Open mike 06/12/2021
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, December 6th, 2021 - 331 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
331 comments on “Open mike 06/12/2021 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...1 hour ago - Policing protests.
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 ...7 hours ago - Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
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 ...8 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
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. ...8 hours ago - Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – brieflyPeter 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 ...8 hours ago
- More tax for lessEle 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 ...9 hours ago
- Real News vs Fake News.
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 ...12 hours ago - Another way to roll
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...14 hours ago - Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this yearThis 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 ...18 hours ago
- Cutting the Public Service
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 ...1 day ago - Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
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 day ago - This is how I roll over
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 ...1 day ago - The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”……it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition NOTE – 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 ...1 day ago
- Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?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 ...1 day ago
- Three Strikes saw lower reoffendingDavid 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 ...1 day ago
- Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry eraBryce 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 ...1 day ago
- 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
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 ...2 days ago - One Night Only!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. ...2 days ago
- What did Melissa Lee do?
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 ...2 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024Open access notables Ice 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 ...2 days ago
- Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...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 ...2 days ago
- Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
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 ...2 days ago - “That's how I roll”
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 ...3 days ago - “Comity” versus the rule of law
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 ...3 days ago - Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
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 ...3 days ago - Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in BeninThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market 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 ...3 days ago
- At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...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 ... 3 days ago - These people are not our friends
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 ...3 days ago - Some advice from our tertiary history for the University Advisory GroupMike 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: ...3 days ago
- Still no prudential regulation case around climate changeEric 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 ...3 days ago
- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links for Wednesday, April 24
TL;DR: These six news links stood out to me in the last 24 hours or so onWednesday, April 23:Scoop: 'Released in error': Treasury paper hints at axing $6b flood resilience plan by NZ Herald-$$$ Thomas CoughlanScoop: EY launches new misconduct review amid Fonterra ban. Fonterra tells EY to remove some ...3 days ago - How National can neutralise serious allegations of corruption should the “Fast Track” Bill becom...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 ...3 days ago
- Cleaning Up After Gabrielle.
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 ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell on bird flu, AUKUS entry fees and Cindy LeeSwabbing 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 ...3 days ago
- Tolling Existing Roads
One of the government’s transport policy and agreements with it’s coalition partners made it clear that they were looking at options like tolling and road pricing. This was reinforced in it’s draft Government Policy Statement released at the start of March which made a couple of references to it. Road pricing, ...4 days ago - At a glance – The difference between weather and climateOn 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 ...4 days ago
- More criminal minersWhat 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 ...4 days ago
- Photos from the road
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, ...4 days ago - RMA reforms aim to ease stock-grazing rules and reduce farmers’ costs – but Taxpayers’ Union w...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 ...4 days ago
- Luxon Strikes Out.
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 ...4 days ago - In many ways the media that the experts wanted, turned out to be the media they have gotChris 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 ...4 days ago
- The Waitangi Tribunal Summons; or the more things stay the sameGraeme 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 ...4 days ago
- Both Parliamentary watchdogs hammer Fast-track billBoth 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 ...4 days ago
- India makes a big bet on electric busesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Spengeman People 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 ...4 days ago
- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 6:36am on Tuesday, April 23
TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 6:36am on Tuesday, April 22:Scoop & Deep Dive: How Sir Peter Jackson got to have his billion-dollar exit cake and eat Hollywood too NZ Herald-$$$ Matt NippertFast Track Approval Bill: Watchdogs seek substantial curbs on ministers' powers ...5 days ago - What is really holding up infrastructureThe 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 ...5 days ago
- “Pure Unadulterated Charge”
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 ...5 days ago - Bernard's six-stack of substacks for Monday, April 22
Tonight’s six-stack includes: writes via his substack that’s he’s sceptical about the IPSOS poll last week suggesting a slide into authoritarianism here, writing: Kiwis seem to want their cake and eat it too Tal Aster writes for about How Israel turned homeowners into YIMBYs. writes via his ...5 days ago - The media were given a little list and hastened to pick out Fast Track prospects – but the Treaty ...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 ...5 days ago
- Just trying to stay upright
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 ...5 days ago - “Unprecedented”Today, former Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson went on trial on health and safety charges for the death of one of his workers. The Herald calls the trial "unprecedented". Firstly, it's only "unprecedented" because WorkSafe struck a corrupt and unlawful deal to drop charges against Peter Whittall over Pike ...5 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Time for “Fast-Track Watch”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 ...5 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on fast track powers, media woes and the Tiktok banFeel 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 ...5 days ago
- The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
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. ...5 days ago - Maori push for parallel government structuresMichael 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 ...5 days ago
- An announcement about an announcementWithout 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 ...5 days ago
- All the Green Tech in China.
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 ...5 days ago - Western Express SuccessIn 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 ...6 days ago
- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 7:16am on Monday, April 22:Labour says Kiwis at greater risk from loan sharks as Govt plans to remove borrowing regulations NZ Herald Jenee TibshraenyHow did the cost of moving two schools blow out to more than $400m?A ...6 days ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
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 ...6 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16A 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 ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruptionThe 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 ...6 days ago
- Thank you
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 ...7 days ago - Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
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 ...1 week ago - How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive GuideIntroduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...1 week ago
- How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive StatisticsIntroduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...1 week ago
- How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...1 week ago
- Who Makes Mazda Cars?Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...1 week ago
- How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive GuideYour car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...1 week ago
- Can You Register a Car Without a License?In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the Rule If you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...1 week ago
- Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and PerformanceMazda, 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, ...1 week ago
- What Are Struts on a Car?Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...1 week ago
- What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive GuideCar registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...1 week ago
- How to Share Computer Audio on ZoomZoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...1 week ago
- How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...1 week ago
- Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass GravesTe 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 ...1 day ago
- Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
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. ...3 days ago - Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?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. ...3 days ago
- Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summonsTonight’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 ...3 days ago
- Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery fundingIt 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. ...4 days ago
- Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...4 days ago - Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environmentThe 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. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management systemLabour 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. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise PalestineThe 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. ...5 days ago
- Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kindThe Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...5 days ago
- Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...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. ...5 days ago
- Three strikes has failed before and will fail againResurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...5 days ago
- Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’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. ...5 days ago
- Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’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 ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freezeCuts 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. ...1 week ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extendedThe 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. ...1 week ago
- Release: Progress on climate will be undone by GovtNew 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. ...1 week ago
- Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect themNews that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore 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. ...1 week ago
- Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuseTe 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 ...1 week ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fireThe Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in AustraliaTe 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...2 weeks ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...3 weeks ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’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. ...3 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...3 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister 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. ...3 weeks ago
- Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
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, ...9 hours ago - New sports complex opens in KaikoheRegional 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 ...11 hours ago
- Diplomacy needed more than everForeign 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 ...14 hours ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery BelgiumAmbassador 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 ...1 day ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk BairDistinguished 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 ...2 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, TürkiyeMai 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 ...2 days ago
- PM announces changes to portfoliosPaul 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 ...3 days ago
- New catch limits for unique fishery areasRecreational 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 ...3 days ago
- Minister welcomes hydrogen milestoneEnergy 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 ...4 days ago
- Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment BillThe 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 ...4 days ago
- Overseas decommissioning models consideredOverseas 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 ...4 days ago
- Release of North Island Severe Weather Event InquiryEmergency 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 ...4 days ago
- Justice Minister to attend Human Rights CouncilJustice 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 ...5 days ago
- Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facilityAssociate 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 ...5 days ago
- Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024Hon 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 ...5 days ago
- Government to introduce revised Three Strikes lawThe 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 ...5 days ago
- New diplomatic appointmentsForeign 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 ...5 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and SomaliaNew 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 ...5 days ago
- Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho CollectiveMinister 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 ...6 days ago
- Supporting better financial outcomes for KiwisThe 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 ...6 days ago
- Trade relationship with China remains strong“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 ...7 days ago
- PM’s South East Asia mission does the businessPrime 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 ...1 week ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East AsiaNew 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 ...1 week ago
- Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-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 ...1 week ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation 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 ...1 week ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA 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 ...1 week ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign 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 ...1 week ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, 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 ...1 week ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime 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 ...1 week ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal 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 ...1 week ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe 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 - ...1 week ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit 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 ...1 week ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime 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 ...1 week ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA 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 ...1 week ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’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 ...1 week ago
- Government urged to hit the gas on revamp of road user charges
Infrastructure New Zealand is pushing for new road user charges to be brought in quicker to help relieve pressure on strained transport funding. ...2 hours ago - US student Palestine protests against Israel’s war on Gaza inspire global action
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 ...4 hours ago - Former Te Whatu Ora chairperson Rob Campbell criticises Health NZ's 'savings' directi...Rob Campbell said it shows "poor management" and is "frankly irresponsible". ...6 hours ago
- ‘To lead is to serve’ – Governor-General to call PM election in Solomon IslandsRNZ Pacific The race to form the next government of Solomon Islands could be a tight one, with no single party emerging from the election with enough seats to govern. Caretaker prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Our Party did the best, securing 15 out of the 50 seats in the House. ...6 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards – FastTrackWatch: The Case for the Government’s Fast Track BillAnalysis 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 ...7 hours ago
- NZ and Türkiye pledge cooperation during natural disastersThe two countries have "a long history of coming to each other's aid", including after the 2023 Turkish earthquakes, Winston Peters says. ...10 hours ago
- Waste not, want not: New series Food Waste Kitchen turns food trash into treasure
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. ...10 hours ago - Vaping regulations fight 'immeasurably harder' under coalition – campaignerFocus on Politics - Successive governments have claimed crack downs on youth vaping, but the bending and breaking of rules seems pervasive. ...10 hours ago
- Dog of the month: Scout, who is so independent she could be a catScout 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 ...12 hours ago
- ‘I don’t know if we were brave or stupid’: Megan Alatini on changing reality TVMegan 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 ...12 hours ago
- Behind the counter: Wellington shopkeepersA 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 ...14 hours ago
- Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand Condemns Toomaj Salehi's Death Sentence And The New Aggres...
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. ...14 hours ago - Short story: Calf Creek, by Anna Scaife
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 ...15 hours ago - Newsroom welcomes the Secret DiaryNewsroom, 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 ...15 hours ago
- I saw ‘The Sign’, and it opened up my eyes: All the fuss around Bluey, explainedTara 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 ...15 hours ago
- Jessica Tater has ambition without bordersWorking 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 ...16 hours ago
- The island where people’s stories are paramountThere’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 ...16 hours ago
- Australian author leads silence protest over ‘blood debt’ owed to PapuansAsia 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 ...16 hours ago
- Israel delays Gaza Freedom Flotilla departure with bureaucratic ‘block’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 ...17 hours ago
- Have New Zealanders really been ‘misled’ about AUKUS, or is involvement now a foregone conclusio...ANALYSIS: By Marco de Jong, Auckland University of Technology and Robert G. Patman, University of Otago When former prime minister Helen Clark spoke out against New Zealand potentially compromising its independent foreign policy by joining pillar two of the AUKUS security pact, Foreign Minister Winston Peters responded bluntly: On ...21 hours ago
- Palestine protesters challenge TVNZ over Israeli ambassador’s ‘propaganda’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 ...22 hours ago
- Lynley Hood Opinion – Senator Fulbright must be spinning in his grave24 hours ago
- Fast-track bill could affect NZ's reputation – Transparency InternationalThe ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...1 day ago
- We’re all feeling the collective grief and trauma of violence against women – but this is the pr...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 ...1 day ago
- Species living closely together in symbiosis is far older and way more common than you might thinkSource: 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 ...1 day ago
- What is childhood dementia? And how could new research help?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 ...1 day ago
- Jobseekers get about $345 less than pensioners each fortnight. This gap is hurting, and is set to wi...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: ...1 day ago
- Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What NZ data tellsHere is what 60 years of New Zealand data shows us. ...1 day ago
- The government's 20 trips abroad in AprilThe government appears committed to overseas visits with 14 ministers and MPs in 18 countries this month. ...1 day ago
- Government unveils fetal alcohol guidelines, plan for diagnosis trainingThe government is promising to step up the response to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, promising to boost diagnoses and raise awareness. ...1 day ago
- Labor facing heavy defeat in Queensland, but faring better in federal pollsSource: 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 ...1 day ago
- Why the potential for another Donald Trump presidency is making Iran very nervousSource: 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 ...1 day ago
- ‘The worst piece of law proposed since 1979’: Reactions to the Fast-track Approvals BillA 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 ...1 day ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Cereal giving’ by Robin PeaceA 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 ...1 day ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 26The 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. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...1 day ago
- Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Whātua Welcomes Commissioner's Decision Regarding Awataha MaraeThe 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. ...1 day ago
- We reconstructed landscapes that greeted the first humans in Australia around 65,000 years agoSource: 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 – ...1 day ago
- What do we lose when our old suburbs disappear?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, Parramatta Photo: 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, ...1 day ago
- Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What 60 years of NZ data can tell usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImages fatido/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 ...1 day ago
- After spending $700,000 on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costsA government office that set aside millions for lapel pins for pandemic workers is now looking to cut back on spending. ...1 day ago
- ‘A hell of a lot of fun’: Our reviews of Chris Isaak’s dazzling Auckland showThe ‘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 ...1 day ago
- The Week in Politics: Days of drama and demotionsAnalysis - 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. ...1 day ago
- Hear me out: All I want is a TrueBliss T-shirtTara 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 ...1 day ago
- Solemn ANZAC dawn service at PNG’s Isurava battle memorialPNG 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 ...1 day ago
- Political editors panel: A reshuffle and the fast trackListen - RNZ's Jo Moir and NZ Herald's Claire Trevett dissect the demotion of two ministers and the PM's response on Morning Report. ...1 day ago
- After-hours clinics on verge of collapse in some regionsOverworked GPs have signalled they can no longer cover, while funding is falling short. ...1 day ago
- Oranga Tamariki Axes Specialist Māori Roles, Weakens Commitment To Te Ao MāoriThe 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. ...1 day ago
- China’s money only goes so far – Kokoda shows why history binds PNG and Australia in a far deepe...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 ...1 day ago
- We spoke to young people about sexual consent. They understand the concept, but don’t always ask i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality, La Trobe University BAZA Production/Shutterstock Sexual consent has been a major focus in Australia for the past few years. In early 2022 the federal government mandated consent education in ...1 day ago
- Longer-lasting ozone holes over Antarctica expose seal pups and penguin chicks to much more UVSource: 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. ...1 day ago
- Granting legal ‘personhood’ to nature is a growing movement – can it stem biodiversity loss?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 ...1 day ago
- Will checking character references really help you find the best candidate for a job?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 ...1 day ago
- A guide to Wellington’s best BYO restaurantsWondering 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 ...1 day ago
- New rock art discoveries in Eastern Sudan tell a tale of ancient cattle, the ‘green Sahara’ and ...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 ...1 day ago
- Paul Goldsmith starts as new Media Minister replacing sacked Melissa LeeThe media industry is "under pressure", Paul Goldsmith says, but he plans to plot a path forward as he takes up the difficult role. ...2 days ago
- Media industry sheds few tears for minister LeeThe 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 ...2 days ago
- Is NZ bringing in 'Indonesian coal every month to keep the lights on'?Analysis: The Resource Minister said it, but is it true and why does it matter? ...2 days ago
- More spending cuts needed to stablise government finances – economistThe 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. ...2 days ago
- The government's 22 trips abroad in AprilThe government appears committed to overseas visits with 14 miniters and MPs in 18 countries this month. ...2 days ago
- Loopholes will be exploited in new vape rules – expertsThere is no doubt vape manufacturers will find and exploit loopholes in new regulations, say marketing experts. ...2 days ago
- Aotearoa Party Merges With Rock The Vote NZ Party And John Alcock Elected As Party LeaderRock 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. ...2 days ago
- After spending $2m on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costsGovernment department that spent $2m on lapel pins to honour Covid-19 workers is now looking to make cuts. ...2 days ago
- An afternoon at the Repair Café, where everyday objects get a second lifeNearly 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 ...2 days ago
- Dreaming of my not-wedding dayWhat 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 ...2 days ago
- Prime Minister jumps the gun in ThailandThe 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. ...2 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 26 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- The outlook for engineering specialists looks bleakOpinion: Delays getting to the starting line of new programmes of work are causing significant disruption across the sector The post The outlook for engineering specialists looks bleak appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Eliza wants more than a last tango in ParisIt’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 ...2 days ago
- This week’s bestselling books – April 26FICTION 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 ...2 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- On the fringes of the Gallipoli battlefieldYou 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 ...2 days ago
- Govt repeats mistakes of Muldoon’s authoritarian excessesOpinion: It needs wiser leadership to learn from the past to have a balanced planning and resource management law The post Govt repeats mistakes of Muldoon’s authoritarian excesses appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Debt clifftop guardrail and ambulance removed at same timeIt will be soon be easier to get lending, but harder to get help for debt The post Debt clifftop guardrail and ambulance removed at same time appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Just Life exit from NZX puts listed company regulation under microscopeJust Life’s chief executive says the exchange’s regulatory burden outweighs any benefits to small business The post Just Life exit from NZX puts listed company regulation under microscope appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Social media companies can’t be immune from the need for a social licenceSource: 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 ...2 days ago
Luxon’s first rearrangement of the deck chairs today!
Will Maureen Pugh continue her meteoric rise up the rankings?
Will Simeon Brown get a pair of long trousers?
Will Gerry Brownlee be shown the door and told not to barge through it?
Will Judith Collins be given the chance to advocate crushing a few more cars.
Will Jacqui Deans (of H2O fame) be given the Science portfolio?
Will Stuart Smith (well known climate denier) be given the Environment portfolio?
I’m all aquiver with excitement!
Not much for the Tories ( and voters) to look forward to. Still, if National offers good policies like kicking He Puapua to the curb, I think voters may hold their noses and vote blue.
I would save your quivering for when Jacinda realises she can no longer dodge the hard questions like she did with Mike Hosking, and decides to shoot through.
If luxon survives to the election debates will he ask Ardern to wear flats or will he carry a little box to stand on??
Or maybe hell bring back the flare to hide some disco platform shoes under!!!
Maybe Luxon just out debates her and the voters realise the Empress has only been wearing a G-String. The mental fog clears and the fawners lose all hope of a promised land?!
Awh Blade, how cute, you sound like a little boy who secretly has a crush on a girl and pulls her pig tails to get her attention. The PM sure has you triggered.
l love your irony 'Red Blooded One.'
I love you think there is irony there. I admire the PM and the way she has handled the country, to date, with all that has been thrown at her, but I don't idolise her and she is as capable of mistakes as you or I. Those who kneel at the alter of Hoskings however, cannot recognize her successes and only have negative things to say.
Was Blade alluding to "iron", with his "irony" and the role iron plays in making blood red?
Is he/she/they that clever??
No, Robert. I was referring to his/her name. You can work the rest out.
That's a familiar tune.
With each new leader it's been sung again: "Simon/Todd/Judith/Chris will deal to the imposter. Definitely this time, we were only joking those earlier times."
Then the so-called lightweight PM turns up to Question Time … prepared. That's not fair!
You may be right, Observer. I agree with your first sentence. Please ask Jacinda if she could turn up prepared to take on Mike Hosking. It should be a breeze if she's prepared.
Prepared for what? Rational debate, sure. But at some point it's obvious that it's a waste of time.
This is from last year, and it's only got worse since.
Ah, yes. Of course Mike can only form opinions on available information. That assumes the government releases such information and stops having brain fades and spells of telling porkies.
Talking of rational debate, Jacinda won't appear on ZB, but when channel surfing I have come across her on a couple of occasions giggling and talking vacuous nothings with equally vacuous radio hosts.
Maybe the chattering class thinks different to you?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/radio-results-newstalk-zbs-mike-hosking-breaks-new-audience-records/DCU43ZRXY2UO6ZOKVTLZS24FXU/
The Sun is the biggest-selling newspaper in the UK. Other Murdoch media (Herald-Sun) top the charts in Australia. So what?
"Shit sells" is not a new insight. Been around since cavemen drew porn on the walls. (The cavemen now ring Newstalk ZB instead).
"Shit sells" is not a new insight.''
I agree. Seems Robbo and Chris have no problem with Hosking. They can spin shit on their feet like ALL good politicians. But not Jacinda. She has a short song sheet that does not allow much room for going off the reservation. There's also a theory Labour are keeping her fresh for the election by minimising her shortcomings.
Blade… Useless incompetent idiots grunting in unison about vacuous and unreal questions like "why won't you throw the borders open so we can take overseas holidays" as Mike Hosking and his favoured fellow idiots do is just idiotic shit.
It'd probably be better if Mike Hosking had ever bothered to educate himself on basic science. But it appears that how to get to a state fashionable dishevelment is about as far as his intellect was willing to go. As it is, his viewpoints have as much relevance as your inability to deal with risk and uncertainty do.
Like “Robbo and Chris” , Hosking states his ideal world – completely unrelated to reality and whines about why it doesn’t happen with a magic work. Just another useless parasite with no idea about how to work with the real world.
Not worth dealing with because you all appear to be as thick as shit in a pigpen.
Seems by the comments regarding Hosking, we may have a problem.
Let's see, his ratings are skyrocketing, I would presume because people for a variety of reasons are looking for someone who can still ask a question and has a different opinion from the Tova and Jessica show. The more these new recruits listen to Mike, the more his opinions will resonate as they watch another glib performance by Jacinda and subconsciously make a comparison.
As for Iprent's reply to me :
''Not worth dealing with because you all appear to be as thick as shit in a pigpen.''
Well, I'll let retrospective history decide who was right or wrong. Talking of pigs – I see another story is brewing. Cops from all over NZ are being sent to Northland to man road blocks.
Man, that Maori Caucus has some ''grunt', huh!
/
Try facts…Ardern has not said she will not appear on Hoskings rant…just that it would not be a weekly thing.
Hoskings show is for people who can’t think for themselves.
Assume you are an avid..fan.
The other squak back radio shows are constantly being cancelled re booted to be shutdown again .
So hosking is running a monopoly.
Given National disaster in opposition National are rallying around shock jock for the very well off Hosking because Nationals opposition can only cry wolf.
Talk Back radio where the Plymouth Brethren stalk the talk back hosts and Jacinda.
"Mike" doesn't "form opinions on available information": "Mike" interviews "Mike" to learn what "Mike" believes, then declares, with authoritative timbre, Mike's-reckons!
Hipkins, Little, Woods, Nash and Robertson all seem to be able to turn up. Surely Jacinda being the "communications expert" would be the best qualified.
Why bark if you have a dog?
I would say she has her hands full with a young child. Dealing with the big cry baby Hosking who thinks he is more important than everyone which would you do quality time with family or bombastic horrible Hosking.
Like many multi-privileged individuals I've encountered, I suspect hosking would be outraged at being treated like a toddler while actively behaving like one.
There is a reason for that. She has several other jobs.
Running the government at a strategic level in the executive council, acting as the crowns prime minister and being answerable to that, organising legislation, organising regulations, being the leader of the Labour caucus, negotiating with a support partner in parliament, dealing with briefings from the civil servants across a range of portfolios, dealing with a pandemic, as well as being a mother to a small child, organising a wedding, and probably a few other things that I have forgotten.
And yet in your lazy and fatuous wisdom, you seem to think that her most important task want her to deal first with a self-important idiot like Hosking?
Are you really as bloated a fool and puffed up parasite as Hosking is?
All other ministers manage to go but it looks bad that she has 'thrown in the towel' as the questions are too hard for her and her weaknesses are shown up. She still has time for shows such as Jono & Ben for the fun questions.
'Questions too hard', Jimmy? Hosk must be glad for listeners with such low expectations.
You mean that she prefers to avoid a humourless parasite with a notable predilection for arbitrarily inventing precedents that no-one else noticed in the previous hundred years.
Basically Mike Hosking is in my view an misogynist idiot, a poor interviewer, and appears to only be listened to by a demographic that seldom (if ever) votes for Labour. And largely by the stupid end of that demographic.
I have no idea why anyone from Labour would interview with him unless they have a electorate filled with high numbers of that demographic or who are pushing unpalatable to that small portion of the voting public. So that would be ministers telling them what their taxes are doing.
A hardworking mum and PM shouldn't go near that dick. She should deal with someone civilised.
"Basically Mike Hosking is in my view an misogynist idiot, a poor interviewer, and appears to only be listened to by a demographic that seldom (if ever) votes for Labour. And largely by the stupid end of that demographic."
As you say it is your view only, as I believe he has the number 1 rated show and ZB are the number 1 rated station. Obviously not everyones view.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300414418/newstalk-zb-credits-holding-politicians-to-account-for-continued-audience-growth
What would you say if the Prime Minister would do every single interview?
The Labour Party is a one-trick pony?
They have no depth?
It's a dictatorship?
Like every good organisation, it's about the team, collaboration, sharing the workload, up-skilling, resilience… Looks like Labour is on the right track.
Thanks Observer, for the reminder of how bad it was. I stopped listening and my mood lifted. I hope the PM’s mood has as well.
That is not an interview.
With Hosking's it is just him telling us what he thinks.
Why would any Labour politician bother to sit down to be subjected to his ignorant "reckons" without being allowed to finish a sentence.
Why? Mike Hosking is a complete dick. Last time I saw him on tv he wore those pre ripped jeans the kids wear. Narcissist would describe him well. Wouldn't really matter what the PM sai in reply he'd still be a complete dickhead!
"Lose all hope of a promised land". I guess you believe Luxon is offering a "brighter future", just like his bestie did. Dream on Blade.
Luxon can offer no such thing. All I'm hoping for is he stops the damage currently happening to this country. You will get rough indicator about Luxon’s intentions to change the course of this country by watching these two indicators:
1- How he deals with Maori.
2- Does he stop the Winter Energy Payments.
Also, how short the voters memories are will play a part.
Specifically, what do you want him to do in 'dealing with Maori'?
That's a very good question. First get rid of Three Waters. That said councils will have to do something about water supply, no questions about that. Central government may have to meet councils half way regarding upgrading water infrastructure.
Second, rescind councils right to vote on Maori wards without a public referendum from ratepayers.
Third, review all funding of anything Maori. This Labour government has been criminal in its use of taxpayer funds for supporting things Maori because it's the 'cool' thing to do. An example is funding to get Maori vaccinated. Hell, that's the job of the Taiwhenua.
I could cite a whole heap more, but my KFC has arrived.
An example is funding to get Maori vaccinated. Hell, that’s the job of the Taiwhenua.
😳 I can’t make any sense of that. What do you think Taiwhenua means?
https://glosbe.com/mi/en/taiwhenua.
You may add Hauora in some cases.
I'm talking about funding up and above what these generic organisations already receive.
What do you think Taiwhenua means?
The reason Māori should have been given dedicated funding for vax programmes is because the MoH etc weren't able to do the job well enough. What is wrong with Māori doing it?
@ Blade
taiwhenua
1. (modifier) rural
2. (modifier) domestic, internal (i.e. not international).
3. (noun) permanent home, land, district
Hauroa translates as long, or height, length.
Hauora as taught to me was always along health lines.
https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom&phrase&proverb&loan&histLoanWords&keywords=hauora
@ Blade
Apologies. I misread your “hauora” as “hauroa”.
Yes, I think you need to add hauora (be fit, well, healthy, vigorous, in good spirits) to properly convey the meaning DHB.
Luxon "deals with Maori"?
How … colonial of him.
Deals with…not deal to. Maori want a separate political and constitutional agenda. Luxon will then have to ''deal with them.'' By the way, if you have plans to visit the Ureweras in search of native Wine Berries for your food forest, I wouldn't. You will wind up in the pot with the wine berries. Some would say, about time?
Some might say you’re cruising for a bruising from a mod for that low blow. 😠
Yes, that thought assailed me after some reflection. However, I have feasted and will move on before being moved on. I clicked the link to Chris Trotters article. He's a great writer. Like Matthew Hooten, he reigns in his political preferences and sums up the political landscape very well.
I think Robert is more likely to end up sitting down for a kōrero and trading recipes. Perhaps you are projecting.
Weka, things up that way are becoming tense. Expect problems over the holidays.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/456479/lake-waikaremoana-off-limits-as-tuhoe-tries-to-raise-vaccination-rates
@Blade, why would there be trouble? DOC closes tracks for safety reasons at times.
First there are people turning up who know nothing of the closures. Things then get tense.
Some Tuhoe are claiming sole rights of guardianship over Lake Waikaremoana. As usual, there are usually faction within a tribe.
Assaults have been reported. I cannot verify that, but have it from a good sources.
Quote from the article:
''Allan said the iwi cannot make the closure of the area permanent. However, she seemed to be at odds with the board, and was told a different opening date.''
Add to this the fact many Tuhoe want Tamati Kruger and the Tuhoe Authority Board (?) out, and you have a crap show coming to town. It is not outlandish to say the government may lose control of this area. It may become annexed. I think this started on Nationals watch.
An old and very close friend of mine was instrumental some decades ago in setting in motion within DOC the idea of working more closely with Ngati Tuhoe in the Park management. I heard him speak to this several times and I've no doubt the original intentions were good ones, and I fully support them.
A constructive relationship offers so much to both parties, both are sitting on an environmental and cultural treasure.
Instead we've gotten this mess, the direct result of woke tribalism. My friend would be rolling in his grave.
Blade Luxon is another Bill English Boring as batshit .No charisma.Just a windup toy.
If Jacinda is only wearing a thong men will throng to Labour.
To me, Luxon looks like an early AI version of a CEO. Unfortunately so much money was spent on the marketing campaign that the coding was done by the intern. This diligent, but not very literate, intern (inevitably from Auckland Grammar) had only a dog-eared and stained version of "The collected wit and wisdom of John Key" (Hagiography Press, 2016) to work from when designing speech patterns. But hey, I'm biased.
I've just remembered who Luxon reminds me of. Max Headroom.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Headroom#/media/File:MaxheadroomMpegMan.jpg
no, max headroom was an original and had style. luton fails on both counts. headroom is remembered 30 yrs after his heyday, luzom will be forgotten by lunchtime. however if he makes desperate fanbois happy for a while, why not indulge them? as observer nicely observes, simontoddjudith were going to ask the hard questions, but were very flacid when called on to perform. will lexen have taken viagra before the cameras roll , or will he need a fluffer to avoid being a duffer?
Chris Trotter on image management
'But one has only to recall the images of Don Brash attempting (unsuccessfully) to climb in and out of a racing car, or “walking the plank” from a speed-boat to the jetty, to grasp just how much careful thinking and planning needs to go into how a political leader is presented. Even in 2021, one picture is still worth a thousand words.'
Here's 1 picture…
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftokenstalk.info%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F02%2FcnewsfotoFBPNWMRRJYPOHQMFJYDU5HDJRQ.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
He reminds me of my thumb.
Best. Comment. For. Ages!!!
The Herald’s Thomas Coughlan’s reckons:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/national-leadership-what-to-expect-from-chris-luxons-caucus-reshuffle-today-thomas-coughlan/H3M5M7BYO2VFIUQ64S74QCXTPQ/
Anyone know what expected time the announcement is?
Smell you later Judith! She's down to 19th in the rankings.
Watch live: National Party leader Christopher Luxon announces caucus reshuffle | RNZ News
The answer for Stuart Smith is no. The climate change and environment shadow portfolios are with Scott Simpson.
Climate change doesn't get its own stand alone portfolio?
Say no more
Continuing the theme:
Will Barbara Kuriger get animal welfare?
Will Mark Mitchell get the shadow portfolio of
mer. . . defence?Could Penk and Hipango share a secular affairs portfolio?
The only one to make logical sense would be for Share Reti to be given Health, but that'll probably go to Chis Bishop.
Michael Woodlouse for housing (and homelessness)?
Woodhouse knows every (official) homeless person in the country by name.
Nic the NZer … even the homeless invisible man too eh?
Woodhouse minister of the outhouse.Maybe the National whip he will be able to whip a couple of homeless people into the opposition ranks to bolster their numbers no one will see this as they will be invisible.
"Minister of the outhouse" – also, excellent!
There's such a talent pool, right here, on The Standard!
Yes, in fact the only way to get into Woodhouse official list is to be a figment of Woodhouse imagination.
Absolutely. "Minister for homelessness" will be the title.
The competition would be hot for 'Minister of Dumb Ideas'….Luxon might keep that for…himself.
I’m going to be very interested in what Shane Reti gets.
At least when Luxon’s announced his spokesperson porfolios we’ll finally have something a bit meatier to analyse & speculate on than his rather bland & anodyne comments to various media to date.
He’s still got several problems to overcome:
Christopher7's problem with Reti…is he doesn't want him to become too popular.
You would think he was a natural for health,but let's wait and..see.
all “honourable” mentions, but you really got me with sell sword Mitchell and Barbara Kuriger
all 33 shipmates will be given important tasks, even if most of them are only good for swabbing the decks. one thing loxon will have learnt at corporate is that meaningless titles can keep the rabble happy. luzum will need to lean not to stand near railings while vice-captain willis is behind him. if anybody can steer the natanic away from icebergs ,it will be willis.
Chris Bishop for Health…yay, we’ll all be on the compulsory sausage roll diet!
And ciggies for everyone. Woohoo.😉
Yet Luxon cut just about all regional services a environmental win but damaging economic growth.
Did you know that Jacinda Ardern is worth $25 million!
No I didn't…but it is the latest misinformation being peddled around by the desperate.
Google it and you will find at least 2 websites that state this nonsense.
Her real list of assets is on the register. Her main ones being a loving partner and parents, followed by a loyal Labour Party. How that must stick in many craws, so lies are being told again.
This appears to be the source – 21 August – it also claims she is married.
https://www.apumone.com/jacinda-ardern-net-worth/
Saw that one…there is at least one more….don't know whether its just clickbait,trafficking or more…sinister.
Luxon the Greenie?
May well be true, as a CEO. He could lead and make his directives happen.
But now he has a caucus to persuade. One which could barely stomach the Zero Carbon Act. With many MPs not even convinced of climate change or the urgency.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/126083606/is-the-national-party-turning-anti-science
His Deputy Nicola Willis is a major supporter of Climate Change initiatives.
He’s not likely going to be able persuade her to change her mind. She’d be a logical candidate for that spokesperson role under Luxon’s leadership.
Optimistic, I'd suggest. If we've learned nothing else about National MPs in the past couple of years, it's that minds change at the drop of a hat (or poll).
Willis was one of the bedwetters (to quote Simon Bridges' own book). Muller in, then Collins in, and now Luxon in.
Like her colleagues, Willis was so principled that she did not say a single word about the train wreck of Collins' leadership – until it was over.
Whoever is in charge, whatever the policies are, they will stand and nod. It's the Debate Club background of Willis and Bishop: the game is all, there is no moral core.
Optimistic? Maybe. I get your point about the Debate Club; debaters learn how to easily switch arguments on & off at the drop of a hat.
But a complete turnaround makes Willis vulnerable to attack because there’s plenty of past pro-Climate Change activity by her to point to & loudly question her suddenly switching sides.
They’d have to rely on majority NZ voters’ generally pretty poor memories & lack of interest in politics outside of ekection time to get away with this. Can’t see Labour or the Greens not going on the attack accusing National & Willis of hypocrisy &/or double talk.
I don’t see Luxon as any kind of threat to Ardern in the Preferred PM stakes at the moment (she’s still got the female vote, even with some if it’s just becos she’s female), but Labour as a govt are vulnerable in a number of key areas often listed here.
It’s possible Luxon could exploit Kiwis’ curious (probably media-induced) amnesia around election time, but we’ll just have to wait & see.
At the last general election Nicola Willis flyers in her constituency the first one (before Judith Collins leadership) did have one point about environment / climate… at the bottom of her list, with the top point being not enough roads in the Wellington region. After the leadership change the second flyer did not mention anything about environment / climate change at all. So it looks like Judith Collins did change her mind.
Until the National (Pollution) Party announces strong policies around reduction of agricultural methane, river pollution / nitrate reduction, significant reduction of transport emissions… the roles around Environment and Climate Change have the main (and only?) purpose to water down any real progress.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.n_jGCqWvj_Wgbywgs25ztAHaEc%26pid%3DApi&f=1
He sure lightened the flights out of Kaitaia, dumping them altogether, and maybe it's his environmental credentials that mean we have no AirNZ presence in and out of the UK anymore, and here I was thinking he just did it because all he cares about is the "financial bottom line"
Sounds a bit like a frantic effort to avoid the obvious conclusion – that we will need to find a way of gracefully ending mass tourism and mass air travel in a way that does not financially and mentally destroy the people who work in it. Luxon sounding like a bit of a techno-fantasist when it comes to climate change – that we can leave the whole mad and depressing superstructure of 'business', profit-seeking and consumption exactly as it is, and just swap out a few technologies underneath.
It's a good idea – but a number of high end exports like live crayfish depend on air freight to reach their markets. Unless and until government can stimulate the development of other options, maybe something like this, they will continue to shovel money at sunset industries like Air New Zealand – and invest in fictitious forestry in Brazil to cover the carbon debt.
All of those environmental initiatives were started on Fyfes watch.With the rising price of fuel in would be stupid not to improve fuel efficiency like every other airline is doing.
Correct. It would be interesting to see how Air NZ fuel consumption (per passenger kilometre or whatever KPI exists) changed compared to other airlines… more likely it was linked to stay competitive (main driver) and, as a byproduct, appear more environmental friendly.
No surprise here: Luxon and National are out of step with the public. Housing should be an area where the government is vulnerable – but not to the Right.
Poll results: investors unloved by public
National opposed the (limited) offshore buyer ban, and have stood with the portfolio investors against tenants and the modest reforms. That has to change, or they will lose again.
Maybe that poll will encourage this timid Govt to grow a pair and really get to work…and yes Jacinda …200,000 empty homes do need addressing.
I agree, if vaccine mandates can be rolled out licketty split, then housing could be tackled with a fraction of that resolve.
Sinking cap on pollies (and trusts they are linked to) property portfolios. After all, they are setting an example.
Squatters rights.
Remove the
property investor grantaccommodation supplement.Further tax jiggery pokery, dis-incentivising making money from another's shelter and home.
Blazer where is the 200,000 homes empty figure from?
40,000 in Aucks…
200k empty 'ghost' houses: Why and what would get them into the market? | Stuff.co.nz
The Vancouver initiative should be adopted, wit the money raised being required to be used for renting to low income New Zealanders.
Damn right Ed.When Vancouver introduced a 1% levy of RV, on houses empty for 6 months or more ,the count dropped by 25% quicksmart.
I believe they were increasing the levy to 2 or 3%.That would really fix it.
How many are holiday homes?
There are a % that are empty for good reason
They can be tracked by water/power use if necessary.
Even if 25% or even 50% were legit…there is still a huge inventory that could help solve this housing crisis.
yes. It would help to know the reasons.
I suspect the main reason is landbanking.
When houses earn more every week sitting empty, than poor Joe Lunchbox with a wife and 2 kids to support can earn …..there is something screaming to be…fixed.
Poor old Joe pays more in rent, than it would cost to service a mortgage on alot of houses,but he's not working hard enough…apparantly.
Yes, but I don't think the debate is going to advance until we know the actual numbers rather than guessing.
Here in Auckland,empty homes are numerous and easily spotted in many suburbs.
Definately not ,holiday….homes.
Yes I guess 'we don't have the exact data'….very handy excuse to do nothing.
And Vancouver data is …Vancouver…all good.
Aside from the fraction of houses that will be empty for routine reasons – the ones we are concerned about are empty because the risk free capital gain is more attractive than the decidedly more risky, and much lower cash flow from tenanting the property.
It really doesn't matter who is in power – they can crank on the tax and fiscal rules all they want, unless we address the fundamental supply and demand imbalance the outcome will remain the same.
And most of this can be summarised in two phrases – dysfunctional building industry and dysfunctional council rules.
How about disincentives to own more than say 2 properties.
The things you mention are factors,but not the main ones imo.
Isn’t the biggest problem getting such policies put into effect that too many MPs on both sides of the House own multiple properties ?
It would make very little difference. The main reason why people do not own their own home is that they do not qualify for finance.
This obsession with hating on landlords from the left is one of the main reasons why nothing ever gets done.
So as prices rocket up ,investor/landlords leverage their increasing equity to dominate the market .
Thats the reality.
As for-
'This obsession with hating on landlords from the left is one of the main reasons why nothing ever gets done.'
You just cannot be serious!
Yes I am serious. If every landlord put their property on the market tomorrow, very little would change. Same number of people chasing the same number of houses.
leverage their increasing equity to dominate the market .
The banks also look at cash flow and risk. Most landlords only have one or two units for a reason, it's not 'easy money' and the bank is unlikely to fund them into more. Only relatively small number have the risk appetite and the skills to leverage in the manner you suggest.
Again – the main reason why most people rent is that the banks will not lend to them.
Most landlords have alot more according to Valocity figures produced here a number of times.
'If every landlord put their property on the market tomorrow, very little would change.'
Are you on drugs!!!-prices would plummet!
Most landlords have alot more according to Valocity figures produced here a number of times.
Yes I looked at that and was unimpressed by the hype – the data still shows the large majority still own less than 5. As I said there's a more to it than just 'leveraging equity' as you seem to think. There is a whole complex of issues involved on all sides that most people never properly take into account.
I've been over this ground before – the left wing visceral hatred of landlords will never change. And it prevents any clear discussion.
@RL…so you're sticking with this!
'if every landlord put their property on the market tomorrow, very little would change.'
The left supposedly hating landlords theory hardly holds water either…if that was the case left leaning Govts would make it onerous to have multiple properties.
The accomodation subsidy shows its a rigged market regardless.
I would say at least half of those homes unoccupied are second homes for holidays away from any employment opportunities.
England has a room tax unoccupied houses are taxed for being empty that's why not many unoccupied.
I have learnt a lot of things since I discovered The Standard. This is largely due to the range of views and life experiences. From carbon issues and radical ideas to deal with it (thanks Bill), permaculture, soil health, and food forests (Robert), feminism and the challenges involved with inclusion (weka and crew), dealing with the Health Misery (
Rosemary), the dangers of ideology and the whole Covid thing.
I have stopped using the word hysteria, (because of it's etymology) even though it often seems appropriate. As a consequence I have to try a little harder with wording.
One of the key lessons is, what is OK to have a go at someone over and what is 'below the belt'. That largely boils down to what someone can control vs what is beyond their control. Choices, like belief systems, politics etc are fair game. Body shape and apperances, family links, age, sexuality (I mean that in the '80's sense of the word, it could have changed by now…) are cheap, easy and say more about the flinger than the flingee.
This sermon was issued in the hope we can lift our game a little and not go for the 'low hanging fruit' regardless of how we may feel about the other.
Good on you Gsays
You have always come across as fair minded, the least likely to use abusive language
I appreciate your comments
Cheers, francesca.
I find it real interesting, the vectors where there is often agreement with someone and yet with other issues, you wonder where the hell they are coming from.
Shaving your head so you present with a 'shiny pate' is fair game by your criteria…correct?
I couldn't possibly comment on another's motivation for shaving their head.
I don't know why and it's none of my business, plus there are far more legitimate reasons for getting stuck into Luxon. His inconsistency with wanting a more productive economy and his lanlordiness for example.
Nicely done there, and above. 👍🏼
This is a genuine question and relates to all men with shaved heads. How do they keep them so smooth and shiny? Granted, it doesn't grow back as quickly as facial hair, but surely they don't shave their heads every few days etc. 😮
The shaved head thing among business class types seems rather creepy for some reason–do they rub and bump heads behind closed doors over a Steinlager Pure or something…
Trades people and others doing physical work have a reason I guess–sweaty comb overs not a great look. But these days surely any hair style goes, I know people with a full head of hair that shave or have #2 length for a change.
I was looking for a grooming kit in store yesterday for a younger family member and spotted that yes, there are indeed dedicated head shavers available, and a range of bonce lotions and bronzers!
There is absolutely nothing creepy about it. Once a man starts to thin, it's simply better looking to go full shaven.
It's not ever going to be an issue for me personally, but if it was that would absolutely be my choice.
I pretty much run with a number 2 head and beard shave.
It never goes shorter because I really don't want to waste time shaving the pate or face every few days – too much effort. And I used to prefer having some hair to reduce sunburn issuses. Not so relevant these days as I’ve been balding out for the last decade.
I use the Wahl on the beard every 2-3 weeks so I don't chew the moustache too much. Get a No 2 haircut every few months so that I don't have to have to aggravate the rotator cuff injuries trying to shave the back of my neck.
The only time my hair gets much longer than a no 3 is when I'm really deeply into a project and I spend a year or two doing very long hours. Then I start heading through a mad Einstein look towards a retired biker.
My first day back at the office after lockdown…
https://twitter.com/inkblotio/status/1466144452028899332?s=20
The chimp looks ok about it, how do you feel about being back at the office?
Air conditioning will be nice… Auckland humidity makes WFH a sticky experience
.
A man who wants to make a splash always shaves his tongue:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1466844721129656325
Given the smoothness, Luxon likely uses a razor. He shaves his face every day so why not his head every few days? By now he is probably very proficient at it and can do it quickly, or just pays someone to do it.
And everyone is shiny under studio lights without makeup. A head just has more area to shine and reflects ceiling lights better.
Shaving the thinner head of hair stops the long wisps of hair on the thin part from catching the light and looking like a halo. And it looks tidier, too.
Two broad types of shaved heads:
The first brings up a 5 o'clock shadow quickly.
The second looks shiny because the hair is thin and the skin has little between it and smooth bone. It can be quite difficult to light on stage because of the contrast and reflectivity of the top of the head compared to the face under overhead lights. "Stage" makeup isn't usually needed in a lot of theatres these days (theatres are small and the lights are awesome and of infinitely variable colour, rather than monotone gas or lime), but even so one or two actors still put a bit of foundation on the top of their head, just to cut down the contrast.
As long as they don't apply too much and bounce around the stage, then the powder can fly off like little puffs from a steam engine – but that also happens with the quick "powder the hair to make it look grey" trick, too.
Gosh. I know so much about men's bald heads or near bald heads now.
I'm trying to imagine lprent during a "mad Einstein" phase. Not a pretty exercise.
Gsays 100%. I couldn't agree more. So well said.
These petty comments about peoples appearance are childish.
And actually I think Labour have a lot to fear from Luxon. I really do.
A lot to fear from Luxon? 😳
Why – and in what areas, Anker?
I don’t think Luxon’s a major problem for Labour yet. What do you think I’m missing?
A return to Dirty Politics style campaigning perhaps?
Well Geeza, I think Luxon has made a pretty good start.
He is likely to unite National because I suspect he hasn't been part of the factions.
I really somewhere today (and have been searching for the link) that Anne Salmond has come out and said she worked with Luxon at Air NZ on reducing carbon emissions and he was serious about doing so. Sorry I will keep looking for the link. Apologies if I hallucinated that one. I also think pulling the plug on three waters and possibly the housing agreement with Labour about being able to build up without council approval are absolute vote winners. Lots of voters are against both. I am not saying anything about either policy, but there are votes in cancelling them both. There are many votes to be captured in doing something about law and order and the gangs etc.
Also Labour are massively vulnerable right now
Dennis has posted the link here today.Look no further.
Also Labour are massively vulnerable right now
Yes, they are, but they own the Treasury Benches. Plenty of time for them to focus group & monitor the polls, & steal & Labour-tweak any policies that Luxon comes out with that look likely to pull significant numbers of voters National’s way.
Luxon’s still got to get the female vote off Ardern; not an easy job in my estimation because for some women that’s more based on feelz than logic, and that’s not meant to be a criticism. Many people faced with tuff choices ultimately make their decision on who feels likely to be the best of a bad choice.
But you’re right that I suspect the ructions in National’s caucus will likely now end becos they must now all realise that to undermine their 4th leader since losing the Treasury Benches will likely be the end of National as a credible leading opposition party for the next election.
Dunno about Collins though. Dirty Politics showed she can sink damned low & get miffed with her boss’s decisions.
On the housing agreement …
Here is Nicola Willis (in her own words, not mis-reported or "out of context" or any other excuse).
Willis on the housing accord with Labour
There are plenty of other similar comments by her, all recent and on the record. If she pulls the plug on something she supported so proudly, the repercussions would be terrible for her. Her words would lose all meaning, henceforth. She literally stood at the podium in the Beehive, next to Megan Woods, and promoted the policy.
I honestly can't think of any leader or deputy who has done such a thing, in decades. The issue would not be housing, it would be trust. Gone for good.
Perhaps Chris Luxon hopes that would keep Nicola Willi's "challenge" aborted?
Were Luxon to knock Luxon out what would Reti do?
I do not mean check if Luxon is concussed but stand for leader?
For the cricket tragics, this is a lovely, light read about Ajaz Patel, our current sporting hero.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/457246/ajaz-patel-the-boy-from-mumbai
This come from a site afterthewhistle.co.nz/
As for the rest of the team, if you can't say something nice…
Gary Stead is beyond criticism because of the last two seasons, but..
Latham looks a little like captaincy is impacting his batting, both Southee and Jamieson bowling aroind the wicket when there is a tireless left armer spectating, Ross Ross Ross…, the toss, we miss Boult.
I figure it has been a LONG, challenging season, and this visit to India was a bridge too far.
A little early perhaps, two days yet to play, but well done Kohli, Ashwin and co for a real testing series.
A test like no other. A 10 wicket bag in a single innings.
Do you know which countries the other two players who got a 10 wicket bag represented and who they played?
A very bright future for Ajaz Patel.
Only 'coz I looked it up.
Jim Laker for England vs Aussie, 2nd innings to secure victory, Anil Kumble for India vs Pakistan, also 2nd innings and to secure victory. Kumble's in 27overs, Ajaz Patel in 48.
Both Laker and Kumble were at home, therefore making Patel’s effort the superior one.
For a Blackcap to do it against India in Mumbai when the player was from Mumbai. Even though a loss to us a win for us.
Talk about a personal best he put on such a show, shame I did not see it. But a player to follow.
Yes Patel's effort the superior one.
Silly me the bowling is over but not the batting. I apologise for not checking.
Crazy where I have been staying for 3 weeks as the house goes quiet at 10.30 pm and starts up again at 6 – 6.30 am. A puppy is also full on. Home tomorrow.
You sound like you need a rest Treetop.
Yes I do. I spent 30 mins with the GP last week. Had a lot of lab tests.
The Standard has been buzzing the last 6 months and limited time to read comments. I do not do Facebook or any other social media. Constant Covid news as well.
Laughter is the best medicine and I have the ability to laugh at myself.
I asked a rather similar question yesterday. It was asking who got the other wicket when Laker got 19 in a single test.
Mac1 knew the answer, I was really impressed. He must be as much of a Cricket tragic as I usually am.
Incidentally the answers to your question are Laker, for England vs Australia in 1956 and Kumble for India vs Pakistan in 1999.
I admit I have spent a bit of time as a lad on the bank at Lancaster Park. I've even visited cricket grounds in the off season. Mind you, that was to stand on the turf where my cousin defied Australia's bowlers for eleven hours to draw a test. What was the ground?
We need a bit (a lot) of Greatbatch today…and tomorrow (hopefully)
Well played, sir! One of the great things about cricket are nicknames. Greatbatch's was 'Scones'. Hadlee was 'Paddles" but the best I ever heard was an English wicketkeeper whose nickname was the "Ancient Mariner".
Rudder ,Praying Mantis etc
The Richard Hadley, Lance Cairns, the two John's days (slowest batting openers ever) I could not leave the room unless it was between overs.
I agree that that it must have been a long challenging season for the Black Caps. How many stints in managed isolation.
Yes missing Boult, Conway and Williamson in this game.
They are still the very best cricket team to me though.
Its fair to say this game probably hasn't quite gone to plan…but it doesn't take away from the achievements of this team of the last couple of years
I'm still heartened by the strength of this team and, more importantly, the depth
There is a surfeit of riches in the middle order.
Will Young looks a decent replacement for 'The Boss'
Conway unfortunately looks like he might make a decent fist of opening and I only say unfortunate because he should be the replacement for 'The Boss' but he has to open
Mitchells made a great start to his career but it looks like he'll be in a battle with Ravindra for the important number 6 position
Ravindra does open for Wellington but, remembering what happened to Ken Rutherford, I'd sooner see Ravindra stay at 6 and work on his spinning
Hell Tom Bruce and Dane Clever both average over 40 in FC cricket and can't get a look in so that says something to me
So our batting stocks are looking good, our wicket keeping/batter stocks are also high (selection prediction in the future for Max Chu) but for some reason we just can't seem to produce two good openers at the same time
Our fast and fast/medium bowler supplies are good (keep Ferguson away from tests from now on)
But again our spinners (Patel aside) just aren't up to international quality and its not their fault
We need the Cricket board to designate at least one province to focus on spinners, prepare spinning pitches, conduct more spinning camps etc etc
However to end on a positive note, easily the best team NZ cricket has produced of any period!
I'm afraid that their performance in this test was in the mold of Crusher at the end of her time at the top. What is the third disaster that is going to hit you PR?
I think we can all agree there's been enough disasters for anyone
I'm looking forward to period of being bored
Great analysis, I agree the best team we have produced.
As we have seen in the past, success like this, gets the youngsters wanting to play.
C'mon parents, your local cricket club could do with your time.
Love to see another Polynesian player come along and smack sixes or take wickets
More likely to see PI playing the shorter versions of the game.
The cost and time required of the longer version 4 and 5 days is to much for large poor families.
But krickitee players could be encouraged to play 20/20 ,40 or 50 overs and indoor cricket.
I feel NZ cricket is missing out on some untapped potential
“Here comes the conman
Coming with his con plan.
We won't take no bribe;
We've got (to) stay alive.
We gonna chase those crazy –
Chase those crazy baldheads –
Chase those crazy baldheads out of the yown.”
–Bob Marley
Should be noted that Rastafarians do not necessarily mean a bald headed person with the term bald head, it denotes some one without dreadlocks, and from what I can gather sometimes a generic reference to exploiters and oppressors, but certainly a non Rasta.
The original Rastafarians were a bunch of race supremacists.
You are incorrect.
Black Nationalism =/= Black Supremacism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari
Gosman making up stuff again but using an goebels trick of insinuating those you oppose are what you are.
Not lying at all. It was at the heart of the original religion although it has been underplayed in modern times.
"The White person is inferior to the Black person
…In the near future Blacks shall rule the world
Many Rastafarians believe that following their repatriation to Africa black people will become rulers of the world, resulting in the suppression of whites. Early Rastafarians may even have claimed that whites would eventually be destroyed."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/rastafari/beliefs/black.shtml
"Early Rastafarians may even have claimed that whites would eventually be destroyed."
That's a weird claim in the article that Gosman cited. "May have".
Now in historical terms, a fact is a fact. There's not much room for "may have". Just that statement. No context or citation.
To me that's a rubbish statement, and could easily be seen as weasel words to claim anything about the subject.
I'm surprised frankly to see such a claim allowed and not edited.
The article is from the BBC. They are being INCREDIBLE careful about not upsetting black people with this.
Maybe you're right in their intention. But my critique stands, 'May have' is an allegation, not backed up with any evidence. As an aIlegation, it's worse than factual evidence, because it's not proven. As far as I am concerned, it's not true until the evidence is presented otherwise, since I don't know anything about the expertise of the alleger etc. to even trust the messenger as one usually reliable. It hasn't even got that, BBC or not.
Even in your bbc article their is no mention of black supremacy.
But rather the overthrow of a corrupt suppression by whites over black people.
Then reading Wikipedia rastafarianism started out of the resentment of the white slave trader's treatment of black people .The religion grew in Jamaica where black slaves had no right so songs of freedom etc
No mention of black supremacy another cynical attempt to create division where there are none. Goebels would be proud of you Alwyn.
What the hell does your remark have to do with me?
LOL silly season appears to have been replaced with the full on psychosis season.
Ummm… what do you think "The White person is inferior to the Black person" means if not black supremacy?
The beauty of music and art.
I always took the bald heads to mean racists, ala skinhead bovver-boys. Thinking about it now, that was a young, naive Kiwi teenagers viewpoint. After all the bovver boys were getting round the U.K. towns and cities and Bob had a bunch of other oppressors to worry about in Jamaica.
I had a boot boy (a skin head wannabe) work for me back in the 1980's after the 2nd day on the job he was spouting endless fascist white supremacist bs. My wife turned up with pies and help to finish the job they were all Maori and PI. After lunch I never heard another word about his race theories he became a good friend and hung out with the Maori and PI guys.Sold all his parefenailia and has never looked back.
Great story. So often these blokes have only known rejection and abuse.
I had a similar experience with a mate who was one of the older males in a rural valley community. Another chap was known to cause family harm. My friend refused to shun him with the observation that it would only give him further motivation to lash out. The bully actually joined our building crew for a year or so.
He did seem to mellow a little at during that time. His significant other moved on, which he took with surprising equanimity.
Great account Tricledrown. Often, if you spend time with people and gain some understanding of their cultures you are better placed to regard them as part of “us” rather than “others” to be suspicious of.
The Auckland Boot Boys from some accounts of a punk rock friend at the time were peppered with psychos who adopted UK cultural trappings to justify their violence and racism. One of my Māori mates never recovered fully from a 4×2 attack outside the Victoria Tavern.
Ah the "Rumba Bar" days. I used to work at the Civic Tavern on Wellesley Street one night I had a bloke come with an eight inch long razor slash to his abdomen (bloody deep one to) I duct taped a clean tea towel to it to contain the bleeding while he waited for the ambulance – The Victoria Tavern was a damn dangerous place, The bloke was white fyi.
The original skinheads were specifically non-racist and highly interested the music of Jamaica:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead
There still exist those who feel connected to this culture and refer to themselves as Sharps: SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinheads_Against_Racial_Prejudice
Now Mr Luxon has visited Auckland's pretentious elite at the Viaduct Basin during his first days as National leader, will he now find time to also visit the good working people in South and West Auckland, to give him the feel of reality?
Has the PM found the time to visit her electorate at any time in the last 100 of so days?
I believe she had a quick visit to Auckland on Air Force 1 a couple of weeks ago but never bothered to stop in the electorate she is meant to represent. Has she made it back since then?
She flew to Auckland with the US President?
Alwyn,I say Alwyn you are your own worst enemy .
Can this be deleted please
One of the nice things about competent people is that they tend to have very competent staff. Jacinda certainly does in her electorate, both the parliamentary staff and the volunteers.
Because my electorate of Mt Albert has been having damn near wall-to-wall Labour leaders, deputy leaders and PMs over the last 3 decades, it also has a very well-established system of representing the electorate without having a desperate need for the local MP being present for everything.
But of course there are those (apparently like you) in less well run electorates who get have a more desperate need to be attached to the apron strings. Can I suggest that it is time they and you learnt to grow up?
Very good question, mary.
Every good populist should give it a go & see how they get on.
One suspects he’ll try & focus on the upper middle, the business community, & the top end of town.
Also, will be interesting to see how he tries to connect with the farmers.
I'd imagine that'll be Willis taking care of the farmers
So he's visited Auckland more than the PM has?
No
So how many times has Ardern visited Auckland recently?
We kind of needed the adults to be in Wellington during the pandemic and lockdowns.
Of course there were a few less useful MPs who hunkered down in Auckland regardless of the costs to the parliamentary processes. Judith Collins did. I think that Chris Luxon did as well.
Remind me again where the then Minister of Health David Clark hunkered down?
When, as you say, he really should have been in Wellington during the pandemic and lockdowns.
what, the whole pandemic? Of course, then righties would have been able to have a go at him for not being in his electorate.
Pretty sure Clark would have done something else a bit more bone-headed to get the righties all in a tizz
Are you trying to lie about what I said? I didn’t say that. Dangerous thing to start trying to put words in my mouth. I’d suggest you desist.
The Health Ministry is a bit like the Police Ministry these days. It is a resourcing ministry rather than a hands on one. The Director General of Health legally has almost all of the primary control during a pandemic and most of the operational control is at the DHB level. Just as the Commissioner of Police has always held the operational control of the police (not the Police Minister) and the armed forces are run by the Chief of the Defence Force rather than Minster or Defence.
While clearly Health is more prestigious, but David Clark’s associate Finance Minister role was larger in effect on the resourcing the pandemic response than his role at Health Minister. Robertson was already there and Clark is much more of the backroom treasury wonk in that role.
There was no particular reason to have David Clark in Wellington during that first lockdown, a number of reason for the government to be role spread based on the unknowns back in Feb/March 2020.
There were compelling reason for Bloomfield to be in Wellington.
After all Parliament wasn’t running in the first lockdown like it has been in the recent one. But offhand I don’t think that there were any Ministers locked down in Auckland during this last lockdown. Everyone was a bit more prepared and had a better idea on what was happening.
Incidentally Hipkins is based in the Wellington region, and is leader of the House – had to be in Wellington to organise teh legislative activity that was still ongoing.. I think that Little is Wellington based as well. They don’t have kids in Dunedin. Probably part of the reason why both have wound up in Health despite their already hefty workloads. It means they they can front at press conference when needed and the task can be split.
'Are you trying to lie about what I said? I didn’t say that. Dangerous thing to start trying to put words in my mouth. I’d suggest you desist.'
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/7051a0ba-d320-4ebd-b73e-627184e210d3
You can say what you like but David Clark was one of the adults that should have been in Wellington
Why exactly. I stated my reasons for not thinking that he didn’t need to be there.
You reply with a cowards debating technique – a simple assertion without even explaining that it is merely your foolish opinion?
Ar you merely a parrot for someone stupid with their ‘reckons’ -> like Mike Hosking
Tony Veitch (not…) – enjoyed your National spokespeople humour! Well done.
Chris Luxon's Mercedes' journey was the ultimate in a pretentious "I am very important, I am about to be appointed to National Party royalty". Cringeworthy. Will he hire a Mercedes if he visits Porirua, Otara? That he didn't choose to stroll over to Parliament like 99% would do, spoke volumes for how he sees himself.
Have held off forming an opinion of him so far, but the glimpses of him seen in the last few days has led me to see a very self-satisfied man, very reliant on PR direction behind the scenes, with John Key on speed dial.
I have nothing to do with Luxon
Public Relations!
But very quick-witted 😀 💪🏼 👍🏼
I wonder when Chris Luxon will visit South Auckland and see for himself the devastation wreaked by Covid 19.
I wonder when he will deliver a speech of encouragement to those most adversely affected and promise his party will support the government in their bid to assist them through the pandemic.
I wonder if he will thank the many hundreds of good people who have slogged night and day to vaccinate the people of South Auckland and to help feed the thousands who have lost the ability to feed their families through no fault of their own.
Oh well, we can expect lip service at some point, but I suspect that will be as far as it goes.
I wonder who will visit first, Luxon or Ardern
Ardern has been there lots of times. But not since the last lockdown began because she was in Wellington – where she should be – running the whole country during a raging pandemic and all the other problems associated with it.
As far as I'm aware Luxon has never been to a South Auckland vaccination centre or food distribution outlet. He just whips to and from the Airport in his local black mercedes benz not looking left or right in the process. 🙂
So, again, who will visit first, Luxon or Ardern?
We wait with bated breath…
Well you might be waiting but travelling to Auckland is not something that would make or break a politician or party in my eyes.
The business spokespeople in Auckland have largely been unsupportive of NZ's Covid direction in my view, and as well as being the epicentre of the virus they are also a centre for the Moaning Minnie virus that came in at the same time as Covid.
Looking at those out and about in Auckland over the weekend, large numbers of whom were maskless, does not give me a good vibe.
Its not a big deal either but to some it apparantly is:
'I wonder when Chris Luxon will visit South Auckland and see for himself the devastation wreaked by Covid 19.'
Just thought I'd ask a couple of questions about it, specifically that Ardern has visited once to Luxons none
Well, you're a master at that.
Luxon isn't visiting places to provide reassurance or assistance, he's visiting places so people there might have actually heard of him.
Ardern was there a couple of weeks ago. She and the Government have poured money into wage subsidies food banks marae and programmes. They have lifted the ceiling on earnings before limits kick in. They have acknowledged that this pandemic has hit some communities harder than others. To even compare a person in politics for 1 year with Ardern is naff. When he gets his team working together without complaint I will give him Brownie points. He has to earn them. Dame Anne Salmond seems to rate him. Waiting.
So she visited South Auckland?
Auckland was then in lock down, she did meet with the South Auckland Pacific Island vaccinating team .
I'm just trying to get my facts right.
So when Luxon visits South Auckland he'll have visited as many times as Ardern?
Now, now play fair.
Prior to the lockdowns Ms Ardern visited South Auckland many times. She passed through half a dozen times a week in the back of a Limo going to and from the Airport. Don't worry though. She didn't take any chances of spreading disease. I'm sure she always kept the windows in the BMW up in the same way she does on the 200 metre trip from her luxury state house to the Beehive.
Thousands and thousands of New Zealanders marched every week against vaccination and employment mandates,
but 0 people marched in the streets against our deepening crisis in poverty and class entrenchment.
I don't see anyone laughing.
For all those who think the Black Caps disappointed with their performance I'll point out on a neutral ground the Black Caps beat India for the world title
The last time India toured NZ the Black Caps won 2-0
So there
"Neutral ground" is pushing it where England is notoriously favourable to the type of seamers/quicks NZ has….having said that the Indian seamers/quicks have performed a lot better in Mumbai than NZ's….bring back Waggie.
Would it have been fairer to play in NZ or India?
Think of it as 5 match test series. NZ has 3 wins, India has 1 win, 1 draw and a match still to complete
So likely a 3-1-1 result to NZ, not too shabby
Agree that NZ has consistently played superbly and the results have been excellent under Williamson. Now they have a decent spinner too. Hope Kane’s troublesome elbow responds to treatment.
Seems like lots going on in Dunedin at the moment. Who ever said Dunedin was a boring town.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127195254/dunedin-police-roundup-naked-man-jumps-on-grandmothers-car-and-injures-himself
Staff writer had fun this morning,
Shame she had no cactus plants or eggs to throw at him.
I rather liked the bit further down on someone running into a lamppost
"The 65-year-old driver told officers he was on his way to pick up his drunk father, but he was also drunk.".
Yes that amused me to but in reality is bloody serious…he could have killed someone.
Unique opportunity to buy a native forest in the city:
Maybe NZ's richest man will snap it up.
Hart has been in buying mode recently.
He must give thanks to Roger Douglas every day of his life.
Buying Govt Print for 2/6 was better than winning ..lotto.
If we are all almost vaccinated how come there are so many stories about how badly treated such a tiny minority of self-centered dickheads keep filling up the headlines as if we are supposed to feel sympathy for where their stupidity has landed them. Are the Herald and Stuff only left to appealing to the unvaxxed market. God, how far they have fallen.
I was thinking the same thing over the weekend. So much noise for such a small minority. And then this opinion piece (paywall, so I only read the headline):
Bill Ralston: National is failing to harness the country's anger
How many people are actually that "angered" (after Auckland is out of lockdown)?
How much support does a political party loose when they try to include / support (extreme) minorities?
Lewis Hamilton won in Saudi Arabia to draw level with Max Verstappen in F1 drivers championship .
Sets up a great finale in Abu Dhabi next Sunday.
Hoping Hamilton can win and overtake Schumacer, tied on 7 championships.
New Nat rankings are out now: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/457306/watch-live-national-party-leader-christopher-luxon-announces-caucus-reshuffle
Collins down to #19. Goldsmith 12, Mitchell 14.
He told the media reps that his ranking reflects on-the-job performance that he has observed since entering parliament. He stressed that it's performance-based not hierarchy (seniority). Does Collins have sufficient intellect to deduce that her drop from #1 to #19 reflects her performance? Or will she decide that `he just doesn't like me enough' and leave parliament in a huff?
Collins will leave. We can write her resignation letter now, bookmark it …
"After 20 years in Parliament … achieved so much … leader, Minister, queen … time for fresh challenges … excited about my future … grateful for the wonderful support from my wonderful caucus … my decision … "
And Luxon's response:
"So sorry to lose Judith … valued member of team (etc, etc)"
It's all BS, everyone knows it but those are the games they play. As long as she leaves, Luxon wins.
(if I'm wrong and she stays … popcorn).
Hey, what's your take on this?
I thought he was meant to be a player. Didn't play well enough, huh?
Collins will require a hefty incentive from a friend of her party to prise her loose. Cushy private sector job, that sort of thing.
First tick from me…
He does have a SOH!-'I have deliberately selected a Shadow Cabinet of 20 members to match the government's Cabinet. I'm confident that when you put any of National's Shadow Ministers against their Labour counterparts, you'll see that National's MPs have the deep experience, the political skills, the work ethic and the intellectual grunt to come out on top every time," Luxon said.'
So he has spurned Collins. That could come back to bite him.
Do I think she will leave? No. Do I think his 20 are great? No
Has he achieved anything yet? Yes. He has the endorsement of Dame Anne Salmond.
Interested to know why you think that's a big deal..Patricia.
Probably endorsed by Dame Jenny…as…well.
Dame Anne Salmond has intellectual heft in the environmental field.
Looks like the full list:
Jacqui Dean: Assistant Speaker, Conservation
Todd McClay: Trade and Export Growth, Tourism
Simon O’Connor: Corrections, Customs, Arts, Culture and Heritage, Associate Foreign Affairs
Ian McKelvie: Seniors, Forestry, Racing
Todd Muller: Oceans and Fisheries, Internal Affairs
Maureen Pugh: Community and Voluntary Sector
Harete Hipango: Māori Development, Whānau Ora, Children/Oranga Tamariki
Chris Penk: Shadow Attorney-General, Courts, Associate Justice
Tim van de Molen: Defence, Veterans, Horticulture, Associate Agriculture
Nicola Grigg: Rural Communities, Land Information, Animal Welfare, Women, Associate Agriculture
Joseph Mooney: Treaty negotiations, Water, Space, Associate Tourism, Associate Agriculture
Penny Simmonds: Tertiary Education, Early Childhood Education, Disability Issues, Associate Education, Associate Social Development and Employment
Simon Watts: Local Govenment, Associate Finance, Associate Infrastructure
More to come…
Well, I'll give him some credit for this: he's basically told Collins it's over.
Now I'd rather he said that directly instead of doing the old sacking sugar (you know, when your boss says "thank you for your efforts and good luck in all your future endeavours", meaning bugger off).
But that's gonna be his style I guess. Pretend everyone's awesome while making it clear they aren't. (I've worked for those kind of bosses and didn't like it, but never mind.)
Papakura by-election next year. No way back for Judith.
Oh dear, I'm agreeing with him on something.
From Herald:
New National Party leader Chris Luxon has decided to part with the tradition of giving the entire caucus – except new and departing MPs – a numbered ranking.
Instead, he's given rankings to the first 20 MPs, and left the rest unranked.
Good. It's a really stupid convention. They're backbench MPs, no need to pretend the numbers mean anything once you're below the shadow Cabinet.
Yes, agreed
Luxon has a little more sense than I credited him with simply by demoting the pitiful David Bennett .
Yes, I thought the same thing. Why waste time & energy on the small fry. If they do well they’ll stand out & maybe get a slot in the top 20 later, with retirements & demotions of non-performers or embarassing misbehavers.
Do they have to rank them all – or at least a bit lower down – before the election, for the Party Lists?
And Mark Mitchell.
Might be time for a career switch. Bet they won’t cause by elections though.
Or, a really messy de-selection meeting.
Order popcorn now.
Clearly National has no-one technical available. Just as obviously a very low priority to them as well. Melissa Lee? Judith Collins – neither have been notably useful in any of their portfolios. A journalist will have virtually no background in understanding a digital economy. About as much as a technophobe profession like law provides in science and technology.
Wasn’t science and technology Luxon’s last gig as well? Payback is all well and good – but couldn’t he have picked something that wasn’t as vital to emphasise the dominance posturing behaviour in?
Maybe it’s a dekiberate provocation? She was easily the worst performing leader of the lot before his elevation. And she’s always got the potential to cause disaster for them. Look at the crap she dragged them into back in the day with Dirty Politics. No indication she’s got any smarter or any nicer since. They’re better off without her.
Who are the Labour equivalents, assuming they have any?
It looks to be David Clark or Megan Woods but what on earth would they know about the topic? They both have PhDs but their thesis topics don't really seem very relevant. Clark's was "the work of German/New Zealand refugee and existentialist thinker Helmut Rex." and Woods expounded on "Integrating the nation: Gendering Maori urbanisation and integration".
What is their background, if any, in the field?
Sigh…. Perhaps you should go and read some time. Personally I’d suggest wikipedia….
David Clark initially studied science and medicine before heading off to theology. That is public info.
I knew his brother because we worked opposite each other as programmers at one job. His comment was that David was as much of a geek as he was. Met him once and he certainly was. My partner knew him as one of the proctors (?) at her halls of residence in Otago (ie this is NZ) and considered him to be one of the smarter people she’d run across.
Megan Wood’s was on the business end of the science. Ummm… “Crop & Food Research (2005–08) and its successor organisation Plant and Food Research (2008), based at Lincoln” according to wikipedia. You don’t get that kind of role unless you have a clear appreciation of the basic science. That is why she keeps getting put into those science and technology roles.
Met her once when I went down to Wigram for a Labour party conference. We actually had a small conversation on tech and water – something that is rare for me amongst the overwhelmingly technophobe political community. She was actually interesting on the both the topics. And I have high standards on both the high-tech that I work in, and the earth sciences that I originally trained in.
This being NZ, I’ve also run across Melissa Lee during repeated campaigns in Mt Albert. My opinion is that she seldom seems to know much about anything. Even something as simple as how to campaign at an electoral level – something that just requires a public personality, an ability to engender trust in people working for you especially volunteers, and a facility with numbers. All of which she seemed to lack – at least according to the Nat volunteers in the electorate.
I know of Judith Collins via law friends from when she was around the Auckland Law Society. I used to annoy lawyers in the 1990s and 00s by describing their industry as the last bastion of the technophobes. After having to deal with their inability to search on platforms that are now part of LexisNexus (it was a awkward platform – but pretty damn accessible compared anything else pre-google).
Her inability with tech is a bit of legend even amongst commercial lawyers. I can’t testify to that, but she was did come up quite a lot when looking at the more useless technophobes. Her apparent inability to look at cause and effect in her political career makes me suspect that she is just as useless at understanding the basis of science.
But the point is that Labour has currently people who have enough background (and ability) to talk with science and tech. National seems to have lost their final one when Nick Smith got drop-kicked out of parliament.
And this is where Luxon's super-upbeat style really grates …
“Judith has a real passion for the portfolio that she’s been offered there in terms of research, science, innovation and technology. She cares very deeply about it, and she’s going to be absolutely brilliant,” Luxon said.
No she isn't. She's going to be kept out of the spotlight until she gets the hint and leaves, either before or at the next election.
Chris, stop treating us like idiots. We know you don't want her to stick around. Who would? You know – we ALL know – that National's better off without her lurking in the shadows. So why pretend?
I'd almost bet that she sticks around. There are many things I could say about about Ms Collins, but a lack of stubbornness is not one of them .
As CEO of Air NZ, Luxon got on-side with the IT workers quite early by continuing the forward thinking investments of Rob Fyfe. Unfortunately (for me) they "rationalised" a bunch of expensive contractor gigs to save money
The only time I ever looked at a job at AirNZ, when I finally got the recruiter to give an indication of the salary range, it was ludicrously low for a full-time job with the skills they were asking for. It felt like they hadn't raised their salary range for at least a decade.
I generally prefer full-time rather than contracts. While I'm perfectly willing to take jobs with lower salaries if I find something interesting and new to work on (like startups), this had nothing to recommend it.
I enjoyed working with the tech stack at AirNZ. Lots of complex systems: booking, baggage, check-in, aircraft loading, loyalty schemes, codeshare logic. And at the centre of it sits the ancient "Carina" system on an IBM AS400 mainframe.
There won’t be one Labour Front Bencher worried about their opposition.
Robertson will certainly most likely run rings around Bridges at Question Time.
''There won’t be one Labour Front Bencher worried about their opposition.''
That has yet to be seen. Especially Bridges v Robertson. But even if Robbo runs rings around Simon, that's not where the battle lies.
The battle field is the leaders media presence. At the moment Luxon is laying deep inroads into the media and courting them very nicely.
Conversely, Jacinda, for all her empathy and media support, is losing ground in that arena. You will know Labour has got the message when she turns up on Hosking's show. She said she would if she had something of importance to say. Staying relevant in the media's eyes, I believe, could be considered ''important.''
Well, this makes a nice change from "oh why is she always in the media … those 1 pm shows … photo-ops … sick of the sight of her … biased MSM … blah blah"
As always, it's the coin toss. Heads – too much. Tails – not enough. But the main thing is, complain about it either way.
Blade but not a razor.
Razors blunt and wear out too fast. A blade holds a nice edge. Just ask Andrew Little. You need to open that D lock around your intellect.
Kindness. She's being kind enough to allow Luxie his honeymoon. Come the next poll, if it shows anything like parity between left & right, she'll take the initiative. If the current differential persists, she'll go into holiday mode.
The honeymoon factor is likely to become ephemeral. Hosking can't be taken seriously so long as he's too scared to run for parliament, right? So just another empty talking head. Sad. Back when he started with RNZ he did seem a breath of fresh air. Not much advantage in being glib when he can't ever seem to come up with any original angle, eh?
Interesting comments.
''Back when he started with RNZ.''
He wouldn't make it past the front entrance now.
''Come the next poll, if it shows anything like parity between left & right, she'll take the initiative.''
This is what we want – some excitement. And ego busting. Some on this link are going to be more deflated than a teacher being forced to take performance pay by an incoming National government. I hope it's not my ego.
I do think there are signs that:
Yes, that about sums it up.
Agree.
You mean that Adern prefers to answer questions from those, mostly female, who actually shut up long enough to let her answer.
Instead of the males, and a few women, who arrogantly talk over her with their ignorant and blatantly partisan reckons.
Or. Who ask the same question over and over, after Adern has patiently explained it several times, in language you would think is simple enough even for a Hosking or O Brian.
Not surprisingly.
Don’t know how she does it. That situation would severely challenge my non – violent principles.
Watched those same twits, over the last few days,, treat Luxon with fawning respect, even though he was obviously out of his depth.
No. I meant what I actually said.
Ardern’s never really had a problem getting even constant interrupters like Hosking to shut up & let her finish. And I personally get pissed off with journos or tv or radio presenters who continually interject & don’t let their guests or interviewees finish. I want to hear their guests anwers. not their rude interruptions.
Some of them even introduce a new damn topic before even hearing what the last answer actually was. And Soper didn’t do himself any favours recently, moaning about not being given priority. But he may have had a point.
I used to regularly watch the standups live but I only infrequently bother now. The Covid measures are now comparatively complex; I find it easier to read about them.
As for Luxon, I’ve already explained why I personally think they’re giving him time & space & not interrupting. I’d hardly call it fawning, they’re just not interrupting much.
I think on Covid he’s well out of his depth. Likely on many other matters too. But compared to his 3 predecessors he’s glib & has ready, relatively brief answers. They’re bored enuf with the status quo to let him say what he likes. Tova O’Brien strikes me as more or less a supporter of Ardern; certainly no fan of National leaders.
What point would that be? That he is more deserving than all his colleagues?
Well I can’t see what’s happening becos the cameras are focussed on the podiums, but it sometimes “sounds” like certain journos are getting allowed more questions than others. That may be an unfair perception, because we just can’t see who’s in the audience. But I’m talking about the “optics”, how it looks.
"Tova O Brian a "supporter of Adern".
Could have fooled me.
The repeated fatuous and inane gotcha questioning at every press conference, trying to elicite something to confirm O Brian's framing.
I don’t know her voice. I don’t personally like Tova O’Brien (pretty sure my spelling of her surname is the correct one) at all. For the very reason you state. She seems to regard herself as an oracle & always has an angle already in mind. Her questions are so biased towards confirming her opinion they’re embarassing.
more of the public are now beginning to have a problem with the bad optics of Ardern’s apparent “grace & favour” approach to allocating questions to mostly friendly female journos
It's really sad to see you buying into conspiracy theories like this.
Do you really not know what happens at those press conferences? Exactly the same thing that happened at the press conferences with previous PMs. (And it's easy to check. You can watch Key's post-cabs online if you want, e.g YouTube).
The only change is that now … most of the political editors or chief reporters for TV1, TV3, NZ Herald, RNZ etc are women. So instead of Patrick Gower or Mark Sainsbury or John Armstrong, the Qs are from Mutch, O'Brien, Sherman. Lynch, Trevett, Patterson etc. (Plenty of men ask Qs too, but it used to be 90-10, now it's more 50-50).
Basically you're saying that there are too many women in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. Now I'm sure you don't intend to be saying that, of course not. But that is the "favourite female journos" myth.
The news organisations employ the reporters. Not the PM.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/information-for-the-press/press-gallery/
Do you really not know what happens at those press conferences? Exactly the same thing that happened at the press conferences with previous PMs. (And it’s easy to check. You can watch Key’s post-cabs online if you want, e.g YouTube).
Thanks. I might look at a couple.
The only change is that now … most of the political editors or chief reporters for TV1, TV3, NZ Herald, RNZ etc are women. So instead of Patrick Gower or Mark Sainsbury or John Armstrong, the Qs are from Mutch, O’Brien, Sherman. Lynch, Trevett, Patterson etc. (Plenty of men ask Qs too, but it used to be 90-10, now it’s more 50-50).
Are you sure of those numbers? Seems to be mostly female voices asking questions?
Basically you’re saying that there are too many women in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. Now I’m sure you don’t intend to be saying that, of course not. But that is the “favourite female journos” myth.
No. If I meant that, that’s what I would have said. If the make up of the PPG has changed so that it’s now 50/50 or even 70/30 women to men, so what? is my attitude. Makes no diff (to me) what sex/gender the reporters & political editors are.
The news organisations employ the reporters. Not the PM.
Pretty sure everyone knows that.
Makes no diff (to me) what sex/gender the reporters & political editors are.
Yes, I'm sure that is your genuine answer, of course. But the point is that the fact of more reporters now being female has been turned into a political issue by Ardern's opponents. It's a troll's meme of "Jessica, Tova", not "TV1, TV3" which is the only reason they ask the questions and Ardern answers. But – as usual – it's only noticed because women are now doing the job.
Key joshing with Guyon Espiner (TV1) and Duncan Garner (TV3) – and even going drinking with them – got no attention at all when it happened every week. Because … blokes.
Oh, just clicked on your Press Gallery link & I see that it lists all members & whether they’re associate or full members.
It’s obvious that all those journos & editors etc who’re members of the PPG aren’t all there at the press conferences tho. Several of the tv reporters listed routinely come on the evening news reporting from out in the regions, for example.
So I dunno what usual core number is of those usually present at the average press conference?
God, look at the time. Gotta hit the sack.
I get your point about Key & “the boys”, but from my perspective Key got a too easy ride from the PPG journos at many press conferences too. He had a different way of handling tricky questions; he was a less voluble than Ardern. From memory he’d often just say something brief then say more and end the session.
Bugger.
Signs?
You mean the 18% fall in popularity for Jacinda Ardern in 1 year?
Or the 12% fall in popularity for Labour in 1 year?
It's not the 'journos' Labour need to worry about.
It's how much they can scrape back.
Ah, wee Eddie Munster, up to 9th in the rankings – My how you've grown, not in height, obviously, but you must be one of the few child stars to have made it from the silver screen to the 'haves' lickspittle servant. Well done, Lily and Herman must be so proud.
It's obviously a group laden with talent in the finance area. Not so long back Amy Adams was their guru. I appreciate she had so much to offer she shot through.
Was it Paul Goldsmith next? Then Andrew Bayley and now Simon Bridges? If ACT overtake them at the election it could be that a majority of their Caucus would have had a turn as spokesperson. The way history has evolved though Goldsmith as a list MP won't even be there.
Wouldn't that be a lovely irony.
Grant Robertson has seen off even more opposite numbers than the PM. They have left the building (Joyce, Adams) or been cast aside (Goldsmith, Woodhouse, Bayly).
For a party whose brand is supposed to be economic management, National fire more managers than a Premier League football club.
(comparison: Michael Cullen was oppo finance spokesman for longer than all these Nats combined).
"Michael Cullen was oppo finance spokesman for longer"
That was probably because he was the only one who could spell the word finance.
He didn't know what it meant but at least he could spell it.
Do you do children's parties? Under-5's only, I'd suggest.
I'm afraid you'll have to approach the PM for your entertainment of that age group. She has that market ring-fenced. She seemed to do several per week until the lockdown but I'm sure she will be back on the circuit shortly.
https://www.aka.org.nz/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-makes-a-special-visit-to-morningside-kindergarten/
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/election-2017/ardent-support-ardern-visit
https://hail.to/westmere-school-te-rehu/publication/9v8vpqY/article/mgglkyj
Now this was interesting
A graph showing the price drop of gas in the USA, looks pretty good:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/AJMEBK4GIJHSTBEI22IQZ6ONJI.png&w=916
However if you expend it out over, say, 18 months it looks…well a little different:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFocn7XXIAsElz9?format=png&name=900×900
last bit at the end is because US is dipping into the petroleum reserves.
OPEC are pissed people didn't use as much oil over the pandemic, cartels gotta get paid.
Or the US could increase its own production
Or they could ban crude oil exports.
But the SPR release has had a small effect, anyway.
OPEC are shooting themselves in the foot. The higher the price goes, the more alternatives look attractive.
Yeah
https://nypost.com/2021/11/29/buttigieg-slammed-for-urging-electric-car-buying-to-counter-gas-prices/
If you can afford one
not just cars – heating oil.
Not sure what Bidens playing at but then hes probably not sure what day it is
yeah and HRC was at death's door in 2016. /sarc
Trump insert whatever rumour as well
Rumour? The facts about that fool were utterly bonkers. And that was before the insurrection.
Doubt it. Bound to know it's today. Normally is.
Morning or afternoon?
If it's a cloudy day, or he can't see a window, good point. However there's usually a staffer one can yell at…
He could say it's whatever day he thinks it should be. If his supporters are anything like those of his predecessor they'll attack anyone who says it's anything different, such as what it really is, and the expression "fake news" will be used. Often.
Trump or Biden?
Well Big Oils also pissed
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/13/business/gas-prices-biden-opec/index.html
My heart bleeds at their pain.
So Big Oils pissed, OPECs pissed and voters are pissed, thats a helluva trifecta to pull off
Not really. "Big oil" and "OPEC" have similar interests, so it's a bit of a redundancy.
Sure, the polls aren't good for Biden, but these are interesting times.
They really are so predictable, you'd love to play cards with these guys, easy money …
Previously Muller announced his retirement. Everyone else "you mean, as long as Judith is leader?". Muller: "nah, definitely leaving".
Judith out. Muller back. And now he says he'll stand again in 2023 … as predicted, and denied.
https://twitter.com/jo_moir/status/1467660039968071689
6 months ago:
“This has been a difficult decision because being a member of Parliament is a huge privilege, but it does come at a cost,” Muller said.
“I have decided that I need to prioritise my health and family, and move on to the next chapter of my life.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300339973/todd-muller-resignation-followed-admission-about-anonymous-article
People are allowed to change their mind you know.
"On Tuesday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern went a step further, saying not only will there be no forced vaccinations, but those who choose to opt-out won't face any penalties at all. "
Of course Muller can change his mind. But he didn't.
The reason he wanted to quit was Collins. Understandable, of course – she treated him badly. It's a shame he pretended it was something else.
It’s politics; that’s what you do – you never:
Best to have the same policy when you’re leaving a job for a new one. Saw one guy at my work really tear into his old boss at his farewell speech, once. New job in private sector didn’t work out; he was soon dismissed. Came back looking to be rehired. Didn’t happen.
"But he didn't."
A mind reader now are we?
No. A news reader.
It was covered extensively at the time.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/445557/the-week-in-politics-the-demolition-of-todd-muller
"National's Todd Muller called it quits this week, announcing he wasn't going to stand for re-election. … Muller cited his health and wanting to spend more time with his family, familiar reasons that MPs give for deciding to go.
There was a lot more to it than that. … Collins told him to resign or she would move to have him suspended from caucus. Muller refused, and Collins called a 10pm caucus meeting.
Collins delivered the ultimatum – Muller had to resign or caucus would vote to suspend him. One MP described what went on as "brutal".
"Muller tried to hold his ground and stare down Collins – only to be taken down as the pack turned on him," …
The MPs persuaded Muller to "leave with dignity", rather than be forced out, which would be bad for the party. Muller announced the following day he was not going to stand for re-election."
That seems to confirm he changed his mind. Not sure why you posted it.
They still don't.
The consequences of your "choices" are not "penalties".
The PM specifically referred to the consequences of not getting vaccinated. Not being able to work for that decision is absolutely a penalty.
That is a consequence of "your choice".
Akin to starving if you decide not to eat, because some people die of food allergies.
Only young children and fools, expect choices without consequences.
When the PM made that promise, she knew that the vaccine would be a matter of choice. She either lied, or she changed her mind.
A bit like Amy Adams, first she was going, then staying then going. I think she finally went.
If the only punishment is a fine, then it's legal for rich people.
Level-breacher has to pay $1130 for endangering the South Island.
$7.00 flat whites to keep the number of cafes we have? Meh. Maybe the new-normal is fewer cafes. Might solve the "employee shortage", too.
But $7.50 flat whites for a living wage for hospo staff? So be it. My coffee shouldn't be flavoured with blood and sweat.
My local cafe does a great brunch deal – a coffee and a panini for only $13. I blame them for my lockdown belly!
I was totally pissed when my favourite place for "big brekkies" turned out to be an abysmal employer – $X00,000 in reparations-to-employees-scale abysmal.
But yeah – good for my bathroom scales. They used to creak under the strain lol
Glad I don't drink coffee,wouldn't pay that with a gun to my…head.
Personally I often prefer that cona stuff – 5sec to pour, no banging or steaming or any of that. Never drink coffee at home.
Don’t know what happened at 5.53, editing didn’t work, I’m even more tech illiterate than Collins but I suspect she’s at 19 to reflect her deep knowledge of the Covid Pandemic, because as she is reported to have said along the lines of it can’t be much to worry about as there have been 18 before it!
That was Boag.
Collins just actively undermined every pandemic response measure she could find, or seemed to anyway. The scary thought is that she thought she was helping keep NZers safe.