Good morning Duncan you would believe how hard it is to get books on Aotearoa history especially Ngati-porou I would buy them but the books will get lost in the post.
With Ihimaera has written some good books on the subject but the story changes to much from the older Ngati-porou storys. If any one has got the book East Coast Maori myths and legends by William Porter.Legends of the Maori and personal reminiscences of the East Coast of New Zealand by William Porter.
The Great New Zealand myths by David Simmons.could I buy them. 2 of these books have been digitizer but A American organisation has them in that format and one can not axis them. One book is at the library but one has to read it there 500 pages.
Kurt Penny is a great sport person and a great role model for all our mokos Ka pai Ka kite ano
ECO MAORIs Kiwi Bank ac 389019048573100 Please help me to sort the nz police out
I decided against trying to use PayPal to receive donations .I decided to copy
Thestandards safe way of appealing and receiving donations I set up a Kiwi Bank AC
So he tangata the people of Aoteraoroa New Zealand who support ECO MAORI can use internet banking to make donations and know that there bank accounts are safe after they have made a donation . ECO MAORI will use the donations to SUE the nz police for all the breaches to mine and my Whano Privacy Rights & Human Rights a lot of people can see this has been happening to ECO MAORI when I win my case I will set up a
Charitable Trust and I will pay the money that I used and any extra donations into this Trust account and appeal to anyone else in Aoteraoroa who need help with finance to SUE the nz police for there in justices I will copy bank statements on this site to let he tangata the people know that ECO MAORI has Honest Honorable and transparent intentions to use your hard earned Putea Money. .
Kia Kaha Ka kite ano
Memories of how toxic the National party “dirty politics’ still is being felt today no thanks to John Key and Steven Joyce.
Steven Joyce caught in a trap by Matthew hooten in Radio Live discussion with Mark Sainsbury at 27.50 minutes on discussion audio. in 31st August 2914.
. . . hosted by Peter Aranyi
« Sean Plunket comes around on the Watergate comparison (‘Dirty Politics’)
The escape of exnzpat, Part 24 »
Matthew Hooton’s assertions re the Prime Minister’s Office
Posted in 31 August 2014
Peter Aranyi
9 Comments »
‘Explosive’ is one of those words that gets kicked around in politics and political reporting to the point where it’s almost lost its meaning.
But it’s not an exaggeration to describe right wing spin doctor and self-declared National Party loyalist Matthew Hooton‘s performance on RadioLIVE this morning as incendiary. He effectively called Prime Minister John Key ‘dishonest’, said the PM’s office and chief of staff Wayne Eagleson is implicated in the Dirty Tricks scandal (viz. the SIS-Goff-OIA affair) and more, described Jason Ede’s black-ops brigade as ‘acting under orders’.
And in a fiery exchange, he described former National Party President (and present-day apologist) Michelle Boag as ‘a hack’ with ‘no political views’ who is ‘all about is defending a government that has behaved in ways that [are] literally indefensible and you know it’ …
Listen for yourself.
What is Newsroom’s connection with EQC (and its previous leadership, up to and including the responsible Minister) ?……every article they have written re this organisation has a noticeably supportive tone (in the face of the facts)….very odd.
Good morning Amanda to ECO MAORI it looks like there is a direct attack on OUR farmers one organization was contradicting its main role goal and scaring our Farmers
Beef and Lamb .
Now you have a organization saying that half of emissions of Papatuanuku will come from farmers once again I say that the stats data is massaged to suit the organization using the stats data .
That organization is doing a really good job around Papatuanuku nun are perfect
but they will get water in there face on what they said this morning .
OUR farmers could easily lower there carbon foot print /emissions the government just has to take the lead thats what leaders are supposed to do .
BY 2050 New Zealand farmers could easily be totally ORGANIC farmers.
Most of the energy used to produce our food products could be renewable energy to has that been accounted for in that stat data . Ana to kai ka kite ano
In the 1980s some big wigs from you know were advised the Lange government and national governments that farming was a industry on the decline invest your money in the stock market .
They said your model of having boards managing everything /health meat wool dairy many more organizations was wrong sell off state assets. We had low cost management cost at a guess less than 10% we had good state run organizations for Forestry Railways ect employing and training people free education .
The stock market crashed a lot of people lost money .Our health systems are a shambles education systems is a shambles Railways is nearly non existent Roads been built in the wrong locations we have heaps of home less people . The organizations that run these services have a management cost of 40% now and OUR good farmers kept adapting advancing there farming efficiency production cost they are still the main toko support of the Aoteroa New Zealand economy you good people are doing a good job keeping New Zealand wealthy and healthy ka pai
All of this happened in 35 years all because of the (good) advice from our friendly
Ally you know who !!!!!!!!!!!! Ana to kai Ka kite ano .P.S i know about the stats on OUR farmers chin up keep up the good work.
“I’m not really used to that whole situation so I kind of just assumed that’s what happens when you go to normal uni parties,” said the student, who wished to remain anonymous.
She was unfazed by the rampant binge-drinking and sex, but when her group was asked to go skinny-dipping, and then perform “racy” dance shows, she became “super-uncomfortable”.
“I wasn’t drinking but before we did the skit thing, our leaders said, ‘This whole thing would probably just be easier if you were drunk’,” the law student said.
“The more dirty the skit, the more clothes you took off, the more points you would get, at least it seemed that way. It was uncomfortable because it encouraged you to strip or be vulgar and that’s very not me.
“There was a skinny-dipping game where if you went completely in the nude then you got more points, but the entire team had to do it. That was where I felt kind of peer pressured by the sort of thinking that I have to do it because everyone else is doing it.
“It was very out of my comfort zone. But I am also the kind of person to be open to almost everything, so I was feeling really weird, I never do these kinds of things, ever. I was kind of in the head space thinking, ‘Well, what everyone else does, then maybe I should do it too’.”
She added: “I’ve always wanted to experience being drunk or doing something crazy. But I didn’t expect it to be at law camp.”
This is just a puritanical witch hunt now. The female student in that story sounds like a right idiot. Call me crazy, but I think law students are adult enough to make their own decisions and if they go to a crazy booze up and they “feel uncomfortable” well tough luck. Put it down to life forming and don’t go next year. None of the behaviour I read in that story appears to be illegal.
Oh come on. her story is a steaming pile of horseshit that fails the sniff test.
“…It was very out of my comfort zone. But I am also the kind of person to be open to almost everything…”
Says the self-described conservative, teetotaling student.
She added: “I’ve always wanted to experience being drunk or doing something crazy. But I didn’t expect it to be at law camp.”
Really? I don’t want to labour the point, but it was an undergraduate party. On an island. HELLO??? ANYONE HOME??? I hope she never does criminal law because her inability to spot the fucking obvious flaw in her own thinking doesn’t fill me with hope she could spot any flaw in the Police case.
I am tired of the media and the regretful trying to police people’s morality. I am sorry her expectation the camp would consist of flower pressing classes and singing Kumbaya around the campfire proved misplaced and the whole event turned out to be a Bacchanalian celebration by and for youthful sexpots. But University drinking clubs and undergraduates having wild parties have existed since the the first undergraduate at the university of Bologna in 1088 said “Let’s go to the tavern after class!” So she has regrets. Deal with it. Why should her inability to cope with the outcomes of her bad decision making mean everyone else (who by the sound of it had a right royal time boozing and shagging) has to suffer? Who put the spoil sport in charge?
Get over it already. Bad choices are made. Wisdom and experience derives there from. Life is lived.
If someone was pressured into ‘compliance’ by way of having to partake in flower pressing classes and singing Kumbaya around the campfire, then I’d be saying it was all a bit fucked up. However, if someone was doing their thing while those around freely got into flower pressing classes and singing Kumbaya around the campfire then “whatever”.
And the same goes for drinking and nudity and sex. People up for that shit? Fine. People applying overt pressure on those not so keen? Not so fine.
So on the one hand she’s an idiot, on the other hand she’s adult enough to make her own decisions.
That’s the sweet spot for pressuring women into getting drunk and stripping (or more), is it? Old enough that it’s legal, but still too young to recognise dangerous situations and bail before it all turns pear-shaped.
A lot of teens at uni are cycling for the first time without training wheels. Yes, many of them are still as thick as pigshit. That doesn’t make it okay to manipulate them into doing shit they’ll regret. If they’re up for it, cool. But manipulating them is just bullshit.
“…That’s the sweet spot for pressuring women into getting drunk and stripping (or more), is it?
Plenty of blokes were getting drunk and stripping as well. So I guess it is an equal opportunity sweet spot. Unless you consider women and their sexual agency to always be somehow compromised by evil males and their wicked coercion. However to my mind that reduces women to the role of permanent victim incapable of knowing their own mind. In fact, from my reading of events it sounds like everyone else was having quite the jolly time.
“… Old enough that it’s legal, but still too young to recognise dangerous situations and bail before it all turns pear-shaped….”
And tell me, oh wise oracle, how exactly does one develop the life skills and experience to recognise a “dangerous situation” and bail on it if you are packed in cotton wool and protected from the slightest consequences of your decisions at all times by intrusive social busy bodies?
Also, how exactly was she in a “dangerous situation”? There is no claim she was subject to any sort of unwelcome sexual advances. It sounds like she was more or less ignored. The entire case for the prosecution seems to be she felt “uncomfortable” that she was being peer pressured into skinny dipping naked.
OMG crime of the century!
Who HASN’T felt uncomfortable being peer pressured into doing something they didn’t want to when they were young? Isn’t that one of things when you get older you are glad to have the experience to leave behind?
Learning from experiences like this is how you grow into a mature adult capable of knowing your own mind and resisting pressure to do stuff you don’t like in the future. It isn’t the basis of a full blown moral panic by an unholy alliance of feminist Puritans and right wing moralists.
So being pressured to strip naked is the same as being pressured to dive from a higher board than you’re comfortable with? Piss off. People don’t always need to learn the hard way. Harrassing people so that next time they’ll know to tell you to fuck off much earlier on is not a public service, it’s bullshit.
I am sorry, but I am just not seeing the issue here.
The Russell McVeagh stuff is clearly a problem, because there is an obvious power imbalance.
Arguably, the SOULS story is just the media feeding a stereotype of behaviour at Otago – but the presence of the dean of the school again requires an answer.
But this event was organised by students for students and involved both men and women engaging in consensual behaviour of an entirely legal kind.
One person didn’t like it and felt uncomfortable, which was bad for her and wouldn’t have made for a particularly fun Saturday night but beyond that, so what?
Yes Cinny those young people shouldn’t leave home till they are 25 which seems the age of maturity for men anyway, and perhaps women will learn some by then too.
Good to see the Aussies are reminding us that. Another fine example of the right working together to make sure genocide is successful in the 21st Century.
Won’t do them any good the tatmadaw, Myanmar army get dealt too by any of the armed ethnic armies even with millions of dollars of arms and training from the british. Their only victories are against unarmed villagers.
I wonder how Apartment villages, residential complexes are coping with the census. I visit one regularly and there are many people in there who are incapable of filling out a census form. Now these forms are online, even applying for the physical form to fill out, it still won’t help these people. Most of the form could be filled out by the staff, but when it comes to their financial arrangements and what their worth is will not be available to the staff. Not all residents will have family close as many children of these elderly will be overseas or out of town.
I cannot see this year’s census being very accurate, what about all the homeless street people – don’t they count as well? What about patients who are seriously ill in critical care, intubated etc how on earth are they meant to fill out a census form online or any type of form.
I remember when the census form seemed to be much more detailed about personal details, this year was a doddle to fill out, are they lowering the bar for details or is it my imagination.
I am quite horrified by what I am seeing and hearing on this census, and the number of people who will be missed out through no fault of their own.
As to the actual forms, I filled these out in no time at all, whereas in the past it has been a ‘major exercise’. Many fewer questions than in the past and all seemed to be a once over lightly. More like an online poll such as the Horizon ones (no disrespect to these intended).
I didn’t find the census a doddle because I noticed how much information they wanted about who was living in the dwelling.
It wasn’t a problem to me but I thought the extent of it it was invasive – First and last name, age, relationship for up to 8 people, and then if more you phone for a Continuation form (I am doing it on paper) then on No.19 how many usual residents won’t be there and 20 all the details for four absent persons.
I could understand just numbers and ages and whether people are family or not.
But thinking of hunts for overstayers, and malicious meddling to peoples disadvantage, it wouldn’t be wise for some to trust the government with every bit of information they want.
I noticed that they were interested in smoking, but only of cigarettes, not pipes, cigars, or e-cigarettes. No mention of vaping. No mention of legal synthetic cannabis or other over the counter recreationals.
There are a lot of things they could usefully and cheaply gather information about on other aspects of health than loss of function, transport to name just two.
Aspirations – a list to choose from. Concerns the same. It would have been interesting to see those collated and the shift over time if they were always included.
It does seem once over lightly, and I note in the Guides it says that there will not be a Field Officer ‘delivering paper forms to my house’, to reduce costs and…more efficiently. That’s our modern government, keep costs down and aim for efficiency before efficacy. (Another time to remember Aldous Huxley (1894-1963 taking in the two WW) and his belief that constant striving for more efficiency will be the ruin of human society.)
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” Wikiquote
and
“A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.”
Brave New World
and
The worst enemy of life, freedom and the common decencies is total anarchy;
their second worst enemy is total efficiency. (Don’t know where its home is.)
and
His comments in a letter to George Orwell. Worth reading, and rereading. https://boingboing.net/2016/08/22/george-orwells-letter-from-h.html
Now these forms are online, even applying for the physical form to fill out, it still won’t help these people.
And so easy any body with half a brain could do them and they can also use the phone to apply for the paper forms.
And, no, I don’t consider age to be that great a disability. If you can read you can do them online.
Most of the form could be filled out by the staff, but when it comes to their financial arrangements and what their worth is will not be available to the staff.
And those people probably have someone with power of attorney who can do it.
Please note: There is no cut-off date for when the forms need to be back.
I cannot see this year’s census being very accurate, what about all the homeless street people – don’t they count as well?
A great deal of effort has been made to ensure that they do count with field officers being sent out to known hotspots – but it does require that those people make some effort to be counted. Many are not prepared to do so.
But then we also have to ask how many homeless were counted in previous census’ to be able to do a comparison.
What about patients who are seriously ill in critical care, intubated etc how on earth are they meant to fill out a census form online or any type of form.
Friends, Family, power of attorney – I would assume that someone who’s non-responsive does have someone with power of attorney.
I remember when the census form seemed to be much more detailed about personal details, this year was a doddle to fill out, are they lowering the bar for details or is it my imagination.
To me it seems that it’s been very well designed so that it’s a doddle to fill out while still providing all of the information. It’s the age of computers and social algorithms – no need to ask detailed and pointed questions.
Was asked politely if I could help. They had run out of petrol in the North City Plaza parking area. Apparently I’m forgettable because same guy asked the next day in a different location (Tawa shopping area) and now carrying a prop in the form of a large red petrol can.
Need an app for this. Could shut it down more effectively.
Had the same in Ōtara shopping mall. Just smiled and said “Yeah, I gave you some money for petrol last week”. Sheepish smile and a small wave.
It doesn’t really bother me.
A lot of households are doing it hard. Sometimes I can help and sometimes I can’t, and the fact that they didn’t recognise you makes it likely that they are not comfortable doing this. They can’t look you directly in the eye.
I’m just glad not to be in that situation, it must affect your sense of self.
yep, saw two ladies yesterday on Queenstreet with what appeared to be homecooked meals and fresh fruit handing these ‘take away’ meals out to the homeless who happily accepted them and started eating – forks, napkins and all.
Who cares, you got a penny or three to give, give, and if you can’t afford it financially or are morally upset about people begging don’t give. Fact is there are many people in this country that will sleep rough tonight, that won’t eat to their hunger, and some will beg, steal or prostitute themselves to make ends meet.
AWW
The begging is a survival activity amongst citizens usually. Shows there is life in that person yet. Others drink meths or something, perhaps he wants the petrol to sniff though, a step to death, but that possibility should not pre-empt giving help. It can be resorted to also by tourists who are trying to bum their way round the world. And buskers and music makers are offering the opportunity to share their gifts and skills, and should be encouraged with some emolument!
We shouldn’t use cold technological controls for live needy human beings who are trying to manage in one of the diverse ways humans have until they are a real threat.
One of Conan Doyle’s stories is about a gentleman who found that he could make more money as a beggar than at his profession? We can be forced by neediness to tap people for money, but also we feel suspicion about, by cupidity. That is an interesting word, in this case not connected with infants with love arrows, and its derivation has changed over centuries.
With humans there are always conflicting or changing layers, and who knows what the beggar has progressed through in his or her derivations, what the influences have been. Knowing the state of our country’s dropping standards of living, mores, care for each other, respect for an honest working person, and the rise in hard-faced poisonous antagonistic class attitudes often expressed in rentier behaviour, it isn’t surprising to find growing numbers of needy people who can’t manage to cope without begging whatever they have tried.
I think we must resort to the twin precepts of kindness and practicality which will be a basecourse for a decent, respectful society if enough of us have the guts to form one from the rubble. And that one will have a view of people as being part of a community in balance, all being participants and recipients in its productivity.
@asleepwhilewalking
How would you cope living on $250 per week on a long term basis?
I’m so sick of smug middle-class attitudes towards the less fortunate. I often run out of petrol before my benefit (supported living) arrives, so I stay at home. No public transport here.
(I wonder why I feel I need to point out I’m disabled, ie a ‘deserving’ beneficiary ?)
This is supposed to be a left-wing political blog, , how about showing a bit of empathy and compassion!
Was it always hot everyway, new records set globally, year on year hottest year ever.
In order for the ice age to leave glaciers touch the Mediterranean, water need to be heated, evaporate, and fall as snow. I.e a hot art ic. The latest weather pattern is typical for dumping snow over Europe while globally we get yet a new hottest ever year.
Sodden leaf – I think we will all be fighting over that description soon. Either wanting it desperately, or not wanting it, desperately. Watching what the world might have done anyway over thousands of years now happen in our lifetimes is painful and scary even before personally feeling the brunt of it.
If you read the Herald today, there is an article called “The longest fight”. Our contributor Rosemary features, telling the story of the fight for spouses and family carers to get paid for the work they do.
I am personally writing to Andrew Little. This is intolerable. The stories are heart wrenching.
They could pay for sheep for Saudi farms, and a flag referendum…. but not this.
Until things like this are fixed I feel our society is very sick.
Fix the tax so we can afford these payments. They don’t want very much, just justice and some independence.
Rosemary you have my admiration and you and your husband should have the security of your love, and both of you should not have to beggar yourselves. Arohanui Kia kaha.
Here is the link to the Herald article you refer to. It is written by the great young Kirsty Johnston* who has a remarkable list of other excellent indepth investigative reporting achievements under her belt on social issues such as education including special needs education, and mental health to name just a couple.
Patricia, could I suggest that you direct any letters etc to Dr David Clark, as Health Minister rather than Andrew Little as these issues are not in AL’s areas of responsibility. So Dr Clark and/or Julie Anne Genter as Associate Minister of Health are much more appropriate.
Another ‘youngie’ journalist to also keep an eye out for on mental health, patient rights issues and similar is Jessica McAllen – a very close friend of Henry C’s, Patricia. Here is one of her pieces on her own journey through the mental health maze – https://t.co/UQGcHCzZ6x
SNAP – now see Bill already obliged with the link to the article itself (the first of my links above).
“Prime Minister Theresa May today vowed to make it harder for developers who “sit on land and watch its value rise” to get planning permission.
The Prime Minister stressed she “cannot bring about the kind of society I want to see, unless we tackle one of the biggest barriers to social mobility we face today” – the lack of affordable housing.
And she signalled a new approach to planning permission on green belt land”
Meanwhile locally the American hedge fund boys landbank via their golf courses (taking the land out of use drives up the areas land values) – which will later be on-sold and turned into gated community development.
Thanks for posting that link Bill. That is a shocking account of the way we treat the families caring for disabled citizens. And National’s act in changing the law to restrict and block challenges to the policy is outrageous. When you consider how National “governed” in favour of the wealthy, the foreign buyers, the corporates, their electoral funders, and the vanity projects, this record of denying human rights to those most vulnerable has to be among the most heinous. Good luck to the families taking on the challenge.
One month in Prison as a “cure” for homelessness, addiction and mental health issues.
“Judge Philip Crayton said he had read the letter and said it was obvious that at Sayers’ age he needed to find a job and somewhere to live.
Judge Crayton said he was concerned he would leave the court, still with nowhere to live and repeat the offences.”
I’m slightly bemused as to what Judge Crayton thinks will change after one month in prison, other than the poor guy will be (possibly quite literally) dying for a drink.
This was on ABC’s 4 Corners lastnight. It is worth watching as it looks at Climate Change from MPI producers,1st Responder’s and from the Big end of town POV. There is not a Pollie in sight.
Thanks Exkiwiforces for the link. Your input is always good.
This item from 4 Corners starts with a welcome, and then spells out how it is, literally on the ground. Can we make a similar statement for NZ?
The political arguments over climate change have gone on for years frustrating progress on every level. Faced with the intransigence of the political system, a growing number of Australians are taking matters into their own hands. For them change is no longer theoretical, it’s here now.
What I found interesting was the long term long trend of the Southern MPI producers was very similar to a couple of Top End Cattle Stations where I use to hunt and chatting to some of the old cattlemen at pub saying the climate is slowly changing ever so slowly now.
The comments from the big end of town really hit the nail on the head. For me the last wet season, the second wettest season on record with hardly any cyclones in our area, but the flip side to this was hell of a dry season and the fires in our fire area was very intense which didn’t help with a fire bug lightning fires in some weird places.
This years wet season has been weird to say the least with most areas from far nth Queensland through to nth Western Australia getting a years worth a rain in one mth instead of it being evenly spread throughout the wet season and the wet season doesn’t end until April. The old hands already saying the tail end of wet might bite us in the ass and the dry is going to be worst than last year. Because if you get a really big wet you can’t do any back burning and what back burning can be done is not that effective as there is to much soil moisture in the ground or in some it’s still too bloody wet for people to do their fire break as wasthe case with me last year as my last fire break got done half way through the Fire season and even then I almost the mower bogged.
Gavin “Mogadon” Ellis now pretends to be an advocate of free speech
RNZ National, Tuesday 6 March 2018, 11:45 a.m.
To round off today’s program, host Kathryn Ryan had her weekly fifteen minute talk about the media with the ex-Herald editor Gavin “Mogadon” Ellis. The first item was intriguing….
After rightly pouring cold water on National Party lightweight Melissa Lee’s expression of bogus concern about Tracey Bridges appearing on Jim Mora’s light chat show on RNZ National, Ellis then called Matthew Hooton “an excellent commentator on politics.” Clearly in the grip of an expansive spirit of liberal generosity, Ellis next averred: “I’m quite happy to hear the likes of Tracy Bridges and Sir Bob Jones.”
MBIE was responsible for targeting me in their advertising as I was watching a YT.
I sat transfixed and unable to bring myself to stop watching by clicking “skip ad” as I wondered what kind of money had been spent to produce the video and target a 40+ yr old watching a video on economics.
Yes thanks to MBIE I have been reminded that a tenant is responsible for paying rent (!) and for a couple of minutes those gems of information just kept coming in the form of two cartoon houses (I assume MBIE wanted to use something I felt comfortable with). I was targeted more than once to reinforce the messages ensuring government money was well spent.
Tonight, scrolling through Twitter, I came across a frankly audacious message sent from the ‘Bath Conservatives’ account, that had tagged me in. Unfortunately this is not an account dedicated to the frugal recycling of your dirty wash water, more’s the pity, but the haphazard and misfiring musings from the anonymous social media person for the Bath branch of the Conservative Party. You might have heard of them. They’re the ones in Government right now, and have been for around eight years now.
These Conservatives decided, in their wisdom, to uphold me as an example of someone who could cook well on a meagre budget. Put like that, you may wonder why I exploded in cold fury.
They said: “Indolent or disfunctional parents… simply don’t know how to feed their children well. If…Jack Monroe could feed herself and her child for £10 a week…most people can.”
I exploded.
[…]
The premise of the tweet from the Conservative Association was that parents who do not cook beautiful, bountiful meals from scratch are lazy, uneducated, unskilled and dysfunctional. Allow me to piss all over that particularly poisonous bonfire once and for all.
Lovely, (sarcasm) Auckland council are really trying to reduce congestion by removing 6 local service centres and giving themselves the savings by upgrading their own digs 3.2 million fit out.
“You will get an increased reach of customer service opportunity in communities. Our goal is to ultimately provide better opportunity to service our customers,” Aitken said.”
How???????????????????? By spending 17 million plus of rate payers money on upgrading various premises (see below) while they close down the local services centres so customers have to travel further?
“The plan comes not long after Auckland Transport spent about $11 million refurbishing a corporate office building in the CBD and a decision last week by councillors to approve an unbudgeted $3.2 million for a fit-out by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) for new offices in the city.”
I was curious about Wal-Mart and bought a book detailing their story. At the start they ran their office out of a few rooms above the shop. Now they are the biggest in the USA or something. A mighty power that makes America feel great. One day they’ll wake up, and have to go cold turkey.
It sounds as if Auckland City Council are proceeding in the opposite direction.
Their service to your pathetic needs and interests in the field will decrease till you will be lucky to be heard in some dim, understaffed little office. But they don’t want to follow Sam Walton’s methods before he reached the heights, ie get the show on the road, going well and effectively performing, and working from simple premises that are adequate and not flashy.
How about Auckland Council save money by taking ATEED to the airport for example with cheaper rents and Auckland Transport to South Auckland and their own Auckland Council head office so they can create some jobs in poorer areas and save money for rate payers on commercial premises.
(Then all the managers living in Herne Bay, Wellington and Remmer’s for example can be among some of their constituents who they never meet and commuters. Might get some practical decisions for a change).
Calling muttonbird and maui – and Puckish Rogue aka the Stirrer
Sometimes pictures help people ‘get the picture’,
Further to our discussion on Open Mike 4 March at 7, here are some pictures of Jacinda Ardern’s family who are returning to NZ very soon after many years overseas – hence JA and CG buying a bigger house (and possibly retaining their current one in the meantime) to accommodate them and the new baby.
So, we have Dad in picture 1; Mum and sister (Louise) in picture 2, and niece (Isabella?) in picture 3 (as well as Winston Peters!). Missing from the photos are Louise’s husband and their 4 month old son who was born in London on the same day (Oct 26) as JA and the new government were sworn in by the Governor-General.
Bullshit – that is the equivalent of saying you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. And you know it.
If you want to discuss the detail etc of CP-TPP, then do so. But you didn’t. You just tried to divert the conversation onto a red herring, which had already been discussed ad nauseum (partly because I was not about to let the stupid suggestions go unchallenged). Then when I pointed that out, you offered up another diversion.
Or do you do it just to rile people up, leading to a flame war or similar and then bans getting handed out?
Jacinda Ardern is far from the equivalent of the Breeze etc – if you think so, then you are one of the ones being diverted by the softer stuff. Actually listen to her speeches, watch what is actually happening.
* By the way, my views on the CP-TPP are not popular here. Having a high sense of self-preservation I tend to avoid doing so and let the others rant. Besides what would I know about such things as NZ’s participation in and negotiation of bilateral and multi lateral international agreements, and membership etc of related international organisations etc? LOL.
“Bullshit – that is the equivalent of saying you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. And you know it.”
Absolutely not, I will not let you get away with that, I’ve had people decide that what I said meant something else and I’ll nip it in the bud right here
It means taking peoples minds of whats happening and making them feel safe and everything’s nice and rosy so you don’t have to worry about the decisions being made on your behalf
It is absolutely not suggesting Jacinda can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
She is a very smart politicial operator and knows exactly what she is doing, like The Breeze does.
It means taking peoples minds of whats happening and making them feel safe and everything’s nice and rosy so you don’t have to worry about the decisions being made on your behalf
Via the curious method of setting clear goals and expectations, measuring her government’s performance up against them, and having members of Cabinet do the same.
Even the CPTPP announcement matches the form, where the minister tabling the text itemised the copy against their five lines in their manifesto. Now some of that wasn’t overly impressive, but they’re still pretty much on target. I disagree with Kelsey that side letters and suspended articles are meaningless, so I don’t think it’s a catastrophic miss. Labour have been openly free trade and for ISDS for years, within the constraints of the extent of ISDS. The people angry at Labour now either didn’t vote Labour last year or (stupidly) they did and are now angry Labour seems to have pretty much followed through on its platform.
You don’t need to distract people from policies you announced and achieved. Quite the reverse.
Why don’t you think the side letters and suspension of the US articles are meaningless?
I hadn’t picked Labour as pro-ISDS. In fact, getting rid of the ISDS was one of their five bottoms lines.
Because of what the TPPA is, it’s not an issue of Labour voters. The govt should be working for all NZ, irrespective of who voted for them.
Ardern is adept at PR there is no doubt about that. I think PR is overstating his case though (when he gets round to actually stating it). JA is also very good at just being a people person.
JA is also very good at just being a people person.
I think that’s a concept right-wingers struggle with. For the right, a proper politician fakes being a people person for votes, a la John Key. Why would someone make a show of putting up with all those schmucks and losers if there was no personal gain in it? On the plus side, their inability to understand Ardern is good news for Labour.
It’s not really comparable, Key was fronting everything, both domestically and internationally, compare that to Ardern who’s only good for staged environments and who runs from any difficult situation her handlers can’t control.
She’s a pathetic joke of a PM who’s making a mockery of what the PM is all about.
Good for Labour. I think that dynamic is a danger for the left though. We’re so used to an enemy, what do we do with a friend when they fuck up, especially if they are such a great person?
Because they’re additions to the formal agreement.
Yes, one side letter with one nation means a multinational can simply use another nation as a vehicle for ISDS. So it depends on the extent of the side-letter wall, if you will. Not all the letters have been released yet, so it’s a bit early to say it doesn’t exist.
Secondly, “getting rid of ISDS” was never one of their bottom lines, if you read it. We’ve been through this before. Labour wanted an ISDS more like the one they negotiated for the Sth Korean FTA under lab5, but felt the ones under the TPP were too open-ended.
* Corporations cannot successfully sue the Government for regulating in the public interest.
* New Zealand maintains the right to restrict sales of farm land and housing to non-resident foreigner buyers.
* The Treaty of Waitangi must be upheld.
* Meaningful gains are made for farmers in tariff reductions and market access.
They were never anti-ISDS, and they never promised to get rid of it. Just make public interest a defence for regulations. If they manage that via a side-letter wall, fair enough. If not (and we don’t know the full extent of side letters yet), then we’ll see what the damage is.
Suspensions are just that. Until the US comes in, the suspended things are off the table and haven’t been agreed to. For the US to come in, they’ll have get agreement. So no, not meaningless.
Labour are good at marketing, Ardern included. But she’s not running a distraction from govt policy (PR’s angle), she’s plugging it. And govt policy reflects the policies of the relative strengths of coalitions. Labour think this deal is working for NZ. The Greens do not.
3 News Hub its the hottest year on record that’s global warming poking us inthee eyes. I hope The new coalition government start implementing some new technologies and policies to combat climate change. I Back the changes to Quantas air line change to increase Lady’s equality Ka pai Ka kite ano
You see people Spark thinks there should be one law for the wealthy and one for the common poor he tangata the people we don,t need billionaires all flocking to Aoteraroa New Zealand if that happens we won,t be able to afford to feed our mokos .
The wealthy can buy real-estate in other country’s to grow there fortune tuff if they can,t buy in New Zealand I new Spark was a neo liberal run company they are all about there rich m8 thats why ECO MAORI did not trust there give alittle website its just another money making skeem for spark here is a link to sparks reasons for lifting the foreign house buying ban.
shonky and joyce think if you make a mistake you are not human you have know human rights our Supreme Court thinks differently ka pai they give me faith that I will win this test of my Mana. Ka kite ano
The project on 3 When we got married I left the planning up to my wife we tried to keep it quiet so not to many Whano turned up but know it got out and there was a few tangata there it turned out excellent.
After the honeymoon I had to change a clutch plate in a XB Ford Falcon for my cousin lucky my m8 had the parts it was a Sunday and the parts shops weren’t open in those days it was a good WEEKEND.PS tell Mike McRoberts it my youngest son birthday today to Ka pai. Ka kite ano I’m not into joyces m8
Many thanks for mentioning climate change Kanao Ka pai
Talk about Fletchers and EQC suing them. The past CEO says that the EQC guaranteed Fletchers against being sued. He seems to know what he is doing, and has gone on to head another large entity.
CEO Mark Binns to leave Meridian | Stuff.co.nz https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/…/CEO-Mark-Binns-to-leave-Meridian
Jun 22, 2017 – Mark Binns, the chief executive of Meridian Energy, has announced he is retiring at the end of the year. Binns, who has been at the helm of the company since 2011, said it had been a hard decision to leave. “This role has provided some awesome challenges and there are many interesting opportunities …
Mark Binns: ‘Read my lips. I’m not going to Fletcher’ | The National … https://www.nbr.co.nz/…/mark-binns-read-my-lips-im-not-going-fletcher-b-206896
Aug 24, 2017 – Retiring Meridian Energy chief executive Mark Binns definitively ruled himself out of interest in either taking over the leadership of Fletcher Building or of becoming a director of the troubled construction company. … “If I was going to own a smelter, I would rather own a smelter in New Zealand than Australia.
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
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Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
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Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
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. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
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 ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, 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 ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Good morning Duncan you would believe how hard it is to get books on Aotearoa history especially Ngati-porou I would buy them but the books will get lost in the post.
With Ihimaera has written some good books on the subject but the story changes to much from the older Ngati-porou storys. If any one has got the book East Coast Maori myths and legends by William Porter.Legends of the Maori and personal reminiscences of the East Coast of New Zealand by William Porter.
The Great New Zealand myths by David Simmons.could I buy them. 2 of these books have been digitizer but A American organisation has them in that format and one can not axis them. One book is at the library but one has to read it there 500 pages.
Kurt Penny is a great sport person and a great role model for all our mokos Ka pai Ka kite ano
ECO MAORIs Kiwi Bank ac 389019048573100 Please help me to sort the nz police out
I decided against trying to use PayPal to receive donations .I decided to copy
Thestandards safe way of appealing and receiving donations I set up a Kiwi Bank AC
So he tangata the people of Aoteraoroa New Zealand who support ECO MAORI can use internet banking to make donations and know that there bank accounts are safe after they have made a donation . ECO MAORI will use the donations to SUE the nz police for all the breaches to mine and my Whano Privacy Rights & Human Rights a lot of people can see this has been happening to ECO MAORI when I win my case I will set up a
Charitable Trust and I will pay the money that I used and any extra donations into this Trust account and appeal to anyone else in Aoteraoroa who need help with finance to SUE the nz police for there in justices I will copy bank statements on this site to let he tangata the people know that ECO MAORI has Honest Honorable and transparent intentions to use your hard earned Putea Money. .
Kia Kaha Ka kite ano
Memories of how toxic the National party “dirty politics’ still is being felt today no thanks to John Key and Steven Joyce.
Steven Joyce caught in a trap by Matthew hooten in Radio Live discussion with Mark Sainsbury at 27.50 minutes on discussion audio. in 31st August 2914.
http://www.thepaepae.com/matthew-hootons-assertions-re-the-prime-ministers-office/35076/
. . . hosted by Peter Aranyi
« Sean Plunket comes around on the Watergate comparison (‘Dirty Politics’)
The escape of exnzpat, Part 24 »
Matthew Hooton’s assertions re the Prime Minister’s Office
Posted in 31 August 2014
Peter Aranyi
9 Comments »
‘Explosive’ is one of those words that gets kicked around in politics and political reporting to the point where it’s almost lost its meaning.
But it’s not an exaggeration to describe right wing spin doctor and self-declared National Party loyalist Matthew Hooton‘s performance on RadioLIVE this morning as incendiary. He effectively called Prime Minister John Key ‘dishonest’, said the PM’s office and chief of staff Wayne Eagleson is implicated in the Dirty Tricks scandal (viz. the SIS-Goff-OIA affair) and more, described Jason Ede’s black-ops brigade as ‘acting under orders’.
And in a fiery exchange, he described former National Party President (and present-day apologist) Michelle Boag as ‘a hack’ with ‘no political views’ who is ‘all about is defending a government that has behaved in ways that [are] literally indefensible and you know it’ …
Listen for yourself.
They – hooten, boag, joyce, are a mountain of putrefaction.
Thanks for the link CG, much appreciated, I had a listen to it last night when you posted it, super interesting looking back.
The audio links are a MUST listen, fascinating stuff especially re recent events with hooten/mr dildo
What is Newsroom’s connection with EQC (and its previous leadership, up to and including the responsible Minister) ?……every article they have written re this organisation has a noticeably supportive tone (in the face of the facts)….very odd.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/03/05/94349/minister-versus-mandarin-big-gun-rolled-out
Good morning Amanda to ECO MAORI it looks like there is a direct attack on OUR farmers one organization was contradicting its main role goal and scaring our Farmers
Beef and Lamb .
Now you have a organization saying that half of emissions of Papatuanuku will come from farmers once again I say that the stats data is massaged to suit the organization using the stats data .
That organization is doing a really good job around Papatuanuku nun are perfect
but they will get water in there face on what they said this morning .
OUR farmers could easily lower there carbon foot print /emissions the government just has to take the lead thats what leaders are supposed to do .
BY 2050 New Zealand farmers could easily be totally ORGANIC farmers.
Most of the energy used to produce our food products could be renewable energy to has that been accounted for in that stat data . Ana to kai ka kite ano
In the 1980s some big wigs from you know were advised the Lange government and national governments that farming was a industry on the decline invest your money in the stock market .
They said your model of having boards managing everything /health meat wool dairy many more organizations was wrong sell off state assets. We had low cost management cost at a guess less than 10% we had good state run organizations for Forestry Railways ect employing and training people free education .
The stock market crashed a lot of people lost money .Our health systems are a shambles education systems is a shambles Railways is nearly non existent Roads been built in the wrong locations we have heaps of home less people . The organizations that run these services have a management cost of 40% now and OUR good farmers kept adapting advancing there farming efficiency production cost they are still the main toko support of the Aoteroa New Zealand economy you good people are doing a good job keeping New Zealand wealthy and healthy ka pai
All of this happened in 35 years all because of the (good) advice from our friendly
Ally you know who !!!!!!!!!!!! Ana to kai Ka kite ano .P.S i know about the stats on OUR farmers chin up keep up the good work.
Good morning Rock Rumble radio station give us a sore face lol Ka kite ano
Higgins civil construction company likes working for the sandflys that’s probably why there getting all the work.
Ana to kai
Glorious,
The STRIKE keeps spreading.
https://libcom.org/news/2-strikes-1-struggle-significance-communications-workers-strike-west-virginia-05032018
Another day, another drunken/nude law camp. Today is University of Auckland’s turn
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12006892
“I’m not really used to that whole situation so I kind of just assumed that’s what happens when you go to normal uni parties,” said the student, who wished to remain anonymous.
She was unfazed by the rampant binge-drinking and sex, but when her group was asked to go skinny-dipping, and then perform “racy” dance shows, she became “super-uncomfortable”.
“I wasn’t drinking but before we did the skit thing, our leaders said, ‘This whole thing would probably just be easier if you were drunk’,” the law student said.
“The more dirty the skit, the more clothes you took off, the more points you would get, at least it seemed that way. It was uncomfortable because it encouraged you to strip or be vulgar and that’s very not me.
“There was a skinny-dipping game where if you went completely in the nude then you got more points, but the entire team had to do it. That was where I felt kind of peer pressured by the sort of thinking that I have to do it because everyone else is doing it.
“It was very out of my comfort zone. But I am also the kind of person to be open to almost everything, so I was feeling really weird, I never do these kinds of things, ever. I was kind of in the head space thinking, ‘Well, what everyone else does, then maybe I should do it too’.”
She added: “I’ve always wanted to experience being drunk or doing something crazy. But I didn’t expect it to be at law camp.”
This is just a puritanical witch hunt now. The female student in that story sounds like a right idiot. Call me crazy, but I think law students are adult enough to make their own decisions and if they go to a crazy booze up and they “feel uncomfortable” well tough luck. Put it down to life forming and don’t go next year. None of the behaviour I read in that story appears to be illegal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnL9d8PM_VQ
If you sneered and jeered at the waverers viciously enough you could maybe bully them into agreeing with you sanky.
Oh come on. her story is a steaming pile of horseshit that fails the sniff test.
“…It was very out of my comfort zone. But I am also the kind of person to be open to almost everything…”
Says the self-described conservative, teetotaling student.
She added: “I’ve always wanted to experience being drunk or doing something crazy. But I didn’t expect it to be at law camp.”
Really? I don’t want to labour the point, but it was an undergraduate party. On an island. HELLO??? ANYONE HOME??? I hope she never does criminal law because her inability to spot the fucking obvious flaw in her own thinking doesn’t fill me with hope she could spot any flaw in the Police case.
I am tired of the media and the regretful trying to police people’s morality. I am sorry her expectation the camp would consist of flower pressing classes and singing Kumbaya around the campfire proved misplaced and the whole event turned out to be a Bacchanalian celebration by and for youthful sexpots. But University drinking clubs and undergraduates having wild parties have existed since the the first undergraduate at the university of Bologna in 1088 said “Let’s go to the tavern after class!” So she has regrets. Deal with it. Why should her inability to cope with the outcomes of her bad decision making mean everyone else (who by the sound of it had a right royal time boozing and shagging) has to suffer? Who put the spoil sport in charge?
Get over it already. Bad choices are made. Wisdom and experience derives there from. Life is lived.
If someone was pressured into ‘compliance’ by way of having to partake in flower pressing classes and singing Kumbaya around the campfire, then I’d be saying it was all a bit fucked up. However, if someone was doing their thing while those around freely got into flower pressing classes and singing Kumbaya around the campfire then “whatever”.
And the same goes for drinking and nudity and sex. People up for that shit? Fine. People applying overt pressure on those not so keen? Not so fine.
+100
Prof Henaghan will be lucky to get the Ak Uni public law tenure he wants after The Otago gig.
Exactly!
Deal with ? FFS Sanctuary, what if it happened to your daughter, would you just tell them to deal with it?
Grow a fucken pair, attitudes like that are part of the problem.
So on the one hand she’s an idiot, on the other hand she’s adult enough to make her own decisions.
That’s the sweet spot for pressuring women into getting drunk and stripping (or more), is it? Old enough that it’s legal, but still too young to recognise dangerous situations and bail before it all turns pear-shaped.
A lot of teens at uni are cycling for the first time without training wheels. Yes, many of them are still as thick as pigshit. That doesn’t make it okay to manipulate them into doing shit they’ll regret. If they’re up for it, cool. But manipulating them is just bullshit.
“…That’s the sweet spot for pressuring women into getting drunk and stripping (or more), is it?
Plenty of blokes were getting drunk and stripping as well. So I guess it is an equal opportunity sweet spot. Unless you consider women and their sexual agency to always be somehow compromised by evil males and their wicked coercion. However to my mind that reduces women to the role of permanent victim incapable of knowing their own mind. In fact, from my reading of events it sounds like everyone else was having quite the jolly time.
“… Old enough that it’s legal, but still too young to recognise dangerous situations and bail before it all turns pear-shaped….”
And tell me, oh wise oracle, how exactly does one develop the life skills and experience to recognise a “dangerous situation” and bail on it if you are packed in cotton wool and protected from the slightest consequences of your decisions at all times by intrusive social busy bodies?
Also, how exactly was she in a “dangerous situation”? There is no claim she was subject to any sort of unwelcome sexual advances. It sounds like she was more or less ignored. The entire case for the prosecution seems to be she felt “uncomfortable” that she was being peer pressured into skinny dipping naked.
OMG crime of the century!
Who HASN’T felt uncomfortable being peer pressured into doing something they didn’t want to when they were young? Isn’t that one of things when you get older you are glad to have the experience to leave behind?
Learning from experiences like this is how you grow into a mature adult capable of knowing your own mind and resisting pressure to do stuff you don’t like in the future. It isn’t the basis of a full blown moral panic by an unholy alliance of feminist Puritans and right wing moralists.
So being pressured to strip naked is the same as being pressured to dive from a higher board than you’re comfortable with? Piss off. People don’t always need to learn the hard way. Harrassing people so that next time they’ll know to tell you to fuck off much earlier on is not a public service, it’s bullshit.
Learning from experiences Sanctuary? Is that how you justify certain behaviour?
I am sorry, but I am just not seeing the issue here.
The Russell McVeagh stuff is clearly a problem, because there is an obvious power imbalance.
Arguably, the SOULS story is just the media feeding a stereotype of behaviour at Otago – but the presence of the dean of the school again requires an answer.
But this event was organised by students for students and involved both men and women engaging in consensual behaviour of an entirely legal kind.
One person didn’t like it and felt uncomfortable, which was bad for her and wouldn’t have made for a particularly fun Saturday night but beyond that, so what?
Yes Cinny those young people shouldn’t leave home till they are 25 which seems the age of maturity for men anyway, and perhaps women will learn some by then too.
Warmongers will be warmongers.
Good to see the Aussies are reminding us that. Another fine example of the right working together to make sure genocide is successful in the 21st Century.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/06/australia-to-train-myanmar-military-despite-ethnic-cleansing-accusations
Won’t do them any good the tatmadaw, Myanmar army get dealt too by any of the armed ethnic armies even with millions of dollars of arms and training from the british. Their only victories are against unarmed villagers.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/CI7Gd2EpRGQ
http://english.panglong.org/2018/01/30/northern-burma-clash-account-december-2017/
Unarmed villagers make the best group to cleanse. When your a hard right junta.
It’s like there is a perpetual civil war in Burma, and we hear virtually nothing about it.
KIA allies have been fighting also.
http://www.dvb.no/news/tnla-clashes-tatmadaw-shan-states-kutkai-township/79633
WTF at 4.06?
https://screenshotscdn.firefoxusercontent.com/images/a929845f-2ef8-4571-9a8f-c253394a2523.png
I wonder how Apartment villages, residential complexes are coping with the census. I visit one regularly and there are many people in there who are incapable of filling out a census form. Now these forms are online, even applying for the physical form to fill out, it still won’t help these people. Most of the form could be filled out by the staff, but when it comes to their financial arrangements and what their worth is will not be available to the staff. Not all residents will have family close as many children of these elderly will be overseas or out of town.
I cannot see this year’s census being very accurate, what about all the homeless street people – don’t they count as well? What about patients who are seriously ill in critical care, intubated etc how on earth are they meant to fill out a census form online or any type of form.
I remember when the census form seemed to be much more detailed about personal details, this year was a doddle to fill out, are they lowering the bar for details or is it my imagination.
Well said, WK.
I am quite horrified by what I am seeing and hearing on this census, and the number of people who will be missed out through no fault of their own.
As to the actual forms, I filled these out in no time at all, whereas in the past it has been a ‘major exercise’. Many fewer questions than in the past and all seemed to be a once over lightly. More like an online poll such as the Horizon ones (no disrespect to these intended).
I didn’t find the census a doddle because I noticed how much information they wanted about who was living in the dwelling.
It wasn’t a problem to me but I thought the extent of it it was invasive – First and last name, age, relationship for up to 8 people, and then if more you phone for a Continuation form (I am doing it on paper) then on No.19 how many usual residents won’t be there and 20 all the details for four absent persons.
I could understand just numbers and ages and whether people are family or not.
But thinking of hunts for overstayers, and malicious meddling to peoples disadvantage, it wouldn’t be wise for some to trust the government with every bit of information they want.
I noticed that they were interested in smoking, but only of cigarettes, not pipes, cigars, or e-cigarettes. No mention of vaping. No mention of legal synthetic cannabis or other over the counter recreationals.
There are a lot of things they could usefully and cheaply gather information about on other aspects of health than loss of function, transport to name just two.
Aspirations – a list to choose from. Concerns the same. It would have been interesting to see those collated and the shift over time if they were always included.
It does seem once over lightly, and I note in the Guides it says that there will not be a Field Officer ‘delivering paper forms to my house’, to reduce costs and…more efficiently. That’s our modern government, keep costs down and aim for efficiency before efficacy. (Another time to remember Aldous Huxley (1894-1963 taking in the two WW) and his belief that constant striving for more efficiency will be the ruin of human society.)
Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” Wikiquote
and
“A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.”
Brave New World
and
The worst enemy of life, freedom and the common decencies is total anarchy;
their second worst enemy is total efficiency. (Don’t know where its home is.)
and
His comments in a letter to George Orwell. Worth reading, and rereading.
https://boingboing.net/2016/08/22/george-orwells-letter-from-h.html
And so easy any body with half a brain could do them and they can also use the phone to apply for the paper forms.
And, no, I don’t consider age to be that great a disability. If you can read you can do them online.
And those people probably have someone with power of attorney who can do it.
Please note: There is no cut-off date for when the forms need to be back.
A great deal of effort has been made to ensure that they do count with field officers being sent out to known hotspots – but it does require that those people make some effort to be counted. Many are not prepared to do so.
But then we also have to ask how many homeless were counted in previous census’ to be able to do a comparison.
Friends, Family, power of attorney – I would assume that someone who’s non-responsive does have someone with power of attorney.
To me it seems that it’s been very well designed so that it’s a doddle to fill out while still providing all of the information. It’s the age of computers and social algorithms – no need to ask detailed and pointed questions.
Was asked politely if I could help. They had run out of petrol in the North City Plaza parking area. Apparently I’m forgettable because same guy asked the next day in a different location (Tawa shopping area) and now carrying a prop in the form of a large red petrol can.
Need an app for this. Could shut it down more effectively.
Did you help the first time?
Had the same trouble in Ōtaki too lol.
Had the same in Ōtara shopping mall. Just smiled and said “Yeah, I gave you some money for petrol last week”. Sheepish smile and a small wave.
It doesn’t really bother me.
A lot of households are doing it hard. Sometimes I can help and sometimes I can’t, and the fact that they didn’t recognise you makes it likely that they are not comfortable doing this. They can’t look you directly in the eye.
I’m just glad not to be in that situation, it must affect your sense of self.
yep, saw two ladies yesterday on Queenstreet with what appeared to be homecooked meals and fresh fruit handing these ‘take away’ meals out to the homeless who happily accepted them and started eating – forks, napkins and all.
Who cares, you got a penny or three to give, give, and if you can’t afford it financially or are morally upset about people begging don’t give. Fact is there are many people in this country that will sleep rough tonight, that won’t eat to their hunger, and some will beg, steal or prostitute themselves to make ends meet.
Me too, i am glad i am not in that situation.
AWW
The begging is a survival activity amongst citizens usually. Shows there is life in that person yet. Others drink meths or something, perhaps he wants the petrol to sniff though, a step to death, but that possibility should not pre-empt giving help. It can be resorted to also by tourists who are trying to bum their way round the world. And buskers and music makers are offering the opportunity to share their gifts and skills, and should be encouraged with some emolument!
We shouldn’t use cold technological controls for live needy human beings who are trying to manage in one of the diverse ways humans have until they are a real threat.
One of Conan Doyle’s stories is about a gentleman who found that he could make more money as a beggar than at his profession? We can be forced by neediness to tap people for money, but also we feel suspicion about, by cupidity. That is an interesting word, in this case not connected with infants with love arrows, and its derivation has changed over centuries.
With humans there are always conflicting or changing layers, and who knows what the beggar has progressed through in his or her derivations, what the influences have been. Knowing the state of our country’s dropping standards of living, mores, care for each other, respect for an honest working person, and the rise in hard-faced poisonous antagonistic class attitudes often expressed in rentier behaviour, it isn’t surprising to find growing numbers of needy people who can’t manage to cope without begging whatever they have tried.
I think we must resort to the twin precepts of kindness and practicality which will be a basecourse for a decent, respectful society if enough of us have the guts to form one from the rubble. And that one will have a view of people as being part of a community in balance, all being participants and recipients in its productivity.
@ greywarshark – Re making more money begging than in a profession:
Watch the wonderfully satirical film Drei Groschenoper, 1931, Kurt Weill and Berchold Brecht – where beggars are organised like any business.
Also memorable for ‘Mack the Knife’ song.
So that’s where Mack the Knife came in. Thanks for heads up. Tony V.
@asleepwhilewalking
How would you cope living on $250 per week on a long term basis?
I’m so sick of smug middle-class attitudes towards the less fortunate. I often run out of petrol before my benefit (supported living) arrives, so I stay at home. No public transport here.
(I wonder why I feel I need to point out I’m disabled, ie a ‘deserving’ beneficiary ?)
This is supposed to be a left-wing political blog, , how about showing a bit of empathy and compassion!
Was it always hot everyway, new records set globally, year on year hottest year ever.
In order for the ice age to leave glaciers touch the Mediterranean, water need to be heated, evaporate, and fall as snow. I.e a hot art ic. The latest weather pattern is typical for dumping snow over Europe while globally we get yet a new hottest ever year.
Sodden leaf – I think we will all be fighting over that description soon. Either wanting it desperately, or not wanting it, desperately. Watching what the world might have done anyway over thousands of years now happen in our lifetimes is painful and scary even before personally feeling the brunt of it.
If you read the Herald today, there is an article called “The longest fight”. Our contributor Rosemary features, telling the story of the fight for spouses and family carers to get paid for the work they do.
I am personally writing to Andrew Little. This is intolerable. The stories are heart wrenching.
They could pay for sheep for Saudi farms, and a flag referendum…. but not this.
Until things like this are fixed I feel our society is very sick.
Fix the tax so we can afford these payments. They don’t want very much, just justice and some independence.
Rosemary you have my admiration and you and your husband should have the security of your love, and both of you should not have to beggar yourselves. Arohanui Kia kaha.
The link.
Thanks Bill.
Hi Patricia
Here is the link to the Herald article you refer to. It is written by the great young Kirsty Johnston* who has a remarkable list of other excellent indepth investigative reporting achievements under her belt on social issues such as education including special needs education, and mental health to name just a couple.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12005044
Kirsty’s article is further supported by today’s editorial in the Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=12006800
Patricia, could I suggest that you direct any letters etc to Dr David Clark, as Health Minister rather than Andrew Little as these issues are not in AL’s areas of responsibility. So Dr Clark and/or Julie Anne Genter as Associate Minister of Health are much more appropriate.
—————————————————————————————————
* Here is an indepth Spinoff article last year by Steve Braunias on Kirsty which is well worth reading – and covers some of the other people she has made a difference for through her writing eg Ashley Peacock:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/10-08-2017/kirsty-johnston-and-the-kindness-and-decency-of-investigative-journalism/
Another ‘youngie’ journalist to also keep an eye out for on mental health, patient rights issues and similar is Jessica McAllen – a very close friend of Henry C’s, Patricia. Here is one of her pieces on her own journey through the mental health maze – https://t.co/UQGcHCzZ6x
SNAP – now see Bill already obliged with the link to the article itself (the first of my links above).
Thank you both.
Much love Rosemary to you and your man, proud of you both.
“Prime Minister Theresa May today vowed to make it harder for developers who “sit on land and watch its value rise” to get planning permission.
The Prime Minister stressed she “cannot bring about the kind of society I want to see, unless we tackle one of the biggest barriers to social mobility we face today” – the lack of affordable housing.
And she signalled a new approach to planning permission on green belt land”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-mays-housing-speech-full-12130186
Meanwhile locally the American hedge fund boys landbank via their golf courses (taking the land out of use drives up the areas land values) – which will later be on-sold and turned into gated community development.
Given we have no CGT … a nice little earner
And what are we doing about it?
Thats an interesting method SPC. I must gather up my pennies and try for leverage, and get started on my upward social mobility.
If you think Tara Iti is about land banking – then you obviously have no idea of what he has created there.
Perhaps you would like do dis his business partners as well – Te Uri o Hau and Ngati Manuhiri?
and btw – the guy is a NZ resident.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/101918474/mark-reason-new-zealand-golf-is-turning-into-little-america
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/299764/beach-locals-upset-at-development-plans
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11625354
Thanks for posting that link Bill. That is a shocking account of the way we treat the families caring for disabled citizens. And National’s act in changing the law to restrict and block challenges to the policy is outrageous. When you consider how National “governed” in favour of the wealthy, the foreign buyers, the corporates, their electoral funders, and the vanity projects, this record of denying human rights to those most vulnerable has to be among the most heinous. Good luck to the families taking on the challenge.
One month in Prison as a “cure” for homelessness, addiction and mental health issues.
“Judge Philip Crayton said he had read the letter and said it was obvious that at Sayers’ age he needed to find a job and somewhere to live.
Judge Crayton said he was concerned he would leave the court, still with nowhere to live and repeat the offences.”
I’m slightly bemused as to what Judge Crayton thinks will change after one month in prison, other than the poor guy will be (possibly quite literally) dying for a drink.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12003688
This was on ABC’s 4 Corners lastnight. It is worth watching as it looks at Climate Change from MPI producers,1st Responder’s and from the Big end of town POV. There is not a Pollie in sight.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/weather-alert/9511070
Thanks Exkiwiforces for the link. Your input is always good.
This item from 4 Corners starts with a welcome, and then spells out how it is, literally on the ground. Can we make a similar statement for NZ?
What I found interesting was the long term long trend of the Southern MPI producers was very similar to a couple of Top End Cattle Stations where I use to hunt and chatting to some of the old cattlemen at pub saying the climate is slowly changing ever so slowly now.
The comments from the big end of town really hit the nail on the head. For me the last wet season, the second wettest season on record with hardly any cyclones in our area, but the flip side to this was hell of a dry season and the fires in our fire area was very intense which didn’t help with a fire bug lightning fires in some weird places.
This years wet season has been weird to say the least with most areas from far nth Queensland through to nth Western Australia getting a years worth a rain in one mth instead of it being evenly spread throughout the wet season and the wet season doesn’t end until April. The old hands already saying the tail end of wet might bite us in the ass and the dry is going to be worst than last year. Because if you get a really big wet you can’t do any back burning and what back burning can be done is not that effective as there is to much soil moisture in the ground or in some it’s still too bloody wet for people to do their fire break as wasthe case with me last year as my last fire break got done half way through the Fire season and even then I almost the mower bogged.
Gavin “Mogadon” Ellis now pretends to be an advocate of free speech
RNZ National, Tuesday 6 March 2018, 11:45 a.m.
To round off today’s program, host Kathryn Ryan had her weekly fifteen minute talk about the media with the ex-Herald editor Gavin “Mogadon” Ellis. The first item was intriguing….
After rightly pouring cold water on National Party lightweight Melissa Lee’s expression of bogus concern about Tracey Bridges appearing on Jim Mora’s light chat show on RNZ National, Ellis then called Matthew Hooton “an excellent commentator on politics.” Clearly in the grip of an expansive spirit of liberal generosity, Ellis next averred: “I’m quite happy to hear the likes of Tracy Bridges and Sir Bob Jones.”
Mogadon’s newfound commitment to the principle of free speech would have surprised anyone who witnessed his cowardice in 2002….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16102015/#comment-1083147
MBIE was responsible for targeting me in their advertising as I was watching a YT.
I sat transfixed and unable to bring myself to stop watching by clicking “skip ad” as I wondered what kind of money had been spent to produce the video and target a 40+ yr old watching a video on economics.
Yes thanks to MBIE I have been reminded that a tenant is responsible for paying rent (!) and for a couple of minutes those gems of information just kept coming in the form of two cartoon houses (I assume MBIE wanted to use something I felt comfortable with). I was targeted more than once to reinforce the messages ensuring government money was well spent.
Jack does incandescent.
Tonight, scrolling through Twitter, I came across a frankly audacious message sent from the ‘Bath Conservatives’ account, that had tagged me in. Unfortunately this is not an account dedicated to the frugal recycling of your dirty wash water, more’s the pity, but the haphazard and misfiring musings from the anonymous social media person for the Bath branch of the Conservative Party. You might have heard of them. They’re the ones in Government right now, and have been for around eight years now.
These Conservatives decided, in their wisdom, to uphold me as an example of someone who could cook well on a meagre budget. Put like that, you may wonder why I exploded in cold fury.
They said: “Indolent or disfunctional parents… simply don’t know how to feed their children well. If…Jack Monroe could feed herself and her child for £10 a week…most people can.”
I exploded.
[…]
The premise of the tweet from the Conservative Association was that parents who do not cook beautiful, bountiful meals from scratch are lazy, uneducated, unskilled and dysfunctional. Allow me to piss all over that particularly poisonous bonfire once and for all.
https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2018/02/17/my-ready-meal-is-none-of-your-fucking-business/
https://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/news/jack-monroe-says-run-bath-1236674
Lovely, (sarcasm) Auckland council are really trying to reduce congestion by removing 6 local service centres and giving themselves the savings by upgrading their own digs 3.2 million fit out.
“You will get an increased reach of customer service opportunity in communities. Our goal is to ultimately provide better opportunity to service our customers,” Aitken said.”
How???????????????????? By spending 17 million plus of rate payers money on upgrading various premises (see below) while they close down the local services centres so customers have to travel further?
“The plan comes not long after Auckland Transport spent about $11 million refurbishing a corporate office building in the CBD and a decision last week by councillors to approve an unbudgeted $3.2 million for a fit-out by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) for new offices in the city.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12006827
I was curious about Wal-Mart and bought a book detailing their story. At the start they ran their office out of a few rooms above the shop. Now they are the biggest in the USA or something. A mighty power that makes America feel great. One day they’ll wake up, and have to go cold turkey.
It sounds as if Auckland City Council are proceeding in the opposite direction.
Their service to your pathetic needs and interests in the field will decrease till you will be lucky to be heard in some dim, understaffed little office. But they don’t want to follow Sam Walton’s methods before he reached the heights, ie get the show on the road, going well and effectively performing, and working from simple premises that are adequate and not flashy.
How about Auckland Council save money by taking ATEED to the airport for example with cheaper rents and Auckland Transport to South Auckland and their own Auckland Council head office so they can create some jobs in poorer areas and save money for rate payers on commercial premises.
(Then all the managers living in Herne Bay, Wellington and Remmer’s for example can be among some of their constituents who they never meet and commuters. Might get some practical decisions for a change).
Don’t know what’s going on with Granny but they even had a few good articles today!
John Gascoigne: NZ needs new economic compass
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12006897
Stephen Joyce retiring from Parliament. On Radionz news.
I guess four votes in caucus was an overcount then 🙂
Calling muttonbird and maui – and Puckish Rogue aka the Stirrer
Sometimes pictures help people ‘get the picture’,
Further to our discussion on Open Mike 4 March at 7, here are some pictures of Jacinda Ardern’s family who are returning to NZ very soon after many years overseas – hence JA and CG buying a bigger house (and possibly retaining their current one in the meantime) to accommodate them and the new baby.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102007922/jacinda-arderns-homecoming-visit-to-niue
So, we have Dad in picture 1; Mum and sister (Louise) in picture 2, and niece (Isabella?) in picture 3 (as well as Winston Peters!). Missing from the photos are Louise’s husband and their 4 month old son who was born in London on the same day (Oct 26) as JA and the new government were sworn in by the Governor-General.
See thats nice, we don’t have to worry about silly old details like whats actually in (or isn’t in) the CPTTP do we
Jacinda Ardern is sort of the political equivalent of The Breeze radio station
Everythings nice and lovely and don’t worry about anything
Bullshit – that is the equivalent of saying you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. And you know it.
If you want to discuss the detail etc of CP-TPP, then do so. But you didn’t. You just tried to divert the conversation onto a red herring, which had already been discussed ad nauseum (partly because I was not about to let the stupid suggestions go unchallenged). Then when I pointed that out, you offered up another diversion.
Or do you do it just to rile people up, leading to a flame war or similar and then bans getting handed out?
Jacinda Ardern is far from the equivalent of the Breeze etc – if you think so, then you are one of the ones being diverted by the softer stuff. Actually listen to her speeches, watch what is actually happening.
* By the way, my views on the CP-TPP are not popular here. Having a high sense of self-preservation I tend to avoid doing so and let the others rant. Besides what would I know about such things as NZ’s participation in and negotiation of bilateral and multi lateral international agreements, and membership etc of related international organisations etc? LOL.
“Bullshit – that is the equivalent of saying you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. And you know it.”
Absolutely not, I will not let you get away with that, I’ve had people decide that what I said meant something else and I’ll nip it in the bud right here
It means taking peoples minds of whats happening and making them feel safe and everything’s nice and rosy so you don’t have to worry about the decisions being made on your behalf
It is absolutely not suggesting Jacinda can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
She is a very smart politicial operator and knows exactly what she is doing, like The Breeze does.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/94466508/kiwis-like-the-breeze-for-music-newstalk-zb-for-news
‘The Breeze has overtaken The Edge as the country’s favourite music station’
Via the curious method of setting clear goals and expectations, measuring her government’s performance up against them, and having members of Cabinet do the same.
Even the CPTPP announcement matches the form, where the minister tabling the text itemised the copy against their five lines in their manifesto. Now some of that wasn’t overly impressive, but they’re still pretty much on target. I disagree with Kelsey that side letters and suspended articles are meaningless, so I don’t think it’s a catastrophic miss. Labour have been openly free trade and for ISDS for years, within the constraints of the extent of ISDS. The people angry at Labour now either didn’t vote Labour last year or (stupidly) they did and are now angry Labour seems to have pretty much followed through on its platform.
You don’t need to distract people from policies you announced and achieved. Quite the reverse.
Why don’t you think the side letters and suspension of the US articles are meaningless?
I hadn’t picked Labour as pro-ISDS. In fact, getting rid of the ISDS was one of their five bottoms lines.
Because of what the TPPA is, it’s not an issue of Labour voters. The govt should be working for all NZ, irrespective of who voted for them.
Ardern is adept at PR there is no doubt about that. I think PR is overstating his case though (when he gets round to actually stating it). JA is also very good at just being a people person.
JA is also very good at just being a people person.
I think that’s a concept right-wingers struggle with. For the right, a proper politician fakes being a people person for votes, a la John Key. Why would someone make a show of putting up with all those schmucks and losers if there was no personal gain in it? On the plus side, their inability to understand Ardern is good news for Labour.
Arden has demonstrated how superfluous a PM actually is.
Fascinating really, you could put Richie McCaw up as PM and it would have absolutely no impact on how NZ ran and operated.
I don’t think this is a good thing, to be honest.
To the extent there’s any truth in that, it was of course equally as true under John Key. Was it a good thing then?
It’s not really comparable, Key was fronting everything, both domestically and internationally, compare that to Ardern who’s only good for staged environments and who runs from any difficult situation her handlers can’t control.
She’s a pathetic joke of a PM who’s making a mockery of what the PM is all about.
Good for Labour. I think that dynamic is a danger for the left though. We’re so used to an enemy, what do we do with a friend when they fuck up, especially if they are such a great person?
Because they’re additions to the formal agreement.
Yes, one side letter with one nation means a multinational can simply use another nation as a vehicle for ISDS. So it depends on the extent of the side-letter wall, if you will. Not all the letters have been released yet, so it’s a bit early to say it doesn’t exist.
Secondly, “getting rid of ISDS” was never one of their bottom lines, if you read it. We’ve been through this before. Labour wanted an ISDS more like the one they negotiated for the Sth Korean FTA under lab5, but felt the ones under the TPP were too open-ended.
From 2015:
They were never anti-ISDS, and they never promised to get rid of it. Just make public interest a defence for regulations. If they manage that via a side-letter wall, fair enough. If not (and we don’t know the full extent of side letters yet), then we’ll see what the damage is.
Suspensions are just that. Until the US comes in, the suspended things are off the table and haven’t been agreed to. For the US to come in, they’ll have get agreement. So no, not meaningless.
Labour are good at marketing, Ardern included. But she’s not running a distraction from govt policy (PR’s angle), she’s plugging it. And govt policy reflects the policies of the relative strengths of coalitions. Labour think this deal is working for NZ. The Greens do not.
‘The Breeze has overtaken The Edge as the country’s favourite music station’
Farkinell. That’s like reading “Syphilis has overtaken AIDS as the country’s favourite sex disease.”
Lol the sandflys sent some actors to spin some lies about ECO MAORI at the sports and they all got water on there head.
Ana to kai
3 News Hub its the hottest year on record that’s global warming poking us inthee eyes. I hope The new coalition government start implementing some new technologies and policies to combat climate change. I Back the changes to Quantas air line change to increase Lady’s equality Ka pai Ka kite ano
You see people Spark thinks there should be one law for the wealthy and one for the common poor he tangata the people we don,t need billionaires all flocking to Aoteraroa New Zealand if that happens we won,t be able to afford to feed our mokos .
The wealthy can buy real-estate in other country’s to grow there fortune tuff if they can,t buy in New Zealand I new Spark was a neo liberal run company they are all about there rich m8 thats why ECO MAORI did not trust there give alittle website its just another money making skeem for spark here is a link to sparks reasons for lifting the foreign house buying ban.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12007127
shonky and joyce think if you make a mistake you are not human you have know human rights our Supreme Court thinks differently ka pai they give me faith that I will win this test of my Mana. Ka kite ano
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12007449
The project on 3 When we got married I left the planning up to my wife we tried to keep it quiet so not to many Whano turned up but know it got out and there was a few tangata there it turned out excellent.
After the honeymoon I had to change a clutch plate in a XB Ford Falcon for my cousin lucky my m8 had the parts it was a Sunday and the parts shops weren’t open in those days it was a good WEEKEND.PS tell Mike McRoberts it my youngest son birthday today to Ka pai. Ka kite ano I’m not into joyces m8
Many thanks for mentioning climate change Kanao Ka pai
Talk about Fletchers and EQC suing them. The past CEO says that the EQC guaranteed Fletchers against being sued. He seems to know what he is doing, and has gone on to head another large entity.
CEO Mark Binns to leave Meridian | Stuff.co.nz
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/…/CEO-Mark-Binns-to-leave-Meridian
Jun 22, 2017 – Mark Binns, the chief executive of Meridian Energy, has announced he is retiring at the end of the year. Binns, who has been at the helm of the company since 2011, said it had been a hard decision to leave. “This role has provided some awesome challenges and there are many interesting opportunities …
Mark Binns: ‘Read my lips. I’m not going to Fletcher’ | The National …
https://www.nbr.co.nz/…/mark-binns-read-my-lips-im-not-going-fletcher-b-206896
Aug 24, 2017 – Retiring Meridian Energy chief executive Mark Binns definitively ruled himself out of interest in either taking over the leadership of Fletcher Building or of becoming a director of the troubled construction company. … “If I was going to own a smelter, I would rather own a smelter in New Zealand than Australia.
He has now apparently gone to Metlifecare.
Would be awesome if he went into politics