Open mike 05/06/2020
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6:00 am, June 5th, 2020 - 48 comments
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- Gordon Campbell on extending the fuel/public transport subsidies
As PM Chris Hipkins says, it’s a “no brainer” to extend the fuel tax cut, half price public subsidy and the cut to the road user levy until mid-year. A no braoner if the prime purpose is to ease the burden on people struggling to cope with the cost of ...1 hour ago - U-turn on fuel taxes could pump up poll support for Hipkins and Co but the poor – perhaps – won...
Buzz from the Beehive Cost-of-living pressures loomed large in Beehive announcements over the past 24 hours. The PM was obviously keen to announce further measures to keep those costs in check and demonstrate he means business when he talks of focusing his government on bread-and-butter issues. His statement was headed ...1 hour ago - Mike’s Cracked Record
Poor Mike Hosking. He has revealed himself in his most recent diatribe to be one of those public figures who is defined, not by who he is, but by who he isn’t, or at least not by what he is for, but by what he is against. Jacinda’s departure has ...3 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Chris Hipkins hires a lobbyist to run the Beehive
New Zealand is the second least corrupt country on earth according to the latest Corruption Perception Index published yesterday by Transparency International. But how much does this reflect reality? The problem with being continually feted for world-leading political integrity – which the Beehive and government departments love to boast about ...4 hours ago - Government confirms a light rail rethink possible
Transport Minister and now also Minister for Auckland, Michael Wood has confirmed that the light rail project is part of the government’s policy refocus. Wood said the light rail project was under review as part of a ministerial refocus on key Government projects. “We are undertaking a stocktake about how ...7 hours ago - Why Nicola Willis is door-knocking in JohnsonvilleSometime before the new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced that this year would be about “bread and butter issues”, National’s finance spokesperson Nicola Willis decided to move from Wellington Central and stand for Ohariu, which spreads across north Wellington from the central city to Johnsonville and Tawa. It’s an ...10 hours ago
- “With great power comes great responsibility”: we’ve all heard that, but stepping up to it is ...
They say a week is a long time in politics. For Mayor Wayne Brown, turns out 24 hours was long enough for many of us to see, quite obviously, “something isn’t right here…”. That in fact, a lot was going wrong. Very wrong indeed. Mainly because it turns ...19 hours ago - The escalator rises again
One of the most effective, and successful, graphics developed by Skeptical Science is the escalator. The escalator shows how global surface temperature anomalies vary with time, and illustrates how "contrarians" tend to cherry-pick short time intervals so as to argue that there has been no recent warming, while "realists" recognise ...19 hours ago - Garrick Tremain’s view…
... 23 hours ago - Much excitement as Hipkins gets down to business – but can he defeat inflation with his devotion t...
A new Prime Minister, a revitalised Cabinet, and possibly revised priorities – but is the political and, importantly, economic landscape much different? Certainly some within the news media were excited by the changes which Chris Hipkins announced yesterday or – before the announcement – by the prospect of changes in ...1 day ago - E-bike incentives work
Currently the government's strategy for reducing transport emissions hinges on boosting vehicle fuel-efficiency, via the clean car standard and clean car discount, and some improvements to public transport. The former has been hugely successful, and has clearly set us on the right path, but its also not enough, and will ...1 day ago - Hipkins’ need to strengthen focus on “bread and butter” issues suggests the Ardern team was lo...Buzz from the Beehive Before he announced his Cabinet yesterday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced he would be flying to Australia next week to meet that country’s Prime Minister. And before Kieran McAnulty had time to say “Three Waters” after his promotion to the Local Government portfolio, he was dishing ...1 day ago
- 24,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing that unemployment has risen slightly to 3.4%. There are now 99,000 people unemployed - 24,000 fewer than when Labour took office. So, I guess the Reserve Bank's plan to throw people out of work to stop wage rises "inflation", and ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Hipkins’ bread and butter reshuffle* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards: Hipkins’ bread and butter reshufflePrime Minister Chris Hipkins continues to be the new broom in Government, re-setting his Government away from its problem areas in his Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, and trying to convince voters that Labour is focused on “bread and butter” issues. The ministers responsible for unpopular reforms in water and DHB centralisation ...1 day ago
- 2023 More Reading: January (+ Old Phuul Update)
Completed reads for January Lilith, by George MacDonald The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (poem), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Christabel (poem), by Samuel Taylor Coleridge The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, by Anonymous The Lay of Kraka (poem), by Anonymous 1066 and All That, by W.C. Sellar and R.J. ...2 days ago - Is Britain doomed (again)?
Pity the poor Brits. They just can’t catch a break. After years of reporting of lying Boris Johnson, a change to a less colourful PM in Rishi Sunak has resulted in a smooth media pivot to an end-of-empire narrative. The New York Times, no less, amplifies suggestions that Blighty ...2 days ago - After The Deluge.
On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth.Genesis 6:11-12THE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS that dumped a record-breaking amount of rain on Auckland this anniversary weekend will reoccur with ever-increasing frequency. The planet’s atmosphere is ...2 days ago - Minister of Education (who might be replaced later today) left it to his ministry to apologise for i...Buzz from the Beehive There has been plenty to keep the relevant Ministers busy in flood-stricken Auckland over the past day or two. But New Zealand, last time we looked, extends north of Auckland into Northland and south of the Bombay Hills all the way to the bottom of the ...2 days ago
- The other ‘big one’: How a megaflood could swamp California’s Central ValleyThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters When early settlers came to the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers before the California Gold Rush, Indigenous people warned them that the Sacramento Valley could become an inland sea when great winter rains came. The storytellers described water filling the ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The gamechanger PM and pollsDr Bryce Edwards writes – Last night’s opinion polls answered the big question of whether a switch of prime minister would really be a gamechanger for election year. The 1News and Newshub polls released at 6pm gave the same response: the shift from Jacinda Ardern to Chris Hipkins ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Gamechanger PM and pollsLast night’s opinion polls answered the big question of whether a switch of prime minister would really be a gamechanger for election year. The 1News and Newshub polls released at 6pm gave the same response: the shift from Jacinda Ardern to Chris Hipkins has changed everything, and Labour is back ...2 days ago
- After the deluge – initial thoughts on the Auckland floodsOver the last few years, it’s seemed like city after city around the world has become subject to extreme flooding events that have been made worse by impacts from climate change. We’ve highlighted many of them in our Weekly Roundup series. Sadly, over the last few days it’s been Auckland’s ...2 days ago
- Ani O’Brien: Luxon can’t afford to continue ‘small target’ politicsA ‘small target’ strategy is not going to cut it anymore if National want to win the upcoming election. The game has changed and the game plan needs to change as well. Jacinda Ardern’s abrupt departure from the 9th floor has the potential to derail what looked to be an ...2 days ago
- Shaking up scienceWhen Grant Robertson talks about how the economy might change post-covid, one of the things he talks about is what he calls an unsung but interesting white paper on science. “It’s really important,” he says. The Minister in charge of the White Paper — Te Ara Paerangi, Future Pathways ...2 days ago
- How we get a new Prime Minister – it’s a simple matter of vice-regal appointment without a swear...The news media were at one ceremony by the looks of things. The Governor-General, the Prime Minister and his deputy were at another. The news media were at a swearing-in ceremony. The country’s leaders were at an appointment ceremony. The New Zealand Gazette record of what transpired says: Appointment of ...3 days ago
- More bad faith from the spiesIn November last year, the SIS agreed to pay journalist Nicky Hager $66,000 for illegally spying on him. As part of the settlement, they agreed to publish an agreed statement about the settlement on their website. But two weeks later, it was gone. The New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on counting the ways Auckland was failed by its mayorI n some alternative universe, Auckland mayor Efeso Collins readily grasped the scale of Friday’s deluge, and quickly made the emergency declaration that enabled central government to immediately throw its resources behind the rescue and remediation effort. As Friday evening became night, Mayor Collins seemed to be everywhere: talking with ...3 days ago
- Mercury Energy’s hydro power generation has been boosted by a wet half-yearThey called it an “atmospheric river”, the weather bombardment which hit NZ’s northern region at the weekend. It exacted a terrible toll on metropolitan Auckland and the rest of the region. Few living there may have noted a statement from electricity generator Mercury Energy labelled “WET, WET, WET!” This was ...3 days ago
- When it rains it pours.
I know, that is a pretty corny title but given the circumstances here in the Auckland region, I just had to say it. The more oblique reference embedded in the title is to the leadership failures exhibited by Mayor Wayne Brown and his so-called leadership team when confronted by the ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: How authorities failed Aucklanders in an emergencyHow much confidence should the public have in authorities managing natural disasters? Not much, judging by the farcical way in which the civil defence emergence in Auckland has played out. The way authorities dealt with Auckland’s extreme weather on Friday illustrated how hit-and-miss our civil defence emergency system is. In ...3 days ago
- The Bewildering World of Christopher Luxon – Leadership, Labour vs National
Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The recent leadership change in the governing Labour party resulted in a very strange response from National’s (current) leader, Christopher Luxon. Mr Luxon berated Labour for it’s change of leader, citing no actual change.As ...4 days ago - 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #4A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 22, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 28, 2023. Story of the Week New Study Reveals Arctic Ice, Tracked Both Above and Below, Is Freezing Later Climate change is affecting the timing of both ...4 days ago
- Flooding flushes out more evidence of life in the BeehiveBuzz from the Beehive Yes, there’s life – and the hint of ministerial hum – in the Beehive. The latest announcement on the Beehive website deals with flood relief for Auckland: Government steps up to assist Auckland during flooding As the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the ...4 days ago
- A calm look at public housing
Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.It was another ‘SHOCK! HORROR!’ headline from a media increasingly venturing into tabloid-style journalism:Andrea Vance’s article seemed to focus on the "million dollar sums from the Government as the country grapples with a housing ...5 days ago - Brian Easton: Christmas briefing papers — what was the PM reading in the runup to Election Year?Dr Brian Easton writes: It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. Here is my guess at some ...5 days ago
- Christmas Briefing Papers
What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. ...6 days ago - A significant loopholeIn case you hadn't noticed, FYI, the public OIA request site, has been used to conduct a significant excavation into New Zealand's intelligence agencies, with requests made for assorted policies and procedures. Yesterday in response to one of these requests the GCSB released its policy on New Zealand Purpose and ...6 days ago
- Farm leaders are watching whether O’Connor keeps Agriculture as the climate lobby presses for meth...Farming leaders are watching closely whether Damien O’Connor keeps the key portfolios of Agriculture and Trade when Prime Minister Chris Hipkins restructures his Cabinet. O’Connor has been one of the few ministers during Labour’s term in office who has won broad support for what he has done ...6 days ago
- Let the farmers pay for their own poor decisionsSouth Islands farmers are whining about another drought, the third in three years. If only we knew what was causing this! If only someone had warned them that they faced a drying climate! But we do know what is causing it: climate change. And they have been warned, repeatedly, for ...6 days ago
- Ministers are muted – or missing in action, maybeBuzz from the Beehive Nothing to report, folks. Other than Willie Jackson’s tribute on Wednesday to Titewhai Harawira, ministers of the Crown have posted nothing on the Beehive website since the day ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the bad outlook for fuel and transport costsOk, there’s good news and bad news in this week’s inflation figures, but bad > good. Our inflation rate held steady but hey, at a level below the inflation rate in Australia. The main reason for the so/so result here? A fall in petrol prices of 7.2% offset the really ...6 days ago
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- Bryce Edwards: Time for a sober discussion about toxicity and personality in politicsSince her shock resignation announcement, Jacinda Ardern has been at pains to point out that she isn’t leaving because of the toxicity directed at her on social media and elsewhere, rebutting journalists who suggested misogyny and hate may have driven her from office. Yet there have been dozens of columns ...6 days ago
- Jung At Heart.The Clinical Magus: Of particular relevance to New Zealanders struggling to come to terms with the sudden departure of their prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is Jung’s concept of the anima. Much more than what others have called the feminine principle, the anima is what the human male has made out ...6 days ago
- Weekly Roundup 27-January-2023Kia ora. Welcome to January’s last (!) Weekly Roundup. The week in Greater Auckland Monday’s post raised the possibility of a Manukau Road light rail route. On Tuesday, Matt wondered what the outcomes of this year’s rail network shutdowns will be now that the first, from Ōtāhuhu to Newmarket, ...6 days ago
- Committee slashes broadcasting bill but it may be too lateThe Select Committee, considering the proposed RNZ-TVNZ merger, has come back with a report conceding many of the criticisms that were made of the original legislation. In what is one of the most comprehensive demolitions of a Bill submitted to a Select Committee, the Economic Development, Science and Innovation ...6 days ago
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Such are the 2020s, the age when no-one, it seems, actually respects the basic underpinnings of democracy. Even in New Zealand. This week, I stumbled across a pair of lengthy and genuinely serious articles, that basically argue that Something is Rotten in the state of New Zealand democracy. One ...6 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #4 2023Open access notables Some of our more esoteric discussions with geophysics rejectionists (aka "climate science deniers") involve warming of the upper troposphere. Resolving the 21st century temperature trends of the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere with satellite observations by Ladstädter, Steiner & Gleisner via Nature Scientific Reports brings in new orbital instrumentation and makes some important progress in quantifying ...7 days ago
- Garrick Tremain’s view …
... 7 days ago - Tribute has been paid to Titewhai Harawira but Beehive has missed govt response to the CPI and Crown...Buzz from the Beehive Hurrah. Today we found something fresh on the Beehive website, Beehive.govt.nz, which claims to be the best place to find Government initiatives, policies and Ministerial information. It wasn’t from Finance Minister Grant Robertson, whose reaction to the latest inflation figures would have been appreciated. So, too, ...7 days ago
- After Ratana.7 days ago
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- Political Roundup: 26 January 2023RĀTANA, CO-GOVERNANCE, THREE WATERS Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): After Ratana Thomas Manch (Stuff): Could Three Waters be on the chopping block? Here’s what Prime Minister Chris Hipkins could do Ted Greensmith-West (Stuff): Co-governance is less controversial than Christopher Luxon makes out John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Luxon’s done Rātana. Is Rātana ...1 week ago
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- National goes back to BrashIn 2005, then-National Party leader based his entire election campaign on racism, with his infamous racist Orewa speech and racist iwi/kiwi billboards. Now, Christopher Luxon seems to want to do it all again: Fresh off using his platform at this week's Rātana celebrations to criticise the government's approach to ...1 week ago
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- Political Roundup: 25 January 2023Items of interest and importance today RĀTANA AND CO-GOVERNANCE Luke Malpass (Stuff): Rātana mission complete for Christopher Luxon, but outshone by Chris Hipkins Felix Desmarais (1News): Analysis: Co-governance casts shadow over PM’s exit at Rātana Thomas Cranmer: Luxon talks co-governance at Rātana Pā Tova O’Brien (Today FM): All political parties ...1 week ago
- NIMBYs go BANANAs over young singles in their areaAn editorial in the NZ Herald last week, titled “Nimbyism goes bananas as housing intensifies“, introduced Herald readers to a couple of acronyms that go along with the now-familiar NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard): “bananas” (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone) “cave” dwellers (citizens against virtually everything). The editorial ...1 week ago
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- Our politicians have swarmed to Ratana where Hipkins may cause some buzz when he explains his co-gov...Buzz from the Beehive Yet another day has passed without Ministers of the Crown posting something to show they are still working for us on the Beehive website. Nothing new has been posted since January 17. Perhaps the ministers are all engaged in the bemusing annual excursion ...1 week ago
- Framing an election-winning budget a priority for Hipkins-led team — but will inflation erode an...Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has already indicated he intends making the tax system “fairer”. That points to the route a government facing an election could take to tilt the odds towards winning in its favour, given Labour’s support in the last months of the Ardern era had been ...1 week ago
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- What Is Co-Governance?Two Flags, Two Masters? Just as it required a full-scale military effort to destroy the first attempt at Māori self-government in the 1850s and 60s (an effort that divided Maoridom itself into supporters and opponents of the Crown) any second attempt to establish tino rangatiratanga, based on the confiscatory policies ...1 week ago
- Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidy
The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a climate crisis. ...1 day ago - Urgent action needed to support familiesThe tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Green Party writes to new Prime MinisterThe Green Party has written to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins outlining a plan for a fairer Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- Green Party looks forward to working with Chris HipkinsThe Green Party welcomes Chris Hipkins as the sole nominee for leader of the Labour Party, and the next Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens recognise Prime Minister Ardern’s serviceThe Green Party is today acknowledging Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s service to Aotearoa. ...2 weeks ago
- Further support for upper North Island regions hit by significant weather
The Government is unlocking an additional $700,000 in support for regions that have been badly hit by the recent flooding and storm damage in the upper North Island. “We’re supporting the response and recovery of Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Northland, and Bay of Plenty regions, through activating Enhanced Taskforce Green to ...2 hours ago - The Princess Royal to visit New ZealandPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has welcomed the announcement that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, will visit New Zealand this month. “Princess Anne is travelling to Aotearoa at the request of the NZ Army’s Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals, of which she is Colonel in Chief, to ...2 hours ago
- Government and horticulture sector target $12b in exports by 2035A new Government and industry strategy launched today has its sights on growing the value of New Zealand’s horticultural production to $12 billion by 2035, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “Our food and fibre exports are vital to New Zealand’s economic security. We’re focussed on long-term strategies that build on ...1 day ago
- Cost of living support extended for families and businesses25 cents per litre petrol excise duty cut extended to 30 June 2023 – reducing an average 60 litre tank of petrol by $17.25 Road User Charge discount will be re-introduced and continue through until 30 June Half price public transport fares extended to the end of June 2023 saving ...1 day ago
- More Kiwis in work as rising wages match inflationThe strong economy has attracted more people into the workforce, with a record number of New Zealanders in paid work and wages rising to help with cost of living pressures. “The Government’s economic plan is delivering on more better-paid jobs, growing wages and creating more opportunities for more New Zealanders,” ...1 day ago
- Government boosts fund for Auckland floodingThe Government is providing a further $1 million to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Cabinet today agreed that, given the severity of the event, a further $1 million contribution be made. Cabinet wishes to be proactive ...2 days ago
- New Cabinet focused on bread and butter issuesThe new Cabinet will be focused on core bread and butter issues like the cost of living, education, health, housing and keeping communities and businesses safe, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. “We need a greater focus on what’s in front of New Zealanders right now. The new Cabinet line ...2 days ago
- Prime Minister to meet with PM AlbanesePrime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Canberra next week for an in person meeting with Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. “The trans-Tasman relationship is New Zealand’s closest and most important, and it was crucial to me that my first overseas trip as Prime Minister was to Australia,” Chris Hipkins ...2 days ago
- Government makes first payment to Auckland Flooding fundThe Government is providing establishment funding of $100,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Auckland following flooding, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “We moved quickly to make available this funding to support Aucklanders while the full extent of the damage is being assessed,” Kieran McAnulty ...5 days ago
- Government steps up to assist Auckland during floodingAs the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the Government, through NEMA, is able to step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland. “I’d urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information. As always, the Government ...6 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Titewhai Te Huia Hinewhare HarawiraKa papā te whatitiri, Hikohiko ana te uira, wāhi rua mai ana rā runga mai o Huruiki maunga Kua hinga te māreikura o te Nota, a Titewhai Harawira Nā reira, e te kahurangi, takoto, e moe Ka mōwai koa a Whakapara, kua uhia te Tai Tokerau e te kapua pōuri ...1 week ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved following Cyclone HaleCarmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development and Employment, has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to flooding and damaged caused by Cyclone Hale in the Tairāwhiti region. Up to $500,000 will be made available to employ job seekers to support the clean-up. We are still investigating whether other parts ...1 week ago
- General Election to be held on 14 October 2023The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “Announcing the election date early in the year provides New Zealanders with certainty and has become the practice of this Government and the previous one, and I believe is best practice,” Jacinda ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces resignationJacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister. A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days’ time on Sunday the 22nd of ...2 weeks ago
- Trade and Agriculture Minister to attend World Economic Forum and Global Forum for Food and Agricult...The Government is maintaining its strong trade focus in 2023 with Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visiting Europe this week to discuss the role of agricultural trade in climate change and food security, WTO reform and New Zealand agricultural innovation. Damien O’Connor will travel tomorrow to Switzerland to attend the ...2 weeks ago
- Government funding relief for flood-affected Wairarapa farmers and growersThe Government has extended its medium-scale classification of Cyclone Hale to the Wairarapa after assessing storm damage to the eastern coastline of the region. “We’re making up to $80,000 available to the East Coast Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers recover from the significant damage in the region,” ...2 weeks ago
- Government provides support to flooded Tairāwhiti communitiesThe Government is making an initial contribution of $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Tairāwhiti following ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “While Cyclone Hale has caused widespread heavy rain, flooding and high winds across many parts of the North Island, Tairāwhiti ...3 weeks ago
- COVID remains a global emergency, the World Health Organization says, but we’re at a transition po...
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Torture, well I suppose you have to expect it when you expose war crimes. This is ugly use of power by the US government
https://thegrayzone.com/2020/05/14/american-sheldon-adelsons-us-spy-julian-assange/
and it's looking more and more like those show trials they put on the third world or the former soviet union.
https://thegrayzone.com/2020/05/29/british-court-assanges-physical-deterioration/
Mind you, if they keep treating him like crap they may get their wish, and he will die.
Just remember don't speak out, stay at home and do nothing, obey your masters they know best. Nothing to see here, scroll on.
Thanks for posting, Adam.
An informative read, first thing in the morning, but an important one.
I can only think of this as the true state of American politics and interference being exposed. Disturbingly, it also exposes the true state of the 'free' press and journalism, in how it has been reported.
Or just speaking out can be quite dangerous for some
https://prachatai.com/english/node/8561
So it goes
Thanks for posting, Adam.
An informative read, first thing in the morning, but an important one.
I can only think of this as the true state of American politics and interference being exposed. Disturbingly, it also exposes the true state of the 'free' press and journalism, in how it has been reported.
Damn. Can someone delete this? Meant to reply to adam on 1.
I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, first thing in the morning, either.
… if it was only the morning…
Poor Dunc. He was blubbering into his microphone again this morning about the state of the National Party.
And look, he's taken to quoting David Farrar's new paywalled polling and research data. That is a cosy relationship.
Remember, Farrar is in the Simon Bridges camp and will have been devastated by the change of leadership.
He and Garner have thrown in the towel and are now actively reducing public expectation for National’s performance in September.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/06/opinion-how-is-mr-nothing-to-see-here-todd-muller-going-to-beat-jacinda-ardern.html
That is a really poor piece of writing. I wouldn't publish it in a school magazine. It's not even writing, it's a talkback call full of cliches.
Basic factual errors too. In no way is Muller "liberal". His voting record is 100% conservative. But Duncan Garner is too lazy and/or stupid to check or care.
That's what I thought Observer, I feel dumber after reading that. He got to mention that Labour are useless though, but yes what an utterly pointless piece, glad I didn't pay for that!
Old goat puts "sanctity of contracts" above wellbeing of small businesses in a global emergency. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/418254/new-zealand-first-flexes-coalition-muscles-over-commercial-rent-deal
On undermining govt. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/418328/week-in-politics-ardern-under-pressure-as-peters-fuels-opposition-attacks
This government needs hard political critique because it's not getting any from the Opposition.
Winston is pretty good at it.
Winston is treading a very fine line. He and Jones have had a pretty cushy number as a part of this government, but the patience of the government and the voters may wear a bit thin if he's not careful. Maybe it's time to call his bluff. Get with it or get out.
Meh.
It's just election season.
At 2.3% even old Lazarus the Liquid-Pickled Lizard is staring deep into the FInal Goodbye.
They'll try anything now.
and Smoked …
Haha. Very good.
Police haven't been making too flash a job of recording armed response callout info apparently. Apparently there aren't going to be cameras on fishing boats as a matter of course for a fair old while. Just as well we have a dynamic, inspiring minister of police and an honest reliable minister of fisheries to get this shit sorted.
Not much of a 'trial' when they refuse to collect data. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/418308/armed-response-teams-trial-bizarre-holes-in-callout-data
Might have been too busy changing their undies.
Pretty chilling – and not recording guns at traffic stops. Well what's the new commissioner going to do? This just reinforces the "police are out of control & don't think they have to answer to anyone"
Completely unacceptable..and not terribly 'kind'…luckily it happened in neighbourhoods that the nations Media and Politicians are collectively pretending can't really be helped..meantime..lets all look over at American racism and inequality as practiced by the police with the silent co operation of the political class..and tut loudly..incidentaly ..the Waikato Police have a nice image on their fb geared up and armed..time better spent doing the paperwork maybe
Latest UMR not good for Muller…
In the NZ Herald report on the poll, this is the bit that really tells:
"It is understood National's caucus is yet to be shown any of the National Party's internal polling by Curia since the leadership change. Two sets of polling will have been delivered since Muller took over on May 22."
Simon has taught you well, Todd.
Get polled, get rolled.
The armed response teams were disciplined enough to carry firearms all the time, but couldn't be arsed doing their basic paperwork.
What's the point of having a rigid pseudo-military hierarchy if you can't even make them use an app?
This isn't precision-like Germany you know. This is cowboy NZ, yeehah, chase 'em boy – faster.
14 – 0 – 1
Last community transmission was way back in late April.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/121727981/coronavirus-is-new-zealands-covid19-elimination-date-june-15
This strikes me as being very premature and very dumb .Not only assuming that international tourism will bounce back to pre Covid levels, but can also acommodate new tourism ventures
Really, time to take stock and get real .
"The party's leader, Todd Muller, pitched the policy at Coronet Peak in Queenstown, on Friday afternoon, saying tourism operators needed "direct cash support" and confidence the industry would rebound.
"Once the border re-opens we need to be ready to invite visitors back," he said, in a press statement.
The cash would not be provided to businesses to cover their usual costs, but would fund up to 70 per cent of new projects that would drive new demand for tourism."
What a weird policy? It looks like a straight cash giveaway to "wealthy people with a minimal business plan" to start developing something " model farm stays perhaps" and then when the tourists don't eventuate it can go bust and all the new assets pass into the hands of the provider of the business plan.
What rubbish – nor does it do anything to preserve existing tourist infrastructure. And when the overall tourist economic impact figures start coming in we may well find that a lot of the industry just simply wasn't worth having.
I also think that Nact are seriously overestimating the public appetite for admitting anybody that may be carrying covid.So the border is going to remain pretty shut for quite a while I expect.
Do I feel a lavender farm coming upon me???
What rubbish – nor does it do anything to preserve existing tourist infrastructure. And when the overall tourist economic impact figures start coming in we may well find that a lot of the industry just simply wasn't worth having.
This Radionz link seems to fit your concerns here RBCV. This chap explains in easy to understand language, the problems he is having over high rent, and intransigent landlord, which explains what many are experiencing. He said he couldn't achieve a fairer lease, it seems you had to take what you were given. This is actually an Act of God that no-one could envisage and though there are many trying to prove Chinese activity, it still is a completely unexpected worldwide event.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018749399/struggling-business-doubts-rent-arbitration-scheme-will-help
Yes, that is one of the biggest – if not the biggest issue of the businesses that will go out of business. They can't get out of their leases. And they don't need 'rent arbitration' they need a legal way to break their lease or dissolve it before they loose everything they own to a landlord who can't be bothered working with their tenants because they don't have to. How many bankrupted ex business people does the country need and can afford?
And will often have a personal guarantee, which is where the bankruptcy comes from – we need to ban those because they pierce the corporate veil.
"Do I feel a lavender farm coming upon me???"
That made me laugh!
The 'not so pretty communist' intends to throw other people's money at an exploitative sunset industry. Will Muller be able to get that past Winston if the unimaginable happens at election time since it hasn't got anything to do with horse racing of fishing?
That's a very cynical (funny) comment about Winston aom!
Sports Sponsorship and the pandemic.
It seems that some people do not quite get that New Zealand appears to have dodged a bullet through the expert management of the pandemic. They seem to think that everything will be back to normal before we know it.
It will be interesting to see how many prominent sponsors of sporting events who immediately laid off staff or who took the various subsidies available, will jump straight back into dealing out sponsorship for these sporting clubs and events.
The pandemic has really exposed the low quality of a large number of our upper private sector managers. Hands out for subsidies while they keep their own income up then utterly unrealistic decisions about the way forward.
Sorry
The link
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/121734810/national-promises-100m-tourism-accelerator-fund-for-businesses-willing-to-grow-out-of-covid19-recession
Some fortunate proximity for NZ …
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/csl-pledges-manufacture-uq-covid-19-vaccine-if-successful-20200605-p54zs4.html
'CSL said it would use its allocation to supply Australians in the first instance and then look to its regional neighbours.
Biotech giant CSL will produce the first batches of the University of Queensland's COVID-19 vaccine if it is shown to work, with the company throwing funding support behind the vaccine's development and saying millions of doses could be available by 2021.'
Coordinated fuckery.
http://archive.li/7iy3O (wapo)
A wave of social media posts and images have claimed that pallets of bricks have been appearing near the locations of protests in cities all over the United States. This sparked rampant speculation that the bricks are part of a coordinated effort to incite violence as a way to entrap protesters and instigate chaos.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/craigsilverman/investigating-bricks-at-protests
Washington (CNN)The White House posted and then deleted a tweet on Wednesday that falsely suggested a synagogue's rock-filled anti-terrorism barrier had been placed on the street by domestic terrorists.
The tweet featured a compilation of video clips from around the country in which people expressed suspicion of the presence of bricks or other objects on the streets. The tweet claimed that "Antifa and professional anarchists are invading our communities, staging bricks and weapons to instigate violence. These are acts of domestic terror."
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/politics/fact-check-white-house-rocks-bricks-antifa-synagogue-chabad/index.html
There was a bunch of "I've heard the rioters are carjacking white women" tweets for the last few days.
I hope the black women are claiming racism. I think only humour and ridicule can make any impact on the 'duh' mindset. There must be more Homers out there than I thought possible.
Perhaps this really is how USA people are:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJO2hRyefNs
check out Portlandia if you can, "put a bird on it" & "bicycle rights" & "where's my free range chicken come from?" & so many more…
piles of bricks are due to construction shutdowns for COVID
Racism is a tool of division. Remember the divide and conquer strategy of ancient battles?