Charles Chauvel has responded to questions about minimum pricing on alcohol:
Minimum pricing, “That would still double the price of the cheapest existing wine which can be bought at the moment for $6”
The purchase age “I am not convinced that voting in isolation to raise the purchase age from 18 would make as much as a difference as a combination of the three measures”.
The SOPs: “The evidence was that a careful combination of rules about price, availability and advertising could do that while still allowing everyone else to continue to drink responsibly. All this SOP would do is allow price to go into the mix.”
You mean Key can’t just raze whole government departments to the ground like he was invincible and had no need to consider the consequences, deal with the obvious additional costs, etc, etc?
We need an upper chamber so we can slow irreversible rush legislation, and maybe then our teens would not similarly be so gun-hoe.
Pathetic grovelar why did Dunny vote to put up the price of cigarettes.
We have $ 6 billion dollars damage to our economy every year.
So pete we are borrowing billions to subsidize alcoholics.
Great.
After the finance companies rorts by directors and stakeholders with related party loans and Rod Petricevich and Bridgecorp and Hanover and Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin, it seems that one of the members of this esteemed bunch of bankers has carried on as if nothing has changed.
George Kerr and Pyne and Gould and Corp and Wrightsons and Heartland Bank and Marac and Perpetual Trust … watch out for them! They been tricky for a long while and seems to be still cant keep hands off what not theirs. Their auditors KPMG quit a couple months ago, clearly highly disgusted in practices. Now the Court of Appeal has descrobed the bad smells too.
George Kerr the one. One of them so-called blue nosed Cantabs who arrived on one of the first 4 ships (first 4 ships ha – they were late! I would call them the last 4 ships)
“Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to ‘sticking with the programme’; our groupism and our insularity.”
Our elites are full of clever dicks reflexively rationalizing the indefensible. Just lucky we don’t have nuke power.
The kiwifruit disaster shows up a lack of efficiency from MAF and that someone changed the wording of the regulations to weaken the border controls shutting out possibilities of entry of infected material. The fact that the kiwifruit industry leaders weren’t in touch with MAF advising of PSA outbreaks in Italy and Chile was also a lack of alertness and effectiveness on their part. And some kiwifruit growers didn’t know that unprocessed pollen was being imported at all. The path of this infected material has been traced.
Behind everything there seems to have been complacency about how safe NZ is because of being sea-locked. Yet continuing this safe zone is a duty that our irresponsible, cheese-paring, stupid government with well-paid functionaries can not carry out. Even to fulfil their supposed interest in ensuring that industry is productive and profitable. I think that public servant leaders like politicians and those with executive positions should have to pay some of their salaries into a fiduciary account that will help to pay for their failures.
Mouth and foot remains a possible disaster as one commenter said would “Bring NZ to its knees”. So border and internal controls are necessary. Also screening imports and banning if necessary, not slackening controls through open-arm agreements with other countries. Also we should be leading discussion on making vaccination against foot and mouth world-wide not just wait for outbreaks and then wring our hands, and squeeze our bank balances.
This morning there was an announcement that three NIWA scientists monitoring the ozone hole were being chucked. There will be eight doing this now, but they say it isn’t enough to carry on their internationally-integrated work considering that there used to be 16 which was pared down to 11, now 8.
Our right wing NeoLiberal Government has a major blind spot in their accounting for deficits!
Expenditure on the debit side is cut and income on the credit side is cut with tax cuts. They are willfully blind to the fact that deficits can be cured with an increase in income on the credit side.Enough bookkeeping! Will we ever do the sensible thing as the French are now doing?
“S’il Vous PlaĂźt: France to Tax Corporations and Wealthiest to Address Budget Gap”
“As he promised throughout his presidential campaign, Francois Hollande on Wednesday introduced a new 2012 corrective budget that calls for, among other measures, a one-off tax levy on the nation’s wealthiest individuals and large corporations to help address the nation’s current financial woes.”
“What wonderful common sense. Hats off to France. Remember when we used to do this under the socialistic regimes of Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. Imagine that — taxes to help keep a society intact. Public libraries, public parks, public education. The Commons. I remember those things — and how we paid for them in the good old US of A..
Viva la France on this 4th of July.”
Under NeoLiberalism the good old US of A is a economy and society collapsing under the weight of inequality and its working funds being hoarded off by the scrooge 1% percenters and where if you don’t have money you can die from treatable illnesses. This is the order our RWNJs look up to!
Reducing income inequality is critical for a functional democracy.
The only mistake France is making in its tax rate adjustment is limiting the top marginal rate below 90%. France’s proposed rate changes are modest in my view and are LESS progressive than the US income tax rate at the time of my birth, 1964: top marginal tax in that year was 77% on income over 400,000/yr. In today’s dollars that equates to a 77% tax on each dollar you earn AFTER the first 2,850,000/yr. France’s proposed action will take a small step toward reducing income inequality in that nation–to say nothing of the support it will provide to infrastructure (notably renewable/sustainable energy projects) health-care, education, local food production, the arts and sciences. Reducing income inequality is critical for a functional democracy. Funding those others is critical for a livable society.
At least France is moving in the right direction. Bear in mind that you cannot set taxes to what they should be overnight. A huge difference between France and the US is that French government actually uses its resources for social benefit compared with the US which just blatantly gives money to rich people while asking so little of them in taxes. The FDR implemented tax rate that ending the Great Depression was 92% for the mega-rich for those of us who know our US history.
I expect a strong reaction from the rich worldwide that do not want to see this expression of people power spread out of France. Expect to see the EU spring into action soon to force France to submit to EU rule over national sovereignty.
We are winning battles against the mega-rich. These victories are just not happening in the United States yet. If only those of us in the know could just break through the ignorance barrier that seems to be so prevalent amongst the average American.
The UK$$$$ now a privatised NeoLiberal A-Hole of a place which has copied the garbage ideology of NeoLiberalism slavishly from the failed state of the U$$$$ and exists through financial scams in the city of London (Refer Libor rate fixing criminal scam) is like us reaping the benefits of a grossly unequel society:
“Two children in every classroom go hungry as neglect takes its toll ”
For Pete’s sake The UK$$$ is Supposed to be one of the richest Countries in the World!
“People don’t understand how brutal the welfare system has become. Cuts to housing benefit will leave many unable to afford food, particularly if they have been sanctioned by the DWP. And it is set to get worse. Universal Credit, the new benefit regime which begins being trialled next year, will feature far more punitive sanctions than even now. The minimum sanction for most âoffencesâ will be increased from one week to 13 weeks, whilst the maximum length of sanction is to be extended to three years. Those in receipt of sickness and disability benefit, Employment Support Allowance, will face an unprecedented regime of enforced job seeking, similar to that currently faced by Job Seekers Allowance Claimants. And perhaps most brutally of all, those with children over the age of 5 will be subject to the same sanctions and conditionality as those with no children at all.”
The US has earned his condemnation for denying the RNZN a berth at Pearl Harbour.
The pain of it is all over his column in the Herald this morning.
Could his reaction be more to do with the one Armstrong claims has “gravitas”, viz. his cuzzy Prime (US Arse Licking) Minister John Key, looking a bit of a dick given the spin that’s put about how internationally esteemed and listened to he is ?
Never mind Armstrong. I hear Key’s doing Paratai Drive Ladies Luncheon Club this afternoon where he will be welcomed rapturously.
Perhaps in your next column you can tell us about his common touch as displayed at said luncheon, as confirmed by warmth of welcome at said luncheon.
I missed the news last night but got bailed up by a property developer this morning incensed about a story that developers who bought cheap properties because they needed strengthening, strengthening that they have not bothered to do, will be bailed out by the tax payer to do this work.
He sees absolutely no reason why this should happen with the taxpayer paying for the increased value of the property and the developer getting the proceeds.
They knew what was needed when they bought it.
He talked about something called due diligence and caveat emptor.
He said that’s not how honest businessman do business – I’ve known him for a number of years and have never seen him this angry.
If all you have to do now is buy an old building and have the tax payer meet the development costs to improve it he said ut’s a sad state of affairs and will only cause bad businessmen to be worse.
Kentucky senator Rand and his father Ron Paul, who has not yet formally conceded the Republican presidential nomination, will throw their weight behind a new online manifesto set to be released today by the Paul-founded Campaign for Liberty. The new push, Paul aides say, will in some ways displace what has been their movementâs long-running top priority, shutting down the Federal Reserve Bank. The move is an attempt to stake a libertarian claim to a central public issue of the next decade, and to move from the esoteric terrain of high finance to the everyday world of cable modems and Facebook.
The manifesto, obtained yesterday by BuzzFeed, is titled âThe Technology Revolutionâ and lays out an argument â in doomsday tones âfor keeping the government entirely out of regulating anything online, and for leaving the private sector to shape the new online space.
So you need to contact one of many large New Zealand Corporations …
Do you get through to an operator immediately?
Probably not, but are greeted by an automaton.
You are now probably in a slightly raised state of anxiety/agitation …
So what do they do?
They play crass/crap music – invariably a pseudo musician wailing into your ear, the result of which is to raise the rate of agitation a couple more degrees.
What’s to do?
You daren’t hang up because you will lose your place in the queueing system.
Put your phone on “speaker”? – hell no that makes the situation worse.
Just in case someone out there who is in a position of influence might read this, what about some baroque music? Eh?
I guess that the majority of people managing the phone systems are probably “pop” radio listeners and Kiwiblog readers.
AlL our customer service representatives are busy with other calls at the moment. We value your call. Please select the music that you would like to listen to while you wait. Press one for baroque, 2 for rap, 3 for head-banging metal,…
I guess that the majority of people managing the phone systems are probably âpopâ radio listeners and Kiwiblog readers.
WINZ used to just play Jordan Luck (which always makes me laugh – when I worked for the Benefits and Pensions section in 1985, my boss hated Jordan Luck, and tried amny times (failing each time) to deny him unemployment benefit because she ‘knew’ he was using it to live while making albums)…and Housing NZ used to play only Tim Finn singing ‘Fraction too much Friction’ – so deliciously appropriate!
Now they just play Lift Muzak…Â
Study Link used to play cool stuff! (But I was only ever under their control for a few weeks back in 2009.) I suppose they’d never heard of beneficiaries over 40 becoming students, or they’d have played Tim Finn… đ
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
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Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund â When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayersâ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund â and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 âredesign of the welfare stateâ â which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty â various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being âWorking for Familiesâ, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing âon why Melissa is muteâ. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Leeâs ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from âserious populist discontentâ. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring âhard-working peopleâ. ...
Chris Trotter writes –Â MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling â or non-handling â of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealandâs two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
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TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from âserious populist discontentâ. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring âhard-working peopleâ. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to âdefend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.â To achieve this, they have pledged they âwill not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes –Â The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workersâ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
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Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
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The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
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This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the âholiday highwayâ into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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Karl du Fresne writes –Â Thereâs a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere â mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand mediaâs failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting MÄori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that wonât compromise Beijingâs plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced ...
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealandâs good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National governmentâs lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for TÄmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Governmentâs democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Governmentâs proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change thatâs great for the planet and great for consumers after her memberâs bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the countryâs books after Teanau Tuionoâs membersâ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his memberâs bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Todayâs advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Governmentâs newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealandâs urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
MÄori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, MÄori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Governmentâs refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. âRecently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachersâ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.  âThe Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. âScience, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. âThe Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in TaupĆ as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the TaupĆ International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. âAnticipation for the ITM TaupĆ Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. âThe coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. âThis project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sectorâs productivity,â Mr Jones says. âThe project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Governmentâs plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. âBenefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Governmentâs commitment to doubling New Zealandâs 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 Zealandâs latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âOur Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. âNew Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Governmentâs intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. âThe introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Todayâs 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 Governmentâs plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. âInflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sectorâs role in the export-led recovery of the economy. âI am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Governmentâs support for the revitalisation the sector.  "New Zealandâs wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. âThe inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. âMy meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singaporeâs outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.  Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpartâs almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During todayâs meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. âI am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. âPets are important members of many Kiwi families. Itâs estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iranâs shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.  âThese attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.  "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand â Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.  âDame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,â says Dr Reti. âI have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Governmentâs 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âBoosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Governmentâs plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  âOur country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,â Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.  âWe cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. âThis is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  âThe strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin itârule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. Â âNew Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
ZoĂ« Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new âFast-track Approvals Billâ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister â the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory â gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australiaâs flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But thatâs changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum âre-imaginedâ itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-oldâs seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so itâs wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhardâs rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock Youâd be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesnât require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project Youâre not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesnât fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingwayâs Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans peopleâs self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelonaâs city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoffâs Wellington editor Joel MacManus: âYou can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups âClimate Action VUWâ, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Governmentâs âWar on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiâs popularity has grown exponentially â and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, theyâre better for the environment. No, thatâs not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
âIt will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealandersâ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether youâre watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, itâs not the done thing to know â let alone ask â what our colleagues are paid. Yet, itâs easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The governmentâs plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoffâs morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up â and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. Itâs consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu âMissyâ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. âIn 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, weâre starting to see this technology affect every ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground PictureMany Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...
Charles Chauvel has responded to questions about minimum pricing on alcohol:
Minimum pricing, “That would still double the price of the cheapest existing wine which can be bought at the moment for $6”
The purchase age “I am not convinced that voting in isolation to raise the purchase age from 18 would make as much as a difference as a combination of the three measures”.
The SOPs: “The evidence was that a careful combination of rules about price, availability and advertising could do that while still allowing everyone else to continue to drink responsibly. All this SOP would do is allow price to go into the mix.”
Plus the Labour approach to the bill – details: http://yournz.org/2012/07/05/charles-chauvel-alcohol-reform-bil/
Another worthwhile opinion on our drinking culture:
http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/opinion/215705/it-all-begins-drinking-home
You mean Key can’t just raze whole government departments to the ground like he was invincible and had no need to consider the consequences, deal with the obvious additional costs, etc, etc?
We need an upper chamber so we can slow irreversible rush legislation, and maybe then our teens would not similarly be so gun-hoe.
Pathetic grovelar why did Dunny vote to put up the price of cigarettes.
We have $ 6 billion dollars damage to our economy every year.
So pete we are borrowing billions to subsidize alcoholics.
Great.
After the finance companies rorts by directors and stakeholders with related party loans and Rod Petricevich and Bridgecorp and Hanover and Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin, it seems that one of the members of this esteemed bunch of bankers has carried on as if nothing has changed.
George Kerr and Pyne and Gould and Corp and Wrightsons and Heartland Bank and Marac and Perpetual Trust … watch out for them! They been tricky for a long while and seems to be still cant keep hands off what not theirs. Their auditors KPMG quit a couple months ago, clearly highly disgusted in practices. Now the Court of Appeal has descrobed the bad smells too.
George Kerr the one. One of them so-called blue nosed Cantabs who arrived on one of the first 4 ships (first 4 ships ha – they were late! I would call them the last 4 ships)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7226418/PGC-loses-loan-secrecy-bid
you have been warned previously and now there is no excuse if you get caught.
Kerr also had 100m in SCF, which he got out first from the Govt.
Or wunch of bankers, as they’re usually known… đ
Couldn’t help but think of NZ reading this on Fukushima:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10817744
“Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to ‘sticking with the programme’; our groupism and our insularity.”
Our elites are full of clever dicks reflexively rationalizing the indefensible. Just lucky we don’t have nuke power.
Discussion on Radio NZ this morning on the kiwifruit PSA debacle and what a new report has revealed. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/110048/biochemist-believes-psa-entered-from-china
The kiwifruit disaster shows up a lack of efficiency from MAF and that someone changed the wording of the regulations to weaken the border controls shutting out possibilities of entry of infected material. The fact that the kiwifruit industry leaders weren’t in touch with MAF advising of PSA outbreaks in Italy and Chile was also a lack of alertness and effectiveness on their part. And some kiwifruit growers didn’t know that unprocessed pollen was being imported at all. The path of this infected material has been traced.
Behind everything there seems to have been complacency about how safe NZ is because of being sea-locked. Yet continuing this safe zone is a duty that our irresponsible, cheese-paring, stupid government with well-paid functionaries can not carry out. Even to fulfil their supposed interest in ensuring that industry is productive and profitable. I think that public servant leaders like politicians and those with executive positions should have to pay some of their salaries into a fiduciary account that will help to pay for their failures.
Mouth and foot remains a possible disaster as one commenter said would “Bring NZ to its knees”. So border and internal controls are necessary. Also screening imports and banning if necessary, not slackening controls through open-arm agreements with other countries. Also we should be leading discussion on making vaccination against foot and mouth world-wide not just wait for outbreaks and then wring our hands, and squeeze our bank balances.
This morning there was an announcement that three NIWA scientists monitoring the ozone hole were being chucked. There will be eight doing this now, but they say it isn’t enough to carry on their internationally-integrated work considering that there used to be 16 which was pared down to 11, now 8.
+1.
Amazing to see the Greens and farmers on the same agenda item.
Also good to hear Damien O’COnnor having something positive to say.
But it was the Greens who joined the strongest circle on this one. Hope they do more.
Our right wing NeoLiberal Government has a major blind spot in their accounting for deficits!
Expenditure on the debit side is cut and income on the credit side is cut with tax cuts. They are willfully blind to the fact that deficits can be cured with an increase in income on the credit side.Enough bookkeeping! Will we ever do the sensible thing as the French are now doing?
“S’il Vous PlaĂźt: France to Tax Corporations and Wealthiest to Address Budget Gap”
“As he promised throughout his presidential campaign, Francois Hollande on Wednesday introduced a new 2012 corrective budget that calls for, among other measures, a one-off tax levy on the nation’s wealthiest individuals and large corporations to help address the nation’s current financial woes.”
Link:http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/07/04
“What wonderful common sense. Hats off to France. Remember when we used to do this under the socialistic regimes of Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. Imagine that — taxes to help keep a society intact. Public libraries, public parks, public education. The Commons. I remember those things — and how we paid for them in the good old US of A..
Viva la France on this 4th of July.”
Under NeoLiberalism the good old US of A is a economy and society collapsing under the weight of inequality and its working funds being hoarded off by the scrooge 1% percenters and where if you don’t have money you can die from treatable illnesses. This is the order our RWNJs look up to!
Reducing income inequality is critical for a functional democracy.
The only mistake France is making in its tax rate adjustment is limiting the top marginal rate below 90%. France’s proposed rate changes are modest in my view and are LESS progressive than the US income tax rate at the time of my birth, 1964: top marginal tax in that year was 77% on income over 400,000/yr. In today’s dollars that equates to a 77% tax on each dollar you earn AFTER the first 2,850,000/yr. France’s proposed action will take a small step toward reducing income inequality in that nation–to say nothing of the support it will provide to infrastructure (notably renewable/sustainable energy projects) health-care, education, local food production, the arts and sciences. Reducing income inequality is critical for a functional democracy. Funding those others is critical for a livable society.
At least France is moving in the right direction. Bear in mind that you cannot set taxes to what they should be overnight. A huge difference between France and the US is that French government actually uses its resources for social benefit compared with the US which just blatantly gives money to rich people while asking so little of them in taxes. The FDR implemented tax rate that ending the Great Depression was 92% for the mega-rich for those of us who know our US history.
I expect a strong reaction from the rich worldwide that do not want to see this expression of people power spread out of France. Expect to see the EU spring into action soon to force France to submit to EU rule over national sovereignty.
In the mean time, “Vive la France!”, “Vive la RĂ©publique!”, âVive la RĂ©sistance!â
We are winning battles against the mega-rich. These victories are just not happening in the United States yet. If only those of us in the know could just break through the ignorance barrier that seems to be so prevalent amongst the average American.
The UK$$$$ now a privatised NeoLiberal A-Hole of a place which has copied the garbage ideology of NeoLiberalism slavishly from the failed state of the U$$$$ and exists through financial scams in the city of London (Refer Libor rate fixing criminal scam) is like us reaping the benefits of a grossly unequel society:
“Two children in every classroom go hungry as neglect takes its toll ”
For Pete’s sake The UK$$$ is Supposed to be one of the richest Countries in the World!
Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/two-children-in-every-classroom-go-hungry-as-neglect-takes-its-toll-7912679.html
“People don’t understand how brutal the welfare system has become. Cuts to housing benefit will leave many unable to afford food, particularly if they have been sanctioned by the DWP. And it is set to get worse. Universal Credit, the new benefit regime which begins being trialled next year, will feature far more punitive sanctions than even now. The minimum sanction for most âoffencesâ will be increased from one week to 13 weeks, whilst the maximum length of sanction is to be extended to three years. Those in receipt of sickness and disability benefit, Employment Support Allowance, will face an unprecedented regime of enforced job seeking, similar to that currently faced by Job Seekers Allowance Claimants. And perhaps most brutally of all, those with children over the age of 5 will be subject to the same sanctions and conditionality as those with no children at all.”
Poor old John Armstrong is outraged !
The US has earned his condemnation for denying the RNZN a berth at Pearl Harbour.
The pain of it is all over his column in the Herald this morning.
Could his reaction be more to do with the one Armstrong claims has “gravitas”, viz. his cuzzy Prime (US Arse Licking) Minister John Key, looking a bit of a dick given the spin that’s put about how internationally esteemed and listened to he is ?
Never mind Armstrong. I hear Key’s doing Paratai Drive Ladies Luncheon Club this afternoon where he will be welcomed rapturously.
Perhaps in your next column you can tell us about his common touch as displayed at said luncheon, as confirmed by warmth of welcome at said luncheon.
I missed the news last night but got bailed up by a property developer this morning incensed about a story that developers who bought cheap properties because they needed strengthening, strengthening that they have not bothered to do, will be bailed out by the tax payer to do this work.
He sees absolutely no reason why this should happen with the taxpayer paying for the increased value of the property and the developer getting the proceeds.
They knew what was needed when they bought it.
He talked about something called due diligence and caveat emptor.
He said that’s not how honest businessman do business – I’ve known him for a number of years and have never seen him this angry.
If all you have to do now is buy an old building and have the tax payer meet the development costs to improve it he said ut’s a sad state of affairs and will only cause bad businessmen to be worse.
More libertarian nonsense from the Pauls.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/the-pauls-new-crusade-internet-freedom
Kentucky senator Rand and his father Ron Paul, who has not yet formally conceded the Republican presidential nomination, will throw their weight behind a new online manifesto set to be released today by the Paul-founded Campaign for Liberty. The new push, Paul aides say, will in some ways displace what has been their movementâs long-running top priority, shutting down the Federal Reserve Bank. The move is an attempt to stake a libertarian claim to a central public issue of the next decade, and to move from the esoteric terrain of high finance to the everyday world of cable modems and Facebook.
The manifesto, obtained yesterday by BuzzFeed, is titled âThe Technology Revolutionâ and lays out an argument â in doomsday tones âfor keeping the government entirely out of regulating anything online, and for leaving the private sector to shape the new online space.
So you need to contact one of many large New Zealand Corporations …
Do you get through to an operator immediately?
Probably not, but are greeted by an automaton.
You are now probably in a slightly raised state of anxiety/agitation …
So what do they do?
They play crass/crap music – invariably a pseudo musician wailing into your ear, the result of which is to raise the rate of agitation a couple more degrees.
What’s to do?
You daren’t hang up because you will lose your place in the queueing system.
Put your phone on “speaker”? – hell no that makes the situation worse.
Just in case someone out there who is in a position of influence might read this, what about some baroque music? Eh?
I guess that the majority of people managing the phone systems are probably “pop” radio listeners and Kiwiblog readers.
AlL our customer service representatives are busy with other calls at the moment. We value your call. Please select the music that you would like to listen to while you wait. Press one for baroque, 2 for rap, 3 for head-banging metal,…
Or better still, just don’t make customers wait.
If you call the IRD, they give you the option to leave your phone number and then they call you back. And then they actually do.
Massey University does that too.
So does Orcon if you call on a mobile.
Here’s a trick I love to play … send a letter.
Total flummox, leading to above average outcomes and fun.
Try it next time
WINZ used to just play Jordan Luck (which always makes me laugh – when I worked for the Benefits and Pensions section in 1985, my boss hated Jordan Luck, and tried amny times (failing each time) to deny him unemployment benefit because she ‘knew’ he was using it to live while making albums)…and Housing NZ used to play only Tim Finn singing ‘Fraction too much Friction’ – so deliciously appropriate!
Now they just play Lift Muzak…Â
Study Link used to play cool stuff! (But I was only ever under their control for a few weeks back in 2009.) I suppose they’d never heard of beneficiaries over 40 becoming students, or they’d have played Tim Finn… đ
Heaps of evidence still appearing to prove that our justice system discriminates against Maori and is effectively racist!
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/racism-apparent-in-our-legal-system.html