Of course, it is serious and political. So, start a proper debate here that is non-polarising and non-divisive instead of regurgitating the same talking points day-in-day-out and in your idiosyncratic way (AKA baiting). The way things sound are not necessarily the way things are.
Take it away, James, OM is yours to start the discussion.
As much as I want to be wrong, I think NZ First may have complied with the letter of the law, if not the spirit.
Using multiple related entities to donate $14,995 each, to get past disclosure appears legal, but is clearly dodgy and done solely to get around the intention of the law.
New Zealand politics would be in a better place without Winston and Shane involved in so it is my hope that this sinks them forever.
A truly progressive government, without the handbrake of the inherently conservative, bigoted and nasty NZ First party involved is a realistic and likely post election scenario.
A Green Labour government is now within our reach.
Regardless of NZF & Nats competing to see who can do shady donations mishandling best, the most interesting aspect is why all those wealthy capitalists are giving big donations to NZF. I presume they've decided that National have lost the plot.
Now they have been doxed they've got no reason to restrict their support to maintain anonymity.
Could go two ways, either they'll get scared and abandon NZF or they'll be out for utu. I don't see Graeme Hart and the others as shrinking violets. Might get interesting
The battle for the extreme right is hotting up. You can assume immigrants from South Africa will know how it ought to be done, particularly if they have Boer in their name. Dieuwe de Boer knows what's right:
"When I first saw the New Conservative launch in 2018, I panned the idea. The "new conservatives are just as boring as the old" was my response. I didn't expect to hear much of them ever again, but then something unexpected happened. I got a message from deputy leader Elliot Ikilei, who told me that he had read my critically dismissive review, he thought I had some good points, and he wanted to meet up to talk about it. That one simple olive branch changed my life".
"He plays up his own Pacific heritage, throws in a few phrases of Samoan and Maori, and says that western culture is superior to all other cultures—it can be adopted by all ethnicities and transcends all cultures. That's a line you won't hear from any politician. "Our civilisation is the greatest ever built," he says with energy and passion. Those statements would likely have been front page news if they had been said anywhere outside of aNew Conservative meeting."
"Victoria O'Brien, firearms spokeswoman, gave her first speech at this meeting. She was able to demonstrate the importance of the freedom to access information from her own experience of authoritarianism in Singapore. She brings a lot of knowledge and credibility to the New Conservative firearms policy, having been an E-Endorsement holder at the time the recent amendments started to roll in. Like Leighton and Elliot, she expresses her reluctance for getting into politics, but all three are doing this because someone has too. They're worried about losing the country they love to the progressive darkness."
He's even got a sense of humour: "Between ACT and NC there is also a great chasm on a philosophical level with libertarian individualism pitted against the conservative focus on the family, morality, and nation. I'll tell you what National's philosophy is once I figure it out."
"New Conservative is building up a grassroots movement and much of their rhetoric is honed in on fighting the culture war. For me, that's key." Once that type of thinking dominated our country. In theory, they ought to be able to pull together the remnants of it. In reality, I suspect too many have died, and the rest have moved on.
But we ought to feel compassion for those unable to see the light, eh? Disabilities can be a debilitating affliction. A cadre of leftist virtue-signallers ought to be sent into the hinterland to enlighten the natives. The missionary spirit may not be totally dead. Evangelists may be able to help them see the light in that darkness, so they can wend their way towards it gradually thereafter.
No, I did not receive your e-mail about the name change; I don’t have access to the site’s e-mail account. To avoid confusion, I have changed your user handle back to the original.
Because the disease is contagious, you can't treat cases as independent events. If the disease broke out in a university campus in Guangdong and in a rest home in Honk Kong then that explains the difference in fatalities and spread without there being any other difference.
That might be true if it were only one Chinese province. Several minutes into the video a list of several areas (approx 2000 cases) with only a 2 or 3 deaths reported.
I'm done here. It is clear that on this site there is no willingness at all to see this for what it is – a serious pandemic which is already causing supply chain disruption.
Since I love y'all despite you seeing me as a loon, at least take some basic steps:
– instead of waiting to get sick before buying flu supplies buy them in advance including electrolytes or make them at home in advance
– buy or make elderberry syrup as this is scientifically proven to lessen symptoms and reduce duration of the illness (+better tasting than olive leaf extract). The major concern with this virus is the high complication rate that requires hospital admission
A, when the last potential pandemic scare happened, we had lots of conversations here with some people *insisting that within so many days/weeks there would massive deaths globally. Didn't happen obviously. The new coronavirus might become a pandemic, but it's not currently. I think we should be taking it seriously, and am glad NZ is now putting boundaries in at the border. I'm cautious about what the impact might be here, but I don't see the need to prepare for this as any more pressing than for a flood or quake.
mpledger's point about the stats is valid. I was going to say that you can't tell much from such small numbers. There are good reasons why we have public health experts in contagious disease, because they have the experience and knowledge in how to assess what is going on. Keep watching the videos, but I hope you're also following the relevant health authorities and science based commentary online.
I don't think everyone here is dismissing your concerns. It's entirely natural that people will vary in their responses to this kind of threat, from the entirely nonchalant to the closed off and fearful … and every shade in between.
On the data we have so far I think this has the potential to become a major problem, but it's not likely to be a repeat of the 1918 Spanish Flu. Our tools for fighting this are so much more sophisticated now.
The big complicating factor for me is that I really don't trust any damn thing the CCP says. Hell they may be telling us the gospel truth on this one, but their track record is so bad how would we know?
"A serious misinfodemic is occurring – fake news, unsubstantiated rumours, and crazy talk are spreading way more than the coronavirus. This is concerning and the World Health Organisation have all hands to deck to try and counter the nonsense."
Controversial independent MP Jami-Lee Ross is again under investigation after misconduct allegations saw three of the four staff in his Botany office placed on special leave.
The latest complaints, understood to include bullying, are from the past year and relate to staff in the office he set up as an independent MP after his spectacular falling out with National.
Having been down that road (cost me my career and much more besides) I know how people love to believe a scandal and/or other serious misdemeanors. It is invariably the claimant who has all to hide.
Stop with the victim blaming. People have come forward and laid complaints that are being investigated- and you with zero knowledge say it sounds like a setup.
Should have known it would be you who came up with that line – a convenient misinterpretation.
I know more about what it is like to be a victim of crime and slander than you will ever know. There's a word for people like you you and it ain't nice.
If they are legitimate we'll know soon enough and that will be the end of the line for JLR.
You say you know what it’s like to be a victim of slander and what did you do in your first comment “sounds like a possible setup”. – slandering the Victims.
yeah – all those independent women are setting him up. And having to put up with people like you casting aspersions at them (while claiming how bad it was when people did it to you).
Dear God, you are a creep. You would fit nicely in the world of the chief of creeps, Donald Trump.
Who knows if there was a set up. Who knows who might have been behind it if there was one. Who knows whether the office staff were a part of the set up. You're just a with an inferiority complex who thinks bullying a woman online makes him a somebody.
Now off you go – your turn. I'm off to greener pastures.
James is very good at manipulating a target's comments so as to seemingly mean something else. He chooses his targets carefully and women seem to dominate in his selection.
So, why did you hone in on me. I was agreeing with ianmac who wondered if there was a bit of "revenge" in the mix. So, I call it a "possible set up". Same thing mate.
You chose me because its more satisfying to go after a woman – especially one who is not afraid to call you out for your misogyny and spite.
Seems like a stretch to believe 3 people would get them selves employed by jlr just so they could drag him down 8 months out from an election hes gonna lose anyway.
And people who go and knowingly work for known shit bags usually have an eye for the main chance and can be easily incentivised to be even bigger shit bags
Oil giant OMV has already had a serious accident off the coast of Southland and Otago, cutting through its own drill! Good grief! No oil spilled, but only because they haven't got to it yet!
"International oil giant OMV could be millions of dollars out of pocket after accidentally cutting its own drill pipe while operating off the Otago coast."
OMV Australasia senior vice-president Gabriel Selischi told the Otago Daily Times the preventer had been ‘‘unnecessarily engaged’’ during a test by crew on board the COSL Prospector drill ship.
Oh great, our ocean and coastline is in the hands of people who can't even bring themselves to use honest language about their mistakes.
No surprise. The chopped-off their own drill! Imagine the scene and the language! We should have confidence in these people, this process? Hell no. The accident will be buried in pabulum, unless members of the public cite it again and again. So much for their assurances of competence!
Soper on pork: "The National leader told the Māori crowd more than once the Government hasn't delivered and that as Prime Minister he'd have a four-lane highway built between Auckland and Whangarei. Even for Bridges that'd be a long way to roll a pork barrel. It'd be right up there with the 10 bridges he once promised as Transport Minister to rebuild in the Northland byelection that Peters won five years ago." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12306060
"Peters apparently wasn't planning to speak but was so incensed he got to his feet and told the crowd that Bridges' super highway would take 68 years to build and doubted whether the youthful Nat would be around to see completed. The old campaigner had a point but then lost it by quoting Elvis".
Soper reckons Bridges made a mistake: “It’s as though Bridges has rejected MMP, believing National will be first past the post with 51 percent of the vote at the coming election, something no party has achieved since the electoral system came into being in 1996.” https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12305909
That was my first impression too. FPP thinking, binary frame. Not just Simon, it would’ve been widely consulted upon. The giveaway is reference since to NZF as part of the troika, so they believe they can defeat Winston by removing his centrist leverage. Big gamble.
The only binary that matters to Simon is winning vs. losing (AKA all or nothing). If NZF drops below 5% and drops out of Parliament it effectively becomes an FPP election.
I was lazy and took a shortcut by lumping the Greens together with Labour. My bad. That said, under FPP, the party with the plurality vote is (usually) the winner, which, in this case could by National (again) or Labour.
The Fiordland-Southland floods are reminiscent of the ones that required the village of Kelso to be removed completely from near Riversdale. Early 1980s. Hasn't happened very often in our history.
They're extensive and severe. The Mataura River is a special concern. Everyone there has been wishing no foods at all would occur because of the aluminium dross stored beside the river – now there's a very serious flood happening.
Although in random events groups of high or low values do occur, their tendency to occur in natural events is greater. … There is no obvious periodicity, but there are long stretches when the floods are generally high, and others when they are generally low. These stretches occur without any regularity either in their time of occurrence or duration
By ‘Noah Effect’ we designate the observation that extreme precipitation can be very extreme indeed, and by ‘Joseph Effect’ the finding that a long period of unusual (high or low) precipitation can be extremely long. Current models of statistical hydrology cannot account for either effect and must be superseded. As a replacement, ‘self‐similar’ models appear very promising. They account particularly well for the remarkable empirical observations of Harold Edwin Hurst. The present paper introduces and summarizes a series of investigations on self‐similar operational hydrology.
The importance of long term memory is well established with Hurst ( in regard to the Nileometer (and the long scales implied)
Fires and floods abound, yet some still prefer to believe that there is no trend, no evidence of anything out of the ordinary. Try covering your eyes, ears and mouth while holding your nose… ain’t hands wonderful.
You should think again before accusing anyone of climate change denial.
Since you don't understand the Southland floods of the late 1970s and early 1980s that I mentioned, you need to exercise your little brain and research New Zealand with a bit more historical depth than Wikipedia.
Does make me wonder if Jamie would have committed these crimes given the previous accusations. Sounds convenient timing with wondering who to benefit from at least a smear? All three women staff members complaining? Coincidence?
Luckily we have James to set us straight on justice. (see James @ 6.1.1)
Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross says a new report of alleged misconduct and bullying levelled against him are part of a wider politically-motivated attack.
However, Ross is not clear as to who is behind these attacks, saying only they been orchestrated "by those who want see me out of a job".
A by-election in Botany within the next few months. Luxon wins Botany. National's poll results slide and Simon Bridges becomes even more unpopular. Luxon rolls Bridges and leads the National Party into this year's general election.
A win for the dark overlords who control the National Party.
Do Germans have a thing about 99? They gave us "99 Red Balloons", now some german loaded 99 phones into a kid's wagon and pulled them around city streets outside Google's office to make a phantom traffic jam on google maps.
Meanwhile, in UK: "The idea that anyone could be leftwing and remain, let alone hard left and hard remain, has been completely erased from the narrative of Brexit; despite the fact that this was pretty much the entire Labour party."
"This is the phase of the Labour leadership contest in which people try and guess at what the candidates believe via means other than what they say." Ah, would that be because people automatically disbelieve Labour MPs?
"Starmer currently enjoys a convincing lead among constituency Labour party nominations. The deadline isn’t until Valentine’s Day; so far 231 CLPs have nominated (233 have nominated for deputy), and Starmer has a clear lead, with 138 nominations, and that seems to be accelerating: three-quarters of the local parties that declared over the weekend chose him. Long-Bailey has 58, Nandy 26, Thornberry nine. Historical loyalty to Corbyn (if we can call the past five years a history) is no definite indicator of a nomination for Long-Bailey: North Norfolk and Brent Central nominated Corbyn in both 2015 and 2016, and went for Starmer, while North Devon and Elmet and Rothwell, with the same 2015-16 pattern, chose Long-Bailey."
"And there are known unknowns, principally which way the 100,000 new joiners will jump, since they weren’t allowed to vote on nominations, but will be allowed to vote on the leader. Internal polling and general hunches suggest that they will be voting against Long-Bailey, on the basis that if you wanted a Corbyn continuity candidate, you’d need a very good reason not to have already been a member." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/04/labour-leadership-battle-left-right-divide
Establishment dude. Solid enough to make Boris look flakey by comparison. Well, that wouldn't be hard, but likely to reassure punters dismayed by Jeremy. "Keir was named after the first Labour Party MP, Keir Hardie."
"Although he accepted the knighthood, he prefers not to be called Sir." Maybe not conservative then.
Concern over ouvea premix With peak water flows yet to arrive at Mataura, there is concern about the ouvea premix stored at the Mataura paper mill. Emergency services and others have carried out further flood protection works by sandbagging around the building. However, with 2,660 cumecs of water expected at Mataura at 11.50am it is uncertain what impact this will have on the paper mill. Emergency Management Southland and other agencies have yet to determine what the environmental impact may be. Emergency Management Southland is coordinating with other relevant agencies, including iwi. Ouvea premix can produce ammonia when wet. The risks associated with the premix have been considered when setting the evacuation zones around the paper mill. DO NOT BE COMPLACENT Residents of Wyndham and surrounding low-lying areas should evacuate immediately. The Mataura River is expected to peak with 2,740 cumecs at Wyndham at 3.20pm today. Residents of the township and surrounding low-lying areas should gather key personal belongings and proceed to the Mokoreta Hall or the Mimihau Hall as soon as possible to await further information. Take a grab bag with you containing medication, clothing and personal items including documents. If you are evacuating with pets, ensure they are contained on a leash or in a cage and that you have food for them. The Mataura River was expected to peak at 2,450 cumecs at Gore at 9.20am, and at Mataura with 2,660 cumecs at 11.50am. People in affected areas are warned not to be complacent because the sun is shining and there is no wind. EMS reiterates that the peak flows have yet to arrive. A map outlining the evacuation areas of Gore and Mataura is available on http://www.facebook.com/cdsouthland<https://www.facebook.com/cdsouthland> and http://www.civildefencesouthland.govt.nz<http://www.civildefencesouthland.govt.nz/>
With 62% of precincts reporting in Iowa, there's some interesting patterns emerging.
Sanders mostly won where there's cities. Rural areas split between Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar. Even though Warren was third overall, ahead of Biden and Klobuchar, she didn't win a single county.
Kinda goes against the idea that Sanders is the candidate most likely to win back those disaffected flyover state voters that turned to the dark side with Darth Drumpf.
It was a good day all around Aotearoa celebrating Waitangi day.
Condolences to Kirk Douglas whanau.
Yes we need to recycle more but the best option is to stop using plastic all together. The elephant in the room is the huge plastic manufacturing company's have to much influence on other companies that use their rubbish.
It was great to see A Wahine speaking at the Marae at Waitangi.
Good to see Wahine paddlers on Waka to.
Ka pai to the Australian indigenous people for going for a treaty settlement of their own for losses to the Australian government.
Its awesome to see Tangata whenua getting the respect we deserve I have seen the attitude other cultures had towards Maori a couple of years ago in Tamiki Makaru.
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Despite a “historic” ceasefire agreement in Papua New Guinea between Enga authorities and tribal leaders after months of bitter warfare, a young woman has been found brutally killed near Kaekin village, Wapenamanda. Despite the peace agreement and signing concluded in Port Moresby last Thursday ...
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
Believe you are donating to NZ First – then find out your money has been taken by another “foundation”. Sounds like fraud – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/408843/nz-first-foundation-donor-thought-they-were-giving-to-party
This is going to be interesting
And four 'Natz' are in court on the 25 feb.
No they are not.
a) we don’t know who it is and
b) it’s not national
sad try.
https://www.sfo.govt.nz/sfo-files-charges-in-national-party-donations-case
Maybe stop baiting here, yes?
Yes – and that has been discussed a lot on here.
however this is a different issue – is potentially very serious and is political.
when you believe you are donating to a political party and a seperate entity “takes” the funds without you knowing – it sounds very much like fraud.
why not discuss it in open mike ?
Of course, it is serious and political. So, start a proper debate here that is non-polarising and non-divisive instead of regurgitating the same talking points day-in-day-out and in your idiosyncratic way (AKA baiting). The way things sound are not necessarily the way things are.
Take it away, James, OM is yours to start the discussion.
As much as I want to be wrong, I think NZ First may have complied with the letter of the law, if not the spirit.
Using multiple related entities to donate $14,995 each, to get past disclosure appears legal, but is clearly dodgy and done solely to get around the intention of the law.
New Zealand politics would be in a better place without Winston and Shane involved in so it is my hope that this sinks them forever.
A truly progressive government, without the handbrake of the inherently conservative, bigoted and nasty NZ First party involved is a realistic and likely post election scenario.
A Green Labour government is now within our reach.
Organised crooks always use minions on the outside to do their dirty work.
Not as interesting as watching that Bridge collapse.
While NZ First and National sling mud at each other, Labour is the real winner.
I disagree NZFirst and labour are joined at the hip. It reflects bad on this government.
Regardless of NZF & Nats competing to see who can do shady donations mishandling best, the most interesting aspect is why all those wealthy capitalists are giving big donations to NZF. I presume they've decided that National have lost the plot.
Now they have been doxed they've got no reason to restrict their support to maintain anonymity.
Could go two ways, either they'll get scared and abandon NZF or they'll be out for utu. I don't see Graeme Hart and the others as shrinking violets. Might get interesting
The battle for the extreme right is hotting up. You can assume immigrants from South Africa will know how it ought to be done, particularly if they have Boer in their name. Dieuwe de Boer knows what's right:
"When I first saw the New Conservative launch in 2018, I panned the idea. The "new conservatives are just as boring as the old" was my response. I didn't expect to hear much of them ever again, but then something unexpected happened. I got a message from deputy leader Elliot Ikilei, who told me that he had read my critically dismissive review, he thought I had some good points, and he wanted to meet up to talk about it. That one simple olive branch changed my life".
"He plays up his own Pacific heritage, throws in a few phrases of Samoan and Maori, and says that western culture is superior to all other cultures—it can be adopted by all ethnicities and transcends all cultures. That's a line you won't hear from any politician. "Our civilisation is the greatest ever built," he says with energy and passion. Those statements would likely have been front page news if they had been said anywhere outside of aNew Conservative meeting."
"Victoria O'Brien, firearms spokeswoman, gave her first speech at this meeting. She was able to demonstrate the importance of the freedom to access information from her own experience of authoritarianism in Singapore. She brings a lot of knowledge and credibility to the New Conservative firearms policy, having been an E-Endorsement holder at the time the recent amendments started to roll in. Like Leighton and Elliot, she expresses her reluctance for getting into politics, but all three are doing this because someone has too. They're worried about losing the country they love to the progressive darkness."
Only a whiff of Trumpism, but you can see an attempt emerging to ride that wave. So there's now this website for those with the right minds: https://www.rightminds.nz/articles/2020-new-conservative-year
He's even got a sense of humour: "Between ACT and NC there is also a great chasm on a philosophical level with libertarian individualism pitted against the conservative focus on the family, morality, and nation. I'll tell you what National's philosophy is once I figure it out."
"New Conservative is building up a grassroots movement and much of their rhetoric is honed in on fighting the culture war. For me, that's key." Once that type of thinking dominated our country. In theory, they ought to be able to pull together the remnants of it. In reality, I suspect too many have died, and the rest have moved on.
"Progressive Darkness", heh.
But we ought to feel compassion for those unable to see the light, eh? Disabilities can be a debilitating affliction. A cadre of leftist virtue-signallers ought to be sent into the hinterland to enlighten the natives. The missionary spirit may not be totally dead. Evangelists may be able to help them see the light in that darkness, so they can wend their way towards it gradually thereafter.
Lovely oxymoron!
To : Cognito
May I ask you to confirm that I have served my 6 month ban. Also, did you receive my email requesting "Simplicity" as a new name.
many thanks
Yes, your ban finished on 28 Jan.
No, I did not receive your e-mail about the name change; I don’t have access to the site’s e-mail account. To avoid confusion, I have changed your user handle back to the original.
I've just finished my six month ban too!
It’s like a reunion
Interesting stat.
Hong Kong, 15 infections, 1 death
Guangdong, 797 infections, no deaths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV6IEdPc7AY
Because the disease is contagious, you can't treat cases as independent events. If the disease broke out in a university campus in Guangdong and in a rest home in Honk Kong then that explains the difference in fatalities and spread without there being any other difference.
That might be true if it were only one Chinese province. Several minutes into the video a list of several areas (approx 2000 cases) with only a 2 or 3 deaths reported.
I'm done here. It is clear that on this site there is no willingness at all to see this for what it is – a serious pandemic which is already causing supply chain disruption.
Since I love y'all despite you seeing me as a loon, at least take some basic steps:
– instead of waiting to get sick before buying flu supplies buy them in advance including electrolytes or make them at home in advance
– buy or make elderberry syrup as this is scientifically proven to lessen symptoms and reduce duration of the illness (+better tasting than olive leaf extract). The major concern with this virus is the high complication rate that requires hospital admission
Take care x
A, when the last potential pandemic scare happened, we had lots of conversations here with some people *insisting that within so many days/weeks there would massive deaths globally. Didn't happen obviously. The new coronavirus might become a pandemic, but it's not currently. I think we should be taking it seriously, and am glad NZ is now putting boundaries in at the border. I'm cautious about what the impact might be here, but I don't see the need to prepare for this as any more pressing than for a flood or quake.
mpledger's point about the stats is valid. I was going to say that you can't tell much from such small numbers. There are good reasons why we have public health experts in contagious disease, because they have the experience and knowledge in how to assess what is going on. Keep watching the videos, but I hope you're also following the relevant health authorities and science based commentary online.
I don't think everyone here is dismissing your concerns. It's entirely natural that people will vary in their responses to this kind of threat, from the entirely nonchalant to the closed off and fearful … and every shade in between.
On the data we have so far I think this has the potential to become a major problem, but it's not likely to be a repeat of the 1918 Spanish Flu. Our tools for fighting this are so much more sophisticated now.
The big complicating factor for me is that I really don't trust any damn thing the CCP says. Hell they may be telling us the gospel truth on this one, but their track record is so bad how would we know?
"A serious misinfodemic is occurring – fake news, unsubstantiated rumours, and crazy talk are spreading way more than the coronavirus. This is concerning and the World Health Organisation have all hands to deck to try and counter the nonsense."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/05/1018647/coronavirus-a-global-misinfodemic
Is this for real? Could it be revenge?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/05/1019443/new-allegations-surround-mp-jami-lee-ross
Sounds like a possible set-up to me.
Having been down that road (cost me my career and much more besides) I know how people love to believe a scandal and/or other serious misdemeanors. It is invariably the claimant who has all to hide.
Time will reveal the truth, it always does.
Stop with the victim blaming. People have come forward and laid complaints that are being investigated- and you with zero knowledge say it sounds like a setup.
They could be very legitimate victims in this.
Stop with the victim blaming.
Should have known it would be you who came up with that line – a convenient misinterpretation.
I know more about what it is like to be a victim of crime and slander than you will ever know. There's a word for people like you you and it ain't nice.
If they are legitimate we'll know soon enough and that will be the end of the line for JLR.
You say you know what it’s like to be a victim of slander and what did you do in your first comment “sounds like a possible setup”. – slandering the Victims.
yeah – all those independent women are setting him up. And having to put up with people like you casting aspersions at them (while claiming how bad it was when people did it to you).
" – slandering the victims." No.
– possibly slandering the victims, thankyou. Anne only said a 'possible' setup.
If you are going to pose as morally meticulous, please be equally meticulous in your reasoning, and don't exaggerate when it suits you.
Dear God, you are a creep. You would fit nicely in the world of the chief of creeps, Donald Trump.
Who knows if there was a set up. Who knows who might have been behind it if there was one. Who knows whether the office staff were a part of the set up. You're just a with an inferiority complex who thinks bullying a woman online makes him a somebody.
Now off you go – your turn. I'm off to greener pastures.
James loves to stand up for victims. Unless they are the victims of the alleged Parliamentary 'rapist'.
It's all in their head, apparently.
I’ll stand up for the victims of rape.
but you know there was no victim of rape and he didn’t rape anyone.
so he’s exactly as guilt of being a rapist as you are.
would you be happy being called a rapist ?
Your criteria for who you will and will not stand up for is curious. How do you work it out?
James is very good at manipulating a target's comments so as to seemingly mean something else. He chooses his targets carefully and women seem to dominate in his selection.
So sad.
🙂
Your the one who said it sounds like a possible setup – now you say “who knows if there was a setup”. Well the answer to that is not you obviously.
but you are happy to suggest or infer it – making it sound like its possibly the women.
Two women and one man.
But it probably sounds worse if he's only accused of bullying women, so good job to you.
So, why did you hone in on me. I was agreeing with ianmac who wondered if there was a bit of "revenge" in the mix. So, I call it a "possible set up". Same thing mate.
You chose me because its more satisfying to go after a woman – especially one who is not afraid to call you out for your misogyny and spite.
James:
Not 'infer'. The word you are struggling for is 'imply'. Look them up.
Seems like a stretch to believe 3 people would get them selves employed by jlr just so they could drag him down 8 months out from an election hes gonna lose anyway.
Add to that he has form for being a shit bag .
Looks like there might be another side to this story. We will have to wait and see.
I was only agreeing with ianmac @ 6. Don't know why I'm being targeted.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119294814/jamilee-ross-alleges-politicallymotivated-trial-by-media-following-report
And people who go and knowingly work for known shit bags usually have an eye for the main chance and can be easily incentivised to be even bigger shit bags
Oil giant OMV has already had a serious accident off the coast of Southland and Otago, cutting through its own drill! Good grief! No oil spilled, but only because they haven't got to it yet!
"International oil giant OMV could be millions of dollars out of pocket after accidentally cutting its own drill pipe while operating off the Otago coast."
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/omv-cut-through-drill-shaft-accident
Oh great, our ocean and coastline is in the hands of people who can't even bring themselves to use honest language about their mistakes.
No surprise. The chopped-off their own drill! Imagine the scene and the language! We should have confidence in these people, this process? Hell no. The accident will be buried in pabulum, unless members of the public cite it again and again. So much for their assurances of competence!
If you find any more online about it, let me know and I'll put up a post. I checked Greenpeace NZ's twitter and they haven't said anything yet.
At least the front didn't fall off.
They can just tow it outside the environment.
It worked.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowout_preventer#Deepwater_Horizon_blowout
Soper on pork: "The National leader told the Māori crowd more than once the Government hasn't delivered and that as Prime Minister he'd have a four-lane highway built between Auckland and Whangarei. Even for Bridges that'd be a long way to roll a pork barrel. It'd be right up there with the 10 bridges he once promised as Transport Minister to rebuild in the Northland byelection that Peters won five years ago." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12306060
"Peters apparently wasn't planning to speak but was so incensed he got to his feet and told the crowd that Bridges' super highway would take 68 years to build and doubted whether the youthful Nat would be around to see completed. The old campaigner had a point but then lost it by quoting Elvis".
Soper reckons Bridges made a mistake: “It’s as though Bridges has rejected MMP, believing National will be first past the post with 51 percent of the vote at the coming election, something no party has achieved since the electoral system came into being in 1996.” https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12305909
That was my first impression too. FPP thinking, binary frame. Not just Simon, it would’ve been widely consulted upon. The giveaway is reference since to NZF as part of the troika, so they believe they can defeat Winston by removing his centrist leverage. Big gamble.
The only binary that matters to Simon is winning vs. losing (AKA all or nothing). If NZF drops below 5% and drops out of Parliament it effectively becomes an FPP election.
Um, Greens.
I was lazy and took a shortcut by lumping the Greens together with Labour. My bad. That said, under FPP, the party with the plurality vote is (usually) the winner, which, in this case could by National (again) or Labour.
The Fiordland-Southland floods are reminiscent of the ones that required the village of Kelso to be removed completely from near Riversdale. Early 1980s. Hasn't happened very often in our history.
They're extensive and severe. The Mataura River is a special concern. Everyone there has been wishing no foods at all would occur because of the aluminium dross stored beside the river – now there's a very serious flood happening.
Looks like it's being taken very seriously, people dragged off in handcuffs..
https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/southland-top-stories/119290751/man-handcuffed-after-refusing-to-leave-animals-during-matarau-evacuation
Hasn't happened very often in our history.
Hydrology has long term memory ( persistence over long scales) the problem with Noah effects are well documented.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/WR004i005p00909
As Hurst wrote.
Although in random events groups of high or low values do occur, their tendency to occur in natural events is greater. … There is no obvious periodicity, but there are long stretches when the floods are generally high, and others when they are generally low. These stretches occur without any regularity either in their time of occurrence or duration
That link didn't work for me.
What was the point you were making for this flood area?
The abstract reads as such.
By ‘Noah Effect’ we designate the observation that extreme precipitation can be very extreme indeed, and by ‘Joseph Effect’ the finding that a long period of unusual (high or low) precipitation can be extremely long. Current models of statistical hydrology cannot account for either effect and must be superseded. As a replacement, ‘self‐similar’ models appear very promising. They account particularly well for the remarkable empirical observations of Harold Edwin Hurst. The present paper introduces and summarizes a series of investigations on self‐similar operational hydrology.
The importance of long term memory is well established with Hurst ( in regard to the Nileometer (and the long scales implied)
Review article here.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1406.6018
Fires and floods abound, yet some still prefer to believe that there is no trend, no evidence of anything out of the ordinary. Try covering your eyes, ears and mouth while holding your nose… ain’t hands wonderful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperatures_Rising
You should think again before accusing anyone of climate change denial.
Since you don't understand the Southland floods of the late 1970s and early 1980s that I mentioned, you need to exercise your little brain and research New Zealand with a bit more historical depth than Wikipedia.
Ad, sorry that you interpreted my comment as an accusation directed at you – was not my intent.
What https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119287951/new-allegations-surround-mp-jamilee-ross? Are National worried about Botany and using the usual suspects to muddy the JLR waters?
Does make me wonder if Jamie would have committed these crimes given the previous accusations. Sounds convenient timing with wondering who to benefit from at least a smear? All three women staff members complaining? Coincidence?
Luckily we have James to set us straight on justice. (see James @ 6.1.1)
Two women, one man, says Newsroom: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/05/1019443/new-allegations-surround-mp-jami-lee-ross
But what does Paula Bennett say? She’s the go-to girl for these things.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12306302
Here's a cunning plan:
A by-election in Botany within the next few months. Luxon wins Botany. National's poll results slide and Simon Bridges becomes even more unpopular. Luxon rolls Bridges and leads the National Party into this year's general election.
A win for the dark overlords who control the National Party.
Do Germans have a thing about 99? They gave us "99 Red Balloons", now some german loaded 99 phones into a kid's wagon and pulled them around city streets outside Google's office to make a phantom traffic jam on google maps.
https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/artist-google-traffic-jam-alert-trick-scli-intl/index.html
Meanwhile, in UK: "The idea that anyone could be leftwing and remain, let alone hard left and hard remain, has been completely erased from the narrative of Brexit; despite the fact that this was pretty much the entire Labour party."
"This is the phase of the Labour leadership contest in which people try and guess at what the candidates believe via means other than what they say." Ah, would that be because people automatically disbelieve Labour MPs?
"Starmer currently enjoys a convincing lead among constituency Labour party nominations. The deadline isn’t until Valentine’s Day; so far 231 CLPs have nominated (233 have nominated for deputy), and Starmer has a clear lead, with 138 nominations, and that seems to be accelerating: three-quarters of the local parties that declared over the weekend chose him. Long-Bailey has 58, Nandy 26, Thornberry nine. Historical loyalty to Corbyn (if we can call the past five years a history) is no definite indicator of a nomination for Long-Bailey: North Norfolk and Brent Central nominated Corbyn in both 2015 and 2016, and went for Starmer, while North Devon and Elmet and Rothwell, with the same 2015-16 pattern, chose Long-Bailey."
"And there are known unknowns, principally which way the 100,000 new joiners will jump, since they weren’t allowed to vote on nominations, but will be allowed to vote on the leader. Internal polling and general hunches suggest that they will be voting against Long-Bailey, on the basis that if you wanted a Corbyn continuity candidate, you’d need a very good reason not to have already been a member." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/04/labour-leadership-battle-left-right-divide
What is Mr Starmer like?
Well, glancing at his photo here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keir_Starmer, I thought he looked like Rudolf Hess. He was " a defence lawyer specialising in human rights issues. In 2008, he was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), holding the role until 2013. He was appointed Queen's Counsel (QC) in 2002 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours. He was sworn in as a Privy Councillor in 2017."
Establishment dude. Solid enough to make Boris look flakey by comparison. Well, that wouldn't be hard, but likely to reassure punters dismayed by Jeremy. "Keir was named after the first Labour Party MP, Keir Hardie."
"Although he accepted the knighthood, he prefers not to be called Sir." Maybe not conservative then.
Concern over ouvea premix With peak water flows yet to arrive at Mataura, there is concern about the ouvea premix stored at the Mataura paper mill. Emergency services and others have carried out further flood protection works by sandbagging around the building. However, with 2,660 cumecs of water expected at Mataura at 11.50am it is uncertain what impact this will have on the paper mill. Emergency Management Southland and other agencies have yet to determine what the environmental impact may be. Emergency Management Southland is coordinating with other relevant agencies, including iwi. Ouvea premix can produce ammonia when wet. The risks associated with the premix have been considered when setting the evacuation zones around the paper mill. DO NOT BE COMPLACENT Residents of Wyndham and surrounding low-lying areas should evacuate immediately. The Mataura River is expected to peak with 2,740 cumecs at Wyndham at 3.20pm today. Residents of the township and surrounding low-lying areas should gather key personal belongings and proceed to the Mokoreta Hall or the Mimihau Hall as soon as possible to await further information. Take a grab bag with you containing medication, clothing and personal items including documents. If you are evacuating with pets, ensure they are contained on a leash or in a cage and that you have food for them. The Mataura River was expected to peak at 2,450 cumecs at Gore at 9.20am, and at Mataura with 2,660 cumecs at 11.50am. People in affected areas are warned not to be complacent because the sun is shining and there is no wind. EMS reiterates that the peak flows have yet to arrive. A map outlining the evacuation areas of Gore and Mataura is available on http://www.facebook.com/cdsouthland<https://www.facebook.com/cdsouthland> and http://www.civildefencesouthland.govt.nz<http://www.civildefencesouthland.govt.nz/>
RNZ radio NZ has a live update on the situation. Otherwise, check out the civil defence links that Robert suggests.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/408884/southland-flooding-live-updates
With 62% of precincts reporting in Iowa, there's some interesting patterns emerging.
Sanders mostly won where there's cities. Rural areas split between Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar. Even though Warren was third overall, ahead of Biden and Klobuchar, she didn't win a single county.
Kinda goes against the idea that Sanders is the candidate most likely to win back those disaffected flyover state voters that turned to the dark side with Darth Drumpf.
https://edition.cnn.com/election/2020/state/iowa
edit: heh, Warren got close to her worst result in Pocahontas County with 4.7%
Kia Ora Newshub.
It was a good day all around Aotearoa celebrating Waitangi day.
Condolences to Kirk Douglas whanau.
Yes we need to recycle more but the best option is to stop using plastic all together. The elephant in the room is the huge plastic manufacturing company's have to much influence on other companies that use their rubbish.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
It was great to see A Wahine speaking at the Marae at Waitangi.
Good to see Wahine paddlers on Waka to.
Ka pai to the Australian indigenous people for going for a treaty settlement of their own for losses to the Australian government.
Its awesome to see Tangata whenua getting the respect we deserve I have seen the attitude other cultures had towards Maori a couple of years ago in Tamiki Makaru.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Of course our migrants and their cultures should be treated respectfully.
We do need more Maori in Media and broadcasting telling good stories about Maori not just the negative stuff.
Its shows someone has no morels.
A new dawn for race relations is great for Aotearoa.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Newshub.
Its good to see Maori tau toko Maori.
There you go a big company trying to take advantage of people CPB.
Glacier are vanishing before our eyes in Antarctica. The positive news in now most people know the cause is human caused climate change.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Good to see all the Ropu in the Kapa Haka in Opotiki.
Its awesome to see Counties Manakau changing their system to deliver a better health service to Maori and Pacific tangata.
Ka pai to the indigenous culture gathering in Hawaii to show the Papatuanuku Our Great Cultures and teach the tamariki how great their cultures are.
I think that the changes to RadioNZ and TVNZ is good if you don't adapt you no what happens.
Ka kite Ano
Donna was helping her tangata not herself it shows with all the tau toko she has kia kaha.
Kia Ora Newshub.
Climate change is the cause of Antarctica warning temperature Ka pai.
The farmarmy is doing great mahi it looks like the grass is still ok.
The Gay Pride Parade looks like a good day kia kaha.
Alcohol causes heaps of harm to our society I think those bars should be treated like all other bars.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's awesome that Rangitane has had their Pukaha reserve returned as part of their Treaty Settlement.
Good that interest in Te reo Māori is starting to grow fast.
Te Ka pa Haka was great in Opotiki today.
Ka kite Ano