have made much difference. The only thing I noticably attracted attention on was establishing a local political lobby, but there were no votes in that.
o thats alot 😛
Or instead of throwing out the baby with the bathwater how about trying not to have stupid fights or public “scandals” every five minutes.
I know that one or two of us follow John Michael Greer… but from time to time the guy writes a standout. Pepper-Spraying the Future
If there is one thing above all about the RWNJ mindset that disheartens me above all else it is this; it is the idea that humans are inherently lazy, greedy and violent unless incentives are imposed on them via the mechanism of markets and laws. It’s another sort of Original Sin; just dressed up in secular drag.
What an intelligent, insightful piece of writing. Thanks for the link.
JMG kicks ass.
And if you want to see what a futuristic version of the deindustrial future looks like, check out his monthly fiction narrative, Star’s Reach.
Tip: start reading from the very beginning.
That article is a good example of the irony of values driven conclusions in communications – or values as a measure of truth in general. He starts with an idea and sets out to prove it true by reinterpreting complex historical matters to his own ends: can do attitude plus optimism can’t beat access to resources. He even stumbles over his thinking flaw early on in the mention of the pepper spray incident by saying it is more complex than he illustrates. That is the point in his editing where he should have realised the subconscious warning. But instead he brushes it aside to get what he wants – exactly what he accuses his subjects of doing and just like the RWNJs you complain about. J.M.Greer’s article is entertaining opinion, a possiblity on what might have happened, but it isn’t anywhere near the truth.
(I do not suggest that what follows is the Truth either.)
The average RWNJ (and to be fair, most people in general) start off with a point of view and then go the long way round to reveal it, without ever examining the veracity of their idea. Along the way it will look like a discussion, but it isn’t, because the end had already been decided and all other intrusions would necessarily have to be brushed aside to reach it. Frustration ensues and people start calling each other names. The reason this happens is because to do it properly, to engage in conversation, exploration and real discusion is not just a case of opening your mouth about what you think is right. The central focus must be the ideas and what they are based on, not the outcome. This of course leads to the implication that there is no point where a good discussion ends because new ideas and perspectives do not end. So how do we “decide” anything? We have a deadline: the climate is changing; the election is coming up; the deadlines are always present. We choose to decide with a flawed system, under arbitrary urgency: enter the drawn out prejudiced bebate.
Since most discussions are yet another method of projecting personal psychology onto the world, participants would first have to have an uncommon level of self awareness to eliminate their own counteractive influence. As a result, what we usually find online are just really slow arguments based on a mash-up of emotion, culture, feelings; anything but rational consideration or Kantian autonomy. The same thing happens in parliament and it’s infuriating to see our country run by people who blunder about under the wieght of their own self inflicted illusions.
What people forget is that life is not a recipe. If it was, we could all get what we want without effort; every intent of previous governments would have be attained; every business could not fail. Just follow Mr. Smith’s recipe for wealth, fame, or whatever and you too can be trim and toned! Life has a random factor we like to filter out so we can have faith in planning and place our efforts at the centre of the universe. We filter it our from history to show our deeds were right and purposeful instead of haphazard, fearful, cowardly or wrong. Despite our human nature, the hell of the moment ends and then we seek to justify it. Buddhists the world over would laugh.
Without going nto the details of this particular issue… this is how we ALL operate. If you trace back our arguments on any issue, you will find some basic underlying value assumptions. There’s no way of avoiding that. The best thing is to be up front about your underlying values. This doesn’t negate the details of any evidence-based argument that follows from it.
However, it means that others can judge your argument in comparison with their own values, and consider the evidence accordingly. i.e. I put value on the way society is organised, co-operatively, fairly and democratically. I put people over privatised profits. Many on the right wing assume that individual competition trumps co-operation and seem to subscribe to a meritocratic, competitive, individualised profit-gaining value system.
We may all use the method, but it is not the only choice; which is the important point unless we want to go round in the circles of the past. The problem with values driving debate is that it is unavoidably adversarial – there can be only agreement with the speaker – with no examination of the idea necessary – or disagreement, with the same problem. There is US, who agree, and THEM, who disagree. Values are the first step towards war.
As you demonstrate, if we set up an environment where we all know our values will differ, that voicing them is not a crime because they can be openly examined, we can then move on to discuss topics as ideas, rather than determining the end of the discussion before we start by twisting the topic and ideas to fit our values. The Japanese have a saying when discussing, they say, yes, your idea is perfect in every way… what other options are there? And so the discussion eventually continues beyond personal values. All participants can recognise the dignity and individuality of the speaker by seperating the inherent worth of the man from his idea and rationally examine the idea as an object. It will not ensure the truth is arrived at, but it will ensure decision making has at least examined the idea.
From there we can add our arbitrary deadlines, our emotional inputs and whatever else, but it’s not possible to delude ourselves once we know we are deluding ourselves. Politics then has the opportunity to become constructive, rather than destructive.
I don’t understand your distinctions, Uturn. “Values driven debate”? I’m also agreeing with talking the more general ideas, plus examining the evidence and using it to develop a rational argument. But, yes, you do reach a point where some of us have to agree to disagree. There’s no way round the way logic and values are intertwined in our thinking… language is based on this intertwining – a mix of objectivity & subjectivity.
If we do discuss broader ideas, and are aware of our underlying assumptions, then we do get to avoid going around in circles, because we acknowledge they there are some things some of us are never going to agree on. That’s why some of us are broadly left wing in our perspective, others more often right wing, and others straddling the two general positions.
This doesn’t negate anyone’s agurments, but gives us a deeper awareness as to how to judge the arguments of others.
Ultimately, it’s not about winning or losing debates, but using the debates to further our own understanding of what we think about any topic, and of the policies that we think will be the better ones for any government to pursue..
A values driven debate cannot examine an idea because values themselves have ambiguous sources. Measuring an idea primiarily with values is like trying to measure a distance with a ruler that has a randomly shifting scale. For example, how do we determine that a value based on placing people above profit is more or less important than a value based on physical beauty? And if values are built around a personal problem, or a cultural trend, or an aspirational dream, how stable are values as a measuring tool?
“Ultimately, it’s not about winning or losing debates, but using the debates to further our own understanding of what we think about any topic, and of the policies that we think will be the better ones for any government to pursue..”
Here you summarise what I’ve used hundreds of words to say: it’s about breaking down barriers to understanding. Thanks for your comments.
This!
All the political parties are going on about how much we need to save money rather than do the rational thing ans save our resources. Hell, this government are all for digging up our resources and selling them leaving us with nothing.
Why haven’t we had Brian Gould on panels analysing or even questioning the politicians?
That man alone could have kept Key honest – nay better, actually shown Key up for what he is … watch him on “The Nation” yesterday.
Of course I may have answered the question right there. Those in control of the media wanted to stick with the blue-eyed-bushy-tailed wonders.
And then this yesterday from Brian Gaynor (hardly a left journalist) and his seemingly open criticism of Key/English …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10770465
…..that humans are inherently lazy, greedy and violent unless incentives are imposed on them…
I cannot accept Performance pay as valid. When a person is employed to do a job you would think that they would do it without extras or else the selection panel were wrong in their choice. And the competitive nature of the winners and losers must play havoc with cooperation. Stealing the credit for ideas or performance must be damaging. And then there is the performance pay/bonuses for execs who have failed as in the Banking world.
(I suspect that the fashion for certificates and prizes in schools set kids up for future expectations that you should expect reward for doing what you should be doing anyway. Different from recognition.)
Dear Auckland, Meet Your DOOM
And no, it’s not John Banks trying to resurrect his mayoral candidacy.
http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/12/01/379675/nature-climate-experts-thawing-permafrost-warming-of-deforestation/
Recent years have brought reports from the far north of tundra fires1, the release of ancient carbon2, CH4 bubbling out of lakes3 and gigantic stores of frozen soil carbon4. The latest estimate is that some 18.8 million square kilometres of northern soils hold about 1,700 billion tonnes of organic carbon4 — the remains of plants and animals that have been accumulating in the soil over thousands of years. That is about four times more than all the carbon emitted by human activity in modern times and twice as much as is present in the atmosphere now.
The 2011 word of the year is,……what Pete does….tergiversate.
tergiversate [tur-ji-ver-seyt]
ter·gi·ver·sate [tur-ji-ver-seyt]
verb (used without object), -sat·ed, -sat·ing.
1.
to change repeatedly one’s attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.
2.
to turn renegade.
Tergiversate, what a word! Pete is a tergiversator!
That’s why you can’t get him tergivershit about anything. 😀
Brilliant
And there’s a photo of PG right next to the dictionary entry.
Love it!
Carbon credits pricing crashes and burns
A crash in carbon credit prices means the government has no option but to ban or drastically restrict the use of imported carbon credits of dubious quality, or the emissions trading scheme (ETS) could become a national embarrassment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6081834/Carbon-credits-pricing-crashes-and-burns
It already is a national embarrasment as is the National chump who brought it in.
‘Dubious quality’ carbon credits…WTF ?…What exactly does that mean ?
Made by child slave labourers in asian sweatshops with little quality control ?
Bought some carbon credits the other day.
First time through the wash and the dye ran, the seams gave way and they shrunk to half the size when i hung them out to dry…dubious man, real dubious.
They just don’t make carbon credits like they used to.
Bought some carbon credits the other day.
…brand new off Trademe. Opened the box, followed the setup instructions, wound it up and let it rip. Thing shot straight up into the air hovered for about 2 seconds burst into flames and smashed into the side of the house.
Read the box again “Manufacturer makes no guarantee on the dubious quality should it crash and burn”
pays to read the fine print.
Bought some carbon credits the other day.
Mate took me round ‘one of his bro’s’ place knowing i wanted some to spruce up the front yard.
Dude looked suss, reminded me off a russian gangster in one of those movies but whatever… the price was right. Bought em, took em home, dug a little hole, planted one, added the magic growing elixir…
NEK MINNIT… it shot up to hip height, wrapped itself around my groin and almost squeezed the life out of me before i managed to disentangle it, at which point it withered and died.
Now i’m dubious of any offers my mate comes to me with. Buyer beware…You get what you pay !
A clever point there polly. Those pesky carbon credits are credited with no end of strife. 🙂
I’ve got some carbon credit default swaps, futures and options contracts for sale. You can make a bundle, promise.
Canadian blogger on the Harper style.
Her reply to one of the comments.
Sounds familiar.
Canadian, ethical oil, conservatives plan to renege on their Kyoto agreement.
Canada, the country furthest from meeting its commitment to cut carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, may save as much as $6.7 billion by exiting the global climate change agreement and not paying for offset credits.
The country’s greenhouse-gas emissions are almost a third higher than 1990 levels, and it has a 6 percent CO2 reduction target for the end of 2012. If it couldn’t meet its goal, Canada would have to buy carbon credits, under the rules of the legally binding treaty.
Canada, which has the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves, would be the first of 191 signatories to the Kyoto Protocol to annul its emission-reduction obligations. While Environment Minister Peter Kent declined to confirm Nov. 28 that Canada is preparing to pull out of Kyoto, which may ease the burden for oil-sands producers and coal-burning utilities, he said the government wouldn’t make further commitments to it.
“Canada is the only country in the world saying it won’t honor Kyoto,” said Keith Stewart, an energy and climate policy analyst for Greenpeace in Toronto. Under a previous Liberal government, Canada was one of the first countries to sign Kyoto in 1998. The current Conservative government made a non-binding commitment at 2009 United Nations talks in Copenhagen to reduce emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels, in line with a pledge by the U.S., its biggest trading partner.
Yep, Canada has officially become a petrostate. There is only one country in the world with a worse emissions performance than Canada now, and that is Saudi Arabia.
Indeed CV and with torture as part of the repertoire Canada has had it’s status as a petrostate confirmed..
Canada’s spy agency was so reliant on information obtained through torture that it suggested the whole security certificate regime, used to control suspected terrorists in the country, would fall apart if they couldn’t use it.
That’s the essence of a letter written in 2008 by the former director of CSIS, Jim Judd, obtained by The Gazette.
In a brilliant twist, OWS now have their own drones…
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/12/occupy_the_airs.php
What a great twist to surveillance by the powerful being usurped by the ethical. Imagine there will be a “shoot on sight” order given.
Well they’ve infiltrated Occupy LA and with some forces deploying drones that can be weaponised the ‘shoot on sight’ directorate can’t be that far away.
Yesterday we had “The Little I Know About David Shearer” topic. Can we have one for Cunliffe too? Does anyone know Cunliffe? He seems to be the favourite here, but discussion on his past, his image and potential pros/soncs as leader doesn’t go as far as it has on Shearer already.
That’s true. I would say however that Cunliffe’s performance as a long serving electorate MP, in the House, in media interviews, directly debating English, as a Cabinet Minister, etc. is all a matter of long standing public record.
Compare all that to what we know of David Shearer’s ability to perform as a politician.
Last Friday The Press published a letter in response to an article by Gareth Morgan and Susan Guthrie about ‘reviving the values of an egalitarian society’.
The 240 word letter by D McFarlane of Hokitika was awarded Letter Of The Week and exceeded the 150 ‘preferred’ word limit.
Clearly upset by references to the pillaging of the Niger Delta by the oil companies Shell and Chevron (which is ably assisted by the Nigerian government), McF refers to the ‘primitive creatures’ who live in the Delta and contrasts their ‘mud huts’ to the skyscrapers of New York.
The latter – along with McF’s car, washing machine and cell phone – is the positive ‘flow down’ of industrial capitalism but the former hasn’t got anything to do with the inevitable negative flow down – it’s just collateral damage – and of no concern because it’s only ‘primitive creatures’ who live there and they are the agents of their own suffering because they ‘rape and pillage each other’ and mutilate women and girls. Nothing whatsoever to do with the legacy of colonialism and the extraction of oil.
McF’s ok thank you very much. S/he’s got a car, a washing machine and a cell phone and can gaze upon the skyscrapers of NY and – carefully averting his/her gaze from the 100,000 New York homeless who live in the streets beneath them – can feel proud that s/he’s a part of it.
S/he also constructs an alternative to ‘champagne socialist’ – exhorting those who ‘enjoy a latte or an organic salad’ to thank capitalism for providing them.
S/he ends by professing undying love for laissez-faire capitalism. I hope they’ll be very unhappy together.
McF won some salmon for the letter. I hope it’s got a hefty dose of mercury in it – or salmonella.
The Press says the LOTW is judged on how well the person expresses their views, and leeway on the word limit is granted if the letter is judged to be ‘worth it’.
Google Niger Delta + Christchurch Press to see what the paper has to say about this tragic region and a link to McFarlane’s letter comes up 1st and 2nd.
Way to go Press editorial team – hope the letter was ‘worth’ it.
McFarlane writes in his letter:
“…You can live in any way you choose (I will not interfere) and spend your money the way you choose on the priorities you value…”
But if you have resources McFarlane and friends want, he will come and pollute your rivers against your wishes because he can, it is central to his doctrine, and he is a superior human being because none of his people have never cut off women’s breasts (didn’t happen to the Native North American Indians, eh McFarlane?) or rape young girls. Capitalists are blameless and have never done anything wrong and never will because their Iphones prove they are superior.
LOL OF THE WEEK
I reckon I should write a “well presented argument” about how racism, war, dictatorships or famine are good things that form strong cultures and promote growth and see if THE PRESS give me LOTW.
Saw the letter too.
MacFarland is clearly not a strong polemicist.
S/he said “The countries that have experienced the flow-down from the Industrial Revolution are immeasurably better off than those that haven’t.”
Well, yes. That’s the whole point of colonial exploitation. It would be a bit rum if the colonising West ended up being materially worse off after the expenditure of so much military effort.
Also, far from ignoring or refusing to participate in the Industrial Revolution Niger has been playing its allotted role right at the hub of the Industrial Revolution, especially those people in the Niger Delta, given the oil extraction, pollution and social destruction that has occurred, and continues to occur, there.
S/he also said “Please don’t tell me those primitive creatures are superior or equal to the West, or have a superior lifestyle because it is non-polluting, equal for all, ‘natural’”
Edit: Pressed ‘submit’ too early. I was going to say its been a long time since I’ve seen such 19th Century racism expressed in a ‘mainstream’ newspaper. It has been even longer since I’ve seen such opinions put on a pedestal and rewarded.
And … far from being ‘natural’, the current situation of the inhabitants of the Delta is one they would like to change.
That’s because, quite ‘naturally’, they do not like the fact that they and their land are being exploited in this way.
Terrifying really. A friend is adamant that those lazy pricks could improve their lot if they had a bit of initiative! And he was talking about the cafe staff who worked for him, in NZ. Expect that he would agree with McF of those primitives on the Delta. Bluddy awful.
Legacy of denial
It’s time to stop pretending. Freya Klier on the radical right in East Germany.
Germany is shocked by a series of murders targeting Turkish citizens. Over the course of several years Uwe Böhnhardt and Uwe Mundlos from Zwickau randomly murdered flower sellers and grocery store owners as well as a policewoman. And for years they remained in hiding, while the investigations of local and national police came to nothing. The murderers originate from Saxony, a region of the former GDR, and they were part of a extreme radical rightwing scene. There are Neo-nazis in both western and eastern German states. What is less known, however, is that this ideology was surprisingly alive and well in the GDR. Freya Klier, a former East German dissident, describes how racism was actually promoted in the GDR. Today an atmosphere persists in the “new states” that continues to tolerate rightwing extremism.
Shame on the sheep. Fossil of the Day Awards held by CAN-International on 2 December at COP17 in Durban.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/12/02/the-bomb-buried-in-obamacare-explodes-today-halleluja/
Wonder if there will be such a bomb buried under our ACC privatising project?
With this lot drafting statutes and passing legislation on behalf of the insurance industry, nah.
Oh, wow, didn’t realise such a clause was in the US law. That will see the US going to state provided healthcare quite rapidly. There’s no way that the health insurers will be able to make a profit with such a law that’s properly enforced.
You’re quite correct to add in the conditions to that statement.
A debunking handbook provides lessons in science communication
Thanks.
For those of you who want a left leaning progressive Labour Party without the old guard heres a link to show your support for David Cunliffe and Nanaia Mahuta.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-David-Cunliffe-Support-Page/182904941804278
What the hell IS the OLD GUARD.
whoever better be ready.
kweewee and his party of fleas aint gunna last long.
Teflon. When heated to a high degree becomes toxic! Just thought i would throw that one in.
lol
Helen Kelly of the CTU is awesome
How private prisons game the system
Why indeed and why is our government so in favour of them?