A corrupt and dying system falls back into the well oiled, time honoured, grooves of political repression and war.
The Arab Spring and the West’s OWS movement have both pointed to alternative outcomes. These people’s initiatives could be Sidelined and ultimately Silenced and Defeated by the turning of world events.
Don’t let this happen
Support the Arab Spring and Defend the OWS in which ever city you are in.
Because –
They will become the centres of anti-war and anti-political repression,
. . . Citigroup had to pay a $285 million fine to settle a case in which, with one hand, Citibank sold a package of toxic mortgage-backed securities to unsuspecting customers — securities that it knew were likely to go bust — and, with the other hand, shorted the same securities — that is, bet millions of dollars that they would go bust . . .
. . . If banks had shifted their interest rates by lowering floating mortgage rates and raising term-deposit rates, or a combination of both, they would have increased the wealth of borrowers and savers by a combined $2.8 billion over those two years. That wealth was instead transferred to bank shareholders in Australia . . .
Phil Goff, you deserve credit where credit is due. Slow and steady even with the MSM so firmly biased. I despair for New Zealand’s future. I simply don’t understand how NZ has been hoodwinked into this celebrity idolisation of a man who by his very career and fortune has been involved in the financial world and systems that have been a large part of the World’s economic demise. Are we too, hollow people? I know the politicians I admire and ‘Johnny-come-lately’ ain’t one of them!’
Goff has taken everything the media (including me) and his opponents have thrown at him. Yet he still gets up every day and gives a gutsy performance. It says a lot about his character and toughness.
The phony outrage by some commentators criticising Goff for calling Key a liar over his flip-flop on GST exposes their political bias. Goff was right. Key did say he wouldn’t raise GST. I think Key claiming that he had to break his promise because of changed economic conditions is, well, a fib.
Raising GST had less to do with the changed economic needs and more to do with ideology.
Taking money off poorer New Zealanders to give a tax cut to those on higher incomes, while pretending it was fiscally neutral, wasn’t truthful.
We now know that in addition to having prices raised by 2.5 per cent, Key borrowed $1 billion to subsidise the tax cuts.
I think on the whole NZers are politically naive, rather than being cold-blooded calculating “hollow men” and “hollow women” of the John Key or Don Brash type.
most voters have lived through Ruthanasia and many through Rogernomics.
Don’t understand how people can still be so bloody naive.
In reply to this I reckon Tiger Mountain has answered the question.
Well it has long been known to union organisers that some workers exhibit exactly this type of ‘ranking’ behaviour.
The right has historically used all manner of perceived differences (e.g. race, religion, region, rural/urban, employed/unemployed/precariously employed, immigrant/indigenous, low/mid/high earners) to create division among those that in left terms have many commonalities and reasons for uniting.
The Occupy movement has attempted to sweep that tendency away with its one take classification of society into 1 or 99%ers.
Point taken re naivety but as CV says it is very hard to understand this explanation!. I do believe there is an alarming lack of compassion and caring being demonstrated by New Zealanders, as if it is easier to blame individuals for their plight than to help be part of the solution. Is this ignorance/naivety or survival of the fittest? The Labour campaign opening message was certainly a good opportunity to revisit ones values.
It is hard to understand, perhaps, but I think it’s true to some extent and definitely mixed up with amnesia. I think most NZers have little or no interest in NZ history, for example, and without a knowledge and understanding of our history, it becomes very difficult to join the political dots. We forget very quickly and naively accept the latest propaganda. (So good on Labour in their ads for trying to restore some sense of history.)
Of course, the “naive” characterisation is a generalisation. There are probably parts of the country where there is a very strong sense of popular memory. This seems to be the case on the West Coast. But then they voted in a Nat last time!
It’s also hard to understand the low turnout in the last election among traditional Labour voters in core working-class communities (South & West Auckland). To be so apathetic about voting in a general election is surely a sign of political naivity and not “hollow man” callousness.
I highly recommend Chris Trotter’s book also. CV, I think you are referring to his book “No Left Turn”, his 2007 history of the Left/Right struggle in New Zealand. It certainly opened my eyes.. I picked it up on a sale table soon after the last election..helped me identify my own political leanings and taught me a lot about NZ’s history. Guess that’s when I realised I’m a social democrat by definition. Have been following his blog, which lead me to this blog, ever since!
Another useful read is the Bateman Atlas of New Zealand History. The highly graphic mapping format is easy to absorb. For example a map shows the highest concentration of war memorials is in Taranaki, the region is pepper potted with them. Which partly explains why dark conservative kiwis are so prevalent there. Freemans Bay in Auckland has yoyo’d from working class to middle class and back several times. While the ridges of Remuera were captured by ‘upper’ and managerial class from early on and so forth.
I do believe there is an alarming lack of compassion and caring being demonstrated by New Zealanders, as if it is easier to blame individuals for their plight than to help be part of the solution
Absolutely! As my son said, New Zealanders are very judgemental… and that covers all social classes but for those on the very bottom, in my experience…
My comment about “cold calculating” stemmed from watching the doco The Hollow Men last weekend. Brash certainly came across as calculating with his dog-whistle politics tactics during the 2002-2005 period-he just made quite a few wrong calculations and hence didn’t get elected in 2005.
I believe they are cold and calculating and not well-meaning because I believe you need a certain cold-bloodedness to reach the heights they have.
I’m certain that at one or several points in their lives they’ve known that what they’ve proposed would certainly hurt a huge pool of people so there could be a few lucky winners and instead of exercising some scruples have ignored the inner voice that told them they were wrong, not really all that different to a person who decides to throw morals to the winds and fool around on their beloved – there is always that point where they know they’re going to ignore their conscience if indeed they ever listen to it.
Most people over thirty would have had some experience of such people or at least seen examples of it to know that there are those who don’t give a rat’s arse about anyone and press on regardless of the damage they cause.
People can be honest and caring certainly but maybe not to the degree that fits with their ideals and opinions of others and people shouldn’t forget that everyone has a selfish gene. It pays to be cordial with people but also watch them and suss them out and if red flags are raised or if something doesn’t ring true to exercise caution and see what else comes to the fore.
When I was young I heard a saying that every great fortune conceals a crime. I didn’t believe it then because I wanted to believe that a nice guy had as much chance as anyone else. I’m not sure if I believe it now, but I have several examples of fortune hiding crime and none of nice guy finishes up rich.
Absolutely agree. I marvel at Phil’s stamina and his resilience in the face of MSM assault.
I wonder why the Government MPs do not get anything like the same scrutiny?
Found Alex’s explanation re the MSM, in his response to this article, chilling but sound.
‘Media that is run on a for profit basis has an interest in turning a profit. If it doesn’t it goes under. To do that it needs money from advertisers –’
summarising with…..
‘Essentially, it is that corporate media will promote corporate interests and this should not come as a surprise to anyone.’
We saw with the News Corp scandal that it goes much further than this simple commercial relationship however.
The moguls of corporate media have a direct interest in growing a direct influence over the levers of politics and authority in society. So you see in the UK that Mps were compromised, civil servants and government consultants were compromised, senior police officers were compromised, the list goes on.
That goes far beyond trying to make extra money from corporate advertisers.
The lecture was based on his research into the changes in UK newspapers under Thatcher’s time in government, and he presented a very convincing case. He described how gradually Thatcher influenced the recruitment of Tory-supporting editors to the main news publications.
The result was that the editors also tended to unfluence recruitment of “sympathetic” journalists.
The consequence was that Thatcher didn’t need to try to direct the publications to take particular lines/views. The editors would pre-empt Tory views, estimate what the goverment’s position would be on any issue and then tend to follow it.
Yes, that’s a very good point on News Corp, CV. That’s a later stage in the neoliberal media dominance. Curran’s lecture was in the early-mid 1990s.
The neoliberal shift was the result of multi-pronged intiatives, partly generated via the influence of right wing think tanks, and the influence on teaching of economics in unis.
Not so much a carefully orchestrated conspiracy as a loose network of old boys with similar elitist interests.
Not so much a carefully orchestrated conspiracy as a loose network of old boys with similar elitist interests.
A loose network of old boys with a huge precision machinery of corporate money, lawyers, accountants and bankers acting on their behalf. Working through organisations like the World Bank, the IMF, the Federal Reserve etc.
You can’t orchestrate a global transformation of many powerful countries to neoliberalism and massive indebtedness without this high level of co-ordination.
To pick up on your point re MSM scrutiny ianmac: in the past 3 years I can’t recall any sustained criticism in the MSM of anything that Key or his Government have done. This in spite of countless stuff-ups, poor decisions and general bad management.
In a democracy this is remarkable, and very worrying.
The media being right wing is not a conspiracy. It simply stands to reason that there will always be some degree of right wing bias from media organisations that are run on a for-profit basis.
Why? Because they make money from advertising. Getting the most advertising revenue is the sole aim of any of these organisations.
And what do advertisers want? Two things. One, they want a large audience viewing their ads. Two, they want the right sort of audience viewing their ads.
The right sort being the ones with money to spend. In other words, the ones more likely to be right wing in their views.
Any media organisation that wants to make money will always be careful to keep the right wingers happy. And that’s exactly what they do.
I must say I am impressed with Phil Goff’s resilience and courage. Almost every day for months he has been attacked by all the forces the right and the media can throw at him, exemplified by Duncan Garner’s comment on TV3 news on Friday that Key had ‘crucified him’ (although it looked more like Muldoonist bullying to me). Yet, each day he starts again, integrity intact, smiles, and continues on his way, standing up for the ‘ordinary’ NZers.
So if we are looking for a leader who will guide NZ through the rocky years ahead as capitalism collapses without letting the poor suffer even more than now, he could be a very good bet.
While the Labour Party has focused the election campaign on policies more than National would have liked, the MSM is still focusing attention on Goff vs Key personality politics, even in relation to policies (“show me the money”).
We need to see more of the front row teams in each party, and get on to the nitty gritty of policies, and not spend so much time on Goff and Key swapping insults. But, more importantly, we need to see much more of the minor parties which will probably have key roles in post-election government formation. I was reminded of this when I watched Citizen A with David Slack and Chris Trotter this morning:
Both Trotter and Slack praised the Greens campaign. More significantly, I was surprised to see Trotter praise 2 leaders I have seen him srtongly criticise in the past. He praised Russel Norman for realising that NZ elections are won and lost in the suburbs, which is where Norman is focusing his camoaign.
And Trotter was very positive about the way Hone Harawira is maturing as a political leader. He particularly mention the clear and eleffective way Hone stated the amount of money needed to help poor families and their children, offsetting it with the amount saved by pulling NZ troops out of Afghanistan.
I see Jon Key will wait until after the election before deciding whether to bring the SAS back.
(RNZ news today.) But its his ‘ expectation’ that other countries might be out by 2014 and a lot depends on that.
Whatever happened to our independent foreign policy? Our sovereignty!!
Is Key a puppet?
What people think about the boys in blue is a most important issue being that without good public relations, the Police are unable to do their job properly…
Yes, it was a gentleman’s debate compared to Key and Goff’s efforts. Not sure if that makes it better, worse or impotent. While I was watching I wondered who the show was targetted at and could only conclude it was for National voters – aloof and comfortable.
I didn’t like Cunliffe saying that National’s policy would work in the short term. Is he unaware that short term success means “there is still time” and that the snatchers will take what they can and not vote for his team? His concern should be for the people who cannot wait another 3 years to start below zero.
But as usual Espiner was in there interrupting as usual and the Interview with David Parker and Steven Joyce Espiner really showed his true blue colours, bloody sycophant.
Interesting to note that the SST has changed it’s 2011 elections banner at the top of those pages in response to objections that the previous version strongly resembled National party branding and was a breach of election rules.
I am still not that comfortable with it, too much National brand in the stars and the blue, but it is better than it was.
Just goes to show that the MSM needs to be held to account – left to their own devices they do not take their responsibility to be impartial very seriously – but people speaking out can make a difference.
‘This fine was a payoff to the SEC by Goldman Sachs of about four days’ worth of revenue, and in return they avoided going to court. CEO Lloyd Blankfein apparently not only lied to clients, but to the subcommittee itself on April 27, 2010, when he told lawmakers: “We didn’t have a massive short against the housing market, and we certainly did not bet against our clients.” Yet, they did.’
A couple of days ago Duncan Garner showed us all what a complete political hack he is in a news broadcast on TV3. Garner claimed that John Key had “crucified” Phill Goff by saying, “show me the money” in a Press Leaders debate held in Christchurch on 2 November…
Garner, Espiner, Holmes and all the rest are just paid lackeys of their masters whims, chuck a few ‘Editorial guidelines’ about and watch the monkeys dance to the tune. Holmes articles could be written years ago it’s so predictable a few minor tweaks for something recent and leave the rest as is.
They wouldn’t even rate an interview with a serious broadcster let alone get a job as the CV doesn’t contain any journalism just repackaged gov’t spin lines and poor interview technique.
As a senior Oz journo said in dicsussion a few years back ‘what’s going on over there….so much material and they do dick with it…..we live for those kind of opportnities to show what a bunch of chumps we’re paying for….’ I believe the word ‘lynched’ was used when I sought comment over a blinglish styled budget being tabled in Oz.
The media’s support of the National government is worse than blatant, and Fairfax, Mediaworks, and APN, along with TVNZ need to be made accountable for their partisanship, which is more or less on a par with Pravda’s support of the Soviet government.
Im expecting a statue of the “Great Leader ‘ to be erected in Queen St any day now. The Nats completly dominate all the news media and TV so the logical next step is a statue to the great wave and smile.
[Key] said, “Well, it depends on what you mean by the word `done’. I mean, we could call on experts to give us opposing views, but at the end of the day, it’s just their opinion.”
Goff should use that line when Key tries a $11-$17 billion “show me the money” kind of rant again.
When my son was about 8 he was using that sort of argument to avoid heaps of things, but then he grew up. Funny how satire is fundamentally so true.
“Depends on what you mean by done,” says John Key again and again, while Duncan Garner smiles and waves.
The Standard is not linked to the Labour Party so you won’t mind showing this will you: [actually, we would. we don’t promote that scumbag’s material. Zet]
[lprent: Steve is also already banned until the 27th. I presume that he was linking to that lying dishonest idiot Slater. Perhaps I should extend his ban? ]
A little while ago, National’s State Services Minister Tony Ryall insisted that National has capped, not cut, funding for core public services.
However the State Services Commission’s annual Human Resource Capability Survey (PDF) released last month showed that 959 positions were lost in the past year alone.
Yesterday Tony Ryall said a further $240 million a year could be cut from the public services budget.
Ugh- Bryce Edwards on tvnz7 news, gushing about Shonkey and big upping the Nats.
Two sporting references so far, rugby (sigh) one from the interviewer – shame! and then horse race from Bryce – sly reference to first post the post? or just dumbing down from them both?
Piss poor tvnz. Piss poor.
GOLF NEWS
Steve Williams has a few defenders—no surprises who…
Believe it or not, that foul-mouthed, racist golf caddy Steve Williams still has a few defenders. Yes, you guessed it—Williams has been loudly defended all weekend on Auckland’s infamous radio station NewstalkZB—which will come as no surprise to anyone, bearing in mind that NewstalkZB management has defiantly continued to employ out-and-out racists MURRAY DEAKER, PAUL HOLMES, and LEIGHTON SMITH despite their repeated indulgence in the most virulently racist on-air rants.
Saturday, November 6, 2011
All afternoon, NewstalkZB host Willy Lose (AKA Wiwwy Wose) repeatedly informs his listeners (“wistenahs”) that he is utterly mystified that anyone could see anything wrong with Williams’ words. To discuss the matter further, he speaks to Hong Kong-based PGA correspondent NICK
DYE…
WILLY LOSE: Nick, I’d wike your comments pwease. Steve Wiwwiams appawwentwy said “It was my aim to shove it wight up that bwack asshoww.” Do you think it’s too much to weport a wight-hearted comment wike that?
NICK DYE: What do YOU think, Willy? Would YOU say something like that in public?
WILLY LOSE: Ahhhhh… ummmm… no, I wouldn’t.
NICK DYE: Would you say it was all “good fun and banter”?
WILLY LOSE: Hmmmmm. [Long pause.] Do you think theah wiww be sanctions
against him?
NICK DYE: It’s only going to get worse for Steve Williams from here on.
WILLY LOSE: Nick Dye fwom Hong Kong. Thanks vewy much.
NICK DYE: Thank you.
WILLY LOSE: Gosh, what a wot of fuss about a wittaw bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment. I’d wike to heah your views, wistenahs. Wing now on 0800 80 1080. Fouw spare wines…
Sunday November 6, 2011
So, the big question is: Will Murray (“Too many brown faces in rugby”) Deaker see anything wrong with Steve Williams saying he’d like to “shove it up that black asshole”? Well, what do YOU think, readers?….
DEAKER: It’s nothing more than GOSSIP. People just love seeing someone successful in the cart. What would I say to my mate Steve? Well, I would have advised him to apply my three litmus tests before he ever says anything in public. Those three litmus tests are as follows. Number 1: How’s it gonna benefit ME? Number 2: How’s it gonna benefit my family? And number 3: Am I gonna make any MONEY out of it? Those are the three litmus tests, and if you don’t pass them, my advice is to say nothing—because even if you joke light-heartedly like Steve did at this caddies’ dinner in Hong Kong, they’re going to jump all over you.
I tell you what, though: Adam Scott has gone to new heights, the way I look at life. Adam said he’s sticking with Steve, because he’s a top caddy.
[gravely]Make no mistake: the clobbering machine is out to get Steve Williams. [steadily getting angrier] I see that the Daily Mail quoted an “unnamed caddy” as saying: “We knew he was an idiot but we didn’t know he was a racist idiot.” [pausing for effect, snorting loudly through nostrils] If someone is unnamed, you can be sure that the writer is MAKING IT UP. [audibly frothing at the mouth] And I see a quote from an “unnamed official” on the European circuit: “I’m glad he’s not on our circuit.” [long, long pause for effect] Does ANYBODY in their RIGHT MINDS believe there really WAS an unnamed official?
Pressure mounts over Williams’ racial insult
(AFP) – 4 hours ago
SHANGHAI — Pressure was mounting Sunday on the European Tour to investigate caddy Steve Williams after his racial insult aimed at golf legend Tiger Woods caused worldwide revulsion.
Williams sparked outrage when he used a racial slur to refer to former employer Woods after he collected an award during a caddies’ gala dinner at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China on Friday evening. …..
Probably a bit late now, but the above by Andrew Geddis has a little bit of a go at Bill’s post on the Dunedin occupy movement, and I thought he might like to respond.
Also the legalitites he raises are quite interesting.
How the heck can people still support Steve Williams or Murray Deaker?
Actually, they don’t. Deaker makes a point of loudly supporting anybody who utters racist outbursts or beats up women. A few of the “decent guys” who have enjoyed the truculent support of Deaker are: Paul Holmes, Andy Haden, Robin Brooke, and Tony Veitch.
Deaker’s “support” comes almost entirely from his colleagues at NewstalkZB.
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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 ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
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‘
Occupy Wall Street, – whichever city you are in –
A political coup in Greece –
An Iran war
A corrupt and dying system falls back into the well oiled, time honoured, grooves of political repression and war.
The Arab Spring and the West’s OWS movement have both pointed to alternative outcomes. These people’s initiatives could be Sidelined and ultimately Silenced and Defeated by the turning of world events.
Don’t let this happen
Support the Arab Spring and Defend the OWS in which ever city you are in.
Because –
They will become the centres of anti-war and anti-political repression,
– whichever city you are in –
+1
Good march against banks in Auck yesterday. Small, but on message and gaining numbers as it walked.
Fucking banks!!
If they are not betting against us:
they are just plain ripping us off:
Phil Goff, you deserve credit where credit is due. Slow and steady even with the MSM so firmly biased. I despair for New Zealand’s future. I simply don’t understand how NZ has been hoodwinked into this celebrity idolisation of a man who by his very career and fortune has been involved in the financial world and systems that have been a large part of the World’s economic demise. Are we too, hollow people? I know the politicians I admire and ‘Johnny-come-lately’ ain’t one of them!’
To quote Matt McCarten
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10764104
Goff has taken everything the media (including me) and his opponents have thrown at him. Yet he still gets up every day and gives a gutsy performance. It says a lot about his character and toughness.
The phony outrage by some commentators criticising Goff for calling Key a liar over his flip-flop on GST exposes their political bias. Goff was right. Key did say he wouldn’t raise GST. I think Key claiming that he had to break his promise because of changed economic conditions is, well, a fib.
Raising GST had less to do with the changed economic needs and more to do with ideology.
Taking money off poorer New Zealanders to give a tax cut to those on higher incomes, while pretending it was fiscally neutral, wasn’t truthful.
We now know that in addition to having prices raised by 2.5 per cent, Key borrowed $1 billion to subsidise the tax cuts.
WAKE UP NEW ZEALAND BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
I think on the whole NZers are politically naive, rather than being cold-blooded calculating “hollow men” and “hollow women” of the John Key or Don Brash type.
most voters have lived through Ruthanasia and many through Rogernomics.
Don’t understand how people can still be so bloody naive.
.
In reply to this I reckon Tiger Mountain has answered the question.
Well it has long been known to union organisers that some workers exhibit exactly this type of ‘ranking’ behaviour.
The right has historically used all manner of perceived differences (e.g. race, religion, region, rural/urban, employed/unemployed/precariously employed, immigrant/indigenous, low/mid/high earners) to create division among those that in left terms have many commonalities and reasons for uniting.
The Occupy movement has attempted to sweep that tendency away with its one take classification of society into 1 or 99%ers.
Point taken re naivety but as CV says it is very hard to understand this explanation!. I do believe there is an alarming lack of compassion and caring being demonstrated by New Zealanders, as if it is easier to blame individuals for their plight than to help be part of the solution. Is this ignorance/naivety or survival of the fittest? The Labour campaign opening message was certainly a good opportunity to revisit ones values.
I think there is a marked lack of compassion and caring amongst a certain group of swing voters.
The lot that political parties appeal to with the tough on crime and bennie bashing.
It is hard to understand, perhaps, but I think it’s true to some extent and definitely mixed up with amnesia. I think most NZers have little or no interest in NZ history, for example, and without a knowledge and understanding of our history, it becomes very difficult to join the political dots. We forget very quickly and naively accept the latest propaganda. (So good on Labour in their ads for trying to restore some sense of history.)
Of course, the “naive” characterisation is a generalisation. There are probably parts of the country where there is a very strong sense of popular memory. This seems to be the case on the West Coast. But then they voted in a Nat last time!
It’s also hard to understand the low turnout in the last election among traditional Labour voters in core working-class communities (South & West Auckland). To be so apathetic about voting in a general election is surely a sign of political naivity and not “hollow man” callousness.
Totally agree on the ignorance of NZ history. Its a shame.
Every NZer should read Trotter’s No Right Turn to know where this country has come from and what it has gone through.
I highly recommend Chris Trotter’s book also. CV, I think you are referring to his book “No Left Turn”, his 2007 history of the Left/Right struggle in New Zealand. It certainly opened my eyes.. I picked it up on a sale table soon after the last election..helped me identify my own political leanings and taught me a lot about NZ’s history. Guess that’s when I realised I’m a social democrat by definition. Have been following his blog, which lead me to this blog, ever since!
Another useful read is the Bateman Atlas of New Zealand History. The highly graphic mapping format is easy to absorb. For example a map shows the highest concentration of war memorials is in Taranaki, the region is pepper potted with them. Which partly explains why dark conservative kiwis are so prevalent there. Freemans Bay in Auckland has yoyo’d from working class to middle class and back several times. While the ridges of Remuera were captured by ‘upper’ and managerial class from early on and so forth.
Absolutely! As my son said, New Zealanders are very judgemental… and that covers all social classes but for those on the very bottom, in my experience…
I don’t think Brash, Kerr or Banks were the cold calculating type.
Rather nice, well meaning people, who have been captured by a religion.
Like most true believers they genuinely believe we would all be better off if we just followed it.
Like many who appear briefly on here spouting the same slogans.
New Zealanders don’t generally have much personal experience of psychopathic, winner takes all business types, typified by Key.
New Zealanders tend to believe that most people are honest and caring.
My comment about “cold calculating” stemmed from watching the doco The Hollow Men last weekend. Brash certainly came across as calculating with his dog-whistle politics tactics during the 2002-2005 period-he just made quite a few wrong calculations and hence didn’t get elected in 2005.
KJT
I believe they are cold and calculating and not well-meaning because I believe you need a certain cold-bloodedness to reach the heights they have.
I’m certain that at one or several points in their lives they’ve known that what they’ve proposed would certainly hurt a huge pool of people so there could be a few lucky winners and instead of exercising some scruples have ignored the inner voice that told them they were wrong, not really all that different to a person who decides to throw morals to the winds and fool around on their beloved – there is always that point where they know they’re going to ignore their conscience if indeed they ever listen to it.
Most people over thirty would have had some experience of such people or at least seen examples of it to know that there are those who don’t give a rat’s arse about anyone and press on regardless of the damage they cause.
People can be honest and caring certainly but maybe not to the degree that fits with their ideals and opinions of others and people shouldn’t forget that everyone has a selfish gene. It pays to be cordial with people but also watch them and suss them out and if red flags are raised or if something doesn’t ring true to exercise caution and see what else comes to the fore.
Agreed.
When I was young I heard a saying that every great fortune conceals a crime. I didn’t believe it then because I wanted to believe that a nice guy had as much chance as anyone else. I’m not sure if I believe it now, but I have several examples of fortune hiding crime and none of nice guy finishes up rich.
I suspect you’re being too kind to Kerr and Brash, KJT..
Is our worship of the market engineering or influencing a shift in our morality?
Interesting lecture on this here..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kt7sh
Absolutely agree. I marvel at Phil’s stamina and his resilience in the face of MSM assault.
I wonder why the Government MPs do not get anything like the same scrutiny?
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2011/11/cruel-irony-partisans-and-the-media/
I thought this was quite a good article, you might get something out of it.
Found Alex’s explanation re the MSM, in his response to this article, chilling but sound.
‘Media that is run on a for profit basis has an interest in turning a profit. If it doesn’t it goes under. To do that it needs money from advertisers –’
summarising with…..
‘Essentially, it is that corporate media will promote corporate interests and this should not come as a surprise to anyone.’
We saw with the News Corp scandal that it goes much further than this simple commercial relationship however.
The moguls of corporate media have a direct interest in growing a direct influence over the levers of politics and authority in society. So you see in the UK that Mps were compromised, civil servants and government consultants were compromised, senior police officers were compromised, the list goes on.
That goes far beyond trying to make extra money from corporate advertisers.
I agree with Alex that the problem with media right-leaning bias is systemic. I recall a lecture by one of my lecturers in London, James Curran:
http://www.gold.ac.uk/media-communications/staff/curran/
The lecture was based on his research into the changes in UK newspapers under Thatcher’s time in government, and he presented a very convincing case. He described how gradually Thatcher influenced the recruitment of Tory-supporting editors to the main news publications.
The result was that the editors also tended to unfluence recruitment of “sympathetic” journalists.
The consequence was that Thatcher didn’t need to try to direct the publications to take particular lines/views. The editors would pre-empt Tory views, estimate what the goverment’s position would be on any issue and then tend to follow it.
I agree with what you are saying but you also do not go far enough.
In the UK politicians had to tow News Corp’s line to stay onside with Murdoch and his newspapers, in order to have any chance of re-election.
The politicians did not lead, the media pushed.
This is not democracy.
Yes, that’s a very good point on News Corp, CV. That’s a later stage in the neoliberal media dominance. Curran’s lecture was in the early-mid 1990s.
The neoliberal shift was the result of multi-pronged intiatives, partly generated via the influence of right wing think tanks, and the influence on teaching of economics in unis.
Not so much a carefully orchestrated conspiracy as a loose network of old boys with similar elitist interests.
A loose network of old boys with a huge precision machinery of corporate money, lawyers, accountants and bankers acting on their behalf. Working through organisations like the World Bank, the IMF, the Federal Reserve etc.
You can’t orchestrate a global transformation of many powerful countries to neoliberalism and massive indebtedness without this high level of co-ordination.
To pick up on your point re MSM scrutiny ianmac: in the past 3 years I can’t recall any sustained criticism in the MSM of anything that Key or his Government have done. This in spite of countless stuff-ups, poor decisions and general bad management.
In a democracy this is remarkable, and very worrying.
The media being right wing is not a conspiracy. It simply stands to reason that there will always be some degree of right wing bias from media organisations that are run on a for-profit basis.
Why? Because they make money from advertising. Getting the most advertising revenue is the sole aim of any of these organisations.
And what do advertisers want? Two things. One, they want a large audience viewing their ads. Two, they want the right sort of audience viewing their ads.
The right sort being the ones with money to spend. In other words, the ones more likely to be right wing in their views.
Any media organisation that wants to make money will always be careful to keep the right wingers happy. And that’s exactly what they do.
I must say I am impressed with Phil Goff’s resilience and courage. Almost every day for months he has been attacked by all the forces the right and the media can throw at him, exemplified by Duncan Garner’s comment on TV3 news on Friday that Key had ‘crucified him’ (although it looked more like Muldoonist bullying to me). Yet, each day he starts again, integrity intact, smiles, and continues on his way, standing up for the ‘ordinary’ NZers.
So if we are looking for a leader who will guide NZ through the rocky years ahead as capitalism collapses without letting the poor suffer even more than now, he could be a very good bet.
Agreed.
Far from the lightweight that he has been made out to be, Goff has risen to the occasion and grown into the job.
I was wrong with my reservations about him. He will make a fine PM. Just as Rowling would have.
Most of us would have a problem responding to bullying from a prancing monkey.
While the Labour Party has focused the election campaign on policies more than National would have liked, the MSM is still focusing attention on Goff vs Key personality politics, even in relation to policies (“show me the money”).
We need to see more of the front row teams in each party, and get on to the nitty gritty of policies, and not spend so much time on Goff and Key swapping insults. But, more importantly, we need to see much more of the minor parties which will probably have key roles in post-election government formation. I was reminded of this when I watched Citizen A with David Slack and Chris Trotter this morning:
http://tumeke.blogspot.com/2011/11/citizen-on-line-now-with-chris-trotter.html
Both Trotter and Slack praised the Greens campaign. More significantly, I was surprised to see Trotter praise 2 leaders I have seen him srtongly criticise in the past. He praised Russel Norman for realising that NZ elections are won and lost in the suburbs, which is where Norman is focusing his camoaign.
And Trotter was very positive about the way Hone Harawira is maturing as a political leader. He particularly mention the clear and eleffective way Hone stated the amount of money needed to help poor families and their children, offsetting it with the amount saved by pulling NZ troops out of Afghanistan.
I see Jon Key will wait until after the election before deciding whether to bring the SAS back.
(RNZ news today.) But its his ‘ expectation’ that other countries might be out by 2014 and a lot depends on that.
Whatever happened to our independent foreign policy? Our sovereignty!!
Is Key a puppet?
Police Public Relations
What people think about the boys in blue is a most important issue being that without good public relations, the Police are unable to do their job properly…
Thought David Cunfliffe was impressive this morning.
Bill English just frittered around the edges with every question and really had no answers.
Yes, it was a gentleman’s debate compared to Key and Goff’s efforts. Not sure if that makes it better, worse or impotent. While I was watching I wondered who the show was targetted at and could only conclude it was for National voters – aloof and comfortable.
I didn’t like Cunliffe saying that National’s policy would work in the short term. Is he unaware that short term success means “there is still time” and that the snatchers will take what they can and not vote for his team? His concern should be for the people who cannot wait another 3 years to start below zero.
David Cunliffe just said on Q+A that Labour will consider the United Future flexi super age policy.
Yes I thought that was interesting, as well as the commitment to transition for those who reach 65 who no longer work at the same rate as super.
Even the hair has good ideas sometimes.
Or has borrowed them.
What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.
As is this quote.
But as usual Espiner was in there interrupting as usual and the Interview with David Parker and Steven Joyce Espiner really showed his true blue colours, bloody sycophant.
Interesting to note that the SST has changed it’s 2011 elections banner at the top of those pages in response to objections that the previous version strongly resembled National party branding and was a breach of election rules.
I am still not that comfortable with it, too much National brand in the stars and the blue, but it is better than it was.
Just goes to show that the MSM needs to be held to account – left to their own devices they do not take their responsibility to be impartial very seriously – but people speaking out can make a difference.
Yeah Chris, call them out.
‘This fine was a payoff to the SEC by Goldman Sachs of about four days’ worth of revenue, and in return they avoided going to court. CEO Lloyd Blankfein apparently not only lied to clients, but to the subcommittee itself on April 27, 2010, when he told lawmakers: “We didn’t have a massive short against the housing market, and we certainly did not bet against our clients.” Yet, they did.’
http://www.nationofchange.org/chris-hedges-speech-front-goldman-sachs-leads-arrest-1320422765
Leo Panitch on Greek crisis and capitalism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs1fok_mowg
“Winston Peters says won’t work with National, or Labour, or the Greens, or the Maori Party.”
Maybe it’s a moot point, but it rules out a possible Labour cobbled coalition option – if Winston is true to his word and he manages to get back in.
Where/when did he say this?
@k8chap Kate Chapman
Winston Peters says won’t work with National, or Labour, or the Greens, or the Maori Party.
@rnzgallery Jane Patterson
Winston peters says if his party makes it back to parliament he wont enter deal with nats or labour
Is it from an interview? TV show? I’d like to see how the greasy old bugger phrased it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5917125/NZ-First-rules-out-working-with-other-parties
Foreclosure firm mocks victims at Halloween party:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/29/1031274/-DISGUSTING:-Fraudclosure-Firm-Mocks-Their-Victims-at-Halloween-Party
Could hardly believe I heard this on the Keiser Report but looked it up – nice one Stacy and Max:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKIUrwvkwjI
Fuck I hope the mills of God grind quickly for the pricks working at Steven J Baum – they are evil personnified.
That’s pretty sick.
Stacy and Max rock!
Duncan Garner – National Hack
A couple of days ago Duncan Garner showed us all what a complete political hack he is in a news broadcast on TV3. Garner claimed that John Key had “crucified” Phill Goff by saying, “show me the money” in a Press Leaders debate held in Christchurch on 2 November…
Garner should hang his head in shame. Political editor? My arse.
Garner, Espiner, Holmes and all the rest are just paid lackeys of their masters whims, chuck a few ‘Editorial guidelines’ about and watch the monkeys dance to the tune. Holmes articles could be written years ago it’s so predictable a few minor tweaks for something recent and leave the rest as is.
They wouldn’t even rate an interview with a serious broadcster let alone get a job as the CV doesn’t contain any journalism just repackaged gov’t spin lines and poor interview technique.
As a senior Oz journo said in dicsussion a few years back ‘what’s going on over there….so much material and they do dick with it…..we live for those kind of opportnities to show what a bunch of chumps we’re paying for….’ I believe the word ‘lynched’ was used when I sought comment over a blinglish styled budget being tabled in Oz.
The media’s support of the National government is worse than blatant, and Fairfax, Mediaworks, and APN, along with TVNZ need to be made accountable for their partisanship, which is more or less on a par with Pravda’s support of the Soviet government.
Im expecting a statue of the “Great Leader ‘ to be erected in Queen St any day now. The Nats completly dominate all the news media and TV so the logical next step is a statue to the great wave and smile.
Yes please PP, something for the crowds to pull to the ground when they finally turn on him.
This article is another Nat PR – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10764176
Actually the statue will have a waving arm and a constant smiling face, even when the pigeons shit on it.
Lol! I can just picture that and so appropriate!
Steve Braunias on John Key … very true, very funny:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/opinion/steve-braunias/5910577/The-Secret-Diary-Of-John-Key
Goff should use that line when Key tries a $11-$17 billion “show me the money” kind of rant again.
When my son was about 8 he was using that sort of argument to avoid heaps of things, but then he grew up. Funny how satire is fundamentally so true.
“Depends on what you mean by done,” says John Key again and again, while Duncan Garner smiles and waves.
The Standard is not linked to the Labour Party so you won’t mind showing this will you:
[actually, we would. we don’t promote that scumbag’s material. Zet]
[lprent: Steve is also already banned until the 27th. I presume that he was linking to that lying dishonest idiot Slater. Perhaps I should extend his ban? ]
How many strikes is Garrett up to now? http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5917547/Former-MP-Garrett-faces-drink-driving-charge
G20: Bill Gates adds his weight to calls for Robin Hood tax
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/03/gates-urges-g20-to-introduce-tobin-tax
National’s Election Hoarding’s 10
A little while ago, National’s State Services Minister Tony Ryall insisted that National has capped, not cut, funding for core public services.
However the State Services Commission’s annual Human Resource Capability Survey (PDF) released last month showed that 959 positions were lost in the past year alone.
Yesterday Tony Ryall said a further $240 million a year could be cut from the public services budget.
Yeah yeah i know, NO PWNING on this site…
…but what else do you call it when Keith Ng tears Brook Sabin and TV3 a new one ?
http://publicaddress.net/onpoint/3-news-exclusive-investigation-newsflash/
haha…fucking classic badass journalisting !!!
Ok, I also make an exception for Keith. There is no other good word for what he usually does.
Ugh- Bryce Edwards on tvnz7 news, gushing about Shonkey and big upping the Nats.
Two sporting references so far, rugby (sigh) one from the interviewer – shame! and then horse race from Bryce – sly reference to first post the post? or just dumbing down from them both?
Piss poor tvnz. Piss poor.
GOLF NEWS
Steve Williams has a few defenders—no surprises who…
Believe it or not, that foul-mouthed, racist golf caddy Steve Williams still has a few defenders. Yes, you guessed it—Williams has been loudly defended all weekend on Auckland’s infamous radio station NewstalkZB—which will come as no surprise to anyone, bearing in mind that NewstalkZB management has defiantly continued to employ out-and-out racists MURRAY DEAKER, PAUL HOLMES, and LEIGHTON SMITH despite their repeated indulgence in the most virulently racist on-air rants.
Saturday, November 6, 2011
All afternoon, NewstalkZB host Willy Lose (AKA Wiwwy Wose) repeatedly informs his listeners (“wistenahs”) that he is utterly mystified that anyone could see anything wrong with Williams’ words. To discuss the matter further, he speaks to Hong Kong-based PGA correspondent NICK
DYE…
WILLY LOSE: Nick, I’d wike your comments pwease. Steve Wiwwiams appawwentwy said “It was my aim to shove it wight up that bwack asshoww.” Do you think it’s too much to weport a wight-hearted comment wike that?
NICK DYE: What do YOU think, Willy? Would YOU say something like that in public?
WILLY LOSE: Ahhhhh… ummmm… no, I wouldn’t.
NICK DYE: Would you say it was all “good fun and banter”?
WILLY LOSE: Hmmmmm. [Long pause.] Do you think theah wiww be sanctions
against him?
NICK DYE: It’s only going to get worse for Steve Williams from here on.
WILLY LOSE: Nick Dye fwom Hong Kong. Thanks vewy much.
NICK DYE: Thank you.
WILLY LOSE: Gosh, what a wot of fuss about a wittaw bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment. I’d wike to heah your views, wistenahs. Wing now on 0800 80 1080. Fouw spare wines…
Sunday November 6, 2011
So, the big question is: Will Murray (“Too many brown faces in rugby”) Deaker see anything wrong with Steve Williams saying he’d like to “shove it up that black asshole”? Well, what do YOU think, readers?….
DEAKER: It’s nothing more than GOSSIP. People just love seeing someone successful in the cart. What would I say to my mate Steve? Well, I would have advised him to apply my three litmus tests before he ever says anything in public. Those three litmus tests are as follows. Number 1: How’s it gonna benefit ME? Number 2: How’s it gonna benefit my family? And number 3: Am I gonna make any MONEY out of it? Those are the three litmus tests, and if you don’t pass them, my advice is to say nothing—because even if you joke light-heartedly like Steve did at this caddies’ dinner in Hong Kong, they’re going to jump all over you.
I tell you what, though: Adam Scott has gone to new heights, the way I look at life. Adam said he’s sticking with Steve, because he’s a top caddy.
[gravely]Make no mistake: the clobbering machine is out to get Steve Williams. [steadily getting angrier] I see that the Daily Mail quoted an “unnamed caddy” as saying: “We knew he was an idiot but we didn’t know he was a racist idiot.” [pausing for effect, snorting loudly through nostrils] If someone is unnamed, you can be sure that the writer is MAKING IT UP. [audibly frothing at the mouth] And I see a quote from an “unnamed official” on the European circuit: “I’m glad he’s not on our circuit.” [long, long pause for effect] Does ANYBODY in their RIGHT MINDS believe there really WAS an unnamed official?
[brightening] Kyla, what deals have you got today with your Bio-Mag?
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Meanwhile, back in the real world, it’s looking bleak for the world’s most notorious bag-boy….
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hAakZH3Vk_Jlp2ztzUYVP_mrzPkQ?docId=CNG.51c99c753539f484b515987a01ad6a9f.5d1
Pressure mounts over Williams’ racial insult
(AFP) – 4 hours ago
SHANGHAI — Pressure was mounting Sunday on the European Tour to investigate caddy Steve Williams after his racial insult aimed at golf legend Tiger Woods caused worldwide revulsion.
Williams sparked outrage when he used a racial slur to refer to former employer Woods after he collected an award during a caddies’ gala dinner at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China on Friday evening. …..
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/at-my-signal-unleash-hell
Probably a bit late now, but the above by Andrew Geddis has a little bit of a go at Bill’s post on the Dunedin occupy movement, and I thought he might like to respond.
Also the legalitites he raises are quite interesting.
How the heck can people still support Steve Williams or Murray Deaker?
How the heck can people still support Steve Williams or Murray Deaker?
Actually, they don’t. Deaker makes a point of loudly supporting anybody who utters racist outbursts or beats up women. A few of the “decent guys” who have enjoyed the truculent support of Deaker are: Paul Holmes, Andy Haden, Robin Brooke, and Tony Veitch.
Deaker’s “support” comes almost entirely from his colleagues at NewstalkZB.
WORLD NEWS
The Playboy of the Western Steppes
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-08/russian-dressed-skeletons-as-dolls/3651320?section=world