It is no wonder that people are so very cynical about politics and politicians…
witness the Kiwibuild reset…
Gone from building homes to encourage a greater supply
To providing financial assistance to encourage a greater demand
Watch demand soar, house values rise again, and Labour get back into power off the back of it..
pfftt….
Labour has just kicked the entire housing issue down the road again… just like John Key… who propelled property prices (and hence electability) off the back of immigration…
The government had the chance to reboot the home ownership schemes that were in place before the 1990's but completely bottled it in favour of loading people up with more debt, and some charity run rent to own scheme for the 'poor', which is probably as expensive to them as renting.
And no, Judith, 'relaxing planning laws' will NOT make a single cheap house.
This current Labour Government would not have a f#%king clue when it comes to solving this Housing Crisis, Twitford was so out of his depth and over his head in water it was not even funny IMHO ?
Surprised you have a wall to bang your head against. Given the duopoly of westfarmers and fletchers on building supplies and the lack of government action to fix it, i would have thought the wall is more valuable than the head you bang against it
Kiwi's drowning in debt, paying for high priced rubbish houses driven by Asian House Price Speculators, John Key's Housing Ponzi Scheme funded by the Ozzie Banks ?
for the first time – i am thinking this gummint may not be re-elected.
You're thinking people will return National to power due to its proven competence in dealing with the housing crisis, maybe?
I'm not sure what "competence" people want to see here. So many voters have a vested interest in high property prices that most of the serious moves the government could make would see them thrown out of office. Understandably, the governing parties don't see being chucked out after one term as a demonstration of "competence," so they're not doing those things.
That leaves building more state houses, which they are doing. But even there, National's boxed them in with a shortage of tradespeople and the inability to borrow large sums of money. Being the government isn't a doddle.
borrow to build HNZ stock = nil net debt and as it is balance sheet has no effect on surplus.
anyway we don’t have targets anymore 😉, so there is no issue
National did not cock up kiwiwbuild, not did they make labour increase their target from an unobtainable 50,000 to 100,000. Labour’s arrogance and a poor selection of minister are the reason for this failure 🤬
Poor selection of Minister nails it. That arrogant vacuous Twyford may well be an appropriate choice for looking after the Parlimentary broom cupboard, but not as Minister for what is one of the most important portfolios of the government.
Labours blind faith in it's liberal free market ideology is in fact the reason why this Labour party can't and never could fix NZ's housing disaster, they will never be the fearless transformative progressive political party that is needed to overcome the many mountains we need to climb as a country..that is unfortunately just a fact.
And I would say that yes Labour could easily lose the next election…hard to imagine a more perverse loss…or for that matter even just scraping back into office in a run against the most unliked National leader in probably their entire history would be a humiliation…although not according to many third way Labour supporters on this forum, who seem to think that getting into power is all politics is about, at any cost, including losing the very essence of what a Labour Party should actually stand for, which bothers them not one iota.
Hate to think of a loss, as Nats offer little. BUT now we are seeing that we cannot believe what Labour promises to be delivered. Megan Woods "we are not reneging on any election promises" . I would suggest minister to read what you went to the election on and listen to the 2nd link.
9 MONTHS (wasted) in the making and there are hardly any answers or detail " as many as we can as quick as we can" – How does that install confidence for those wanting to enter the housing market ??
Megan Woods hasn't even done any modelling what income levels will apply, rent to buy scheme what equity will build up.
The ability of those that we are given to vote on, it appears to me that we vote on the lesser or 2 evils option.
We've had lots of lefter than Labour parties here. Including some that have been in Parliament, even government. Which one would you like Labour to be more like? Socialist Aotearoa? Mana? IMP? Progressive? Alliance? Communist League?
Do you notice anything those parties all have in common?
Don't worry, Jude has offered to work with Labour to sort out this absolute cluster-f**k-of-mega-proportions (she really is a selfless, giving person) so if Labour do want to fix this mess-of-thier-own-making all they have to do is accept the olive branch and let Jude take over 🙂
Remember when Jude was writing to Twyford to get builders in her electorate lined up for Kiwibuild projects…… she seems to have forgotten 'then Jude' to 'now Jude'
"Housing Minister Phil Twyford has accused his Opposition counterpart of bagging KiwiBuild in one breath, then asking for it to fund developments in her electorate the next.
Judith Collins has admitted writing a letter to Mr Twyford asking about a new Papakura apartment block's eligibility for KiwiBuild, but denies that constitutes an endorsement of the Labour-led programme."
Naturally when Jude is accusing someone of lying – shes standing in front of the mirror.
Has it ever occured to you that a political party could run on a manifesto that they actually believe in and will stand for no matter what the fallout might be?
Has it ever occurred to you that a political party can achieve more by remaining in power through several elections in order to make gains in more areas and consolidate gains made in previous terms?
It's a shitload easier for a new government to reverse something introduced a year or two ago that half the population is firmly against and a fair chunk of the rest think may be a step too far, compared to trying to reverse something introduced four or five years ago that's bedded in and didn't arouse quite such strong opposition to begin with.
Yep. It's how you get lasting change. The other lot used it to get us here, we need to use it to go back in a better direction. Going for the glorious revolution will last exactly until the next election.
If you're looking for your idea of "transformational", you're being unrealistic expecting Labour to push anywhere near as much as you would like. They are fighting for the centre voters, after all. And what looks transformational to those centre voters will look like insipid incremental centrism to you.
You'd be much better off putting your hopes and efforts into a party like the Greens – that are consciously targeted at a small part of the electorate, and try to lift them to where Greens plus Labour don't need anyone else.
Even if the manifesto, when put into practise, turns out to be unrealistically optomistic?
Besides some management issues, the kiwibuild output was managable but the model of implementation turned out to be unworkable – mostly due to the partnership with developers.
I think they should have figured out a timeline for the 100k homes (split into different types – developer partnerships, new state homes, and government developments), rather than nuking the target completely. I.e. kept the plan for the number of homes but adjusted the timeline. But sticking to the timeline and the number was unworkable.
The manifesto did offer alternatives ie reduce the demand side by flattening the curve.Far more cost effective and sustainable.
In total, these changes are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000. Without these changes there would be up to 10,000 more houses needed and up to 20,000 more vehicles on our roads annually. Our immigration system will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is functioning well.
Well, nothing except the failure of a flagship policy, which is a pretty substantial blow to any government.
When your work involves massive high-stakes projects, your failures are very public and humiliating. But if my work experience has taught me anything, it's taught me that when people have done their best and failed you might feel like berating them for incompetence, but actually doing it isn't going to improve their productivity and it saps morale in a much wider group than the one you're addressing.
And national has . Bridges was a prosecutor – a glorified public servant.
English was a treasury analyst- for a few years- before 30 years in Parliament but they worked the 'farming adjacent' thing to cover that up.
Nick Smith didnt work in his family bridge building company after graduate school , 30 years in Parliament.
Paula's background started with the Napier Tattoo Club and the Stag Truck stop but found it too hard and stayed on the DPB. Newspapers have lawyers letters from PB telling them not to get the time lines for above 3 mixed up.
McClay worked as chief of staff for some UK EU poobah.
Goldsmith has been in beehive or MPs/Ministers offices much like Bishop , Kaye and Willis
i think that kiwibuild needs to be identified for what it is:
middle-class welfare..
in no way is it designed to help those who need it the most..
and so as a concept should be canned..
and as corin dann asked megan wood this morning:(i paraphrase..)
'why doesn't labour return to its' knitting – and forget about being in the market – and focus on building state houses..?'
to which i can only say 'hear..!..hear..!'..
and would also mention again how post ww2 10,000 houses a year were built..(surely there must be historians/theses knowing the mechanics of how that was done – surely it would e of value to at least look there..?..)
my understanding is that some 1,500 state houses have been built – and that is good..but it almost seems like it is something labour is ashamed of – they have sold that fact/success so poorly – it must be deliberate – and i see it as part of labour pandering to that tory swing-voter and trying not to offend..
so like corin dann sez – labour should proudly commit to house the homeless/poor – and to go full tilt into state house building..(and not gimcrack-hovels..!)
the rent-to-buy/shared-equity ideas look good – on the surface – the devil will be in the detail/criterea..(fingers still crossed there..)
i also feel the obvious moves are into pre-built etc..
and why not a mortgage-fund where those who want to – can present concepts of alternative/much-cheaper buildings – and get funding for them..?
(and of course councils need to be made to toe that line – their arbitrary/subjective bullshit has to be swept away…)
I wonder … actually 2 things. One, why Chris Trotter argued against a Left coalition this time? That is a story I haven't been able to understand.
Two, why is most commenting on Open Mike done before the evening? Seems as unnatural as vampires in sunlight to me. Hoary with the glory of dawn's bracing air? Relaxing contemplative does best after the day's activity, he proposes.
You can support the left and still be critical of this government. I am not all of a sudden going to break the habit of a lifetime and begin voting for National.
At the same time, I am not going to pretend that noting is wrong with this government. They made bold statements and promises in 2017 and should be held to account against what they were voted in on.
Simply saying 'but at least we tried' isn't good enough. That just encourages future politicians to make grand unrealistic promises without ever having to deliver on them
Does anyone have the expertise to comment on whether it is proper that the prosecutor of a case which has been "resolved" then contacts media themselves and more or less tries to publicly "relitigate" an outcome he had agreed to.
I am aware that not all is always as it seems, but now that more details of whatever occurred have been published it appears that normally such a case would not have made news or headlines without the "political" interest, that interest in fact should have no bearing on the case or its outcome.
What would be the motivation for the prosecutor himself in contacting the media and does anyone know if this is "proper"?
"But, despite the plea deal, prosecutor David Johnstone wished to outline the Crown's position in an email to the Herald and other journalists who covered the trial.
It was in response to an earlier media statement by the accused's lawyer Emma Priest."
Reading the article, I guess the prosecutor was left little alternative, after the defence lawyer had already approached the media with inflammatory and incorrect claims.
Of more interest, why does the guilty party still have name suppression? Very unusual, something usually reserved for All Blacks and other Neanderthals. Must be some politicians son eh.
I nearly mentioned the defendant's solicitor speaking to media but it looked clear that media asked for comment and got it, I'm not sure why they didn't ask for comment from the prosecutor's office he could have made a comment that was relevant to the case and the outcome in an immediate manner not in hindsight.
½ of NZ could tell you which politicians son, there have been "interesting" cases that are not specific to "All Blacks and other Neanderthals", the case may well be that they are all Neanderthals.
Anyway do you think this case would be in the media if it hadn't been a "politician's" son?
"approached the media with inflammatory and incorrect claims."
The accused was offered and pleaded to 2 x assault charges. ( the crimes have same
The sexual assault charges where all withdrawn, so that is saying there was no sexual assault as alleged by the Crown. Exactly as the lawyer claimed during ( and before ?) the trial.
I am female and over 60, not that has any bearing other than I have children and grandchildren because I am, and now they are, aware of what happens in certain settings it is my certain view that had it not been able to be made political no one would have been even aware of what happened.
How many times in people's lives has this sort of thing happened it is not excusable but it is the reality of out of control drunken behaviour, whoever his parents are they are probably really glad he was not in charge of a vehicle.
That aside is this the same sort of "fair" trial that one of his peers would have had and is the prosecutor allowed to contact media the way he did?
The sexual assault charges where all withdrawn, so that is saying there was no sexual assault as alleged by the Crown.
Yes and no.
Plea deals are a sad but important part of the process. The greatly lower the workload of the justice system. And yes, one is legally "innocent until proven guilty". But that doesn't mean there was no sexual assault (legally the complaint still was made), nor does it mean the guy is the victim his lawyer is making him out to be.
This was in the middle of a jury trial. thats a fanciful claim about lowering workload. It happens the other way too…multiple charges are 'pre-loaded' to makes the crime stats look good when a single charge will do.
Weak case , to throw in the towel by the Crown in middle of trial, after most of the witnesses called. Were the crown afraid the judge might dismiss the case , after application by the defence , before the jury retired ?
I wouldnt say I was a habitue of the courts, but isnt it the defendants who are finally convinced by their lawyers to plead guilty to trial charges
No case is 100%. Jury trials can be unpredictable. Sexual assault trials are also notoriously difficult to prosecute.
So the prosecution risk the guy walking away. The guy risks getting a sexual assault conviction. So prosecution and defence find a happy medium of the charges that are mild enough for him to wear but are at least some measure of punishment for the prosecution.
It's not ideal, but then ideally people wouldn't assault other people, sexually or otherwise.
So when was the last time the Crown took the defendants offer to settle in the middle of a jury trial. There is no saving of lawyers time and court time at that stage.
The defence opening statement was 'this isnt a sexual assault' case.
Yes I have been called for jury duty , and yes they have a second case line up if the first case settles on the 'step of the court'.
This is practically a settlement just before the judge instructs the jury .
The only possible later time is before the jury returns
Middle of the road enough probably to think "there but for the grace of . . ." on both sides of the offending behaviour and/or you let them out of you sight for five mins. There few things more reckless and sad than a young male trying to make an impression or fit in especially when drunk, something that probably needed to be in court, especially one of public opinion, is how they got access to alcohol – or was the person of age – without supervision around the younger ones.
Because he has pleaded guilty and still has name suppression. The establishment, whether National, Labour or other, ALWAYS protects ts it's own. Besides, I think by now most know the identity.
A formal criminal complaint for hate propaganda has been filed with the Ottawa Police Service against the Canadian Islamophobic news outlet Rebel News Network Ltd., and its directors Ezra Levant, Hamish Marshall and Hannah Vanderkooy, as well as former Rebel News presenter Faith Bazos (aka Faith Goldy).
[…]
The complaint alleges Rebel News Network have breached s. 319(2) of the Canadian Criminal Code by wilfully promoting hatred of the Muslim community through hate propaganda published through the Rebel News Network website and Youtube channel.
While not formally named as there is no evidence any of his activities took place in Canada, the complaint relies heavily on content created by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) as evidence of them disseminating xenophobic anti-Muslim content. Videos produced by Faith Goldy are also highlighted in the complaint.
I'm confident we've got plenty that think they fully understand quantum physics. And string theory. And how those explain the interconnectedness of cosmic consciousnesses.
Amazing how the computer generated forecast from Thu – as shown above- essentially was as wrong as Trump as they had the centre 5 days later in middle of Florida.
and his answers are exactly like how his brain works – all over the place, repetitive, vainglorious – he's like a mirror to the monster in us all. https://play.stuff.co.nz/details/_6083525676001
Maybe it's not so obvious to everyone what he has drawn there, squint your eyes a little and it all becomes clear… (or maybe just a load of bollocks, if you know what I mean).
You can see what the world's No 1 Ignoramus originally did. He placed a ruler on the last two tracking points of the original map (not coloured in white to denote a possible track only) and figured the "hurricane" was going to end up in Alabama.
Note: hurricane in inverted commas because by then it would have been no more than a depression which still might have brought rain to the south east of Alabama but no hurricane.
Every now and then, shit like this must make some of the less-dim MAGAmorons clue in to the fact Donnie Dimbulb thinks they're all idiots. I really wonder what goes through their heads at that moment of realisation.
As someone who years ago manually drew weather maps (automated now), that second map looks like something from another planet in another dimension. Very funny though.
Who in their right mind would spend an hour scribbling in lots n' lots of squiggly lines that represent nothing but… lots n' lots of squiggly lines? POTUS. America is toast.
The Combover Con will stiff you every time. Even when you're a loyal but vulnerable Repug Senator from a swing state who's up for re-election next year.
I thought Megan Woods came across pretty well in the interview with Mike Hosking regarding the kiwi build reset. In fact, she interviews a hell of a lot better than Jacinda does on Tuesday mornings.
VANCOUVER—Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced a further $2.7 million investment in salmon conservation projects, after government officials confirmed Thursday morning that salmon stocks across British Columbia are returning in concerningly low numbers.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, also known as DFO, had previously forecast that 4,795,000 sockeye salmon would return to the Fraser River this year.
As the run starts, that number has been adjusted to 628,000 — just 13 per cent of that original forecast. The state of sockeye salmon is now so dire that some populations “face an imminent threat of extinction,” according to DFO.
This brings back memories of Robert Muldoon and the police activities destroying evidence from The Erebus Crash ?
Hopefully the wet behind the ears Andrew Little from the Labour Party will address this situation in a Royal Commission of Enquiry as Pike River is a Homicide Crime Scene ?
The art of the possible aside, reality says we need a commanding demo-cratist government in control. The whole bloody lesson of the rich's takeover of government in the early 80s from Keynesian social-democracy. Yet reality also says that 's not possible — division of needed ends and impossible(?) means.
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This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
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 The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
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It is no wonder that people are so very cynical about politics and politicians…
witness the Kiwibuild reset…
Gone from building homes to encourage a greater supply
To providing financial assistance to encourage a greater demand
Watch demand soar, house values rise again, and Labour get back into power off the back of it..
pfftt….
Labour has just kicked the entire housing issue down the road again… just like John Key… who propelled property prices (and hence electability) off the back of immigration…
no cred
The government had the chance to reboot the home ownership schemes that were in place before the 1990's but completely bottled it in favour of loading people up with more debt, and some charity run rent to own scheme for the 'poor', which is probably as expensive to them as renting.
And no, Judith, 'relaxing planning laws' will NOT make a single cheap house.
"home ownership schemes that were in place before the 1990's but completely bottled it in favour of loading people up with more debt"
What did you think State Advances was ' pixie dust' ?. You had to pay it back.
Then like now there are various grants to bridge the deposit gap etc
This current Labour Government would not have a f#%king clue when it comes to solving this Housing Crisis, Twitford was so out of his depth and over his head in water it was not even funny IMHO ?
Colmar Brunton just the other month found 60% support for the Kiwibuild scheme to continue…
NZFnearly extinct also Duke of F ?
listening to housing minister megan wood on rnz..
oh dear..!
oh fucken dear..!
(walks over to wall – starts banging forehead against it..)
Surprised you have a wall to bang your head against. Given the duopoly of westfarmers and fletchers on building supplies and the lack of government action to fix it, i would have thought the wall is more valuable than the head you bang against it
Been like that since Adam was a Cowboy, neither Labour or National have the balls to do anything about it ?
i love it how defenders(?) of this mess – are pointing the finger at the useless bastards in the last gummint..
i don't see how they can get past the fact it is 2 yrs into this gummint..
and this is where we are…
f.f.s..!
blaming the tories still – just has people rolling their eyes/turning away..
a new tagline for kiwibuild:..?
'kiwibuild – not waving – drowning'…
Kiwi's drowning in debt, paying for high priced rubbish houses driven by Asian House Price Speculators, John Key's Housing Ponzi Scheme funded by the Ozzie Banks ?
The Tories often leave a mess for the left wing to tidy up. History always appears to repeat itself IMHO ?
tories make a mess..
labour don't fix it up..
tories make even more mess…
labour (again) fail to fix it up..
(repeat…)
which brings us to now…
100% Correct I Agree
Voters when asked disagree….meanwhile in various bubbles they continue in their not knowing what they dont know
are you talking about yr nz first bubble there..?…d of f..?
you are right – they really 'don't know what they don't know'…
Kirk's Labour would have addressed it. Something wrong constitutionally with the wiring since ACT founder Roge.
for the first time – i am thinking this gummint may not be re-elected..
(this degree of incompetence is fucken mind-blowing..)
and if that happens – it will be all their own doing…
Cleangreen thinks it’s all national 5th columnists in the public sector though? Surely they can take some blame
for the first time – i am thinking this gummint may not be re-elected.
You're thinking people will return National to power due to its proven competence in dealing with the housing crisis, maybe?
I'm not sure what "competence" people want to see here. So many voters have a vested interest in high property prices that most of the serious moves the government could make would see them thrown out of office. Understandably, the governing parties don't see being chucked out after one term as a demonstration of "competence," so they're not doing those things.
That leaves building more state houses, which they are doing. But even there, National's boxed them in with a shortage of tradespeople and the inability to borrow large sums of money. Being the government isn't a doddle.
borrow to build HNZ stock = nil net debt and as it is balance sheet has no effect on surplus.
anyway we don’t have targets anymore 😉, so there is no issue
National did not cock up kiwiwbuild, not did they make labour increase their target from an unobtainable 50,000 to 100,000. Labour’s arrogance and a poor selection of minister are the reason for this failure 🤬
Poor selection of Minister nails it. That arrogant vacuous Twyford may well be an appropriate choice for looking after the Parlimentary broom cupboard, but not as Minister for what is one of the most important portfolios of the government.
Twitford didn't have a clue and still doesn't.
Labours blind faith in it's liberal free market ideology is in fact the reason why this Labour party can't and never could fix NZ's housing disaster, they will never be the fearless transformative progressive political party that is needed to overcome the many mountains we need to climb as a country..that is unfortunately just a fact.
And I would say that yes Labour could easily lose the next election…hard to imagine a more perverse loss…or for that matter even just scraping back into office in a run against the most unliked National leader in probably their entire history would be a humiliation…although not according to many third way Labour supporters on this forum, who seem to think that getting into power is all politics is about, at any cost, including losing the very essence of what a Labour Party should actually stand for, which bothers them not one iota.
Turn Labour Left!
Hate to think of a loss, as Nats offer little. BUT now we are seeing that we cannot believe what Labour promises to be delivered. Megan Woods "we are not reneging on any election promises" . I would suggest minister to read what you went to the election on and listen to the 2nd link.
9 MONTHS (wasted) in the making and there are hardly any answers or detail " as many as we can as quick as we can" – How does that install confidence for those wanting to enter the housing market ??
Megan Woods hasn't even done any modelling what income levels will apply, rent to buy scheme what equity will build up.
The ability of those that we are given to vote on, it appears to me that we vote on the lesser or 2 evils option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xs755ZUCA0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWPsJnRNGvQ
@ a. thornton..
agreed..!
"Turn Labour Left"
Join the party and help them.
Turn Labour Left!
We've had lots of lefter than Labour parties here. Including some that have been in Parliament, even government. Which one would you like Labour to be more like? Socialist Aotearoa? Mana? IMP? Progressive? Alliance? Communist League?
Do you notice anything those parties all have in common?
"as it is balance sheet has no effect on surplus."
Thats correct as 'surplus' is operating expenditure not capital – such as houses.
Don't worry, Jude has offered to work with Labour to sort out this absolute cluster-f**k-of-mega-proportions (she really is a selfless, giving person) so if Labour do want to fix this mess-of-thier-own-making all they have to do is accept the olive branch and let Jude take over 🙂
Remember when Jude was writing to Twyford to get builders in her electorate lined up for Kiwibuild projects…… she seems to have forgotten 'then Jude' to 'now Jude'
I remember that Dukefurl.
Nope don't recall anything like that, sounds like fake news to me
"Housing Minister Phil Twyford has accused his Opposition counterpart of bagging KiwiBuild in one breath, then asking for it to fund developments in her electorate the next.
Judith Collins has admitted writing a letter to Mr Twyford asking about a new Papakura apartment block's eligibility for KiwiBuild, but denies that constitutes an endorsement of the Labour-led programme."
Naturally when Jude is accusing someone of lying – shes standing in front of the mirror.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/06/judith-collins-accused-phil-twyford-of-lying-about-her-kiwibuild-letter.html
She once sued Little and Mallard and yet it was resolved by her written admission they were correct.
Labour need Judith Collins skills to get Kiwi Build back on track IMHO.
um..!..no…
Has it ever occured to you that a political party could run on a manifesto that they actually believe in and will stand for no matter what the fallout might be?
Has it ever occurred to you that a political party can achieve more by remaining in power through several elections in order to make gains in more areas and consolidate gains made in previous terms?
It's a shitload easier for a new government to reverse something introduced a year or two ago that half the population is firmly against and a fair chunk of the rest think may be a step too far, compared to trying to reverse something introduced four or five years ago that's bedded in and didn't arouse quite such strong opposition to begin with.
oh..!..the incrementalist-argument..!..
what a refreshing change..!
Don't hear it much among the people you hang out with?
post-douglas neoliberal-incrementalism from clark through 'till now…
is what has got us into this unholy mess..
you seriously defend it..?
Yep. It's how you get lasting change. The other lot used it to get us here, we need to use it to go back in a better direction. Going for the glorious revolution will last exactly until the next election.
i for one am not expecting 'glorious revolution'…
i am just expecting that 'transformational'-stuff we were promised pre-election..
all in their own words….
is that too much to ask..?
If you're looking for your idea of "transformational", you're being unrealistic expecting Labour to push anywhere near as much as you would like. They are fighting for the centre voters, after all. And what looks transformational to those centre voters will look like insipid incremental centrism to you.
You'd be much better off putting your hopes and efforts into a party like the Greens – that are consciously targeted at a small part of the electorate, and try to lift them to where Greens plus Labour don't need anyone else.
+1 Andre
Even if the manifesto, when put into practise, turns out to be unrealistically optomistic?
Besides some management issues, the kiwibuild output was managable but the model of implementation turned out to be unworkable – mostly due to the partnership with developers.
I think they should have figured out a timeline for the 100k homes (split into different types – developer partnerships, new state homes, and government developments), rather than nuking the target completely. I.e. kept the plan for the number of homes but adjusted the timeline. But sticking to the timeline and the number was unworkable.
The manifesto did offer alternatives ie reduce the demand side by flattening the curve.Far more cost effective and sustainable.
In total, these changes are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000. Without these changes there would be up to 10,000 more houses needed and up to 20,000 more vehicles on our roads annually. Our immigration system will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is functioning well.
https://www.labour.org.nz/immigration
how's that going?
@ pm..
'You're thinking people will return National to power due to its proven competence in dealing with the housing crisis, maybe?'
no…
'I'm not sure what "competence" people want to see here.'
oh..i dunno..maybe a bit more than has been displayed to date..?
and – it's all nationals' fault – and being in gummint is hard..
well that's all ok then..nothing to see here..eh..?
Well, nothing except the failure of a flagship policy, which is a pretty substantial blow to any government.
When your work involves massive high-stakes projects, your failures are very public and humiliating. But if my work experience has taught me anything, it's taught me that when people have done their best and failed you might feel like berating them for incompetence, but actually doing it isn't going to improve their productivity and it saps morale in a much wider group than the one you're addressing.
just don't feel like holding their hands – and going: 'there there – everything'll be ok – just try a bit harder next time'..
i'll leave that task to/for you – you seem to be up for it..
I hope no-one ever gives you a job in management
heh..!..that's quite clever/funny…
(and it seems so heartfelt – to boot..)
Agree, PM.. Negative feedback can make people dislike something, but it very rarely helps them to like something and feel motivated.
Labour primarily is Ideologically Driven, they have very few MP's with real life experiences IMHO ?
Really ?
And national has . Bridges was a prosecutor – a glorified public servant.
English was a treasury analyst- for a few years- before 30 years in Parliament but they worked the 'farming adjacent' thing to cover that up.
Nick Smith didnt work in his family bridge building company after graduate school , 30 years in Parliament.
Paula's background started with the Napier Tattoo Club and the Stag Truck stop but found it too hard and stayed on the DPB. Newspapers have lawyers letters from PB telling them not to get the time lines for above 3 mixed up.
McClay worked as chief of staff for some UK EU poobah.
Goldsmith has been in beehive or MPs/Ministers offices much like Bishop , Kaye and Willis
"real life experiences"
So, their MPs have fake life experiences? What would that consist of?
IMHO? I would emphasise the H for that one.
The government doesn't have to borrow large sums of money for KiwiBuild, or what ever the fuck they call it now.
The government can create whatever capital it needs. I believe they call it Quantitative Easing these days.
I dont think there is a single person reading that who thinks you know better in any shape or form
"listening to housing minister megan wood on rnz."
trying to think of ways out of this mess:
i think that kiwibuild needs to be identified for what it is:
middle-class welfare..
in no way is it designed to help those who need it the most..
and so as a concept should be canned..
and as corin dann asked megan wood this morning:(i paraphrase..)
'why doesn't labour return to its' knitting – and forget about being in the market – and focus on building state houses..?'
to which i can only say 'hear..!..hear..!'..
and would also mention again how post ww2 10,000 houses a year were built..(surely there must be historians/theses knowing the mechanics of how that was done – surely it would e of value to at least look there..?..)
my understanding is that some 1,500 state houses have been built – and that is good..but it almost seems like it is something labour is ashamed of – they have sold that fact/success so poorly – it must be deliberate – and i see it as part of labour pandering to that tory swing-voter and trying not to offend..
so like corin dann sez – labour should proudly commit to house the homeless/poor – and to go full tilt into state house building..(and not gimcrack-hovels..!)
the rent-to-buy/shared-equity ideas look good – on the surface – the devil will be in the detail/criterea..(fingers still crossed there..)
i also feel the obvious moves are into pre-built etc..
and why not a mortgage-fund where those who want to – can present concepts of alternative/much-cheaper buildings – and get funding for them..?
(and of course councils need to be made to toe that line – their arbitrary/subjective bullshit has to be swept away…)
oh dear..!..megan woods just confirming that shared-equity will be for people earning over $87,000…
they have learnt sweet fuck all from their epic failure…
and once again – those who need it the most – can just go rot…
hang yr fucken heads..!..labour supporters..
how the fuck can you defend that..?
Duke will be along any minute now to do just that
is that 87K household or individual income?
household…
the point being that is still 'a joke' – as far as those who need such a scheme are concerned..
i.e. the poor can just continue to rot..under this labour government..
2 x minimum wage (40 hours pw) is 73k…87k aint far off
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/98194980/small-businesses-may-struggle-to-pay-higher-minimum-wage-businessnz
Are you rotting under this labour government?
I wonder … actually 2 things. One, why Chris Trotter argued against a Left coalition this time? That is a story I haven't been able to understand.
Two, why is most commenting on Open Mike done before the evening? Seems as unnatural as vampires in sunlight to me. Hoary with the glory of dawn's bracing air? Relaxing contemplative does best after the day's activity, he proposes.
Kiwibuild houses in Wanaka too… ffs what were they thinking… apart from dishing out lollies to the elite.
Shame no one told them it wasn't going to work…🤣
I don't think there has ever been a more predictable failure of any government policy.
Everyone other than Labour, and some of the media who failed to critically review the policy, knew it would never fly.
National can rightly say, "told you so" now
Which of Nationals 'increase the supply' policies do you want to citique
Remember when Nick Smith went around various ' sites' in Auckland saying they are public owned and houses can go there. How many houses did go there.
Remember the Special Housing Areas, how many extra low cost houses did that build.
Guess who at the last election promised 'more more more' houses.
+1 Dukeofurl. The Ihumātao dispute is a result of the National government's SHA's.
There are more more more houses. We are in the middle of a construction boom.
The point is Kiwibuild was doomed for failure as predicted by everyone other than Labour.
Three little letters
S H A
How did that go……not
I think you are arguing with yourself.
Not sure why you are rabbtting on about the previous government. They failed and we kicked them out of office.
Because too many still believe and parrot their talking points
No-one here is and certainly not me.
You can support the left and still be critical of this government. I am not all of a sudden going to break the habit of a lifetime and begin voting for National.
At the same time, I am not going to pretend that noting is wrong with this government. They made bold statements and promises in 2017 and should be held to account against what they were voted in on.
Simply saying 'but at least we tried' isn't good enough. That just encourages future politicians to make grand unrealistic promises without ever having to deliver on them
it could quite possibly have 'flown' if done correctly –
remembering that post ww2 10,000 houses a yr were built..
(and that was before nail-guns were invented – every nail hammered in using a hammer..)
whereas this clown-clusterfuck can't come within a bulls' roar of that number – (nail-guns notwithstanding)..
Is that your extent of your knowledge, a hammer hand from 1960
build time for the average 3 bedroom house up until the 90s was 12 weeks…care to compare that with today?
you just like flinging insults..eh..?
that's all ya got…?
carry on..!
and with that in mind – i’ll treat your drivel with the contempt it deserves..eh..?
Every community has a range of people living there in terms of wealth. The elite of Wanaka still need workers, teachers, clerical staff etc etc.
I'd venture to say that affordable housing is more difficult to find in wealthy communities than in poorer communities.
+1 mac1
The elite will happily make do with third world workers who can sleep under bridges for all they care.
When what suits is presented to you at waist level it's hard to refuse.
Everyone needs a ski chalet
the poor ski..?…don't they..?
they really just want some servants quarters' – in wanaka..
and the middle-class find it very difficult to get good help while on their ski-hols..
how about showing them a bit of sympathy..?
I was mocking kiwi build for building the wrong type of houses in the wrong area. They may well end up as holiday homes for the wealthy.
yes i know you were..
as was i…
Does anyone have the expertise to comment on whether it is proper that the prosecutor of a case which has been "resolved" then contacts media themselves and more or less tries to publicly "relitigate" an outcome he had agreed to.
I am aware that not all is always as it seems, but now that more details of whatever occurred have been published it appears that normally such a case would not have made news or headlines without the "political" interest, that interest in fact should have no bearing on the case or its outcome.
What would be the motivation for the prosecutor himself in contacting the media and does anyone know if this is "proper"?
"But, despite the plea deal, prosecutor David Johnstone wished to outline the Crown's position in an email to the Herald and other journalists who covered the trial.
It was in response to an earlier media statement by the accused's lawyer Emma Priest."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12264837
Reading the article, I guess the prosecutor was left little alternative, after the defence lawyer had already approached the media with inflammatory and incorrect claims.
Of more interest, why does the guilty party still have name suppression? Very unusual, something usually reserved for All Blacks and other Neanderthals. Must be some politicians son eh.
I nearly mentioned the defendant's solicitor speaking to media but it looked clear that media asked for comment and got it, I'm not sure why they didn't ask for comment from the prosecutor's office he could have made a comment that was relevant to the case and the outcome in an immediate manner not in hindsight.
½ of NZ could tell you which politicians son, there have been "interesting" cases that are not specific to "All Blacks and other Neanderthals", the case may well be that they are all Neanderthals.
Anyway do you think this case would be in the media if it hadn't been a "politician's" son?
"approached the media with inflammatory and incorrect claims."
The accused was offered and pleaded to 2 x assault charges. ( the crimes have same
The sexual assault charges where all withdrawn, so that is saying there was no sexual assault as alleged by the Crown. Exactly as the lawyer claimed during ( and before ?) the trial.
I am female and over 60, not that has any bearing other than I have children and grandchildren because I am, and now they are, aware of what happens in certain settings it is my certain view that had it not been able to be made political no one would have been even aware of what happened.
How many times in people's lives has this sort of thing happened it is not excusable but it is the reality of out of control drunken behaviour, whoever his parents are they are probably really glad he was not in charge of a vehicle.
That aside is this the same sort of "fair" trial that one of his peers would have had and is the prosecutor allowed to contact media the way he did?
Yes and no.
Plea deals are a sad but important part of the process. The greatly lower the workload of the justice system. And yes, one is legally "innocent until proven guilty". But that doesn't mean there was no sexual assault (legally the complaint still was made), nor does it mean the guy is the victim his lawyer is making him out to be.
Lower the workload ?
This was in the middle of a jury trial. thats a fanciful claim about lowering workload. It happens the other way too…multiple charges are 'pre-loaded' to makes the crime stats look good when a single charge will do.
Lawyer I was talking to a few years back reckoned something like 80% of cases were plea agreements.
Sure, they left it late in this case, but it probably saved a few days off the schedule.
Weak case , to throw in the towel by the Crown in middle of trial, after most of the witnesses called. Were the crown afraid the judge might dismiss the case , after application by the defence , before the jury retired ?
I wouldnt say I was a habitue of the courts, but isnt it the defendants who are finally convinced by their lawyers to plead guilty to trial charges
No case is 100%. Jury trials can be unpredictable. Sexual assault trials are also notoriously difficult to prosecute.
So the prosecution risk the guy walking away. The guy risks getting a sexual assault conviction. So prosecution and defence find a happy medium of the charges that are mild enough for him to wear but are at least some measure of punishment for the prosecution.
It's not ideal, but then ideally people wouldn't assault other people, sexually or otherwise.
You must live in a cave Duke, McFlock is 100% correct.
You only have to be on jury service at a busy court to see all the "horse trading"
So when was the last time the Crown took the defendants offer to settle in the middle of a jury trial. There is no saving of lawyers time and court time at that stage.
The defence opening statement was 'this isnt a sexual assault' case.
Yes I have been called for jury duty , and yes they have a second case line up if the first case settles on the 'step of the court'.
This is practically a settlement just before the judge instructs the jury .
The only possible later time is before the jury returns
Except the jury is immediately dismissed and zero witnesses are called to argue the case cbecause the charges either have guilty pleas or withdrawals.
Middle of the road enough probably to think "there but for the grace of . . ." on both sides of the offending behaviour and/or you let them out of you sight for five mins. There few things more reckless and sad than a young male trying to make an impression or fit in especially when drunk, something that probably needed to be in court, especially one of public opinion, is how they got access to alcohol – or was the person of age – without supervision around the younger ones.
The accused was a guest at the camp.So what makes you think he's a politician's son?
Because he has pleaded guilty and still has name suppression. The establishment, whether National, Labour or other, ALWAYS protects ts it's own. Besides, I think by now most know the identity.
True, five minutes on google will tell you who his mother is.
Wasnt a member of Young labour at all….and friend of a friend it seems.
Not even close, Try son of an MP
That could be anyone.
Well I don't Peter. Can you give me a clue?
I dont know, can you be more specific?
Here are a couple of good pieces on Sanders (or maybe we should just say The Progressive Left) vs corporate media…
Bernie Sanders Is Coming to American Journalism's Rescue
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/bernie-sanders-is-coming-to-american-journalisms-rescue/
Corporate Media Bias Against Sanders Is Structural, Not a Conspiracy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss7tjLZKdMQ&t=736s
Ms Southern is/was a significant contributor to Levant's hate rag, too.
A formal criminal complaint for hate propaganda has been filed with the Ottawa Police Service against the Canadian Islamophobic news outlet Rebel News Network Ltd., and its directors Ezra Levant, Hamish Marshall and Hannah Vanderkooy, as well as former Rebel News presenter Faith Bazos (aka Faith Goldy).
[…]
The complaint alleges Rebel News Network have breached s. 319(2) of the Canadian Criminal Code by wilfully promoting hatred of the Muslim community through hate propaganda published through the Rebel News Network website and Youtube channel.
While not formally named as there is no evidence any of his activities took place in Canada, the complaint relies heavily on content created by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) as evidence of them disseminating xenophobic anti-Muslim content. Videos produced by Faith Goldy are also highlighted in the complaint.
https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2019/09/03/formal-criminal-complaint-made-against-rebel-media-for-hate-propaganda/
Barking.
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1169255680366317569
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1169293151061905409
Well she claims she's not crazy so I guess she isn't.
She'd fit right in here in Titirangi.
You have quantum physicists in Titirangi ?
I'm confident we've got plenty that think they fully understand quantum physics. And string theory. And how those explain the interconnectedness of cosmic consciousnesses.
She cant lose . If it turns away she was right if it doesn't its because not enough believers tried.
Riligon is good that way.
The liar extraordinaire falsifies and over simplifies an outdated weather map for Hurricane Dorian. Can't even tell the truth about a weather event:
https://www.newsandguts.com/video/hurricane-map-displayed-in-oval-office-was-altered-to-include-alabama/
What's the problem? That wobbly lump drawn with a black marker pen is totes believable.
Tough when you have to use last week's forecasted track to make it work.
But how many MAGAmorons would know that?
TBF, it takes a MAGAmoron to break the law with a weather forecast.
https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1169338600405835777
Amazing how the computer generated forecast from Thu – as shown above- essentially was as wrong as Trump as they had the centre 5 days later in middle of Florida.
and his answers are exactly like how his brain works – all over the place, repetitive, vainglorious – he's like a mirror to the monster in us all.
https://play.stuff.co.nz/details/_6083525676001
Maybe it's not so obvious to everyone what he has drawn there, squint your eyes a little and it all becomes clear… (or maybe just a load of bollocks, if you know what I mean).
Another day. Another weather map. Another box of coloured marker pens.
https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/09/donald-trump-goes-full-queeg-over-alabama/
Unbelievable!
You can see what the world's No 1 Ignoramus originally did. He placed a ruler on the last two tracking points of the original map (not coloured in white to denote a possible track only) and figured the "hurricane" was going to end up in Alabama.
Note: hurricane in inverted commas because by then it would have been no more than a depression which still might have brought rain to the south east of Alabama but no hurricane.
Every now and then, shit like this must make some of the less-dim MAGAmorons clue in to the fact Donnie Dimbulb thinks they're all idiots. I really wonder what goes through their heads at that moment of realisation.
It's still going …
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ninth-alabama-tweet-error-twitter_n_5d7190dde4b0fd4168e7da5f
As someone who years ago manually drew weather maps (automated now), that second map looks like something from another planet in another dimension. Very funny though.
Who in their right mind would spend an hour scribbling in lots n' lots of squiggly lines that represent nothing but… lots n' lots of squiggly lines? POTUS. America is toast.
The Combover Con will stiff you every time. Even when you're a loyal but vulnerable Repug Senator from a swing state who's up for re-election next year.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-border-wall-military-funds-senators_n_5d6fff9ce4b0cdfe0579f881
Old mobster habits never die.
https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1169289821774405633
I thought Megan Woods came across pretty well in the interview with Mike Hosking regarding the kiwi build reset. In fact, she interviews a hell of a lot better than Jacinda does on Tuesday mornings.
Lord Kerslake at 1:45 on today's goings on.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_five_live
The canaries are trying to tell us something.
VANCOUVER—Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced a further $2.7 million investment in salmon conservation projects, after government officials confirmed Thursday morning that salmon stocks across British Columbia are returning in concerningly low numbers.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, also known as DFO, had previously forecast that 4,795,000 sockeye salmon would return to the Fraser River this year.
As the run starts, that number has been adjusted to 628,000 — just 13 per cent of that original forecast. The state of sockeye salmon is now so dire that some populations “face an imminent threat of extinction,” according to DFO.
https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2019/08/22/48-million-sockeye-salmon-were-expected-at-bcs-fraser-river-but-just-628000-showed-up.html
Police Destroy Evidence From Pike River Mine ?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115559773/police-say-pike-river-evidence-destroyed-in-2015-held-no-value-but-families-want-answers
This brings back memories of Robert Muldoon and the police activities destroying evidence from The Erebus Crash ?
Hopefully the wet behind the ears Andrew Little from the Labour Party will address this situation in a Royal Commission of Enquiry as Pike River is a Homicide Crime Scene ?
If it is a homicide crime scene, it became so under a National Government whose PM made a solemn promise to get the bodies out, then changed his mind…
The art of the possible aside, reality says we need a commanding demo-cratist government in control. The whole bloody lesson of the rich's takeover of government in the early 80s from Keynesian social-democracy. Yet reality also says that 's not possible — division of needed ends and impossible(?) means.