Open mike 05/03/2014

Written By: - Date published: 6:41 am, March 5th, 2014 - 197 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmike Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

197 comments on “Open mike 05/03/2014 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. TightyRighty 1
    5 March 2014 at 6:47 am

    MickeySavage – you out there? It’s all right, we all understood you never got it. It makes no difference now

  2. North 2
    5 March 2014 at 7:05 am

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9789717/From-SAS-to-court-boss

    ? ? ? ? ? ?

    “Lieutenant Colonel Karl Cummins began his two year deployment to the Ministry of Justice on Monday – ”

    Two years ? ? ? The cult of “the manager”. Myopic madness is what it is. Perhaps we’ll see the next retiring chairman of the Arts Council heading the Army.

  3. North 3
    5 March 2014 at 7:14 am

    The whiff of authoritarianism is all about.

    • greywarbler 3.1
      5 March 2014 at 4:48 pm

      What is the connection between Karl Cummins and finology?
      Q. What the heck is finology?
      A. So while behavioural finance focuses on the relationship between individuals and the performance of markets, finology describes the relationship between financial planning and individuals and money.
      http://omnimax.typepad.com/omnimax/2012/09/what-is-finology.html

      Talk discussed at financial advice site.
      http://www.strategi.co.nz/business-value/the-journey-to-uniqueness
      (Note the name Michael Porter so beloved by our neo libs.)

      The SAS and Michael Porter have the same advice
      The first was from Lieutenant Colonel Karl Cummins, the current commanding officer of the NZSAS. In his address at the 2012 Finology Conference, he made the point that it is not about being the best – it is all about the pursuit of excellence. It is the journey and the striving for excellence that is more important. If you think you are the best then you are on the slippery slope downwards as there is always someone who will be better than you tomorrow.

      He also made the key point that the NZSAS is not about being the same as other units within the Army. The NZSAS is a specialised unit with a well-defined role and well-defined clients. It is not competing with the capabilities of the larger mainstream Army. Because the NZSAS is so focussed and unique, it is in high demand not just in NZ but also around the world. Governments want to trust the best people to do the job which means the SAS is always top of mind.

      • Murray Olsen 3.1.1
        6 March 2014 at 2:10 am

        I wonder what the SAS has been in high demand in New Zealand for? The occupation of the Urewera comes to mind, but what else? What are they doing that we don’t know about?

        As for around the world, they’ll go wherever the seppos or their clients in Canberra and London want them. I hate to think what they get up to.

  4. phillip ure 4
    5 March 2014 at 7:30 am

    “..Animal protein-rich diets could be as harmful to health – as smoking..”

    “..People under 65 who eat a lot of meat, eggs and dairy –

    are four times as likely to die from cancer or diabetes..”

    http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/mar/04/animal-protein-diets-smoking-meat-eggs-dairy

    (ed:..and of course..if having a bacon-buttie and a ciggy r yr brekkie..

    ..you are really going for the doctor..eh..?..

    ..and if bacon and eggs..with some grated cheese on top..?..followed by a ciggie..?

    ..is yr poison..?

    ..whoar..!…

    ..eh..?..

    ..that’s called cancer/diabetes doubling-down..

    ..eh..?..)

    phillip ure..

    • bad12 4.1
      5 March 2014 at 7:34 am

      Nearly as bad as pinging the chemical cocktail known as Heroin up your arm i would suggest…

      • phillip ure 4.1.1
        5 March 2014 at 8:01 am

        yeah..i learnt…and stopped..

        ..but there are none so blind/dumb as the willfully ignorant..

        ..those who know..but are too piss-weak to stop..so sneer at those who have..as their only means of ‘defence’..

        ..’would you like some cheese-smothered bacon with that..?

        ..need an ashtray..?’

        ..the cigarette smoking bacon necker…hasn’t even got to square one..

        ..so all they can do is shout insults from their fat-smeared ashtray..

        ..kinda pathetic..really..

        ..phillip ure..

        • bad12 4.1.1.1
          5 March 2014 at 8:38 am

          Phillis, you didn’t Stop, you simply Swapped, addictions that is, based upon the availability of supply and your personal finances you are in fact as much a filthy Junky as you were when you were pinging the shit up your arm via a needle,

          So gloat on Phillis,your dope smoking as a crutch to overcome your desire for something stronger to remove you from a reality you obviously cannot handle makes you no better nor worse than those you denigrate with your ‘piss weak’ commentary,

          Having through no fault of your own been crippled with a name that makes the Johnny Cash ”a boy named Sue” one pale into insignificance i can well understand your continual flight into drug use as a means to escape such a reality,

          However, anyone with half a brain,having been saddled with such a ‘naming disability’ at birth would have chosen the change by deed poll route rather than that of becoming by self infliction a sniveling Junky…

          • phillip ure 4.1.1.1.1
            5 March 2014 at 8:50 am

            good grief..!..

            ..what are you smoking..?

            ..can i have some..?

            ..(and you’d better start puffing furiously on a ciggie..you sound like you need one..

            ..oh..!..you already are..?..want some cheese-smothered bacon with it..?)

            ..and i won’t hear a word said against the ure-clan..

            ..we fought alongside bonnie prince charlie..

            ..didn’tyaknow..?

            ..(te reo speakers will know the word ‘ure’ means penis/power…this is the basis of bads’ considered/intelligent riposte..

            ..he ain’t got much..eh..?..)

            ..and c’mon..it must surely be time for you to give us again yr self-justifying/laughable/ bullshit/sniveling-whine..

            ..that ‘tobacco is harder to kick than heroin’..eh..?

            ..c’mon..!..we all need a laff..)

            ..phillip ure..

            • bad12 4.1.1.1.1.1
              5 March 2014 at 9:10 am

              Phillis Penis, exactly my point,by name,by deed, and your drivel spread across the web looks from here like it has contracted sy-philis,(the puns just keep rolling on),

              What was it you said when i provided you links to the science which states that the nicotine addiction is as strong as the Heroin one,

              Oh that’s right wah wah wah, you refuse to read that ‘knowing’ that your Junky brain knows best,pathetic are those who bury their heads in the sand at the first sign that their stupid arguments are based around the two remaining working neurons in their head,

              Time to roll another free smoke….

              • phillip ure …
                5 March 2014 at 9:46 am

                “..Time to roll another free smoke….”

                ..indeed..!..isn’t is always that ‘time’..?

                ..and ‘free’..?..eh..?..

                ..on one level..maybe..

                (and really..being as piss-weak as you are..i wd really advise you go near nothing more addictive than nicotine..(which is pretty much everything else..)..eh..?

                ..(and as for ‘the science’ ‘proving’ yr whinge..?

                ..snigger/snort..!..eh..?..

                ..you mean that article you linked to from ‘smokers’-weekly’..?..)

                ..phillip ure..

                • bad12 …
                  5 March 2014 at 10:21 am

                  Not only a Dick-head by name Phillis, a LIAR by nature as well, do these people seem to you to be ‘smokers weekly’,

                  C.Everett Koop, Surgeon General of the USA,”Nicotine declared as addictive as heroin”,
                  http://www.wired.com/…/may-16-1988-nicotine-declared-as-addictive-as-heroin...

                  Perhaps Phillis, you see the US CDC as a secret hot bed of smokers,”Research says Nicotine is as addictive as Heroin”,
                  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/you…/nicotine/

                  Same with the University of Minnesota Phillis, all a bunch of closet smokers are they,
                  http://www.1.umn.edu>Didactic Components

                  i didn’t know that they give out arts degrees for bullshit Phillis, a degree in the arts majoring in bullshit, ha ha ha, what an Ure-head…

                  • phillip ure …
                    5 March 2014 at 12:01 pm

                    did you find yr ‘smokers’-weekly’ articles/links..?

                    ..well done..!

                    ..do they come with a commemorative ashtray..?

                    ..and you..!..such an expert on something you know absolutely nothing about..

                    ..(save for yr (kinda self-serving..eh..?..) ‘smokers’-weakly’ articles..’weakly’..heh..!..geddit..?..geddit..?)

                    ..eh..?

                    ..anything else you are equally ‘expert’ on..?

                    ..that you want to share..?

                    ..phillip ure..

                    • bad12 …
                      5 March 2014 at 12:48 pm

                      Shamefully Dumb Phillis, you have no answer than sniveling abuse which has no effect upon me,

                      Your whole existence is one of denial and the only weakling you see is yourself in the mirror…

            • Blue 4.1.1.1.1.2
              5 March 2014 at 9:37 am

              “te reo speakers will know the word ‘ure’ means penis/power” I’d agree with that. Phil you really are a penis.

              • phillip ure …
                5 March 2014 at 9:44 am

                @ blue..

                ..how long have you been a penis-hater..?

                ..what does your therapist say/advise about this..?

                ..or..are you complimenting me..?

                ..if so..?..(blush..!..why..thank you sir..!..(or ma’am..!..)

                ..phillip ure..

                • bad12 …
                  5 March 2014 at 9:57 am

                  From head to toe a real Penis, it comes out in the head-strong writing best, which i suppose leaves you with the name of Dick-Head, seems more than appropriate…

              • fender …
                5 March 2014 at 9:51 am

                I thought it was short for manure 😉

                • phillip ure …
                  5 March 2014 at 10:13 am

                  the creativity is flowing strong in that one..

                  ..have you thought of auditioning for mensa..?

                  ..(and yes..with that quality of punchline..i wd advise you continue using the emoticon..

                  ..just so people know..it is a joke…eh..?

                  ..best be safe/sure..eh..?

                  ..phillip ure..

                  • fender …
                    5 March 2014 at 10:37 am

                    Dry up manure you sloppy shit 😈

                    • phillip ure …
                      5 March 2014 at 11:34 am

                      just cursing..?..and so soon..?

                      ..and so anal/human-waste focused..?

                      ..(i wd have a quick-word with yr therapist about that one..

                      ..if i were you..eh..?..)

                      ..and that’s all ya got..?

                      ..ok..you can just carry-on!..also..

                      ..eh..?

                      ..phillip ure..

        • Te Reo Putake 4.1.1.2
          5 March 2014 at 8:56 am

          The junk merchant doesn’t sell his product to the consumer, he sells the consumer to his product. He does not improve and simplify his merchandise. He degrades and simplifies the client.

          Old Bill Lee.

        • MaxFletcher 4.1.1.3
          5 March 2014 at 9:32 am

          “..’would you like some cheese-smothered bacon with that..?”

          yes.

    • phillip ure 4.2
      5 March 2014 at 10:29 am

      “..If you’re horrified by a flame-roasted dog – you should be shocked at a hog roast..”

      “..It is prejudice that allows us to protect certain species –

      while treating others as mere commodities..”

      (cont..)

      http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/if-youre-horrified-by-a-flameroasted-dog-you-should-be-just-as-shocked-at-a-hog-roast-9163883.html

      ..phillip ure..

      • Zorr 4.2.1
        5 March 2014 at 11:32 am

        You keep posting these links to cancer… but you have admitted to smoking pot in these very discussion forums…

        So what is it? Are you worried about cancer? Or just full of shit?

        And yes, I would eat cooked dog.

        • phillip ure 4.2.1.1
          5 March 2014 at 11:49 am

          pot smoke doesn’t contain the carcinogens tobacco smoke does..

          ..and anyway..unlike tobacco..it isn’t all about the smoking..

          ..it’s about the ‘high’.. the euphoric – stimulant – muscle relaxing – qualities of/from pot..

          (not something you get from tobacco..and could someone remind me..save from staving off the chills of/from nicotine-addiction-withdrawals..just what you ‘get’ from smoking tobacco..?..

          ..the least ‘paying-out’ of any drug…lucky it is so easy to kick/withdraw from..eh..?

          ..all it takes is a small smidgen of will-power..)

          ..and because it is about the ‘high’..there are many different ways to ingest cannabis..

          ..aside from smoking it..

          ..(hope that helps clarify that for you..if not..?..well….)

          ..and how brave of you..!

          .defiant in yr desire to eat roasted dog..eh..?..

          ..quite the contrarian..aren’t you..?

          ..phillip ure..

          • MaxFletcher 4.2.1.1.1
            5 March 2014 at 11:55 am

            “pot smoke doesn’t contain the carcinogens tobacco smoke does..”

            No, it contains carcinogens

            http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12412843

            You could argue it is less harmful but to argue it contains no carcinogens is untrue

            • Zorr 4.2.1.1.1.1
              5 March 2014 at 12:03 pm

              It actually has a higher rate of cancer amongst users because the tendency is to hold the smoke in for longer (for obvious reasons) thus actually causing a larger cancer rate…

              http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23846283

              Also, as far as tobacco goes, nicotine is quite capable of providing a significant rush.

              I am aware that there are multiple ways to ingest marijuana but you have specifically stated you smoke it so… are you going to make the right choice Phillis and switch to oil?

              • phillip ure …
                5 March 2014 at 12:26 pm

                stunningly emphatic conclusion in yr ‘evidence’..eh..?..

                “..CONCLUSION:

                ..after statistical adjustment for baseline tobacco use, alcohol use, respiratory conditions, and socioeconomic status..

                Our primary finding provides initial longitudinal evidence that cannabis use might elevate the risk of lung cancer..”

                (that’s the best you could find..?..really..?..that’s it..?..

                ..’might’..?..)

                ..and oil’..?..mmm!!!…if only..!..i love oil..i just can’t get it..

                ..honey-oil is my favourite form of cannabis..

                ..hands down..!..

                ..just a little spot’ll do ya..!

                ..mmm!!!..20 minute kick-in period..!..warm and toasty..!

                ..and long-lasting..!

                ..what’s not to love..?

                phillip ure..

                • Zorr …
                  5 March 2014 at 12:32 pm

                  It’s what I found with a quick Google because it’s been a while since I bothered looking at marijuana.

                  Anecdata against pot:
                  For my wife – sends her in to a major depressive spiral
                  For myself – takes away my life-buzz

                  Dope gets in the way of life… hell, it wastes more time than all my techno cravings combined for anyone that I know that uses it…

                  • MaxFletcher …
                    5 March 2014 at 12:51 pm

                    Techno? What kind of techno?

                    • phillip ure …
                      5 March 2014 at 1:02 pm

                      ‘techno-cravings’..?

                      ..now that’s/there’s..a ‘problem’..!

                      ..in anyones’ eyes’..

                      ..all that ‘oonst’ can’t be good for anyone..

                      ..and..do you and the missus ‘oonst’ around the house..?..do you..?

                      ..glowsticks at the ready..?

                      ..how often do you need ‘a fix’..?

                      ..is there any type of ‘real music’ that cd act as a form of methadone for you..?

                      ..to wean you off..?

                      ..phillip ure..

                    • MaxFletcher …
                      5 March 2014 at 1:04 pm

                      Sorry, let me rephrase:

                      Techno? What kind of techno, Zorr?

                  • phillip ure …
                    5 March 2014 at 12:55 pm

                    so..it’s clearly not to yr tastes..

                    ..so..?

                    ..does that mean nobody else should imbibe..?

                    ..what are you actually saying here..?

                    ..phillip ure..

                    • Zorr …
                      5 March 2014 at 1:01 pm

                      chews off own digits headslams keyboard

                      UA(IPOHREFbnhjgikfeqwAFSPIQK3R1P04JUVMKPASADasdqaeifro[0jq13

                    • phillip ure …
                      5 March 2014 at 1:05 pm

                      is that you done and dusted then..?..there..zorr..?

                      ..is that what you are trying to tell us..?

                      phillip ure..

                • joe90 …
                  5 March 2014 at 12:34 pm

                  Was that iso or butane with your honey?.

                  • phillip ure …
                    5 March 2014 at 12:49 pm

                    old school..iso..(made by a man obessive with/about his ‘purity’ of product..)

                    ..haven’t yet tried butane..

                    ..i am looking forward to it..

                    ..oil is going gangbusters in america at the moment..

                    ..it is sold in the legal pot-shops ..in wax-form..

                    ..and ‘waxing’ has become big..

                    ..and it is top-shelf pot..

                    ..much like spirits vs beer..

                    ..and with ‘normal’ pot..the maximum thc-content that be achieved is about 25%..

                    ..whereas oil has a much higher thc-content..

                    ..you really can ‘kiss the sky’..

                    ..’scuse me’..!

                    ..phillip ure..

                • David H …
                  5 March 2014 at 4:14 pm

                  i love oil..i just can’t get it.

                  Don’t be lazy make yer own.

            • phillip ure 4.2.1.1.1.2
              5 March 2014 at 12:11 pm

              how about you give us the evidence in support of the health-giving/longevity-qualities

              in/with yr animal-flesh/fat addiction..diet..

              ..eh..?

              ..it could take you a while..

              ..as there is none..

              ..phillip ure..

              • Zorr …
                5 March 2014 at 12:17 pm

                I was making no such claim

                Merely pointing out your hypocrisy – I’ve got no issues with my personal diet as I have made specific choices and eating decisions while keeping in mind the results I want from my eating… shrug

                I’m happy. I am also happy without feeling the need to constantly spout bullshit.

                How about you try just being happy minus the proselytizing crap?

                • phillip ure …
                  5 March 2014 at 12:37 pm

                  ‘happy’..?

                  ..a tenuous/slippery ideal..

                  ..glad for you you are so sure you are there..

                  ..and is it a permanent condition for you..?..

                  ..or one that comes and goes..?

                  ..but as for resolutely ‘cheerful’..?..i’ll stick my hand up for that one..

                  ..i’m the one in the group who is serially cranking out the one-liners..

                  ..laughing at the fucken idiocies of the world/human-condition/myself/others..

                  ..i have children/dogs that love me..

                  ..i have good health/fitness..

                  ..my work is intellectually stimulating..

                  ..and without getting all hubristic..

                  ..is that getting close..?..

                  ..phillip ure..

                  • Zorr …
                    5 March 2014 at 12:41 pm

                    And once again I end up wondering why the hell I ever engaged – talking to this creting expecting some semblance of comprehensible intelligence speaks more about my stupidity for engaging rather than his moranicity.

                    He’s all yours bad12/weka/McFlock/et al.

                    I’m out. And next time I catch myself responding to one of his troll posts, I’ll eat my own digits to prevent further typing.

                    • phillip ure …
                      5 March 2014 at 1:10 pm

                      ok..zorr..

                      ..but do see someone about yr ‘techno-issues’..eh..?

                      ..let something good come out of all this..

                      ..eh..?

                      ..heal thyself..’techno-head’..

                      ..(and yr poor/long-suffering neighbours..?..

                      ..there is nothing worse than muffled-‘oonst’..)

                      ..phillip ure..

                    • McFlock …
                      5 March 2014 at 2:54 pm

                      lol I’m a bit busy at work today – no time to be a giant for that idiot to tilt at.

                    • phillip ure …
                      5 March 2014 at 3:45 pm

                      a ‘giant’..?

                      ..(snigger/snort..!..)

                      ..thanks for the ’tilt’-opportunity..eh..?

                      ..that’s the funniest thing in this thread..

                      ..phillip ure..

                    • McFlock …
                      5 March 2014 at 3:50 pm

                      read your cervantes

                    • MaxFletcher …
                      5 March 2014 at 4:12 pm

                      +1

            • bad12 4.2.1.1.1.3
              5 March 2014 at 12:27 pm

              How dare the pair of you present ‘evidence’ to Phillip to base your argument upon, Phillip as i point out above is uninterested in evidence, the two working neurons in His cranial cavity are all He needs to present the ‘truth’….

              • phillip ure …
                5 March 2014 at 12:41 pm

                are you still here..?

                ..i thought you’d gone..

                …and down/resorting to the neuron-argument/slur/’jibe’..eh..?

                ..that’s pretty much yr bag of tricks done and dusted..

                ..eh..?

                ..phillip ure..

                • David H …
                  5 March 2014 at 4:20 pm

                  At least talking to Philip is way more fun than the same ol’ same ol’ bullshit trolling from Bruv and his happy band of knuckle draggers.

  5. big bruv 5
    5 March 2014 at 8:16 am

    So Cunliffe has his own American bag man. I do hope that Trev is going to ask questions about this in the house.

    • chris73 5.1
      5 March 2014 at 8:22 am

      http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Duncan-Garner-Is-David-Cunliffe-a-fake/tabid/674/articleID/40989/Default.aspx

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9789728/Cunliffes-worst-day

      Give the lefties a break, they’re only just realizing what the rest of us already know about Cunliffe (including his own caucus) and that hes simply not as good as he thinks he is

      As an old girlfriend would say, hes all mouth and no trousers

      • bad12 5.1.1
        5 March 2014 at 8:59 am

        National seems to have escaped quite well politically any blow back from having used such Trusts as the Waitemata one so while all the hard core ‘wing-nuts’ crow and the will of the soft Left wilts a little in the face of that, Labour need only ride this little speed bump out until the next release of policy,

        If i were David Cunliffe i would at the end of the month hold a press conference and publicly ditch the ‘Raising of the age for Superannuation policy’, promising a referendum at the 2017 election with the two most popular means of future delivery of Superannuation to be put to the people to decide,

        All the ‘wing-nuts’ will then leap about the place in an orgy of glee far greater than they are experiencing at present squealing u-turn, but,out there in the real world where it really matters i would suggest that such a policy of letting the people decide will be worth 2-5% of a bump in the Party vote for Labour…

        • Lanthanide 5.1.1.1
          5 March 2014 at 9:21 am

          There are those of us that support raising the age to 67. The longer we delay the decision, the shorter the adjustment period will be, or the farther out it will have to be pushed.

          • bad12 5.1.1.1.1
            5 March 2014 at 9:32 am

            Lanthide, what exactly do you base that support upon, David Parker’s ”there is no alternative” perhap’s,

            The doubling of the number of over 65’s leading up to the year 2036 perhaps, its a serious question Lanth, what you are seeming to propose, without giving us a shred of argument as to WHY, is blind faith,

            If you havn’t noticed the vast majority over the past couple of weeks where the issue has been raised here at the Standard have given a definite NO to raising the age of entitlement,

            Care to provide us with your reasons why you support raising the age???…

          • weka 5.1.1.1.2
            5 March 2014 at 11:11 am

            “There are those of us that support raising the age to 67. The longer we delay the decision, the shorter the adjustment period will be, or the farther out it will have to be pushed.”

            Not much point in Labour having any superannuation policy if it doesn’t get enough votes to form govt.

            • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1.2.1
              5 March 2014 at 11:18 am

              The “workers party” telling ordinary people that there is no alternative to them working for the capitalist ownership class for even more years of their life, even though we already have a massively excess labour pool and our young people are desperately short of employment.

              Its like a Kafka screenplay.

              • weka …
                5 March 2014 at 11:29 am

                So what was the story with the membership allowing it through?

                • Colonial Viper …
                  5 March 2014 at 11:39 am

                  Not enough members who understand economics and too many members who defer to MPs and the Labour establishment.

                  Plus what does it tell you about the affiliate unions when most of them voted to give the discretion to caucus to decide.

            • bad12 5.1.1.1.2.2
              5 March 2014 at 11:34 am

              Exactly weka, its what makes me view this as Dumb politics, i believe Phill Goff who flogged raising the age of entitlement as a policy going into the 2011 election cost Him and Labour at least 2% of the vote in doing so,

              What makes it even Dumber is that had Phill just managed to get the numbers to form a Government it would have had to include NZFirst which would have meant that the entitlement age wasn’t going to change while Winston still draws a breath,

              Labour, on the numbers i have calculated right now could form a Government relying on the Greens and NZFirst,and, it is looking at this stage that this will become apparent at the 2014 vote, so what point is there in continuing to flog such a vote losing policy when its pretty bloody obvious that they are unlikely to be able to implement it after the vote in 2014…

          • Enough is Enough 5.1.1.1.3
            5 March 2014 at 1:33 pm

            Lanth you mean delay the ACT/Labour/Parjer option of austerity.

            There are options. It is not inevitable that the age will go up. We ccan do other things like ask those people who have more money than they dserve or require to contribute a bit more society and to those most in need.

            • Lanthanide 5.1.1.1.3.1
              5 March 2014 at 3:06 pm

              Or, we could put the age up, and then use that money from those with more to contribute to other parts of society most in need.

          • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1.4
            5 March 2014 at 4:05 pm

            There’s no need to raise the age of retirement as we’ve been saying since forever.

        • greywarbler 5.1.1.2
          5 March 2014 at 4:24 pm

          bad12 +1

      • geoff 5.1.2
        5 March 2014 at 9:24 am

        An old girlfriend said that about you, chris?

  6. Tautoko Viper 6
    5 March 2014 at 9:05 am

    The recent campaign trust incident has actually raised my opinion of David Cunliffe.
    ‘‘I don’t think in hindsight that a trust structure fully represented the values that I would like to bring to this leadership, and that’s why I have encouraged donors to be as transparent as possible,’’ he said. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9789728/Cunliffes-worst-day
    This statement shows that the man has integrity and is able to recognise when he has erred.
    In fact it is this statement that has helped me make up my mind to become actively involved in the local Labour Party electorate campaign. I can now door knock and say “our guy has the intelligence to recognise when he has made a mistake and is prepared to deal with the issue unlike John Key who continues to lie, misdirect and fudge.

    • phillip ure 6.1
      5 March 2014 at 10:03 am

      @ tv..

      “..our guy has the intelligence to recognise when he has made a mistake and is prepared to deal with the issue –

      unlike John Key –
      who continues to lie – misdirect – and fudge..”

      • 1..

      phillip ure..

    • Disraeli Gladstone 6.2
      5 March 2014 at 10:24 am

      Nope. I’m with NRT.

      “But then there’s this bit:

      “I don’t think in hindsight that a trust structure fully represented the values I would like to bring to this leadership. Decisions that were made to set up the trust could have been better. I have learned form that and am now making sure I do whatever I can to ensure transparency.”

      Which is just sociopathic “sorry I got caught” bullshit. The thing about values is that you live them, and they’re instinctive. Cunliffe’s aren’t. When faced with a choice between transparency and corruption-enabling secrecy, he chose the latter, and then tried to cling to that choice when it was questioned. These are not the actions of an ethical man who believes in open politics – they are the actions of someone trying to get away with something they know is wrong. And actions like this are yet another example of why the New Zealand public thinks all politicians are liars, cheats and scoundrels.”

      http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/a-win-for-transparency.html

      • weka 6.2.1
        5 March 2014 at 11:20 am

        I tend to agree. Although I do wonder if this was part of internal Labour politics. Would there be different incentives to hide donors’ names because this was about DC vs the ABCs? Even so, the amounts of money are sufficiently small that I can’t see how it would be worth it.

    • Sosoo 6.3
      5 March 2014 at 10:25 am

      What Cunliffe did does not matter. What matters is that there will be a steady stream of negative “gotcha” stories about him from now until the election. Never mind that Collins’ faux pas was much worse, the topic of discussion is the “evil” of David Cunliffe.

      He’s toast: the entire establishment is against him. They used to be more subtle about it, but now it is more or less open warfare.

    • floyd 6.4
      5 March 2014 at 10:29 am

      TV I like this about Cunliffe a lot. He is not afraid to lay it all out there and be judged. Not like our inept spiteful little leader who just cuts and runs, or hides behing the skirts of the msm who meekly allow him never to hela accountable for any of the truly stupid things he has manipulated. Particularly pd off about his non-answer to the media that he did not have to reveal who gave him the information on Winston And Russell. And we all know it wasn’t that rotting carcase of blubber wo. So who then key/ Man up like Cunliffe does. The country has a right to know! You have said so yourself on many occasions.

  7. Blue 7
    5 March 2014 at 9:09 am

    It not the fact that Cunliffe has a trust,which is completely within the rules its the galling hypocrisy of it all. Criticising the other side for using trust to protect donors identities, then doing the same yourself to hide your donors names. Like being a millonaire living in a million dollar home and critising another millionare for um, being a millionaire and living in a million dollar home. Like criticising people who use trusts to protect their assests, then having a trust to protect your own assets. There needs to be a change to the law, where you absolutely can, or you absolutely can’t use trusts. Should have backed Jones, at least people like him.

    • bad12 7.1
      5 March 2014 at 9:17 am

      Is that the Jones who came a distant third in the democratic leadership contest within the Labour Party,

      National on your reckoning should get rid of Slippery the Prime Minister and replace Him with Gerry Brownlee…

    • Tracey 7.2
      5 March 2014 at 3:07 pm

      yup its ok to believe in secret trusts while championing transparency it’s not ok to do what Cunliffe did. We get it, and we all understand the hypocrisy even if it

      whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh

      goes over our head

  8. Blue 8
    5 March 2014 at 9:33 am

    Democratic or not, isnt the point to win an election ? Why would National get rid of soemone that people like, with someone they dont?

    “National on your reckoning should get rid of Slippery the Prime Minister and replace Him with Gerry Brownlee…” Distance third indeed, but outside of the internal machinations of the Labour Party he’s not a distant third at all, and its a pretty stupid analogy because Key is not as monumentally unpopular as Cunliffe.

    • Pasupial 8.1
      5 March 2014 at 9:46 am

      Blue

      You are just spouting gibberish now.

      It’s bad enough that you don’t seem to understand the meaning of “hypocrisy”. But then saying; “isnt the point to win an election”. at the same time as recommending that a political party of which you are not a member replace the winner of a leadership election with the loser, is just idiocy.

    • bad12 8.2
      5 March 2014 at 9:46 am

      Perhaps, i will concede your point, but then, how monumentally stupid would it be to get rid of David Cunliffe, it is after all the rank and file of the Labour membership that put Him in the position in the first place,

      To infer Cunliffe is vastly unpopular is a monumental stupidity in itself, the Party membership Doubled at the thought that there could be a Cunliffe lead Labour Party,

      Yes quick, trot out the latest poll result or do a SSLands and direct us all to the gambling site where Cunjliffe attracts half the ‘bets’ of Slippery the Prime Minister,

      Remember all the while that you gloat that befor Helen Clark become a 3 term Prime Minister she rode the polls at 6% of the preference…

      • McFlock 8.2.1
        5 March 2014 at 3:00 pm

        the Party membership Doubled at the thought that there could be a Cunliffe lead Labour Party,

        And he got 60% of the membership vote. Hmmm.

    • Tracey 8.3
      5 March 2014 at 3:08 pm

      “Democratic or not, isnt the point to win an election”

      Yikes!

      • Blue 8.3.1
        5 March 2014 at 4:29 pm

        What Tracey? That refered to the oh so proud anouncement that the leadership contest was “democratic”. So what. Internal Party processes are the party not for the public. You believe that a democratic internal party election for a leader, which the caucus didnt want and who has not made any traction with the public, is an important part of winning the general election? From my observation very few outside the party faithful gave a rats arse about it, it was a bloody circus. Do you not think the point is to win an election? Perhaps a noble defeat is what you’re aiming for?

  9. phillip ure 9
    5 March 2014 at 9:37 am

    “..Warren Buffett: Here’s What We Need More Than A Minimum Wage Hike..” (+ comment@whoar:..ed:..the ideological-mote that so blinds the right..)

    (excerpt:..)

    “..and that is an aspect of rightwing logic-fail that i just can’t get my head around..

    ..these supposed business/economics-’experts’..

    ..have such an ideological-mote in their eyes/minds..

    ..that they seem unable to see/understand an economics 101-fact..

    ..namely..that one of the most efficient/effective ways to stimulate an economy..

    ..is to increase the incomes of the poorest/working-poor..

    ..and this for the fact that virtually all of that increase in income for the worst-off..

    ..churns straight back into the economy..

    ..goes into retailers/service-providers’ tills..”

    (cont..)

    http://whoar.co.nz/2014/warren-buffett-heres-what-we-need-more-than-a-minimum-wage-hike-commentwhoar-ed-the-ideological-mote-that-so-blinds-the-right/

    phillip ure..

    • bad12 9.1
      5 March 2014 at 10:27 am

      Linking us to your rubbish website Ure-head is a waste of our precious time, we get force fed a diet of your disjointed rubbish all day long here at the Standard, i doubt there are many that can stand a whole web-site full of it…

      • phillip ure 9.1.1
        5 March 2014 at 10:42 am

        it’s not for the likes of you..

        ..phillip ure..

        • MaxFletcher 9.1.1.1
          5 March 2014 at 10:54 am

          Serious question – what is the deal behind your…unusual prose?

          • phillip ure 9.1.1.1.1
            5 March 2014 at 11:08 am

            i try to write as we speak..

            ..to get those cadences..that pace/flow..

            ..it’s as simple as that..

            ..it gestated from a combination of lots of writing for radio..and a liking for the ‘look’ of the poetry of..

            ..e.e. cummings..

            ..and a general disdain/questioning of the ‘norms’ of lots of things..

            ..i mean..!..capital-letters..?..w.t.f. is that particular artifice all about..?

            ..phillip ure..

            • MaxFletcher 9.1.1.1.1.1
              5 March 2014 at 11:17 am

              Capital letters signify the start of a sentence or a proper noun. It so the reader can tell if you are talking a bush or a person named Bush for example.

              And I can’t imagine anyone ‘speaking’ the way you write. I would think they were suffering some sort of mild retardation based upon how your writing ‘sounds’ in mine head.

              • phillip ure …
                5 March 2014 at 11:22 am

                oh..ok..!

                ..you clearly don’t ‘get it’..

                ..(and ‘serious question’..eh..?..you got me there..!..eh..?..silly me..!..)

                ..never mind..

                ..you just carry on..!..there..eh max..?

                ..and you do want cheese-smothered bacon with that..?..

                ..didn’t you say..?

                ..putting the ‘ray’ in braying-fool..eh..?..

                ..phillip ure..

            • bad12 9.1.1.1.1.2
              5 March 2014 at 11:40 am

              You might think and speak in small bursts of gibberish Phillis, the rest of us choose English as the medium of communication…

              • Disraeli Gladstone …
                5 March 2014 at 9:27 pm

                Your English is quite bad as well.

                I’d stay quiet during this conversation.

            • Te Reo Putake 9.1.1.1.1.3
              5 March 2014 at 12:00 pm

              While I’ll admit I can sometimes decipher the nuggets from the gibberish, Phil, I think the main issue is that your writing style is is a huge turn off for the reader, which limits genuine communication.

              As someone said about Kerouac, that’s not writing, that’s typing. In your case, it’s closer to an infinite number of monkeys occasionally and unintentionally writing Shakespeare by bashing random keys.

              You often have interesting things to say, but you choose to express them in a way that is not inclusive and, in the case of the drug threads, undermines your case significantly. No point saying you’re a functioning drug user, if your writing style suggests the exact opposite.

            • bad12 9.1.1.1.1.4
              5 March 2014 at 12:16 pm

              Can you dig the hole much deeper any faster Phillis, so that’s where you plagarize your lack of a writing style from,

              It figures, from the wikipedia, E. E. Cummings,”Despite His radical and bohemian public image,He was a republican, and later, an ardent supporter of Joseph McCarthy”,unquote

              Further into the wiki biography we find that E. E. Cummings wasn’t above penning the odd poem with racial overtones,

              That’s you to a T is it Phillis, a closet Nazi with hidden racist leanings???,

              http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._E._Cummings

              • phillip ure …
                5 March 2014 at 2:30 pm

                and p.g. wodehouse broadcast for the nazi from berlin in ww2..

                ..that doesn’t alter the fact that there are few writers better..

                ..and yep..!..you got me..!..

                ..a ‘racist nazi’..

                ..clearly that is me..

                ..phillip ure..

                • Te Reo Putake …
                  5 March 2014 at 3:26 pm

                  “and p.g. wodehouse broadcast for the nazi from berlin in ww2..”

                  Nope. He was accused of it, but it was easily disproved. What he did do was record stories about his capture and internment by the Germans in the early years of WW2 for an American audience not yet in the war. It probably wasn’t a good idea, but it wasn’t propaganda for the Germans by any means.

                  • phillip ure …
                    5 March 2014 at 3:38 pm

                    i haven’t seen transcripts..have you..?

                    ..and i guess bad puts every artist..musical as well..thru his/her political-correctness filter..(to avoid having to call him/herself names like ‘nazi’..eh..?..)

                    ..if you knock out bad behaviour with drugs..(except ciggies..)..and non p.c. behaviour..

                    ..there wouldn’t be that many on bads’ playlist..eh..?

                    ..phillip ure..

            • Blue 9.1.1.1.1.5
              5 March 2014 at 4:30 pm

              If thats how your speak Phil, I’d get a scan – I think you’ve had a stroke.

        • bad12 9.1.1.2
          5 March 2014 at 11:37 am

          Always on the look-out to provide a bit of help Phillis, can i make the suggestion that you change the sites name, ‘Attention Whoar’ seems far more appropriate…

          • Tiger Mountain 9.1.1.2.1
            5 March 2014 at 11:48 am

            Whoar! thats enough for me. I don’t like Bad’s pushiness towards Phil, but enough is enough really some days, the double line spacing is really bad typography given the absence of leading.

            And Phil has his own forum unlike most of us commenters here so I am adding him to the Penny Denny (in joke) scroll on by list.

            • bad12 9.1.1.2.1.1
              5 March 2014 at 12:59 pm

              You might not like my ‘pushiness’ toward Phillis, but then, i do not like Phillis’s use of ‘piss weak’ as a descriptive for those who cannot quit the smoking addiction,

              i further do not like Phillis’s continued use of such abuse despite His being repeatedly told that i like my tobacco use and have no intention of even trying to quit,

              To add to that i do not like Phillis’s abuse when He is linked to web-sites of Government, Government officials and Universities which proves a point He has attempted to make is utter bullshit,

              ‘Pushy’ i might be, but, only because Phillis keeps giving me every reason to be so…

              • marty mars …
                5 March 2014 at 3:29 pm

                but bad you don’t want to give up so…

                phil is phil you are you good luck to both of you. Fuck at least you both have personalities and are not gnatbots.

                I went through a time with vto where we were nasty-feuding on this site and someone said they’d prefer it if we didn’t – I remember rhino and mcflock recently getting into it and i found that series of exchanges to be very sad. I’m finding the same thing with you two – just my view and fair enough if you say “walk your walk mate…” or just butt out. 🙂

                • George D …
                  6 March 2014 at 10:14 am

                  Could..?.. the … moderators !…p…l…e…a……..

                  se…b…an..!.this.

                  .. id…i….o….t…?

                  “Drugs are

                  good for you,

                  whoar!!!!!”

            • Murray Olsen 9.1.1.2.1.2
              6 March 2014 at 2:30 am

              Penny Denny – very good. A blast from the past.

          • phillip ure 9.1.1.2.2
            5 March 2014 at 3:40 pm

            you left out the exclamation-points ..and the ‘pause’..

            “..attention..!..(pause..)..whoar..!..”

            ..there you are..that’s better..

            ..phillip ure..

  10. BM 10
    5 March 2014 at 11:06 am

    Not looking too good for Dave
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9789728/Cunliffes-worst-day

    They’re running a poll in that article rating Cunliffes performance as leader, lets just say if he decides not to get out of bed tomorrow, I wouldn’t be surprised.

    • fender 10.1
      5 March 2014 at 11:11 am

      Is there a poll showing approval of Collins’ corruption?

      • Tracey 10.1.1
        5 March 2014 at 3:11 pm

        it’s not corruption ,it’s entrepreneurial spirit.

        Like banks as Executive Direct of Huljich, and Vrash as Director of Huljich and Graham on Lombard and so on and on… but sign a painting for harity or email your ideas to the wrong person.
        \
        “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS”

    • phillip ure 10.2
      5 March 2014 at 11:15 am

      speaking of ‘bad days’..

      ..how about keys upcoming/soon-to-be snowden-spooking-revelations ‘bad day’..?

      ..eh..?

      ..whoar..!

      ..that’ll be a right doozie..!

      ..of a ‘bad day’..

      ..eh..?

      ..somehow i think this will all be a distant memory..and very soon..

      ..overtaken by keys’ soon-to-be mother-of-all-bad-days..

      ..so gloat on..little rightwing-booster..

      ..while you still can..eh..?

      ..while you still can..

      ..(and as an aside..i kinda imagine mccarten grabbing various entities by the shirt-front..about now..

      ..asking/demanding:..

      ..’is there anything else..?..is there anything else..?’..)

      ..phillip ure..

      • Chooky 10.2.1
        5 March 2014 at 12:55 pm

        lol.philip ure

        ..looking forward to this ‘soon-to-be mother-of-all-bad-days’! …..”that’ll be a right doozie”….for one Mr Shyster John Key

        …”Vengence is mine!”….thus spake the fat angel DOTcom as he flew above the courthouse
        trumpets blaring Handel’s Messiah.( and The Trumpet Shall Sound.!!!!!).

        …..and Dotcom smited the little toadie from above with his mighty legal THUNDER BOLTER…and all New Zealanders stood back in awe and gaped …..

    • Hayden 10.3
      5 March 2014 at 11:17 am

      And here it is being “rigged”:
      http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages.aspx?id=1399243&topic=7

      Stuff polls are about as worthless as you can get.

      PS Don’t read too much of that message board unless you want to start hating everybody.

      • weka 10.3.1
        5 March 2014 at 11:23 am

        How can you rig a Stuff poll?

        • Hayden 10.3.1.1
          5 March 2014 at 11:30 am

          Not exactly rigged, which is why I put it in quotes, but it’s hardly scientific when people are being encouraged to vote it down.

          Plus the fact that it’s self-selecting in the first place.

    • Enough is Enough 10.4
      5 March 2014 at 11:44 am

      By definition everyone has a “worst day”.

      So it is a brainless statement.

      Cunliffe’s worst day is still a lot better than Key’s worst.

      Blip has a nice list of lies and fuck ups from the Prime Minister that beat Cunliffes worst day.

    • felix 10.5
      5 March 2014 at 12:00 pm

      Keep refreshing the page BM, you need something to keep your other hand busy.

  11. Chooky 11
    5 March 2014 at 11:47 am

    Very good interview by Kathryn Ryan this morning on dealing with people…and trying to help them…ie walk with them , be with them , dont treat them as objects , dont think you know what is best for them, respect their wishes and opinions….and LISTEN to them!.

    …Very good advice for people in the ‘helping’ professions…

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2587882/feature-graham-long-pastor-and-ceo-of-the-wayside-chapel

    .(imo…people who should especially listen to this are doctors and other know-it-alls on imunisation…… a must for all kiddies …and the Catholic Church on contraception and what is best for women…they should butt right out and let women and parents make their own decisions based on the evidence )

  12. captain hook 12
    5 March 2014 at 11:48 am

    it was apretty good day for shifty key when he walked out of Merill Lynch with $90,000,000 in his bank book. How does one man make that much money without actually producing anything?
    I’d like to know that.

    • fender 12.1
      5 March 2014 at 12:00 pm

      How unfair, he got RSI from ticket-clipping!

    • Cancerman 12.2
      5 March 2014 at 3:24 pm

      He produced liquidity but then I don’t expect you to understand that.

      • greywarbler 12.2.1
        5 March 2014 at 4:55 pm

        Is that when your knees go to water after you discover that your financial investments have turned to custard despite getting the best financial advice you could buy? Has that sort of liquidity happened to you Cancerman?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 12.2.2
        5 March 2014 at 5:52 pm

        Unfortunately, his “liquidity” turned out to be nothing but smoke when the creditors came a calling and the house prices started falling, and the results are still being experienced by the victims of his and others’ complicity and incompetence, as the IMF (late to the party) has finally realised.

  13. greywarbler 13
    5 March 2014 at 12:11 pm

    There is an interesting Russian-connected auction on Trade me for a Russian Tube Clock
    Listing #: 701347390 – Start price: $950.00 No reserve Closes: Thu 6 Mar, 11:13 pm
    It’s interesting and must have been hand-crafted.

    I went down to the Q and A and loved the first one and its bland answer.
    Hi, I believe the clock is set to Russian Trotsky Time. Is it possible to adjust it to NZ Lambing Season Time? ocker999 (152 ) 4:40 pm, Sun 2 Mar
    Hi, I am not sure about your question sorry? The clock can be manually adjusted as needed. thanks.
    Sorry if I confused you! Could you please double-check that it can be changed from Socialist to Capitalist time? ocker999 (152 ) 5:15 pm, Sun 2 Mar
    Given that the PCB (electronics) were made in the UK I would think so. Thanks!

  14. bad12 14
    5 March 2014 at 12:37 pm

    Out of control electricity retailers???, would seem like it, news from RadioNZ National warns wellington electricity users that their prices will rise by as much as 7.5% in coming months,

    The retailers cite the local lines company as the reason for these price rises, However, interviewed on the radio a spokesperson for the lines company says that they will only be raising their charges by 4%,

    What this gives every appearance of being is the cozy Cartel that are the electricity retailers simply using the lines company as a convenient excuse to rack-raise their prices while pointing the finger of blame at the lines company,

    It’s way past the time for Labour/Green to ‘only’ be thinking about fixing the pricing of the Generators of electricity,

    Labour/Green need come up with a solution to the profit gouging of the electricity retailers, the simple fix would be to establish a Government owned national retailer of electricity at the same time as the single desk buyer of wholesale electricity is established…

  16. phillip ure 16
    5 March 2014 at 3:28 pm

    sometimes ya just hafta give credit where credit is due..

    ..(and the opposite..)

    ..it came out in questiontime today..

    ..that last yr national/govt treated over 3,500 prisoners..who are/were addicts..rising to over 4,000 this yr..

    ..and guess how many addicted prisoners the clark/labour govt provided treatment for..

    ..in their final year in office..?

    ..230..

    ..that’s right..two hundred and thirty..

    ..anyone from then who is here..care to justify/explain/excuse that one..?

    http://whoar.co.nz/2014/new-zealand-parliament-list-of-questions-for-oral-answer-wednesday-5-march-2014/

    phillip ure..

  17. big bruv 17
    5 March 2014 at 5:41 pm

    Is Cunliffe about to resign?

  18. RRM 18
    5 March 2014 at 6:05 pm

    PhailUre- it gives me some hope for the future of the Labour Party to see that you’re every bit as liked here as you were on kiwiblog.

    Applied for any jobs yet?

    Got any paid advertising on whoallyshitthissitesucksballs.co.nz yet?

    Or are you still content to have people who get off their arse in the morning and work to support themselves, support you too?

    Enjoy your next joint of MY dope, Phailure!

    • Skinny 18.1
      5 March 2014 at 6:20 pm

      Hey Punk Phil has set the bar so the likes of myself can rant.

      Phil keep it coming I enjoy plenty of your comments 🙂

    • felix 18.2
      5 March 2014 at 7:05 pm

      Is kiwiblog offline or something? How come these mutants are spilling over here with nothing at all to say?

  19. big bruv 19
    5 March 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Outstanding!

    Both Micky and Cunliffe right in it now. Get ready for another leadership election lefties.

  20. Belladonna 20
    5 March 2014 at 6:29 pm

    What is with the bullying of Phil on this site? Not a good look. Why not direct your anger to the tories and focus on getting rid of the Nats instead of this childish antagonism. In fact I also find it hard to understand why Brian Edwards, Josie Pagani and Mike Williams seem to forget what side they are on.
    All of you need to grow up in my opinion.

    • floyd 20.1
      5 March 2014 at 6:58 pm

      Belladonna. Exactly. What phil does phil does. Let it go. We need to find a way to shut gower down. the look on his face when he was allowed to do a whole demolition job on Cunliffe said a lot .Pure malice. A political journalist he is not. If he wants to find dirt on anybody he wouldn’t have to look far past our very own pretender johnkey. But he chooses not to. Does he not realise that sooner or later ther pendulum will swing and he could find himself jobless. NZ deserves much more from our media than what we are getting. God knows how we are going to get it.

      Think,henryhosking,espiner,dann,gower,armstrong,young,fran whatsername,mora and so on and so on. The bias is overt but nothing is done about it because the media is running the country. Waiting for the polls. Media will do their job and orchestrate weekly damming polls against Labour to instill in people the apathy not to vote. I had it with my own son. “What’s the point he asked?” God help us.

      • idlegus 20.1.1
        5 March 2014 at 8:08 pm

        yep +1

      • RedBaronCV 20.1.2
        5 March 2014 at 9:58 pm

        Get the all the left parties to leak an internal email of theirs discussing foreign media ownership rules and taxing the crap out of Fairfax. Might slow them down a bit. Winston might be very happy to assist with one of hios soundbites.

  21. big bruv 21
    5 March 2014 at 6:38 pm

    “What is with the bullying of Phil on this site?”

    Other than the fact that he chooses not to work and prefers to live on the back of hard working tax payers?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 21.1
      5 March 2014 at 6:44 pm

      Thank goodness he hasn’t sunk to Capill/Garrett levels.

    • phillip ure 21.2
      5 March 2014 at 7:21 pm

      fact-check:..

      ..i start working @ approx 5.30 am most mornings..and work 12-15 hrs each day..

      ..and i post 40-50 links/stories each/every day..

      ..do opinion-pieces/commentaries on parliament..

      ..this is how i have built the reasonably large audience/readership/subscribers i have @ whoar….

      ..the obese-sibling drives a cab in some provincial hellhole..(hamilton..i think..?..)

      ..and divides his time between being a denizen of kiwiblogswamp..and talkback radio..

      ..meh..!

      ..eh..?

      ..phillip ure

      [lprent: You too. I have a tendency to close down both sides of a flamewar. ]

      • big bruv 21.2.1
        5 March 2014 at 7:25 pm

        The difference being that I earn a living and you don’t.

        • lprent 21.2.1.1
          5 March 2014 at 8:32 pm

          I suspect I creatively make a living for quite a few others. But I suspect (from your previous comments) that you are merely what I call an economic parasite. What is the bet that you’re in something like local sales? Probably selling imports by appealing to peoples perceptions of their dick sizes.

          Gee we can make this one-up-manship wankfest extend everywhere. Of course if you make a habit of it, then I may really start tearing into you, your inadequacies, and exactly how pathetic you really are…

          Bores the crap out of everyone, then we moderate it out. Of course since we know that is where it leads, then we could simply cut out the flame war and take it to its penultimate conclusion. Your choice.

        • felix 21.2.1.2
          5 March 2014 at 8:45 pm

          No you don’t, you’re just a pseudonym on a blog.

          No-one knows who you are, so no-one can verify anything you claim about yourself and your life, so none of it counts for shit unless you choose to identify yourself ( and don’t have a cry, I’m not suggesting you do that).

          Made-up pseudonyms are simply incapable of having jobs. It’s just not possible. Just like it’s not possible for you to pay up the $100 you owe BLiP.

        • RedLogix 21.2.1.3
          5 March 2014 at 9:20 pm

          bb really does have a job felix. Trolling.

          Of course no actual cash is harmed in the course of his work – that’s the beauty of performance pay.

        • greywarbler 21.2.1.4
          5 March 2014 at 9:36 pm

          big bruv
          But you don’t work hard enough at your earning. You should be working more and getting more and then you wouldn’t have any energy left to be popping up all the time with your outof sightful words. But you are addicted to the blog aren’t you. And you’re lucky they haven’t found a test that will show up when blog addiction that seriously impedes your work ability. Pity.

  22. big bruv 22
    5 March 2014 at 6:39 pm

    How long before McCarten decides he has had enough of the laughable Labour party?

  23. ianmac 23
    5 March 2014 at 7:30 pm

    Novo Pay again. And by the way that English/Joyce are speaking they will announce “Bulk Funding” is the answer. They say that Teacher salaries are far to hard for them to organise and soon they will say each school will be given a bulk sum and each BOT will sort their own pay system. So you see it is all the teachers’ fault. Watch this space!

    • big bruv 23.1
      5 March 2014 at 7:37 pm

      Sounds like a great idea to me. This on the back of John Morris’s comments re performance pay for teachers. Performance pay is something we will see in the next term of this National party government.

  24. Draco T Bastard 24
    5 March 2014 at 8:55 pm

    How a Libertarian Capitalist Became a Libertarian Socialist

    Although I favored free markets, I did so because I considered them to be necessitated by the principles that I held. Principles always came *first* for me — not economics. However, around the time that I quit working at the software corporation, it finally truly sank in that businesses couldn’t *care less* about principles. The questions “Is it right?” or “Is it just?” do not even enter the minds of the decision makers of capitalist businesses — such questions are beside the point in their eyes. Although I was a right-libertarian at the time, I held my views because I genuinely believed that they followed logically from my beloved principle of self-government. Even though I knew that *many* capitalist businesses were completely lacking in principles, I did ignorantly believe that this was only true of large government aided corporations. It was very disheartening to learn over time that this fact applies to *most* businesses, regardless of whether or not they happen to be corporations that profit from state favor. If they don’t actually receive favors from the state, then it is typically their *aim* to receive them.

    And interesting story of enlightenment. I’d say he’s still got a bit to learn but haven’t we all?

  25. Pascal's bookie 25
    5 March 2014 at 9:42 pm

    Crikey tho ‘ol Cunliffe not declaring that trust.

    Still, at least he didn’t forget about 3 houses and a farm that fell down behind the couch there or anything.

    http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/mpp/mps/fin-interests/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests2013additional1/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of

    • Ad 25.1
      5 March 2014 at 10:36 pm

      After phone-banking for the Labour Party this evening, this shit from Cunliffe isn’t helping. It’s corrosive especially to older European voters.

      Doesn’t matter what other pollies did or didn’t do. OK the MSM are unfair, boo hoo so is life.

      For fuck sake Cunliffe give us a new speech and some policy, change the public discourse, and give our supporters something worth arguing about at work, home, radio, and here.

      • bad12 25.1.1
        5 March 2014 at 11:54 pm

        Ad, i truly sympathize, In David Cunliffe’s defence the best thing to be said is He appears to have been getting some really atrocious advice,(sorry MS if it was you that provided this advice),

        Hell, why would anyone try and hide a fucking investment in some vehicle after the stick was taken to David Shearer over much the same thing,

        As a Green Party member i hardly expect the Party’s MP’s or leaders to dress in sack cloth and reside in caves eating raw mung beans and lentils and as someone i see as upper middle class i would expect Cunliffe to have a nice enough house and as he and His Partner were high earners outside of the world of politics a bit of a stash put away,

        Still, albeit a late declaration,it was declared, but, that’s 3 leaders in a row from Labour that have created the birch with which the likes of TV3’s Alfred E. Nuemann happily whip up a climate where by their own actions they give the public a perception of dishonesty,

        i truly know how you feel Ad, having had the odd why do i bother moment in the past few days…

        • RedLogix 25.1.1.1
          6 March 2014 at 12:10 am

          Still, albeit a late declaration,it was declared, but, that’s 3 leaders in a row from Labour that have created the birch with which the likes of TV3′s Alfred E. Nuemann happily whip up a climate where by their own actions they give the public a perception of dishonesty

          Victim blaming some?

          How different is this to asking a rape victim what she was wearing?

          • bad12 25.1.1.1.1
            6 March 2014 at 8:10 am

            What’s this shit RedLogix, are you suggesting that Goff with the Wellington apartment,Shearer with the stash in a US bank account, and Cunliffe’s use of the trust to hold His leadership attempt funds and His late declaration of having a stash in an investment fund were not self inflicted wounds giving an impression of dishonesty which the likes of Gower and Garner happily exploit,

            You might think the above to be victim blaming,good for you.

            But,

            To then equate what i have written to the horrors of what many rape victims face i would suggest is slightly sick,

            (You would be far better off to wait for me to use the word She in a comment and then accuse me of sexism than start waving round the horror that rape victims have suffered in an effort to point score against me)…

            • RedLogix 25.1.1.1.1.1
              6 March 2014 at 8:18 am

              Nah – I’m not drawing a moral equivalence with rape .. but the pattern of behavior is not dissimilar.

              Cunliffe is being taken down by a group of privileged, powerful people who are actively his enemies.

              It doesn’t matter what he does, they WILL find something to attack him on. If he had not used the TR trust and declared the donations on the Parliamentary Register, they would have had a go at him for breaking Labour Party rules.

              That’s how enemies behave bad12. You cannot appease them, you cannot ‘behave’ well enough to avoid their attacks, and they will always make it your fault when they get you.

              And when you buy into their narrative- then you are well and truly screwed. (Metaphorically that is.)

              • marty mars …
                6 March 2014 at 8:32 am

                It is poor taste red and non-equivilant, metaphorically or otherwise.

                I don’t think cunliffe can afford too much ‘poor me’ stuff – he needs to turn it around and start pointing his own finger. He can’t do any ‘right’ so time to go hard in the other direction. He isn’t a victim – he’s the leader of the labour party, a top politician and son of a preacherman – he knows how to get through shit and if he doesn’t…

                • RedLogix …
                  6 March 2014 at 8:40 am

                  Frankly I don’t give a rat’s patui if the metaphor is in poor taste. It’s meant to be provocative because we are in a battle with people who fear and loath us.

                  The point is you are all tentatively flirting with buying into the bs. We have to understand how enemies behave – and niceties like balance, restraint, a sense of proportion, the truth or even basic decency mean nothing to these people. They are going to pile shit on.

                  Understand who is responsible here. Focus you energies on them.

                  • bad12 …
                    6 March 2014 at 10:47 am

                    ???, Really Red???, your latest comment is suggestive of two things,(1),in your mind rape victims are to be given scant regard, and (2),rape victims are ‘fair game’ for you to ‘use’ in any way you see fit,

                    Seems you might like to ask the same question of yourself that you asked me in closing your comment at 12.10am…

                    • RedLogix …
                      6 March 2014 at 11:24 am

                      Obviously the metaphor pressed a button for you because now you are just making shit up.

                      I was being provocative for a reason. You have a clear picture of how victim blaming works in the context of rape.

                      Now understand that rape is not the only context in which the same behaviour occurs. It happens very frequently in bullying, smears and this kind of political assassination.

                      You understand how vital it is not to buy into victim blaming in one context – maybe you could calm down and see how it might apply in this.

                    • bad12 …
                      6 March 2014 at 12:09 pm

                      ”Making shit up” Red would be the original question you put to me where you use a question to make a claim, obviously looking for the support of those with strong feminist beliefs here at the Standard,

                      This claim that i am buying into the right’s narrative and that Cunliffe in this instance is a ‘victim’ are both absurd when you consider the sum total of the comment i made which we are discussing,(Cunliffe Himself has admitted His actions were unwise),

                      The fact that you feel the need to equate your claims of victimization with that of questions that many rape victims have in the past had used as an accusation against them vis a vis clothing and then asked a question which in intent is actually an accusation masked as that question against me points in a direction that it is not me that would ever stoop to such victimization of the victims of such a horrible crime,

                      However, i for one cannot, in light of your casual linking of what i have said in the original comment being discussed here, find any justification what-so-ever for your USING rape victims in an attempt at petty point scoring,

                      David Cunliffe is not an innocent victim in light of the mistaken use of the trust used to collect donations, David Himself has said as much, in light of David having made the rod for His own back would we expect the ‘wing-nuts’ to do anything else but use it against Him,

                      Equating rape victims in anyway with my discussing this in light of Ad’s previous comment which i was replying to probably hs a twelve letter word which could be attached to it, i simply see it as bizarre…

              • bad12 …
                6 March 2014 at 9:23 am

                Fair enough Red, but,you like many make the mistake of taking a paragraph of what i wrote in total in that particular comment and then, in the point you are trying to make, come to the conclusion that i am buying into the narrative of the ‘right’ in their attacks upon Cunliffe,

                Read as a whole, the comment tho suggests that i do not buy into such a narrative at all and we still cannot escape the fact that the ammunition for this particular attack upon Cunliffe was of His own making,

                Hell i didn’t suffer a higher education, the 4th form, whatever that equates to in today’s modern lingo’ is as far as i got befor being shown the door,

                But, even i have a clear understanding of the rules, which to me simply say ”Declare everything you have received while an MP with a value of 500 bucks or more, and,declare everything with a value of 500 bucks or more that you hold an interest in”,

                To attempt to fudge,to attempt to interpret in any way, to make a judgement call on which rules apply is to simply hand the likes of Alfred E. Nuemann a whip which we all know He is more than happy to use,

                As Ad points out in the original comment to which i replied, it just makes the job of all those involved in the backroom activism when anyone in the Party’s of Opposition hands TV3’s Alfred E. Nuemann,(Gower), the means to whip up the storm…

  26. lprent 26
    6 March 2014 at 1:48 am

    Test leaving comment

  27. swordfish 27
    6 March 2014 at 2:22 am

    Testing yyy ttt iii. mmmmnmmmm

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    34 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 hour ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:01:20+00:00