Or bias items as on TV One last night when they reported the protest at parliament about responding and increasing the refugee quota. Completely ommitted the point the protesters were making that John Key’s mother was a refugee fleeing Nazi
Germany, but despite this he is so so callous he can’t offer the same opportunity to others in a terrible plight. Its a shame TV NZ didn’t mention that because I think this sums JK up perfectly.
Ownership of at least 30 to 40 per cent of New Zealand’s biggest meat processor, Silver Fern Farms, looks set to pass to Chinese interests in a $100-million deal, say sources.
They said an announcement was due next week, possibly as soon as Monday.
Silver Fern last year enlisted the services of Goldman Sachs to advise on its options as it looked at raising $100 million to retire debt.
The company, which is a “hybrid” cooperative owned by farmers and outside shareholders, has been holding meetings with farmers on the condition that they sign confidentiality agreements.
The company has already made big inroads into its debt.
“They [Silver Fern] are going to be as strong as any other company in the industry, so why put the ownership of the company at risk?” said Richardson. “That discussion [with Alliance] needed to take place – unfortunately it has not.”
Richardson said the transaction would have ramifications for Alliance and all the other meat companies.
Silver Fern and Invercargill’s Alliance Group are together responsible for processing just over half New Zealand’s meat production.
The National government should change our silver fern to red.
Personally whether it is the Chinese, Koreans, Australians, Canadians or whoever, Kiwis are fast becoming tenants and future serfs of our own country by selling off cheaply our land and businesses.
Because of low wages, poor financial management of executives, cronyism within those executives, Government strategic direction of privatisation, Kiwis are unable to compete with the vast wealth of overseas buyers.
Like the 1980’s which most Kiwis know was a big mistake and a few individuals got extremely rich while the country got poorer, this is even worse times.
Now they are also hell bent on destroying the heart of rural NZ, farms and exports.
Under TPPA and associated agreements the public sector.
It’s all right. The Prime Minister has got your back…
Prime Minister John Key says he doesn’t want New Zealanders to become tenants in their own country as foreign companies seek to buy up farms, and the Government may look at law changes.
…. oops that was 2010 He’s managed to sort his ethical hiccup since then.
yup – I think that’s right. Google didn’t instantly show a later furrowed brow comment from him so he must be have been quite comfortable with it since then.
He and his party colluded with the speaker to avoid the question –
ANDREW LITTLE to the Associate Minister of Finance: Does she stand by the Prime Minister’s statement that “I’d hate to see New Zealanders as tenants in their own country”; if so, how many applications by overseas investors to buy land were declined under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 between January 2012 and June 2015?
ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition): I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This question was originally set down for the Prime Minister, and I therefore seek leave for the House to have the question transferred back to the Prime Minister.
Mr SPEAKER : Order! No. I refer the member to Speaker’s ruling 169/5. I am not prepared to put the leave. It is the prerogative of the Government to decide whom the question goes to. It has made that decision. If the member wants to continue asking it as it is on the Order Paper, he can do so.
Personally whether it is the Chinese, Koreans, Australians, Canadians or whoever, Kiwis are fast becoming tenants and future serfs of our own country by selling off cheaply our land and businesses.
And John Key’s here to help facilitate that. It’s the inevitable end result of capitalism.
Like the 1980’s which most Kiwis know was a big mistake and a few individuals got extremely rich while the country got poorer, this is even worse times.
IMO, a lot of us who lived through those times recognise that Nationals policies are a continuation of the 1980s. Even the 5th Labour government was. And, yeah, we’re becoming worse off because of it.
Creative people are also usually working in a field they love. They are generally more motivated by a love of what they do, rather than money.
Which is, IMO, how uncreative people become rich while the creative people remain poor. The rich exploit other peoples desire to do and be creative to increase their own wealth while themselves not anything of any real value.
I keep getting a; cannot find BBC server, message when I try the above link (actually, even when I google BBC too).
But yeah, I have to agree with your conclusion – particularly within the music industry. That said, some rich people got that way by being very creative with their accounting and use of tax-havens.
NZ the turn of the century – the visible grandees of the National Party IMPORTED the foreign bankster The Ponce Key for THE PURPOSE of winning and retaining POWER.
Not missing a bankster beat The Ponce Key set about THE PURPOSE under the seductive cover of “Key Aura….fancy a beer ?”
NZ 15 years on – THE PURPOSE well achieved dues are to be paid.
I have found that there is another ant the Stinging Needle Ant that is worse than Argentinian ants and is taking over their territory. It also eats other ants and stings people. The USA haven’t done a good job of keeping track of this invader, long in the country, and in the recent decade it has exploded in numbers. People haven’t known anything about them till recently.
Then there is the ‘crazy ant’ named in the USA the Tawny Crazy Ant. That has overtaken the fire ant in some places. They will also overtake the Argentinian ant. The list of incursions of ants from the south into the USA is sobering. We have to be aware of the power of ants and ways of controlling and managing them when they come to our shores and climate change gives them breeding boosts. http://news.utexas.edu/2013/05/16/invasive-crazy-ants-are-displacing-fire-ants-researchers-find
The Tawny crazy ant invasion is the most recent in a series of ant invasions from South America brought on by human movement. The Argentine ant invaded through the port of New Orleans in about 1891. In 1918 the black imported fire ant showed up in Mobile, Ala. Then in the 1930s, the red imported fire ant arrived in the U.S. and began displacing the black fire ant and the Argentine ants…
LeBrun said crazy ants are much harder to control than fire ants. They don’t consume most of the poison baits that kill fire ant mounds, and they don’t have the same kinds of colony boundaries that fire ants do. That means that even if they’re killed in a certain area, the supercolony survives and can swarm back over the area.
“They don’t sting like fire ants do, but aside from that they are much bigger pests,” he said. “There are videos on YouTube of people sweeping out dustpans full of these ants from their bathroom. You have to call pest control operators every three or four months just to keep the infestation under control. It’s very expensive.”
There is something called Time Banking that an interviewee is discussing with Kim Hill that sounds interesting and would be worth a listen but I have to do things while there is some sun outside. So will catch up on it later and here’s the link for others curious and interested.
Radionz
9.35 Edgar Cahn: time banking
Professor Edgar S. Cahn was former counsel and speech writer to Robert F. Kennedy, and is a legal professor at the University of the District of Columbia. He is best known as the originator of time banking, a way to value the contributions that people make to rebuilding community and to ‘co-producing’ public services. He spoke on 3 September in Christchurch as a guest of the Lyttelton Harbour TimeBank, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
Lyttelton is one of the first timebanks in NZ. The key thing about timebanks that’s different from alternative money systems is that everyone’s skills and time are valued equally. The unit of exchange is time (usually an hour, but can be broken down into smaller blocks), and a lawyers time is worth exactly the same as a gardeners, 1 hour = 1 hour.
You don’t swap directly, but instead pay into or withdraw from bank accounts. If I do an hours gardening for you, then you pay 1 hour from your account into mine. If you then do 3 hours lawyering for someone else, you pay 3 hours into their account. Simple and sweet.
It sounds like Green $ which I have been involved in. I found that had certain problems so time banking might be more straightforward. It is as you say a needed practice. I want to see volunteer work of an agreed type to be regarded as equivalent to some paid work. Labour has done this in the past. That can then apply to young people, and also those below retirement age, which shouldn’t be raised by the way! It would take pressure off the young and allow more flexibility in their lives and training, and work experience.
I hope too that soon governments will require all able retired, and even some of the differently-abled to do a few hours at least, working for the community in some capacity agreed with the government. I am sure that retired people are going to have to advocate for themselves as the pension cost (superannuation) gets more expensive and we use more of the health budget. We can put work into the community that provides us with most or all of our living expenses, and feel justified in saying we are contributing to society, not just expensive dependents, sighed about by economists as an unsustainable burden. Which is what is happening! And the present approach is truly unsustainable.
The answer to retirement living costs will never be that to solve it people need to save for their retirement. You cannot save enough to enable yourself to live for a third of your life on your investments. And savings in investments can be lost completely when companies go down, fraudsters use your money for risk-taking, high-living etc. It is inevitable that a lot of money sitting unused and meant to be accumulating, will tempt people in our present money-mad society with lack of morals. Having money today is all that many people aim for, all they respect, being a person of integrity doesn’t stack up.
How can we retired justify ourselves being kept on what is an extended holiday, for as much as a third of our life. We are getting to be like the cuckoos who lay their eggs mainly in greywarblers nests. (A fascinating study of how this practice has evolved and carried out on Radionz recently.)
Superannuation (old age pension) expense is measured and it is rising. It is argued that sentimentality towards older people should ensure it is maintained, as sweet gratitude for all we have done in society before retirement. That’s very sentimental, not appropriate on being deserving because our pension system doesn’t discriminate as to past behaviour and morals but is universal, and it is unrealistic. Gratitude is nice but actual money and services for living are needed.
I can’t understand how mature people can continue to set themselves up as exceptional to be recipients of benefits, but ignore the plight of the young. We hear the statistics about growing numbers, and constantly more reaching 100, though the risk of alzheimers gets very high after 80, yet the response is to just to give donations to the alzheimer trust.
Even with a system of required volunteer work, there will be a huge cost, but the value of the work may be such that the economy can bear the cost and thrive. But there needs to be urgent action. The tide of refugees overseas is overwhelming the systems requiring thought and action. There is a tide of retired people coming through and our pollies are trying to surf on the tops of the political morass just keeping their balance and distance from dealing with the reality waiting underneath.
As a member of the Hurunui TimeBank for several years I offered surfing lessons, bread baking, scissors and knife sharpening. In turn I had sewing done, gardening, and take-away meals.
Great for retirees in a community. They have many skills and time available for trading across all groups.
Not sure if this has ever been discussed here before, but wouldn’t it be great if there was an ability to like/dislike, or rate comments on The Standard? Some people make incredible individual contributions in the comments section. Sometimes it feels like it would be great to be able to give those comments a ‘like’.
The +1 does have the advantage over the likes/dislikes in that it can actually draw peoples attention to the comment through the latest comment list on the right and as a space on the page while scrolling down.
When I last tried it about 5 years ago my conclusion was that led to way too much into in-crowd bullying practices. People routinely voted up the people that they liked and down the people that they didn’t like, without bothering too much about the value of the arguments. That violated our policy of promoting “robust debate”.
I suspect that the best approach would be to only allow a very limited number of approvals ONLY. Say 10 per week. Then at least it’d make people think before granting vote up.
However we run this site without any requirement to login at all and for people to be able to have multiple handles over time (if and only if they don’t abuse or game the process). The reason for allowing completely open access to writing comments is to both allow people to reinvent themselves (an important part of growing up in net cultures), and to drop as many barriers to entry as possible – as in we don’t even require a valid email – we just demand that the handle + ’email’ secret combination are unique.
The barriers are all at the behavioural side. If you behave badly then you get that very unsubtle and often highly educational net exit…
So what would we limit the votes against? A probably fictional email address? A dynamically changing IP address? What about the people who don’t comment at all, but who’d probably like to vote on comments?
There is a further consideration – which is site efficiency. Obviously you don’t want people to do more than one tick per comment. That means that you have to store details about whoever has already done a tick as a record per person, and to keep track of the number of ticks. That is hugely expensive because it means that each page of comments now either has to be unique to each user by embedding information in page about what comments that they have done, or by each tick requiring a backend lookup via jquery or the like. Either way requires extra SQL and CPU loadings.
Plus I haven’t seen a plugin package that actually does these things all that efficiently. The two packages I have used in the past caused about a 15-25% increase in site load.
So now with all of the costs involved – does the return to the *site* outweigh those penalties? Or could those costs be used for something more productive?
When I last tried it about 5 years ago my conclusion was that led to way too much into in-crowd bullying practices. People routinely voted up the people that they liked and down the people that they didn’t like, without bothering too much about the value of the arguments.
Fully agree. Open to pack bullying in my view and could put new ‘commenters’ off from joining in the conversations.
I have to say the way commenting has been made easy and streamlined on this site must be in large part why it’s the site is a success. If it wasn’t so good I think it would also reduce the amount of rwingers commenting on here aswell. I often struggle reading through the posts that get 300+ comments! So it must be working.
The Acme Corporation, in association with Stand Your Ground Funeral Services and The Spike Milligan Appreciation Society
are proud to present this user friendly (& open to contributions) KIWI’S GUIDE TO THE REALTY OF NEW KEYLAND
-indexed in alphabetical order
Ardern Road
– Plenty of clear and open outlooks, because seeing where you are, matters
Bennet Grove The access road is restricted: pre-approved vendors only. Also has a dank run off from the nearby glue factory
Brownlee Esplanade
– A parallel circuit route with impressive dual carriageway options, and multiple off ramps each of which exit onto side-streets leading away from any practical destination
Campbell Bay
–The sun seems brighter here, or is it the absence of dark windows?
Coleman Crescent
– Yes the consents are lovely! But where are the houses?
Eade Lake
– Home of the National Masonry Block Emporium and produces vast quantities of Never-Float Sacking
English Avenue
– The QS never quite made sense but they went ahead anyway
Groser Acres
– All the Malls you could ever want, but residents are unable to purchase local produce due to TPPA ISDS Resolution NZP#8-2-a/sff>nz/-neg. Government seem reluctant to intervene
Henry Place
– Oddly reminiscent of a vaudeville promenade
Hooton Lane
– Where the poplars are trained to hide the sun
Hosking’s Court
– A gated paradise with GE Peacocks that shift tone with the weather
Little Street
– Sure, things get rowdy now and again, but when you need a hand they’ll offer two
Peter’s Point
– The squirrelly tracks often require 3 point turns but it beats buying a monorail
Steven Joyce Square
– *warning* You will be assimilated
The John Key Memorial Boulevard – 3rd lane on the left in the staff car park at BOA Headquarters
Turei Heights
– Precipice defying earth works with foundations set deep into stable bedrock
Seymour Bridge
– A low weight but nonetheless essential private carriageway *No heavy traffic!*
Slater Alley
– Much publicised expansion of all services appears to have been suspended
Tolley Terrace
– For some reason the street signs are stamped by Serco
Watkins Way For Sale signs are proudly displayed on all property
“Coleman Crescent” is obviously meant to be “Smith Crescent”
and there are a couple of blatant issues with the ‘indexed alphabetically’ aspect.
– I was unable to edit over the weekend due to technical issues and did send an email requesting assistance … but such is life eh!
Won’t be around for awhile. Be excellent to each other Standardista’s
Re the flag – I cannot believe this, my partner gets the magazine “Air Force News” and the latest features an article entitled “Royal Appointment for the RNZAF.”
“Her Majesty 11 has approved the appointment of Prince Charles to three honorary positions in the NZDF, the Government has announced”. It then proceeds to say they are Marshal of the RNZAF, Admiral of the Fleet of the RNZN and Field Marshal, NZ Army.
Just when Key is trying to get rid of the Union Flag on our NZ Flag these appointments have been okayed. John Key then goes on to say “These appointments recognise the consistent and strong support Prince Charles has maintained for the New Zealand Defence Force”.
Well, he certainly wants a bob both ways – lovely jubbly when the Birthday honours and knighthoods come around, especially for him one day and dinners and holidays with the Queen. It reeks of hypocrisy – I wonder if he has even approached the Queen about removing the Union Flag from the NZ flag and surely the Governor General would have been the correct person to make this announcement and not the Government?
Has anyone seen anything about this in MSM – or has it been put on the back burner for the time being because of the flag furore – wouldn’t surprise me one little bit.
Key, like all National supporters, is an outright authoritarian and thus fully supports the monarchy. In fact, I doubt if he can even image a different system than a top down dictatorial model. This is why Canterbury lost their democracy in ECan, why National comes out with the BS of having a mandate whenever they’re called on their decisions which most people oppose and why this government will do nothing to advance us to becoming a republic (in fact they’ve done the exact opposite in their re-establishment of the Queens Honours and now this ‘recognition’ of Prince Charles).
Winston Peter’s pointed it out a few days ago (and Key’s fondness for all things monarchial even if he wants to remove the Union Jack from the NZ flag).
It was officially announced but probably disappeared in among other news. The Prince of Wales is visiting NZ in November.
The Queen appointed him to 5-star ranks in all of the UK Armed Forces in 2012 so I imagine he will receive similar appointments in other Commonwealth countries as he visits them. Prince Philip holds the same NZ ranks (Admiral of the Fleet of the RNZN in 1958, the other 2 in 1977 during the Silver Jubilee Year).
I wonder what airspace does one own above one’s own property? Can one shoot down drones or disable them, collect them and claim them as one’s personal property and then build one’s interesting transporter from the parts.
Didn’t someone turn their pressure hose on one recently. Personally I have little enough private space from my neighbours and passers-by, I would be very aggrieved to have some nosy noisy passing over my property.
K Rowling wrote about flies on the wall recording information for the right-wing authorities. That was one scary outfit, and perhaps with methods not too far distant from our own, in the near future.
TPPA and copyright issues.
“More Experts Realizing That The TPP Is A Horrible And Dangerous Deal On Copyright”
….
He (David Post) focuses on the issue of orphan works, which are works where the owner can’t be found. As we’ve discussed in the past, the entire “problem” of orphan works is really a problem created by the automatic application of copyright, rather than requiring registration (“formalities.”) By automatically having copyright cover everything, there is no way to easily track down many copyright holders for the purpose of licensing. The Copyright Office has been struggling for years on how to deal with this issue (never apparently willing to explore the issue of returning to a registration requirement). However, as we noted earlier this year, under the current draft of the TPP, the Copyright Office’s own proposal on orphan works would not be allowed.
I’ve penned an editorial to try make sense of this week’s bizarre political circus. I’ve even coined new terminology: The Rugby-Industrial Complex. This week has really been the angry cynical culmination of my hatred of this stupid third-term National government.
Excellent description of the apparent motivators of this ghastly government Brendan
This is what will turn us into New Keyland rather than New Zealand if we are not careful; and what a dark,unpleasant place to live that could be for us and our children! And it already is for far too many.
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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 ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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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 ...
I am right and you are wrong.
a good clip from danmark on the state of journalism.
don’t worries, there are subtitles.
Fearmongering is replacing journalism, and this man does not stand for it.
https://www.facebook.com/gapminder.org/videos/1060574540644170/?fref=nf
Take that Mr Media! And our media leads the news with all the crime and tragedies. Effect?
Or bias items as on TV One last night when they reported the protest at parliament about responding and increasing the refugee quota. Completely ommitted the point the protesters were making that John Key’s mother was a refugee fleeing Nazi
Germany, but despite this he is so so callous he can’t offer the same opportunity to others in a terrible plight. Its a shame TV NZ didn’t mention that because I think this sums JK up perfectly.
They are all avoiding mention of that fact ankerawshark because it shows their beloved John Key in a very bad light!
Chinese eye $100m chunk of Silver Fern
Ownership of at least 30 to 40 per cent of New Zealand’s biggest meat processor, Silver Fern Farms, looks set to pass to Chinese interests in a $100-million deal, say sources.
They said an announcement was due next week, possibly as soon as Monday.
Silver Fern last year enlisted the services of Goldman Sachs to advise on its options as it looked at raising $100 million to retire debt.
The company, which is a “hybrid” cooperative owned by farmers and outside shareholders, has been holding meetings with farmers on the condition that they sign confidentiality agreements.
The company has already made big inroads into its debt.
“They [Silver Fern] are going to be as strong as any other company in the industry, so why put the ownership of the company at risk?” said Richardson. “That discussion [with Alliance] needed to take place – unfortunately it has not.”
Richardson said the transaction would have ramifications for Alliance and all the other meat companies.
Silver Fern and Invercargill’s Alliance Group are together responsible for processing just over half New Zealand’s meat production.
Silver Fern owned by the Chinese, eh?
How ironic that we are about to have our flag changed for us to a Silver Fern. What a sharp illustration of today’s New Keyland.
The National government should change our silver fern to red.
Personally whether it is the Chinese, Koreans, Australians, Canadians or whoever, Kiwis are fast becoming tenants and future serfs of our own country by selling off cheaply our land and businesses.
Because of low wages, poor financial management of executives, cronyism within those executives, Government strategic direction of privatisation, Kiwis are unable to compete with the vast wealth of overseas buyers.
Like the 1980’s which most Kiwis know was a big mistake and a few individuals got extremely rich while the country got poorer, this is even worse times.
Now they are also hell bent on destroying the heart of rural NZ, farms and exports.
Under TPPA and associated agreements the public sector.
It’s all right. The Prime Minister has got your back…
…. oops that was 2010 He’s managed to sort his ethical hiccup since then.
You mean to say that he’s managed to avoid any reference to it since.
yup – I think that’s right. Google didn’t instantly show a later furrowed brow comment from him so he must be have been quite comfortable with it since then.
He and his party colluded with the speaker to avoid the question –
ANDREW LITTLE to the Associate Minister of Finance: Does she stand by the Prime Minister’s statement that “I’d hate to see New Zealanders as tenants in their own country”; if so, how many applications by overseas investors to buy land were declined under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 between January 2012 and June 2015?
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/00HOH_OralQuestions/list-of-questions-for-oral-answer
What actually transpired –
Question No. 3 to Minister
ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition): I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This question was originally set down for the Prime Minister, and I therefore seek leave for the House to have the question transferred back to the Prime Minister.
Mr SPEAKER : Order! No. I refer the member to Speaker’s ruling 169/5. I am not prepared to put the leave. It is the prerogative of the Government to decide whom the question goes to. It has made that decision. If the member wants to continue asking it as it is on the Order Paper, he can do so.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/debates/debates/51HansD_20150819_00000012/oral-questions-%E2%80%94-questions-to-ministers-questions-to-members
I do wonder how many hours and taxpayers dollars of Prime Ministerial time it took to avoid those words passing his lips again.
I’d say that it probably cost us thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars for him to avoid it.
And John Key’s here to help facilitate that. It’s the inevitable end result of capitalism.
IMO, a lot of us who lived through those times recognise that Nationals policies are a continuation of the 1980s. Even the 5th Labour government was. And, yeah, we’re becoming worse off because of it.
As in the UK with Thatcher followed by Blair. Hells Bells.
The essence of creativity
Which is, IMO, how uncreative people become rich while the creative people remain poor. The rich exploit other peoples desire to do and be creative to increase their own wealth while themselves not anything of any real value.
DtB
I keep getting a; cannot find BBC server, message when I try the above link (actually, even when I google BBC too).
But yeah, I have to agree with your conclusion – particularly within the music industry. That said, some rich people got that way by being very creative with their accounting and use of tax-havens.
Weird, works for me.
Try This one which appears to be the shortest version that I can get working.
NZ the turn of the century – the visible grandees of the National Party IMPORTED the foreign bankster The Ponce Key for THE PURPOSE of winning and retaining POWER.
Not missing a bankster beat The Ponce Key set about THE PURPOSE under the seductive cover of “Key Aura….fancy a beer ?”
NZ 15 years on – THE PURPOSE well achieved dues are to be paid.
NZ now – EXPORTED.
Ants – something we will have to develop defences against. I did some looking up on Argentinian ants and anteaters. I was wondering if they would be useful in control of these ants. What is the anteaters preference?
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/how-anteaters-decide-what-to-eat/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzVpQX9r25g
I have found that there is another ant the Stinging Needle Ant that is worse than Argentinian ants and is taking over their territory. It also eats other ants and stings people. The USA haven’t done a good job of keeping track of this invader, long in the country, and in the recent decade it has exploded in numbers. People haven’t known anything about them till recently.
http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/11/16928308-stinging-needle-ants-overtaking-invasive-argentines-in-us
This 2013 report gives details. We have in Nelson Argentinian ants and they are very hard to control. They probably are most likely to come in through ports. We need to be looking out for these other blighters. Because they will blight our lives when they come.
Then there is the ‘crazy ant’ named in the USA the Tawny Crazy Ant. That has overtaken the fire ant in some places. They will also overtake the Argentinian ant. The list of incursions of ants from the south into the USA is sobering. We have to be aware of the power of ants and ways of controlling and managing them when they come to our shores and climate change gives them breeding boosts.
http://news.utexas.edu/2013/05/16/invasive-crazy-ants-are-displacing-fire-ants-researchers-find
The Tawny crazy ant invasion is the most recent in a series of ant invasions from South America brought on by human movement. The Argentine ant invaded through the port of New Orleans in about 1891. In 1918 the black imported fire ant showed up in Mobile, Ala. Then in the 1930s, the red imported fire ant arrived in the U.S. and began displacing the black fire ant and the Argentine ants…
LeBrun said crazy ants are much harder to control than fire ants. They don’t consume most of the poison baits that kill fire ant mounds, and they don’t have the same kinds of colony boundaries that fire ants do. That means that even if they’re killed in a certain area, the supercolony survives and can swarm back over the area.
“They don’t sting like fire ants do, but aside from that they are much bigger pests,” he said. “There are videos on YouTube of people sweeping out dustpans full of these ants from their bathroom. You have to call pest control operators every three or four months just to keep the infestation under control. It’s very expensive.”
Massimo Mazzucco’s The New Pearl Harbour, The Dust Lady Died And Dead Babies Or Why 9/11 Still Matters.
There is something called Time Banking that an interviewee is discussing with Kim Hill that sounds interesting and would be worth a listen but I have to do things while there is some sun outside. So will catch up on it later and here’s the link for others curious and interested.
Radionz
9.35 Edgar Cahn: time banking
Professor Edgar S. Cahn was former counsel and speech writer to Robert F. Kennedy, and is a legal professor at the University of the District of Columbia. He is best known as the originator of time banking, a way to value the contributions that people make to rebuilding community and to ‘co-producing’ public services. He spoke on 3 September in Christchurch as a guest of the Lyttelton Harbour TimeBank, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.
Audio not yet up.
Lyttelton is one of the first timebanks in NZ. The key thing about timebanks that’s different from alternative money systems is that everyone’s skills and time are valued equally. The unit of exchange is time (usually an hour, but can be broken down into smaller blocks), and a lawyers time is worth exactly the same as a gardeners, 1 hour = 1 hour.
You don’t swap directly, but instead pay into or withdraw from bank accounts. If I do an hours gardening for you, then you pay 1 hour from your account into mine. If you then do 3 hours lawyering for someone else, you pay 3 hours into their account. Simple and sweet.
Lyttelton Timebank http://www.lyttelton.net.nz/timebank
If we lived in a sane society, timebanking would have been set up decades ago in response to rising unemployment rates.
Thanks weka
Timebanking. This is the link for Radionz time bank interview
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201769465
It sounds like Green $ which I have been involved in. I found that had certain problems so time banking might be more straightforward. It is as you say a needed practice. I want to see volunteer work of an agreed type to be regarded as equivalent to some paid work. Labour has done this in the past. That can then apply to young people, and also those below retirement age, which shouldn’t be raised by the way! It would take pressure off the young and allow more flexibility in their lives and training, and work experience.
I hope too that soon governments will require all able retired, and even some of the differently-abled to do a few hours at least, working for the community in some capacity agreed with the government. I am sure that retired people are going to have to advocate for themselves as the pension cost (superannuation) gets more expensive and we use more of the health budget. We can put work into the community that provides us with most or all of our living expenses, and feel justified in saying we are contributing to society, not just expensive dependents, sighed about by economists as an unsustainable burden. Which is what is happening! And the present approach is truly unsustainable.
The answer to retirement living costs will never be that to solve it people need to save for their retirement. You cannot save enough to enable yourself to live for a third of your life on your investments. And savings in investments can be lost completely when companies go down, fraudsters use your money for risk-taking, high-living etc. It is inevitable that a lot of money sitting unused and meant to be accumulating, will tempt people in our present money-mad society with lack of morals. Having money today is all that many people aim for, all they respect, being a person of integrity doesn’t stack up.
How can we retired justify ourselves being kept on what is an extended holiday, for as much as a third of our life. We are getting to be like the cuckoos who lay their eggs mainly in greywarblers nests. (A fascinating study of how this practice has evolved and carried out on Radionz recently.)
Superannuation (old age pension) expense is measured and it is rising. It is argued that sentimentality towards older people should ensure it is maintained, as sweet gratitude for all we have done in society before retirement. That’s very sentimental, not appropriate on being deserving because our pension system doesn’t discriminate as to past behaviour and morals but is universal, and it is unrealistic. Gratitude is nice but actual money and services for living are needed.
I can’t understand how mature people can continue to set themselves up as exceptional to be recipients of benefits, but ignore the plight of the young. We hear the statistics about growing numbers, and constantly more reaching 100, though the risk of alzheimers gets very high after 80, yet the response is to just to give donations to the alzheimer trust.
Even with a system of required volunteer work, there will be a huge cost, but the value of the work may be such that the economy can bear the cost and thrive. But there needs to be urgent action. The tide of refugees overseas is overwhelming the systems requiring thought and action. There is a tide of retired people coming through and our pollies are trying to surf on the tops of the political morass just keeping their balance and distance from dealing with the reality waiting underneath.
As a member of the Hurunui TimeBank for several years I offered surfing lessons, bread baking, scissors and knife sharpening. In turn I had sewing done, gardening, and take-away meals.
Great for retirees in a community. They have many skills and time available for trading across all groups.
Perhaps The Chairman would like to reflect on his promotion and support of ant-choice terrorists.
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2015/08/31/group-attacking-planned-parenthood-linked-extremists
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/abortion-providers-face-death-threats-in-wake-of-planned-parenthood-videos_55e88bbae4b0b7a9633c3f47
Get it right, Joe90
I didn’t promote or support anti choice terrorists.
I highlighted publicly available information countering certain comments made.
Abby Johnson is not a terrorist and the CMP is not a terrorist organization.
Therefore, I expect you to withdraw your slanderous comment and apologize forthwith.
Moderators take note.
Nah.
Moderators
As you can see Joe90 has put forward no defence while failing to withdraw or apologize.
Is this site going to allow his slanderous comment to stand?
Not sure if this has ever been discussed here before, but wouldn’t it be great if there was an ability to like/dislike, or rate comments on The Standard? Some people make incredible individual contributions in the comments section. Sometimes it feels like it would be great to be able to give those comments a ‘like’.
+1
There is an ad hoc system of “+1” replies like the above. I’m not a big fan of them myself (above is only an example) – but it can be done.
The +1 does have the advantage over the likes/dislikes in that it can actually draw peoples attention to the comment through the latest comment list on the right and as a space on the page while scrolling down.
They’ve been tried a couple of times in the history of The Standard.
When I last tried it about 5 years ago my conclusion was that led to way too much into in-crowd bullying practices. People routinely voted up the people that they liked and down the people that they didn’t like, without bothering too much about the value of the arguments. That violated our policy of promoting “robust debate”.
I suspect that the best approach would be to only allow a very limited number of approvals ONLY. Say 10 per week. Then at least it’d make people think before granting vote up.
However we run this site without any requirement to login at all and for people to be able to have multiple handles over time (if and only if they don’t abuse or game the process). The reason for allowing completely open access to writing comments is to both allow people to reinvent themselves (an important part of growing up in net cultures), and to drop as many barriers to entry as possible – as in we don’t even require a valid email – we just demand that the handle + ’email’ secret combination are unique.
The barriers are all at the behavioural side. If you behave badly then you get that very unsubtle and often highly educational net exit…
So what would we limit the votes against? A probably fictional email address? A dynamically changing IP address? What about the people who don’t comment at all, but who’d probably like to vote on comments?
There is a further consideration – which is site efficiency. Obviously you don’t want people to do more than one tick per comment. That means that you have to store details about whoever has already done a tick as a record per person, and to keep track of the number of ticks. That is hugely expensive because it means that each page of comments now either has to be unique to each user by embedding information in page about what comments that they have done, or by each tick requiring a backend lookup via jquery or the like. Either way requires extra SQL and CPU loadings.
Plus I haven’t seen a plugin package that actually does these things all that efficiently. The two packages I have used in the past caused about a 15-25% increase in site load.
So now with all of the costs involved – does the return to the *site* outweigh those penalties? Or could those costs be used for something more productive?
Fair enough. Thanks for the details response LPrent. I didn’t realise the effort or costs involved. +1’s it is 🙂
🙂 They don’t cost much…
Fully agree. Open to pack bullying in my view and could put new ‘commenters’ off from joining in the conversations.
I have to say the way commenting has been made easy and streamlined on this site must be in large part why it’s the site is a success. If it wasn’t so good I think it would also reduce the amount of rwingers commenting on here aswell. I often struggle reading through the posts that get 300+ comments! So it must be working.
Pictures might liven the place up a bit too.
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/egypt-billionaire-offers-to-buy-med-island-for-refugees/ar-AAdV3I0
Here’s some leadership from the wealthy.
They really could couldn’t they greywarshark!
The Acme Corporation, in association with Stand Your Ground Funeral Services and The Spike Milligan Appreciation Society
are proud to present this user friendly (& open to contributions)
KIWI’S GUIDE TO THE REALTY OF NEW KEYLAND
-indexed in alphabetical order
Ardern Road
– Plenty of clear and open outlooks, because seeing where you are, matters
Bennet Grove
The access road is restricted: pre-approved vendors only. Also has a dank run off from the nearby glue factory
Brownlee Esplanade
– A parallel circuit route with impressive dual carriageway options, and multiple off ramps each of which exit onto side-streets leading away from any practical destination
Campbell Bay
–The sun seems brighter here, or is it the absence of dark windows?
Coleman Crescent
– Yes the consents are lovely! But where are the houses?
Eade Lake
– Home of the National Masonry Block Emporium and produces vast quantities of Never-Float Sacking
English Avenue
– The QS never quite made sense but they went ahead anyway
Groser Acres
– All the Malls you could ever want, but residents are unable to purchase local produce due to TPPA ISDS Resolution NZP#8-2-a/sff>nz/-neg. Government seem reluctant to intervene
Henry Place
– Oddly reminiscent of a vaudeville promenade
Hooton Lane
– Where the poplars are trained to hide the sun
Hosking’s Court
– A gated paradise with GE Peacocks that shift tone with the weather
Little Street
– Sure, things get rowdy now and again, but when you need a hand they’ll offer two
Peter’s Point
– The squirrelly tracks often require 3 point turns but it beats buying a monorail
Steven Joyce Square
– *warning* You will be assimilated
The John Key Memorial Boulevard –
3rd lane on the left in the staff car park at BOA Headquarters
Turei Heights
– Precipice defying earth works with foundations set deep into stable bedrock
Seymour Bridge
– A low weight but nonetheless essential private carriageway *No heavy traffic!*
Slater Alley
– Much publicised expansion of all services appears to have been suspended
Tolley Terrace
– For some reason the street signs are stamped by Serco
Watkins Way
For Sale signs are proudly displayed on all property
EDIT NOTE:
“Coleman Crescent” is obviously meant to be “Smith Crescent”
and there are a couple of blatant issues with the ‘indexed alphabetically’ aspect.
– I was unable to edit over the weekend due to technical issues and did send an email requesting assistance … but such is life eh!
Won’t be around for awhile. Be excellent to each other Standardista’s
Re the flag – I cannot believe this, my partner gets the magazine “Air Force News” and the latest features an article entitled “Royal Appointment for the RNZAF.”
“Her Majesty 11 has approved the appointment of Prince Charles to three honorary positions in the NZDF, the Government has announced”. It then proceeds to say they are Marshal of the RNZAF, Admiral of the Fleet of the RNZN and Field Marshal, NZ Army.
Just when Key is trying to get rid of the Union Flag on our NZ Flag these appointments have been okayed. John Key then goes on to say “These appointments recognise the consistent and strong support Prince Charles has maintained for the New Zealand Defence Force”.
Well, he certainly wants a bob both ways – lovely jubbly when the Birthday honours and knighthoods come around, especially for him one day and dinners and holidays with the Queen. It reeks of hypocrisy – I wonder if he has even approached the Queen about removing the Union Flag from the NZ flag and surely the Governor General would have been the correct person to make this announcement and not the Government?
Has anyone seen anything about this in MSM – or has it been put on the back burner for the time being because of the flag furore – wouldn’t surprise me one little bit.
Key, like all National supporters, is an outright authoritarian and thus fully supports the monarchy. In fact, I doubt if he can even image a different system than a top down dictatorial model. This is why Canterbury lost their democracy in ECan, why National comes out with the BS of having a mandate whenever they’re called on their decisions which most people oppose and why this government will do nothing to advance us to becoming a republic (in fact they’ve done the exact opposite in their re-establishment of the Queens Honours and now this ‘recognition’ of Prince Charles).
Winston Peter’s pointed it out a few days ago (and Key’s fondness for all things monarchial even if he wants to remove the Union Jack from the NZ flag).
It was officially announced but probably disappeared in among other news. The Prince of Wales is visiting NZ in November.
The Queen appointed him to 5-star ranks in all of the UK Armed Forces in 2012 so I imagine he will receive similar appointments in other Commonwealth countries as he visits them. Prince Philip holds the same NZ ranks (Admiral of the Fleet of the RNZN in 1958, the other 2 in 1977 during the Silver Jubilee Year).
As an aside Queen Elizabeth II will pass Queen Victoria as the UK’s longest reigning monarch on 9th/10th September.
Expect Gun Salutes and probably more Key sycophancy! 👿
Something for the home handyman to build:
His control seems – rudimentary at best.
Well built for backyard drone.
I wonder what airspace does one own above one’s own property? Can one shoot down drones or disable them, collect them and claim them as one’s personal property and then build one’s interesting transporter from the parts.
Didn’t someone turn their pressure hose on one recently. Personally I have little enough private space from my neighbours and passers-by, I would be very aggrieved to have some nosy noisy passing over my property.
K Rowling wrote about flies on the wall recording information for the right-wing authorities. That was one scary outfit, and perhaps with methods not too far distant from our own, in the near future.
apparently eagles dont like them either…maybe you could get a pet eagle ?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/11797897/Eagle-collides-with-drone-in-Australian-skies.html
Love how he appears to be doing his test flight in slippers and ankle socks. 🙂
Don’t quite get the camera guy shouting “Paul! Paul! Be careful!” Bollocks to that….GO FOR IT PAUL! GO, GO, GO! (Maybe just as well I wasn’t there?)
TPPA and copyright issues.
“More Experts Realizing That The TPP Is A Horrible And Dangerous Deal On Copyright”
….
He (David Post) focuses on the issue of orphan works, which are works where the owner can’t be found. As we’ve discussed in the past, the entire “problem” of orphan works is really a problem created by the automatic application of copyright, rather than requiring registration (“formalities.”) By automatically having copyright cover everything, there is no way to easily track down many copyright holders for the purpose of licensing. The Copyright Office has been struggling for years on how to deal with this issue (never apparently willing to explore the issue of returning to a registration requirement). However, as we noted earlier this year, under the current draft of the TPP, the Copyright Office’s own proposal on orphan works would not be allowed.
Post digs deeper on that issue, and highlights why the TPP would kill any realistic reform to deal with orphan works:……
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150903/17071532162/more-experts-realizing-that-tpp-is-horrible-dangerous-deal-copyright.shtml
New Opinium Poll suggests Corbyn has increased his lead over Burnham among both Labour voters and the wider UK Electorate.
http://ourinsight.opinium.co.uk/survey-results/momentum-corbyn
From an 8 point lead (mid-Aug) to a 12 point lead (late-Aug) among Labour supporters.
And from a 5 point lead to an 8 point lead among British voters as a whole.
Marvellous!
I’ve penned an editorial to try make sense of this week’s bizarre political circus. I’ve even coined new terminology: The Rugby-Industrial Complex. This week has really been the angry cynical culmination of my hatred of this stupid third-term National government.
Check it out: http://potentialhumanist.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/refugees-referenda-and-rugby-industrial.html
+100..good read…for some reason I keep thinking Black Shirts
+1 Well said!
“money talks and morals walk”
Excellent description of the apparent motivators of this ghastly government Brendan
This is what will turn us into New Keyland rather than New Zealand if we are not careful; and what a dark,unpleasant place to live that could be for us and our children! And it already is for far too many.
Everything you would rather not know about so called SMART Meters ….and why you must say NO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRjjLyVkP0o
with implications for corporate control and TPPA…and stiffling of alternative sources of energy/inventions/patents