Could the next airline flight you catch be piloted by an All Black?
You are not feeling well. And you need to see a medical professional about your health. Would you be happy to see a top flight netball player instead?
You are in trouble with the law. Would you choose to be represented by a squash player, even one with a newly minted honorary doctorate?
I didn’t think so.
Nobody would be criminally stupid enough to use sporting prowess as a measure of competency for the above roles.
But if, the airlines and health boards ditched their standard selection guidelines, for the revolutionary selection criteria used by Judith Collins, to select the Race Relations Commissioner……
Abandoning the written guidelines, a former All Black, and a net ball player, were Judith Collins first choices for the position of race relations Commissioner, before she settled on a well known squash player.
“He has vast experience in the law at a local and international level, years of community service and engagement with some of our more challenged communities, and a real desire to do the job.
All factors that seemed in accord with the written guidelines that are meant to govern the appointment. But Mr Lovegrove was told, five months after he applied for the position and had heard nothing, that he didn’t make the shortlist because there wasn’t one. Two weeks later he was told there was a shortlist but he didn’t get on it and despite repeated requests for some guidance as to why not he has heard nothing more……”
“…….All I wanted to know was what process was used to appoint Dame Susan Devoy who, by her own admission, was shoulder tapped for the job and never applied.
We also understand she was third choice behind former All Black Michael Jones and netballer Irene Van Dyk”.
Would you be happy to see a top flight netball player instead?
Only if she had a medical qualification – but I’d definitely let Bernice Mene teach my kids. Heck, I’d even elect a double national player to Parliament.
I’m highly critical of Devoy’s appointment, and I’m very suspicious of the fact that Michael Jones and Irene van Dyk were also offered it, but let’s not make this about “sports players are automatically idiots”, shall we?
Felix.
Apparently Susan Devoy has “a spine” So,if you have a spine you can expect a phone call from a ghost offering you a really good job. Brilliant,everybody should be employed very shortly. Really annoyed with devoy on Campbell Live with her snide arrogance saying that she did not know who rang her and shoulder tapped her. Following the party line of not knowing anything about anything but everything is “above board” Silly simpering woman!
Campbell Live should run a poll asking – whose identity do you think Susan Devoy is hiding when she said she did not know who rang her?
A. Her crony cabinet minister
B. The Prime Minister
C. Baldrick’s turnip
D. Her creative truth-telling telephone which rang itself
E. Her neighbour Tony who was had been talking to the responsible minister
Glad to see this waiter excelling in performing his duties, he should be commended for his actions. http://m.alcohol.org.nz/sites/default/files/useruploads/Resourcepdfs/Wheres_the_line.pdf
It’s illegal to serve alcohol to a person who is or has become intoxicated.
It’s also illegal to let an intoxicated person onto a licensed premise.
Finally, it is against the law to serve a patron in such as way that leads them to become intoxicated.
FYI….. Worth checking out RNZ Sunday this morning:
0840 Sandra Gray Dissent and Democracy and
10:06 Ideas: The Public Service – Past, Present and Future
The former – the obvious democracy deficit we’re in the middle of.
The latter – (In my view) the way in which corporatiation of the PS has simply meant PS Senior Managers and CEO’s operate with LESS accountability, and run their various depts as little feifdoms. The real Public Servants under those Snr Managers and CEOs do their work IN SPITE of their overlords rather than BECAUSE of their ‘leadership’ . We were promised the exact opposite.
“Can’t we have a “Labour representative” who actually says what the party thinks?”
Not sure I like our chances MS. It’ll probably come some time AFTER we get a “From the Left ….. and From the Right” on Nine to Noon, and a change to the FOX News approach on “The Panel”
What does “the party” think micky? IMHO this is the key problem, “the party” is dysfunctional serving itself to the detriment of its founding principles, it’s supporters and its members. What exactly do Labour stand for? How are its values expressed in its policies and how does being unthinking opposition constitute a political force worth supporting?
Saying that Labour doesn’t stand for anything burt just shows that you’re ignorant… However the issue here isn’t that Labour may or may not have an opinion, it’s that interested parties aren’t being giving the opportunity to express an opinion to counter the right wing theme that pervades programs like Q+A.
I was pretty disappointed with today’s lopsided program as well… Not only in terms of yet another puff piece for Peter Dunne, but also in terms of the criticism of bitcoins that was largely based on an inaccurate account from Kirk Hope.
The New Zealand Bankers’ Association CEO clearly has a vested interest in criticizing bitcoins, because the banks haven’t yet figured out how to take their pound of flesh. The panel didn’t question any of his claims, even though many of them were clearly false.
There’s relevant legislation here that should have been adhered to… Under the Broadcasting Act 1989 (PDF) there’s a responsibility of broadcasters to be fair, accurate and give people the opportunity to hear both sides of the story:
(d) the principle that when controversial issues of public importance are discussed, reasonable efforts are made, or reasonable opportunities are given, to present significant points of view either in the same programme or in other programmes within the period of current interest.
In my opinion, Q+A is a long way away from adhering to those rules. That doesn’t just make for biased broadcasting, it makes for boring broadcasting as well. Only a truly ignorant person could enjoy the dross that Susan Wood seems determined to serve up each weekend on Q+A.
But she does not criticise him for supporting asset sales.
In fact, she went so far as to praise him for always being above-board in how he voted on things.
I keep trying to get into watching Q&A regularly, as a politically-minded Kiwi, but inevitably I get 5 minutes in (or fast-forward to the panel and get 5 minutes into that) and have to bail out to save my brain from excess headdesking.
But mickysavage she’s photogenic, and has long black hair which looks good on the telly. That’s more important than what Labour Party members think!!! We’ve already seen what the TV media think of ordinary Labour Party members. In short, we don’t count.
Oh dear war is so costly. The citizens will just have to cut down on what they think of as necessities which are in fact luxuries, so that the machinery that protects our wonderful country and each cherished person within it, can keep functioning.
Better hide your turnips to ensure you last the winter folks.
Well it is Sunday TRP, someone gave me this DVD that was shot over 3 nights in Texas, and edited non chronologically. The other band members all have various costume changes but Keith Richards has the same satin shirt, jeans and boots on in every take.
it only has a couple of Steadman’s illustrations, but that makes finding the others that much more enjoyable, look for ‘Gonzo, The Art’ for the full collection
Housing New Zealand bids up price to purchase ahead of first home buyer.
And?
Labour Party spokesman on Housing Phil Twyford said, “It makes no sense for HNZ to be buying houses on the open market when they could be building new ones.
Actually, it does. They buy the house, knock it down and build apartments on the site.
Sean Bignell of Housing NZ said the housing agency was redeveloping sites around Auckland to build more houses on the land for state, social and private housing.
This makes me really angry.
The freaking Labour Party objecting to Housing NZ buying property to provide homes for the homeless and those in dire straits because home buyers might be adversely affected.
Not content with their policy of building 10,00 subsidised homes for the middle-class, Phil Twyford’s Labour Party is now actively oppsosing HNZ assistance for those whose housing needs are greatest. Fuck you Phil Twyford.
Housing NZ buying property to provide homes for the homeless and those in dire straits
Except the amount of state houses has dramatically declined under this National government. Between 2008 and 2011, the amount of vacant state houses increased by a whopping 471 and the overal state houses available declined by 171 in the same time period. 256 houses were demolished.
That makes your claim that HNZ is providing homes for the homeless and those in dire straits by outbidding a few first-home buyers at auctions entirely incorrect.
Labour Party is now actively oppsosing HNZ assistance for those whose housing needs are greatest. Fuck you Phil Twyford.
Labour has actually said that they will reverse National’s anti-state housing regime by increasing the amount of state houses that are available for people in need. That makes your statement entirely inaccurate just saying.
Except the amount of state houses has dramatically declined under this National government. Between 2008 and 2011, the amount of vacant state houses increased by a whopping 471 and the overal state houses available declined by 171 in the same time period. 256 houses were demolished.
Yup, and yet right now Labour is complaining about the help HNZ is attempting to provide to those with the greatest housing needs….
…….Which makes Labour’s so-called committment to increasing housing for those most in need pretty freaking dubious, in my humble opinion Jackal.
The only commitment Twyford was talking about today was Labour’s commitment to provide 10,000 subsidised homes for those that can afford them, and he talked about this commitment in the context of complaining about HNZ buying property to house the poor.
You’re comparing a single property with the 171 that National got rid of and saying that; “HNZ is attempting to provide to those with the greatest housing needs.” C’mon just saying, they aren’t proving shit to people in need, hence the 171 less state houses between 2008 and 2011.
The only commitment Twyford was talking about today was Labour’s commitment to provide 10,000 subsidised homes.
The number of state houses increased under the last Labour government. If reelected, the’ve also said they will increase the number of state houses over and above the 10,000 subsidized homes… Despite those facts you somehow think that National is more committed to helping people in need of a state house?
Phil Twyford’s Labour Party is now actively oppsosing HNZ assistance for those whose housing needs are greatest.
Which is complete bullshit! It’s even a bigger pile of bullshit when you understand that National is dismantling the state housing sector piece by piece.
I didn’t mention National at all. A criticism of a Labour MP is not an endorsement of the government.
You said that HNZ was:
Buying property to provide homes for the homeless and those in dire straits.
HNZ isn’t providing for people in need, because there are at least 171 less state houses available since 2008. National has instructed HNZ to reduce costs by having less state houses… Or do you think that HNZ somehow operates autonomously from the government just saying?
It could have been a property developer outbidding buyers, or an investment group, or even just a rich person who liked the light and the soil and decided to buy up the whole neighbourhood to build a giant silver-framed geodesic dome. And no-one would have complained. It would have been accepted as just the way things are. You got the money – you buy what you want, as long as its legal, and often even if its not if you’re rich enough.
The reason for the complaints, for the outrage, and the reason Twyford chimed in, in my opinion, is that the poor and downtrodden aren’t believed to deserve anything that anyone else wants. That’s the society we are now. I wasn’t talking about anything outside of this instance, this example of what I believe to be a fact of our communities now. And Labour’s endorsement of it.
Twyford wasn’t saying that the “poor and downtrodden” don’t deserve to be housed just saying, he’s merely disagreeing with the way HNZ is currently acquiring new housing stock.
There’s no doubt that increasing competition will, to a degree, push up prices and make rents even less affordable. How exactly is that going to help the majority of poor people find affordable housing?
With the number of vacant state houses increasing by at least 471 since National gained power, competing on the open market isn’t going to increase the amount of people in need of housing assistance acquiring it through the HNZ. In contrast, fixing those dilapidated state houses and building more would help.
Therefore the basis of your argument is entirely flawed just saying… Not that I expect you to admit it.
We’ve actually already had this debate QoT, and without getting into the nitty gritty may I just conclude that there’s lots of land available to build new houses on in New Zealand.
In fact there are easily enough bare sections in residentially zoned areas that the government already owns for Labour’s housing policy to be realized. The only issue is that there are no longer enough sections available in Auckland for people to live the half-acre section dream… They might have to compromise and have smaller sections.
Is that perhaps what you mean by available land not being infinite?
No, Jackal, I meant that land isn’t an infinite resource. Try reading things people write and not imposing your own presumptions on them for once, would you?
underreported struggles is a monthly posting by ahni at Intercontinental Cry that details indigenous struggles around the world. It is essential reading for those interested in human rights and shows the continued battles that indigenous people are engaged in to save their lands and themselves.
new barter currency
“Esquimalt First Nation, in an effort to reform the monetary system, unveiled a new barter currency on their territory known as Tetlas. Similar to a gift certificate, the Tetla was developed by the organization Tetla Tsetsuwatil to assist economic development in the S’amuna’ Nation and other native nations, and to encourage trade with non-natives and among non-natives. So far, 35 businesses have signed on to the Tetla system, but wit the constant problems first Nations have with the Canadian economy, you can be sure there will be more.”
opposing mining
“In northern Chile, Environmental groups and indigenous Diaguita communities celebrated a court decision to suspend the controversial Pascua Lama mine owned by the world’s largest gold mining company, Barrick gold. The court suspension was in response to a legal action that was brought forth by the affected indigenous communities who warned that the mine threatens their water supply and several local glaciers. Lorenzo Soto, a lawyer representing the Diaguita, said the suspension will remain in effect until the company addresses the pollution issue and properly consults the indigenous peoples.”
just two examples from many which show the interconnectedness of our struggles
barter currency
No country will agree to ignore widespread bartering with or without cash exchange. Sooner or later there will have to be some declaration of revenue equivalence gained through bartering and something to be paid to the tax department.
Perhaps although I’m not totally convinced. I’m a member of HANDS (How about a no money system) which although small and humble is working and there is no tax issue there, but I’m sure if it got big enough they would send the men in black around.
as they say from the link, “Simply by keeping track of who receives what from whom we can dispense with the ancient idea of exchange media and the apparatus required to manage them. This helps us focus on providing and requesting what is really needed instead of chasing after money. It creates an environment of openness and transparency; it promotes equality, fairness and balance; it builds community and helps us respect our environment and appreciate the limits of our finite world.”
Good luck with that marty mars. For success it requires commitment of all members to the system with provision and purchase following each other at regular intervals.
Does anybody know anything about this and/or the effect that NZ Power or the MRP float might have on this on this market?
from the Electricity Authority:
In late 2011, new market-maker arrangements for New Zealand electricity futures trading were adopted by the ASX and the large generators. These arrangements sharply reduced the bid-ask spreads for futures contracts and substantially boosted trading volumes, providing the foundation for an increasingly active hedge market, which other parties, such as financial institutions, are expected to enter over time.
it’ll probably depress activity in this hedge market as NZ Power will significantly improve price predictability and stability. However, although their use in financialised market games will reduce, hedges will still be used for protection against the results of unexpected climate or severe events (i.e what they are designed for).
Though it’s from Wednesday, a few quotes from Pope Francis at Mass 1 May – the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, prompted also by the Bangladesh killing of over 400 workers:
A society that “does not pay a just wage”, that “does not give work” to people; a society that only looks to its balance books, that only seeks profit” is unjust and goes against God.
“Not paying a just wage, not providing work, focussing exclusively on balancing the books, only looking at making personal profit. That goes against God! The headline that impacted me so much concerning the Bangladesh tragedy, ‘Living on 38 Euros a month’: this was the payment of these people who have died … And this is called slave labour. And today there is slavery that is made with the most beautiful gift that God has given to human-kind: the ability to create, to work, to be the makers of our own dignity. How many brothers and sisters throughout the world are in t his situation because of these, economic, social, political attitudes and so on…”
“The human person is more important than the brick. If people are less important than the things that give profit to those who have political, social, economic power, what point have we come to? To the point that we are nota ware of the dignity of the person and the dignity of labour. May the figures of St Joseph and especially of Jesus, of ‘God who works” – be our model – for they teach us the way forward, through dignity.”
“The human person is more important than the brick.”
Not by much. The human person is considered to have rights, but the brick isn’t.
person:
A man considered according to the rank he holds in society, with all the rights to which the place he holds entitles him, and the duties which it imposes. 1 Bouv. Inst. no. 137. A human being considered as capable of having rights and or being charged with duties, while a “thing” is the object over which rights may be exercised. (Black’s 2nd (1910))
Man is subject to the law of his creator/creators. Law is consistent with reason, opinions about law can be wrong, especially when they are based on faith in an assumed authority.
John Key’s plan to prostrate the country before the oil industry causes disquiet, even in National’s true blue heartland.
Even in a true blue country area, in what should have been the bosom of his support. Farmers tell Key that the oil companies have too much power.
Just like a Mafia Capo addressing the ‘Made Men’ of the Gambino Family. Key demands that fealty must be paid towards the local Mafia Don. “it was in everyone’s interest” to be “respectful” to the oil companies, he said.
Farm owner Graham Robinson said he had experience of oil wells on his own land, and exploration companies could drill wherever they wanted – pointing to the land near his house.
“At the end of the day, they have got too much power,” Mr Robinson said.
Mr Key said the value of the industry to the country meant it was in everyone’s interest to form a respectful partnership with the exploration companies.
However, he promised to raise their concerns with Energy Minister Simon Bridges.
Another farmer alleged some companies were pitting farmers against one another in a bidding war and taking the lowest deal.
One company went so far as buying a farm because it was unable to get an agreement “so they have got the upper hand”.
A woman told Mr Key the money paid to farmers was widely variable. She knew of farmers paid $4000 plus compensation for the loss of productive land while others were paid $200,000 plus compensation.
Wash your load promptly and return on-line with the programme
(glanced at The Witches of Oz, yet Emeralds not fine stone)
did have the money, apprenticeship afternoons, Ruby Tuesdays
“please send me evenings and weekends, please send me evenings and weekends,
your kiss so sweet, your sweat so sour” Gladys, “Little Miss S. in a mini-dress
living it up to die (New Bohemians)
in a blink of the Public Eye”.
“We, we’re a part of your Circle of Friends
and we notice you don’t come around
We, we think it all depends
on you
Touching ground with us.
And NBR thinks Williamson will be a challenger to Brown because..
He says [Dick Quax] Mr Williamson doesn’t carry as much “baggage” as Mr Banks in the eyes of voters, particularly those in area outside the old Auckland City Council.
Going to be interesting to see who actually steps up, I think Maurice will fold his tent. 26 years in Wellington and what’s your biggest achievement? Leaky buildings. Thanks Maurice
Sometimes amongst the crap there are illustrations of kindness and good people. This compilation of positive russian dash cams bought a wee tear to my eye and reminded me that there are lots and lots of kind, good people out there everywhere.
The ‘Open Letter’ to Solicitor-General Michael Heron, requesting Crown Law to intervene and take over the prosecution of John Archibald Banks for alleged electoral fraud is available here:
The evidence that John Banks has been summonsed to attend the Auckland District Court (first appearance) on Wednesday 8 May 2013 (at 9am) is available here:
When is Prime Minister John Key going to stand down John Banks as Minister of Regulatory Reform, Minister of Small Business, Associate Minister of Education and Associate Minister of Commerce?
If National MP Aaron Gilmore is regarded as not being ‘fit for duty’ – what about Minister John Banks who is facing COURT proceedings, and will exit stage left (errr right?) immediately from the House if convicted?
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Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
Could the next airline flight you catch be piloted by an All Black?
You are not feeling well. And you need to see a medical professional about your health. Would you be happy to see a top flight netball player instead?
You are in trouble with the law. Would you choose to be represented by a squash player, even one with a newly minted honorary doctorate?
I didn’t think so.
Nobody would be criminally stupid enough to use sporting prowess as a measure of competency for the above roles.
But if, the airlines and health boards ditched their standard selection guidelines, for the revolutionary selection criteria used by Judith Collins, to select the Race Relations Commissioner……
Abandoning the written guidelines, a former All Black, and a net ball player, were Judith Collins first choices for the position of race relations Commissioner, before she settled on a well known squash player.
Good On Sean Plunket for tackling the refusal to be accountable.
Maybe RNZ could learn from him.
Very disturbing indeed!
talking of ‘disgusting’
let the children eat grass signs off the New Zealand Ministry of Health.
Could the next airline flight you catch be piloted by an All Black?
It’s not impossible.
Would you be happy to see a top flight netball player instead?
Only if she had a medical qualification – but I’d definitely let Bernice Mene teach my kids. Heck, I’d even elect a double national player to Parliament.
I’m highly critical of Devoy’s appointment, and I’m very suspicious of the fact that Michael Jones and Irene van Dyk were also offered it, but let’s not make this about “sports players are automatically idiots”, shall we?
Yeah, the correct question is: Why does the Govt think being a sports celebrity is a relevant qualification?
And note it’s celebrity sportspeople they’re headhunting.
Felix.
Apparently Susan Devoy has “a spine” So,if you have a spine you can expect a phone call from a ghost offering you a really good job. Brilliant,everybody should be employed very shortly. Really annoyed with devoy on Campbell Live with her snide arrogance saying that she did not know who rang her and shoulder tapped her. Following the party line of not knowing anything about anything but everything is “above board” Silly simpering woman!
Campbell Live should run a poll asking – whose identity do you think Susan Devoy is hiding when she said she did not know who rang her?
A. Her crony cabinet minister
B. The Prime Minister
C. Baldrick’s turnip
D. Her creative truth-telling telephone which rang itself
E. Her neighbour Tony who was had been talking to the responsible minister
Agreed Alanz. If someone called you to offer you a job and you did not know who, would you not find out who?
This fact alone makes her too stupid for most jobs, let alone something this sensitive.
God, I bet she’d fall for “I am calling from your computer support department, please turn on your computer so I can debug it” scams too.
Good skit on this on Down the List this morning.
“Tosser” can now be added to the various words recently used to describe Aaron “Happy” Gilmore …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10881590
Yes those higher standards the Nats bleat on about look very lofty and moral in action.
Glad to see this waiter excelling in performing his duties, he should be commended for his actions.
http://m.alcohol.org.nz/sites/default/files/useruploads/Resourcepdfs/Wheres_the_line.pdf
It’s illegal to serve alcohol to a person who is or has become intoxicated.
It’s also illegal to let an intoxicated person onto a licensed premise.
Finally, it is against the law to serve a patron in such as way that leads them to become intoxicated.
http://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/alcohol/law-and-penalities
FYI….. Worth checking out RNZ Sunday this morning:
0840 Sandra Gray Dissent and Democracy and
10:06 Ideas: The Public Service – Past, Present and Future
The former – the obvious democracy deficit we’re in the middle of.
The latter – (In my view) the way in which corporatiation of the PS has simply meant PS Senior Managers and CEO’s operate with LESS accountability, and run their various depts as little feifdoms. The real Public Servants under those Snr Managers and CEOs do their work IN SPITE of their overlords rather than BECAUSE of their ‘leadership’ . We were promised the exact opposite.
We should exhort John Key to please, please keep Aaron Gilmore on, at least for the next 18 months.
Yes yes yes
There is yet some more stuff to come out …..
Help Josie Pagani on Q&A just praised Peter Dunne and in particular his stance on paid parental leave and mondayising of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day.
But she does not criticise him for supporting asset sales.
Can’t we have a “Labour representative” who actually says what the party thinks?
“Can’t we have a “Labour representative” who actually says what the party thinks?”
Not sure I like our chances MS. It’ll probably come some time AFTER we get a “From the Left ….. and From the Right” on Nine to Noon, and a change to the FOX News approach on “The Panel”
What does “the party” think micky? IMHO this is the key problem, “the party” is dysfunctional serving itself to the detriment of its founding principles, it’s supporters and its members. What exactly do Labour stand for? How are its values expressed in its policies and how does being unthinking opposition constitute a political force worth supporting?
Saying that Labour doesn’t stand for anything burt just shows that you’re ignorant… However the issue here isn’t that Labour may or may not have an opinion, it’s that interested parties aren’t being giving the opportunity to express an opinion to counter the right wing theme that pervades programs like Q+A.
I was pretty disappointed with today’s lopsided program as well… Not only in terms of yet another puff piece for Peter Dunne, but also in terms of the criticism of bitcoins that was largely based on an inaccurate account from Kirk Hope.
The New Zealand Bankers’ Association CEO clearly has a vested interest in criticizing bitcoins, because the banks haven’t yet figured out how to take their pound of flesh. The panel didn’t question any of his claims, even though many of them were clearly false.
There’s relevant legislation here that should have been adhered to… Under the Broadcasting Act 1989 (PDF) there’s a responsibility of broadcasters to be fair, accurate and give people the opportunity to hear both sides of the story:
In my opinion, Q+A is a long way away from adhering to those rules. That doesn’t just make for biased broadcasting, it makes for boring broadcasting as well. Only a truly ignorant person could enjoy the dross that Susan Wood seems determined to serve up each weekend on Q+A.
coloured blue this morning Jackal
But she does not criticise him for supporting asset sales.
In fact, she went so far as to praise him for always being above-board in how he voted on things.
I keep trying to get into watching Q&A regularly, as a politically-minded Kiwi, but inevitably I get 5 minutes in (or fast-forward to the panel and get 5 minutes into that) and have to bail out to save my brain from excess headdesking.
refrain from damage to that unique brain Queen. stick with the agave, thats the only blue you need to rest your eyes.
Now you’re speaking my language.
But mickysavage she’s photogenic, and has long black hair which looks good on the telly. That’s more important than what Labour Party members think!!! We’ve already seen what the TV media think of ordinary Labour Party members. In short, we don’t count.
Captain Adder says you do count and what we he do without cannon fodder to send over the top ?
well, the yanks might need more turnips to process into biofuel;
The US War Machine over a Barrel
Oh dear war is so costly. The citizens will just have to cut down on what they think of as necessities which are in fact luxuries, so that the machinery that protects our wonderful country and each cherished person within it, can keep functioning.
Better hide your turnips to ensure you last the winter folks.
20 minutes to the Kentucky Derby, folks. Here’s an appropriate song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS_yyRk_dj8
Well it is Sunday TRP, someone gave me this DVD that was shot over 3 nights in Texas, and edited non chronologically. The other band members all have various costume changes but Keith Richards has the same satin shirt, jeans and boots on in every take.
Kentucky Derby yee haa!
I’m a little concerned that Jagger appears to have a vegetable stuffed in his trousers. Very Spinal Tap!
Riding through dustlands and barren wastes
great horse races often inspire great stories, this is one of them
http://brianb.freeshell.org/a/kddd.pdf
it only has a couple of Steadman’s illustrations, but that makes finding the others that much more enjoyable, look for ‘Gonzo, The Art’ for the full collection
from the other side of the oasis
a memorable Vigjam
I bought a steadman piece not too long ago. An original from the fear and loathing collection
Housing New Zealand bids up price to purchase ahead of first home buyer. So, where’s ma house?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10881566
And?
Actually, it does. They buy the house, knock it down and build apartments on the site.
Which seems to be HNZs plan.
This makes me really angry.
The freaking Labour Party objecting to Housing NZ buying property to provide homes for the homeless and those in dire straits because home buyers might be adversely affected.
Not content with their policy of building 10,00 subsidised homes for the middle-class, Phil Twyford’s Labour Party is now actively oppsosing HNZ assistance for those whose housing needs are greatest. Fuck you Phil Twyford.
just saying
Except the amount of state houses has dramatically declined under this National government. Between 2008 and 2011, the amount of vacant state houses increased by a whopping 471 and the overal state houses available declined by 171 in the same time period. 256 houses were demolished.
That makes your claim that HNZ is providing homes for the homeless and those in dire straits by outbidding a few first-home buyers at auctions entirely incorrect.
Labour has actually said that they will reverse National’s anti-state housing regime by increasing the amount of state houses that are available for people in need. That makes your statement entirely inaccurate just saying.
Except the amount of state houses has dramatically declined under this National government. Between 2008 and 2011, the amount of vacant state houses increased by a whopping 471 and the overal state houses available declined by 171 in the same time period. 256 houses were demolished.
Yup, and yet right now Labour is complaining about the help HNZ is attempting to provide to those with the greatest housing needs….
…….Which makes Labour’s so-called committment to increasing housing for those most in need pretty freaking dubious, in my humble opinion Jackal.
The only commitment Twyford was talking about today was Labour’s commitment to provide 10,000 subsidised homes for those that can afford them, and he talked about this commitment in the context of complaining about HNZ buying property to house the poor.
You’re comparing a single property with the 171 that National got rid of and saying that; “HNZ is attempting to provide to those with the greatest housing needs.” C’mon just saying, they aren’t proving shit to people in need, hence the 171 less state houses between 2008 and 2011.
The number of state houses increased under the last Labour government. If reelected, the’ve also said they will increase the number of state houses over and above the 10,000 subsidized homes… Despite those facts you somehow think that National is more committed to helping people in need of a state house?
Jackal, when did I say that “National is more committed to helping people in need of a state house”?
I didn’t mention National at all. A criticism of a Labour MP is not an endorsement of the government.
What you actually said was:
Which is complete bullshit! It’s even a bigger pile of bullshit when you understand that National is dismantling the state housing sector piece by piece.
You said that HNZ was:
HNZ isn’t providing for people in need, because there are at least 171 less state houses available since 2008. National has instructed HNZ to reduce costs by having less state houses… Or do you think that HNZ somehow operates autonomously from the government just saying?
Don’t you get it Jackal?
It could have been a property developer outbidding buyers, or an investment group, or even just a rich person who liked the light and the soil and decided to buy up the whole neighbourhood to build a giant silver-framed geodesic dome. And no-one would have complained. It would have been accepted as just the way things are. You got the money – you buy what you want, as long as its legal, and often even if its not if you’re rich enough.
The reason for the complaints, for the outrage, and the reason Twyford chimed in, in my opinion, is that the poor and downtrodden aren’t believed to deserve anything that anyone else wants. That’s the society we are now. I wasn’t talking about anything outside of this instance, this example of what I believe to be a fact of our communities now. And Labour’s endorsement of it.
Twyford wasn’t saying that the “poor and downtrodden” don’t deserve to be housed just saying, he’s merely disagreeing with the way HNZ is currently acquiring new housing stock.
There’s no doubt that increasing competition will, to a degree, push up prices and make rents even less affordable. How exactly is that going to help the majority of poor people find affordable housing?
With the number of vacant state houses increasing by at least 471 since National gained power, competing on the open market isn’t going to increase the amount of people in need of housing assistance acquiring it through the HNZ. In contrast, fixing those dilapidated state houses and building more would help.
Therefore the basis of your argument is entirely flawed just saying… Not that I expect you to admit it.
Sounds like a cunning plan Baldrick.
This just in, Twyford: land available to build on isn’t an infinite resource.
We’ve actually already had this debate QoT, and without getting into the nitty gritty may I just conclude that there’s lots of land available to build new houses on in New Zealand.
In fact there are easily enough bare sections in residentially zoned areas that the government already owns for Labour’s housing policy to be realized. The only issue is that there are no longer enough sections available in Auckland for people to live the half-acre section dream… They might have to compromise and have smaller sections.
Is that perhaps what you mean by available land not being infinite?
No, Jackal, I meant that land isn’t an infinite resource. Try reading things people write and not imposing your own presumptions on them for once, would you?
lolz…sometimes it’s the simplicity which stumps them.
underreported struggles is a monthly posting by ahni at Intercontinental Cry that details indigenous struggles around the world. It is essential reading for those interested in human rights and shows the continued battles that indigenous people are engaged in to save their lands and themselves.
new barter currency
“Esquimalt First Nation, in an effort to reform the monetary system, unveiled a new barter currency on their territory known as Tetlas. Similar to a gift certificate, the Tetla was developed by the organization Tetla Tsetsuwatil to assist economic development in the S’amuna’ Nation and other native nations, and to encourage trade with non-natives and among non-natives. So far, 35 businesses have signed on to the Tetla system, but wit the constant problems first Nations have with the Canadian economy, you can be sure there will be more.”
opposing mining
“In northern Chile, Environmental groups and indigenous Diaguita communities celebrated a court decision to suspend the controversial Pascua Lama mine owned by the world’s largest gold mining company, Barrick gold. The court suspension was in response to a legal action that was brought forth by the affected indigenous communities who warned that the mine threatens their water supply and several local glaciers. Lorenzo Soto, a lawyer representing the Diaguita, said the suspension will remain in effect until the company addresses the pollution issue and properly consults the indigenous peoples.”
just two examples from many which show the interconnectedness of our struggles
http://intercontinentalcry.org/underreported-struggles-73-april-2013-19405/
barter currency
No country will agree to ignore widespread bartering with or without cash exchange. Sooner or later there will have to be some declaration of revenue equivalence gained through bartering and something to be paid to the tax department.
Perhaps although I’m not totally convinced. I’m a member of HANDS (How about a no money system) which although small and humble is working and there is no tax issue there, but I’m sure if it got big enough they would send the men in black around.
https://www.community-exchange.org/
as they say from the link, “Simply by keeping track of who receives what from whom we can dispense with the ancient idea of exchange media and the apparatus required to manage them. This helps us focus on providing and requesting what is really needed instead of chasing after money. It creates an environment of openness and transparency; it promotes equality, fairness and balance; it builds community and helps us respect our environment and appreciate the limits of our finite world.”
Good luck with that marty mars. For success it requires commitment of all members to the system with provision and purchase following each other at regular intervals.
Thanks prism – the best thing about HANDS is that it works best with transactions not accumulation.
Does anybody know anything about this and/or the effect that NZ Power or the MRP float might have on this on this market?
from the Electricity Authority:
In late 2011, new market-maker arrangements for New Zealand electricity futures trading were adopted by the ASX and the large generators. These arrangements sharply reduced the bid-ask spreads for futures contracts and substantially boosted trading volumes, providing the foundation for an increasingly active hedge market, which other parties, such as financial institutions, are expected to enter over time.
http://www.ea.govt.nz/dmsdocument/12292
it’ll probably depress activity in this hedge market as NZ Power will significantly improve price predictability and stability. However, although their use in financialised market games will reduce, hedges will still be used for protection against the results of unexpected climate or severe events (i.e what they are designed for).
Though it’s from Wednesday, a few quotes from Pope Francis at Mass 1 May – the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, prompted also by the Bangladesh killing of over 400 workers:
A society that “does not pay a just wage”, that “does not give work” to people; a society that only looks to its balance books, that only seeks profit” is unjust and goes against God.
“Not paying a just wage, not providing work, focussing exclusively on balancing the books, only looking at making personal profit. That goes against God! The headline that impacted me so much concerning the Bangladesh tragedy, ‘Living on 38 Euros a month’: this was the payment of these people who have died … And this is called slave labour. And today there is slavery that is made with the most beautiful gift that God has given to human-kind: the ability to create, to work, to be the makers of our own dignity. How many brothers and sisters throughout the world are in t his situation because of these, economic, social, political attitudes and so on…”
“The human person is more important than the brick. If people are less important than the things that give profit to those who have political, social, economic power, what point have we come to? To the point that we are nota ware of the dignity of the person and the dignity of labour. May the figures of St Joseph and especially of Jesus, of ‘God who works” – be our model – for they teach us the way forward, through dignity.”
Good to hear the Pope on Mayday.
Beautiful Ad : I humbly wager a Young Man leaps to conclude their second entry of influence in temporal affairs.
“The human person is more important than the brick.”
Not by much. The human person is considered to have rights, but the brick isn’t.
person:
A man considered according to the rank he holds in society, with all the rights to which the place he holds entitles him, and the duties which it imposes. 1 Bouv. Inst. no. 137. A human being considered as capable of having rights and or being charged with duties, while a “thing” is the object over which rights may be exercised. (Black’s 2nd (1910))
man is subject to law, but not defined by law.
Man is subject to the law of his creator/creators. Law is consistent with reason, opinions about law can be wrong, especially when they are based on faith in an assumed authority.
Deep and meaningless.
What it means is that the state is lying to you about the basics.
Then
May indigestion rack their chests
And ants invade their pants and vests.
For rugged rhymes Arfamo quests
And brings bon mots back to the nest.
hidden talents to check
Kind thoughts and support to Georgina Beyer!
A courageous woman, and one who knew when the careerist bullshitters were in ascendancy.
Pushing shit uphill was never her style.
John Key’s plan to prostrate the country before the oil industry causes disquiet, even in National’s true blue heartland.
Even in a true blue country area, in what should have been the bosom of his support. Farmers tell Key that the oil companies have too much power.
Just like a Mafia Capo addressing the ‘Made Men’ of the Gambino Family. Key demands that fealty must be paid towards the local Mafia Don. “it was in everyone’s interest” to be “respectful” to the oil companies, he said.
Surprise surprise.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/05/04/1000-attend-anti-Semitic-rally-in-Budapest/UPI-35021367695435/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jan/27/ukip-far-right
hard case joe, i read that Hungary article this morning and left it ’til they rally the followers a bit more.
To whom the memory remains,
(some Godley, some Cremesome Art, some Noise)
Wash your load promptly and return on-line with the programme
(glanced at The Witches of Oz, yet Emeralds not fine stone)
did have the money, apprenticeship afternoons, Ruby Tuesdays
“please send me evenings and weekends, please send me evenings and weekends,
your kiss so sweet, your sweat so sour” Gladys, “Little Miss S. in a mini-dress
living it up to die (New Bohemians)
in a blink of the Public Eye”.
“We, we’re a part of your Circle of Friends
and we notice you don’t come around
We, we think it all depends
on you
Touching ground with us.
–Spaceman
Auckland Mayor Len Brown has a serious challenger on his hands.
Millionaire businessman John Palino has thrown his hat in the ring for the mayoralty and says the campaign could cost around a million dollars.
He says Len Brown’s policies have driven him to enter politics.
Who?? Going to cost more than a million buddy, your name recognition is non existent.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10881643
And NBR thinks Williamson will be a challenger to Brown because..
He says [Dick Quax] Mr Williamson doesn’t carry as much “baggage” as Mr Banks in the eyes of voters, particularly those in area outside the old Auckland City Council.
Note to Mr Quax – you aint helping.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/why-len-brown-should-fear-%E2%80%98mayor-mo-nk-p-139536
Going to be interesting to see who actually steps up, I think Maurice will fold his tent. 26 years in Wellington and what’s your biggest achievement? Leaky buildings. Thanks Maurice
Sometimes amongst the crap there are illustrations of kindness and good people. This compilation of positive russian dash cams bought a wee tear to my eye and reminded me that there are lots and lots of kind, good people out there everywhere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzBInt4zljQ
Would we stop our personal transportation device and help an elder across the road?
FYI folks! 🙂
The ‘Open Letter’ to Solicitor-General Michael Heron, requesting Crown Law to intervene and take over the prosecution of John Archibald Banks for alleged electoral fraud is available here:
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/
The evidence that John Banks has been summonsed to attend the Auckland District Court (first appearance) on Wednesday 8 May 2013 (at 9am) is available here:
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/JOHN-BANKS-Applicatio-Media-coverage-Banks-8-May-2013.pdf
This has been a LONG time coming………..
When is Prime Minister John Key going to stand down John Banks as Minister of Regulatory Reform, Minister of Small Business, Associate Minister of Education and Associate Minister of Commerce?
If National MP Aaron Gilmore is regarded as not being ‘fit for duty’ – what about Minister John Banks who is facing COURT proceedings, and will exit stage left (errr right?) immediately from the House if convicted?
Seriously?
Where’s the FUSS about John Banks?
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
(Further background on attempts to get ‘one law for all’ to apply to ACT Leader, MP for Epsom John Banks is available here:
http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz
Banks attending court, away from work, on Ministerial salary and still getting paid during his absence. Thanks, taxpayers!