Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, cruel.
Work and Income.
‘Do we just pack up and go on the street?’
A woman borrowing money to stay in a motel says her family is being forced into homelessness by Work and Income.
Tuaine Murray has been living in an Auckland motel with her partner and wheelchair-bound 12-year-old son for two months, while they wait for a Housing New Zealand house.
A scathing review of the emergency housing system last year found many people on benefits were falling into debt they could never repay, by borrowing government money to stay in motels.
Work and Income is now offering one week of free accommodation to those otherwise homeless.
But Ms Murray, who was $12,000 in debt to Work and Income, said the agency had told her it would no longer loan her the full amount of $1400 a week for her motel bill.
She would now have to pay $450 a week out of her benefit to live in the motel, which the family could not afford, she said.
“I mean, if we do that we’ll have totally nothing, we’ll have absolutely nothing.
“They said that $150 is enough for our food a week, which is fine… But we won’t even have that if they start taking $450 out,” she said.
Wonder what nationals herald will be distracting the sheeplike with today.
Yesterday it was a dodgy piece of fibre installation which isn’t news to anyone following Joyce’s UFB ticket clipping taxpayer funded rollout where.
Joyce never bothered granting adequate rights for smoother installation just let them battle the lines companies, councils and existing property laws without the ease of access to do their tasks that say a lines operator can work within.
There’s a good story there but it’s not one that reflects well on the geniuses in the cabinet club which is a recurring theme isn’t it Murray.
Key’s mates are profiting! The unemployed and working poor are commodities, prey for landlordism and motel owners, paid by the government and extracted blood out of a stone later from the hapless poor.
Monbiot is usually a must read. Today he’s the ONLY thing worth reading:
In none of its incarnations has Labour produced a credible response. It has, at different points in the past half-century, either burrowed back into the lost world or abandoned its core principles to deliver a slightly less toxic version of the Tory assault. It has not been able to find a place of comfort on the spectrum between dreary and frightening, perhaps because this is the wrong spectrum. It has failed to articulate what must be the core project of a new progressive politics: discovering the common purpose in diversity.
In addition – Labour Parties around the world have organisationally divided to enforce, emphasise and strengthen the differences between various ethnic-gender-sexuality-income-education-urban-rural components of society and every permutation and combination within.
Also the Labour Party and Labour Party activists and politicians have become uber specialists at playing JMG’s Victim-Rescuer-Persecutor game. (Which I think you recently mentioned?).
After all, insofar as politics is a game of personalities, of scandals, foibles and acts of “leadership”, political journalists are not just the referees – in a real sense they are the field on which the game is played. Democratisation would turn them into reporters once again, in much the same way as it would turn politicians into representatives. In either case, it would mark a dramatic decline in personal power and influence. It would mark an equally dramatic rise in power for unions, constituent councils, and local activists – the very people who have rallied to Corbyn’s support.
Keith Vaz, Chuka Umunna and Tories on the commons home affairs select committee questioned Jeremy Corbyn about anti-semitism the other day. Listen to the pod cast link below.
They are utterly disrespectful and nasty towards Corbyn. They speak to him as though he is a criminal. Vaz has had many brushes with near criminal scandals!
The smug Blairites are a plague on the Labour Party. Labour is better of without ignorant people like Vaz. Corbyn is right not to cede control of Labour to people like that.
I see Neal Lawson, chair of the Soft Left think-tank, Compass, argues that a split in the British Labour Party is now all but inevitable, regardless of whether or not Corbyn is on the ballot paper.
His reasoning:
If Corbyn is on ballot = he will win and, as a result, the bulk of the PLP will go their own way.
If he’s deprived of a place on the ballot = the anger of Party members will cause a split.
“Yesterday, they voted by a margin of 172 to 40 in a vote of no-confidence against his leadership. Some MPs speculated that after the EU referendum, enthusiasm amongst the party grassroots had similarly soured.
There’s some evidence that this hope is wishful thinking. Newsnight has spoken to more than 50 Constituency Labour Party chairs and secretaries who endorsed Corbyn last year. Of those, 45 continue to offer their support and believe that their constituencies will again nominate the leader in the now inevitable leadership contest.
Many we spoke to were nothing short of incensed at the antics of the party’s MPs.
Patrick Smith, chair of Hull North said: “If they don’t listen to the membership then they should just leave.”
The chairman of Hartlepool CLP echoed that, saying: “The MPs seem more interested in the interests of the PLP rather than the membership.”
Another went further still: “It’s an absolute outrage. You’d think these characters were sleeper agents for the Tories. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they were working for Lynton Crosby.”
The same BBC Newsnight episode commissioned a post-Brexit / post-Coup eruption Poll of the Labour Party Selectorate that was a little more comforting for Corbyn supporters than the YouGov one.
It found Labour Party members had only slightly cooled on Corbyn’s leadership, with 59% still supporting him (same as he received in last year’s contest and just 5 points down on the previous poll of Labour members).
That compares with the YouGov taken around the same time that suggested a steeper fall for Corbyn over the last month, with a fairly precarious majority wanting him to continue as leader (51% to 44%), and saying they would likely vote for him in another leadership contest (50% to 47%).
On the other hand, 60% disapproved of the coup and the mass resignations from the Shadow Cabinet and in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups, Corbyn was still clearly ahead in this YouGov by 10 points over Eagle, 11 over Watson and 17 over Jarvis. (Since the poll, the Soft Left’s Owen Smith has suddenly appeared as the new favoured contender for the PLP plotters).
Polls have also shown that most Labour Voters (as opposed to just members) do not want him to stand down.
Corbyn stand down ?
YouGov / Times
26-27 June
…………………………….Yes………No……Unsure
Labour Voters: …….. 35………54…………11
Com Res / Sunday Mirror
24 June
Labour Voters:……….40…….. 49……….. 10
Having said that, 35-40% is much higher than you’d want – so I wouldn’t want to downplay the crisis and the degree of negativity toward Corbyn that’s emerged over the last few weeks among members and voters.
An almost 50-year brutal Occupation of Palestinian land, a never-ending process of ethnic cleansing and de-facto annexation, all in direct violation of International Law, regular large-scale massacres of men, women and children in Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli forces … and yet these spineless, ruthlessly-ambitious members of Labour (and Tory) Parliamentary ‘Friends of Israel’ have the absolute fucking temerity to accuse Corbyn of associating with racists and terrorists ???
This week Eric welcomes back to the show author and filmmaker John Pilger to discuss the specter haunting Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America: Hillary Clinton. Eric and John discuss how Hillary represents a mortal danger to the world, and why Donald Trump has provided a very convenient bogeyman to hide the Democrat monster under our collective bed. The conversation also touches on the pernicious influence of the corporate media, the danger of liberal delusions and lesser evilism, the disastrous implications of a Hillary Clinton presidency for the poor and marginalized in the United States, and, of course, everyone’s favorite subject: nuclear war. It’s an uplifting hour with one of the leading anti-war, anti-imperialist voices of today.
Turnbull has only himself to Blame
Associate Professor Shaun Carney in the Sydney Morning Herald
“Malcolm Turnbull has been leader of the federal Liberal Party twice – once as opposition leader, the second as prime minister. On both occasions he has blown it. He has not been the victim of outside forces, nor an ambush, nor terrible luck. He has inflicted the damage on himself.
The narrative he and his Liberal deputy Julie Bishop tried to get up on election night – that the near-disaster of the result inflicted on their government at the nation’s polling booths was down to Labor lies about Medicare – is not convincing.
This excuse goes to Turnbull’s real problem: he’s not a very talented politician. By focusing on Labor’s “Mediscare” campaign, he was as good as telling Australians who shifted their vote from Liberal to Labor that they were gullible dills.
The one time in the political cycle when a politician should not be casting doubt on the wisdom and intelligence of voters is in the hours and days after an election.”
The Liberal coalition expertise with Special votes appears to have borne very timely dividends this election with the marginals. A salutary lesson for the left here.
You managed to find a government that does a worse job than the National Party? Good thing not a single one of NZ’s opposition parties is proposing anything remotely like that, eh.
Is pretending they are the only security blankie you can clutch at? Sad,
Those Venezuelan governments have been even worse than the Saudis for managing to take the national endowment of the second-biggest oil deposits in the world and over half a century and the greatest resource boom we will ever see, and simply piss their bounty away.
I don’t care which version of the elites were doing their elitist thing.
Excuses are useless once there’s food riots.
UK Labour Party membership applications surge to 100,000 since EU Referendum / on-set of Leadership Coup – meaning total membership will reach an astonishing half million
A week ago, sources revealed 60,000 people had joined Labour since June 23 – with questionnaire-based research suggesting roughly 60% had done so specifically to ensure Corbyn remains Leader. The latest figures show the party continues to add members at a rapid rate.
It’s understood that 30,000 people applied to join the party on one day alone last week.
So who is the “anti-establishment” candidate for NZ?
Winston has been around for ages, but traditionally sells out for the baubles of power, so he doesnt fit the bill. In the UK, Corbyn has been around for ages too, but unlike Winston, he has remained honest to his principles.
Hone cant win the mainstream, and nobody in Labour can get the “missing 800,000” out to vote.
He wasn’t getting there and imo never will – thank the Gods for that. Hone isn’t mainstream and once again imo never will be – the big bloated middle that every dog and his man go for is not his base.
Eventually the mainstream may move or be pushed by climatic, economic and traumatic events towards the Hone end of the spectrum – when that happens another leader further along that spectrum will emerge.
ok mainstream was probably the wrong term but mana was gaining support slowly and steaderly and had the best chance of getting a decent % of the non voters on board. btw id love to see mana rise again as long as its an inclusive party not a maori only party.
“btw id love to see mana rise again as long as its an inclusive party not a maori only party”
I don’t see how legally it could be Māori only let alone trying to check everyone. Luckily that is not the kaupapa for Mana – anyone can join – I can’t imagine it would work if you didn’t believe in tino rangatiratanga and equality via the Treaty though.
that millionaire wasnt even that dodgy i can think of a far more dodgy one cant you ?? but feel free to continue the primeministers character assassination work for him though
dot coms first mate and beneficiary was banks . if you want to live under the delusion that dot com is a benevolent robin hood good luck , but i see a chancer who wanted to buy his way out of a bind.
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...
The House - On Parliament's last day of the year, there was the rare occurrence of a personal (conscience) vote on selling booze over the Easter weekend. While it didn't have the numbers to pass, it was a chance to get a rare glimpse of the fact ...
A new poem by Holly Fletcher. bejeweled log i was dreaming about wasps / wee darlings that followed me / ducking under objects / that i was fated to pickup / my fingers seeking / and meeting with tiny proboscis’s / but instead / i wake up / roll sideways ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Versta/Shutterstock Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Terry, Professor of Business Regulation, University of Sydney Michael von Aichberger/Shutterstock Even if you’ve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, there’s a good chance you’ve spent money at one. Franchising is essentially a strategy for cloning ...
If something big is going to happen in Ferndale, it’s going to happen at Christmas. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If there’s one episode of Shortland Street you should watch each year, it’s the annual Christmas cliffhanger. The final episode of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William A. Stoltz, Lecturer and expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University US President-elect Donald Trump has named most of the members of his proposed cabinet. However, he’s yet to reveal key appointees to America’s powerful cyber warfare and intelligence institutions. ...
Announcing the top 10 books of the the year at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) The phenomenal Irish writer is the unsurprising chart topper for 2024 with her fourth novel that, much like her first ...
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, cruel.
Work and Income.
More here….
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201807114
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/308019/'do-we-just-pack-up-and-go-on-the-street-‘
Wonder what nationals herald will be distracting the sheeplike with today.
Yesterday it was a dodgy piece of fibre installation which isn’t news to anyone following Joyce’s UFB ticket clipping taxpayer funded rollout where.
Joyce never bothered granting adequate rights for smoother installation just let them battle the lines companies, councils and existing property laws without the ease of access to do their tasks that say a lines operator can work within.
There’s a good story there but it’s not one that reflects well on the geniuses in the cabinet club which is a recurring theme isn’t it Murray.
The Herald’s distraction
Cluedo
The media sucks.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11669345
Stuff’s (Fairfax Media) distraction
Reality TV
The media sucks.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/81800322/The-Block-NZ-Are-these-contestants-guilty-of-cheating
Key’s mates are profiting! The unemployed and working poor are commodities, prey for landlordism and motel owners, paid by the government and extracted blood out of a stone later from the hapless poor.
Monbiot is usually a must read. Today he’s the ONLY thing worth reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/05/labour-survive-governing-alone-political-alliance-unity-british-left-power
+1
In addition – Labour Parties around the world have organisationally divided to enforce, emphasise and strengthen the differences between various ethnic-gender-sexuality-income-education-urban-rural components of society and every permutation and combination within.
Also the Labour Party and Labour Party activists and politicians have become uber specialists at playing JMG’s Victim-Rescuer-Persecutor game. (Which I think you recently mentioned?).
Yes … and the underlying purpose of the game being for the ‘rescuers to prevent any worthwhile gains for the so called ‘victims’.
Which is now undeniably obvious in the behaviour of the UK PLP.
Oh, Graeber is also worth reading:
Keith Vaz, Chuka Umunna and Tories on the commons home affairs select committee questioned Jeremy Corbyn about anti-semitism the other day. Listen to the pod cast link below.
They are utterly disrespectful and nasty towards Corbyn. They speak to him as though he is a criminal. Vaz has had many brushes with near criminal scandals!
The smug Blairites are a plague on the Labour Party. Labour is better of without ignorant people like Vaz. Corbyn is right not to cede control of Labour to people like that.
http://aod-pod-ww-live.edgesuite.net/mpg_mp3_med/2c97c59455b545760155b7e13b3919b0–audio–Short-YIP-05-07-16-Pod_mpg_mp3_med.mp3?__gda__=1467768411_51ab830b5fda4321a57e907f95b6ffcf
I see Neal Lawson, chair of the Soft Left think-tank, Compass, argues that a split in the British Labour Party is now all but inevitable, regardless of whether or not Corbyn is on the ballot paper.
His reasoning:
If Corbyn is on ballot = he will win and, as a result, the bulk of the PLP will go their own way.
If he’s deprived of a place on the ballot = the anger of Party members will cause a split.
Labour Party candidates can be got rid of by and new ones selected from local electorate organisations.
The only issue will be if whole membership branches and organisations go with the Blairite MPs.
From BBC Newsnight
01:14
30 Jun
“Yesterday, they voted by a margin of 172 to 40 in a vote of no-confidence against his leadership. Some MPs speculated that after the EU referendum, enthusiasm amongst the party grassroots had similarly soured.
There’s some evidence that this hope is wishful thinking. Newsnight has spoken to more than 50 Constituency Labour Party chairs and secretaries who endorsed Corbyn last year. Of those, 45 continue to offer their support and believe that their constituencies will again nominate the leader in the now inevitable leadership contest.
Many we spoke to were nothing short of incensed at the antics of the party’s MPs.
Patrick Smith, chair of Hull North said: “If they don’t listen to the membership then they should just leave.”
The chairman of Hartlepool CLP echoed that, saying: “The MPs seem more interested in the interests of the PLP rather than the membership.”
Another went further still: “It’s an absolute outrage. You’d think these characters were sleeper agents for the Tories. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they were working for Lynton Crosby.”
The same BBC Newsnight episode commissioned a post-Brexit / post-Coup eruption Poll of the Labour Party Selectorate that was a little more comforting for Corbyn supporters than the YouGov one.
It found Labour Party members had only slightly cooled on Corbyn’s leadership, with 59% still supporting him (same as he received in last year’s contest and just 5 points down on the previous poll of Labour members).
That compares with the YouGov taken around the same time that suggested a steeper fall for Corbyn over the last month, with a fairly precarious majority wanting him to continue as leader (51% to 44%), and saying they would likely vote for him in another leadership contest (50% to 47%).
On the other hand, 60% disapproved of the coup and the mass resignations from the Shadow Cabinet and in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups, Corbyn was still clearly ahead in this YouGov by 10 points over Eagle, 11 over Watson and 17 over Jarvis. (Since the poll, the Soft Left’s Owen Smith has suddenly appeared as the new favoured contender for the PLP plotters).
Polls have also shown that most Labour Voters (as opposed to just members) do not want him to stand down.
Corbyn stand down ?
YouGov / Times
26-27 June
…………………………….Yes………No……Unsure
Labour Voters: …….. 35………54…………11
Com Res / Sunday Mirror
24 June
Labour Voters:……….40…….. 49……….. 10
Having said that, 35-40% is much higher than you’d want – so I wouldn’t want to downplay the crisis and the degree of negativity toward Corbyn that’s emerged over the last few weeks among members and voters.
A satirical look at the attempts to defame Jeremy Corbyn.
https://markfiddaman.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/6-links-jeremy-corbyn-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about/
An almost 50-year brutal Occupation of Palestinian land, a never-ending process of ethnic cleansing and de-facto annexation, all in direct violation of International Law, regular large-scale massacres of men, women and children in Gaza and Lebanon by Israeli forces … and yet these spineless, ruthlessly-ambitious members of Labour (and Tory) Parliamentary ‘Friends of Israel’ have the absolute fucking temerity to accuse Corbyn of associating with racists and terrorists ???
Jaw-dropping. Absolutely Jaw-dropping.
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/31991930/government-shooting-at-wrong-target-when-tackling-surging-houses-prices-investors/#page1
tackling a player who isnt playing with the ball,
nothing on restricting foreign buyers to building new houses,
jesus wept.
its policy on the hoof, from this moronic Tory party
The U$ Neocon nightmare is set to get even worse.
This week Eric welcomes back to the show author and filmmaker John Pilger to discuss the specter haunting Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America: Hillary Clinton. Eric and John discuss how Hillary represents a mortal danger to the world, and why Donald Trump has provided a very convenient bogeyman to hide the Democrat monster under our collective bed. The conversation also touches on the pernicious influence of the corporate media, the danger of liberal delusions and lesser evilism, the disastrous implications of a Hillary Clinton presidency for the poor and marginalized in the United States, and, of course, everyone’s favorite subject: nuclear war. It’s an uplifting hour with one of the leading anti-war, anti-imperialist voices of today.
http://store.counterpunch.org/john-pilger-episode-47/
Who says NZherald doesn’t inform us of useful information:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11669443
Just another reason I’m glad I live in the South Island
Also why you should be suspicious of any one who has moved down here from the North Island lol!
Anyone that has moved from the North Island to the South shows they have intelligence and good taste
Yes. And STIs.
This just shows that we South Islanders don’t get around much any more. Gore used to be the STD capital of NZ back when we were young.
“Been invited on dates
Might have gone but what for
Awfully different without you
Don’t get around much anymore” -Duke Ellington
Seems that the article you linked to has now been removed.
Well that’s just censorship gone mad!
Turnbull has only himself to Blame
Associate Professor Shaun Carney in the Sydney Morning Herald
“Malcolm Turnbull has been leader of the federal Liberal Party twice – once as opposition leader, the second as prime minister. On both occasions he has blown it. He has not been the victim of outside forces, nor an ambush, nor terrible luck. He has inflicted the damage on himself.
The narrative he and his Liberal deputy Julie Bishop tried to get up on election night – that the near-disaster of the result inflicted on their government at the nation’s polling booths was down to Labor lies about Medicare – is not convincing.
This excuse goes to Turnbull’s real problem: he’s not a very talented politician. By focusing on Labor’s “Mediscare” campaign, he was as good as telling Australians who shifted their vote from Liberal to Labor that they were gullible dills.
The one time in the political cycle when a politician should not be casting doubt on the wisdom and intelligence of voters is in the hours and days after an election.”
The Liberal coalition expertise with Special votes appears to have borne very timely dividends this election with the marginals. A salutary lesson for the left here.
Oh look, the divinely happy workers in the peoples socialist paradise of venezuela have crossed over to take gifts to their columbian neighbours.
Wait, no, no, it’s a civil invasion of a neighbouring prosperous capitalist country to steal basic food items.
Venezuela is under attack by its own elite supported by outside capitalist forces.
The US corporates have never forgiven the Chavez government for nationalising their oil operations there.
Also – the US completed a soft coup of Columbia after their last elections. Columbia is regime fully supported by US bankers and corporations.
You managed to find a government that does a worse job than the National Party? Good thing not a single one of NZ’s opposition parties is proposing anything remotely like that, eh.
Is pretending they are the only security blankie you can clutch at? Sad,
Those Venezuelan governments have been even worse than the Saudis for managing to take the national endowment of the second-biggest oil deposits in the world and over half a century and the greatest resource boom we will ever see, and simply piss their bounty away.
I don’t care which version of the elites were doing their elitist thing.
Excuses are useless once there’s food riots.
UK Labour Party membership applications surge to 100,000 since EU Referendum / on-set of Leadership Coup – meaning total membership will reach an astonishing half million
A week ago, sources revealed 60,000 people had joined Labour since June 23 – with questionnaire-based research suggesting roughly 60% had done so specifically to ensure Corbyn remains Leader. The latest figures show the party continues to add members at a rapid rate.
It’s understood that 30,000 people applied to join the party on one day alone last week.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-party-membership-applications-surge-100000-since-eu-referendum_uk_577be9e8e4b073366f0fe97f?edition=uk&utm_hp_ref=uk
So who is the “anti-establishment” candidate for NZ?
Winston has been around for ages, but traditionally sells out for the baubles of power, so he doesnt fit the bill. In the UK, Corbyn has been around for ages too, but unlike Winston, he has remained honest to his principles.
Hone cant win the mainstream, and nobody in Labour can get the “missing 800,000” out to vote.
Wheres our Champion?
“Hone cant win the mainstream”
Seems to be the case, but why is Hone’s popularity so limited? I’ve sometimes wondered.
He was getting there till he jumped into bed with a dodgy millionaire
He wasn’t getting there and imo never will – thank the Gods for that. Hone isn’t mainstream and once again imo never will be – the big bloated middle that every dog and his man go for is not his base.
Eventually the mainstream may move or be pushed by climatic, economic and traumatic events towards the Hone end of the spectrum – when that happens another leader further along that spectrum will emerge.
ok mainstream was probably the wrong term but mana was gaining support slowly and steaderly and had the best chance of getting a decent % of the non voters on board. btw id love to see mana rise again as long as its an inclusive party not a maori only party.
“btw id love to see mana rise again as long as its an inclusive party not a maori only party”
I don’t see how legally it could be Māori only let alone trying to check everyone. Luckily that is not the kaupapa for Mana – anyone can join – I can’t imagine it would work if you didn’t believe in tino rangatiratanga and equality via the Treaty though.
Just reflecting on his last musings on the direction of mana and having minto and co take a back seat.
Anyone of any colour, creed or belief system can believe and support equality – in fact I say it is incumbent on us all to do so.
that millionaire wasnt even that dodgy i can think of a far more dodgy one cant you ?? but feel free to continue the primeministers character assassination work for him though
dot coms first mate and beneficiary was banks . if you want to live under the delusion that dot com is a benevolent robin hood good luck , but i see a chancer who wanted to buy his way out of a bind.
Because he’s a fairly unpleasant fellow, maybe?
is that what you think Gabby?
I’m not a big fan, Marty.
fair enough – you’re not alone with that opinion
That’s a major split looming.
I feel a “New Labour” coming on fast.
If there’s just one good thing coming out of Brexit, it’s democratic revival within both major parties.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/308075/sea-level-threat-homeowners-'going-to-be-very-upset‘
Another day a another CC story . surely its sinking in to the masses that we should do something.
Oh and its a big no comment from blinglish .
Update over here in Tory Land. “Iron Lady” mk2 about to be new leader of Conservatives while Corbyn and Labour about to split. Oh Happy Days 🙂
Collins & Bennett must be green with envy, they just ain’t got it.
Action Man: Battlefield Casualties
https://youtu.be/YstIrarh2iE
https://youtu.be/MHlCZDzNLKQ
https://youtu.be/A0AiWr6d9W4