Open mike 06/04/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 6th, 2015 - 183 comments
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183 comments on “Open mike 06/04/2015 ”

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  1. mickysavage 1
    6 April 2015 at 7:23 am

    And in the middle east a Palestinian Feminist MP is placed in administrative detention by Isreali forces. She is one of 17 legislators who have been treated this way.

    “According to the Alternative Information Center, Jarrar is joining 16 other members of the PLC who are currently serving time in Israeli prisons, which means that more than 10 percent of Palestinian lawmakers are currently in Israeli prisons. Nine of those members — including Hamas member Aziz Dweik — are in administrative detention, and have not stood trial nor been sentenced. The PLC is comprised of 132 members who were elected in the last democratic elections held in the PA in 2006.”

    http://972mag.com/israel-puts-feminist-palestinian-mp-in-admin-detention/105317/

    • Ron 1.1
      6 April 2015 at 8:21 am

      Unusual way of spelling Israel Mickey, or was that intentional?

      • Anne 1.1.1
        6 April 2015 at 9:45 am

        Typo Ron. Easy to transpose two letters when typing.

      • mickysavage 1.1.2
        6 April 2015 at 12:40 pm

        Totally accidental Ron. I was in a hurry …

        • Ron 1.1.2.1
          6 April 2015 at 12:59 pm

          No Problem I just had a thought that you might have intentionally spelt it that way to make a point.

          • Weepus beard 1.1.2.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 3:19 pm

            Ron, what was the point you imagined mickysavage might have been making?

            • Ron 1.1.2.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 7:57 pm

              The el at the end of Israel refers to their God. Thought he might have been making a point on that considering the subject.
              My mind works in funny ways, just wanted to see if I was seeing something that sounded interesting to me.

    • Philip Ferguson 1.2
      6 April 2015 at 12:20 pm

      The “Palestinian feminist MP” thing is a bit misleading (makes her sound like she could be a Palestinian version of Hillary Clinton!).

      This isn’t at all a criticism of you Micky, you just got it from another magazine and it’s great that you’ve mentioned her case – but I really dislike the way people in the West, like that magazine, continuously deny agency to the Palestinians. In this case denying Khalida Jarrar the right to be presented as what she actually is.

      Khalida Jarrar is a Marxist and a member of the Politbureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. That’s why she was snatched by the Israeli occupation forces.

      Her two main areas of work as a central leader of the PFLP are around prisoners and women’s rights. The occupation has been continuously harassing her, trying to force her to leave Ramallah, while simultaneously attempting to prevent her leaving the country.
      https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/free-khalida-jarrar/

      On ‘administrative detention’ see:
      https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/palestine-ireland-free-the-political-prisoners/
      (this is from a talk I gave a few years ago on political prisoners in Ireland and Palestine, places internment without trial have been widely used)

      An update on ‘administrative detention’ was provided by one of our readers yeterday, see: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/israels-use-of-administrative-detention-an-update/

  2. les 2
    6 April 2015 at 7:24 am

    Police shut 30 stations in an effort to combat budget cuts-‘O’connor says stations are being moved from low-socio economic areas, because residents tend to put up less of a fight. “That’s why we are a little cynical about this . . . people there often do need somewhere to go running to.”

    – The Dominion Post

    • Weepus beard 2.1
      6 April 2015 at 8:19 am

      They claim there are more cops on the street instead of in the station but 111 call response times have lengthened and have failed to meet targets which makes a mockery of the “street vs station approach” does it not?

      David Farrar’s love of statistics is well known – I wonder if he’ll highlight this?

    • RedBaronCV 2.2
      6 April 2015 at 8:58 am

      And there has been this 20% drop in crime says Mike Bush – really so why not have budget cuts too ?? Or is the drop just lack of recording

      • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1
        6 April 2015 at 10:07 am

        Lack of recording. Last time I went in to report a crime they tried really hard to get me not to. I suspect those that aren’t as much of a bastard as I am are probably persuaded not to.

    • millsy 2.3
      6 April 2015 at 11:51 am

      First it was the post offices…
      ..then it was the hospitals…
      ..then the schools…
      now the police stations..

  4. John Shears 4
    6 April 2015 at 9:06 am

    I have just searched TS (POA Tony Gibson) and am puzzled as to why the latest item about POA on TS dates back to the fight between the Union and POA in 2012.

    ON TVNZ Q&A yesterday Gibson claimed he was not arrogant , that he had discussed
    expansion plans, that the extensions proposed did not need to be notified , etc etc etc ad nauseum.

    It is my opinion that the complex governance arrangement where our elected Mayor & Councillors are twice removed from the POA by two appointed boards, ACIL and POA
    who appear to be in thrall to the CEO Tony Gibson is part of the problem.

    Be quite clear that the major shipping company using POA is Maersk and Tony Gibson is an ex CEO of Maersk , The Fox in the Henhouse?

    He also said that continuing expansion will not be needed as there will be a “Paradigm Shift” in the international freight industry , what ever that means.

    The fact that we Aucklanders own the POA outright and that we have elected a Mayor and Council seems to be lost to the people near the action, is this Democracy in the 21st Century?

    • lprent 4.1
      6 April 2015 at 9:48 am

      So many things to write about, so little time…. And authors tend to write opinions about things that they are interested in

      Guest post

    • Anne 4.2
      6 April 2015 at 10:00 am

      I noted in the first interview that Mayor, Les Brown suggested expanding the Onehunga port on the Manukau Harbour and building the much needed railway across the isthmus connecting the two ports. Seemed like an eminently sensible idea to me and would counter the need to expand out into the harbour.

      When it came to the interview with Gibson, he appeared to ignore Brown’s suggestion and to concentrate instead on the geographical and economic inadequacies of moving port facilities to Whangarei or Tauranga. I had the impression he deliberately left out the alternate idea of the Onehunga port expansion probably because it came from Mayor Brown. In other words there is the usual political game playing from POA.

      These POA executives were put in place by Rodney Hide were they not?

      • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1
        6 April 2015 at 10:32 am

        The Manukau is a mass of shifting sandbanks and not really suitable for a major port:

        Because of the large harbour area and narrow mouth between the Manukau Heads, tidal flow is rapid and a bar at the mouth makes navigating in or out of the harbour dangerous. New Zealand’s most tragic shipwreck occurred on the bar in 1863 when HMS Orpheus ran aground in clear weather with a loss of 189 lives. For this reason, along with the harbour’s shallowness, it is not Auckland’s favoured port, and the facilities at Onehunga are not very large compared to the other Ports of Auckland facilities on the Waitemata Harbour on the northeast of the isthmus.

        • Anne 4.2.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 11:17 am

          Surely with modern equipment the sandbanks and the bar at the mouth could be regularly dredged to keep a channel open and clear. Of course the large container ships could not use the port, but the small cargo boats – and there’s plenty of them – could be diverted to Onehunga, especially if facilities are expanded to cater for them.

          • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 11:23 am

            It probably could be but how much damage do you want to do to the ecosystem there?

            Personally I’m more in favour of shutting down the ports and moving most of the operation to Marsden Point where there’s a nice deep harbour and rail to Auckland.

            • John Shears 4.2.1.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 1:35 pm

              @ DTB
              As I understand it there is no rail link to Marsden from Whangarei and the tunnels to Auckland are not big enough for 40ft containers, other wise that does seem to be a smart solution for more and bigger ships.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                6 April 2015 at 1:53 pm

                As I understand it there is no rail link to Marsden from Whangarei

                Heh, was wondering about that but couldn’t find it either way so just guessed. Still, it’s one of those things that should be put in before more roads.

                • alwyn …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:56 pm

                  I’m sure that there will be one by the end of the year.
                  Their new MP has promised it. As he said while campaigning.

                  “Mr Peters said the Northland to Auckland line has been run down, but worse than that was no rail link to the deep water port at Marsden Pt. “We will fix both of those up.””

                  He didn’t say how he would get it to happen though.
                  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11317686

                  • Draco T Bastard …
                    6 April 2015 at 3:04 pm

                    He can advance a members bill and I’m reasonably certain that a majority of MPs in parliament would support it – if it gets pulled from the hat. We really do need to make government more representative of the voters.

                  • North …
                    6 April 2015 at 5:55 pm

                    Alwyn above @ 2.56 pm today – some bleak consolation I guess that the 13,000 turnaround Northland thrashing can be turned to fuel a mock-fest because Peters not being in government is actually powerless without the happenchance of ballot draw supported beyond the opposition benches.

                    Something we all knew of course when ‘sending the message’ about conceit and duplicity and emperor-no-clothes. Apparently not known to the conceited and duplicitous and emperor-no-clothes however who invested considerable fetid air in fearmongering that the sky would fall in if they weren’t ‘allowed’ to win.

                    Goodness…….the unnatural contortions of the miffed ‘Born To Rule’, found out and suffering third-termitis !

      • John Shears 4.2.2
        7 April 2015 at 7:52 am

        @Anne The suggestion about using Onehunga may not be as silly as some think.
        What if the waste area above the bridge was reclaimed and used for industry but more importantly heaps of space to store imported cars while they are processed before being released for sale thus leaving a huge area clear for container freight at Auckland . The vehicle ships would simply use Onehunga rather than Auckland.
        Sound too simple??

        • Anne 4.2.2.1
          7 April 2015 at 9:06 am

          My knowledge of the subject is very limited, but every time I cross the bridge and look across at the port it saddens me that it has been left to run down. It was a bustling port once. My conclusion is that the decision over the decades to ignore the area is a political one. That is, there were/are few votes in it for the predominantly National govts. since the 1950s. The potential to turn it into a modern day collection point for appropriate cargo storage and a quick turn-around for the smaller cargo boats is huge. Add a dedicated railway link between the two ports and that has got to be good for the entire Auckland isthmus and well beyond.

          The problem is, it takes imagination and a long term outlook. We know the self- grandiosing NAct puppets have negligible quantities of both.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.3
      6 April 2015 at 10:25 am

      The fact that we Aucklanders own the POA outright and that we have elected a Mayor and Council seems to be lost to the people near the action, is this Democracy in the 21st Century?

      The capitalists don’t like democracy as it gets in the way of them doing anything they want. This is shown in National’s canning of democracy and implementation of dictatorship in Canterbury.

      The fact of the matter is that our entire Representative Democracy was set up so as to prevent actual democracy and to leave the rich and powerful in charge.

    • Skinny 4.4
      6 April 2015 at 11:17 am

      How Gibson wasn’t frog marched into council chambers and dismissed after the antics exposed in the book Dirty Politics has me fucked. On that note the one pity of Maritime Union finally settling their collective agreement with the POAL, was the union didn’t seek discovery. This is the real reason the port company settled. Damage control and what came out would have been very very interesting.

      Gibson is scum, the first thing Phil Goff Off needs to be pinned down on is a shake up of the port board and getting rid of Gibson and or both.

    • KJT 4.5
      6 April 2015 at 3:17 pm

      Most likely that the fake competition between ports, and lack of co-operative planning, will result in NZ losing the major hub port to Australia or Singapore.

  5. Pasupial 5
    6 April 2015 at 9:51 am

    6 days remaining until the scheduled return of the Rawshark 2.

  6. Bearded Git 6
    6 April 2015 at 10:29 am

    This is hilarious-and would probably have been banned in an election here….(maybe not any more after the recent HC decision)

    https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FiSo39wiRxOM&h=DAQG4tBci

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    6 April 2015 at 11:03 am

    Greece draws up drachma plans, prepares to miss IMF payment

    The drama comes after the creditors refused to rubber stamp Athens’ latest bid to unlock funds, raising objections over Syriza plans to boost union powers in collective bargaining and boost pensions for lower income groups.

    So the creditors are upset that Greece may help it’s people? This comes back to:

    When you loan someone money you’re taking the risk that you’re not going to get it back.

    And now they’re whinging that they won’t get it back despite knowing that risk.

    • Kevin 7.1
      6 April 2015 at 2:00 pm

      Former European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso warned Greece that they have a moral obligation to other states, describing the demands for more time and money as “completely unacceptable”.
      “We should remember that there are poorer countries that are lending money to Greece, so to propose a cut to their debt would be certain to receive a no from their partners,” he said.

      Poorer than Greece… lending them money…

      That makes sense.

  8. Philip Ferguson 8
    6 April 2015 at 11:11 am

    As we’re being blessed with increasing establishment palaver about Gallipoli, it’s important to remember just what a dirty political business it was. Nothing glorious about NZ’s motives – we were helping invade Turkey so that Britain (and France) could carve up the Ottoman Empire.

    Gallipoli: a dirty and bloody business: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/gallipoli-invasion-a-dirty-and-bloody-business/

    And for NZ society in WW1, you can’t go past Eldred-Grigg’s work: Stevan Eldred-Grigg’s The Great Wrong War: NZ society and WW1: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/stevan-eldred-griggs-the-great-wrong-war-nz-society-and-ww1/

    Plus Field Punishment Number One reviewed: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/field-punishment-no-1-reviewed-reminder-that-the-wars-not-over/

  9. Philip Ferguson 9
    6 April 2015 at 12:22 pm

    I’ve stuck up on Redline a major feature on the catastrophe in the Middle East since the western powers invaded Iraq:
    https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/the-middle-east-blowback-from-the-iraq-war/

  10. Clemgeopin 10
    6 April 2015 at 12:56 pm

    A Kiwi mum in Perth whose baby boy has a rare medical condition is pleading for help.

    Stacy Maitai had to give up her job to care for her baby and she now survives on less than $100 a week.

    Her son, Malakai, is seven months old and has never left hospital.

    “It breaks my heart that I can’t do that for him, I can’t do what I can to get him home,” Ms Maitai says.

    Ms Maitai is from Tolaga Bay and moved to Perth four years ago.

    Her baby boy has a rare condition called Pallister Killian Syndrome (PKS), and he can’t see or hear and struggles to breathe.

    A single mother of two, Ms Maitai has had to give up work to care for him, but because she’s not an Australian citizen, she survives on $180 a fortnight. She can barely pay for her bus ride to the hospital.

    “I’ve looked at every avenue to get support for us, but basically there is nothing, only because I am a Kiwi,” says Ms Maitai.

    “If Malakai was just a normal baby I would be able to part-time work, but because of my condition there’s a stop with my future because of what I can do and what I can’t do.”

    PKS is a rare developmental disorder, with only a few hundred people diagnosed with it. Two live here in New Zealand – one in Whangarei, the other in the Waikato.

    Read more:
    http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/kiwi-mum-needs-help-with-sick-baby-2015040517#ixzz3WUBIlFVs

    A ‘Hope for Malakai’ fundraising page has been set up. If you would like to contribute, here is the link to the fund raising page:

    https://www.mycause.com.au/page/90460/hopeformalakai

  11. Penny Bright 11
    6 April 2015 at 1:24 pm

    How many of folks on The Standard, have actually read and considered the research and opinions of over 2000 registered architects and engineers for 9/11 truth?

    http://www.ae911truth.org

    Given that 9/11 was arguably a convenient UNtruth upon which was based the (unlawful) invasion of Iraq, the never-ending (and very profitable) ‘War on Terror’, the mass surveillance and attacks on privacy of millions of people, and attacks on civil liberties and democratic rights of USA citizens under the Patriot Act?

    Remember – the focus of architects and engineers for 9/11 TRUTH is not WHO was behind and caused 9/11.

    The focus is HOW 9/11 happened.

    Could the heat generated by burning airline fuel (kerosene), cause the collapse of the Twin Towers in their footprint at ‘free fall’ speed?

    Seriously?

    If so – how come your kerosene heater doesn’t melt when you fire it up?

    Penny Bright

    • Paul 11.1
      6 April 2015 at 1:29 pm

      I agree Penny.
      Expect to cop some abuse for saying this.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 11.2
      6 April 2015 at 1:42 pm

      What happens if you put a bunch of curtains and office furniture and stationary and other flammable items on your burning kerosene heater?

      PS: how does temperature affect the tensile strength of steel?

      • McFlock 11.2.1
        6 April 2015 at 1:46 pm

        …and is her kerosene heater holding up a decent-sized building while being used</i.

    • McFlock 11.3
      6 April 2015 at 1:43 pm

      For the upteenth time:

      1: it wasn’t “free fall speed”
      2: they didn’t collapse into their own “footprint”
      3: even if we assumed the fire consisted solely of “kerosene” and had no other environmental factors, it would have been hot enough to significantly weaken steel structures that were already overloaded due to having an aircraft collision damage the structure.

      Yes, bush/cheney used 9/11 and spurious intelligence on Al Qaeda connections as excuses to invade Iraq. That doesn’t mean that they engineered the 9/11 attacks.

      • The Murphey 11.3.1
        6 April 2015 at 2:39 pm

        Yes, bush/cheney used 9/11 and spurious intelligence on Al Qaeda connections as excuses to invade Iraq. That doesn’t mean that they engineered the 9/11 attacks

        It makes them along with a number of others who share long standing associations the top of the suspects sheet

        So about those 28 redacted pages

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Inquiry_into_Intelligence_Community_Activities_before_and_after_the_Terrorist_Attacks_of_September_11,_2001#Redacted_sections

        [lprent: Interesting, you just used a IP that has been previously used to permanently exclude a troll. A offshore cell IP. Explanation please. ]

      • Paul 11.3.2
        6 April 2015 at 2:52 pm

        Most people who question the 9/11 fairy tale just want an open, full and transparent enquiry.
        Not a big ask.

        BTW, 9/11 was also the gateway for major incursions into our civil rights.
        Five Eyes and total surveillance could not have happened without 9/11.

        That’s why the events of that day are so important and need to be investigated properly.

        • te reo putake 11.3.2.1
          6 April 2015 at 3:05 pm

          Five Eyes was going long before 9/11, fool. All that’s changed in the last 14 years is the technology.

          As for a full and transparent enquiry, the yanks went one better and had a commission. You wanna try reading the report, all the answers are in there. Or you can continue parroting the lines of the US right, boring friends and acquaintances shitless with your witterings. Happily, as time goes by, less and less time is wasted on this shit.

          Is it a nice day where you are? Why don’t you go for a walk?

          • Draco T Bastard 11.3.2.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 4:48 pm

            You wanna try reading the report, all the answers are ██ █████.

            FTFY

            • te reo putake 11.3.2.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 6:11 pm

              Yeah, that’s right, Draco. 800 pages that explain exactly what happened doesn’t count. The eyewitness testimony of thousands of New Yorkers doesn’t count. The deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count. Some mad righties with no alternatives frothing on the interwebs? Totes reliable.

              • felix …
                6 April 2015 at 8:36 pm

                “The deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count.”

                How is that relevant to the point you’re making?

                • McFlock …
                  6 April 2015 at 9:12 pm

                  unless the redactions in the 911 commission report include bits like “and everything else in this report is fabricated and made up”, it’s erroneous to say that “all the answers are ██ █████.”

                  Included in the unredacted bits are analyses of how 3000 people died.

                  • felix …
                    6 April 2015 at 9:30 pm

                    I didn’t think anyone was arguing that 3000 people hadn’t died though.

                    • McFlock …
                      6 April 2015 at 9:48 pm

                      depends on which flavour truther you speak to, apparently

                    • felix …
                      6 April 2015 at 10:55 pm

                      Seriously? That’s fucking nuts. Who here is arguing that?

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      6 April 2015 at 11:25 pm

                      McFlock is just out on some sort of flight of fancy reading in more than what was there.

                    • felix …
                      6 April 2015 at 11:30 pm

                      Weird thing for TRP to say.

                    • McFlock …
                      6 April 2015 at 11:50 pm

                      There’s been a lot of that lately:
                      “doesn’t count” becoming “hadn’t died”, for example.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:11 am

                      So where’s the relevance then?

                      All I’m doing is pointing out a weird non-sequitur. If you think there’s a reasonable explanation for it that doesn’t amount to ‘AND THEY HATE PUPPIES TOO!!!’ then I’m all ears.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:17 am

                      Ok Felix:

                      Draco said all the answers are redacted.
                      TRP listed three things that supply or strongly imply answers: 800 pages, eyewitness testimony, and 3000 deaths. And TRP said that apparently according to DTB, none of those things count, but some rightwing nutter on the internet provides totally reliable evidence.

                      Are you up with the play, now?

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:36 am

                      I have been all along buddy.

                      It only makes sense if TRP is saying that Draco doesn’t believe those examples represent facts.

                      Draco contests the redacted report. TRP therefore reasonably attributes to Draco the belief that the report doesn’t count.

                      Then – in the exact same context – he attributes the belief that “the deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count”.

                      The problem with that is that the fact that 3000 people died isn’t evidence for or against any particular theory under discussion, crackpot or otherwise.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 12:57 am

                      Like I say, it depends what flavour crackpot we’re dealing with. But whatever. If you want to focus on one out of three as some sort of victory of… whatever, that’s cool. What about the other two?

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:01 am

                      The other two relate to the discussion. The third one was a weird irrelevant accusation.

                      Are you up with the play yet?

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:21 am

                      Yeah I’ve figured out that you’re playing the “ignore things that don’t suit you, fixate on the one thing you think you can distract with” game.

                      Although personally I’d like every truther here to categorically state that they believe the official victim count is correct before I agree with your call on its relevance.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:33 am

                      So go ahead and ask them, but playing games with the precise body count doesn’t change what’s already been said and it doesn’t open up any explanations for it neither.

                      And I’ll thank you not to ascribe motives to me when you seem to be having so much trouble even following what I’ve said, which really hasn’t been all that complicated.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 2:28 am

                      Meh ok I’ll rephrase without suggesting motive:

                      You’ve spent half a dozen comments debating one of three things trp listed that contradict dtb’s statement that all the answers are redacted.
                      You have made no comments on the other points.
                      Dtb is still incorrect.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      7 April 2015 at 8:05 am

                      Here you go McFlock, France has an answer for you.

                      😈 😆

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 10:09 am

                      “You’ve spent half a dozen comments debating one of three things trp listed that contradict dtb’s statement that all the answers are redacted.
                      You have made no comments on the other points.”

                      Why should I respond to those other points, McFlock? I’m not disputing them.

                      If you like I can go through every comment on every thread on TheStandard and put a +1 after all the ones I agree with, but I reckon you might then want to know why I haven’t actively disputed all of the remainder.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 1:57 pm

                      Arguing about the relevance of a single point when the outcome of that argument is irrelevant to the outcome of the argument that the points were made in does seem remarkably postmodern of you, Felix.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 2:25 pm

                      Whereas sandwiching emotive attacks on your opponents in-between relevant rebuttals of their arguments is just an excersise in nasty dishonest bullshit.

                      So in this instance, sure I’ll be the post-modernist. Of course you could probably qualify too by arguing that being right about something means you can ascribe absolutely any view to people who are wrong about that thing, and that process doesn’t matter as long as the outcome doesn’t change.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 2:57 pm

                      It’s not dishonest. It’s the honest outcome of listening to ten years of nutbars fail to comprehend basic concepts like gravity and footprint. Given that and the nanothermite bullshit in links commenters have posted in this very thread, you’re lucky that only every other comment has been “emotive”.

                      While you’ve apparently been a fucking Vulcan all along. /sarc

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 4:06 pm

                      No I’m just a Vulcan right now. It’s a post modern thing.

                      I understand your frustration on this topic. However there is no justification for accusing people of thinking 3000 deaths “doesn’t count” when they haven’t said anything of the sort.

                      Even if they’ve said other things that drive you nuts.

                      Even if they’re wrong about all of them.

                      Even when you have other valid points to make, that just isn’t one of them.

                      And although it’s right up TRP’s alley to fling that sort of monkey shit at the wall, it’s beneath you to defend it.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      7 April 2015 at 4:17 pm

                      +1 felix

                      I had a browse of this thread and while I couldn’t really understand what you and McFlock were arguing about, your summary here clarifies it quite a bit. It really is very poor to attribute outrageous statements to people when they didn’t make them.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 5:20 pm

                      “doesn’t count” as evidence. Like the other two things in TRP’s list. If all the answers are redacted, nothing can be concluded from everything that is unredacted. Which is bullshit.

                      But even if your complaint were accurate, what’s your point: that it harms the reputation of a bunch of nutbars who seem to treat 911 as a hobby? It doesn’t.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:00 pm

                      Nope, the point is (still) that he didn’t say it. And you (still) don’t think that matters, because nutbars. Or something.

                      And it (still) wouldn’t be evidence anyway unless someone were denying that 3000 people died, which (still) no-one here seems to have done.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:26 pm

                      how did you get “denying that 3000 people died” from “The deaths of 3000 people doesn’t count”, again?

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:37 pm

                      I didn’t, you did. Because that’s what would have to have been said in order for your “evidence” defense to stand.

                      Again.

                      Yawn.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 6:52 pm

                      Because that’s what would have to have been said in order for your “evidence” defense to stand.

                      You are incorrect. What would have to have been said is that the deaths of 3000 people do not count as evidence, not that they didn’t happen.

                      As in “oh fuck, all these people are dead. What can we infer from that? Nothing. Wow – 800 pages of report. what can we infer from that? Nothing. Holy crap, loads of eyewitnesses say that they saw planes fly into buildings. What can we infer from that? Nothing”.

                      All because some of one report was redacted. Which is what dtb said: “all the answers are ██ █████”.

                    • felix …
                      7 April 2015 at 8:06 pm

                      “You are incorrect. What would have to have been said is that the deaths of 3000 people do not count as evidence, not that they didn’t happen.”

                      Only (yawn) if it was (yaaawn) someone’s argument that (yaaaaaawn) those people didn’t die, i.e. that the (yaaaaawn) event itself never occurred.

                      Which it (yaaaaaaaaaawn) still isn’t.

                      Seriously dude, I’ve explained this to you so many times now. You’re either not being honest or you have a serious problem with comprehension. And you’ve never struck me as a fool.

                      It’s all there in black and white for anyone who’s interested, I’m done wasting time with people who treat 911 as a hobby.

                    • McFlock …
                      7 April 2015 at 8:34 pm

                      Only (yawn) if it was (yaaawn) someone’s argument that (yaaaaaawn) those people didn’t die, i.e. that the (yaaaaawn) event itself never occurred.

                      Ah.
                      Your fixation on a logical fallacy is obviously due to fatigue.
                      Fuck off and get some sleep, then. Maybe you’ll understand basic logic when you wake up.

                      I’m done wasting time with people who treat 911 as a hobby.

                      And yet you go to such effort to defend their reputations.

              • The Murphey …
                6 April 2015 at 10:29 pm

                Q. How does the report explain exactly what happened ?

              • Paul …
                6 April 2015 at 10:29 pm

                You are unwilling to debate this topic reasonably

    • TheContrarian 11.4
      6 April 2015 at 1:59 pm

      It absolutely did not fall at free fall speed. Why do people keep repeating this easily disproved “fact” when it has conclusively shown to be fucking rubbish?

      • Paul 11.4.1
        6 April 2015 at 2:06 pm

        Have you seen the Architects and Engineers film?

        • TheContrarian 11.4.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 2:13 pm

          You can see chunks of rubble, which are in free fall, fall faster than the building. Pretty clear evidence the building isn’t falling at free fall.

          • Paul 11.4.1.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 2:15 pm

            Have you seen the Architects and Engineers film?

            • TheContrarian 11.4.1.1.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 2:18 pm

              Yes. An it is still very clear that the building isn’t falling at free fall.

              • Paul …
                6 April 2015 at 2:31 pm

                It’s clear the official story is nonsense.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  7 April 2015 at 7:39 am

                  How would you know? You haven’t even read the official story, nor are you equipped to assess its veracity, nor willing to debate any of your talking points.

                  For example, when Penny Bright displayed her ignorance of the tensile response of steel to temperature, and pretended that aviation fuel was the only flammable substance present, you agreed with her, then failed to respond to the rebuttal.

                  I take this as a demonstration of ignorance and bias rather than willful deceit. Apparently 0.1% (approx.) of the architects and engineers of the USA are similarly afflicted. So what?

      • Paul 11.4.2
        6 April 2015 at 2:09 pm

        Name 1 steel framed skyscraper that has collapsed due to fire except on 9/11

        • TheContrarian 11.4.2.1
          6 April 2015 at 2:15 pm

          I think you are missing something…was it just a fire or was it a fire caused by a fucking airliner smashing into the building at several 100’s of kms per hour.

        • McFlock 11.4.2.2
          6 April 2015 at 2:18 pm

          but it wasn’t just “steel framed”, was it. And it wasn’t just a fire, was it.

          Or to flip it around, can you name a single building with similar construction design (as well as materials) that had a decent-sized passenger jet fly into it and it didn’t collapse? Because AFAIK plane crashes are running at two for two.

          • Paul 11.4.2.2.1
            6 April 2015 at 2:24 pm

            No plane crashed into WTC7.
            Apparently it crashed due to fire.
            Are you aware of WTC7?

            • McFlock 11.4.2.2.1.1
              6 April 2015 at 2:34 pm

              Indeed I am.
              So feel free to replace “decent-sized passenger jet fly into it” with “hit by debris from a larger building collapsing next to it”, if you wish.

              • Paul …
                6 April 2015 at 2:39 pm

                Hardly touched it.
                And there were only tiny fires.
                Are you aware the BBC reported its collapse before it happened.
                Have you seen clips of its free fall collapse?
                Clips of firefighters saying they were blowing it?
                Really have you actually looked at the mass of evidence supported by architects and engineers about WTC7?
                I take evidence from experts seriously.
                Who do you listen to?
                The governments flawed enquiry ?

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:45 pm

                  You cherry pick the evidence that suits your beliefs, while either ignoring the vast majority of opinion, or implying that everyone who disagrees with you is corrupt.

                  It’s pathetic.

                • te reo putake …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:47 pm

                  4,954 Days. No evidence.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  6 April 2015 at 2:53 pm

                  “Hardly touched it”.

                  How would you know? You’re too lazy to gain an understanding of the engineering reports, and yet suddenly now you’re an expert on building fires.

                • McFlock …
                  6 April 2015 at 3:02 pm

                  See, the thing is that I have seen those clips due to previous arguments. And they never live up to their advertising, or rely on heavy editing. Like your “free fall collapse” theory, it took significantly longer than free-fall time to collapse. The math blatantly disproves the “free fall” hyperbole. I argued this with CR last time, using footage and G calculators and everything.

                  I’m surprised you missed that debate.
                  And another one.
                  And another one.
                  And oh look, 2009.
                  But feel free to keep recycling the same old bullshit.

            • tinfoilhat 11.4.2.2.1.2
              6 April 2015 at 3:20 pm

              Hi Paul

              I must admit i’m a bit bemused that people still debate what happened that day. I’ve never found it surprising that any of the buildings collapsed after the damage that they suffered.

              Can you explain what issue you have with the official story of plane crashes followed by fires and the other nearby buildings being collateral damage from the major two buildings collapsing ?

              • ropata …
                6 April 2015 at 11:53 pm

                I think the significant issue is that 911 was used as a pretext for extreme paranoia, the creation of a police state, and an endless war on terror in “the land of the free”.

                With the strange stock market fluctuations leading up to the disaster, and GWB’s weird reaction to it, it’s not too much of a leap to think it was an inside job.

                If it wasn’t a deliberate false flag operation it was a perfect opportunity for Bush, Cheney et al to live out their teenage wet dreams and play global war games (encouraged by their .mil sponsors).

                But as Hanlon’s razor goes (paraphrase) “never attribute to conspiracy that which is adequately explained by an epic fuck-up”

                • McFlock …
                  7 April 2015 at 12:08 am

                  I would have thought they could have come up with a better load of perpetrators than “Saudis trained in Afghanistan”, if it were all a bush/cheney concoction to invade Iraq.

                  Iraqi kurds, for example. Then throw in suspicion that it was Saddam not the Kurds.

                  I fully agree that it was an excuse to invade Iraq, and even that maybe they thought they might be able to build and protect an oil pipeline across Afghanistan as well. But a number of charlatans have also made a lot of money out of pretending way more happened than what seemed to happen on the day: nineteen hijackers gambling that hostages on four aircraft will work to an old template, while the hijackers switch it up a notch.

                  • ropata …
                    7 April 2015 at 2:16 am

                    Here’s a handy index to truther claims and the rebuttals thereof. Should save you some effort in future iterations of this argument.

                    Skepticism is healthy when applied to TPTB but not so useful when opining on matters requiring some training in engineering or science.

                    There are plenty of real conspiracies happening under our noses, no need to add a fictional one

                    (the military surveillance state, brazen bankster rorts, TPPA and the sale of NZ for example)

                    • Anne …
                      7 April 2015 at 5:23 pm

                      There are plenty of real conspiracies happening under our noses, no need to add a fictional one.

                      (the military surveillance state, brazen bankster rorts, TPPA and the sale of NZ for example)

                      plus 100 ropata!

                    • tinfoilhat …
                      7 April 2015 at 5:46 pm

                      “There are plenty of real conspiracies happening under our noses, no need to add a fictional one.”

                      Oh i agree with you on that – the 9/11 stuff all seems as a bit of a distraction from the more important stuff that you’ve highlighted.

  12. Penny Bright 12
    6 April 2015 at 2:08 pm

    Any of you folk arguing against 9/11 TRUTH ever cut steel with an oxy-acetylene gas axe ?

    Familiar with the term ‘heat sink’?

    Have you actually bothered reading the research of over 2000 qualified architects and engineers on this matter?

    Seriously?

    http://www.ae911truth.org

    Just have a look for yourselves – with an open mind?

    Kind regards

    Penny Bright

  13. adam 13
    6 April 2015 at 2:38 pm

    Any Rand – why is she still a thing?

    • Paul 13.1
      6 April 2015 at 2:43 pm

      Believing the official 9/11 story.
      Why is that still a thing?

      • te reo putake 13.1.1
        6 April 2015 at 2:49 pm

        Trolling. Why is that still a thing?

        • Paul 13.1.1.1
          6 April 2015 at 2:54 pm

          No…debating a vital topic that makes sense of the the events since 2001.
          The Elephant in the Room
          You appear in denial.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 13.1.1.1.1
            6 April 2015 at 3:07 pm

            Denial?

          • McFlock 13.1.1.1.2
            6 April 2015 at 3:13 pm

            Ever think you might be wrong, that the events have already been pretty thoroughly explained by the “official” story?

            • Paul 13.1.1.1.2.1
              6 April 2015 at 3:22 pm

              Most polls show that increasing numbers of people question 9/11.
              We now know the US government lied about WMD in Iraq, chemical weapons in Syria and through Snowden we know they’ve lied about spying.
              And so you take the fairy tale about 9/11 as gospel truth.
              Most people no longer believe the official tale.

              • McFlock …
                6 April 2015 at 3:36 pm

                lol
                You started with “increasing numbers of people” and finished with “most people”. In one comment.

                And yet only 2000 architects and engineers are in that group…

              • te reo putake …
                6 April 2015 at 4:01 pm

                Most polls? Go on, cite me baby! Last time I looked, one in twenty Americans believed Elvis was still alive. I’m told quite a few of them are also convinced that God exists. Funny old world, eh?

  14. ropata 14
    6 April 2015 at 3:06 pm

    via the Irascible Curmudgeon, in the sidebar
    `
    There’s trouble brewing in Middle Earth
    1. Huge dairy slump, down 45% since 2013
    2. Overall exports down 27% since last February
    3. World dairy prices slide 10.8% in 2 weeks, in anticipation of a huge oversupply
    4. Auckland property CVs out of date, 20% jump in median price in 18 months

    It must be an Anglo-Saxon disease. You can see it in London, in Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Toronto. The new normal way to make your failing economy look ‘healthy’ is to sell assets to any rich foreigner or investment fund who comes knocking, no matter what the consequences, short term or long term. In all these cities, young people can forget about buying a home, that allegedly government supported dream.

    And everyone but the rich are pushed out ever further into the boondock burbs. It’s a ‘policy’ that kills cities, of necessity. Cities need people, real people, all people, poor and rich and old and young, that have grown up where they live, they love where they live, they are interested in making it look good and feel good. This is an ongoing and organic process, because cities are alive, and yes, you can kill them. But that’s for another story.

    …The country’s prime minister since 2008, John Key, used to work at Merrill Lynch and the New York Fed, and that sort of background guarantees valiant efforts to sell anything in the country that’s not bolted down, and take an axe to what is. It also guarantees zero initiative to become self-sufficient.

    Here’s Bernard Hickey:

    China embarked on an infrastructure spree after the global financial crisis. Over the three years to 2013, China poured 6.4 gigatonnes of concrete, which was more than was poured in the US in the entire 20th century. All that concrete needed reinforcing with steel and China didn’t have enough iron ore and coking coal to make it. That building boom created a glut of apartments and debt, which China now needs to digest.

    … iron ore production in Australia has only now ramped up to its peak levels. Weak demand met high supply to produce a price slump. This all may seem irrelevant to New Zealand, but it’s not. The Australian dollar has fallen in response to the iron ore crash, while New Zealand’s dollar has remained strong because our economy is humming along, thanks to building surges in Christchurch and Auckland and plenty of spending and investment.

    …The biggest log-trucking firm in the Nelson region was recently put into voluntary administration owing $14m, partly because of a slump in log exports to China. New Zealand’s logs are now mostly shipped to China to be timber boxing for the concrete being poured in its new “ghost” cities. The Chinese iron ore butterfly has flapped and now we’re seeing Gold Coast winter breaks become cheaper and logging contracts rarer.

    Time is winding down for NZ’s housing bubble ponzi scheme

  15. Bearded Git 15
    6 April 2015 at 4:06 pm

    On Radio NZ news just now:

    “Taxpayers Union Executive Director Jordan Williams welcomes the return of 10 years passports.”

    Why do they continue to quote this star of “Dirty Politics” and his far-right group?

    Anybody out there know the structure and status of of the Taxpayers Union; how many members; who funds it?

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    6 April 2015 at 11:30 pm

    Over the years I’ve watched lots of sci-fi on TV and at the movies. Quite a few of them would have cars and trucks in them with dashboards that’d make a battleships sensors officer jealous.

    and then this turned up on twitter.

  17. AsleepWhlieWalking 17
    7 April 2015 at 6:11 am

    India to use weaponized drones for crowd control
    http://www.thedailysheeple.com/india-to-use-weaponized-drones-for-crowd-control_042015

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    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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