Soimun employs God knows how many ‘experts’ in his office to make attack ads, with unrelenting negativity, for which he gets quite rightly slagged off.
Jacinda fronts for a simple 2 minute (nearly 3 minutes) video of the Coalition’s achievements – and the tweet goes around the world. [Sorry, not tech savvy enough to put up a link.] It must really hack off the Natz party strategists!
Also, I live in Christchurch but I could hear Soimun grinding his teeth in Botany when he congratulated the next leader of the Natz on his selection.
It’s going to be a dirty election campaign next year because that’s all the Natz have got, but first points to the Coalition.
Edit
Are you in UK or NZ quasimodo? Brexit and UK Labour are a topic on their own.
Looking at Corbyn’s speech – free prescriptions, free care for the elderly – both enormously growing costs to the state. He is a bit free with his promises methinks when he wants to appeal to the wide British public:
Thank you for that welcome. Today we are launching the most ambitious and radical campaign our country has ever seen to bring real change to our country.
If you want to live in a society that works for everybody and not just the billionaires, if you want to save our hospitals, schools and public services from Tory cuts and privatisation, if you want to stop the big polluters destroying our environment then this election is your chance to vote for it.
The choice could not be clearer. We put our faith in the British people’s spirit and commitment to community. It’s your country. That’s why we stand with you.
(Notice he refers to ‘British’.)
He will appeal to the simple-minded, innocent and trusting, but people who think about stuff know there have to be boundaries on promises. Otherwise, as Paul Simon says – ‘They’re a pocketful of mumbles’. Labour can’t afford to mumble, as Corbyn says
Are you trying to enforce thematic conformism ? What happened to the cut and thrust of honest debate ? We otherwise have the depressing prospect of Simon swinging at the mercy of self-appointed Nationalist grandees.
Have a look at Corbyn's speech. I don't know who wrote it but it has a great riff near the end .. "whose side are you on ?" Luxton may have cause to ponder.
I am not sure he is Key 2.0 though. He has a lot more baggage. He is an awfully happy clappy God squadder who has already revealed himself as an antediluvian anti-abortionist and he is very unpopular in the provinces due to his decisions at Air New Zealand for example.
And he'll have to step up his game in interviews, RNZ just did a gotcha on him over vaccinations that was so, so easy…
You don't think Luxton will resort to 'convenient Christianity' when he knifes Bridges in the kidneys on his way up? "Yes, we rolled Simon while claiming to support him unequivocally, but it was for the good of the party, and therefore the good of all mankind. Hallelujah!"
He sounded like a cookie cutter right wing business guy from the shallow end of the pool. Fetishising "personal responsibility", ignorantly stating that Key was "the greatest PM ever" , sliding ever so easily into a bit of bene bashing. So all the ingredients he needs to be very successful in this dumbarse village.
I'm fairly certain 'rilly, rilly loverly' men don't join the National Party. Isn't being a self-serving, overly-ambitious arsehole a prerequisite for membership? I still can't get my head around Nikki Kaye. She seems warm, personable and genuine for the most part, but… National. Unless she has multiple personalities, I don't understand how she reconciles being a Bastard Party MP with being, you know, a decent human being.
Lewis Carroll went wandering in his mind and thought up a character very like Michelle Boag. This link has a drawing of Alice and the White Queen and I'm not sure of the character on the right. Great likeness for Michelle on the left though, except that's the wrong side!
Tribal politics I think – brought up on a particular political brand.
In Marilyn Waring's case, she suffered at the hands of Muldoon and she would have learnt what it is like to be discriminated against in general terms – in her case due to sexual orientation. There's nothing like a bit of personal experience to change one's views .
Nikki Kaye is unlikely to have been exposed to the same sort of treatment.
He isn't Key 2.0, and people shouldn't buy into that simplistic label ("coz rich white CEO, same same"). Key's god was Key.
Based on their public statements and (where relevant) votes in Parliament, Luxon is even more conservative than Bridges, who is more conservative than English, who was more conservative than Key, who was "pragmatic" (i.e saw the polls and voted for marriage equality).
A majority of National's own MPs voted for the 1st reading of Abortion Reform Bill. They might not later, after committee, but even going that far is too far for Luxon. If you take all the social issues currently debated (cannabis, euthanasia etc) he is more like a Craig Conservative or the fundies in Dunne's 2002 caucus. He should really be leading a 5% minority party, National's fantasy friend.
Family First have endorsed him enthusiastically. Enough said.
Well observed I think. Is having a male Jenny Shipley what National needs today? The way that National acts (get the pun!) just demonstrates that they have no interest in the country as a whole.
We are of as much interest as the starving Irish people in the second potato famine were to the Brits. The Brits knew about incipient famines because they had provided help with the first, but the second was a bridge too far, and the food production had been contracted out to feed the British Army.
It was collateral damage that the people went without while the plans and wants of the powerful were satisfied. And that is the modus operandi of the Gnats here, suck us dry and feed us words of needing higher productivity and efficiency as an excuse. That sucks!
They are interested in 'me and mine', and the group of wealthies they belong to, aspirational for swimming pools, big houses and grounds, or boutique apartments wherever they wish to visit FTTT. Also well-managed funds with investments in things of destruction or addiction, that people will keep buying even when they have to borrow at 0.8% per day (or 292% p.a.) to get them.
Even people involved in money wealth creation have trouble explaining their work clearly as in this report from interest.co.nz. https://www.interest.co.nz/personal-finance/101502/government-includes-daily-interest-rate-cap-loans-part-bid-crack-down-loan
'In April FinCap chief executive Tim Barnett said the Government’s proposed amendments didn’t hit loan sharks hard enough and called for a cap on interest rates and called for an interest rate cap. The organisation is the umbrella body for New Zealand’s budgeting and financial capability services.'
So thinking about money and arithmetic is riveting, but the RW government's disdainful policies for handling the poor, especially 'the breeders', is just political garbage-work though essential to keep the vermin down. Luxon shows that he is willing to be a good squaddie to get a carriage on the gravy train like John Key did.
Yes, as per this morning on RNZ, WFF recipients will be pleased to hear that in Mr Luxon’s view they will need to vaccinate their kids in order to receive their “in work tax credits”…
Also our shiny domed hero has to play snakes and ladders with Jami Lee Ross before he is an MP, yet alone leader of the NZ National Party–a mere formality of course political experts say.
Wait till the campaign cos if they don't pay off gag JLR he could do significant damage as luxon's another copy/paste corporate executioner with limited charisma.
If I was winnie I'd drop a strong NZF candidate in Botany high enough on their list to still be an MP and have some more fun at natz expense.
IMHO Luxon stands out as Jamie Whyte 2.0 – not Key 2.0. In looks as well as in his views.
My money (Nil) is on him not lasting long – and possibly not even until next year's election.
For anyone wanting them, here are the links to the Morning Report item on Luxon's selection and his MR interview – and also the link to Jami-Lee Ross' interview later in Morning Report. Ross made some good points imo.
Ross might make salient points. They will have less than zero effect on Luxon and his flying in in Botany.
Luxon's views on vaccinating kids in order to receive their “in work tax credits” or anything specific (as mentioned by Tiger Mountain) are irrelevant.
A la Key, Luxon publicly slaying babies would see his Botany vote solidify rather than diminish.
Luxon playing the National PParty divide and conquer play book punish the poor for being poor. Why not stop free education which does not discriminate for those who don't vaccinate.
It will be interesting to see how high National put him on the list. A high spot would give him standing and provide insurance just in case Ross did actually win the seat. But putting him high on the list would play into Ross' point that the voters can have both of them by vote splitting. Is Luxon there to oust Ross or be leader? Strategies for each may conflict.
I really think he could be Key 2.0, and may well prove as successful for the National Party.
There is a lot of discussion about his beliefs, values etc here. If National have proved nothing else – it is that none of that matters. A good sound bite – being "rich / successful", fakely 'relatable' and some sleazy marketing angles pay dividends in the NZ electorate for the right.
Trouble with genuinely-held beliefs is that they can get in the way of saying the most expedient thing. Or their previous expression can contradict what you say now.
Key was a moral vacuum. That's why he could say "whatever it takes" one minute and do fuckall the next.
wft about this trade deal – how does the climate emergency fit with this – seems fucken forgetful to me.
My 12 year old just left for school camp today – I'm pleased he gets to do this.
Jacinda pisses me off but the alternatives are nauseating – bridges, collins, bennett and now this luxon – what a bunch of idiots – imagine them in charge and don't forget that feeling come election time.
We are so smart as a species and so thick – just like every other species except for this shit I think
Twelve billion miles from Earth, there is an elusive boundary that marks the edge of the sun’s realm and the start of interstellar space. When Voyager 2, the longest-running space mission, crossed that frontier more than 40 years after its launch it sent a faint signal from the other side that scientists have now decoded.
…From beyond the heliosphere, the signal from Voyager 2 is still beaming back, taking more than 16 hours to reach Earth. Its 22.4-watt transmitter has a power equivalent to a fridge light, which is more than a billion billion times dimmer by the time it reaches Earth and is picked up by Nasa’s largest antenna, a 70-metre dish.
The two Voyager probes, powered by steadily decaying plutonium, are projected to drop below critical energy levels in the mid-2020s. But they will continue on their trajectories long after they fall silent. “The two Voyagers will outlast Earth,” said Kurth. “They’re in their own orbits around the galaxy for 5bn years or longer. And the probability of them running into anything is almost zero.”
I think most Westerners have still to unpack our own experiences of colonisation, that happened a long time ago and from which we have neither recovered nor even really taken into account. We are so deep now in the split of matter and spirit, or mind and body, or human and nature, that we struggle to even see the problem.
So at the moment the problem is seen as carbon emissions and how to reduce them in a time frame that if we were going to step out of denial will almost certainly require a drop in standard of living for the industrialised world. Instead of seeing climate change as really being about our relationship with nature and then being able to see that all the solutions are there waiting for us from that other, deeper reality.
This is my way of making sense of spending all that tremendous intelligence, technological development, time, energy, intuition, and physical material on space exploration instead of realigning ourselves with nature and getting really good, en masse, at the tech that restores and regenerates.
Thank you! Everyone is always on here sweating the small stuff National, the opposition, are doing or complaining about overseas issuea.
no one is taking stock of the lack of progress this government has made with sustainable housing, public transport and moving the economy to sustainable practices. It’s one announcement it’s been able to triumph about is adding to the neo liberal, emission creating, global economy
[ "But while the review doesn’t address the desire for residence that leaves many workers open to exploitation, several major positives in the review were highlighted by Kaloti and Bela.
They include a unit at MBIE dedicated to combating migrant worker exploitation and measures to help chase employers if they liquidate multiple companies to avoid liability. " ]
I guess small steps are better than no steps and Rome wasn't built in a day. And then there's a decade of NZ's previous junta making sure the whole thing became industrialised.
Industrialising, downsizing staff and replacing with – overseas call centres, technological algorithms replacing staff, less interest in spending money on people first because they are worth it, or second because it makes good long-term sense for a NZ Inc wants to be a well-run enterprise.
Our National Party Junta has a known course and rigid mindset. Will they find support from the previous class-deserting former-worker insurgents? Watch and see as this interesting tale of human endeavour, lost loves and imminent tragedy unfolds.
Interesting paragraph from @Weka at 3.1 above (especially her first paragraph ). Sums it all up nicely really. I always try and avoid the word 'colonisation' precisely because we can't seem to deal with it and its effects.
I was half expecting someone's alter ego (who has commented here on another thread) to respond, with another insular, link-laden response and rant about 'activist media' that don't conform to his world view – could still happen I 'spose.
Btw @greywarshark, now I've looked at things re disappearing comments elsewhere, I think its not as sinister as you may think – maybe more to do with our being caught up in a block-delete of comments that came after yours and/or mine
I think he could be noticing that the Greens think about 'science' and past and new methods of using it, and don't just jump up like a slavering dog woofing with joy at a treat.
FEI –
About Peter Griffin https://petergriffin.co.nz
Sep 15, 2011 – Peter Griffin is a Wellington-based science and technology journalist with 20 years experience in the New Zealand media covering science, technology, media and business. … in 2009 he founded Sciblogs.co.nz, the Australasia’s largest science blog network which is still going strong …
He was Director of the Science Media Centre.
2017 https://thespinoff.co.nz/author/peter-griffin/
Peter Griffin is Director of the Science Media Centre and the founder and editor of Sciblogs. Prior to founding the SMC, he was Technology Editor of the New Zealand Herald. Peter was the 2012 Fulbright-Harkness Fellow and undertook research in the US looking at centres of excellence in public interest journalism.
A man for all seasons:
Tech talk with Peter Griffin | RNZ https://www.rnz.co.nz › national › programmes › afternoons › audio › tec…
Nov 22, 2018 – Peter Griffin takes a look at the kinds of new or old technology that people might be looking to buy for Christmas or in the new year sales and …
Notice that is the 'official' Guardian view, they still will publish lots of personal views of their columnists who hold their nose over Corbyn- those columns are the ones syndicated for re-publishing around the world.
I do wonder about who the Editorial board are talking to when they say phrases like this
"The result was an immiseration of ordinary people and the forced decay of the public realm. "
My guess for whence this eventuates. John McDonell keeps losing economics debates (over his flagship fiscal credibility idea) with factions of UK Labour (who apply their MMT derived understanding of the UK economy). He is probably realising that his present position doesn't ever see him as the Chancellor and is looking to shift from it, at least rhetorically.
Whilst on the sordid topic of the nasty Natz, RNZ website has just announced Maggie Barry is to retire from politics at the 2020 election. More to come.
No doubt Ms Barry has served her 9 years +, during which time she has contributed to creating more suffering and hardship amongst the nation's impoverished and vulnerable. Now after that time, she is able to walk away with a tidy pension and life time perks!
To get rid of the purse-padders should we bring down the terms required to serve to two as MPs? It isn't long I know, but a week in politics can be a game-changer, and six years of pain and suffering to the country's people and flagging economy would be plenty.
Paying up to prevent another 3 years would be a good deal looked at in reality. Picture the unwanted pollie with small hand gun saying "Pay up or I will hang around your neck, ruin your prospects – whatever you have left – and ensure you never get to heaven"! I know what I would choose.
I dont think the gravy train after 9 years works like that anymore
"The travel perk only applies to MPs who served three terms before 1999 and is capped at the cheapest Air New Zealand business class flight to London each year and 12 domestic return flights."
the pension is generous ($2.50 for every $1 put in, plus any investing gains if they ran a personal scheme), but no special deal at the 9 yr stage.
Thats not true . Read the article again…the only person getting a car is former PMs. Salary is for 3 months after election, and not connected to 9 yrs service.
"she is able to walk away with a tidy pension and life time perks! "
She will get no such thing. The fabled pension and perks for retiring MPs were abolished a long, long time ago. The only current MPs who will receive life time pensions when they retire are Nick Smith and Jacinda Ardern.
Nick because he was an MP elected in 1990 and Jacinda because she has been PM for 2 years. There are no continuing perks for anyone else except for the free trip to Wellington to clean out their office and the 3 months pay they get after Election day.
The subsidy rate for any Super scheme is generous but certainly not that far out of line. They can contribute up to 8% of their basic back bench MP salary and it will be matched at 2.5 times their contribution.
That is good but not way out of step with other organisations. In the last full time job I held. with a large Australian company in the mid 1990's I could put 6% of my salary into Super and they would match it at a 14% rate. That wasn't all that different and it covered all my salary, not just the portion that the basic minimum level available to an MP represents.
Incidentally you may be interested to know that everybody's favourite bogeyman among the MPs who have left Parliament in the last couple of years, Stephen Joyce, never took advantage of the scheme. He was, as far as I know, the only MP in the last Parliament who never collected the 20% extra available to him. Everyone else took it because they could. Greedy little buggers weren't they?
Heritage New Zealand is considering giving the land at Ihumātao the highest level of heritage recognition, but it won't change the consent for the Fletcher housing development.
Now, new global research shows the virus is even more dangerous than first realised because it destroys immunity to other diseases.
So our carelessness under easy-peasy no regulations, little public health support for the poor, is coming home not so much to us but to bite another more vulnerable country.
We need to pass a law that gives immediate attention and full support to Western Samoa and ensures that continues for a full year, and then continues for another five years at half the budget of the first year for four years. We can afford it, if we aren't prepared to spend some of the theoretical credits in our own country, then it won't be a waste of money to help Western Samoa, and give us street cred as well.
"affect on Samoa of measles which infection can be laid squarely at NZs door."
Thats absurd . Measles is a contagious disease , it spreads naturally. The measles epidemic arrived in NZ from overseas too- they say it was 12 separate outbreaks here based on the virus analysis, and they spread to people connected to those 12 original originators. One of those infected visited Samoa, nothing to do 'with NZ'
Samoa has direct flights NZ , Fiji, Pago Pago and Brisbane, so would have arrived by air anyway
Mars Petcare announces closure of Whanganui factory in late 2020
The Whanganui road going down the hill wouldn't have helped. They are going to Thailand. World ownership of business will suck us dry, set up do okay, then oh dear we can only stay if you drop wages, drop electricity price. Nothing is certain these days, but having overseas giants own us is certainly more uncertain than if we owned it ourselves and ran a viable concern.
"When the world witnessed the “Arab Spring” it waited in fervent hope for an Arab Summer that never came. The young, middle-class Egyptians who crowded into Cairo’s Tahrir Square demanded democracy. But, when they got it, the answer it provided to the question: “Who are the people, and what do they want?” was not at all to their liking. Within months, the soldiers were back in charge, and the people’s choice, the Muslim Brotherhood, were back in jail – or dead. In politics, as in no other human activity, people should be very careful what they wish for.
Planning for the future will always produce a richer harvest than merely wishing away the present. Protest, if it is to be effective, has to make more than noise – it has to make sense."
This is why it is almost impossible to get pragmatic practical steps to tackle climate change at these conferences. They become magnets for groups like this who then help turn it in to a talk fest about "intersectional challenges" blah blah.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Luxon playing the National PParty divide and conquer play book punish the poor for being poor. Why not stop free education which does not discriminate for those who don't vaccinate.
It's preemptive really – the poor have the most reason to indict National for their egregious failures. Let the poor find their voice and the Gnats and their dodgy backers are history.
Overseas Investment Office (OIO) decisions made in September and released today show the sales total more than 2200 hectares of land previously owned by New Zealanders, in Gisborne, Wairoa and Whangarei.
The new owners plan to plant 1600 hectares of the land as commercial forests.
Austrian count Johannes Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg, who purchased two other sheep and beef farms for forestry conversion in August, is the purchaser of two of the latest properties. Another Austrian, Wolfgang Leitner, and a Swiss-German company, Kauri Forestry LP, have bought the other land.
At least one of Mr Trautmansdorff-Weinsberg's deals was brokered through veteran forestry consultant Roger Dickie, who was found to have breached OIO rules earlier this year over a similar deal.
[Verse 2]
Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmy-Lou
v
So the powers that be
left me here
to do the thinkin'
And I just turned twenty-two
I was wonderin' what to do
And the closer they got,
The more those feelings grew.
Daddy's rifle in my hand
felt reassurin'
He told me,
Red means run, son,
numbers add up to nothin'
But when the first shot
hit the docks I saw it comin'
Raised my rifle to my eye
Never stopped to wonder why.
Then I saw black,
And my face splashed in the sky.
Shelter me from the powder
and the finger
Cover me with the thought
that pulled the trigger
Think of me
as one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love
Shelter me from the powder
and the finger
Cover me with the thought
that pulled the trigger
Think of me
as one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love,
I know I'll miss her.
And unless your weka or some other biased online hustler… you aint got a show. Id suggest you be more careful in future yourself, as the Greens seem quite disposed towards certain practices. Crawl out of your cave and get real . Even the USA which you choose to malign because of Trump has modernized.
So get off wanker, … grow a pair and name who you are as a mod.
No one gives a shit about who you want to pretend you are, and no one seriously gives you a flying shit.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[I’ve pushed a number of comments to Trash, in large part because of the aggressive and spammy nature of your posting tonight. A 24 time out so you can settle down seems warranted. I’ll put your comments in premod after that, so I can keep an eye on them. Please reread the Policy, about not using language or tone that has the effect of excluding others – weka]
The greatest insult you could deliver was to murder some poor bastard the night before, cook him in a hangi , then shit out his remains the next morning after.
That was common in Europe as well as New Zealand. Stop pulling the monumental porkies.
Just dont.
We all, have read up on the subject.
You cant hide whats in plain sight.
There was a story of Cook and his men inviting a group of Maori warriors aboard,… an old warrior offered the remains of a skull to the sailors… they were nauseous… the remains of a young warrior were cooked and contained in kiti bags… but the brains were the best part according to the old warrior…
Such was cannibalism and the insult of shitting out the remains of a warrior the next morning considered.
What is it with you soft cocks that you cant accept history???
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Sheedy, Professor – Risk governance, culture, remuneration, Macquarie University This week the corporate regulator is taking on executives and directors of Star Entertainment in the Federal Court, in a landmark case for Australian corporate governance. ASIC will allege that despite multiple ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Allen, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Shutterstock It’s hard to remember a time the United States seemed as tense and divided as it does today. That should serve as a stark reminder of just how important it is to monitor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kaitlin Barham, Wildlife ecology researcher, The University of Queensland Australia Zoo Crocodiles are hardy creatures, capable of adjusting their behaviour to cope with the heat of the tropics. But there’s a limit to their endurance. Our new research shows the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Damien O’Meara, Lecturer, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University Stan Stan’s new series Invisible Boys follows four young gay men as they understand and explore their identities while living in Geraldton, a regional town in Western Australia. Charlie Roth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pandanus Petter, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University The upcoming federal election will see the incumbent Labor prime minister, Anthony Albanese, face off against Liberal opposition leader, Peter Dutton. We’ll likely see a strong focus on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Barnes, Lecturer in Physics, Western Sydney University An artist’s impression of a high-energy particle travelling through the KM3NeT neutrino telescope.KM3NeT Three and a half kilometres beneath the Mediterranean Sea, around 80km off the coast of Sicily, lies half of a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Jensen, Associate professor, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, University of Canberra Kemarrravv13/Shutterstock Hate speech on X was consistently 50% higher for at least eight months after tech billionaire Elon Musk bought the social media platform, new ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Ufuk Zivana/Shutterstock Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wants New Zealand to “go for growth”. But his plan, focused on reforming foreign investment, planning and competition laws, as well as boosting the ...
‘An economic own-goal’ or a triumph of democracy? Stewart Sowman-Lund explains in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. No McDonald’s for Wānaka Wānaka ...
The PSA filed proceedings with the Employment Relations Authority on Wednesday, seeking an urgent hearing to try to immediately stop any dismissals. ...
The lead witness in Ngāi Tahu’s freshwater claim says the case raises an “existentialist question” for his people.“My greatest fear is that we will have our connection with our land and waterways extinguished,” Te Maire Tau (Ngāi Tahu/Ngāi Tūāhuriri) said in the Christchurch High Court, before Justice Melanie Harland. The university history ...
As New Zealand woke to Waitangi Day, 1600 athletes and their support crew began to descend on the sleepy west coast town of Greymouth, ready to take on the iconic multisport race, the Coast to Coast.Among the cars laden with kayaks, bikes and enough race food to feed a small ...
I collect sailing books, especially solo sailing adventures. I sail a lot and when in meetings, I think about sailing rather than focus on the dry PowerPoint presentations of earnest landlubbers. Just quietly, I also offer dead sailors drinks and occasionally good books over the side when I am at ...
Over the past few weeks, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has had public tiffs with the leaders of both the Cook Islands and Kiribati.The issues: first Peters put foreign aid to Kiribati under review after President Taneti Maamau cancelled a meeting with him. Then this week, Peters accused the PM of ...
New Zealand employers are well-used to the constant evolution of employment and workplace health and safety law – but we think the scope of changes in this area may still surprise in 2025. In our view, the number of changes under active consideration and the potential practical impact of those ...
Proposed changes to the Fisheries Act 1996 could see on-board cameras, introduced to protect endangered marine and seabird species, shut off from public view. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith explains.Minister for oceans and fisheries Shane Jones was in his element on Wellington’s waterfront on Wednesday morning. While waves crashed onto the rocks ...
The prime minister has had a bad week, and it’s barely Thursday. This week’s Luxon low points, ranked.8. Bad poll, part oneA Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll released on Monday showed that Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori could form a government. Christopher Luxon is down 3.8 points at ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 13 February appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – The United States shares the pathologies of all dying empires with their mixture of buffoonery, rampant corruption, military fiascos, economic collapse and savage state repression.ANALYSIS: By Chris Hedges The billionaires, Christian fascists, grifters, psychopaths, imbeciles, narcissists and deviants who ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has secured bipartisan support for a major new regime covering political donations and spending, after making significant concessions. The government agreed to increase the proposed threshold above which donations must be disclosed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With the election only months away, the Labor government finds itself suddenly battling with the Trump administration for an exemption from new US tariffs on steel and aluminium. The opposition has supported the effort, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julee McDonagh, Senior Research Fellow of Frailty Research, University of Wollongong PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Ageing is a normal part of the life course. It doesn’t matter how many green smoothies you drink, or how many “anti-ageing” skin care products you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Critical Indigenous Studies and Director of The Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, Macquarie University The Conversation, CC BY-SAAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people. Colonial commemorations ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Masarik/Shutterstock In some overseas countries, pets can travel with their owners in a plane’s cabin, in a carrier under a seat. In Australia, pets must travel in the ...
A raft of proposed legislation changes to the media and screen industry have been announced this morning – we read through it all all so you don’t have to. What’s all this then? This morning the Ministry for Culture and Heritage released its draft proposed changes to media and screen ...
David Seymour's recent off-road parliamentary excursion led to a reprimand from the Speaker, who also said the rules didn't apply to this instance. What are the rules? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Morgenbesser, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Griffith University Many Americans have watched in horror as Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been permitted to tear through various offices of the United States government in recent ...
By Patrick Decloitre,RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls has announced he will travel to New Caledonia later this month to pursue talks on the French territory’s political future. These discussions on February 22 follow preliminary talks held last week in Paris in “bilateral” mode ...
Ah, the delicious irony!
Soimun employs God knows how many ‘experts’ in his office to make attack ads, with unrelenting negativity, for which he gets quite rightly slagged off.
Jacinda fronts for a simple 2 minute (nearly 3 minutes) video of the Coalition’s achievements – and the tweet goes around the world. [Sorry, not tech savvy enough to put up a link.] It must really hack off the Natz party strategists!
Also, I live in Christchurch but I could hear Soimun grinding his teeth in Botany when he congratulated the next leader of the Natz on his selection.
It’s going to be a dirty election campaign next year because that’s all the Natz have got, but first points to the Coalition.
You can't fake star power.
Corbyn: 'the future is ours to make'.
https://labourlist.org/2019/10/the-future-is-ours-to-make-together-corbyns-campaign-launch-speech/
Edit
Are you in UK or NZ quasimodo? Brexit and UK Labour are a topic on their own.
Looking at Corbyn’s speech – free prescriptions, free care for the elderly – both enormously growing costs to the state. He is a bit free with his promises methinks when he wants to appeal to the wide British public:
Thank you for that welcome. Today we are launching the most ambitious and radical campaign our country has ever seen to bring real change to our country.
If you want to live in a society that works for everybody and not just the billionaires, if you want to save our hospitals, schools and public services from Tory cuts and privatisation, if you want to stop the big polluters destroying our environment then this election is your chance to vote for it.
The choice could not be clearer. We put our faith in the British people’s spirit and commitment to community. It’s your country. That’s why we stand with you.
(Notice he refers to ‘British’.)
He will appeal to the simple-minded, innocent and trusting, but people who think about stuff know there have to be boundaries on promises. Otherwise, as Paul Simon says – ‘They’re a pocketful of mumbles’. Labour can’t afford to mumble, as Corbyn says
Are you trying to enforce thematic conformism ? What happened to the cut and thrust of honest debate ? We otherwise have the depressing prospect of Simon swinging at the mercy of self-appointed Nationalist grandees.
Uh? I don't have your advantage of looking down from a high place. I am just down here at the grassroots.
Have a look at Corbyn's speech. I don't know who wrote it but it has a great riff near the end .. "whose side are you on ?" Luxton may have cause to ponder.
Ol' Luxton is totally after Simon's job.
I am not sure he is Key 2.0 though. He has a lot more baggage. He is an awfully happy clappy God squadder who has already revealed himself as an antediluvian anti-abortionist and he is very unpopular in the provinces due to his decisions at Air New Zealand for example.
And he'll have to step up his game in interviews, RNZ just did a gotcha on him over vaccinations that was so, so easy…
Just listened to that interview – conclusion: I've got to question Luxton's political judgement – "We've got an outstanding leader in Simon Bridges."
Talked with an airhostess from Air New Zealand – not at all happy with Luxton's leadership or management style. Perhaps he may be Key 2.0.
Oh, but I agree, Simon Bridges stands out alright.
"We've got an outstanding leader in Simon Bridges."
Let's see if he takes 'personal responsibility' for that when the knives come out. They're being sharpened this very moment
It's likely to be painful – none of the Gnats can hold much of an edge – they're essentially blunt instruments.
You don't think Luxton will resort to 'convenient Christianity' when he knifes Bridges in the kidneys on his way up? "Yes, we rolled Simon while claiming to support him unequivocally, but it was for the good of the party, and therefore the good of all mankind. Hallelujah!"
Umm John Luxton retired from parliament some years ago now. I think this newbie is Luxon, without the 't'. Or am I wrong?
No, you're quite right. Well spotted.
I can see that Christopher Luxon will have to change his surname to Luxton if commenters are going to continue to use that name.
He sounded like a cookie cutter right wing business guy from the shallow end of the pool. Fetishising "personal responsibility", ignorantly stating that Key was "the greatest PM ever" , sliding ever so easily into a bit of bene bashing. So all the ingredients he needs to be very successful in this dumbarse village.
Just like John Key, another personal vanity project.
And he has a wife who thinks she is NZ's equivalent to the Duchess of Cambridge – better know as Kate Middleton.
Yeah… a bit of bitching but it's true.
Oh and that ‘dowager’ duchess, Michelle Boag reckons he’s a :
rilly, rilly loverly maaan.
That’s enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
I'm fairly certain 'rilly, rilly loverly' men don't join the National Party. Isn't being a self-serving, overly-ambitious arsehole a prerequisite for membership? I still can't get my head around Nikki Kaye. She seems warm, personable and genuine for the most part, but… National. Unless she has multiple personalities, I don't understand how she reconciles being a Bastard Party MP with being, you know, a decent human being.
Lewis Carroll went wandering in his mind and thought up a character very like Michelle Boag. This link has a drawing of Alice and the White Queen and I'm not sure of the character on the right. Great likeness for Michelle on the left though, except that's the wrong side!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/10/from-trump-to-brexit-here-are-six-previously-impossible-things-f/
I felt the same about Marilyn Waring. Do you think it could be naivete ?
Tribal politics I think – brought up on a particular political brand.
In Marilyn Waring's case, she suffered at the hands of Muldoon and she would have learnt what it is like to be discriminated against in general terms – in her case due to sexual orientation. There's nothing like a bit of personal experience to change one's views .
Nikki Kaye is unlikely to have been exposed to the same sort of treatment.
Well….probably as much baggage. It's just that Key manages to bury his, and Luxton wears his like a badge of honour. Both as bad as each other
He isn't Key 2.0, and people shouldn't buy into that simplistic label ("coz rich white CEO, same same"). Key's god was Key.
Based on their public statements and (where relevant) votes in Parliament, Luxon is even more conservative than Bridges, who is more conservative than English, who was more conservative than Key, who was "pragmatic" (i.e saw the polls and voted for marriage equality).
A majority of National's own MPs voted for the 1st reading of Abortion Reform Bill. They might not later, after committee, but even going that far is too far for Luxon. If you take all the social issues currently debated (cannabis, euthanasia etc) he is more like a Craig Conservative or the fundies in Dunne's 2002 caucus. He should really be leading a 5% minority party, National's fantasy friend.
Family First have endorsed him enthusiastically. Enough said.
Well observed I think. Is having a male Jenny Shipley what National needs today? The way that National acts (get the pun!) just demonstrates that they have no interest in the country as a whole.
We are of as much interest as the starving Irish people in the second potato famine were to the Brits. The Brits knew about incipient famines because they had provided help with the first, but the second was a bridge too far, and the food production had been contracted out to feed the British Army.
It was collateral damage that the people went without while the plans and wants of the powerful were satisfied. And that is the modus operandi of the Gnats here, suck us dry and feed us words of needing higher productivity and efficiency as an excuse. That sucks!
They are interested in 'me and mine', and the group of wealthies they belong to, aspirational for swimming pools, big houses and grounds, or boutique apartments wherever they wish to visit FTTT. Also well-managed funds with investments in things of destruction or addiction, that people will keep buying even when they have to borrow at 0.8% per day (or 292% p.a.) to get them.
Even people involved in money wealth creation have trouble explaining their work clearly as in this report from interest.co.nz. https://www.interest.co.nz/personal-finance/101502/government-includes-daily-interest-rate-cap-loans-part-bid-crack-down-loan
'In April FinCap chief executive Tim Barnett said the Government’s proposed amendments didn’t hit loan sharks hard enough and called for a cap on interest rates and called for an interest rate cap. The organisation is the umbrella body for New Zealand’s budgeting and financial capability services.'
So thinking about money and arithmetic is riveting, but the RW government's disdainful policies for handling the poor, especially 'the breeders', is just political garbage-work though essential to keep the vermin down. Luxon shows that he is willing to be a good squaddie to get a carriage on the gravy train like John Key did.
Yes, as per this morning on RNZ, WFF recipients will be pleased to hear that in Mr Luxon’s view they will need to vaccinate their kids in order to receive their “in work tax credits”…
Also our shiny domed hero has to play snakes and ladders with Jami Lee Ross before he is an MP, yet alone leader of the NZ National Party–a mere formality of course political experts say.
Wait till the campaign cos if they don't
pay offgag JLR he could do significant damage as luxon's another copy/paste corporate executioner with limited charisma.If I was winnie I'd drop a strong NZF candidate in Botany high enough on their list to still be an MP and have some more fun at natz expense.
IMHO Luxon stands out as Jamie Whyte 2.0 – not Key 2.0. In looks as well as in his views.
My money (Nil) is on him not lasting long – and possibly not even until next year's election.
For anyone wanting them, here are the links to the Morning Report item on Luxon's selection and his MR interview – and also the link to Jami-Lee Ross' interview later in Morning Report. Ross made some good points imo.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018720736/inside-the-national-party-s-botany-selection-meeting
.https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018720739/luxon-wins-botany-spot
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018720752/jami-lee-ross-responds-to-christopher-luxon-s-selection
Ross might make salient points. They will have less than zero effect on Luxon and his flying in in Botany.
Luxon's views on vaccinating kids in order to receive their “in work tax credits” or anything specific (as mentioned by Tiger Mountain) are irrelevant.
A la Key, Luxon publicly slaying babies would see his Botany vote solidify rather than diminish.
Luxon playing the National PParty divide and conquer play book punish the poor for being poor. Why not stop free education which does not discriminate for those who don't vaccinate.
It will be interesting to see how high National put him on the list. A high spot would give him standing and provide insurance just in case Ross did actually win the seat. But putting him high on the list would play into Ross' point that the voters can have both of them by vote splitting. Is Luxon there to oust Ross or be leader? Strategies for each may conflict.
Do you seriously believe Luxon needs the insurance of a high place in case Ross actually wins the seat?
There is as much chance of Ross winning the seat as there is of Walter Nash winning back the Hutt electorate next year.
ha – it wasn't Whyte who came to my mind so much as Don Brash.
Nats seem to regard these chosen men are a bit like a gambler looks at a lucky number: they recall the one big streak, but forget all the losers.
I really think he could be Key 2.0, and may well prove as successful for the National Party.
There is a lot of discussion about his beliefs, values etc here. If National have proved nothing else – it is that none of that matters. A good sound bite – being "rich / successful", fakely 'relatable' and some sleazy marketing angles pay dividends in the NZ electorate for the right.
Trouble with genuinely-held beliefs is that they can get in the way of saying the most expedient thing. Or their previous expression can contradict what you say now.
Key was a moral vacuum. That's why he could say "whatever it takes" one minute and do fuckall the next.
I doubt Luxon has a shortage of moral vacuum – but yes, perhaps he has some inconvenient values.
a pondering
wft about this trade deal – how does the climate emergency fit with this – seems fucken forgetful to me.
My 12 year old just left for school camp today – I'm pleased he gets to do this.
Jacinda pisses me off but the alternatives are nauseating – bridges, collins, bennett and now this luxon – what a bunch of idiots – imagine them in charge and don't forget that feeling come election time.
We are so smart as a species and so thick – just like every other species except for this shit I think
I think most Westerners have still to unpack our own experiences of colonisation, that happened a long time ago and from which we have neither recovered nor even really taken into account. We are so deep now in the split of matter and spirit, or mind and body, or human and nature, that we struggle to even see the problem.
So at the moment the problem is seen as carbon emissions and how to reduce them in a time frame that if we were going to step out of denial will almost certainly require a drop in standard of living for the industrialised world. Instead of seeing climate change as really being about our relationship with nature and then being able to see that all the solutions are there waiting for us from that other, deeper reality.
This is my way of making sense of spending all that tremendous intelligence, technological development, time, energy, intuition, and physical material on space exploration instead of realigning ourselves with nature and getting really good, en masse, at the tech that restores and regenerates.
Inspiring words weka.
thanks grey.
Thank you! Everyone is always on here sweating the small stuff National, the opposition, are doing or complaining about overseas issuea.
no one is taking stock of the lack of progress this government has made with sustainable housing, public transport and moving the economy to sustainable practices. It’s one announcement it’s been able to triumph about is adding to the neo liberal, emission creating, global economy
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/11/05/895405/migrant-exploitation-review-a-government-chasing-its-tail
Exactery!
[ "But while the review doesn’t address the desire for residence that leaves many workers open to exploitation, several major positives in the review were highlighted by Kaloti and Bela.
They include a unit at MBIE dedicated to combating migrant worker exploitation and measures to help chase employers if they liquidate multiple companies to avoid liability. " ]
I guess small steps are better than no steps and Rome wasn't built in a day. And then there's a decade of NZ's previous junta making sure the whole thing became industrialised.
Industrialising, downsizing staff and replacing with – overseas call centres, technological algorithms replacing staff, less interest in spending money on people first because they are worth it, or second because it makes good long-term sense for a NZ Inc wants to be a well-run enterprise.
Our National Party Junta has a known course and rigid mindset. Will they find support from the previous class-deserting former-worker insurgents? Watch and see as this interesting tale of human endeavour, lost loves and imminent tragedy unfolds.
Interesting paragraph from @Weka at 3.1 above (especially her first paragraph ). Sums it all up nicely really. I always try and avoid the word 'colonisation' precisely because we can't seem to deal with it and its effects.
I was half expecting someone's alter ego (who has commented here on another thread) to respond, with another insular, link-laden response and rant about 'activist media' that don't conform to his world view – could still happen I 'spose.
Btw @greywarshark, now I've looked at things re disappearing comments elsewhere, I think its not as sinister as you may think – maybe more to do with our being caught up in a block-delete of comments that came after yours and/or mine
Ta, where would we be without something to wonder/worry about. Probably in the in-firm-ary.
Gangster in Chief.
https://twitter.com/tburages/status/1191405984444551169
https://twitter.com/tburages/status/1191405996914163714
https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/117051213/greens-have-a-tenuous-relationship-with-science
This young falla reckons the greens are anti science if it doesn't suit their ideology.
I think he could be noticing that the Greens think about 'science' and past and new methods of using it, and don't just jump up like a slavering dog woofing with joy at a treat.
FEI –
About Peter Griffin https://petergriffin.co.nz
Sep 15, 2011 – Peter Griffin is a Wellington-based science and technology journalist with 20 years experience in the New Zealand media covering science, technology, media and business. … in 2009 he founded Sciblogs.co.nz, the Australasia’s largest science blog network which is still going strong …
He was Director of the Science Media Centre.
2017 https://thespinoff.co.nz/author/peter-griffin/
Peter Griffin is Director of the Science Media Centre and the founder and editor of Sciblogs. Prior to founding the SMC, he was Technology Editor of the New Zealand Herald. Peter was the 2012 Fulbright-Harkness Fellow and undertook research in the US looking at centres of excellence in public interest journalism.
A man for all seasons:
Tech talk with Peter Griffin | RNZ https://www.rnz.co.nz › national › programmes › afternoons › audio › tec…
Nov 22, 2018 – Peter Griffin takes a look at the kinds of new or old technology that people might be looking to buy for Christmas or in the new year sales and …
For once The Guardian is not locked to neoliberalism and the usual economic fallacies – and appears to back Jeremy Corbyn!!
Maybe there is hope.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/04/the-guardian-view-on-labours-radical-plans-fix-the-economy-and-democracy
Notice that is the 'official' Guardian view, they still will publish lots of personal views of their columnists who hold their nose over Corbyn- those columns are the ones syndicated for re-publishing around the world.
I do wonder about who the Editorial board are talking to when they say phrases like this
"The result was an immiseration of ordinary people and the forced decay of the public realm. "
My guess for whence this eventuates. John McDonell keeps losing economics debates (over his flagship fiscal credibility idea) with factions of UK Labour (who apply their MMT derived understanding of the UK economy). He is probably realising that his present position doesn't ever see him as the Chancellor and is looking to shift from it, at least rhetorically.
Whilst on the sordid topic of the nasty Natz, RNZ website has just announced Maggie Barry is to retire from politics at the 2020 election. More to come.
No doubt Ms Barry has served her 9 years +, during which time she has contributed to creating more suffering and hardship amongst the nation's impoverished and vulnerable. Now after that time, she is able to walk away with a tidy pension and life time perks!
To get rid of the purse-padders should we bring down the terms required to serve to two as MPs? It isn't long I know, but a week in politics can be a game-changer, and six years of pain and suffering to the country's people and flagging economy would be plenty.
Paying up to prevent another 3 years would be a good deal looked at in reality. Picture the unwanted pollie with small hand gun saying "Pay up or I will hang around your neck, ruin your prospects – whatever you have left – and ensure you never get to heaven"! I know what I would choose.
Exactly, troughs assured now sling the hook as there will be more. expect a dan Bidois clone or a demographic box tick candidate.
Most likely a pre purchased indian or Chinese candidate. $100K gets a list spot ! One wonders what a safe electorate costs.
I dont think the gravy train after 9 years works like that anymore
"The travel perk only applies to MPs who served three terms before 1999 and is capped at the cheapest Air New Zealand business class flight to London each year and 12 domestic return flights."
the pension is generous ($2.50 for every $1 put in, plus any investing gains if they ran a personal scheme), but no special deal at the 9 yr stage.
This is informative for an overview.
Former MPs and their perks – salary, free travel and taxpayer-funded car Sept 2017
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11927540
Thats not true . Read the article again…the only person getting a car is former PMs. Salary is for 3 months after election, and not connected to 9 yrs service.
"she is able to walk away with a tidy pension and life time perks! "
She will get no such thing. The fabled pension and perks for retiring MPs were abolished a long, long time ago. The only current MPs who will receive life time pensions when they retire are Nick Smith and Jacinda Ardern.
Nick because he was an MP elected in 1990 and Jacinda because she has been PM for 2 years. There are no continuing perks for anyone else except for the free trip to Wellington to clean out their office and the 3 months pay they get after Election day.
The government contributes to the pension scheme of their own choice too, some use Kiwisaver, but at a much more generous rate than ordinary workers.
national MPs seem to prefer their own private super scheme, which they choose the investments , often property
The subsidy rate for any Super scheme is generous but certainly not that far out of line. They can contribute up to 8% of their basic back bench MP salary and it will be matched at 2.5 times their contribution.
That is good but not way out of step with other organisations. In the last full time job I held. with a large Australian company in the mid 1990's I could put 6% of my salary into Super and they would match it at a 14% rate. That wasn't all that different and it covered all my salary, not just the portion that the basic minimum level available to an MP represents.
Incidentally you may be interested to know that everybody's favourite bogeyman among the MPs who have left Parliament in the last couple of years, Stephen Joyce, never took advantage of the scheme. He was, as far as I know, the only MP in the last Parliament who never collected the 20% extra available to him. Everyone else took it because they could. Greedy little buggers weren't they?
Would this be called a Claytons move? Or is it a wise first step out of the conundrum?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/402550/occupied-ihumatao-land-could-be-granted-highest-heritage-status
Heritage New Zealand is considering giving the land at Ihumātao the highest level of heritage recognition, but it won't change the consent for the Fletcher housing development.
In legal terms classifying a property has no direct effect.
"Entry on the List:
https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/about-the-list
Maggie Barry retiring continues the cleanout of Amy Adams supporters from caucus
The rough support groups described here at the time
national party has more in common with the Politburo than you might think
Someone the other day was almost in tears about the affect on Samoa of measles which infection can be laid squarely at NZs door.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/402548/samoa-measles-epidemic-suspected-cases-could-be-tip-of-iceberg
Now, new global research shows the virus is even more dangerous than first realised because it destroys immunity to other diseases.
So our carelessness under easy-peasy no regulations, little public health support for the poor, is coming home not so much to us but to bite another more vulnerable country.
We need to pass a law that gives immediate attention and full support to Western Samoa and ensures that continues for a full year, and then continues for another five years at half the budget of the first year for four years. We can afford it, if we aren't prepared to spend some of the theoretical credits in our own country, then it won't be a waste of money to help Western Samoa, and give us street cred as well.
"affect on Samoa of measles which infection can be laid squarely at NZs door."
Thats absurd . Measles is a contagious disease , it spreads naturally. The measles epidemic arrived in NZ from overseas too- they say it was 12 separate outbreaks here based on the virus analysis, and they spread to people connected to those 12 original originators. One of those infected visited Samoa, nothing to do 'with NZ'
Samoa has direct flights NZ , Fiji, Pago Pago and Brisbane, so would have arrived by air anyway
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12282326&ref=clavis
Mars Petcare announces closure of Whanganui factory in late 2020
The Whanganui road going down the hill wouldn't have helped. They are going to Thailand. World ownership of business will suck us dry, set up do okay, then oh dear we can only stay if you drop wages, drop electricity price. Nothing is certain these days, but having overseas giants own us is certainly more uncertain than if we owned it ourselves and ran a viable concern.
"When the world witnessed the “Arab Spring” it waited in fervent hope for an Arab Summer that never came. The young, middle-class Egyptians who crowded into Cairo’s Tahrir Square demanded democracy. But, when they got it, the answer it provided to the question: “Who are the people, and what do they want?” was not at all to their liking. Within months, the soldiers were back in charge, and the people’s choice, the Muslim Brotherhood, were back in jail – or dead. In politics, as in no other human activity, people should be very careful what they wish for.
Planning for the future will always produce a richer harvest than merely wishing away the present. Protest, if it is to be effective, has to make more than noise – it has to make sense."
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/11/05/global-protests-rage-on-but-slogans-are-not-plans/
Fail to plan, plan to fail
This is why it is almost impossible to get pragmatic practical steps to tackle climate change at these conferences. They become magnets for groups like this who then help turn it in to a talk fest about "intersectional challenges" blah blah.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Luxon playing the National PParty divide and conquer play book punish the poor for being poor. Why not stop free education which does not discriminate for those who don't vaccinate.
It's preemptive really – the poor have the most reason to indict National for their egregious failures. Let the poor find their voice and the Gnats and their dodgy backers are history.
31 October 2019 on forestry which we are too weak and useless to do for ourselves which we did last century. The Green Rush series on Radionz.
Forestry conversions rules 'totally out of control'
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/402225/forestry-conversions-rules-totally-out-of-control
Overseas Investment Office (OIO) decisions made in September and released today show the sales total more than 2200 hectares of land previously owned by New Zealanders, in Gisborne, Wairoa and Whangarei.
The new owners plan to plant 1600 hectares of the land as commercial forests.
Austrian count Johannes Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg, who purchased two other sheep and beef farms for forestry conversion in August, is the purchaser of two of the latest properties. Another Austrian, Wolfgang Leitner, and a Swiss-German company, Kauri Forestry LP, have bought the other land.
At least one of Mr Trautmansdorff-Weinsberg's deals was brokered through veteran forestry consultant Roger Dickie, who was found to have breached OIO rules earlier this year over a similar deal.
https://youtu.be/ETOIIWot-3Y?t=199https://youtu.be/ETOIIWot-3Y?t=199https://youtu.be/ETOIIWot-3Y?t=199
https://youtu.be/e8CPc4MAL1c?t=3https://youtu.be/e8CPc4MAL1c?t=3https://
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I don't do or support pot… but pot is the 2019 equivalent to moonshine…
Hear these words.
Its the truth.
Look out, Mama, there's a white boat coming up the river
With a big red beacon, and a flag, and a man on the rail
I think you'd better call John
Because it don't look like they're here to deliver the mail
And it's less than a mile away
I hope they didn't come to stay
It's got numbers on the side and a gun
And it's making big waves
[Verse 2]
Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmy-Lou
v
So the powers that be
left me here
to do the thinkin'
And I just turned twenty-two
I was wonderin' what to do
And the closer they got,
The more those feelings grew.
Daddy's rifle in my hand
felt reassurin'
He told me,
Red means run, son,
numbers add up to nothin'
But when the first shot
hit the docks I saw it comin'
Raised my rifle to my eye
Never stopped to wonder why.
Then I saw black,
And my face splashed in the sky.
Shelter me from the powder
and the finger
Cover me with the thought
that pulled the trigger
Think of me
as one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love
Shelter me from the powder
and the finger
Cover me with the thought
that pulled the trigger
Think of me
as one you'd never figured
Would fade away so young
With so much left undone
Remember me to my love,
I know I'll miss her.
Mate- its open mike.
And unless your weka or some other biased online hustler… you aint got a show. Id suggest you be more careful in future yourself, as the Greens seem quite disposed towards certain practices. Crawl out of your cave and get real . Even the USA which you choose to malign because of Trump has modernized.
So get off wanker, … grow a pair and name who you are as a mod.
No one gives a shit about who you want to pretend you are, and no one seriously gives you a flying shit.
What… they were the embodiment of pacifism and world peace?
Piss off.
Paraihaka my arse.
Get a load of reality and stop filling peoples heads with bullshit, a – holes.
Ancient Celtic New Zealand
http://www.celticnz.co.nzv
Get a grip on yourselves.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[I’ve pushed a number of comments to Trash, in large part because of the aggressive and spammy nature of your posting tonight. A 24 time out so you can settle down seems warranted. I’ll put your comments in premod after that, so I can keep an eye on them. Please reread the Policy, about not using language or tone that has the effect of excluding others – weka]
The greatest insult you could deliver was to murder some poor bastard the night before, cook him in a hangi , then shit out his remains the next morning after.
That was common in Europe as well as New Zealand. Stop pulling the monumental porkies.
Just dont.
We all, have read up on the subject.
You cant hide whats in plain sight.
There was a story of Cook and his men inviting a group of Maori warriors aboard,… an old warrior offered the remains of a skull to the sailors… they were nauseous… the remains of a young warrior were cooked and contained in kiti bags… but the brains were the best part according to the old warrior…
Such was cannibalism and the insult of shitting out the remains of a warrior the next morning considered.
What is it with you soft cocks that you cant accept history???