I’ve just been watching Max Keiser Report number 947, and it gave me food for thought.
Inequality has become quite grotesque in the USA and in New Zealand, with the richest people in this country increasing their wealth by obscene amounts while the rest of the country struggle to make ends meet. (Slight exaggeration)
It seems to me that, unless we elect a government determined to reverse this trend, we really will end up as serfs. Automation will destroy jobs in the future, so more and more people will join the precariate, while the profits from employing less humans will go straight to the top ten per-cent.
So, as I would suggest, we stand at a crossroads in the history of our country. If we continue on as we are, then we will cement in a new aristocracy, the money-owners, and a new peasantry, the working class who exist on minimum wages and zero hours, or reluctant government handouts.
Or we can take a really radical direction and aim to share the benefits of the economy equally among all the people who live in this country. Radical reform may include a UBI. It must include tax redistribution, shifting the burden of tax from the poor, who can’t escape paying, to the rich, who now avoid paying.
What is absolutely certain is that we cannot do nothing.
Just as an aside, this is why I would support a Trump presidency. Will Clinton nothing meaningful will change. She has been bought and paid for by the very people who don’t want to see economic equality, and she’ll do their bidding.
With the Donald, hell, we don’t know what we’re getting, but it sure isn’t
e*t*b*i*h*e*t. (I bet that will get past moderation!) Yes, I think the man is a shallow showman, and there’s more than a suggestion he might be deliberately throwing his chances of being elected, but if he does get the nod, he won’t tug his forelock to the – to that word again.
But I look in vain in New Zealand for a political party with the gumption to propose a legislative revolution. I fear we shall have to take to the streets in the end, to force political change and to unseat the (God, there’s that word again – can I never get away from it?)
“It seems to me that, unless we elect a government determined to reverse this trend, we really will end up as serfs.”
Unless we also look at improving our political structure, the elite (through political donations or corporate lobbying) can end up commanding the Government we elect.
Tony, there are historical parallels for your Trump leaning. And history tells us that they always work out badly for working people. Reagan, Thatcher, the Austrian bloke who ran Germany in the thirties … all elected on the promise to end the establishment. All cemented the establishment in place.
It’s an infantile pretension, similar to the extreme left concept that we need concentration camps before the lumpen proles will rise up.
On the up side, Trump, who had to admit lying this morning, has surged to a massive 8% chance of winning, according to 538. Hillary Clinton has a mere 91% chance of becoming president.
TRP – I do really agree with what you’re saying. If I were an American voter I would cast my ballot for Jill Stein, and to hell with the consequences. But don’t look to HRC for any meaningful change in the USA.
And perhaps it is unhealthy to oppose the Clintons?
Trump’s Democratic opponents and a growing number of republicans say Trump is temperamentally unsuitable for the presidency. They need to delete the ‘tempera’ part of the adverb. He is mentally ‘unsuitable’..
Honestly, if he were an ordinary person ranting on the street without his money or power, the people in white coats would pick him up, give him a nice room and some medication.
te reo putake I don’t think there is any chance of a goodwin when we talk about what a fascist state has done to working people.
I know Bill and I bring up Franco a lot, there is a reason. Franco’s Spain was a nightmare, the way that economy worked was to brutalise sections of the working class based on ethnicity and/or whether they had fought for republic or not. Even then the so called pro-Franco peasants did not do that well.
trump is a fascist, he may not be a hitler, but his economics and his approach is fascist. This does not bode well for working people, the sick, the disabled, and most of all women. And we should smack him and his ideas down like the destructive force they are.
…while the profits from employing less humans will go straight to the top ten per-cent.
As it always has done under capitalists type systems. We see the same thing in Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt and we all know what happened to them.
It really is capitalism that doesn’t work. Unfortunately a few get rich until it all falls down and they’re the ones making the rules to suit themselves.
If we continue on as we are, then we will cement in a new aristocracy, the money-owners, and a new peasantry, the working class who exist on minimum wages and zero hours, or reluctant government handouts.
QFT
Of course, the money owners like that idea which is why they always advocate and lobby government for the policies that will bring it about.
Radical reform may include a UBI. It must include tax redistribution, shifting the burden of tax from the poor, who can’t escape paying, to the rich, who now avoid paying.
It must include a UBI and changing all businesses to cooperatives. The workers need to control the business and have a say in who gets paid how much. Shares will need to be converted to loans so that shareholders no longer have a say in running a business and the business itself cannot be owned by the workers either – it needs to be self-owned.
It must include tax redistribution, shifting the burden of tax from the poor, who can’t escape paying, to the rich, who now avoid paying.
That’s how capitalism works. The rich get rich by having the poor pay them for everything. And that is why it also fails.
But I look in vain in New Zealand for a political party with the gumption to propose a legislative revolution.
And that is the problem that we have. No political party is willing to throw out the failed system that is capitalism and look for a better system.
Look ahead a bit to the long game with Trump. The likes of Koch brothers haven’t just tamely accepted it but will move onto the next strategy.
Should Trump get in he would be surrounded by the Republican far right who will isolate him as much as possible and do the governing in his name.
And how long is it before Trump is impeached or assassinated ( not that I would wish that on anyone) and then Mike Pence ( a tea party far right) becomes president in a job nobody would ever vote him into. At that point the Tea party has the reigns of power.
Coming down the road behind every Trotsky is a Lenin and a Stalin.
But HRC really needs to up her game to and make concrete moves towards the Bernie position. Other wise there will be an action replay of this in 4 years.
We became serfs in our own country a long time ago its just credit and low interest rates and cheap crappy goods and men like Key smiling and telling us in a soothing voice we all can be rich if we just elect him and his party and BELIEVE in the BRIGHTER FUTURE we can all have our own cardboard box too live in or move up to the family stationwagon or garage.
Exactly why did someone assign today – the coldest and wettest day of the year – to get me up at 6am to put up their electoral hoardings?
To my colleagues who are joining me, to you I say: OMG, and Solidarity Forever.
In the great Leftie Second Coming, all those who actually did pull their boots on, and their raincoats, and got out there and hauled timber for yet another local government election effort, will be read aloud and praised to the victorious crowds in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
I don’t always agree with Chris Trotter, but this quote from a Daily Blog posting is, I think, quite pertinent:
“Practical progressive organisations like the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) are few and far between. Vastly outnumbering them are the tens-of-thousands of self-defined progressives who confuse posting comments on Facebook or The Daily Blog with effective political action.”
Chris Trotter: The Daily Blog.
I’m off this morning to help in the John Minto campaign to become mayor of Christchurch!
Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster) 3.1
If you are anywhere near Moorhouse Ave at 11, Tony, there’s a protest outside Pak n Slave. These corporate shits pay their South Island workers $2 an hour less than their Nth Island counterparts.
This morning on the Al Jazeera news they did a story on homelessness in NZ, it wasn’t a short piece, Bernard Hickey was interviewed, and at the end of the story the news presenter said that they had asked the Minister of Social Housing for an interview a number of times but they declined. Tried to find a link on line for it, but couldnt. Disappointing that government could not even take a few moments to comment on a story about a situation they have created which has lead to one of the worlds largest news networks doing a report on it.
Enough suffering, time for change, thanks Al Jazeera for your coverage on one of the most desperate situations our people have ever faced.
yes certainly shows up our hopeless jonkey nact agenda bought tv journalism Hoskings and Henry style …and corporate bought foreign ownership mainstream media newspapers…only John Campbell and RNZ escapes imo
Chooky- I inadvertently caught two of Hosking’s smirk sentences the other night- Mea culpa.
It said, complete with trademark smirk,”You know what the trouble is with Education today ? The unions….” At which point my usual frantic Henry/Hosking search for the remote was successful.
And yes, I have listened in the past which is why I don’t listen now.
Chooky
‘Only JC and RNZ escapes imo’. If only I could agree. JC has been taught a lesson about challenging your employers view. RNZ is struggling to maintain funding and quality journalism. There are a few glimmers of hope @ RNZ, Media Watch, JC, Phil Pennington, Kim Hill, and then I begin to run out of suggestions. RNZ is sadly deteriorating and slowly drowning. A healthy and broad alternative media is essential. Australian Public Broadcast current affairs is far better than ours.
“Rumors of war – this time in the South China Sea. Washington appears – step by step – to be moving away from a policy of engagement with Beijing to one of confrontation. This is a policy approach counterproductive for all involved. Attempting to contain China militarily is nothing less than dangerous.
CrossTalking with Harry Kazianis, James Bradley and Peter Navarro.”
and
“Japan summons Chinese ambassador over ships
Japan’s foreign ministry Friday summoned China’s ambassador to protest what it said were intrusions into its territorial waters by Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels. The two countries are locked in a long-running dispute over uninhabited islets in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. Japanese vice foreign minister Shinsuke Sugiyama called in Cheng Yonghua, Beijing’s ambassador to Tokyo, the foreign ministry said. Sugiyama “strongly protested” to Cheng that the incursions were a “violation of Japan’s sovereignty.” The Japan Coast Guard said that two coast guard vessels from China’s State Oceanic Administration entered territorial waters near the Senkaku islands during the afternoon before eventually departing. (AFP)”
This is totally predictable. The USA is a war machine. I will say it again for all you duped fans of the yanks–The USA is a war machine.
If you don’t believe me just ask yourself why it has more military might than the rest of the world combined and why it has 1,000 military bases around the world.
“China has hit out at Japan, which has urged it to abide by the terms of a recent international ruling that challenges Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea. Meanwhile, South Asian countries have also failed to display a united position on the ruling.
‘ ‘Ill-founded, farcical’: Beijing blasts South China Sea ruling, vows to defend its interests’
“We at The Peace Place are very excited that Auckland Peace Action will be launching their campaign and national petition against the up-coming Weapons Expo and US Warship Visit here at The Peace Place this coming Saturday 6th August at 4pm.”
Outgoing Tory’ leader Cameron’s granting of knighthoods and peerages to his millionaire money donors is corrupt, blatant and understandable but the OBE , whatever that is, awarded to his wife’s stylist, for ‘political and public service’ was ludicrous.
What next? A knighthood for Bill English’s hairdresser? Certainly not Stephen Joyce’s.
Good on the Aussies for dismissing this medieval/feudal anachronism. When, oh when will New Zealand grow up?
This is grimly amusing, especially with the timing that coincides (not coincidentally?) with the start of the Brazil Olympics.
The committee set up to investigate the lack of transparency in Panama’s financial system itself lacks transparency, Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has said after resigning from the Panama Papers commission…
Stiglitz and Swiss anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth joined a seven-member commission to investigate Panama’s notoriously opaque financial system, but both quit the group on Friday, saying Panama refused to guarantee the committee’s report would be made public… last week they received a government letter that drew back from its commitment to making the findings public…
“I have had a close look at the so called Panama Papers and I must admit that, even as an expert on economic and organised crime, I was amazed to see so much of what we talk about in theory was confirmed in practice,” Pieth said…
“We’re being asked to do this as a courtesy for them and we’re paraded in front of the world media first,” said Pieth, a criminal law professor at Basel University. “Then we’re told to shut up when they don’t like it.”
They always release their polls on a Sunday. Over the last 18 months, the gap between each CB has varied between 6 and 8 weeks. Tomorrow, It’ll be an outrageous 9 weeks since their last release. Can we expect it to lead One News 6pm tomorrow night or has the Pollster just thrown in the towel along with Herald-Digi ?
“you must be the only lefties who actually looks forward to the polls”
Dunno about that. The polls through March-June were by no means all bad news for the Opposition* – Roy Morgan, UMR and Curia all had the Nats sliding during all or part of that period. The current interest is in finding out how reliable the last (Nat-friendly) Roy Morgan was.
* Oppo Bloc = Yes, I know, Winnie could swing either way (politically-speaking, you understand).
Perhaps they are waiting on one that favours Key maybe ??? I don’t know how they set their polling periods. SF can you enlighten or will we see one 2 nite.
“I don’t know how they set their polling periods. SF can you enlighten or will we see one 2 nite.”
Not sure. The gap usually varies from 6 to 8 weeks. Fieldwork generally takes place over 5-6 days (always starts on a Saturday and is completed by Wednesday or Thursday). Then roughly 6-8 weeks until the next one. Probably depends on how busy they are with their more commercial work. Or maybe the timing’s entirely dictated by One News.
But now 9 weeks and counting, so I’m assuming there’ll be one tomorrow on One News 6pm. (Colmar Brunton always release on a Sunday). Then again, maybe like Roy Morgan they’ve decided to make it less regular ? *
* Their director, Andrew Robertson (who blogs as Grumpollie) has recently left for a new position in the Public Service, so that upheaval might have delayed things.
I was polled by Reid Research about a week ago. The do the ones for TV3 don’t they?
There may be one on TV3 tomorrow night or the following Sunday depending upon where they were in the poll when they rang me.
3 News/Newshub usually release their Reid Research polls between 3-5 days after the final day of polling. Their fieldwork generally takes place over 6-8 days.
So your one should be released at some point over the next week (unlike Colmar Brunton, they don’t restrict their release to a particular day of the week – in CB’s case: Sunday).
Have a look at 3 News tonight – Can’t rule out a release today – if so, maybe upstaging a Colmar Brunton tomorrow ?
If one emerges in the next few days, then I will be sorely tempted to accuse them of… waiting until nearly the end of a month-plus long parliamentary recess before conducting the poll. Such polls always favour the governing party because they are the only ones afforded any publicity. Example… post Xmas holiday recess. There is invariably a poll released around the beginning of February.
Cynical I know, but having been a keen observer of politics and the media for several decades it’s an understandable conclusion to come to.
The few laws that govern and restrain the actions of NZ Judges, have been eroded.
in 2010 the Supreme Court of NZ ruled by a 3-2 margin in Attorney General v Chapman that rights guaranteed by the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990 were no longer enforceable against judges.
Then there was the Public Records Act 2005 which required all branches of government to create and maintain accurate public records of their affairs. In March 2009, Ministry of Justice Counsel Jeff Orr asserted that judges were exempt – stating judges are governed by their own customs and “not by the requirements of any enactment (eg the Public Records Act, the Crimes Act 1961)”.
In Greer v Smith [2015] all five judges of the Supreme Court of NZ convened privately, without submissions from government or public, to rule a single judge in their court can issue private judgments refusing access to public records at our highest court – and that such a private order was also unappealable.
Last month, the Official Information Act 1982 became the object of judicial exemption when the Ombudsman rejected an appeal against the Judicial Office for Higher Courts’ refusal to provide an “official agenda” for a taxpayer-paid judge retreat earlier this year on the ground, “The judicial conference agenda does not constitute ‘official information’ because it is held by the judiciary which is not subject to the OIA.”
But the judiciary are only exempt from such transparency in their judicial function. Taxpayer funded official agendas and judicial cocktail parties are not exempt.
The exemption from law extends beyond our 61 High Court judges and 144 lower court judges. The Judicial Office for Higher Courts has 115 staff employees – all of whom are exempt from the Official Information Act
Then there is the Supreme Court Act 2003 which requires under section 16 that Supreme Court judges give reasons for refusals. The dirty secret that is uniquely NZ is many Supreme Court decisions are kept off the record, which is helpful in evading this law which pertains entirely to judges.
And those who challenge the off-record secrecy are shut out of the courts altogether.
No links and the structure that is very much what you’d see on conspiracy websites that are all about telling you how bad government is. I suspect that if we could properly investigate the allegations and get the correct context it would be nothing like what he said.
If you keep an eye on HRC’s campaign schedule compared to Trump’s, you’ll see that she conducts way fewer public engagements than he does. Whereas he might do 2 engagements in a day, HRC might do one every 2 or 3 days.
Saw that ugly alright say anything against the big owners and bang your dead youd have to be brave to take them on .By the sound of it the american fruit co stacked up a few bodies too putting it mildly was that in nicuagrua or the hondures? sorry not much good at spelling or geography !.Incidentely bananas grow just fine in northland .I eat my own most days and for weeks at a time depending on how theyre producing .Ive usually got enough to dry some also .
what a great woman!…and it is wonderful her story turned out well!
…other women were destroyed by the baby snatchers and their snatched babies also were destroyed …i read of one woman who searched the rest of her life for her daughter and her daughter searched for her mother…they were very close to finding each other but both committed suicide before they could meet…a tragedy!
this is a story of crimes against women and their children
That was the normal situation when I was a young woman.
In fact I know some very prominent New Zealand women of that day who still have not talked publically about the secret babies they bore, who were adopted.
One was a married woman who unexpectedly found herself pregnant when she separated from her abusive husband – she already had a toddler and arranging a job that would allow for her to care for them both was impossible. There was no benefit available, and her husband vanished. In effect, giving the child away was her only option apart from murder/suicide, so she had her little girl adopted and grieved for ever after.
Thank god, and Second Wave feminists, that the DPB was introduced in the 1970s, though it was over the dead body of some MPs. I recall one who said “If you play, you pay”, and that was the attitude of men in power in those days.
See the other post here today reminding us of the Prime Minister’s and the Speaker’s abominable treatment of female MPs last year, and I think those attitudes are still there, just hidden under a thin veneer of pretend tolerance.
yes sexism is entrenched alright…(my daughter working independently in the workforce is now recognising it in some patronising older men, after pooh poohing feminism in her teens…)
I have nothing but absolute admiration for the women that came before me and their struggles and tragedies …these women were the shock troops for women’s rights and feminism…
birth control contraception and abortion were absolute rights fought for and won by New Zealand women! (despite the misogynist Catholic Church)…also the DPB to enable women to keep and look after their babies and children
…and equal education opportunities and equal pay for equal work recognised in principle but not in actuality…also legislation against sexual harassment and assault
…and these fundamental rights are still NOT for many women around the world!
The Guardian draws opinion from all over the globe and this article is by Dunedin based writer, Eleanor Roy. In it, in part, she describes John Key’s brighter future…
”we have the second highest rate of youth suicide in the OECD. That a third of our children live below the poverty line and 10% of our working-age population is on social welfare.”
What you dont know about NZ is: its really expensive to live there, when you are someone who has to work for a living. Salaries are comparatively low (I am an engineer) and a normal job has normal 40h+/week working hours. House prices are sky rocking in Auckland. Renting is no real option and again expensive. The 4 season a day weather results in one of the highest global asthma rates and damp houses with very low ceilings (the newly built ones). Life in NZ is: lawn mawing, barbecue, rugby, talking about the All Blacks and mortgages, sailing if you can afford it. Everything closes by 6pm, streets are empty at the latest by 10pm. Kiwis are usually friendly people, but I felt that life down there was very narrow. Kiwis usually live a close knit family life that includes childhood friends. Activities are lived in their back yard. For overseas newcomers its relatively difficult to get access. In work life, things are done the Kiwi way, sometimes the laws of physics, chemistry etc. are ignored to “save” costs thereby resulting in even damper houses. Business partners conduct meetings a little like village talk as everyone somewhat knows everyone else and is somehow related, part of family etc. which has an effect on how decisions are made > resulting in a lack of quality > the job does not always go to the best, but the best related person group etc. Life down there felt like living in a transit and I am very glad to be back in Europe again.
The bolded bit among others, brutally true of New Zealand decision makers short-sightedness on so many crucially important projects and policy for future generations.
Not at all. People don’t know each other as another comment on the blog where I sourced this from attests to.
Having lived a lot in London and auckland I must say that socially London is a lot better. I know most of the people who live in my street, which was never true in auckland. Benefit of terraced housing and walking to school maybe?
I’d agree with this in that that New Zealand fails badly on security of community. The amateur landlord class flipping properties for capital gain has rendered low income renting communities powerless and transient.
Low income New Zealand renters just want to be stable and have security of tenancy. They want their kids to be able to attend the same school without fear of disruption through no fault of their own. They want their kids to know the neighbours kids without being moved on by some property flipping investor. However, the fuelling of the investment property market both internally and through the advertising of the same to offshore buyers with cheap money is destroying that community spirit.
The truth is that lower wages and poverty can account for so many of the things that older generations find so mystifying about millennials.
For example, millennials drive less than their parent’s generation—and until recently, at least—were relatively uninterested in buying cars. As The Atlantic reported in 2012, this crisis prompted automakers to appoint “youth emissaries” and come up with new car colors like “techno pink” and “denim.”
But trying to make cars cooler doesn’t change the fact that, as CityLab found, there’s a significant gap in vehicle miles traveled between millenials who make over $30,000 a year and those who make less. Simply put: Cars cost money and millennials have less of it.
Dude goes to town on Trump’s “economic” advisers –
I get preferring businessmen over "economists", but Trump's team is dominated by vulture sectors of the economy. None of 'em make stuff.— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) August 5, 2016
"Hope, get me the former chief economist at Bear Stearns. Must be a smart guy. Maybe he'll advise me on economics." https://t.co/yHLsEsHphI— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) August 5, 2016
Offering a rare insider analysis of the climate assessment process, Carnegie’s Katharine Mach and colleagues at the Department of Global Ecology examined the writing and editing procedures by which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change creates summaries of their findings for policymakers. Despite recent critiques that these summaries are too difficult for non-experts, Mach and colleagues found them comparable to reference texts in terms of reading comprehension level. Their results are published by Science Advances.
“Using multiple tools for measuring reading ease, we found that IPCC reports are designed for grownups, but they are not harder to read than other science documents, including those written for the public by professional writers,” said co-author Chris Field, who served as the co-chair of the second IPCC Working Group.
Nevertheless, Mach and colleagues also suggest ways that the summary reports could be improved by using less jargon and more cohesive language to link the ideas they contain. The summaries could also be enhanced by graphics, videos, animations, and online multimedia, in addition to extensive media availability by panel leadership.
Well after this horror week for rugby, I think I just witnessed a player do a ‘mince’ walk to accept his award for winning the competition. Then the whole team received tankards as individual prizes. Maybe players and the whole rugby culture are a bit slow in learning, or maybe it’s best to leave it out there for all to see.
Everyone at the awards ceremony pretty cool about it all, though? If so, it just goes to show that the $$$$$/sporting section of the community they are most in touch with and that they care most about don’t give a ****.
Yeah pretty much, the guy is being congratulated for his walk on twitter.
I wonder if a few supporters are questioning their membership for next year though. Be interesting to look at a certain franchise’s balance sheet for 2017.
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Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
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 ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
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Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
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The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
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The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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I’ve just been watching Max Keiser Report number 947, and it gave me food for thought.
Inequality has become quite grotesque in the USA and in New Zealand, with the richest people in this country increasing their wealth by obscene amounts while the rest of the country struggle to make ends meet. (Slight exaggeration)
It seems to me that, unless we elect a government determined to reverse this trend, we really will end up as serfs. Automation will destroy jobs in the future, so more and more people will join the precariate, while the profits from employing less humans will go straight to the top ten per-cent.
So, as I would suggest, we stand at a crossroads in the history of our country. If we continue on as we are, then we will cement in a new aristocracy, the money-owners, and a new peasantry, the working class who exist on minimum wages and zero hours, or reluctant government handouts.
Or we can take a really radical direction and aim to share the benefits of the economy equally among all the people who live in this country. Radical reform may include a UBI. It must include tax redistribution, shifting the burden of tax from the poor, who can’t escape paying, to the rich, who now avoid paying.
What is absolutely certain is that we cannot do nothing.
Just as an aside, this is why I would support a Trump presidency. Will Clinton nothing meaningful will change. She has been bought and paid for by the very people who don’t want to see economic equality, and she’ll do their bidding.
With the Donald, hell, we don’t know what we’re getting, but it sure isn’t
e*t*b*i*h*e*t. (I bet that will get past moderation!) Yes, I think the man is a shallow showman, and there’s more than a suggestion he might be deliberately throwing his chances of being elected, but if he does get the nod, he won’t tug his forelock to the – to that word again.
But I look in vain in New Zealand for a political party with the gumption to propose a legislative revolution. I fear we shall have to take to the streets in the end, to force political change and to unseat the (God, there’s that word again – can I never get away from it?)
Got any links to those policies you want on the Trump website?
“It seems to me that, unless we elect a government determined to reverse this trend, we really will end up as serfs.”
Unless we also look at improving our political structure, the elite (through political donations or corporate lobbying) can end up commanding the Government we elect.
+1
The rich already command our government. Hell, they actually make up the present government.
Tony, there are historical parallels for your Trump leaning. And history tells us that they always work out badly for working people. Reagan, Thatcher, the Austrian bloke who ran Germany in the thirties … all elected on the promise to end the establishment. All cemented the establishment in place.
It’s an infantile pretension, similar to the extreme left concept that we need concentration camps before the lumpen proles will rise up.
On the up side, Trump, who had to admit lying this morning, has surged to a massive 8% chance of winning, according to 538. Hillary Clinton has a mere 91% chance of becoming president.
https://theintercept.com/2016/08/05/donald-trump-admits-doesnt-understand-sees-television/
TRP – I do really agree with what you’re saying. If I were an American voter I would cast my ballot for Jill Stein, and to hell with the consequences. But don’t look to HRC for any meaningful change in the USA.
And perhaps it is unhealthy to oppose the Clintons?
http://forum.clonehost.net/topic/30/hillary-clinton/7
It’s going to be an easy Trump win. Bring on the TV debates – the ones that Hillary are scared to death of.
Trump’s Democratic opponents and a growing number of republicans say Trump is temperamentally unsuitable for the presidency. They need to delete the ‘tempera’ part of the adverb. He is mentally ‘unsuitable’..
Honestly, if he were an ordinary person ranting on the street without his money or power, the people in white coats would pick him up, give him a nice room and some medication.
te reo putake I don’t think there is any chance of a goodwin when we talk about what a fascist state has done to working people.
I know Bill and I bring up Franco a lot, there is a reason. Franco’s Spain was a nightmare, the way that economy worked was to brutalise sections of the working class based on ethnicity and/or whether they had fought for republic or not. Even then the so called pro-Franco peasants did not do that well.
trump is a fascist, he may not be a hitler, but his economics and his approach is fascist. This does not bode well for working people, the sick, the disabled, and most of all women. And we should smack him and his ideas down like the destructive force they are.
As it always has done under capitalists type systems. We see the same thing in Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt and we all know what happened to them.
It really is capitalism that doesn’t work. Unfortunately a few get rich until it all falls down and they’re the ones making the rules to suit themselves.
QFT
Of course, the money owners like that idea which is why they always advocate and lobby government for the policies that will bring it about.
It must include a UBI and changing all businesses to cooperatives. The workers need to control the business and have a say in who gets paid how much. Shares will need to be converted to loans so that shareholders no longer have a say in running a business and the business itself cannot be owned by the workers either – it needs to be self-owned.
That’s how capitalism works. The rich get rich by having the poor pay them for everything. And that is why it also fails.
And that is the problem that we have. No political party is willing to throw out the failed system that is capitalism and look for a better system.
Look ahead a bit to the long game with Trump. The likes of Koch brothers haven’t just tamely accepted it but will move onto the next strategy.
Should Trump get in he would be surrounded by the Republican far right who will isolate him as much as possible and do the governing in his name.
And how long is it before Trump is impeached or assassinated ( not that I would wish that on anyone) and then Mike Pence ( a tea party far right) becomes president in a job nobody would ever vote him into. At that point the Tea party has the reigns of power.
Coming down the road behind every Trotsky is a Lenin and a Stalin.
But HRC really needs to up her game to and make concrete moves towards the Bernie position. Other wise there will be an action replay of this in 4 years.
We became serfs in our own country a long time ago its just credit and low interest rates and cheap crappy goods and men like Key smiling and telling us in a soothing voice we all can be rich if we just elect him and his party and BELIEVE in the BRIGHTER FUTURE we can all have our own cardboard box too live in or move up to the family stationwagon or garage.
Exactly why did someone assign today – the coldest and wettest day of the year – to get me up at 6am to put up their electoral hoardings?
To my colleagues who are joining me, to you I say: OMG, and Solidarity Forever.
In the great Leftie Second Coming, all those who actually did pull their boots on, and their raincoats, and got out there and hauled timber for yet another local government election effort, will be read aloud and praised to the victorious crowds in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Amen to that!
I don’t always agree with Chris Trotter, but this quote from a Daily Blog posting is, I think, quite pertinent:
“Practical progressive organisations like the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) are few and far between. Vastly outnumbering them are the tens-of-thousands of self-defined progressives who confuse posting comments on Facebook or The Daily Blog with effective political action.”
Chris Trotter: The Daily Blog.
I’m off this morning to help in the John Minto campaign to become mayor of Christchurch!
Actually a reply to Ad in 2 above.
If you are anywhere near Moorhouse Ave at 11, Tony, there’s a protest outside Pak n Slave. These corporate shits pay their South Island workers $2 an hour less than their Nth Island counterparts.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/82855675/pak-n-save-workers-relying-on-food-banks-says-union
This morning on the Al Jazeera news they did a story on homelessness in NZ, it wasn’t a short piece, Bernard Hickey was interviewed, and at the end of the story the news presenter said that they had asked the Minister of Social Housing for an interview a number of times but they declined. Tried to find a link on line for it, but couldnt. Disappointing that government could not even take a few moments to comment on a story about a situation they have created which has lead to one of the worlds largest news networks doing a report on it.
Enough suffering, time for change, thanks Al Jazeera for your coverage on one of the most desperate situations our people have ever faced.
Gosh the only international photo op that National, turned down!
yes certainly shows up our hopeless jonkey nact agenda bought tv journalism Hoskings and Henry style …and corporate bought foreign ownership mainstream media newspapers…only John Campbell and RNZ escapes imo
Chooky- I inadvertently caught two of Hosking’s smirk sentences the other night- Mea culpa.
It said, complete with trademark smirk,”You know what the trouble is with Education today ? The unions….” At which point my usual frantic Henry/Hosking search for the remote was successful.
And yes, I have listened in the past which is why I don’t listen now.
the quality of Hosking discussion is so infantile, lacking in depth, brainless and jonkey nact fawning and obsequious
…that New Zealanders are in danger of becoming brain dead if they watch that programme.
Chooky
‘Only JC and RNZ escapes imo’. If only I could agree. JC has been taught a lesson about challenging your employers view. RNZ is struggling to maintain funding and quality journalism. There are a few glimmers of hope @ RNZ, Media Watch, JC, Phil Pennington, Kim Hill, and then I begin to run out of suggestions. RNZ is sadly deteriorating and slowly drowning. A healthy and broad alternative media is essential. Australian Public Broadcast current affairs is far better than ours.
Grow an orchard!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/82816934/riverton-the-heritage-fruit-capital-of-new-zealand
great stuff!…this is what really matters
‘South China Sea’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/345282-us-china-dangerous-confrontation/
“Rumors of war – this time in the South China Sea. Washington appears – step by step – to be moving away from a policy of engagement with Beijing to one of confrontation. This is a policy approach counterproductive for all involved. Attempting to contain China militarily is nothing less than dangerous.
CrossTalking with Harry Kazianis, James Bradley and Peter Navarro.”
and
“Japan summons Chinese ambassador over ships
Japan’s foreign ministry Friday summoned China’s ambassador to protest what it said were intrusions into its territorial waters by Chinese coast guard and fishing vessels. The two countries are locked in a long-running dispute over uninhabited islets in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. Japanese vice foreign minister Shinsuke Sugiyama called in Cheng Yonghua, Beijing’s ambassador to Tokyo, the foreign ministry said. Sugiyama “strongly protested” to Cheng that the incursions were a “violation of Japan’s sovereignty.” The Japan Coast Guard said that two coast guard vessels from China’s State Oceanic Administration entered territorial waters near the Senkaku islands during the afternoon before eventually departing. (AFP)”
This is totally predictable. The USA is a war machine. I will say it again for all you duped fans of the yanks–The USA is a war machine.
If you don’t believe me just ask yourself why it has more military might than the rest of the world combined and why it has 1,000 military bases around the world.
Not just USA involved in this..but surrounding countries Japan and Vietnam …
‘South China Sea: What to look out for in the UN tribunal ruling
Case brought by the Philippines challenges some of Beijing’s maritime claims’
https://next.ft.com/content/3c7d51b0-34e1-11e6-ad39-3fee5ffe5b5b
‘Arbitration on the South China Sea: Rulings from The Hague’
https://amti.csis.org/ArbitrationTL/
China refuses to accept other countries claims and at odds with neighbours:
‘South China Sea row: Hague Tribunal rules in favor of Philippines, China to ignore decision’
https://www.rt.com/news/350756-south-china-sea-hague/
‘Butt out of South Sea dispute, China tells ‘shameful’ Japan’
https://www.rt.com/news/353066-china-asean-sea-japan/
“China has hit out at Japan, which has urged it to abide by the terms of a recent international ruling that challenges Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea. Meanwhile, South Asian countries have also failed to display a united position on the ruling.
‘ ‘Ill-founded, farcical’: Beijing blasts South China Sea ruling, vows to defend its interests’
https://www.rt.com/news/350792-china-south-sea-farce/
http://www.smh.com.au/world/south-china-sea-dispute-chinas-gone-ballistic-since-the-hague-ruling-20160805-gqmffh.html
just as well China can’t manipulate wiki the way they do all their own news outlets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senkaku_Islands_dispute#Japanese_position
Seen this?
“We at The Peace Place are very excited that Auckland Peace Action will be launching their campaign and national petition against the up-coming Weapons Expo and US Warship Visit here at The Peace Place this coming Saturday 6th August at 4pm.”
The Peace Place
22 Emily Place
Auckland City
Two Prominent Anti-Clinton Activists Found Dead in Two Days; Mainstream Media Blackout
http://forum.clonehost.net/post/136
I wonder if Donald Trump knows this?!
….surely if true there must be a very public discussion and inquiry because it would seem to reinforce the very worst accusations leveled against her
and from Zero Hedge
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-05/lead-attorney-anti-clinton-dnc-fraud-case-mysteriously-found-dead
Clonehost? real objective investigative journalism.Yeah right1sarc.
Outgoing Tory’ leader Cameron’s granting of knighthoods and peerages to his millionaire money donors is corrupt, blatant and understandable but the OBE , whatever that is, awarded to his wife’s stylist, for ‘political and public service’ was ludicrous.
What next? A knighthood for Bill English’s hairdresser? Certainly not Stephen Joyce’s.
Good on the Aussies for dismissing this medieval/feudal anachronism. When, oh when will New Zealand grow up?
This is grimly amusing, especially with the timing that coincides (not coincidentally?) with the start of the Brazil Olympics.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/06/two-resign-from-panama-papers-commission-over-publicity-of-report
Anyone heard from BLiP lately?
NZ’s closest neighbour may be entering another period of revolutionary crisis:
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/a-quick-note-on-tongas-new-crisis.html
Poll Drought
Surely time for another Colmar Brunton ?
They always release their polls on a Sunday. Over the last 18 months, the gap between each CB has varied between 6 and 8 weeks. Tomorrow, It’ll be an outrageous 9 weeks since their last release. Can we expect it to lead One News 6pm tomorrow night or has the Pollster just thrown in the towel along with Herald-Digi ?
Swordfish – you must be the only lefties who actually looks forward to the polls.
I do enjoy your analysis of them. You must put a lot of time and effort into it and it’s appreciated.
Cheers, James.
“you must be the only lefties who actually looks forward to the polls”
Dunno about that. The polls through March-June were by no means all bad news for the Opposition* – Roy Morgan, UMR and Curia all had the Nats sliding during all or part of that period. The current interest is in finding out how reliable the last (Nat-friendly) Roy Morgan was.
* Oppo Bloc = Yes, I know, Winnie could swing either way (politically-speaking, you understand).
Perhaps they are waiting on one that favours Key maybe ??? I don’t know how they set their polling periods. SF can you enlighten or will we see one 2 nite.
Aunty Helen falls lower in the race for the top UN job.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11688342
Seems that anything John Key touches these days is doomed to failure. Flag change, TPPA, Clark’s UN bid.
“I don’t know how they set their polling periods. SF can you enlighten or will we see one 2 nite.”
Not sure. The gap usually varies from 6 to 8 weeks. Fieldwork generally takes place over 5-6 days (always starts on a Saturday and is completed by Wednesday or Thursday). Then roughly 6-8 weeks until the next one. Probably depends on how busy they are with their more commercial work. Or maybe the timing’s entirely dictated by One News.
But now 9 weeks and counting, so I’m assuming there’ll be one tomorrow on One News 6pm. (Colmar Brunton always release on a Sunday). Then again, maybe like Roy Morgan they’ve decided to make it less regular ? *
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14052016/#comment-1173791
* Their director, Andrew Robertson (who blogs as Grumpollie) has recently left for a new position in the Public Service, so that upheaval might have delayed things.
I was polled by Reid Research about a week ago. The do the ones for TV3 don’t they?
There may be one on TV3 tomorrow night or the following Sunday depending upon where they were in the poll when they rang me.
Ahhh that’s interesting.
3 News/Newshub usually release their Reid Research polls between 3-5 days after the final day of polling. Their fieldwork generally takes place over 6-8 days.
So your one should be released at some point over the next week (unlike Colmar Brunton, they don’t restrict their release to a particular day of the week – in CB’s case: Sunday).
Have a look at 3 News tonight – Can’t rule out a release today – if so, maybe upstaging a Colmar Brunton tomorrow ?
Can we assume you chose the Mana Party, alwyn ?
Ta muchly SF. I had visions of them polling every day until they got a Nact result for the right number of days – although I know that is not allowed!
If one emerges in the next few days, then I will be sorely tempted to accuse them of… waiting until nearly the end of a month-plus long parliamentary recess before conducting the poll. Such polls always favour the governing party because they are the only ones afforded any publicity. Example… post Xmas holiday recess. There is invariably a poll released around the beginning of February.
Cynical I know, but having been a keen observer of politics and the media for several decades it’s an understandable conclusion to come to.
The few laws that govern and restrain the actions of NZ Judges, have been eroded.
in 2010 the Supreme Court of NZ ruled by a 3-2 margin in Attorney General v Chapman that rights guaranteed by the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990 were no longer enforceable against judges.
Then there was the Public Records Act 2005 which required all branches of government to create and maintain accurate public records of their affairs. In March 2009, Ministry of Justice Counsel Jeff Orr asserted that judges were exempt – stating judges are governed by their own customs and “not by the requirements of any enactment (eg the Public Records Act, the Crimes Act 1961)”.
In Greer v Smith [2015] all five judges of the Supreme Court of NZ convened privately, without submissions from government or public, to rule a single judge in their court can issue private judgments refusing access to public records at our highest court – and that such a private order was also unappealable.
Last month, the Official Information Act 1982 became the object of judicial exemption when the Ombudsman rejected an appeal against the Judicial Office for Higher Courts’ refusal to provide an “official agenda” for a taxpayer-paid judge retreat earlier this year on the ground, “The judicial conference agenda does not constitute ‘official information’ because it is held by the judiciary which is not subject to the OIA.”
But the judiciary are only exempt from such transparency in their judicial function. Taxpayer funded official agendas and judicial cocktail parties are not exempt.
The exemption from law extends beyond our 61 High Court judges and 144 lower court judges. The Judicial Office for Higher Courts has 115 staff employees – all of whom are exempt from the Official Information Act
Then there is the Supreme Court Act 2003 which requires under section 16 that Supreme Court judges give reasons for refusals. The dirty secret that is uniquely NZ is many Supreme Court decisions are kept off the record, which is helpful in evading this law which pertains entirely to judges.
And those who challenge the off-record secrecy are shut out of the courts altogether.
…I may have missed something, but shouldn’t this be in Open Mike?
And probably under a ‘fantasy’ tag.
or it could be good info which we would otherwise not know about
Nope, it sounds like BS based around a few well chosen but misrepresented facts spread to scare people. In other words, well crafted lies.
Or your paranoid draco What was it about that persons comment that made it suspect ?
No links and the structure that is very much what you’d see on conspiracy websites that are all about telling you how bad government is. I suspect that if we could properly investigate the allegations and get the correct context it would be nothing like what he said.
Im sure mods are quite capable of picking that up uncooked or are we supposed to be impressed with your detective work ?
This article asks the question, “What happens if the President is mentally impaired?”
(HRC has been seen with a hand tremor among other things)
http://www.theorganicprepper.ca/earth-wrong-hillary-clinton-08042016
If you keep an eye on HRC’s campaign schedule compared to Trump’s, you’ll see that she conducts way fewer public engagements than he does. Whereas he might do 2 engagements in a day, HRC might do one every 2 or 3 days.
I’d hardly call it an article. This one on Reagan and possible methods for early detection of Alzheimer’s is far more interesting, though perhaps less dramatic if that is what you are after – http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/health/parsing-ronald-reagans-words-for-early-signs-of-alzheimers.html?_r=0
The ugly story behind New Zealand’s most popular fruit
https://youtu.be/Uj6fiG546t0
Saw that ugly alright say anything against the big owners and bang your dead youd have to be brave to take them on .By the sound of it the american fruit co stacked up a few bodies too putting it mildly was that in nicuagrua or the hondures? sorry not much good at spelling or geography !.Incidentely bananas grow just fine in northland .I eat my own most days and for weeks at a time depending on how theyre producing .Ive usually got enough to dry some also .
NZ’s hidden ‘baby scoop’ shame – unmarried women had their babies taken from them
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/82793165/NZs-hidden-baby-scoop-shame-unmarried-women-had-their-babies-taken-from-them
what a great woman!…and it is wonderful her story turned out well!
…other women were destroyed by the baby snatchers and their snatched babies also were destroyed …i read of one woman who searched the rest of her life for her daughter and her daughter searched for her mother…they were very close to finding each other but both committed suicide before they could meet…a tragedy!
this is a story of crimes against women and their children
That was the normal situation when I was a young woman.
In fact I know some very prominent New Zealand women of that day who still have not talked publically about the secret babies they bore, who were adopted.
One was a married woman who unexpectedly found herself pregnant when she separated from her abusive husband – she already had a toddler and arranging a job that would allow for her to care for them both was impossible. There was no benefit available, and her husband vanished. In effect, giving the child away was her only option apart from murder/suicide, so she had her little girl adopted and grieved for ever after.
Thank god, and Second Wave feminists, that the DPB was introduced in the 1970s, though it was over the dead body of some MPs. I recall one who said “If you play, you pay”, and that was the attitude of men in power in those days.
See the other post here today reminding us of the Prime Minister’s and the Speaker’s abominable treatment of female MPs last year, and I think those attitudes are still there, just hidden under a thin veneer of pretend tolerance.
yes sexism is entrenched alright…(my daughter working independently in the workforce is now recognising it in some patronising older men, after pooh poohing feminism in her teens…)
I have nothing but absolute admiration for the women that came before me and their struggles and tragedies …these women were the shock troops for women’s rights and feminism…
birth control contraception and abortion were absolute rights fought for and won by New Zealand women! (despite the misogynist Catholic Church)…also the DPB to enable women to keep and look after their babies and children
…and equal education opportunities and equal pay for equal work recognised in principle but not in actuality…also legislation against sexual harassment and assault
…and these fundamental rights are still NOT for many women around the world!
The Guardian draws opinion from all over the globe and this article is by Dunedin based writer, Eleanor Roy. In it, in part, she describes John Key’s brighter future…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/05/trump-brexit-is-new-zealand-your-escape-route-too
Some of those comments are pretty revealing.
The bolded bit among others, brutally true of New Zealand decision makers short-sightedness on so many crucially important projects and policy for future generations.
So, NZ is a backward hick country where town closes early, life revolves around enjoying the basics and people actually know each other.
I trust whoever it is finds the new Europe much more to their liking.
Not at all. People don’t know each other as another comment on the blog where I sourced this from attests to.
I’d agree with this in that that New Zealand fails badly on security of community. The amateur landlord class flipping properties for capital gain has rendered low income renting communities powerless and transient.
Low income New Zealand renters just want to be stable and have security of tenancy. They want their kids to be able to attend the same school without fear of disruption through no fault of their own. They want their kids to know the neighbours kids without being moved on by some property flipping investor. However, the fuelling of the investment property market both internally and through the advertising of the same to offshore buyers with cheap money is destroying that community spirit.
Even working class Europe has what we don’t.
Kiwis are welcome to move to London for a better community life. Where the average house price is now £600,000.
Heh. You are like Farrar and Hooten comparing modern day amenities with Victorian times and calling it a win for the National party.
The average wage in London is £50,000. Did you forget that bit?
The Unsexy Truth About Millennials: They’re Poor
Welcome to the wealth siphon that is capitalism that takes wealth from the many and gives it to the rich.
Dude goes to town on Trump’s “economic” advisers –
https://twitter.com/JustinWolfers
tl;dr needs more pictures
Offering a rare insider analysis of the climate assessment process, Carnegie’s Katharine Mach and colleagues at the Department of Global Ecology examined the writing and editing procedures by which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change creates summaries of their findings for policymakers. Despite recent critiques that these summaries are too difficult for non-experts, Mach and colleagues found them comparable to reference texts in terms of reading comprehension level. Their results are published by Science Advances.
“Using multiple tools for measuring reading ease, we found that IPCC reports are designed for grownups, but they are not harder to read than other science documents, including those written for the public by professional writers,” said co-author Chris Field, who served as the co-chair of the second IPCC Working Group.
Nevertheless, Mach and colleagues also suggest ways that the summary reports could be improved by using less jargon and more cohesive language to link the ideas they contain. The summaries could also be enhanced by graphics, videos, animations, and online multimedia, in addition to extensive media availability by panel leadership.
http://phys.org/news/2016-08-climate-summaries-grownups-difficult-policymakers.html
Well after this horror week for rugby, I think I just witnessed a player do a ‘mince’ walk to accept his award for winning the competition. Then the whole team received tankards as individual prizes. Maybe players and the whole rugby culture are a bit slow in learning, or maybe it’s best to leave it out there for all to see.
Everyone at the awards ceremony pretty cool about it all, though? If so, it just goes to show that the $$$$$/sporting section of the community they are most in touch with and that they care most about don’t give a ****.
Yeah pretty much, the guy is being congratulated for his walk on twitter.
I wonder if a few supporters are questioning their membership for next year though. Be interesting to look at a certain franchise’s balance sheet for 2017.
50/50 between whether more people walk away disgusted or join up for more of the same.
Pretty sure the sponsorship dollars are going to go up in either event.
From 1984 – the bloated beast that is America’s Presidential candidate selection process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9UaakNtb80