Typically, two of Parliament's most notable thugs, one of whom has also been alleged to be a war criminal, are called on to pontificate on MM Kingdom's change initiative: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117925405/newage-gangsters-business-prospects-volunteer-work-and-giving-up-drugs. No doubt, the usual tough on crime brigade will kick the gang's positive intentions into the fire's of hell – the same as in the past when there have been rays of hope for some of societies disaffected whose only 'familial' security was in gangs, often after prolonged State abuse as children.
Another example of the fear driven messaging the CA scandal showed us all that exists in the global media now across the globe.
This kicks it off and then Social media riffs on the divides in the background. Rent a right wing ranters mitchell and Jones duely oblige showing the humanity one expects from a couple of mercenary troughers.
Leadership opportunity for JA here. Go one better than chch massacre and outlaw this shite while you can or condemm godzone to being another outpost of the global messaging/maniplualtion industry.
Mark Mitchell said, "They enjoy the life style; they enjoy intimidating people, they enjoy not having to work hard to earn lots of cash, and they love the status that it gives them."
Give the man a mirror and let him discuss which parts of that apply to him.
Lol! But he'd genuinely have no idea what you meant. I met some civilian contractors during the Iraq War and self-reflection was very much not among their strong points…
If he engaged with Iraqi militia who, because of their resistance to invaders, could be considered part of a national liberation movement, he could well be considered a war criminal.
since 1968 the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a firm position stating that the practice of employing mercenaries against national liberation movements is a criminal act
So are you saying “IF” Jacinda did the things I’ve read on Twitter they could be true as well ?
Depends. Did Ardern go off to work as a mercenary for private interests in a foreign country and now refuses to say how many of the locals she killed? Because I'm pretty sure she didn't…
It's not an unproven rumour that Mark Mitchell worked as a mercenary for private interests in Iraq and that his job was to protect those private interests from Iraqis opposed to the occupation of their country. Given the potential for war crimes to result from that, it's reasonable to ask Mark Mitchell how many people he killed in that job, and on what basis he killed them. It's his refusal to answer those reasonable questions that opens him up to suspicion. Idle gossip you may have heard about Ardern isn't even remotely in a similar category.
Btw – are we allowed to make serious claims based on unsourced allegations now – coz there are some doozies I’ve heard about Jacinda and the good old DJ days
(no not going to post them – but making a point when making such strong allegations against someone there should be something to back it up. And accusations without any basis shouldn’t be a source).
Claims about Mitchell have been around for years with them being described in various ways.
Did aom1 make a serious claim merely by saying there'd been allegations, something which had been publicly reported and discussed?
By that standard will there be complaints to the Press Council about the story on Stuff today?
"National MP Jian Yang organised Simon Bridges' controversial China trip, emails show." There are insinuations in that far more that in aom1's comment.
Did aom1 make a serious claim merely by saying there'd been allegations, something which had been publicly reported and discussed?
where has it been reported (in a reasonable media outlet) about Mark Being a war criminal?
If using Twitter as a source (or something equally stupid) and then just putting “alleged” in front of it – you have to be fair and allow others to do it as well. Especially when it’s something so significant as indicating someone might be a war criminal
James, if you're referring to the comment @1 that the Honourable Mark Mitchell has "been alleged to be a war criminal", then this is indeed the case. Here's a link containing that allegation. I cannot speak to the veracity of the allegation, only that the allegation is real, and therefore that the the quoted comment @1 is accurate. You're welcome
There was some concern (in 2018) among lefties about the prospect of the Honourable Mark Mitchell being chosen to lead the National party, but that’s water under the Bridges.
Ok – so to clarify before I post them – as long as I have a link to the allegations made by people I can post that jacinda allegedly is a xyz?
and at that point it would be a valid and correct post?
as I said before – I would expect when repeated allegations they should come from a better source than Twitter it in this case the daily blog. But since the bar is that low – we should be ok.
note to mods – I’m not actually going to post them. Just making a point of how stupid the comment is.
but happy to take your direction if you are ok with posting allegations from second rate sources.
[here’s how it works. Someone makes a claim that seems dubious (in this case they said there were allegations that someone was a war criminal). Other people then ask for this to be backed up with some kind of evidence. That evidence needs to have some level of credibility, so no, random reckons about JA from the dirty politic crew probably don’t count.
By and large on a daily basis it gets left to the commentariat to set the culture of what counts as credible, but there is an expectation that a certain standard will be maintained and authors and moderators over time are involved in that.
If you were serious about the issue today, you could simply have asked for the evidence. Instead you’ve run a number of stupid and inflammatory lines that look more designed to have a go at commenters and lefties. Nevertheless people have answered your questions at face value, so I’m not sure what you are on about here. If you think the explanations are wrong, then make the argument. This is what we do here. – weka]
James, everyone reading this understands your motivation for commenting here.
I'll leave it to readers to judge whether my reply @1.5.2 fairly addresses you initial question/complaint.
"Btw – are we allowed to make serious claims based on unsourced allegations now – coz there are some doozies I’ve heard about Jacinda and the good old DJ days"
The relevant point being that aom @1 made no "serious claims based on unsourced allegations"; they simply stated that the allegations exists. Aom did opine that the Honourable Mark Mitchell is a thug – once again I cannot attest to the veracity of that rather distasteful opinion.
Indeed, it’s almost as distasteful as your repeated reference to the unspecified “doozies” of allegations about our current Prime Minister – isn’t she marvelous!
btw, if you remove blank lines in your comment before posting, or edit to remove then you won't end up with those big gaps in or below your comment (which I would appreciate).
Very short term, but still utterly unthinkable. It’s a tiny automated weather station location high in the Victorian Alps and unmanned. There would have likely been no-one there at the time, but still it has to be unsurvivable if you were exposed to it for more than an hour or so.
I once worked in temps in the mid 40's at a mine site for a few months. Stepping outside was literally like standing in a hair dryer, merely walking a few minutes from one air conditioned building to another was quite enough for me. In the Canadian Arctic I got to briefly experience -60degC for a few minutes … and that’s equally brutal.
Listening to 2GB in early this AM and a caller pointed out a temperature reading on the BOM site of around 68c. The host checked and sure enough, it was wavering between 50-60>c
The thrust of that article is that the attack on Scomo is political and cynical. Tony Abbott was attacked for personally fighting the fires while Scomo is attacked for doing too little. It's pathetic.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Ross, I moderated you yesterday. Please respond to this comment with an acknowledgement that you understand and will abide by what I say. In full moderation now until this is resolved.
Anyone see Scotty from marketing add promoting his goats actions re the bush fires, while upbeat music is playing………….
I am afraid marketing not going to cut it…………..
also on fb a communication from pubs owner in the town where Morrison was verbally abused. Said pub owner is supposedly mortified by those outspoken “no hopers” destroying the towns reputation and is desperate to let the world no.
personally I think those outspoken people have enhanced the town’s reputation
Just like he would've gone in boots and all if it'd been his son in the situation of Otto Warmbier. It wasn't, he didn't, and Kim Jong-un remained his best new mate.
Yes it is seriously weird what is happening. We live in precarious times. I wonder how people who are asthmatic are getting on. Myself I am struggling with a chest which has a ton of concrete on it and no end in sight for it clearing up. The other day the sun was a blood red ball in a leaden sky and that was seriously weird shit too.
Poor Aus as much as we like to think they are awful people, they are suffering the likes they have never seen before. If it is lousy trying to breathe here spare some thoughts for the people, the animals and the countryside over there which is slowly destroying itself.
just before christmas i encountered a young girl from OZ with the worst cough i have ever heard in such a young person. Deep, throughty as if she just had smoked a pack of Gitanes without filter. Her mom had taken her to NZ for a week to get out of the smoke of Sidney.
I wonder how many people will have permanently damaged lungs / chronic bronchitis and such after having lived and worked in the Smog for the last two month now?
My friend in Auckland said that her house was orange in the inside. That cloud is full of smog particles. I saw a picture of the glaciers being turned to caramel color due to the sod of the smoke cloud.
I wonder how much of this could have been prevented had the Prime Idiot Scott Morrison put his pride behind country and send defense force/navy/army etc out to help with the containment of the fires much earlier then he did. He should have done that three month ago. But then i hear that his holiday in Hawaii was a breather.
Hamilton West MP Tim Macindoe is getting his little blob of publicity on the Natz 'smash 'em high, smash 'em low' crusade. In wanting no parole for convicted murderers if they don't reveal the location of their victim's body, he says he's not worried about risking punishing those wrongly convicted.
With due respect to the MP and accepting it shows the same level of thinking that he and his leader exhibit, I think it would be appropriate if someone from his family or among his friends suffers from the sort of fascism he wants in New Zealand.
[You disapprove but at the same time you wish this upon an MP’s family member or friend!? I hope you can see how twisted your comment really is. Please don’t stoop to gutter level to make a point – Incognito]
I appreciate I should have been more careful with my wording.
I should have just asked what level of fascism he wants in New Zealand and if he was prepared for citizens to suffer and be victims under such a regime, including himself and his family.
He and his boss apparently think the same way about insignificant things like the Bill of Rights, the presumption being that they will be the lords and masters with tyrannical powers over others ruling justly and fairly.
Australian leaders “have been found wanting”. It behoves our leaders here to step into the breach and give a lead.
How can we in good faith ask the Australians to cut back their coal industry when we are not prepared to?
Just as she did over the issuing all new deep sea oil and gas exploration permits, Prime Minister Ardern needs to step in and cancel Australian company Bathurst permit to explore for more coal on crown land in Huntly.
…..An anti-coal activist has expressed dismay over the Government's decision to grant a coal mining exploration permit on Crown land in Waikato.
Information obtained by Newshub shows since the September 2017 election, five mining or exploration permits have been granted on Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) land, including one for coal exploration.
The coal exploration permit was granted to BT Mining Ltd in September 2018. Its parent company is Wellington-based Bathurst Resources, a major player in the New Zealand coal mining industry…..
I hope the damage is now high enough for Scott Morrison to realise that he really is the Prime Minister of all of OZ and thoughts and prayers are not really an answer to the great burning down of rural/coastal/small town/large town Oz.
""Why is the leader of New Zealand's biggest opposition party meeting with the head of China's secret police? And why is he in Beijing with a New Zealand member of parliament who spent 15 years working for Chinese military intelligence?""
The question is not whether the Prime Minister could do it.
Of course she could.
The question is whether she would do it.
It is not as if she doesn't have grounds. Have you seen the photos of our South Island glaciers?
New Zealand's iconic white glaciers are turning shades of brown as a result of the smoke that has travelled to New Zealand from the bushfires in New South Wales and Victoria.
Our world reknowned glaciers are already in retreat, getting coated in heat absorbing dark muck from the Australian bush fires will hasten the process.
If she wanted to, the PM could cut short her holiday to call her cabinet together for an emergency meeting on this crisis.
In a show of solidarity with our beleagured cousins across the ditch.
Rescinding Bathurst's coal exploraton permits could be put on the agenda of that meeting for a vote.
As the leader of the country the Prime Minister could argue strongly for the motion.
It's called leadership.
Are we in a climate crisis or are we not?
Have you seen the movie 'Darkest Hour'?
If you have, then you will know Incognito what a real leader can do.
The Prime Minister did it with her ban on new oil and gas exploration permits.. She could do it again for new coal exploration permits.
Prime Minister Ardern said; "Climate change is my generation's nuclear free moment."
This is her New Coal Free moment.
Will she take it?
Will our Prime Minister step up and become the leader she was meant to be and give the world an example of what needs to be done?
As James Hanson said, “If we can’t stop coal it is all over for the climate”.
Agree PM Ardern probably can't, however such grand-standing would highlight (again) which NZ political parties are leaders and which parties are laggards as far as curtailing fossil fuel prospecting/mining/drilling/exporting is concerned.
Maybe there won't be any real reduction in Australian coal mining/exports, the wildfires being a "small price to pay", but 'the planet' can hope. Similarly re Amazon forest clearances – we really are a daft lot (and there are a lot of us.)
Delay may be a wise political strategy, and maybe it will serve NZ well.
Maybe the tragedy of the Australian fires, however, is an opportunity to get more voters on board re the seriousness of AGW.
But how to show voters you're serious, and not just grand-standing?
In light of recent events, I find myself increasingly sympathetic to calls for rapid and radical action, however politically impractical that may be. I’m due to travel to Victoria in less than a month, and fear that humankind may be leaving its run to combat AGW a little late.
When public opinion starts to shift what previously looked politically impractical or even like political suicide might start to look less radical, acceptable, and politically desirable even.
Political parties will be re-calibrating their policies and doing internal polling for the upcoming election campaign. The manoeuvring for voters has already started. Some will campaign positively and others will not.
Will it still be “it’s the economy, stupid!” or will we finally see a shift, be it a subtle one or a sea change?
A good leader will be able to persuade the (voting) public of a viable way forward. A good leader will also be in touch with the mood of the people and resonate with it. Negative leadership produces dissonance.
"Delay" is not the strategy. "Not pissing off the people you could well need if you want to sit at the cabinet table again" is the strategy. Refer to National, the Biggest Losers.
The fires in Aus, and the fires in the regions here, might be enough of a wakeup call for NZ1 to prioritise long term well-being over short term regional employment in fossil fuels.
But anyone who wants to be serious about Climate Change already knows to vote Green. I mean, seriously: how many people for whom climate change is a significant voting factor are, e.g., voting National because they think National has a good AGW policy?
But anyone who wants to be serious about Climate Change already knows to vote Green.
Thing is McFlock the Greens can't do it on their own. There's a block inside the Labour Party who are just as passionate about Climate Change. I'm one of them and mickeysavage of course is another.
We would likely fit well in the Green Party too, but we choose to fight our corner inside Labour. We're getting there. I think our power inside the party has probably significantly increased due to the bushfires.
Reality is setting in among the populace and about bloody time too.
"Delay is not the strategy" – fair enough then, delay is an outcome of pragmatic politics. Granted, that delay might be more protracted under a National-led government, but delay is delay – BAU GDP growth.
How genuine are all our political leaders about making the necessary changes – and I'm not talking electric cars.
Here are three paragraphs from a 2012 book: Investment and growth in the time of climate change
"The first common theme is that climate change poses a resource allocation challenge like few others. When allocating resources to climate action and other uses, society faces a variety of complex trade-offs. Most obviously, there is the trade-off between a safer climate in the future and more consumption today. There is broad agreement that it is sensible to forgo some of today’s consumption in return for a safer climate. The choices are harder when considering the trade-off between a safer climate and increased future consumption. This trade-off arises because resources allocated to climate action today might be at the expense of an expansion of the productive capital stock that will determine the extent of future consumption options. Finally, assessing trade-offs indeed becomes daunting when the choice is between climate action and spending in areas that many people would find worthy of receiving a bigger share of resources, such as research and development, healthcare and conflict prevention and resolution."
"Answering this question – the quest for appropriate climate action more generally – is difficult. The answer needs to be found in an environment characterised by deep uncertainty; possibly big, abrupt and catastrophic climate change; and the irreversibility of the stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Equally importantly, the answer crucially depends on how much weight is given to the welfare of future generations relative to the welfare of current generations. This weight depends on economic considerations, but also hinges on ethical judgements. The more today’s generation cares about the welfare of future generations, the more it should invest in cutting emissions. If this appears too obvious a choice, it should not be forgotten that about two billion people today live in dire poverty and doing more today for a safer future climate absorbs resources that could be used to fight poverty here and now. This substantially qualifies the seemingly agreeable statement made above that it might be easy to choose in favour of climate action if it comes at the expense of consumption. The thorny question is: whose consumption?"
"The second theme common to all chapters is the role of governments. Regardless of the degree of climate action that society might wish to see, markets left to their own devices will not deliver it because of a variety of externalities, behavioural failures, barriers to investment and other market failures. Of particular importance are the negative climate-change externality of greenhouse-gas emissions, and the closely-related collective-action problem of reaching an international agreement to cut emissions. There is thus a role for government policies to help overcome these obstacles and to work towards meeting climate objectives at least cost."
And it's that idea about NZ1 that put the nats into opposition.
Maybe this is an opportunity to further push back on denialists an any particular party (who knows, Labour probably has a couple, and even some Greens might prefer economic rather than legal controls). But change will not be a "gun laws will change" given, with support from all-but-one in the House. It will be a moderated agreement passed in the collective name of the coalition.
An error was introduced into the equations on 'the meaning of life the universe and everything' by the intervention of aliens expelled from their home planet of Golgafrinchan for being useless.
The Golgafrinchans first act on reaching Earth, after choosing the leaf as their unit of exchange?
Set fire to the forests to fight inflation and increase the value of their new currency.
Possible passive/aggressive comment on the current state of affairs. Adds nothing to what we here in New Zealand can do to address the bush fire crisis in solidarity with the suffering citizens and flora and fauna of Australia.
Possible passive/aggressive comment on the current state of affairs. Adds nothing to what we here in New Zealand can do to address the bush fire crisis in solidarity with the suffering citizens and flora and fauna of Australia.
Your comments resemble a monologue between two people: you and yourself.
No shame in that.
However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank McFlock, Drowsy M. Kram, Sacha and even yourself and for contributing to this discussion. Much appreciated.
she has said and done nothing on this threat that would demand a warning. This is the open mike, anyone can posts thoughts, ideas, and other assorted bullshit and it would not make a world of difference.
She was disrespectful to no one, she is not calling any one out and frankly you come across as if you were on a personal vendetta.
As I said, she has form. She’s been a long-term commenter and has been warned and banned for the same shit many times. Her last ban (Aug 2019) was for three months. Yet she continues to waste Moderator time; you don’t know what goes on in the back-end. You may perceive it as a “personal vendetta” and I’d say my patience is/was running out. Please note that she is now in Moderation for ignoring a request to leave moderation to Moderators and for unsupported allegations based on mixing up words and meanings, again, and taking things too far, as usual. I do find some (a few) of her comments/commenting disrespectful, which is another reason why I bother with them/her, to no avail. It is tedious and tiresome.
Random point…I purchased a newspaper today, weekend edition. The price has gone up to $4. The paper looks much the same. Sort of felt let down because despite the price it is definitely not ad free.
Of course they have got a replacement lined up. It's almost like Australia have a got a conveyor belt of prospective Prime Ministers.
When one PM stumbles and fails to act on climate change, another fresh one is minted straight away.
Climate change brought down another prime minister in Australia. Here’s what happened.
Joshua Busby, Washington Post, August 27, 2018
…..Why is climate such a politically explosive issue in Australia? Depending on whose count, this is the third or seventhtime that an Australian prime minister has been brought down by climate issues.
Australia is quite vulnerable to climate change, but complicated domestic politics have prevented the country from addressing the problem…..
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Typically, two of Parliament's most notable thugs, one of whom has also been alleged to be a war criminal, are called on to pontificate on MM Kingdom's change initiative: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117925405/newage-gangsters-business-prospects-volunteer-work-and-giving-up-drugs. No doubt, the usual tough on crime brigade will kick the gang's positive intentions into the fire's of hell – the same as in the past when there have been rays of hope for some of societies disaffected whose only 'familial' security was in gangs, often after prolonged State abuse as children.
Another example of the fear driven messaging the CA scandal showed us all that exists in the global media now across the globe.
This kicks it off and then Social media riffs on the divides in the background. Rent a right wing ranters mitchell and Jones duely oblige showing the humanity one expects from a couple of mercenary troughers.
Leadership opportunity for JA here. Go one better than chch massacre and outlaw this shite while you can or condemm godzone to being another outpost of the global messaging/maniplualtion industry.
I wish commenters would apply more thought to the use of acronyms. What the hell is the "CA" scandal?
I so agree!
Cambridge Analytica?
"Charlie's Angels"?
Has to be Chartered Accountants, surely. Up to their elbows in scandal.
Apologies had to dash away, yes Cambridge analytica who've just had alot more dumped that show the extent and reach.
Mark Mitchell said, "They enjoy the life style; they enjoy intimidating people, they enjoy not having to work hard to earn lots of cash, and they love the status that it gives them."
Give the man a mirror and let him discuss which parts of that apply to him.
Lol! But he'd genuinely have no idea what you meant. I met some civilian contractors during the Iraq War and self-reflection was very much not among their strong points…
" gang's positive intentions"
Yeah and I have a bridge to sell you
Would that be one of the ones Simon promised us up here?
Yeah right next to the light rail system
oh please please lefties – please use that for the election year social media’s.
you don’t sound like tin foil hat wearing morons at all.
If he engaged with Iraqi militia who, because of their resistance to invaders, could be considered part of a national liberation movement, he could well be considered a war criminal.
since 1968 the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a firm position stating that the practice of employing mercenaries against national liberation movements is a criminal act
http://archive.li/Yj5lx#selection-635.49-647.39
So are you saying “IF” Jacinda did the things I’ve read on Twitter they could be true as well ?
i could give a link here to the legislation that would make the action alleged illegal.
And I could say all sorts of things about a former cabinet minister, her brother, and his kit, too.
My point exactly
So are you saying “IF” Jacinda did the things I’ve read on Twitter they could be true as well ?
Depends. Did Ardern go off to work as a mercenary for private interests in a foreign country and now refuses to say how many of the locals she killed? Because I'm pretty sure she didn't…
That’s a stupid argument.
jacinda hasn’t answered questions about what people say about here other.
do you think that unproven rumours should be allowed to be posted here – or Mitchell being a alleged war criminal- or jacinda xyz?
cant have it both ways.
It's not an unproven rumour that Mark Mitchell worked as a mercenary for private interests in Iraq and that his job was to protect those private interests from Iraqis opposed to the occupation of their country. Given the potential for war crimes to result from that, it's reasonable to ask Mark Mitchell how many people he killed in that job, and on what basis he killed them. It's his refusal to answer those reasonable questions that opens him up to suspicion. Idle gossip you may have heard about Ardern isn't even remotely in a similar category.
Wow! There's an opportunity for me – my new mission in life can go to shops and turn or hide magazines and newspapers with mentions of Mitchell!
False equivalence and a blatant attempt to diversion. Why tempt fate, James?
A Merky past does not a war crim make jimbo.
Btw – are we allowed to make serious claims based on unsourced allegations now – coz there are some doozies I’ve heard about Jacinda and the good old DJ days
(no not going to post them – but making a point when making such strong allegations against someone there should be something to back it up. And accusations without any basis shouldn’t be a source).
Claims about Mitchell have been around for years with them being described in various ways.
Did aom1 make a serious claim merely by saying there'd been allegations, something which had been publicly reported and discussed?
By that standard will there be complaints to the Press Council about the story on Stuff today?
"National MP Jian Yang organised Simon Bridges' controversial China trip, emails show." There are insinuations in that far more that in aom1's comment.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/118419927/national-mp-jian-yang-organised-simon-bridges-controversial-china-trip-emails-show
where has it been reported (in a reasonable media outlet) about Mark Being a war criminal?
If using Twitter as a source (or something equally stupid) and then just putting “alleged” in front of it – you have to be fair and allow others to do it as well. Especially when it’s something so significant as indicating someone might be a war criminal
I wonder who funded the travel by Slick to facetoface his handlers.
James, if you're referring to the comment @1 that the Honourable Mark Mitchell has "been alleged to be a war criminal", then this is indeed the case. Here's a link containing that allegation. I cannot speak to the veracity of the allegation, only that the allegation is real, and therefore that the the quoted comment @1 is accurate. You're welcome
There was some concern (in 2018) among lefties about the prospect of the Honourable Mark Mitchell being chosen to lead the National party, but that’s water under the Bridges.
Ok – so to clarify before I post them – as long as I have a link to the allegations made by people I can post that jacinda allegedly is a xyz?
and at that point it would be a valid and correct post?
as I said before – I would expect when repeated allegations they should come from a better source than Twitter it in this case the daily blog. But since the bar is that low – we should be ok.
note to mods – I’m not actually going to post them. Just making a point of how stupid the comment is.
but happy to take your direction if you are ok with posting allegations from second rate sources.
[here’s how it works. Someone makes a claim that seems dubious (in this case they said there were allegations that someone was a war criminal). Other people then ask for this to be backed up with some kind of evidence. That evidence needs to have some level of credibility, so no, random reckons about JA from the dirty politic crew probably don’t count.
By and large on a daily basis it gets left to the commentariat to set the culture of what counts as credible, but there is an expectation that a certain standard will be maintained and authors and moderators over time are involved in that.
If you were serious about the issue today, you could simply have asked for the evidence. Instead you’ve run a number of stupid and inflammatory lines that look more designed to have a go at commenters and lefties. Nevertheless people have answered your questions at face value, so I’m not sure what you are on about here. If you think the explanations are wrong, then make the argument. This is what we do here. – weka]
James, everyone reading this understands your motivation for commenting here.
I'll leave it to readers to judge whether my reply @1.5.2 fairly addresses you initial question/complaint.
The relevant point being that aom @1 made no "serious claims based on unsourced allegations"; they simply stated that the allegations exists. Aom did opine that the Honourable Mark Mitchell is a thug – once again I cannot attest to the veracity of that rather distasteful opinion.
Indeed, it’s almost as distasteful as your repeated reference to the unspecified “doozies” of allegations about our current Prime Minister – isn’t she marvelous!
I think it's adorable how James takes issue with comments he thinks "stupid".
Adorable.
mod note for you James.
btw, if you remove blank lines in your comment before posting, or edit to remove then you won't end up with those big gaps in or below your comment (which I would appreciate).
Odd times in Mallacoota
Date: January 31st, 2019
Temps:
7:59am 36.5C
8:00am 49.0C
8:11am 34.3C
Shown in this video at 25:46mins
Entirely possible for a gust of fire driven wind to cause that to happen. As a blatant one-up how about this one 🙂
https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/ejtdp9/cabramurra_peaked_at_698_c_today_at_0426pm_these/
This morning that number has been deleted on the BOM site, but at 4:27pm it's still clocked in at an insane 57 degC.
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDN60903/IDN60903.95916.shtml
Very short term, but still utterly unthinkable. It’s a tiny automated weather station location high in the Victorian Alps and unmanned. There would have likely been no-one there at the time, but still it has to be unsurvivable if you were exposed to it for more than an hour or so.
I once worked in temps in the mid 40's at a mine site for a few months. Stepping outside was literally like standing in a hair dryer, merely walking a few minutes from one air conditioned building to another was quite enough for me. In the Canadian Arctic I got to briefly experience -60degC for a few minutes … and that’s equally brutal.
Listening to 2GB in early this AM and a caller pointed out a temperature reading on the BOM site of around 68c. The host checked and sure enough, it was wavering between 50-60>c
It’s crazy times out there.
I was wondering what ..fried your…brain.
The thrust of that article is that the attack on Scomo is political and cynical. Tony Abbott was attacked for personally fighting the fires while Scomo is attacked for doing too little. It's pathetic.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Yes that is one of several themes in Joe's article … it also gives Albanese thumbs up for not joining in the same cynical attack.
Ross, I moderated you yesterday. Please respond to this comment with an acknowledgement that you understand and will abide by what I say. In full moderation now until this is resolved.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-04-01-2020/#comment-1676988
Anyone see Scotty from marketing add promoting his goats actions re the bush fires, while upbeat music is playing………….
I am afraid marketing not going to cut it…………..
also on fb a communication from pubs owner in the town where Morrison was verbally abused. Said pub owner is supposedly mortified by those outspoken “no hopers” destroying the towns reputation and is desperate to let the world no.
personally I think those outspoken people have enhanced the town’s reputation
i
i
Trump has been very clear is Iran attack any US assets.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2020/01/soleimani-killing-united-states-targetting-52-iranian-sites-will-strike-if-iran-attacks.html
and he’s proven he will back it up.
You know he'd back it up too.
Just like he would've gone in boots and all if it'd been his son in the situation of Otto Warmbier. It wasn't, he didn't, and Kim Jong-un remained his best new mate.
What better place to make threats of war than Twitter.
FFS.
/
btw, the deliberate targeting and destruction of cultural heritage sites is a war crime under the Hague Convention
edit:
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15391&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
All good there except USA doesn't seem to be a signatory to any UNESCO conventions. War crimes being for other people / loosers
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc12764.doc.htm
Well there is a Trump Tweet for every occassion:
Clever and funny, despite the gravity of current events – Trump channelling Trump.
How would Russia and China respond to the U.S. hitting 52 Iranian targets?
They've got chumpy right where they want him jimbo.
An insightful article… however simon does not want to comment… lol!
Simon Bridges' controversial China visit was organised by Jian Yang, the National MP who admitted to training Chinese spies, official emails show.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/118419927/national-mp-jian-yang-organised-simon-bridges-controversial-china-trip-emails-show
Simon initially replied "Méiyǒu yìjiàn". He then realised the reporter didn't speak Mandarin and said "No comment".
Lmfao !!
fun fun fun…
https://twitter.com/HindsightFiles/status/1212848706619351060
https://twitter.com/hindsightfiles
Smoke on the water fire in the sky.
2.pm on a bright summers day Auckland's sky goes dark, queer orange tinged sunlight.
Is it like this in other places?
Yes it is seriously weird what is happening. We live in precarious times. I wonder how people who are asthmatic are getting on. Myself I am struggling with a chest which has a ton of concrete on it and no end in sight for it clearing up. The other day the sun was a blood red ball in a leaden sky and that was seriously weird shit too.
Poor Aus as much as we like to think they are awful people, they are suffering the likes they have never seen before. If it is lousy trying to breathe here spare some thoughts for the people, the animals and the countryside over there which is slowly destroying itself.
just before christmas i encountered a young girl from OZ with the worst cough i have ever heard in such a young person. Deep, throughty as if she just had smoked a pack of Gitanes without filter. Her mom had taken her to NZ for a week to get out of the smoke of Sidney.
I wonder how many people will have permanently damaged lungs / chronic bronchitis and such after having lived and worked in the Smog for the last two month now?
My friend in Auckland said that her house was orange in the inside. That cloud is full of smog particles. I saw a picture of the glaciers being turned to caramel color due to the sod of the smoke cloud.
I wonder how much of this could have been prevented had the Prime Idiot Scott Morrison put his pride behind country and send defense force/navy/army etc out to help with the containment of the fires much earlier then he did. He should have done that three month ago. But then i hear that his holiday in Hawaii was a breather.
Waikato west coast is like a sepia/yellow filters been applied.
Surreal and sad knowing it's cause.
I wonder what kind of sunset we will get?
Hamilton West MP Tim Macindoe is getting his little blob of publicity on the Natz 'smash 'em high, smash 'em low' crusade. In wanting no parole for convicted murderers if they don't reveal the location of their victim's body, he says he's not worried about risking punishing those wrongly convicted.
With due respect to the MP and accepting it shows the same level of thinking that he and his leader exhibit, I think it would be appropriate if someone from his family or among his friends suffers from the sort of fascism he wants in New Zealand.
[You disapprove but at the same time you wish this upon an MP’s family member or friend!? I hope you can see how twisted your comment really is. Please don’t stoop to gutter level to make a point – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 2:35 PM.
I appreciate I should have been more careful with my wording.
I should have just asked what level of fascism he wants in New Zealand and if he was prepared for citizens to suffer and be victims under such a regime, including himself and his family.
He and his boss apparently think the same way about insignificant things like the Bill of Rights, the presumption being that they will be the lords and masters with tyrannical powers over others ruling justly and fairly.
As Auckland is covered in orange smog from the Australian bush fires.
Australian leaders “have been found wanting”. It behoves our leaders here to step into the breach and give a lead.
How can we in good faith ask the Australians to cut back their coal industry when we are not prepared to?
Just as she did over the issuing all new deep sea oil and gas exploration permits, Prime Minister Ardern needs to step in and cancel Australian company Bathurst permit to explore for more coal on crown land in Huntly.
https://extinctionrebellion.nz/2019/09/25/protesters-target-ardern-for-climate-change-hypocrisy-as-she-takes-world-stage/
Come on Prime Minister, the world is crying out for a climate Churchill.
This is your nuclear free moment.
Cancel Bathurst's permits now!
Australian political leaders 'have been found wanting'.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, "climate change is my generation's nuclear free moment."
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/jacinda-ardern-climate-change-is-my-generation-s-nuclear-free-moment.html
This is now our New Coal Free moment.
Will our leaders also be 'found wanting' and let the moment pass?
Climate Summit at Rotowaro Coal Mine
https://www.facebook.com/XRAuckland/photos/gm.755457494907200/2116687325306275/?type=3&theater
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/118596151/climate-change-led-here-australian-pm-scott-morrison-says-amid-bushfire-crisis?fbclid=IwAR2EUjqvae9mZ1BXIimJptxUtocpSZFjwj4KhZonbGp2AXNCangze84RMy4
yeah, yeah, say it ain't so
the first video is the one to watch.
I hope the damage is now high enough for Scott Morrison to realise that he really is the Prime Minister of all of OZ and thoughts and prayers are not really an answer to the great burning down of rural/coastal/small town/large town Oz.
"Thoughts and prayers" = SFA.
""Why is the leader of New Zealand's biggest opposition party meeting with the head of China's secret police? And why is he in Beijing with a New Zealand member of parliament who spent 15 years working for Chinese military intelligence?""
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/118419927/national-mp-jian-yang-organised-simon-bridges-controversial-china-trip-emails-show?fbclid=IwAR1-mc7rhVsv6eeirTSJPE0fHqlUTRPwMJcYW6SjliF2hF6l_Td8_eC_A7w
Bears repeating. Again and again.
New Coal Free New Zealand
When will New Zealand's leaders act?
We did it over nuclear weapons.
We did it over votes for women.
We did it over Social Welfare.
When will New Zealand show the way?
When will New Zealand stop opening new coal mines?
When will the “horror” stop?
Prime Minister Ardern needs to step in and cancel Bathurst’s permit to explore for new coal on crown owned land.
How and through what mechanism or process would the PM achieve this feat?
To me, your comment(s) has the whiff of hot air. Show us the path, if you can, and do your user name justice.
The question is not whether the Prime Minister could do it.
Of course she could.
The question is whether she would do it.
It is not as if she doesn't have grounds. Have you seen the photos of our South Island glaciers?
Our world reknowned glaciers are already in retreat, getting coated in heat absorbing dark muck from the Australian bush fires will hasten the process.
If she wanted to, the PM could cut short her holiday to call her cabinet together for an emergency meeting on this crisis.
In a show of solidarity with our beleagured cousins across the ditch.
Rescinding Bathurst's coal exploraton permits could be put on the agenda of that meeting for a vote.
As the leader of the country the Prime Minister could argue strongly for the motion.
It's called leadership.
Are we in a climate crisis or are we not?
Have you seen the movie 'Darkest Hour'?
If you have, then you will know Incognito what a real leader can do.
The Prime Minister did it with her ban on new oil and gas exploration permits.. She could do it again for new coal exploration permits.
Prime Minister Ardern said; "Climate change is my generation's nuclear free moment."
This is her New Coal Free moment.
Will she take it?
Will our Prime Minister step up and become the leader she was meant to be and give the world an example of what needs to be done?
As James Hanson said, “If we can’t stop coal it is all over for the climate”.
Well, it would probably require legislative change which means cross-partisan support at least within the coalition.
The Greens would be on board.
NZ1? Doubtful.
So no, she probably can't.
Agree PM Ardern probably can't, however such grand-standing would highlight (again) which NZ political parties are leaders and which parties are laggards as far as curtailing fossil fuel prospecting/mining/drilling/exporting is concerned.
Maybe there won't be any real reduction in Australian coal mining/exports, the wildfires being a "small price to pay", but 'the planet' can hope. Similarly re Amazon forest clearances – we really are a daft lot (and there are a lot of us.)
We know which ones are the laggards. Putting out legislation to call your coalition partner a dick is not conducive to further coalition agreements.
Yes, we know.
Is this how the art of the possible ends? Slow, and ‘steady‘…
I suspect anyone who cares about AGW knows.
Which makes the antagonism of a coalition partner quite worthless.
Delay may be a wise political strategy, and maybe it will serve NZ well.
Maybe the tragedy of the Australian fires, however, is an opportunity to get more voters on board re the seriousness of AGW.
But how to show voters you're serious, and not just grand-standing?
In light of recent events, I find myself increasingly sympathetic to calls for rapid and radical action, however politically impractical that may be. I’m due to travel to Victoria in less than a month, and fear that humankind may be leaving its run to combat AGW a little late.
Radical action is not going to come from this government.
Nor from (m)any other governments, which is problematic if radical action is a prerequisite for minimising AGW. 'We' are in a bind.
When public opinion starts to shift what previously looked politically impractical or even like political suicide might start to look less radical, acceptable, and politically desirable even.
Political parties will be re-calibrating their policies and doing internal polling for the upcoming election campaign. The manoeuvring for voters has already started. Some will campaign positively and others will not.
Will it still be “it’s the economy, stupid!” or will we finally see a shift, be it a subtle one or a sea change?
A good leader will be able to persuade the (voting) public of a viable way forward. A good leader will also be in touch with the mood of the people and resonate with it. Negative leadership produces dissonance.
Organise outside political parties and apply pressure from there. Be interested to hear how the Aussies are doing that when you visit.
"Delay" is not the strategy. "Not pissing off the people you could well need if you want to sit at the cabinet table again" is the strategy. Refer to National, the Biggest Losers.
The fires in Aus, and the fires in the regions here, might be enough of a wakeup call for NZ1 to prioritise long term well-being over short term regional employment in fossil fuels.
But anyone who wants to be serious about Climate Change already knows to vote Green. I mean, seriously: how many people for whom climate change is a significant voting factor are, e.g., voting National because they think National has a good AGW policy?
Thing is McFlock the Greens can't do it on their own. There's a block inside the Labour Party who are just as passionate about Climate Change. I'm one of them and mickeysavage of course is another.
We would likely fit well in the Green Party too, but we choose to fight our corner inside Labour. We're getting there. I think our power inside the party has probably significantly increased due to the bushfires.
Reality is setting in among the populace and about bloody time too.
"Delay is not the strategy" – fair enough then, delay is an outcome of pragmatic politics. Granted, that delay might be more protracted under a National-led government, but delay is delay – BAU GDP growth.
How genuine are all our political leaders about making the necessary changes – and I'm not talking electric cars.
Here are three paragraphs from a 2012 book:
Investment and growth in the time of climate change
Maybe, maybe not.
It is in times of crisis that real leaders shine.
The Prime Minister was able to drag NZ First behind in her wake over banning all new deep sea oil drilling permits.
Remember this?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12030956
New Zealand First love their baubles of office too much to throw it all away just to please an Australian coal company.
After what they have done to their own country, Aussie Coal companies should have few friends in New Zealand.
NZ First along with the rest of the coalition government will have no trouble selling a ban on new coal exploration to their supporters.
Just look at the sky.
And it's that idea about NZ1 that put the nats into opposition.
Maybe this is an opportunity to further push back on denialists an any particular party (who knows, Labour probably has a couple, and even some Greens might prefer economic rather than legal controls). But change will not be a "gun laws will change" given, with support from all-but-one in the House. It will be a moderated agreement passed in the collective name of the coalition.
Yes, and there would be accompanying concessions to Winston First like even more regional investment in other industries for mining regions.
Your comments resemble a monologue between two people: you and yourself.
The question was how.
Just won't listen to herself. 🙂
‘
The answer was leadership
42
I
An error was introduced into the equations on 'the meaning of life the universe and everything' by the intervention of aliens expelled from their home planet of Golgafrinchan for being useless.
The Golgafrinchans first act on reaching Earth, after choosing the leaf as their unit of exchange?
Set fire to the forests to fight inflation and increase the value of their new currency.
Possible passive/aggressive comment on the current state of affairs. Adds nothing to what we here in New Zealand can do to address the bush fire crisis in solidarity with the suffering citizens and flora and fauna of Australia.
QED
@14.1.1.2
5 January 2020 at 8:35 pm
Your comments resemble a monologue between two people: you and yourself.
No shame in that.
However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank McFlock, Drowsy M. Kram, Sacha and even yourself and for contributing to this discussion. Much appreciated.
This is not a platform for monologue but a place for robust debate. Please keep your singing in the shower.
oh good grief, her comment is as good as any here.
Or maybe LPrent should set up rules as to what is singing in the shower and what is a robust debate on the OPEN MIKE!
She has form, she receives a warning, she ignores it. Rinse and repeat.
she has said and done nothing on this threat that would demand a warning. This is the open mike, anyone can posts thoughts, ideas, and other assorted bullshit and it would not make a world of difference.
She was disrespectful to no one, she is not calling any one out and frankly you come across as if you were on a personal vendetta.
just me two cents.
As I said, she has form. She’s been a long-term commenter and has been warned and banned for the same shit many times. Her last ban (Aug 2019) was for three months. Yet she continues to waste Moderator time; you don’t know what goes on in the back-end. You may perceive it as a “personal vendetta” and I’d say my patience is/was running out. Please note that she is now in Moderation for ignoring a request to leave moderation to Moderators and for unsupported allegations based on mixing up words and meanings, again, and taking things too far, as usual. I do find some (a few) of her comments/commenting disrespectful, which is another reason why I bother with them/her, to no avail. It is tedious and tiresome.
Imagine giving your all for the fires an being penalised by Centerlink for it
https://twitter.com/Girrali/status/1211173432840220672
https://imgur.com/gallery/IqG4OtC
As the country's leader Scott Morrison not only has the ability to order these payments to continue but the moral duty to do so.
these guys should not need unemployment benefits, they should be paid the wage of a fire fighter with all benefits that come with that employment.
seriously, what the fuck is wrong with people.
Scomofo sees the unemployed as undeserving of the opportunity to risk their lives.
Random point…I purchased a newspaper today, weekend edition. The price has gone up to $4. The paper looks much the same. Sort of felt let down because despite the price it is definitely not ad free.
The world isn't impressed by Scomo's response to the bush fires.
Jacinda Ardern should make a visit to the region to show him how it's done!
this was just missing a
yeah, right TUI
A Question on an Aussie mates Facebook page, he's a pretty right wing banana bender,
He answered, No
End of line for Scotty from Marketing?
I'm sure they've got a replacement lined up. It's not like your mate is saying he doesn't support the whole party, right?
Of course they have got a replacement lined up. It's almost like Australia have a got a conveyor belt of prospective Prime Ministers.
When one PM stumbles and fails to act on climate change, another fresh one is minted straight away.
“complicated domestic politics” being of course, a euphemism for powerful coal lobby.
Tone Yabber on the comeback?
Goodbye Sergeant York,and captain commando, WW3 will be between hackers with high BMI fueled by pepsi.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/05/us-government-agency-website-hacked-by-group-claiming-to-be-from-iran