Open mike 05/08/2022
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...6 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
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- Thank You
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Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...1 week ago - Chris Penk’s Hate Parade
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All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...1 week ago
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
- Release: Rule-Czar bill a right-wing power grab
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...3 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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Well….James was standing on a beach. Marama Davidson might smile : ) ?
A bit like playing tennis on your own. A bit of a waste of time but at least you always win!
Even Ian Foster knows his own team supports him.
He does seem to adhere to your thinking regarding the Green party:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/472266/time-for-the-all-blacks-to-man-up
Like Ian Foster, Shaw has behaved in a dignified manner despite being ruthlessly undercut by his own members and largely unsupported by his own MPs.
The Green Party activists have not provided any alternative to James Shaw, so it's time to show that they can unite again and support the leader they have again chosen.
Well said. Shaw has got them to where they are today. They would be crazy to dump him. Oh that's right, a lot of them are crazy….but I'm sure they will see sense.
If only Shaw was as clever, logical and fault-free as Luxon.
(Labour, Green and MP readers will recognise this as sarcasm.)
Your continued misunderstanding of the internal processes of the Green party is hard not to see as deliberate.
The fact that there is no other candidate is the sign of 'unity' that is perceived as so important. As has been explained to you, the election process will allow members to ask questions of, and have discussion with the candidate. This is a positive outcome.
Your misunderstanding of the sea of difference between party members and party voters is impressive.
If as you claim this is actually unity, I would hate to see what disunity looks like.
If as you say this was all planned, what evidence do you have out of this other than the same guy gets up doing the same job as the same leader with the same policies in the same ministerial role in the same government?
What I am distinctly aware of is how an appearance of 'disunity' can be fostered and disseminated to the voting public by those uninterested in the more direct form of representative democracy that underlines Green party procedures. There's a diversity of views in the membership and this is the result of that. What the singular candidate co-leader campaign expressly requires is direct discussion between members and the candidate. This will allow those with concerns about Shaw to voice them directly and get answers that will either satisfy them or not, but the facilitation of dialogue between the membership and MPs is a positive outcome. The same guy ends up doing the same job as the same co-leader more attuned and informed of the concerns of membership. That he has the same policies in the same ministerial role in the same government is because of Ardern and Labour.
Where have I said that?
"…the election process will allow members to ask questions of, and have discussion with the candidate. This is a positive outcome."
Such confidence in process hasn't been in evidence. The Greens have illustrated that 25% of the Delegates could only get James Shaw to listen by proposing to fire him. And could continue to do so.
As in any party there are factions. Shaw's faction were asleep that weekend and didn't see the challenge from the 25% of the loonies until it was too late and it simply exploded their Annual Conference.
Shaw's team will not be so asleep now.
What has changed as a result is that Shaw's 5-year work to reassure 10-15% of voters that the Greens are stable and don't fall apart has yet again died as it was in October 2017. The 25% imply that they want greater purity and smaller vote share as a result.
The way to get into Cabinet is trust, delivery, and patronage. Shaw has delivery and patronage, but the trust will be shaken.
It may well be that the 25% of Delegates feel more listened to, after all some trees really do fall in the forest and really are heard. But the cost is with the bulk of the Green voters who are not of that 25% of Delegates.
As is demonstrated by the relatively stable support of the Greens across elections their voter base aren’t going to change their party vote based on this event.
This is a positive outcome.
The rest is typical florid language. It is to be seen whether this whole issue will have the electoral results you imagine but framing being answerable to portions of the party that you call loonies, as ‘shaken trust’ of ‘the bulk of the Greens voters’ is hopeful at best.
Those who party vote Green do not have an alternative party; there’s no one else in parliament advocating the things that they do.
Fashies organising
https://twitter.com/SachaDylan/status/1555295172082094080
Hmm has he had another promotion?
Is he a "5 star Apostle " now?
Give him enough rope , hell hang himself at some point
Only if laws are actually enforced rather than the current limp appeasement.
"He has no personal parliamentary ambitions." I've said it before. He wants to be in Parliament but he does not want to be in a parliament where he is not the Top Dog.
There are disciplines, structures and strictures. He can only handle being The Boss. There is work to be done. He is not interested in actually doing the work necessary. He could not handle that but he can handle spouting and spouting.
He is so Trumpian. He is afraid of standing for Parliament and not winning a seat. i.e. being a loser. That's why he sent 'the missus' out in the last election.
The people most concerned about restrictions on our freedom and rights, are the facists? Ok..
They restrict our freedom and rights all the time. They will do it again tomorrow.
They have the freedom to ask for our votes, and the people exercise their own freedom not to give them any. That is why fascists hate democracy.
I'm sure those in disagreement said similar things about the springbok tour protestors too…
20% of the USAF B-2 bomber force is currently now based in Brisbane.
This puts them well beyond the reach of any Chinese tactical medium range ballistic missiles – If China wanted to hit Amberley RAAF base they'd need to use an ICBM (and we are currently out range of anything China has except an SLBM). The United States is clearly developing fall back options should Guam prove to be untenable in a war with China.
I have just received the Research and Development survey from Stats NZ in the mail. It is a 16 page survey (8 folded A3 pages), along with a covering letter and a return envelope. I assume it has been posted to thousands of businesses throughout NZ.
This posted survey seems like a huge unnecessary cost both to the environment and the tax payer in terms of trees required to produce it, and C02 costs for posting the survey and having it returned. Plus needless costs to the taxpayer that could have otherwise been used for helping the needy.
All these costs could have been avoided by putting the survey online, which should have happened years ago IMO.
So, what should I do to protest this? I have emailed them and told them my thoughts. But perhaps I could refuse to send it back on the grounds that I am trying to save the planet, and don't want to be complicit in the C02 emissions. Another option would be to comply by scanning the document and emailing it back to them rather than posting it.
Surely this is just bad from a government department that should be leading by example.
We did that last time for the Census and it was a disaster so big it nearly invalidated the entire census. The degree of digital poverty in this country remains stubbornly high.
That might be true for private citizens. But for NZ companies?
The companies being targeted with this survey are almost certain to be able to complete the survey online.
So, I don't really think the experience with the previous census is an acceptable excuse with respect to this particular survey.
Also, Stats NZ already offers some of its Surveys online, and has an option to request a paper version e.g:
https://www.stats.govt.nz/help-with-surveys/list-of-stats-nz-surveys/about-the-agricultural-production-survey/
So, no excuse why they couldn’t do the same with this one.
Agree if it's a company focus.
Another peeve of mine is all the junk mail going into letterboxes.
That type of marketing should be banned on environmental grounds as well. And I don't think there would be much complaint from the general population.
So much government is now online I think the time has come for legislation to require ISPs & mobile data to zero rate the top level domain of .govt.nz. Also, a free ISP that just provides access to those government services should be set up by the government.
That way no matter how poor you are you can access government services at a local and national level.
Great idea.
Digital infrastructure.
Two squash players are representing different countries but are partners in life and also cousins.
Aussie wife to meet Scottish husband in squash mixed doubles (1news.co.nz)
Instead of two national anthems they'll just need one rendition of duelling banjoes.
..it's reasonable to expect that Mr Jones could be in deep, deep trouble…
https://twitter.com/dansolomon/status/1555308565715451904
Of the very, very slim pickings that the left have extracted from the US hard right in the last 6 years (outside the Jan 6 Committee prosecutions), this would surely rank as a small but juicy fruit.
Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is really the most perplexing move on her part. One can only put it down to ego given that the Defense Department asked her not to go, Biden was deliberately ambiguous about the whole thing in the media, and it clearly achieved nothing for Taiwan except to have missiles fired over it by China, and probably set back US-China relations even further than they were already. Unlike Ukraine where there is a very clear set of situational priorities in play vis a vis NATO, the Taiwan trip had no real justification to it whatsoever beyond China's status quo sabre rattling.
China should have a list of who the US (and us I suppose) will be allowed to deal with, have relationships with and can visit or accept visitors from.
Is that how it works? Oh, and get a list from Russia too I presume.
Oh please don't pretend Pelosi is an ordinary American or that her physical presence was required to assert the US position. She didn't just decide to go for her health and I'm pretty sure the Taiwanese authorities didn't invite her. Unless there's overt aggression, as there is with Russia, there is no point in deliberately provoking more tension than there already is. I'm sure Japan would rather not have missiles splashing down in their EEZ. It's not diplomacy in concert with other relevant nations, it's crude showboating and apparently without Pentagon backing.
These animals do not deserve to be parents.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/129475495/oranga-tamariki-returned-boy-to-couple-who-beat-him-nearly-to-death