So Labour down in the poll of polls, sad but unsurprising.
Strange that Labour NZ can’t or won’t see that it’s centrist free market ideological position has left it, like so many western Left parties. politically redundant.
No it seems this Labour party is about act out that old saying in front of our eyes again,
‘The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result’
It is about time Labour shed itself of that scourge of the modern Left, the free market, Neo-liberal ideology that has effectively destroyed Labour from within, and stop living in fear of the middle class vote.
It is time to stand on some real old schools socialist principles, at least then even if we do go down to National, we can do it with our heads held high, not cowering like beaten dogs to the media and some perceived voting block that may or may not even exist for Labour.
I think you are dead right Adrian, but it just ain’t going to happen with the caucus they’ve got. Unless they have a cunning plan to be centrist until in power and then creep to the left…. but no, not with that caucus.
So we really have no choice but to back the MOU and hope for a “kinder” government.
The Opportunity Party is starting policy release this week. Fingers crossed?
What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour? the Labour brand has obviously has outlived it’s usefulness for them, and they are quite open about their lust for power, to quote Stuart Nash…
“Let’s be clear about one thing: politics is about winning. There is no such thing as a ‘glorious defeat’, leaders who lose are not, as some may believe, ‘martyrs to the cause’, and ‘coming second but maintaining our principles’ is a ludicrous proposition”
Just listen to that centrist shill Mike Williams on National radio Mondays mornings, it is enough to make you lose your breakfast, eaten up and spat out by Hooton every week, because he has essentially nothing to say, why, because at heart he is on the the same playing field ideologically as Hooton.
So the Labour brand is bad for them and it is certainly the death nail for a progressive socialist left, so why can’t we all just agree this hasn’t worked out, and go our separate ways?
“What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour?”
The most logical reason is it’s a strategical move to ensure Labour are either destroyed, or if they ever gain power, are no longer a political threat to the neo-liberal way.
Now you should see why the depressing negative rubbish being spouted by Little Andrew goes down like a lead balloon. The public can see that he is just talking total rubbish and that he, and his party and fellow travellers like the Greens, are so totally divorced from reality.
The economy and the country are doing very well. People can see this and want it to continue. That is why the current Government is popular. As Bill Clinton said
“It’s the economy, stupid”
Ha that is really funny, are you actually really being serious, or are you just taking the piss?
Those so called economist on National radio every morning are generally the banks own economists, so yes the economy is working extremely well for them, with NZ house hold debt at the highest it has ever been recorded, who do you think that debt is owed to? http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/households-debt-to-income
And then the best part is to top it off you quote Bill Clinton, the guy who unhooked the US financial from regulatory oversight that lead directly to the 2008 crash,
“It’s the economy, stupid” yeh that is true, but not the debunked free market type, neo-liberial model which in case you haven’t noticed is imploding before our very eyes…maybe you need to take your hands off your ears and stop saying nah nah nah pal.
I didn’t actually say I agreed with the things Clinton did, or approved of him personally.
He did however win elections and he did it by concentrating on what actually mattered to people who vote. His own wife forgot it of course and basically Trump stole the idea and won.
However the general public in New Zealand are happy with what is happening, and rightly so. We have done much better than most of the countries in the OECD. If you can’t realise that you certainly can’t understand why the parties you support are sinking into their state of irrelevance.
I don’t actually have any problem with the last few years.
As a very simple summary.
I can quite happily accept Current Account Deficits, as a percentage of GDP, where the deficit is roughly equal to the growth in the GDP.
In that case the accumulated deficit remains at approximately the same percentage of our GDP from year to year and doesn’t keep on increasing.
This has been the case from 2013 to 2016.
2012 was a little bit excessive as we didn’t have a 4% growth in GDP that year.
The years from 2005 to 2008 were grossly excessive.
A single year doesn’t matter very much. In particular a short term period of high deficits caused by something like the Christchurch earthquake isn’t really a problem. There was nothing special about the 2005 – 2008 timespan however and the GDP was certainly not increasing by the 7%-8% figure that those deficits would require.
That is back to front.
When we have a current account deficit it means we get to import more than we export. We aren’t consuming less. We are able to consume more. Thus we are better off than we would be. It doesn’t mean that we are worse off.
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are consuming less than we produce. People could consume more, and have a higher standard of living if we were to reduce the surplus.
The problem with a deficit is that it relies on some kind foreigner financing it. If they decide not to do so and won’t loan us any more money or put money into financing our capital assets we may have to cut the deficit in a hurry. That hasn’t happened in New Zealand. We have been running a current account deficit, and thereby consuming more than we produce for more than 40 years.
If you are running a surplus it is up to you whether you start consuming more. Other countries opinions don’t count.
The current account balance is not only the sum of the balance of trade in goods and services, but also current transfers, and investment income.
It’s the big picture. But interestingly enough, it’s seldom discussed by the media.
The reason for the improvement in the current account deficit when Key became PM is largely down to higher commodity prices improving our balance of trade, hence little to do with the Government of the day.
A deficit means the country is spending more than it actually earns (locally and from offshore)
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are earning more than we spend, hence aren’t reliant on offshore debt and or investment. Nor are we so vulnerable to economic challenges. Which is where we really want to be.
A surplus also means we can afford to consume more.
A deficit puts the country in a highly volatile position. Putting us at higher risk, which can impact upon our credit rating, thus interest rates and ability to borrow.
And although we have been running a deficit for decades, it’s far from the ultimate economic position to be in.
Therefore, all this talk about NZ having good growth in comparison to other nations overlooks how we are achieving that growth (largely growing debt and offshore investment) while also overlooking who is largely benefiting from that growth – i.e. offshore investors.
Alwyn, diversify your outings when you are out and about, see what happens, listen, ask questions, go somewhere you would not usually visit, interact with people, because not everything is how you see it or even how I see it Alwyn.
It’s hard to hear in an echo chamber.
If any want to improve their lives and the lives of others, then we have to and we will change the government.
But Cinny I do listen to many views and I do meet a lot of people.
Do you? Or do you perhaps limit your interactions to the “right thinking” people who agree with you?
Do you read blogs, or papers, that disagree with you own ideas? Have you ever read Kiwiblog or, horror of horrors, something by Cameron Slater?
I am in favour of the idea that I should “improve my live and the lives of others”. However with the people in the Labour and Green parties in New Zealand that will certainly not happen if they came to power and implemented the ideas they propose.
Well thats a no brainer…Because Mana Party has some very strong ‘characters’ that would make them very marginal in the eyes of the majority of Left voters.
I suspect that if Mana changed colours and came forward with the exact same policies as Centrist Labour (or National!) they still wouldn’t get enough thumbs up in a poll to break the margin of error.
For those who don’t have online businesses that sell to US consumers, the regulations are extensive and failing to have something as basic as a privacy policy can net you a $25K USD fine.
Worse still if someone associated with the product you are marketing is found to have mislead consumers you are fined DUE TO ASSOCIATION alone (ie you are marketing the same product), even if you didn’t know the person/company involved. If you don’t pay you end up in a kanagroo court with an even worse penalty on it’s way. Because this is considered fraud you cannot discharge the fine in bankruptcy, nor can you hide behind a corporate veil. This happened a few years ago to well known marketer Frank Kern through what appears to be no fault of his own.
Now with the vote it looks like more of this type of action will extend to other areas of the Internet.
Don’t usually agree with Deborah Hill-Cone but this time she has nailed it. (Something good in the Herald for once?)
“Note to Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley: Try stopping being a politician for a minute, and just listen.”….
“…reasons why Ms Tolley needs to rethink her arrogant attitude to victims who have been abused in state care, and immediately order an independent inquiry into the extent of the abuse.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11760183
In my experience, Cabinet Papers, for all they sound rilly rilly official and based on evidence and all that, can be complete and utter bullshit…depending on the information, data and advice Cabinet receive from the Ministry or Department concerned.
(The Cabinet Papers for leading up to the PHDAct(2) were a prime example of this…official sounding fairytales…much of which can now be seriously questioned.)
When she mentioned the Cabinet Papers, I think she was reading between the lines and she will be right. Of course it is all about the money.
I agree with you. Cabinet Papers are often nothing but a load of tosh. They represent what the authors know the government wants to hear which may bear no resemblance to reality. It is especially the case with this incompetent and deceitful government.
Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?
“Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?”
All of the above, repateet, all of the above.
Points to minds that work in twisty, devious and nasty ways….almost sociopathic…
The authors of these Cabinet Papers sincerely believe (I believe) that they can write this rubbish and we will all accept it as gospel. We won’t.
And the trouble is, that there is a growing number of us that KNOW that these Cabinet Papers, these ‘show your working’ documents, are flawed and misrepresentative and this completely undermines any faith we may have had in honest, transparent government.
I’m not sure about this – candidates who are picked for being famous on TV haven’t worked out great (Tamati Coffey, Maggie Barry…) – we need people with expertise in policy areas and/or their local communities so the government can actually function.
She hasn’t a show of beating John Key. My point is: she’s not a JK acolyte – one of the few media or ex-media personalities who seem capable of rising above him.
More about how the web is distorting information flow and helping fake news. With some emphasis on how Google’s autocomplete is helping spread some nasty stuff.
They can shiver my timbers any day of the week, if they’re ok with that sort of thing and in a completely respectful and consensual manner of course, taking into account everyones personal preferences.
Knows the housing market is going to crash under the weight of increasing interest rates and couldn’t bear the thought if getting beaten next year as a consequence.
So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?
NZFirst always did seem like a more natural fit than NZFirst and Lab/Green…
“So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?”
Shame that Stuart Nash just came out recently and said he would stick with Labour, it turns out a job that would suit him down to the ground just became available this afternoon…talk about about bad timing.
.
Why are the Trolls so pessimistic?
.
They are wealthy. They are married to the prettiest girls in the land who play Tennis to fill in the week days. They have brilliant children. They have fantastic amounts of retirement money. They believe in themselves. More importantly they own numbers of houses from which they are getting fabulous Rents. They love hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
So why are they to a man – all hang dog and abusive?
Do you think they should go to the doctor and get a tonic? They are so Angry. Always Angry.
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Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
On May 18, the Taiwanese community in Christchurch came together for the "Health for All, Taiwan Can Help" march, urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to grant Taiwan participation. ...
The instability comes as the party tries to refresh its brand after six years of being part of a right-wing, pro-imperialist government with both the Labour Party and, from 2017-2020, the far-right NZ First Party. ...
Based on the latest Treasury forecasts, New Zealand Government debt will tick above $90,000 per household for the first time ever at 10pm today, Sunday 19 May 2024. The Taxpayers’ Union is calling it “$90k Debt Day”. Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ ...
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...
SPECIAL REPORT:Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...
Asia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...
A major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...
David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...
Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery.What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...
Since its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...
After 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...
Nearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...
ANALYSIS:By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...
Forget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...
Grace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...
MONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...
The first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...
Government plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o.OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...
A new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...
‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...
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 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40)Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...
"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...
Asia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...
Producer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders.My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...
Multi-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...
Dr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...
If you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...
A new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Getty Images Cities across Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to solve a housing crisis, with increasing residential density a key solution. But not everyone is happy about the resulting loss of natural ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute WDG Photo/Shutterstock For years, the electricity sector has been the poster child for emissions cuts in Australia. The sector achieved a stunning 26% drop in emissions over the past 15 ...
It’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Ralph, Associate Professor, Macquarie University The pyramids at Giza, like dozens of others, are located several kilometres west of the current path of the Nile.Alex Cimbal / Shutterstock The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute ABO PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing and can cause a range of concerns about ongoing health. Fear of cancer returning is one ...
Winston Peters has been on tour around the Pacific while two unrelated crises unfolded, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Two separate ...
This is the Mount Everest of artificial meatcraft.Ah, bacon. Pig’s gold. Toast’s consolation. Dawn’s savoury embrace. If meat was a currency, bacon would be the Benjamin Franklin. Or if you’re feeling patriotic, the Lord Rutherford. When it comes to fake bacon, the obvious question is: why bother? In the ...
From illegal milk to sprinkler bans and airplane ticket scams, Tyrone Barugh is on a one-man mission through New Zealand’s most obscure legal loopholes. I’m deep undercover, investigating Wellington’s criminal underworld. Inside this store, I’ve been told there is a million-dollar trade in illicit substances. A man dressed in black ...
So Labour down in the poll of polls, sad but unsurprising.
Strange that Labour NZ can’t or won’t see that it’s centrist free market ideological position has left it, like so many western Left parties. politically redundant.
No it seems this Labour party is about act out that old saying in front of our eyes again,
‘The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect a different result’
It is about time Labour shed itself of that scourge of the modern Left, the free market, Neo-liberal ideology that has effectively destroyed Labour from within, and stop living in fear of the middle class vote.
It is time to stand on some real old schools socialist principles, at least then even if we do go down to National, we can do it with our heads held high, not cowering like beaten dogs to the media and some perceived voting block that may or may not even exist for Labour.
Turn labour left.
I think you are dead right Adrian, but it just ain’t going to happen with the caucus they’ve got. Unless they have a cunning plan to be centrist until in power and then creep to the left…. but no, not with that caucus.
So we really have no choice but to back the MOU and hope for a “kinder” government.
The Opportunity Party is starting policy release this week. Fingers crossed?
What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour? the Labour brand has obviously has outlived it’s usefulness for them, and they are quite open about their lust for power, to quote Stuart Nash…
“Let’s be clear about one thing: politics is about winning. There is no such thing as a ‘glorious defeat’, leaders who lose are not, as some may believe, ‘martyrs to the cause’, and ‘coming second but maintaining our principles’ is a ludicrous proposition”
Just listen to that centrist shill Mike Williams on National radio Mondays mornings, it is enough to make you lose your breakfast, eaten up and spat out by Hooton every week, because he has essentially nothing to say, why, because at heart he is on the the same playing field ideologically as Hooton.
So the Labour brand is bad for them and it is certainly the death nail for a progressive socialist left, so why can’t we all just agree this hasn’t worked out, and go our separate ways?
Those shills are still in positions of power that they won’t be in after they transfer to National.
“What I just can’t understand is why those centrist freemarket fuckers insist on staying and destroying Labour?”
The most logical reason is it’s a strategical move to ensure Labour are either destroyed, or if they ever gain power, are no longer a political threat to the neo-liberal way.
Hi Adrian
What are the real old school socialist principles you’d like Labour to stand upon and aren’t many of them already part of Green Party policy ?
Why on earth are you surprised that National is getting ever further in front?
Why don’t you listen to this bit of Morning Report. The people who do the business news tend to look more realistically at the economy instead of the hard left political rubbish spouted by like Hill.
Just listen to this without putting your hands over your ears and going “Nah, nah, nah, nah …”. It only takes a couple of minutes.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/businessnews/audio/201826409/govt-books-and-forecasts-to-take-a-rosy-glow-in-mid-year-update
Now you should see why the depressing negative rubbish being spouted by Little Andrew goes down like a lead balloon. The public can see that he is just talking total rubbish and that he, and his party and fellow travellers like the Greens, are so totally divorced from reality.
The economy and the country are doing very well. People can see this and want it to continue. That is why the current Government is popular. As Bill Clinton said
“It’s the economy, stupid”
Business isn’t the be all, end all of society. In fact, it tends to be the end of society as it destroys social ties.
I smell BS.
http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/social-issues/a-year-of-living-shamefully-new-zealands-dirty-secrets/#
Ha that is really funny, are you actually really being serious, or are you just taking the piss?
Those so called economist on National radio every morning are generally the banks own economists, so yes the economy is working extremely well for them, with NZ house hold debt at the highest it has ever been recorded, who do you think that debt is owed to?
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/households-debt-to-income
And then the best part is to top it off you quote Bill Clinton, the guy who unhooked the US financial from regulatory oversight that lead directly to the 2008 crash,
“It’s the economy, stupid” yeh that is true, but not the debunked free market type, neo-liberial model which in case you haven’t noticed is imploding before our very eyes…maybe you need to take your hands off your ears and stop saying nah nah nah pal.
I didn’t actually say I agreed with the things Clinton did, or approved of him personally.
He did however win elections and he did it by concentrating on what actually mattered to people who vote. His own wife forgot it of course and basically Trump stole the idea and won.
However the general public in New Zealand are happy with what is happening, and rightly so. We have done much better than most of the countries in the OECD. If you can’t realise that you certainly can’t understand why the parties you support are sinking into their state of irrelevance.
Another Gnat fail
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/319591/auckland-housing-accord-set-to-miss-target
$4.28 billion international education industry rife with fraud…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/education/news/article.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=11759352
Nice one FJK. I guess fraud is natural for an ex-Merrill Lynch money trader.
This has been common knowledge for at least 10 years. But when you’re talking about billions of dollars, morals take a back seat.
So if it was common knowledge when Labour were in power – would you consider it fraud for the leader of labour at the time?
Was Aunty Helen giving morals a back seat with this common knowledge?
@ alwyn
This (link below) is a good illustration of how our economy is genuinely performing.
http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/key-graphs/key-graph-current-account
I don’t actually have any problem with the last few years.
As a very simple summary.
I can quite happily accept Current Account Deficits, as a percentage of GDP, where the deficit is roughly equal to the growth in the GDP.
In that case the accumulated deficit remains at approximately the same percentage of our GDP from year to year and doesn’t keep on increasing.
This has been the case from 2013 to 2016.
2012 was a little bit excessive as we didn’t have a 4% growth in GDP that year.
The years from 2005 to 2008 were grossly excessive.
A single year doesn’t matter very much. In particular a short term period of high deficits caused by something like the Christchurch earthquake isn’t really a problem. There was nothing special about the 2005 – 2008 timespan however and the GDP was certainly not increasing by the 7%-8% figure that those deficits would require.
What do you think the current problem really is?
The problem is the country is doing all that hard for no net fiscal benefit.
The return from offshore investment is bleeding us dry.
“I can quite happily accept Current Account Deficits, as a percentage of GDP, where the deficit is roughly equal to the growth in the GDP. “
So you are happy with the country doing all this hard work for no net benefit?
“So you are happy with the country doing all this hard work for no net benefit?”.
That comment makes no sense at all.
No. It seems you merely failed to understand it.
If the deficit is equivalent to the growth in GDP it highlights that the fiscal benefit from the work done to produce that GDP is heading offshore.
And you’re happy with that?
That is back to front.
When we have a current account deficit it means we get to import more than we export. We aren’t consuming less. We are able to consume more. Thus we are better off than we would be. It doesn’t mean that we are worse off.
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are consuming less than we produce. People could consume more, and have a higher standard of living if we were to reduce the surplus.
The problem with a deficit is that it relies on some kind foreigner financing it. If they decide not to do so and won’t loan us any more money or put money into financing our capital assets we may have to cut the deficit in a hurry. That hasn’t happened in New Zealand. We have been running a current account deficit, and thereby consuming more than we produce for more than 40 years.
If you are running a surplus it is up to you whether you start consuming more. Other countries opinions don’t count.
The current account balance is not only the sum of the balance of trade in goods and services, but also current transfers, and investment income.
It’s the big picture. But interestingly enough, it’s seldom discussed by the media.
The reason for the improvement in the current account deficit when Key became PM is largely down to higher commodity prices improving our balance of trade, hence little to do with the Government of the day.
A deficit means the country is spending more than it actually earns (locally and from offshore)
If we are running a surplus on the current account it means we are earning more than we spend, hence aren’t reliant on offshore debt and or investment. Nor are we so vulnerable to economic challenges. Which is where we really want to be.
A surplus also means we can afford to consume more.
A deficit puts the country in a highly volatile position. Putting us at higher risk, which can impact upon our credit rating, thus interest rates and ability to borrow.
And although we have been running a deficit for decades, it’s far from the ultimate economic position to be in.
Therefore, all this talk about NZ having good growth in comparison to other nations overlooks how we are achieving that growth (largely growing debt and offshore investment) while also overlooking who is largely benefiting from that growth – i.e. offshore investors.
Alwyn, diversify your outings when you are out and about, see what happens, listen, ask questions, go somewhere you would not usually visit, interact with people, because not everything is how you see it or even how I see it Alwyn.
It’s hard to hear in an echo chamber.
If any want to improve their lives and the lives of others, then we have to and we will change the government.
But Cinny I do listen to many views and I do meet a lot of people.
Do you? Or do you perhaps limit your interactions to the “right thinking” people who agree with you?
Do you read blogs, or papers, that disagree with you own ideas? Have you ever read Kiwiblog or, horror of horrors, something by Cameron Slater?
I am in favour of the idea that I should “improve my live and the lives of others”. However with the people in the Labour and Green parties in New Zealand that will certainly not happen if they came to power and implemented the ideas they propose.
Why hasn’t that work for the Mana party and why would those reasons not apply equally to Labour if they attempted the same thing as Mana?
Well thats a no brainer…Because Mana Party has some very strong ‘characters’ that would make them very marginal in the eyes of the majority of Left voters.
I suspect that if Mana changed colours and came forward with the exact same policies as Centrist Labour (or National!) they still wouldn’t get enough thumbs up in a poll to break the margin of error.
So the issue is presentation not policy then?
I have to say I agree with what you say, NZ does not need two so called centrist parties.
On December 20th the FCC will vote on regulation of the Internet. I think it is certain to pass to the detriment of us all.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/20/fcc-vote-internet-regulation-plan-despite-economic-warnings.html
For those who don’t have online businesses that sell to US consumers, the regulations are extensive and failing to have something as basic as a privacy policy can net you a $25K USD fine.
Worse still if someone associated with the product you are marketing is found to have mislead consumers you are fined DUE TO ASSOCIATION alone (ie you are marketing the same product), even if you didn’t know the person/company involved. If you don’t pay you end up in a kanagroo court with an even worse penalty on it’s way. Because this is considered fraud you cannot discharge the fine in bankruptcy, nor can you hide behind a corporate veil. This happened a few years ago to well known marketer Frank Kern through what appears to be no fault of his own.
Now with the vote it looks like more of this type of action will extend to other areas of the Internet.
Don’t usually agree with Deborah Hill-Cone but this time she has nailed it. (Something good in the Herald for once?)
“Note to Minister of Social Development Anne Tolley: Try stopping being a politician for a minute, and just listen.”….
“…reasons why Ms Tolley needs to rethink her arrogant attitude to victims who have been abused in state care, and immediately order an independent inquiry into the extent of the abuse.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11760183
Here’s the reason why they won’t call an independent inquiry. MONEY. They don’t want to pay out the money.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201826425/john-key-responds-to-calls-for-inquiry-into-historical-abuse
Kim Hill has seen the cabinet papers. She is brilliant. Key is no match for her!
“Kim Hill has seen the cabinet papers.”
In my experience, Cabinet Papers, for all they sound rilly rilly official and based on evidence and all that, can be complete and utter bullshit…depending on the information, data and advice Cabinet receive from the Ministry or Department concerned.
(The Cabinet Papers for leading up to the PHDAct(2) were a prime example of this…official sounding fairytales…much of which can now be seriously questioned.)
When she mentioned the Cabinet Papers, I think she was reading between the lines and she will be right. Of course it is all about the money.
I agree with you. Cabinet Papers are often nothing but a load of tosh. They represent what the authors know the government wants to hear which may bear no resemblance to reality. It is especially the case with this incompetent and deceitful government.
“…can be complete and utter bullshit.”
Can be.
Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?
“Can they be full and illuminating? Can they be enlightening? Can they be detailed? Can they be informative? Can they be instructive? Can they be useful?”
All of the above, repateet, all of the above.
Points to minds that work in twisty, devious and nasty ways….almost sociopathic…
The authors of these Cabinet Papers sincerely believe (I believe) that they can write this rubbish and we will all accept it as gospel. We won’t.
And the trouble is, that there is a growing number of us that KNOW that these Cabinet Papers, these ‘show your working’ documents, are flawed and misrepresentative and this completely undermines any faith we may have had in honest, transparent government.
Corrupt? Incompetent?
Or a bit of both.
Good on you Hayley Holt. It shows not all media presenters/reporters are gullible John Key acolytes. Although I fear most of them are…
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/hayley-holt-stand-green-party-could-run-against-john-key-in-helensville
🙂
I’m not sure about this – candidates who are picked for being famous on TV haven’t worked out great (Tamati Coffey, Maggie Barry…) – we need people with expertise in policy areas and/or their local communities so the government can actually function.
She hasn’t a show of beating John Key. My point is: she’s not a JK acolyte – one of the few media or ex-media personalities who seem capable of rising above him.
I’d love to see key pull her hair, she’d put the shit bag on the floor i reckon.
Looks like maybe she’s a bit more politically scary than you thought!
She already has, he couldn’t face losing votes to a girl. Apologies Hayley,though I bet that’s what’s she is secretly saying.
More about how the web is distorting information flow and helping fake news. With some emphasis on how Google’s autocomplete is helping spread some nasty stuff.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/04/google-democracy-truth-internet-search-facebook
A new anthem and platitudes from AG Lynch.
https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/native-artists-have-united-to-make-a-song-for-standing-rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjVEMjKbCng&feature=youtu.be
https://www.facebook.com/DOJ/videos/10154703128089030/
I think this requires a Caption contest 🙂
They can shiver my timbers any day of the week, if they’re ok with that sort of thing and in a completely respectful and consensual manner of course, taking into account everyones personal preferences.
About the only time that pair of plundering cut throats have shown their true colours.
I find your tastes … odd, but who am I to judge 😛
Trotter has written a great piece that’s doing the rounds on Twitter
(also on TDB)
Yeah I know what you mean, a .50 cals a bit of over kill, I’d have used a 7.62 round instead 🙂
Media brings in its shock troops after heavy defeat and embarrassment.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/87188948/what-a-byelection-win-really-means
Phil Quin.
“By election victories can be curses in disguise, causing party strategists to double-down on a failing strategy.”
After listening to Labour go on about their Mt Roskill win, this is a real concern.
I’m afraid I have to concur with Quin.
“These signs of complacency ought to worry anyone who wants to see the back of John Key next year.”
This should make some on here pretty happy:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11760632
protesters WIN their bid to stop pipeline being built through Standing Rock
I’m sure it will but why does it make you so unhappy?
Fantastic !
John Key to step down next Monday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11760656
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement
can i suggest people don’t cheer to loudly just yet, incase there is a sad reason for it.
Holy moley!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11760656
Fuck yes, Key is gone!!!
This is not good news for Labour -there are many suitable people within National to take over -keep dreaming lefties
Lol. That is some remarkable spin.
Key is stepping down.
Good grief. Hope it’s not a health reason.
Had a fourth term to play for, now it’s handbags at 5 paces for love and old.
Of all the vast stores of unused political capital that a good leader should use, he used none of it.
I’d put his political epitaph down as competent but unmemorable.
Outgoing PM…. FUCK YES
Words are like spells that’s why they call it spelling.
Now to concentrate on the outgoing national government
I’m spinning just wows, there will be parties in the streets all across the land.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement
🙂
Jeez youse guys are quick.
Key spouts more drivel…talks about ‘honesty’, nose grows….
Reason for quitting….we will never know the truth.
However, he was a devil we knew….
Knows the housing market is going to crash under the weight of increasing interest rates and couldn’t bear the thought if getting beaten next year as a consequence.
That is my guess.
It would seem that trump is doubling down on the far right hate message. He has appointed Steve Bannon as white house strategist. Fun times.
Anti establishment referendum rejects Renzi.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38204189
Breaking news key to resign
John Key resigns, what a great start to the week, I feel some how cleaner…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/New-Zealand-Government-makes-major-announcement
I guess it will be left to English ( and he is a real believer) to carry on driving this neo-liberal train wreck toward the inevitable cliff, .
John bails before the looming economic disaster, so as always will come out of the shit smelling like roses.
Three election wins and remains not out, also the only way the left were ever going to beat John Key, sorry Sir John Key
Shame he didn’t want to win a fourth but he obviously puts his family before personal glory:
“This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made and I don’t know what I’ll do next.”
Key cited family reasons for leaving, saying the job had required great sacrifices “from those who are dearest to me”.
His wife Bronagh had endured “many lonely nights” and his children Stephie and Max had been put under “extraordinary levels of intrusion”.
He also said it was the right time to leave, as National were polling at nearly 50 per cent and the economy was growing.
Nothing like leaving the party in good strength 🙂
So his main reason is because of intrusion into his family’s life. Ironic since it was he who used his family as a major plank in his own marketing.
Its also quite good that a politician has left while on top rather then being voted out
Breaking news… People don’t read above before posting breaking news.
Oh and John Key’s resigned. lol
Breaking news… People don’t read above before posting breaking news.
Oh and John Key’s resigned. lol
ALERT ALERT! According to this JOHN KEY is Stepping down as PM! What? Is it a trick?!!!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87202756/new-zealand-government-makes-major-announcement
It is True!!!! Key Resigns!
\http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11760656
They will elect a new Leader next Monday. Who will it be?
Joyce?
Collins?
Bennett?
shouldn’t there be a snap election? public voted for Key to lead, not for someone else. Least that’s how I see it.
So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?
NZFirst always did seem like a more natural fit than NZFirst and Lab/Green…
Win the battle but lose the war springs to mind 🙂
It’s a very dark day for you, Pucky – I feel your pain and wish I’d taken you up on your bet 🙂
Ok so do you think this decision opens the door for National to welcome back the prodigal son?
The John Key-led Government will not win in 2017
(Something I’ve long believed)
🙂 🙂 🙂
I think this decision has strengthened the possibility of National being in charge after 2017 (just not with John Key)
Keen for a bet?
“So since Sir John Key is going and Winston doesn’t like Key does this mean now that the main stumbling block between National and NZFirst going into power together has now been removed?”
It potentially increases the possibility.
I think we can all agree that politics got just that little more interesting now
Indeed.
Ernie Merrick resigns!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/87199504/reports-suggest-ernie-merrick-has-resigned-as-wellington-phoenix
Shame that Stuart Nash just came out recently and said he would stick with Labour, it turns out a job that would suit him down to the ground just became available this afternoon…talk about about bad timing.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has also announced his resignation
today
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/exit-polls-italians-reject-renzi-charter-reform-plan-161204221134449.html
.
Why are the Trolls so pessimistic?
.
They are wealthy. They are married to the prettiest girls in the land who play Tennis to fill in the week days. They have brilliant children. They have fantastic amounts of retirement money. They believe in themselves. More importantly they own numbers of houses from which they are getting fabulous Rents. They love hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
So why are they to a man – all hang dog and abusive?
Do you think they should go to the doctor and get a tonic? They are so Angry. Always Angry.
🙂