Such nastiness will not be confined to just the small South Waikato town of Putaruru either, beneficiaries all over the country will be suffering the same ‘punishment’ and it should be the duty of WINZ to send a case worker to these towns where there is no permanent office on one or two days a week so as to enable those in such towns to be able to fulfill their ‘obligations’ in a manner befitting human beings in the year 2014…
So you are telling me 20yrs of welfare bludging should be applauded and Winz officers should now be runing to the welfare dependants, maybe they should pick up their ciggies,booze and groceries while they are at it
To poor to afford the bus was she must be Paula Bennets fault as well
So she hasnt been on the dole for 20years and no buses run to Tokoroa,has no friends that own a car a bike etc, this is a bullshit media beatup, putting me down just shows you for the insulting idiot you are instead of contributing or debating you abuse me, my “reality” is based on the facts given to us btw
Garbageman
Look just stick to what you are good at. Picking up the garbage – and that is an important job and an admirable one. But don’t wear yourself out trying to think about social matters. You haven’t got a caring bone in your body or a real brain that can understand and assess a problem. So go with your strengths and go and lift something that isn’t living and therefore can’t get hurt.
no your reality is based on your ignorance, prejudice and hypocrisy
1) everyone, including the winz staff memebrs in tokoroa would know theres no bus service
2) its the punitive one size fits all policy set by the govt that created this situation.
3) perhaps she had other means of transport available to her, just not on the exact same day and time winz demanded she trun up
4) you complain about people putting you down and abusing you – yet thats exactly what you opened with.
maybe get over your hatred and holier than thou stance and understand that this woman was doing what was demanded of her – and it was a situation that could have easily been rectified with a bit of common sense and mutual organising. Thats the point
Your disgusting attitude is “putting you down” plenty enough. There are beneficiaries isolated simply because they live on social security. You sound like the type to ditch friends should they become welfare dependant, although I wouldn’t be surprised if you have none except for some of those clones of you commenting on that Stuff article. ‘Garbage’, ‘Rubbish’, ‘Trash’.. certainly….’.Man’… not so much.
more of a man than you will ever be Fondler you just stick to slapping people on the back that agree with you and attacking people personally that dont agree with you, i have noticed its an ongoing theme on this site, try attacking the issue for a change, more than likely another dole bludger must be if you are happy to be paying taxes for 20 years to any welfare recipient it is supposed to be used for a helping hand to future employment not a lifestyle
The woman from that article doesn’t need garbage dump loiterers throwing trash at her, making judgements about her imagined habits and sobriety; she looked perfectly sober on the news. I applaud her for raising four children alone, that’s an admirable feat and something you seem unable to comprehend.
Love the way you attacked her then advocate only attacking the issue when your refuse gets returned, your wheelie-bin is overflowing.
you little whine about people being totes mean to you rings rather hollow, its neither accurate or original
And you obviously havent noticed that the issues do get debated back and forth quite readily – just not with fools who think that manners is a one way street
Garbageman
You say ‘ try attacking the issue for a change,’ because we criticise you. But you are part of the issue. You don’t see bringing children up as a job? You don’t think that children and teenagers are important and need good caring support as they grow up? Because you don’t appreciate or value what parenting you had, which may have been little, it doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t have better.
Good on you for walking 40 minutes to your job. I hope when you get home you don’t have to do the housework, cook, and get the children to do their homework and to bed ready to get up and go to school another day. Also pay the bills out of small resources, and try to find some work that fits in with the children’s needs. And the constant jobs, mending their clothes, trying to get second hand school uniforms, finding shoes they can wear for sports again because the last pair got stolen from their school locker, it goes on and on.
You apparently imagine that a good fairy does all that, or you never had that sort of care and have no memories of what is involved in doing a good job as a parent. You just like hating and criticising, and want to kick someone because your life is unhappy, so look enviously on someone who, in your imagine, is getting a better deal.
Could you walk that far in the time she does? I’m impressed by the effort she puts in to meet some stupid bureaucratic requirement. I’m not impressed by your repetition of the same shit garbage that you fools come out with all the time. Garbage is right.
Actually i walk 40 mins to and from work every day,so you are impressed thats nice i personally would be more impressed if this lady put as much effort over the last 20 years into getting a job and yes Garbage is right thanks
LOL actually i would jump in my car or on my bike maybe get the bus if i had to or cadge a ride from someone and to show im not the heartless prick you lot seem to be trying to make me out to be im very happy she has had many offers of support and rides if needed but like i said initially its still just a bullshit media beat up
You arent her – your abilities, resources and opportunities (as well as mine) are irrelevant to the issue of someone with out any form of transport at that time, (other than walking) being required to travel a round trip of 25k over a state highway to get to an appointment that could have been rescheduled!
i would believe your not a heartless prick if you went back to your previous heartless comments, apologised for them and comprehended exactly why you got the reaction you did.
Few here would actually know each other in real life – so all anyone has to go on is what is written.
You started by attacking the person, spouted a whole lot of ignorant stereotypes, complained about people being mean right back at you and ignored the actual substance of any reply to you that attempted to examine or refute your claims
now youve got what?, Bragging about how far you walk to work and “LOL”?!
Did anyone hear Simon Mercep’s weak interview with Hekia Parata over declining international standing of NZ in education?
I felt he failed to ask her any of the key tricky questions?
Deliberate or incompetent?
However, the next report will almost certainly show a further decline for which the Standards should be implicated. It’s the paperwork, paperwork, …
Teachers have had to change their focus to produce a heap of “irrelevant” paper in the last decade to satisfy the statisticians at the expense of focusing on the children in front of them.
There has also been a significant increase in the number of children arriving at the school gates, tired and under-nourished – hardly in a fit state to learn.
Morrisey
Unlike your good self. You could be a good guy on a panel. There could be a guest spot available on Radio Live or wherever JT and WJ usually hang out. You could get people going for sure. With the right amount of irritation to produce some lively talk.
Thank you, greywarbler, but I’d be a dud. I’m absolutely sure I’d end up bending over backwards to be polite to the likes of Hekia Parata. I excoriate Simon Mercep for it, but I know I wouldn’t be any better than he is.
Morrissey
Good point. Striking the right balance – neither sycophantic (which makes the rest feel sick) or incisive and attacking (which results in drawn knives and cries of foul from the other side) is a hard thing. I didn’t realise that Maggie Barry was such a right wing gal till after she had left – she covered up so well from my perspective.
But don’t talk yourself down, you could have a role in stirring what can be a festering murky brew on some talkback, to mix some sunlight in. Or even add different colours to change the hue, some spilt blood red for instance. Then a touch of blue blood. Spin that colour wheel like a pizza cutter. wheee!
If you were still thinking that GMO was a good idea then think again:
“If this silences the same gene in us that it silences in the wheat — well, children who are born with this enzyme not working tend to die by the age of about five,” stated Professor Carman.
I never thought these thoughts would occur to me but today when I eat virtually anything I wonder if it has been over-modified, over-processed and whether it has been comprehensively tested for any potential effects from those overs-.
Clearly there will be a very rapidly growing market for non-modified and non-processed foods. It is already underway but I suspects it is about to go nuts….
… which of course will send the US corporates like Monsanto nuts, and their paid lobbyists in the TPPA and other corrals under construction will ramp it all up too.
Grow your own. The only way. With non-modified seeds.
In the context of the discussion above (yeah I know it’s really hard) lots of them.
In the context of the meaninglessness you’re trying to move the discussion to (everything is just molecules and it doesn’t matter how they’re arranged, man) none.
No you weren’t. You were attempting to demonstrate that everything is “modified” from something else in some way or other and then extrapolate that every modification is equally stable and worthwhile, and hope no-one noticed the massive leap in between.
I don’t know. But it has a great deal to do with your assertion that “the vast majority of the world actually can’t grow there own.”
Which I imagine is why it was placed as a reply to that assertion. But then I do have a very active imagination which even allows me to follow straightforward conversations without ending up like you.
GMO is a good idea, is supported in roughly the same overwhelming consensus of scientists as global warming and has been shown to safe for human consumption and study after study has shown it.
Rubbish. They haven’t been around long enough to test properly for long term effects on animals and humans. And all the published research is funded by the patent owners. Yes, you are really thinking this through, I can tell !
“GMO is a good idea, is supported in roughly the same overwhelming consensus of scientists as global warming and has been shown to safe for human consumption and study after study has shown it.”
It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution. Many more scientists oppose GMO because they see the damage that corporate monoculture does to agriculture. The soy in South America is about as good for the natural and social environment as Fonterra is for Aotearoa, but on a much larger scale. Do you have a source for your overwhelming consensus?
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
Are these organisations lobbyists with the FDA? They are the same organisations that speak on the efficiency of vaccines and the truth of man-made global warming.
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
These are some of the global, preeminent science organisations. Monsanto lobbyists they are not.
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
These are some of the global, preeminent science organisations. Monsanto lobbyists they are not.
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
These are some of the global, preeminent science organisations. Monsanto lobbyists they are not.
You usually behave yourself (apart from your taste in music of course). The site or rather the spam checker we use is having loading issues. So comments are winding up in moderation because they can’t get spam checked.
You have it easy. I’m cleaning up 500+ spam comments per day that are getting through the spam checker for me to examine.
Your hard work is very much appreciated lprent, I have much respect and gratitude for all that you do here. This end is certainly the easy part compared to your workload, I can only dream of having your skills and commitment.
Just another person following the advice that, supposedly, L. Ron Hubbard got: If you want to become rich, start your own church. And why not? It obviously worked for Hubbard and for Brian Tamaki.
…and Henry VIII. However the Tudors had the smarts to make their under-lords rich also. Brian is failing to share out the filthy lucre that his gang is pilfering from the poor.
Well, Murray, have a gander at an appearance he made on Jim Mora’s show earlier this year…
“After a comedy show, one is often mobbed by the ladies”
Angry boyfriends target Tall Poppy Andrew Clay The Panel, Radio NZ National, Thursday 28 April 2013
Jim Mora, Andrew Clay, Lisa Scott
Andrew Clay is a comedian, who a couple of years ago was paid to go to Afghanistan, ostensibly to entertain New Zealand’s occupation troops, but in fact to ensure he never again uttered a critical word about government policy. His comedic comrade MIKE KING was similarly co-opted, and even made a ridiculous television program about his trip. Clay likes to say he is a liberal, but every time he appears on The Panel he manages to froth and rave against such irritating trivialities as prisoners’ rights, or even human rights in general. Maybe he’s been out drinking with soldiers too often….
JIM MORA: We start with the very sad story of Jesse Ryder, who is in an induced coma after a very bad assault in Christchurch early this morning.
ANDREW CLAY: This is where I STOP being a liberal! I don’t CARE about the human rights of people who do this! Part of me just wants to HURT the people who did this to Jesse Ryder! Now I know I shouldn’t say that, but that’s the way I feel.
MORA: Mmmm, mmmm.
LISA SCOTT: Mmmmm.
ANDREW CLAY: We shouldn’t talk like that about people but….
LISA SCOTT: It’s okay for scum.
JIM MORA: Hmmmmmm…. We have this ugly thing in the New Zealand male psyche that makes us pick fights with sports stars, don’t we.
LISA SCOTT: It’s the Tall Poppy syndrome isn’t it.
ANDREW CLAY: It sure is. I’ve experienced it myself. After a comedy show, one is often mobbed by the ladies, and I have more than once felt the angry looks of male punters. Although I’ve never actually been assaulted, I’ve felt in imminent danger on several occasions and had to walk away. It’s the Tall Poppy syndrome.
Mediocrity Watch aims to keep you informed of—or, to quote the epically mediocre Simon Dallow, to be “right across”—the shoddiest, least professional, most insulting journalism and taxpayer-subsidised-sensitive-singer-songwriting from all over the world, but especially New Zealand. It is produced by DeakerWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More mediocrities….
No. 8: Ed Sheeran “I See Dire” http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-071113/#comment-723312
No. 7: Paul Little: [Russell Brand] is “petulant, ungracious and unfunny” and a “cut-rate Chomsky”.
No. 6: David Farrar: “Things were generally very relaxed in this area.”
No. 5: Jordan Williams: ““Capping rents seems like a recipe for disaster.”
No. 4: Prof. Robert Patman: “Hezbollah is totally a creature of the Iranian regime.”
No. 3: Jeremy Wells: “What evidence is there that secondhand smoking does any harm? Where is the evidence? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?”
No. 2: Gavin Gray: “…never been any problems associated with the name King George.”
No. 1: Susie Ferguson: “If, as you say, this has all been done before, why do it all again?”
My experience with ts this morning. I wrote a comment and submitted with an involuntary double click and got duplicate message. Went back to my comment and it was back in editing mode, so I did that, and submitted again and got the closed sign. Then I went back and refreshed with Home and there it was in the Comments list.
My experience with ts this morning. I wrote a comment and submitted with an involuntary double click and got duplicate message. Went back to my comment and it was back in editing mode, so I did that, and submitted again and got the Connection closed by remote server page. Then I checked if I was still under submitting control. Then I went back and refreshed with Home and there it was in the Comments list.
Re Simon Merceps interview of Parata. Simon’s first question was, paraphrasing, “isn’t Labour just as much to blame?” He repeated this point in the same interview. It would appear he could be an apologist for the governments line. I have noticed Geof Robinson do the same thing when a government minister declined to be interviewed and he, by default, found himself taking the government line. Bizarre really.
Chomsky not impressed by Bob Dylan’s incoherent rambling
June, 1994
Just the other day I was sitting in a radio studio waiting for a satellite arrangement abroad to be set up. The engineers were putting together interviews with Bob Dylan from about 1966-7 or so (judging by the references), and I was listening (I’d never heard him talk before — if you can call that talking). He sounded as though he was so drugged he was barely coherent, but the message got through clearly enough through the haze. He said over and over that he’d been through all of this protest thing, realized it was nonsense, and that the only thing that was important was to live his own life happily and freely, not to “mess around with other people’s lives” by working for civil and human rights, ending war and poverty, etc. He was asked what he thought about the Berkeley “free speech movement” and said that he didn’t understand it. He said something like: “I have free speech, I can do what I want, so it has nothing to do with me. Period.” If the capitalist PR machine wanted to invent someone for their purposes, they couldn’t have made a better choice.
Stoned or not, Dylan’s political naïveté and the lack of intelligence is a sad fact of life for too many pampered American musicians. Here’s another fool who doesn’t seem to have much idea about anything…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JygWoIeW224
It’s true that the wonderful word play, various interpretations/ meanings of a Dylan song outshine his ability to make sense with his spoken word more often than not. Many artists are better off letting their art do the talking.
You could have a valid point there. Perhaps Shakespeare was an indolent thinker and an incoherent dolt in his everyday discourse. Certainly Martin Amis is. As was his father Kingsley. And Bruce Springsteen.
In fact, it’s hard to think of a singer or a writer who does have the ability to express him/herself coherently, and who has actually done some serious reading and thinking.
It’s true that the wonderful word play, various interpretations/ meanings of a Dylan song outshine his ability to make sense with his spoken word more often than not.
Dylan made perfect sense, even though, as Chomsky observed, he was clearly under the influence of drugs at the time. The problem is not that his thinking was so muddled; the problem is that it is so threadbare, so irresponsible, and so contemptuous of people who did actually care about something other than themselves. Dylan was not stupid, he was indolent. Judging by some of his recent utterances, nothing has changed in forty-seven years.
He seemingly hasn’t moved on from trying to shock and offend the way he did in the ’60’s when he wanted to shake off the “voice of a generation”, “prophet” etc. labels people tried to pigeonhole him with. He’s the quintessential troubadour and would be best to keep to that field of expertise. i.e. Blind Willie McTell
I cannot figure what strategy Colin Craig has in mind in making non-committal statements about science. Attention seeking? Is he simply reflecting his constituency?
I hope there are not too many people out there which the education system has failed given that we live in a democracy.
Maybe it is all part of a master plan to not educate people well so the powers that be can rule with impunity.
In my work with T. William Lester and Michael Reich, we use nearly two decades’ worth of data and compare all bordering areas in the United States to show that while higher minimum wages raise earnings of low-wage workers, they do not have a detectable impact on employment. Our estimates — published in 2010 in the Review of Economics and Statistics — suggest that a hypothetical 10 percent increase in the minimum wage affects employment in the restaurant or retail industries, by much less than 1 percent; the change is in fact statistically indistinguishable from zero.
More research coming out showing that raising the minimum wage has no effect upon employment.
Cunliffe on Radio Live with Plunket just now: 10.20-10.30 (audio on their website 1 hour later).
Really strong and clear. And Plunket is no pussy cat.
Tweet – owns it, no waffle, no BS.
Craig – will not be a coalition partner, period. And asked the same Qs (moon landings, chem trails etc) Cunliffe’s answers are unequivocal and – thank goodness – sane.
Banks – toast.
Anyone who has any lingering doubts about Cunliffe vs Key (or Shearer, or whoever) should listen.
Very good performance from Cunners, even allowing for Plunket being such a persistently annoying dickhead over the tweet issue and talking over him at times.
I can understand it being up near three thousand and saying a couple, but it is more accurate for me to say nearly ten thousand people could have seen that tweet than Cunliffe saying only a couple of thousand of people could have seen that tweet.
How dare a politician be circumspect! They must always resort to hyperbole, name calling, hair pulling and mud slinging – 100% of the time, 24/7, round the clock, yadda yadda yadda
And as long as we continue with representative democracy we will have politicians continuing to try and prevent the people from having a say in their own governance. First they will continue to ensure that the people don’t have enough information (TPPA) and then they’ll ignore what the people say anyway (Asset sales).
I’m wondering if we could cut out some of the middlemen and put our names down to be on a panel for our locality interviewing the operational head of a department who would travel the country to be interviewed by a stratified random panel, with others in as observers. They would then have to follow a job description made up by we the peeps with input from them.
The politicians don’t seem to be interested in their electors and they don’t want to have any control over their workers, saying to any queries ‘Oh I couldn’t comment, it is an operational matter’. They are worse than useless because they will take a functioning system and discard it, or replace it. So something better is required.
As far as running things by referendum is concerned as another way, I don’t really like the It becomes another tax evasion system where people will go for the cheapest option unless it’s urgently necessary to have something done in their own neighbourhood.
Ok, due to a neat little trick in .htaccess, I’m now reflecting any attempt to leave comments without a referrer back to the Ip that it is calling from.
The effect is to block stupid spambots.
A few more of those and the current deluge of spam might stop clogging the servers.
amirite
You could try searching for lprent and all the things that are being done to the site and for it will come up. Which helps to keep up with the latest. Lynn said recently that there was a lot of spam coming through and overwhelming the system. I’m having some problems and think it possible that its partly my phone connections and/or my hardware.
Its possible but extremely unlikely, the Takahe was also thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the late 40s, but it seems to me his big problem seems to be with answering questions too honestly
I wouldn’t mind betting that some (most?) of the MPs we have now probably have some extremely bat-shit crazy views but are smart enough to keep them to themselves
Although it seems to me that those with religious views almost seem to want to be ridiculed as it reinforces their views…almost like they’re martyrs or something so they’re probably cheering CC on
(I apologize to those on here who are religious but arn’t bat-shit crazy for lumping them all in together)
– While I don’t think what he did is all that bad but it really does just illustrate politicians lax views towards electoral rules (left and right), surely hes telling fibs that he didn’t know yet he knows he can quite clearly get away with doing it because the police probably won’t do anything about it
surely hes telling fibs that he didn’t know yet he knows he can quite clearly get away with doing it
Fair enough trying make a deal out of it, but honestly, doesn’t the fact he deleted it quick enough that hardly anyone even got a screen grab, and then informed on himself about it, kind of indicate that it was more cock up than intent to ‘get away with it’?
What was the plan? I’ll tweet something, delete it real quick so hardly anyone sees it, turn myself in, aah, win?
“Refreshing” is such a nicer term then got out telling porkies isn’t it
“Mr Cunliffe alleged Ms Adams went to “great lengths” to keep the information from the public, telling Parliament there was a “very low” risk of a large scale oil spill occurring.”
– Turned out the report was on-line the whole time
Anytime Cunliffe pledged support to Goff or Shearer and the exaggeration over the extent of his work on the formation of Fonterra
When did Cunliffe break his promise to support Goff or Shearer?
CV embellishment – if you are soooo concerned about such things, when/if Hooton announces he’s standing for parliament, I expect to see your full outrage against the CV embellishment that has long been in his work website. (after Bradbury tweeted about Hooton potentially standing for ACT leader, Hooton tweeted a couple of hours ago,
MatthewHootonNZ’s avatar
Matthew Hooton @MatthewHootonNZ
I may have more to say on the @actparty issue on Friday
)
Now that point about Adams report is just extreme total desperation.
Oh, it’s a dastardly one, PB. He’s going to convince us all that he’s upfront and trustworthy, even when he makes mistakes, by acting in an upfront and trustworthy way after he makes a mistake. Fuckin’ Machiavellian, that.
Piss73 – they (the upper echelons of the Police) actually might prosecute Cunliffe……..having learned their lesson about playing sucky politics – right wing sucky as it happens. McCready humiliated them. Ups to him.
Let’s suppose they do prosecute Pisso. An artful law student could probably word up a diversion submission before second appearance. Botox is headed for a jury Piss. That’s the diff’.
Piss attempt at painting moral equivalence there Piss.
I am starting to believe that the RWNJs are seeing the act in this light because even they are not blind to the writing on the wall for John Key. With their beloved hero, back against the wall, appealing to NZ not to vote him out next year and to vote in his only chances for electoral victory in the forms of Colin “Chemtrails” Craig and an as yet unnamed ACT representative (showing just how likely *that* is) – their only hope is that Cunliffe is removed.
Expect to see every single misstep from him represented in these preposterous terms all the way until election day – and the more they repeat it, the less the electorate will listen because it will become a continuing narrative of irrelevance from the Right as they focus on non-issues.
Billy says something about a rocket going to Venus, but he may have been taking the piss (or on it).
Next. Tracey, she believes in lots of them … Twin Towers, something about the Titanic not really sinking, a couple more, but – she emphasises – she does like Colin Craig.
Next guy also lists all of them. Must be heavy sarcasm. Well, maybe.
Mike says all the victims of 9/11 were paid to destroy the buildings from the inside. Plus something about Marilyn Monroe.
The next caller links the Christchurch earthquake(s) and Israel. Because Bob Parker went to Israel. Obviously.
Mark – 6,000 years ago there were the floods of Noah. The dinosaurs were killed off. Dragons survived in Wales and Loch Ness, but most were killed. The Bible is right, basically.
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It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
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 ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
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. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
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 ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
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For the WTF column: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9472548/Trek-to-stop-benefit-cut-off. Time Paula Beneficiary-Basher had a bit of the same treatment.
Such nastiness will not be confined to just the small South Waikato town of Putaruru either, beneficiaries all over the country will be suffering the same ‘punishment’ and it should be the duty of WINZ to send a case worker to these towns where there is no permanent office on one or two days a week so as to enable those in such towns to be able to fulfill their ‘obligations’ in a manner befitting human beings in the year 2014…
Yep, nasty nasty nasty
nasty
nasty
nasty
what a horrible nasty Minister.
horrible and nasty
mean
compassionless
welcome to New Zealand, National Party style…….. no thanks
Thanks Slippery — good ole pure new zealand under your ‘leadership’.
So you are telling me 20yrs of welfare bludging should be applauded and Winz officers should now be runing to the welfare dependants, maybe they should pick up their ciggies,booze and groceries while they are at it
To poor to afford the bus was she must be Paula Bennets fault as well
I’m sure nobody could tell you a damned thing.
Well, nothing that will get through the armour of stereotyping stupidity that you have placed between yourself and reality, anyway.
So she hasnt been on the dole for 20years and no buses run to Tokoroa,has no friends that own a car a bike etc, this is a bullshit media beatup, putting me down just shows you for the insulting idiot you are instead of contributing or debating you abuse me, my “reality” is based on the facts given to us btw
grouch
Garbageman
Look just stick to what you are good at. Picking up the garbage – and that is an important job and an admirable one. But don’t wear yourself out trying to think about social matters. You haven’t got a caring bone in your body or a real brain that can understand and assess a problem. So go with your strengths and go and lift something that isn’t living and therefore can’t get hurt.
no your reality is based on your ignorance, prejudice and hypocrisy
1) everyone, including the winz staff memebrs in tokoroa would know theres no bus service
2) its the punitive one size fits all policy set by the govt that created this situation.
3) perhaps she had other means of transport available to her, just not on the exact same day and time winz demanded she trun up
4) you complain about people putting you down and abusing you – yet thats exactly what you opened with.
maybe get over your hatred and holier than thou stance and understand that this woman was doing what was demanded of her – and it was a situation that could have easily been rectified with a bit of common sense and mutual organising. Thats the point
Your disgusting attitude is “putting you down” plenty enough. There are beneficiaries isolated simply because they live on social security. You sound like the type to ditch friends should they become welfare dependant, although I wouldn’t be surprised if you have none except for some of those clones of you commenting on that Stuff article. ‘Garbage’, ‘Rubbish’, ‘Trash’.. certainly….’.Man’… not so much.
more of a man than you will ever be Fondler you just stick to slapping people on the back that agree with you and attacking people personally that dont agree with you, i have noticed its an ongoing theme on this site, try attacking the issue for a change, more than likely another dole bludger must be if you are happy to be paying taxes for 20 years to any welfare recipient it is supposed to be used for a helping hand to future employment not a lifestyle
The woman from that article doesn’t need garbage dump loiterers throwing trash at her, making judgements about her imagined habits and sobriety; she looked perfectly sober on the news. I applaud her for raising four children alone, that’s an admirable feat and something you seem unable to comprehend.
Love the way you attacked her then advocate only attacking the issue when your refuse gets returned, your wheelie-bin is overflowing.
perhaps you should stop attacking people first
you little whine about people being totes mean to you rings rather hollow, its neither accurate or original
And you obviously havent noticed that the issues do get debated back and forth quite readily – just not with fools who think that manners is a one way street
Garbageman
You say ‘ try attacking the issue for a change,’ because we criticise you. But you are part of the issue. You don’t see bringing children up as a job? You don’t think that children and teenagers are important and need good caring support as they grow up? Because you don’t appreciate or value what parenting you had, which may have been little, it doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t have better.
Good on you for walking 40 minutes to your job. I hope when you get home you don’t have to do the housework, cook, and get the children to do their homework and to bed ready to get up and go to school another day. Also pay the bills out of small resources, and try to find some work that fits in with the children’s needs. And the constant jobs, mending their clothes, trying to get second hand school uniforms, finding shoes they can wear for sports again because the last pair got stolen from their school locker, it goes on and on.
You apparently imagine that a good fairy does all that, or you never had that sort of care and have no memories of what is involved in doing a good job as a parent. You just like hating and criticising, and want to kick someone because your life is unhappy, so look enviously on someone who, in your imagine, is getting a better deal.
Well said GW, plenty for Garbage man to think about there, if he’s able to.
Could you walk that far in the time she does? I’m impressed by the effort she puts in to meet some stupid bureaucratic requirement. I’m not impressed by your repetition of the same shit garbage that you fools come out with all the time. Garbage is right.
Actually i walk 40 mins to and from work every day,so you are impressed thats nice i personally would be more impressed if this lady put as much effort over the last 20 years into getting a job and yes Garbage is right thanks
I’d be impressed if your 20 minutes each way amounted to a marathon distance. However it was more like what? 2-3kms
Actually its 40 mins each way every day to work which i guess isnt really relevant just clearing that up thanks
so you cant do 25k down a main highway? – what a patheitc wimp! There i was thinking you were a randian superman – im somewhat disappointed
LOL actually i would jump in my car or on my bike maybe get the bus if i had to or cadge a ride from someone and to show im not the heartless prick you lot seem to be trying to make me out to be im very happy she has had many offers of support and rides if needed but like i said initially its still just a bullshit media beat up
You arent her – your abilities, resources and opportunities (as well as mine) are irrelevant to the issue of someone with out any form of transport at that time, (other than walking) being required to travel a round trip of 25k over a state highway to get to an appointment that could have been rescheduled!
i would believe your not a heartless prick if you went back to your previous heartless comments, apologised for them and comprehended exactly why you got the reaction you did.
Few here would actually know each other in real life – so all anyone has to go on is what is written.
You started by attacking the person, spouted a whole lot of ignorant stereotypes, complained about people being mean right back at you and ignored the actual substance of any reply to you that attempted to examine or refute your claims
now youve got what?, Bragging about how far you walk to work and “LOL”?!
He should be able to make the road as he walks on it, and all without slowing down.
Did anyone hear Simon Mercep’s weak interview with Hekia Parata over declining international standing of NZ in education?
I felt he failed to ask her any of the key tricky questions?
Deliberate or incompetent?
We cannot blame National Standards for this one.
However, the next report will almost certainly show a further decline for which the Standards should be implicated. It’s the paperwork, paperwork, …
Teachers have had to change their focus to produce a heap of “irrelevant” paper in the last decade to satisfy the statisticians at the expense of focusing on the children in front of them.
There has also been a significant increase in the number of children arriving at the school gates, tired and under-nourished – hardly in a fit state to learn.
Deliberate or incompetent?
Timid and incompetent.
Morrisey
Unlike your good self. You could be a good guy on a panel. There could be a guest spot available on Radio Live or wherever JT and WJ usually hang out. You could get people going for sure. With the right amount of irritation to produce some lively talk.
Thank you, greywarbler, but I’d be a dud. I’m absolutely sure I’d end up bending over backwards to be polite to the likes of Hekia Parata. I excoriate Simon Mercep for it, but I know I wouldn’t be any better than he is.
Morrissey
Good point. Striking the right balance – neither sycophantic (which makes the rest feel sick) or incisive and attacking (which results in drawn knives and cries of foul from the other side) is a hard thing. I didn’t realise that Maggie Barry was such a right wing gal till after she had left – she covered up so well from my perspective.
But don’t talk yourself down, you could have a role in stirring what can be a festering murky brew on some talkback, to mix some sunlight in. Or even add different colours to change the hue, some spilt blood red for instance. Then a touch of blue blood. Spin that colour wheel like a pizza cutter. wheee!
Blood and pizza. I LIKE the sound of that!
‘Mr Dunn is a serial leaker’ Winston Peters, RNZ.
Pot and Kettle.
If you were still thinking that GMO was a good idea then think again:
I never thought these thoughts would occur to me but today when I eat virtually anything I wonder if it has been over-modified, over-processed and whether it has been comprehensively tested for any potential effects from those overs-.
Clearly there will be a very rapidly growing market for non-modified and non-processed foods. It is already underway but I suspects it is about to go nuts….
… which of course will send the US corporates like Monsanto nuts, and their paid lobbyists in the TPPA and other corrals under construction will ramp it all up too.
Grow your own. The only way. With non-modified seeds.
the only way
walk away
from the supermarche
“Grow your own. The only way. With non-modified seeds. ”
That’s good for you but the vast majority of the world actually can’t grow there own.
Doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea mate.
As below the overwhelming consensus is that they are safe for human consumption.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/08/29/are-gmos-safe-global-independent-science-organizations-weigh-in/
Don’t care. Mine are better.
?
Which word are you having trouble with?
Your what are better?
What they, TC?
My non-modified, non-processed foods.
Do you not even read the comments you reply to? Just lurch in? It won’t save you any time in the long run.
Which foods are you eating that are non-modified?
Which foods are you eating that are non-modified?
In the context of the discussion above (yeah I know it’s really hard) lots of them.
In the context of the meaninglessness you’re trying to move the discussion to (everything is just molecules and it doesn’t matter how they’re arranged, man) none.
I was asking for specifics.
No you weren’t. You were attempting to demonstrate that everything is “modified” from something else in some way or other and then extrapolate that every modification is equally stable and worthwhile, and hope no-one noticed the massive leap in between.
No.
Many of them could if their colonial masters hadn’t forced them to grow our fucking coffee.
What does that have to do with the safety of GMO?
I don’t know. But it has a great deal to do with your assertion that “the vast majority of the world actually can’t grow there own.”
Which I imagine is why it was placed as a reply to that assertion. But then I do have a very active imagination which even allows me to follow straightforward conversations without ending up like you.
GMO is a good idea, is supported in roughly the same overwhelming consensus of scientists as global warming and has been shown to safe for human consumption and study after study has shown it.
As to your specific link:
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/04/22/better-late-than-never-when-hysteria-about-gmos-takes-root/
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/06/17/bad-science-about-gmos-it-reminds-me-of-the-antivaccine-movement-revisited/
Thanks for that. Always good to hear both sides.
How many generations of humans have been studied with regards to GMO food?
First you need to define GMO food because humans have been changing the genetics of food for 100s if not 1000s of years.
selective breeding isnt the same thing as genetic modification though is it
Rubbish. They haven’t been around long enough to test properly for long term effects on animals and humans. And all the published research is funded by the patent owners. Yes, you are really thinking this through, I can tell !
National Academy of Sciences owns GMO patents?
FUNDED by patent owners ..
doesn’t matter who does the research .. cherchez le holy dollars !!!
“GMO’s for dinner .. fine menu selection, sir.
Would you like a side-order of tumours with that ??”
What tumours? Got a link?
Also got a link to support the studies done by the National Academy of Sciences was funded by the patent owners?
What tumours? Got a link?
Also got a link to support the studies done by the National Academy of Sciences was funded by the patent owners?
“GMO is a good idea, is supported in roughly the same overwhelming consensus of scientists as global warming and has been shown to safe for human consumption and study after study has shown it.”
It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution. Many more scientists oppose GMO because they see the damage that corporate monoculture does to agriculture. The soy in South America is about as good for the natural and social environment as Fonterra is for Aotearoa, but on a much larger scale. Do you have a source for your overwhelming consensus?
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
Are these organisations lobbyists with the FDA? They are the same organisations that speak on the efficiency of vaccines and the truth of man-made global warming.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GLP-Science-and-GMOs.pdf
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
These are some of the global, preeminent science organisations. Monsanto lobbyists they are not.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GLP-Science-and-GMOs.pdf
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
These are some of the global, preeminent science organisations. Monsanto lobbyists they are not.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GLP-Science-and-GMOs.pdf
And:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/08/29/are-gmos-safe-global-independent-science-organizations-weigh-in/
“It may be supported by an overwhelming consensus of Monsanto lobbyists working for the FDA, but my impression of the wider science community is that the jury is out and we should proceed with caution.”
These are some of the global, preeminent science organisations. Monsanto lobbyists they are not.
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GLP-Science-and-GMOs.pdf
And:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/08/29/are-gmos-safe-global-independent-science-organizations-weigh-in/
Errr, not sure why the above repetition happened. Kept getting errors….
Errr, not sure why the above repetition happened. Kept getting errors….
Errr, not sure why the above repetition happened. Kept getting errors….
Because you submitted again after getting the error.
There may have been some repeated submitting…
Oh well, I keep getting put in moderation, and I thought I’d been behaving myself lately…
You usually behave yourself (apart from your taste in music of course). The site or rather the spam checker we use is having loading issues. So comments are winding up in moderation because they can’t get spam checked.
You have it easy. I’m cleaning up 500+ spam comments per day that are getting through the spam checker for me to examine.
Working on fixing it now.
Your hard work is very much appreciated lprent, I have much respect and gratitude for all that you do here. This end is certainly the easy part compared to your workload, I can only dream of having your skills and commitment.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11166500
Split in Destiny church.
god will be really upset about this.
Just another person following the advice that, supposedly, L. Ron Hubbard got: If you want to become rich, start your own church. And why not? It obviously worked for Hubbard and for Brian Tamaki.
…and Henry VIII. However the Tudors had the smarts to make their under-lords rich also. Brian is failing to share out the filthy lucre that his gang is pilfering from the poor.
what I love about the destiny church and brian tamaki thingy is the illustration it is of the extent to which humans can self-justify.
most amusing, we humans …..
Schisms occur in big business too you know.
especially when flagship projects start to stall, like the Tamaki Jonestown.
Jonestown – “Love is the only weapon. Martin Luther King died for love…” @2:07
Religion is Big Business didn’t you know. The growth industry.
We hear that chartered accountants are attracted to all sort of figures but at the end of the day they don’t add up to much.
We hear that chartered accountants are attracted to all sorts of figures but at the end of the day they don’t add up to much.
“This is where I STOP being a liberal!”
“After a comedy show, one is often mobbed by the ladies…”
Mediocrity Watch No. 9: ANDREW CLAY
On yesterday’s Open Mike, our friend and colleague Murray Olsen asked: “Who is Andrew Clay and should I be worried?”…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03122013-2/#comment-738655
Well, Murray, have a gander at an appearance he made on Jim Mora’s show earlier this year…
“After a comedy show, one is often mobbed by the ladies”
Angry boyfriends target Tall Poppy Andrew Clay
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Thursday 28 April 2013
Jim Mora, Andrew Clay, Lisa Scott
Andrew Clay is a comedian, who a couple of years ago was paid to go to Afghanistan, ostensibly to entertain New Zealand’s occupation troops, but in fact to ensure he never again uttered a critical word about government policy. His comedic comrade MIKE KING was similarly co-opted, and even made a ridiculous television program about his trip. Clay likes to say he is a liberal, but every time he appears on The Panel he manages to froth and rave against such irritating trivialities as prisoners’ rights, or even human rights in general. Maybe he’s been out drinking with soldiers too often….
JIM MORA: We start with the very sad story of Jesse Ryder, who is in an induced coma after a very bad assault in Christchurch early this morning.
ANDREW CLAY: This is where I STOP being a liberal! I don’t CARE about the human rights of people who do this! Part of me just wants to HURT the people who did this to Jesse Ryder! Now I know I shouldn’t say that, but that’s the way I feel.
MORA: Mmmm, mmmm.
LISA SCOTT: Mmmmm.
ANDREW CLAY: We shouldn’t talk like that about people but….
LISA SCOTT: It’s okay for scum.
JIM MORA: Hmmmmmm…. We have this ugly thing in the New Zealand male psyche that makes us pick fights with sports stars, don’t we.
LISA SCOTT: It’s the Tall Poppy syndrome isn’t it.
ANDREW CLAY: It sure is. I’ve experienced it myself. After a comedy show, one is often mobbed by the ladies, and I have more than once felt the angry looks of male punters. Although I’ve never actually been assaulted, I’ve felt in imminent danger on several occasions and had to walk away. It’s the Tall Poppy syndrome.
JIM MORA: [politely dubious] Hmmmmmm….
LISA SCOTT: [skeptical] Mmmmmmm…
Read more about Andrew Clay, including an extraordinarily embarrassing overshare about his ignorance of the Khmer Rouge….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28032013/#comment-611053
Mediocrity Watch aims to keep you informed of—or, to quote the epically mediocre Simon Dallow, to be “right across”—the shoddiest, least professional, most insulting journalism and taxpayer-subsidised-sensitive-singer-songwriting from all over the world, but especially New Zealand. It is produced by DeakerWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More mediocrities….
No. 8: Ed Sheeran “I See Dire”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-071113/#comment-723312
No. 7: Paul Little: [Russell Brand] is “petulant, ungracious and unfunny” and a “cut-rate Chomsky”.
No. 6: David Farrar: “Things were generally very relaxed in this area.”
No. 5: Jordan Williams: ““Capping rents seems like a recipe for disaster.”
No. 4: Prof. Robert Patman: “Hezbollah is totally a creature of the Iranian regime.”
No. 3: Jeremy Wells: “What evidence is there that secondhand smoking does any harm? Where is the evidence? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?”
No. 2: Gavin Gray: “…never been any problems associated with the name King George.”
No. 1: Susie Ferguson: “If, as you say, this has all been done before, why do it all again?”
I remember seeing Mike King in Timor Leste, teaching young kids to say “Aussie wanker”. It was cringeworthy stuff.
on my rounds this morn..i found this tasty musical-treat..
“..Everyone knows Police and Thieves – but there was more to Junior Murvin than that one song.
Here’s the proof..”
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/dec/03/junior-murvin-five-great-performances-police-and-thieves
(hope that rocks yr morn..
phillip ure..
My experience with ts this morning. I wrote a comment and submitted with an involuntary double click and got duplicate message. Went back to my comment and it was back in editing mode, so I did that, and submitted again and got the closed sign. Then I went back and refreshed with Home and there it was in the Comments list.
on my rounds this morn..i found this tasty musical-treat..
“..Everyone knows Police and Thieves – but there was more to Junior Murvin than that one song.
Here’s the proof..”
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/dec/03/junior-murvin-five-great-performances-police-and-thieves
(hope that rocks yr morn..)
phillip ure..
My experience with ts this morning. I wrote a comment and submitted with an involuntary double click and got duplicate message. Went back to my comment and it was back in editing mode, so I did that, and submitted again and got the Connection closed by remote server page. Then I checked if I was still under submitting control. Then I went back and refreshed with Home and there it was in the Comments list.
Now I have double comments in moderation about the moves I had to make to get on ts this morning. Sigh. Bye for now. I’ll get on with my day.
Re Simon Merceps interview of Parata. Simon’s first question was, paraphrasing, “isn’t Labour just as much to blame?” He repeated this point in the same interview. It would appear he could be an apologist for the governments line. I have noticed Geof Robinson do the same thing when a government minister declined to be interviewed and he, by default, found himself taking the government line. Bizarre really.
@phil..
..if you accept..as i seem to be hearing..that much of this rankings-slump is down to poverty/inequality..
..that it is an outcome/symptom from the dickensian-horrors that is a life of grinding/abject-poverty..
..with no end in sight..
..then the rogernomics/clark labour govts most certainly are ‘as much to blame’..
..as the current band of tory opportunists/class-warriors/asset-looters..
..how can they not be..?
..(‘working for (some) families’..?..anyone..?..)
..phillip ure..
Chomsky not impressed by Bob Dylan’s incoherent rambling
June, 1994
Just the other day I was sitting in a radio studio waiting for a satellite arrangement abroad to be set up. The engineers were putting together interviews with Bob Dylan from about 1966-7 or so (judging by the references), and I was listening (I’d never heard him talk before — if you can call that talking). He sounded as though he was so drugged he was barely coherent, but the message got through clearly enough through the haze. He said over and over that he’d been through all of this protest thing, realized it was nonsense, and that the only thing that was important was to live his own life happily and freely, not to “mess around with other people’s lives” by working for civil and human rights, ending war and poverty, etc. He was asked what he thought about the Berkeley “free speech movement” and said that he didn’t understand it. He said something like: “I have free speech, I can do what I want, so it has nothing to do with me. Period.” If the capitalist PR machine wanted to invent someone for their purposes, they couldn’t have made a better choice.
http://www.chomsky.info/letters/199406–.htm
ok..a stoned-rant in/from 1966..
..got anything else..?
phillip ure..
a stoned rant from 2013 suffice?
Stoned or not, Dylan’s political naïveté and the lack of intelligence is a sad fact of life for too many pampered American musicians. Here’s another fool who doesn’t seem to have much idea about anything….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JygWoIeW224
certainly not The Ghost of Tom Joad and a long way back to The River .
It’s true that the wonderful word play, various interpretations/ meanings of a Dylan song outshine his ability to make sense with his spoken word more often than not. Many artists are better off letting their art do the talking.
Talk Talk
You could have a valid point there. Perhaps Shakespeare was an indolent thinker and an incoherent dolt in his everyday discourse. Certainly Martin Amis is. As was his father Kingsley. And Bruce Springsteen.
In fact, it’s hard to think of a singer or a writer who does have the ability to express him/herself coherently, and who has actually done some serious reading and thinking.
It’s true that the wonderful word play, various interpretations/ meanings of a Dylan song outshine his ability to make sense with his spoken word more often than not.
Dylan made perfect sense, even though, as Chomsky observed, he was clearly under the influence of drugs at the time. The problem is not that his thinking was so muddled; the problem is that it is so threadbare, so irresponsible, and so contemptuous of people who did actually care about something other than themselves. Dylan was not stupid, he was indolent. Judging by some of his recent utterances, nothing has changed in forty-seven years.
He seemingly hasn’t moved on from trying to shock and offend the way he did in the ’60’s when he wanted to shake off the “voice of a generation”, “prophet” etc. labels people tried to pigeonhole him with. He’s the quintessential troubadour and would be best to keep to that field of expertise. i.e. Blind Willie McTell
Bob and John incoherent, – pissed or stoned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSlZvfsWdOc
edit: Bob’s been busy too.
Stoned immaculate joe; Wonderful footage. 😀
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/12/04/colin-craig-now-denies-moon-landing/
I cannot figure what strategy Colin Craig has in mind in making non-committal statements about science. Attention seeking? Is he simply reflecting his constituency?
I hope there are not too many people out there which the education system has failed given that we live in a democracy.
Maybe it is all part of a master plan to not educate people well so the powers that be can rule with impunity.
Don’t! Ask Colin
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11166736
-he’s still “looking into it”. -“…Here’s a truck-stop instead of St Peter’s , yeah yeah yeah yeah”
“…Asked again, Mr Craig said he had “no idea” whether man had walked on the moon…’
Wow. Just…wow.
I don’t understand how he can claim to not hold a position because it’s not worth his time to think about.
The questions would go away if he stopped umming and arrrring – instead, it appears he has thought about it enough to be aware of conspiracy theories.
the Minimum We Can Do
More research coming out showing that raising the minimum wage has no effect upon employment.
Banks has called a press conference for 11am. Boscowan in attendance.
The Prime Minister happily looks forward to the press conference …
http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201349/12633fb638a61ec361a1be3808ec8a0caaf7ac76_620x310.jpg
(Photo: NZ Herald, today)
Dr Doom (no, not Victor) -Nouriel Roubini
on NZ and other international Housing Bubbles:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11166353
“policy-makers will not have the tools of 2008 to cushion the fall”. (just a little pin-prick…there will be some aaargh ) 😎
i will claim to have possibly been the first in nz to predict the g.f.c…and the reasons for it..(in sept ’06 @ whoar..)
..and i was relying on the words/predictions of roubini..in making that call..
..so..if roubini sez we have an about to burst housing bubble..
..i’d tend to believe him..
..eh..?
..he has quite the record for being accurate..
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=roubini
phillip ure..
whoar! 🙂
Parliamentary Select Committee piloting live streaming now. Serious Fraud Office Review.
Thanks Karol. Wonder if that will be constant?
Cunliffe on Radio Live with Plunket just now: 10.20-10.30 (audio on their website 1 hour later).
Really strong and clear. And Plunket is no pussy cat.
Tweet – owns it, no waffle, no BS.
Craig – will not be a coalition partner, period. And asked the same Qs (moon landings, chem trails etc) Cunliffe’s answers are unequivocal and – thank goodness – sane.
Banks – toast.
Anyone who has any lingering doubts about Cunliffe vs Key (or Shearer, or whoever) should listen.
And Radio live headlines the audio with David Cunliffe admits Christchurch East tweet error”
For analysis that puts the whole thing in perspective Imperator Fish’s latest is right on the money
http://imperatorfish.com/2013/12/03/you-will-never-take-me-alive/
Heh. Armed with a smart phone and dangerous!
And now his latest latest: A statement from Colin Craig
Very good performance from Cunners, even allowing for Plunket being such a persistently annoying dickhead over the tweet issue and talking over him at times.
Cunliffe tweet referred to the police by Electoral Commission
Seriously? A police investigation for this, a tweet which was deleted after a few seconds?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11167011
“Cunliffe on Radio Live with Plunket just now: 10.20-10.30 (audio on their website 1 hour later).
Really strong and clear. And Plunket is no pussy cat.
Tweet – owns it, no waffle, no BS.”
There was BS- Cunliffe claimed he has only a couple of thousand twitter followers- https://twitter.com/DavidCunliffeMP shows three times that amount.
Because “a couple” is only ever literally used to mean “2”. 🙄
Yes- http://www.thefreedictionary.com/couple
I can understand it being up near three thousand and saying a couple, but it is more accurate for me to say nearly ten thousand people could have seen that tweet than Cunliffe saying only a couple of thousand of people could have seen that tweet.
How dare a politician be circumspect! They must always resort to hyperbole, name calling, hair pulling and mud slinging – 100% of the time, 24/7, round the clock, yadda yadda yadda
RedRobin you’re a fucking moron.
Audio here: http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Audio.aspx Wednesday 10:15 am segment.
Cunliffe says “a few thousand”.
He probably doesn’t look at the number of followers he has and doesn’t normally know the number at all.
Banks to hold Press conference at 11am this morning.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11166756
Travellerev may have to vote for Colin Craig, if he keeps this up.
funny, yet unlikely.Craig would be more supportive of the AQ thesis
I hear Colin Craig is not sure if gravity exists, although he is inclined to believe it.
He has not investigated whether electricity is real, either.
shocking revelation as credibility plummets to Hades;
Styx and stones may break our bones, yet fools leave us in stitches. 😉
those two are rather good 🙂 – have you taken up a post at the civilian?
maybe someone could provide him with a chair (ok, that’s two ‘contexts’ for the price of one) 🙂
“funny, yet unlikely.Craig would be more supportive of the AQ thesis”
He was asked about this just the other day by Sean Plunket. He reckons “probably terrorists but who knows” or words to that effect.
Ho Ho! Mr Banks will not seek re-election in 2014. Wow! Surprise. But it seems he will not resign. So he will continue to be a thorn in Key’s side?
Ho Ho! Mr Banks will not seek re-election in 2014. Wow! Surprise. But it seems he will not resign. So he will continue to be a thorn in Key’s side?
Crikey. Reply getting carried away – twice- again!
Read this link. It’s why we are in the state we are because almost all out pollies try to do the opposite
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1P83hd_hvX8/SbnUWo7nxCI/AAAAAAAAAG4/-jpyXk1XPIQ/S240/Jefferson_believed.jpg
And as long as we continue with representative democracy we will have politicians continuing to try and prevent the people from having a say in their own governance. First they will continue to ensure that the people don’t have enough information (TPPA) and then they’ll ignore what the people say anyway (Asset sales).
Bring on an informed participatory citizen democracy.
I’m wondering if we could cut out some of the middlemen and put our names down to be on a panel for our locality interviewing the operational head of a department who would travel the country to be interviewed by a stratified random panel, with others in as observers. They would then have to follow a job description made up by we the peeps with input from them.
The politicians don’t seem to be interested in their electors and they don’t want to have any control over their workers, saying to any queries ‘Oh I couldn’t comment, it is an operational matter’. They are worse than useless because they will take a functioning system and discard it, or replace it. So something better is required.
As far as running things by referendum is concerned as another way, I don’t really like the It becomes another tax evasion system where people will go for the cheapest option unless it’s urgently necessary to have something done in their own neighbourhood.
They missed the word “owning” before “the people”.
Testing comment bouncer.
That worked…
Test it again..
Ok, due to a neat little trick in .htaccess, I’m now reflecting any attempt to leave comments without a referrer back to the Ip that it is calling from.
The effect is to block stupid spambots.
A few more of those and the current deluge of spam might stop clogging the servers.
Back to being slow and getting lost when commenting.
Working on it now. Unfortunately I really have to do this stuff when the number of users online is low..
Ok. Partially a problem with akismet, and it looks like a routing problem on a server to the database.
I’m going to try a more passive anti-spam system that doesn’t involve squirting message data around the world.
Off to bed.
Colin Craig provides further evidence for falling educational standards
Colon Craig provides evidence people can succeed in business with only their brain stem functioning.
ah ah lol
Bouncer? You getting heavy lprent?
This site is awfully slow to load lately, why?
amirite
You could try searching for lprent and all the things that are being done to the site and for it will come up. Which helps to keep up with the latest. Lynn said recently that there was a lot of spam coming through and overwhelming the system. I’m having some problems and think it possible that its partly my phone connections and/or my hardware.
Mr C!
hosted overseas
by attentive ears.
I’m still laughing: Colin Craig said he had “no idea” whether moa are still alive in remote parts of New Zealand but some people might believe that.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11166736
Key trying to prove that his potential coalition partner is not just a joke.
Key is getting more desperate for Crazy’s support.
So, coming to you all next – Key providing cover, excuses and apologies for Crazy.
Its possible but extremely unlikely, the Takahe was also thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the late 40s, but it seems to me his big problem seems to be with answering questions too honestly
I wouldn’t mind betting that some (most?) of the MPs we have now probably have some extremely bat-shit crazy views but are smart enough to keep them to themselves
Although it seems to me that those with religious views almost seem to want to be ridiculed as it reinforces their views…almost like they’re martyrs or something so they’re probably cheering CC on
(I apologize to those on here who are religious but arn’t bat-shit crazy for lumping them all in together)
Nah mate, the bat-shit crazy lot in power at present have been turning their warped views into law/policy, ffs .
Nah, it’s deliberate and there’s nothing honest about it. Craig is targeting his secondary market, plain and simple.
Piss73. “Batshit” was never a word. Please.
Referendum – now 1,008,600 votes
I think we need to set a target which crosses 1.5M votes. Let’s push for it.
Even that writer moi, knows you dont campaign on a election day. Perhaps Cunliffe can share a cell with Banks.
https://twitter.com/katieabradford
– While I don’t think what he did is all that bad but it really does just illustrate politicians lax views towards electoral rules (left and right), surely hes telling fibs that he didn’t know yet he knows he can quite clearly get away with doing it because the police probably won’t do anything about it
Thanks for an insight into the way you think.
Well theres not going to be any repercussions for him are their so theres no need for him or anyone else to be bothered with the electoral commission
surely hes telling fibs that he didn’t know yet he knows he can quite clearly get away with doing it
Fair enough trying make a deal out of it, but honestly, doesn’t the fact he deleted it quick enough that hardly anyone even got a screen grab, and then informed on himself about it, kind of indicate that it was more cock up than intent to ‘get away with it’?
What was the plan? I’ll tweet something, delete it real quick so hardly anyone sees it, turn myself in, aah, win?
Its more concerning that he and everyone else involved apparently didn’t know it wasn’t allowed, I mean its pretty basic stuff that isn’t it?
Curious to see the desperation of some righties – a 10 second tweet is all you’ve got?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9192790/Cunliffe-to-refresh-online-CV
“Refreshing” is such a nicer term then got out telling porkies isn’t it
“Mr Cunliffe alleged Ms Adams went to “great lengths” to keep the information from the public, telling Parliament there was a “very low” risk of a large scale oil spill occurring.”
– Turned out the report was on-line the whole time
Anytime Cunliffe pledged support to Goff or Shearer and the exaggeration over the extent of his work on the formation of Fonterra
Yeah, that’s the sort of thing karol was talking about I guess.
Jesus complex from the righties, Pb. Trying to turn water into wine; a few loaves and fishes into food for the thousands.
They seem to think if they endlessly repeat trivia, with or without embellishments, it’ll somehow become a major crime against humanity.
Painful to keep reading such desperation.
When did Cunliffe break his promise to support Goff or Shearer?
CV embellishment – if you are soooo concerned about such things, when/if Hooton announces he’s standing for parliament, I expect to see your full outrage against the CV embellishment that has long been in his work website. (after Bradbury tweeted about Hooton potentially standing for ACT leader, Hooton tweeted a couple of hours ago,
)
Now that point about Adams report is just extreme total desperation.
Very concerning yes. Deeply, terribly concerning. #concerned
There’s a difference between purposefully breaking the law and trying to get away with it and making a mistake and owning up to it within minutes.
What was the plan?
Oh, it’s a dastardly one, PB. He’s going to convince us all that he’s upfront and trustworthy, even when he makes mistakes, by acting in an upfront and trustworthy way after he makes a mistake. Fuckin’ Machiavellian, that.
Piss73 – they (the upper echelons of the Police) actually might prosecute Cunliffe……..having learned their lesson about playing sucky politics – right wing sucky as it happens. McCready humiliated them. Ups to him.
Let’s suppose they do prosecute Pisso. An artful law student could probably word up a diversion submission before second appearance. Botox is headed for a jury Piss. That’s the diff’.
Piss attempt at painting moral equivalence there Piss.
Banks is on trial for electoral fraud. The other fellow tweeted a straightforward message, and didn’t try to lie about it.
Yet another lamentable lapse of judgement by you.
Perhaps Cunliffe can share a cell with Banks.
Cunliffe’s “crime” would only get a fine – up to $20,000.
I am starting to believe that the RWNJs are seeing the act in this light because even they are not blind to the writing on the wall for John Key. With their beloved hero, back against the wall, appealing to NZ not to vote him out next year and to vote in his only chances for electoral victory in the forms of Colin “Chemtrails” Craig and an as yet unnamed ACT representative (showing just how likely *that* is) – their only hope is that Cunliffe is removed.
Expect to see every single misstep from him represented in these preposterous terms all the way until election day – and the more they repeat it, the less the electorate will listen because it will become a continuing narrative of irrelevance from the Right as they focus on non-issues.
Yeah, there are so many things to focus on … e.g. GCSB, Chorus, SkyCity, Christchurch rebuild, deep sea oil drilling, and the big one today about MRP share prices continuing to drop and the slump in sale proceeds:
http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/mrp-shares-dip-english-explains-asset-sales-shortfall-5753684
When I saw that Key called Banks a thoroughly honest guy I are you freaking serious thought do you believe what you are saying he’s got to go
both of them have to go.
Radio Live is now broadcasting The Conspiracy Hour. No, I am not making this up!
Callers are invited to outline their conspiracy theory in 90 seconds. There’s a prize for the “best” (craziest).
First up – 9/11.
Second caller – Johnny, says by 2024 there will be a One World Government. Something to do with UFB and digital TV. “Connect the dots” says Johnny.
More soon.
Billy says something about a rocket going to Venus, but he may have been taking the piss (or on it).
Next. Tracey, she believes in lots of them … Twin Towers, something about the Titanic not really sinking, a couple more, but – she emphasises – she does like Colin Craig.
Next guy also lists all of them. Must be heavy sarcasm. Well, maybe.
Mike says all the victims of 9/11 were paid to destroy the buildings from the inside. Plus something about Marilyn Monroe.
Who needs Rush Limbaugh, we got Radio Live!
More conspiracies …
The next caller links the Christchurch earthquake(s) and Israel. Because Bob Parker went to Israel. Obviously.
Mark – 6,000 years ago there were the floods of Noah. The dinosaurs were killed off. Dragons survived in Wales and Loch Ness, but most were killed. The Bible is right, basically.
Next one – not enough fuel to get to Moon and back. So there.
Tim has a law degree. Believe in the Bible, Jesus is Lord, and a whole lot more.
OK, now they’re coming thick and fast. Illuminati, the anti-Christ is behind everything bad.
Common theme so far: God.
Is Radio Live helping compile a long list of candidates for Crazy’s party list as well as assisting with policy development for the Crazy party?
WHERE ARE THE LIZARD PEOPLE!
This….?.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/03/1260000/-Exposed-Globally-Renowned-Activist-Collaborated-With-Intelligence-Firm-Stratfor
http://www.occupy.com/article/exposed-globally-renowned-activist-collaborated-intelligence-firm-stratfor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sr%C4%91a_Popovi%C4%87