After the black decade of the nineties, when voters held their noses and voted for the Rogergnomic betrayers in the hopes of even modest improvement, Helen did nothing.
H.clark…with her 'deserving' (read working) and 'undeserving' poor…
I was a sole parent in the clark years…
Which automatically put me in the 'undeserving' poor category..
And following the lead given by h.clark..the iteration of winz then waged war against us 'undeserving' poor…and treated us like shit…
I viewed that state support as a contract I made with the state..for me to do the best I could to fulfill my end of that contract..
And I was not perfect..but I tried..and the child I raised just got an a-grade for his master's thesis..and has been asked if he will publish it in book form…
I feel I held up my end of that contract…
And feel quite bleak towards h.clark…for the state sanctioned abuse she perpetrated/fostered against me..and the other 'undeserving poor'..
That both h.clark and j.ardern have minor-deity status with labour supporters..kinda sticks in the craw..
And now j.ardern being honoured for what by any measure she didn't do…just increases that craw-blockage…
Clark also transferred huge amounts of prime southern farm land into private ownership so she could chase sheep out of the hills and have them grow Wilding pines instead
I have said here previously that what can never be taken away from j.ardern is the number of citizens lives she saved by her actions early on in the pandemic…this is backed up by international comparisons..
And the amount of personal hate/abuse she had to endure cannot in any way be excused..it was/is irrational and vile…and I won't have a bar of it..and if I hear it verbalised I call out the speaker..
I am surprised at you calling what I write on this as "bile'..
What I am doing is comparing what j.ardern promised so fervently..to do..with what was delivered..or not delivered..in this case..
You cite 'obstacles' j.ardern faced ..my reply to that is 'walking and chewing gum at the same time'…
All gummints encounter obstacles..and I fail to see how that excuses those cornerstone policies/promises..not being fulfilled..
And I would urge you to read/scroll that link that ad provided..it will confirm for you that everything/anything actually done was incremental at best..and that was 2022…and we all know it has only got much worse since then..eh..?
You cite the work ethic of j.ardern..i have no idea either way on that..but don't see how that excuses inaction on what was promised…
And I don't think I am 'rewriting history'..
I am citing history..to make the point..
(And I haven't even mentioned that other cornerstone ignored.. broken promises on the environment..!!)
In this case I actually see you as attempting to 'rewrite history'..
To gloss over such failures to such a degree that j.ardern is praised/cited for doing what she didn't do…is a big lie..
In this matter we will agree to disagree.
You were supported (poorly) by the state while you parented your child. She gave up 5 years with her child, but is damned because she didn't achieve all.
Those in state houses had their rents based on income not market rate. Those in low wage jobs got increases in the MW. Families on low incomes – WFF tax credits.
(And of course they were better than the meanspirited tories..with their standard 75 cent increases in the minimum wage just one example of how fucked they are..)
But she didn't do nearly enough..
And came nowhere near being the 'transformational' that she promised us..
(Y'see..I believed her at the time..and then looked on in increasing dismay..as milestone after milestone passed by…and the promises weren't delivered on..
And really..how can anyone defend that after six years of a labour government..we have one in four pacific island children..one quarter of them..living in poverty..
The major flaw has been the lack of a two year rent freeze – 2022-2024.
Taking in all those migrant workers required some mitigation action of that sort. Rents are too high. They will be higher than mortgages when the rates come back down.
I recall getting a pledge card with a handful of crap on it I neither needed nor wanted, and Labour voices claiming they'd under promised and over delivered. As a consumer of their services I would have characterized their performance rather differently.
Just above your quote is a quote from 2022 stating nothing had changed in the previous 12 months..( this with ardern/labour majority govt..)
And scrolling down in your link brings up the stats for maori/p.i…and they make grim reading..by the markers used one in four/one in five p.i. children live in poverty..
I think I am past asking 'really?'…re j.arden being hailed in the citation for her gong..for her work on child poverty..
Helen Clark bought in the “Jobs Jolt” where by various beneficiaries could have their entitlements cut if they moved to a number of provincial towns or areas. This was on the basis of supposedly less employment opportunities, even if bennies were moving for health or childcare reasons, or just to be closer to family. It was heartless monetarism of the “work will set you free” variety.
Labour did do a number of incremental reforms but would never go near the Reserve Bank Act or State Sector Act etc.
“Good people who, via me and sometimes at considerable personal risk, have helped expose dishonesty, wrongdoing and abuse of power, and who by doing so have helped make a better society.”
Nicky has done a superb job bringing the guilty to the public's attention. But the biggest story has still not been written. I refer to [Sir] Robert Muldoon and his little private band of merry men….
There must be former Air NZ staff still alive who saw exactly what went on in the aftermath of the disaster. Who got the job of destroying the personal notes made by Capt Collins at the pre-flight briefing about the path his aircraft would take?
Collins’s pocket ringbinder was recovered with the notes intact and the writing clear, as the police recovery team confirmed. Those notes never made it to the Royal Commission.
Yes Hunter Thompson. I have been researching the Erebus story on and off for years. That was a disgraceful episode the like of which has rarely been seen in this country.
The oft repeated cliché that NZ is one of the "least corrupt countries in the world" might be generally true, but the period between the mid 1970s and the mid 1980s was a different story. Justice Mahon's observation:
Yes a true national treasure Mr Hager. He shames the official spies with his opaque interview techniques and obtaining information seemingly without leaving a trace.
“many more projects yet”…excellent news Nicky, though some of those pinged in “The Hollow Men”, “Dirty politics”, NZ Defence and more may be checking their document shredders are still working.
"…may be checking their document shredders are still working."
Back in the day, those shredders were likely being well used.
I will add a little more to my story. Since Nicky had the guts to do it, so should I.
In my reply to Ad, I was referring to burglaries, break-ins, covert threats, abuse and general violation of certain people's personal and professional lives. In my case it also included violence to pets.
How I came to be involved is a complex story. Suffice to say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and became a sort of witness to the criminal activity – not that I knew it at the time.
Since you have mentioned them TM, I should point out that the SIS had nothing to do with the Erebus Affair at the time of the tragedy or in the aftermath. It did not come under their job description. It was the work of a group of insiders plus a few desultory characters who were likely paid for the role they played eg. the break-ins and burglaries et al. I knew one of the participants.
Seeing Nicky Hager get this official recognition for his work pits me in mind of another NZ immigrant 'stirrer' who got his recognition in 1936 by being appointed to the Legislative Council as its 'conscience'.
Mark Briggs MLC. Standing up to the establishment. I honour them both.
We are having a holiday for Charlie's birthday. Even though it doesn't occur till November.
Personally I'd like to trade 3 Charlie's birthdays for one 3 yearly public holiday for election day. It would always need to be on a Wednesday so it doesn't become just another long weekend. Close all retail except maybe eats and ales after 2pm. Rather like Anzac day.
If it is made an occasion with limited other activities available it may concentrate the mind of non voters and increase participation on what is, to my mind, a far more important event than Charlie's birthday.
Good idea. Early voting seemed nice at first to up participation, but really it lets employers off the hook, the ones that don’t release workers to vote. Plus if people hold off till voting day it keeps pressure on the various parties to not pull stunts.
I overheard someone at yesterday’s Kaitaia market say “that Charles is a wanker”, and a stall holder shot back “no he’s not, someone is paid to do it for him!”…
Yeah, Nah. Losing another public holiday would be just as popular with the electorate as when National proposed ditching Labour weekend to make up for the new Matariki Day.
Really, workers are happy with their long weekend (or additional pay for working the Monday) – and don't care what the 'reason' is. Also, workers want a long weekend – 3 days off in a row is much more attractive, than 2 day weekend with a day or so at work, then a holiday).
Having a day off isn't going to encourage people to vote. They either think it's important, or they don't. And, plenty of essential workers won't get the day off in any case (nurses, electricity workers, police) – don't their votes matter?
“You’ve got to find a role and in our view that role should effectively become the red tape and regulation police,” he [David Seymour] told the Herald on Sunday.
The ‘Ministry for Regulation’ has an Orwellian ring to it and coming from the man who calls a discussion document on proposals to make media and online content safer for all New Zealanders “hate speech laws 2.0” it is no longer funny but downright chilling.
There's definitely a chilling core to the class clown exterior he seemingly cultivates.
If he were honest, he'd name it the Regulation Removal Ministry. It's just not fair that rules and regulations are preventing some from making money at peoples and environmental expense.
I did a “what the?” when scanning the RNZ news and read that ACT proposes creating a new Ministry to reduce the activity of other Ministries…”red tape” apparently.
The Epsom Twerker is no less a worry than other would be authoritarians around the globe.
Cheers and congratulations to Jacinda. Her sometimes unpopular calls saved many Kiwi lives during the Covid pandemic. A great leader in times of crisis.
Well done and congratulations Nicky Hager. An award well deserved in every respect.
Nice bit of narcissism there from the delusional idiot. He was just a bit player used by evil minded people in positions of power. They could have easily found some other useful idiot to do their dirty work for them. I doubt those same people have much respect for him, one would hope they feel ashamed for associating themselves with such a hideous creature.
But at least he's had the sense to put bullets through the only copy ever printed thus erasing it from history hahahahaha
The only reasonable way to discuss cancel culture is not “Why are kids these days canceling people?”— it is “Why is this objectively unimportant niche phenomenon suddenly such a large part of mainstream discourse?” The most basic answer is “Because so much of mainstream discourse is produced by a narrow demographic of upper middle class middle aged uncool people who have never worked outside of media or politics or academia or nonprofits and whose nightmare is getting made fun of by college kids.” But on a more fundamental level, it’s that deep yearning for the things that cannot be purchased. Why do Ken Griffin and David Geffen and David Koch spend “charity” money not on feeding the poor, but to plaster their names on public buildings? Because they are thirsty for—above all—that public love. It is a sort of prestige, but not, ironically, the cheap sort of prestige that can be bought; what they desire deep down is the genuine love and respect of humanity. Their performative efforts to earn it are pitiful. But their desire never ebbs. That respect would amount to immortality for them.
You ain’t gonna get it, fuckers. Though it would seem, rationally, that a bunch of not-rich college kids heckling a guy who makes $100 mil a year would mean nothing to him, that is not the case. The idea of being mocked and shouted down by the unwashed masses strikes fear in the heart of the powerful because it is emblematic of their inability to buy that respect that cannot be bought. This goes not just for moguls and billionaires, but for those who have achieved cultural success—the prestigious newspaper columnists who cannotstopwriting dumbass columns about this spectacularly asinine topic because it represents their worst fears. Namely, that a lifetime spent worshiping at the altar of careerism and credentialism was all for nothing. When you have long cultivated a resume that demands respect only to be disrespected by a bunch of nobodies, it can shake you to your core. What was the point of it all, if the cool kids think you suck?
Huge respect to Helen Clark for abolishing the honours system and then refusing to accept the title of Dame when Key brought it back.
It's very disappointing but very on brand for Ardern, someone who claims to be a republican, to accept an archaic title from the royal family.
Hypocrisy has been Arderns brand since the 2017 election where everything from her position on weed reform, welfare reform, tax reform, housing reform, healthcare reform, student loan reform (where is that second free year!?) Mental health reform, public transport all changed the day she became pm so I don't know why Id think she'd stay true to her republican ideals.
Kings honours should be abolished. Labour members accepting them in 2023 are just … It's yuck.
It's remarkable how quite literally nothing came out of the crypto mania. Tens of billions of dollars invested and no actual companies or products. Probably the largest glut of malinvestment the United States has seen in the modern era.
Despite delays, logjams and overcrowding in our emergency departments, funding constraints are limiting the numbers of nurses and doctors being trained. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, February 18 are:A NZ Herald investigation ...
Olivia and Noah and Hana are going to the library!It is fun to go to the library. It has books and songs and mat time and people who smile at you and say, Hello Olivia, what have you been doing this morning?The library is more fun than the mall. At ...
New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X ...
“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted ...
In 2005, Labour repealed the long-standing principle of birthright citizenship in Aotearoa. Why? As with everything else Labour does, it all came down to austerity: "foreign mothers" were supposedly "coming to this country to give birth", and this was "put[ting] pressure on hospitals". Then-Immigration Minister George Hawkins explicitly gave this ...
And I just hope that you can forgive usBut everything must goAnd if you need an explanation, nationThen everything must goSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Today, I’d like to talk about a couple of things that happened over the weekend:Brian Tamaki’s Library Invasion and ...
New reporting highlights how Brooke van Velden refuses to meet with the CTU but is happy to meet with fringe Australian-based unions. Van Velden is pursuing reckless changes to undermine the personal grievance system against the advice of her own officials. Engineering New Zealand are saying that hundreds of engineers ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill. This Bill represents a positive step towards addressing serious issues around unlawful disparities in pay by protecting workers’ rights to discuss their pay and conditions. This Bill also provides welcome support for helping tackle the prevalent gender and ...
Years of hard work finally paid off last week as the country’s biggest and most important transport project, the City Rail Link reached a major milestone with the first test train making its way slowly though the tunnels for the first time. This is a fantastic achievement and it is ...
Engineers are pleading for the Government to free up funds to restart stalled projects. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, February 17 are:Engineering New Zealand CEO Richard Templer said yesterday hundreds of ...
It’s one of New Zealand’s great sustaining myths: the spirit of ANZAC, our mates across the ditch, the spirit of Earl’s Court, Antipodeans united against the world. It is also a myth; it is not reality. That much was clear from a series of speakers, including a former Australian Prime ...
Many people have been unsatisfied for years that things have not improved for them, some as individuals, many more however because their families are clearly putting in more work, for less money – and certainly far less purchase on society. This general discontent has grown exponentially since the GFC. ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 9, 2025 thru Sat, February 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
A ballot for a single member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill (Adrian Rurawhe) The bill would extend union rights to employees in triangular relationships, where they are (nominally) employed by one party, but ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Rickerby, Lecturer, School of Product Design, University of Canterbury The Poly-1. MOTAT , CC BY-NC Some 45 years ago, a team of staff and students at Wellington Polytechnic designed and built a desktop computer with an operating system customised for ...
The Forum has raised concerns regarding the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill and the Regulatory Standards Bill, which, if enacted, will radically undermine existing human rights protections, Indigenous rights, and constitutional safeguards ...
The passage of time hasn’t been kind to Ngāi Tahu.When its High Court hearing over wai māori (freshwater) commenced last week, 52 months after the claim was filed, the tribe mourned the loss of two named first plaintiffs – Bishop Richard Wallace, of Makaawhio, and Theo Bunker, of Wairewa – ...
Margie Apa, Nicholas Jones, Diana Sarfati, the board of Health New Zealand … and will Lester Levy be next?The biggest names in our health service are tumbling like dominos.It’s been called a bloodbath and a crisis.What’s going on?Every day there’s a new story about shortages, patients having to wait for ...
Opinion: The coalition Government’s recent revisions to the business investor visa, officially the Active Investor Plus but commonly known as the ‘golden visa’, has put pay-for-residency back in the headlines. While many object to the commodification of citizenship implicit in this policy, questions should be asked about its potential as ...
One Christmas, to thank him for helping me hugely with my writing (on a mentor scheme), I sent Michael King a dark blue cashmere scarf. I chose it with the awful knowledge that he was battling cancer, and I somehow thought it might keep him warm and make him feel ...
Comment: Readers may recall the commentaries from academics that appeared on these pages as well as on many media outlets, alarmed and appalled by the disbanding of the Marsden panels for humanities and the social sciences.The Marsden Fund is a “blue skies” initiative established by Simon Upton in the 1990s. ...
Everything you missed from day five of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard seven hours of submissions. Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.An “insult to every one of our tīpuna” was the first advice the Justice Committee heard on the Treaty principles bill ...
The same councillors who decry excessive spending on pet projects just voted to pump millions of dollars into a greenhouse for flowers. On Thursday last week, Wellington City Council voted to consult on repairing Begonia House, the greenhouse for exotic flowers in Wellington Botanic Garden. The options for repairs range ...
It’s important to respect people’s right to free speech and peaceful assembly, but how much political deference is due when it isn’t peaceful? Commenting on Destiny Church members storming a children’s event at the Te Atatū library and community centre on Saturday, prime minister Christopher Luxon said it’s important to ...
Comment: US is capitulating to Moscow’s demands before negotiations over Ukraine even begin The post The day the West died appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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 18 February appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report Two Palestinian resistance groups have condemned “the brutal assault” on prisoners at Ofer Prison, saying it was “barbaric criminal behaviour that reflects the fascist and terrorist nature of” Israel. In the joint statement, Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) called the attack a “miserable attempt” by Israel ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist in Avarua, Rarotonga Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown hopes to have “an opportunity to talk” with the New Zealand government to “heal some of the rift”. Brown returned to Avarua on Sunday afternoon (Cook Islands Time) following his week-long state visit to China, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sonia R. Grover, Clinical Professor of Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne Polina Zimmerman/Pexels Menstruation, or a period, is the bleeding that occurs about monthly in healthy people born with a uterus, from puberty to menopause. This happens when the endometrium, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ella Barclay, Senior Lecturer, School of Art and Design, Australian National University Despite the perceived outrage at Khaled Sabsabi’s depiction of Hassan Nasrallah in his 2007 work You, Australian art has long made subjects of outlaws and questionable figures. And it is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Pryke, Honorary Research Associate, Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Sydney Lisa Tomasetti/Opera Australia “It’s an old song”, Hermes (Christine Anu) sings at the opening of Hadestown, but “we’re gonna sing it again and again”. Based on a ...
An additional $13 million will be invested in tourism infrastructure, including upgrading huts and resolving the backlog in Milford Sound concessions. ...
The reality is that we have no obligation to tolerate the intolerant. They are using violence to shut down and silence others. The result of tolerating intolerant views is the loss of everyone’s freedom of speech except for the one who most effectively ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Davis, Associate Professor in Conservation, Edith Cowan University Adwo/Shutterstock Humans have been poisoning rodents for centuries. But fast-breeding rats and mice have evolved resistance to earlier poisons. In response, manufacturers have produced second generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as bromadiolone, widely ...
Alex Casey unearths Simon Court’s full sales pitch for how menstrual cups could end poverty. On Friday last week, Act MP Simon Court was accused of “mansplaining” during a parliamentary committee hearing about benefit sanctions. After submitter Rachel Dibble shared her concerns about period poverty and the impact that sanctions ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato It’s an unfortunate fact that bad people sometimes want guns. And while laws are designed to prevent guns falling into the wrong hands, the determined criminal can be highly resourceful. There are three main ...
Asia Pacific Report Two independent Jewish Voices groups in Aotearoa New Zealand have written an open letter to the government condemning the Zionist “colonisation” project leading to genocide and criticising the role of the NZ Jewish Council for its “unelected” and “uncritical support” for Israel. The groups, Alternative Jewish Voices ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Newspoll, conducted February 10–14 from a sample of 1,244, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, unchanged from the previous Newspoll, ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you enjoy whip-smart satire: The White Lotus (Neon, February 17) HBO’s award-winning The White Lotus is back for what critics are calling “an absolutely exquisite third ...
NZPF called for a slowdown of the curriculum change, asking for one subject at a time, so that teachers and principals could be fully trained and feel confident and competent to implement the changes, New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) President ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Indonesia’s TVOne launched an AI news presenter in 2023.T.J. Thomson Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken off at lightning speed in the past couple of years, creating disruption in ...
Many of the young vapers interviewed by a team of public health researchers said they felt unable to resist the pro-vaping environment that surrounded them. New Zealand’s smokefree law was hailed around the world for creating a smokefree generation that would have lifelong protection from smoking’s harms. The smokefree ...
Nicky Hager gets an ONZM. In your eye, SIS.
Ok…j.ardern deserves recognition for her initial work on the pandemic..
But for the incrementalist work done on child poverty..(all long since eaten up by the massive increases in rents/cost of living)..?
Really..?….really..?
Look she was no Helen Clark, but she was effective in a crisis, and we had plenty.
Also the actual stats show that child poverty since 2018 went down in 8 of 9 poverty measures.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/child-poverty-statistics-show-no-annual-change-in-the-year-ended-june-2022#:~:text=Child%20poverty%20rates%20for%20the,population%20insights%20Sean%20Broughton%20said.
And that's not bad for the worst economic crisis we've had since the Great Depression.
Look she was no Helen Clark,
Thank God.
After the black decade of the nineties, when voters held their noses and voted for the Rogergnomic betrayers in the hopes of even modest improvement, Helen did nothing.
No..j.ardern wasn't as bad as h.clark..
H.clark…with her 'deserving' (read working) and 'undeserving' poor…
I was a sole parent in the clark years…
Which automatically put me in the 'undeserving' poor category..
And following the lead given by h.clark..the iteration of winz then waged war against us 'undeserving' poor…and treated us like shit…
I viewed that state support as a contract I made with the state..for me to do the best I could to fulfill my end of that contract..
And I was not perfect..but I tried..and the child I raised just got an a-grade for his master's thesis..and has been asked if he will publish it in book form…
I feel I held up my end of that contract…
And feel quite bleak towards h.clark…for the state sanctioned abuse she perpetrated/fostered against me..and the other 'undeserving poor'..
That both h.clark and j.ardern have minor-deity status with labour supporters..kinda sticks in the craw..
And now j.ardern being honoured for what by any measure she didn't do…just increases that craw-blockage…
Congratulations to your son Phil you must be very proud.
Chrs..!…yep..!..
It does gladden the heart..
Clark also transferred huge amounts of prime southern farm land into private ownership so she could chase sheep out of the hills and have them grow Wilding pines instead
Congratulations to your son Phil.
I wonder have you taken into account the many obstacles Jacinda faced, plus badmouthing and online abuse of the worst kind, which still continues.
She was unstinting in her work ethic, and many of us are here because of the choices made during her time in office.
As Ad pointed out, strides were made in the worst of times. Such complaints about her at this stage lack grace imo.
Rewriting history with bile is rather unfair, as she was one person doing her best 'till she could not offer that any more, and then she said so.
@patricia..
I have said here previously that what can never be taken away from j.ardern is the number of citizens lives she saved by her actions early on in the pandemic…this is backed up by international comparisons..
And the amount of personal hate/abuse she had to endure cannot in any way be excused..it was/is irrational and vile…and I won't have a bar of it..and if I hear it verbalised I call out the speaker..
I am surprised at you calling what I write on this as "bile'..
What I am doing is comparing what j.ardern promised so fervently..to do..with what was delivered..or not delivered..in this case..
You cite 'obstacles' j.ardern faced ..my reply to that is 'walking and chewing gum at the same time'…
All gummints encounter obstacles..and I fail to see how that excuses those cornerstone policies/promises..not being fulfilled..
And I would urge you to read/scroll that link that ad provided..it will confirm for you that everything/anything actually done was incremental at best..and that was 2022…and we all know it has only got much worse since then..eh..?
You cite the work ethic of j.ardern..i have no idea either way on that..but don't see how that excuses inaction on what was promised…
And I don't think I am 'rewriting history'..
I am citing history..to make the point..
(And I haven't even mentioned that other cornerstone ignored.. broken promises on the environment..!!)
In this case I actually see you as attempting to 'rewrite history'..
To gloss over such failures to such a degree that j.ardern is praised/cited for doing what she didn't do…is a big lie..
So..yeah..nah..eh..?
In this matter we will agree to disagree.
You were supported (poorly) by the state while you parented your child. She gave up 5 years with her child, but is damned because she didn't achieve all.
Perspective and grace is needed not abuse.
Show me where I have used 'abuse' against her…
And all politicians sacrifice family time..it comes with the job..
There is nothing personal in my critique of her time as pm..
It is purely political..
Those in state houses had their rents based on income not market rate. Those in low wage jobs got increases in the MW. Families on low incomes – WFF tax credits.
Yes..some things were done..
(And of course they were better than the meanspirited tories..with their standard 75 cent increases in the minimum wage just one example of how fucked they are..)
But she didn't do nearly enough..
And came nowhere near being the 'transformational' that she promised us..
(Y'see..I believed her at the time..and then looked on in increasing dismay..as milestone after milestone passed by…and the promises weren't delivered on..
And really..how can anyone defend that after six years of a labour government..we have one in four pacific island children..one quarter of them..living in poverty..
That is hang head in shame stuff..
The major flaw has been the lack of a two year rent freeze – 2022-2024.
Taking in all those migrant workers required some mitigation action of that sort. Rents are too high. They will be higher than mortgages when the rates come back down.
I recall getting a pledge card with a handful of crap on it I neither needed nor wanted, and Labour voices claiming they'd under promised and over delivered. As a consumer of their services I would have characterized their performance rather differently.
@ ad .
From your link..)
Just above your quote is a quote from 2022 stating nothing had changed in the previous 12 months..( this with ardern/labour majority govt..)
And scrolling down in your link brings up the stats for maori/p.i…and they make grim reading..by the markers used one in four/one in five p.i. children live in poverty..
I think I am past asking 'really?'…re j.arden being hailed in the citation for her gong..for her work on child poverty..
I am more at 'what a sick effing joke..!'..
Daniel Stride puts it well…
https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/06/05/kings-birthday-grumpiness-dame-jacinda-ardern/
Helen Clark bought in the “Jobs Jolt” where by various beneficiaries could have their entitlements cut if they moved to a number of provincial towns or areas. This was on the basis of supposedly less employment opportunities, even if bennies were moving for health or childcare reasons, or just to be closer to family. It was heartless monetarism of the “work will set you free” variety.
Labour did do a number of incremental reforms but would never go near the Reserve Bank Act or State Sector Act etc.
Congratulations Nicky Hager.
“Good people who, via me and sometimes at considerable personal risk, have helped expose dishonesty, wrongdoing and abuse of power, and who by doing so have helped make a better society.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kings-birthday-and-coronation-honours-2023-jacinda-ardern-among-new-dames/3QHWF7HXGNFQZJ2HFFJDNKOK2I/
Nicky has done a superb job bringing the guilty to the public's attention. But the biggest story has still not been written. I refer to [Sir] Robert Muldoon and his little private band of merry men….
Go right ahead and tell it.
I can give you one word only for starters – Erebus.
The rest will hopefully come out in due course.
There must be former Air NZ staff still alive who saw exactly what went on in the aftermath of the disaster. Who got the job of destroying the personal notes made by Capt Collins at the pre-flight briefing about the path his aircraft would take?
Collins’s pocket ringbinder was recovered with the notes intact and the writing clear, as the police recovery team confirmed. Those notes never made it to the Royal Commission.
Yes Hunter Thompson. I have been researching the Erebus story on and off for years. That was a disgraceful episode the like of which has rarely been seen in this country.
The oft repeated cliché that NZ is one of the "least corrupt countries in the world" might be generally true, but the period between the mid 1970s and the mid 1980s was a different story. Justice Mahon's observation:
"It was an orchestrated litany of lies"
is only part of the truth.
Very strange event and it's aftermath was even stranger. Davis and Muldoon had a lot to answer for IMHO.
Yes a true national treasure Mr Hager. He shames the official spies with his opaque interview techniques and obtaining information seemingly without leaving a trace.
“many more projects yet”…excellent news Nicky, though some of those pinged in “The Hollow Men”, “Dirty politics”, NZ Defence and more may be checking their document shredders are still working.
5 June 2023 at 10:43 am
"…may be checking their document shredders are still working."
Back in the day, those shredders were likely being well used.
I will add a little more to my story. Since Nicky had the guts to do it, so should I.
In my reply to Ad, I was referring to burglaries, break-ins, covert threats, abuse and general violation of certain people's personal and professional lives. In my case it also included violence to pets.
How I came to be involved is a complex story. Suffice to say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and became a sort of witness to the criminal activity – not that I knew it at the time.
Since you have mentioned them TM, I should point out that the SIS had nothing to do with the Erebus Affair at the time of the tragedy or in the aftermath. It did not come under their job description. It was the work of a group of insiders plus a few desultory characters who were likely paid for the role they played eg. the break-ins and burglaries et al. I knew one of the participants.
Seeing Nicky Hager get this official recognition for his work pits me in mind of another NZ immigrant 'stirrer' who got his recognition in 1936 by being appointed to the Legislative Council as its 'conscience'.
Mark Briggs MLC. Standing up to the establishment. I honour them both.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/mark-briggs-great-war-story
Brilliant, Nicky so deserves that.
We are having a holiday for Charlie's birthday. Even though it doesn't occur till November.
Personally I'd like to trade 3 Charlie's birthdays for one 3 yearly public holiday for election day. It would always need to be on a Wednesday so it doesn't become just another long weekend. Close all retail except maybe eats and ales after 2pm. Rather like Anzac day.
If it is made an occasion with limited other activities available it may concentrate the mind of non voters and increase participation on what is, to my mind, a far more important event than Charlie's birthday.
Good idea. Early voting seemed nice at first to up participation, but really it lets employers off the hook, the ones that don’t release workers to vote. Plus if people hold off till voting day it keeps pressure on the various parties to not pull stunts.
I overheard someone at yesterday’s Kaitaia market say “that Charles is a wanker”, and a stall holder shot back “no he’s not, someone is paid to do it for him!”…
An extension of the role of the royal 'groom of the stool..'..?
Yeah, Nah. Losing another public holiday would be just as popular with the electorate as when National proposed ditching Labour weekend to make up for the new Matariki Day.
Really, workers are happy with their long weekend (or additional pay for working the Monday) – and don't care what the 'reason' is. Also, workers want a long weekend – 3 days off in a row is much more attractive, than 2 day weekend with a day or so at work, then a holiday).
Having a day off isn't going to encourage people to vote. They either think it's important, or they don't. And, plenty of essential workers won't get the day off in any case (nurses, electricity workers, police) – don't their votes matter?
No Joy for voters hoping for improvements in freshwater quality.
You've got to laugh when the party that's always preached the need for small government now wants to increase its size by creating a new "Ministry of Regulation" https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/491317/act-party-conference-a-new-ministry-to-sort-jungle-of-red-tape-speaking-out-against-te-tiriti-o-waitangi
And apparently we need to go back in time to consult the public over the consequences of the creation of the Treaty of Waitangi.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/red-tape-police-act-to-promise-enhanced-powers-to-ditch-excess-regulation-if-successful-at-election/WOZMX52YYNEWLOIT63PJXBOVIQ/
The ‘Ministry for Regulation’ has an Orwellian ring to it and coming from the man who calls a discussion document on proposals to make media and online content safer for all New Zealanders “hate speech laws 2.0” it is no longer funny but downright chilling.
There's definitely a chilling core to the class clown exterior he seemingly cultivates.
If he were honest, he'd name it the Regulation Removal Ministry. It's just not fair that rules and regulations are preventing some from making money at peoples and environmental expense.
TOW will be the first to go under ACT, that should start the pot boiling.
I did a “what the?” when scanning the RNZ news and read that ACT proposes creating a new Ministry to reduce the activity of other Ministries…”red tape” apparently.
The Epsom Twerker is no less a worry than other would be authoritarians around the globe.
No doubt his proposed ministry will produce "red tape" of its own.
Congratulations to Jacinda Adern and Nicky Hager, amongst others.
Deserved award winners.
Jacinda for her stalwart leadership in times of crises.
Nicky for his refusal to be cowered into silence by the National Party's hit man squad.
Cheers and congratulations to Jacinda. Her sometimes unpopular calls saved many Kiwi lives during the Covid pandemic. A great leader in times of crisis.
Well done and congratulations Nicky Hager. An award well deserved in every respect.
sad….
Nice bit of narcissism there from the delusional idiot. He was just a bit player used by evil minded people in positions of power. They could have easily found some other useful idiot to do their dirty work for them. I doubt those same people have much respect for him, one would hope they feel ashamed for associating themselves with such a hideous creature.
But at least he's had the sense to put bullets through the only copy ever printed thus erasing it from history hahahahaha
A W….. word comes to mind for Cam!!! Infamous more like!!
"They’re not waving, John, they’re drowning."
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-extinction-of-rebellion.html
An interesting look back from c.trotter..
But I don't share his pessimistic views on the possibility of a mass political movement bringing about great change..
I think that mass movements worldwide will arise in the face of govts doing not nearly enough about climate change..
That is where the next mass movements will be coming from..
And in his nihilistic take.. trotter doesn't even entertain that possibility..
Time will tell
heh
.
The only reasonable way to discuss cancel culture is not “Why are kids these days canceling people?”— it is “Why is this objectively unimportant niche phenomenon suddenly such a large part of mainstream discourse?” The most basic answer is “Because so much of mainstream discourse is produced by a narrow demographic of upper middle class middle aged uncool people who have never worked outside of media or politics or academia or nonprofits and whose nightmare is getting made fun of by college kids.” But on a more fundamental level, it’s that deep yearning for the things that cannot be purchased. Why do Ken Griffin and David Geffen and David Koch spend “charity” money not on feeding the poor, but to plaster their names on public buildings? Because they are thirsty for—above all—that public love. It is a sort of prestige, but not, ironically, the cheap sort of prestige that can be bought; what they desire deep down is the genuine love and respect of humanity. Their performative efforts to earn it are pitiful. But their desire never ebbs. That respect would amount to immortality for them.
You ain’t gonna get it, fuckers. Though it would seem, rationally, that a bunch of not-rich college kids heckling a guy who makes $100 mil a year would mean nothing to him, that is not the case. The idea of being mocked and shouted down by the unwashed masses strikes fear in the heart of the powerful because it is emblematic of their inability to buy that respect that cannot be bought. This goes not just for moguls and billionaires, but for those who have achieved cultural success—the prestigious newspaper columnists who cannot stop writing dumbass columns about this spectacularly asinine topic because it represents their worst fears. Namely, that a lifetime spent worshiping at the altar of careerism and credentialism was all for nothing. When you have long cultivated a resume that demands respect only to be disrespected by a bunch of nobodies, it can shake you to your core. What was the point of it all, if the cool kids think you suck?
https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/these-vampires-can-have-everything
For a bit of light relief from the serious stuff… how about Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's take on the birth of Jesus:
Very funny.
Huge respect to Helen Clark for abolishing the honours system and then refusing to accept the title of Dame when Key brought it back.
It's very disappointing but very on brand for Ardern, someone who claims to be a republican, to accept an archaic title from the royal family.
Hypocrisy has been Arderns brand since the 2017 election where everything from her position on weed reform, welfare reform, tax reform, housing reform, healthcare reform, student loan reform (where is that second free year!?) Mental health reform, public transport all changed the day she became pm so I don't know why Id think she'd stay true to her republican ideals.
Kings honours should be abolished. Labour members accepting them in 2023 are just … It's yuck.
The bike club for mathematicians.
Not everyone, apparently.
@smdiehl
We all know what happens to Ponzi schemes when you starve them of cash inflows.
https://twitter.com/smdiehl/status/1664679805147574273
@smdiehl
It's remarkable how quite literally nothing came out of the crypto mania. Tens of billions of dollars invested and no actual companies or products. Probably the largest glut of malinvestment the United States has seen in the modern era.
https://twitter.com/smdiehl/status/1664557865930031104