Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
Herald and nats gloating about john key betting 50 bucks on the melbourne cup yesterday then go on to say that joyce says no harm proved from sky city deal… herald and key showing a deep understanding of the issues then.
So ‘backbuster’ Veitch returns to the ‘top’ of the stinking pile that is sports radio. Should people be given a second chance? I am all for the possibility of rehabilitation, except few get genuinely offered it in the NZ justice system. It is who you know for this misogynist.
Well, “Veitchy” won’t have to worry about filling Deaker’s boots.
According to “Deaks”, the reason why our sportspeople arent winning enough is because there are too many women teachers in our schools, and they dont keep score at netball matches, etc.
I see a sportsperson dying in his 50’s. Husks of people is what some sports people have become as they get older. And people like Deaks and Veni, vidi, veitchy will sit in their boxes and pass judgment on the heaving masses below like Roman senators at the colosseum. Those who can do, those who can’t exercise their mouths.
Cant comment for Veitch. As for Deaker I applaud his decision to retire and congratulate him on the pleasure he has given lots of sports fans over the 20+ years of his weekly TV show. I watched his final appearance where he replayed his favourite interviews, it seemed to me he gave women equal time, interviewing to some great sports women like Devoy, Roe, Faumoina and others. It was a great show if you are a sports fan. So from me, thank you and go well Deaks.
PS Could he do? He at-least tried, got to his level, and as a consequence had a good handle on his subject. And as a sports interviewer he succeeded admirably, check the ratings.
Ennui, you must be joking. What you have written reminds me of the rubbish that was printed after “Sir” Paul Holmes died; i.e. you have either forgotten or are deliberately repressing what an offensive, racist, and just plain uninformed sports commentator Deaker was.
Your bit about his treatment of women is extremely misleading, given the comments he made and encouraged on his show, and his defiant re-hiring of Boot-boy Veitch.
I’m preparing a retrospective of “Deaks”, which I’ll have up in the next few days.
How much longer are we going to see these establishment guys defending, supporting and promoting guys who are rape culture role models?!!
Veitch back on air; Radio Live defending Tamihere & Jackson (FFS, if the girls were under age it’s statutory rape, whether they were drinking or not! What’s wrong with those guys?!)
And, as Martyn Bradbury posted, the police are quick to jump on the vigilantes, but not so quick to follow up the rape allegations.
I am for rehabilitation but there also need to be consequences. I am involved in sport as my business and change channels if he is on. Actually its when I reacquainted myself with nat radio.
Coming up this week on Al Jazeera 101 East: The promo today talked about NZ’s very high prison stats, and that Maori are majorly over-represented in NZ prisons:
101 East airs each week at the following times GMT: Thursday: 2230; Friday: 0930; Saturday: 0330; Sunday: 1630.
The title: “Locked up Warriors” and the photo with it, indicates they are borrowing from the movie: “Once Were Warriors”.
Too much of what our “Justice” system is doing to Maori and Pasifika under 30 just perpetuates the cycle of crime. The fact that Justice and Corrections are also being asked to try and compensate for the severe failings in our social-economy is also a crime in of itself.
been thinking about Dunners…visited there a few times…bigger city, more scope for employment…interests…less heat…, lotsa’ hills though for a cyclist…and competition for work…sigh…still, it is being discussed. (coulda’ mailed you, but hey…Forgettaboutit! ) 😉
It’s a nice spot and there are definitely opportunities down here, often niche but talent is always appreciated. I think this will be one of the renaissance cities of the 21st century 🙂
Ok. That is triggered from akismet. I removed one layer (cloudflare). But I also changed a few params on the conditional captcha so they’d go to moderation and I could have a look at them.
(of course got to work and immediately ran out of time to look at them. Doing release work. *sigh*)
I was so pleased to see deaker finally go imagine my horror at his replacement. It wasnt a well kept secret. As soon as I heard veitch was on saturday I knew what was coming…
and people wonder why ewe have young men trashing on girls and women. None so blind as those who will not see.
And lest anyone think we’re immune: we have exactly the same definition of terrorism here, and a penalty of life imprisonment for committing a “terrorist act”.
Have just read today’s Bowalley Road post on KiwiAssure in which Chris Trotter argues that caucus is still wobbly.
Two salient quotes-
” In David Cunliffe Labour now has a leader who is willing to be as radical as his party. Significantly, it is the third leg of the tripod – the Labour Caucus – which is visibly wobbling. The KiwiAssure policy is a worrying case in point. Radical in intent, radical in expression, but disappointingly conservative in execution”
“At the conference just concluded a distressingly large number of Labour MPs put on a display of childish pique that bodes very ill for the party’s future.”
Weka, Trotter’s ‘ example’ (?) is a brief critique of the policy around KiwiAssure, and is not too different from some mainstream commentary I’ve read: a quote to save you reading it for yourself 🙁
“the average Labour supporter might well object: “What on earth is the point of a state-owned insurance company that will, in every respect that matters, be indistinguishable from its private sector competitors?”
Given the fate of AMI, that same voter might also ask what would motivate the ordinary Kiwi family to put its faith (not to mention its future financial security) in a state-owned insurer that not even its own creator is willing to stand behind?…”
yep. I wrote similar yesterday. If KiwiAssure relies on the same foreign re-insurers as today’s crop of insurance companies does, and not the sovereign balance sheet and money creation potential of the Crown, then its unfortunately not much more than a front shop being set up.
The NZ Herald editorial on the subject has it 80% right I think.
Yeah. It really skewers the (I thought perfect) example I came up with for why a state insurer would be better than the private ones: people in CHCH are stuck in a fight over liability between the insurers and EQC, where state-owned insurer could just pay the money and do the paperwork later. But if actually the state-owned insurer is just the same as a private one, that potential benefit vanishes.
In plain English you appear to be saying that David Cunliffe is simply being a populist wanker by trotting out ‘the insurance company’ as a flagship Labour policy,
For the reasons given above, especially Cunliffe’s ignorance of the Government’s ability to provide it’s own capital needs as far as spreading of the risk after a major event goes does seem to take more than a little of the gloss of such a firms ownership…
Hes lucky, if he (Cunliffe) had said to me that I’d sell my own mother he’d be tasting my fist but fortunately for Cunliffe John Key doesn’t stoop to that level
Yes I’m sure hes a big man referencing John Keys mother the way he did, just shows the type of person he is really (not that the people on here could ever see that)
Cunliffe could be worse.
He could do a slit-throat gesture towards the opposition while normal humans are getting over the drama that had just played out above them.
I’m looking forward to Labour crushing Trademe too. The fees are too high and it’s just a giant corporate only worried about its shareholders. I’m sure everyone will switch to KiwiTrade to keep them honest.
Same goes with Xero. A billion dollar company once again only pleasing shareholders. KiwiAccounts is another great business Labour could get in to.
Come to mention it, McDonalds is just taking all it’s money overseas. KiwiBurger is something real everyday New Zealanders could afford!
On Campbell Live last night John had an interview with Steven Joyce Re the failing film industry. After the frenetic Simon Bridges and ditto John Key I was surprised that Mr Joyce seemed to listen to the questions (rather long) and answer in reasonably concise manner. Sounded reasonable even though I have a prejudice against the smug Joyce but….
ahhhh yes, Mr Joyce, unable to transfer the subsidies to Warner Bros. to the small end of the film-making industry, yet bending over backwards to the extraction industries, surveys, legislation…
Must think we have cloth for ears and buttons for eyes.
soo Nick Smith on Midday Report is claiming New Zealand import more building materials to address the 30% premium on price New Zealand sourced-materials have over Australian equivalents, and, wait for it, …. for builders to advise customers of kickbacks (rebates) they have received from suppliers. Good Oh, (builders not too chuffed, as rebates relate to bulk supplies not individual specs, and equivalent to sales incentives in other industries and professions ). Will physicians, hairdressers and panel-beaters be required to do the same in the future, in a Totalitarian state near you.
postscript- And the Conservatory missing from the plans? Fletchers.
Or. We can just borrow more to buy more short lived poor quality crap from China.
Then borrow more again in ten years to replace and repair it as we repeat the leaky building saga.
And replace our builders with dodgy cheap untrained foreigners. Oop’s we do that already as most of the good tradesmen have gone to Australia where they get paid. Instead of being limited to peanuts an hour by Fletchers stranglehold on Christchurch..
If you really want to know why building is expensive here, look at the middlemen.
Ask why it costs less to build a house in Oz even though builders earn twice as much.
China will be happy to lend us the money to buy more of their short lived poor quality crap. A happy money go round, as we exhaust our world’s resources on throwaway materials.
It will replace all these nasty multinationals who are poisoning us with their terrible food and taking all the money overseas.
KiwiKai will serve delicious meals approved by every health board, lobby group in the country. Delicious.
Labour will spend 14 million dollars building a website where people can see the menu. Another 9 million on developing fun apps for the iphone and Android ecosystem. Kids will be able to log in and play awesome games that shows them how healthy their dinner will be.
To order, kiwis will just need to file a form 36 working days before they want their awesome takeaways. Orders will be delivered using public transport only.
LOL, don’t worry about a red horse that has obviously kicked itself in the head. It’s clearly lost it’s rider but I’m sure Key will wager a cool 50 bucks on it…
Ever wondered why the labour party is so loudly opposed to apartheid?
Ever wondered why lazy good for nothing maoris and islanders are defended by the labour party?
Ever wondered why the labour party want more Kenyan wogs let into the country?
Ever wondered why the labour party side with the viet cong?
– because they’re soft on niggers
– of any colour – black niggers – brown niggers – yellow niggers
You name it and Norm Kirk will be prostrating himself before them?
Vote National the white man’s party!
“Cunliffe called Key the “Kiwi-spoiler,” someone who had beaten up on Kiwbank when it first started, KiwiSaver, KiwiRail and now KiwiAssure.
Key responded on KiwiBank. Yes it was a good little business.
“I might point out though this it has taken $860 million of taxpayers’ money and it has never paid a dividend in 10 years.”
He challenged Cunliffe to name another bank operating in New Zealand that had an insurance company, and offered insurance on the same property they were lending on.
“They do not do that.”
Cunliffe: “Is he aware that ASB Bank own Tower Insurance? If he is, why is he asking such a stupid question.”
Within minutes of Cunliffe’s comment, National’s research unit – or perhaps a few friends in the insurance industry – had got the message to Key that Cunliffe was wrong.
ASB did not own Tower. They sent the list of owners. Key tried to read through the list.
Eventually Labour’s deputy, David Parker, and possibly the source of his leader’s error, did the honourable thing and acknowledged the error by asking Key: “Has he received any advice that ASB in fact own Sovereign Assurance?”
Key: “Yes it does own Sovereign and let us get to the better bit…Sovereign provides life insurance, and the way [Cunliffe] is going, he will need life insurance.”
if it was not for the reality that Brownlee and Key had to hold up proceedings and bully the speaker to achieve their pyrrhic victory; really PR, is that all you have today, are we to go to bed hungry without any supper?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t KiwiBank been making a profit for the last few years? My understanding was that it’s profits have been helping to prop up NZ Post (which should have always remained a Government department, and certainly should never have had unfair competition forced upon it, whereby it is at a disadvantage because it has statutory social obligations).
Besides that, there’s more to government than making a profit. One of the main purpose of KiwiBank was to introduce government-owned competition into the market to drive down unnecessary fees – something which it has achieved well.
Labour policy- the man ban is merely following Key’s own policy of closely stacking front bench parliamentary seats with women, while banning men to the back and sides. Abbotts man ban policy is significantly problematic as it conflicts with his single woman policy.
The Bruce Jesson talk is on line. Do other people know how to make it easily available.
I haven’t tried but with my expertise I will probably not succeed.
well that’s obscure. You’re that hard up for trumpets to blow that you’ll pucker you lips for a 1-point improvement in the june year public service satisfaction rate?
“A little bit insipid….”
Godawful new Hobbit song fails to impress as Panel plumbs new low The Panel, Radio NZ National, Wednesday 6 November 2013
Paul Brennan, Joe Bennett, Ellen Read
Long-suffering listeners to The Panel have been assailed by some utterly disgusting, insultingly shallow and banal aural dreck over the last eight years. Just off the top of my head, I recall the cruel laughter directed by the likes of Chris Trotter at victims of state repression; the mad anti-democracy rants by Michelle Boag; the snarling attempts at character assassination by Dr Michael “Bonkers” Bassett; the honking hypocrisy of lawyer and former ACT MP Stephen Franks, a spokesman for the knife-loving S.S. Trust, lecturing in tones of heightened gravitas about modern “wickedness”; the halfwitted observations of Nevil “Breivik” Gibson; the insane raving of Christine (Spankin’) Rankin; and the haughty denunciation of “these people” (Egyptians) by Rosemary McLeod.
But, even bearing in mind all of that depravity and mediocrity, I believe that the nadir was reached at 4:45 this afternoon. For some reason, producer Susan Balducci saw fit to play thirty seconds of “I See Fire”, a dire, plodding, tuneless dirge by Ed Sheeran, written for the latest New Zealand taxpayer-funded Peter Jackson snore-fest The Desolation of Smaug. After what seemed like thirty MINUTES of sub-Chris Rea pap, there was an uneasy silence in the studio. Realising that he was expected to say something vaguely supportive about the dog, Joe Bennett showed uncharacteristic restraint and said: “It’s not to my taste.” Not even Ellen Read, who is a diehard supporter of the dodgy deal foisted on the National Government by Warner Bros. that has led to such truly terrible “product”, could work herself up into defending this one. After an uncomfortable pause, she delivered her verdict: “It’s a little bit insipid.”
Susan Baldacci, a little taken aback by the lack of respect for this piece of shit, lamely explained that Sheeran had written the dirge for the end credits—“which is not where they’re going to play a real rocker”. She got no support from Paul Brennan, obviously as appalled as Bennett and Read.
———————-
If, like me, you’ve been of the opinion for the last decade or so that the song Céline Dion sang for Titanic was the worst in the history of the movies, then you may change your mind after you click on THIS…. http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/05/listen-to-ed-sheerans-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-song-i-see-fire-4175112/
“Telling it like it is.” Chris, your loyalty is of the same order as that desperately mugging Hamilton West MP behind Bennett—unstinting and clearly uncritical.
Since you obviously respect her, or pretend to at least, maybe you should tell her that every time she says something cruel or dishonest, she puts on another kilogram.
Its amusing how quickly the left descend to personal attacks when they hear something they don’t like so are you saying theres something wrong with being overweight? That if shes overweight she can’t do her job?
You can attack her policies, her views etc etc but attacking her over her weight is a bit, well desperate really
Women have enough hurdles to overcome (especially in politics) without people like you expecting them to live up to some (probably impossible) body image
I’ll trust you not to take Morrissey as speaking for anyone but his deluded self.
“Deluded”? How so? You’d better explain carefully and clearly why you’re suddenly in Camp Bennett, so as to dispel the impression that you are irresponsible and lazy.
“Thinking Morrisseey [sic] is a deluded fuckwit” does not equal “Supporting Paula Bennett”. Believing those two statements to be equal is to be deluded.
Was that explanation clear enough?
No it was not good enough, as I’m sure you knew perfectly well as you sent that ill-advised, illogical message of support for our struggling friend into the blogosphere. You foolishly decided to back a surefire loser by coming in behind felix’s indolent exercise in abuse. I advise you to desist from this path, my flocculent friend; we all know you never prosper in these exchanges.
Cancel that nasty message I posted about you being untrustworthy; your gracious admission of defeat shows you are indeed the gallant we always suspected you were.
…your comment is getting awfully close to saying you *wned someone…
This is very awkward. I receive a gracious concession by my friend and occasional adversary felix. I try to behave like a gentleman, and acknowledge his good manners—and I find I’ve blundered into another minefield.
Lower down this thread, two more people have coyly rolled their eyes in the submission posture; I have also politely saluted their good manners. Could you explain how that makes me the one in the wrong here?
It is pretty simple. Claiming victory in an environment where the best that can be hoped for is “..agree to disagree..” merely starts flamewars of the na-nah-de-dah type that are so common when you listen to the playgrounds of primary schools. One side claims “victory” / “owns” / “pwned” and resolutely holds to that. The other sides pour derision. And it escalates….
Eventually I have to wander to crack heads as the shrill screaming of the children disturbs the adults and they start to defend their offspring..In fact school sports matches often descend into this.
I find that grabbing the first person to claim victory and exiling them for some time works wonders at reducing my workload. Which is of course my primary motivation. My secondary is that I don’t have to read the boring squealing.
So argue all that you like. But to try to claim victory without a very explicit statement from the other person (something that I see maybe 5 times a year here) and you will find this is a very dangerous business. Start gloating and (as you say it) you find the site becomes a minefield…
(Friendly warning, my friend: check carefully who you go into temporary alliances with. The fellow you shared a little joke with just now is not someone you can trust.)
But Chris I bet all those staving beneficiaries are finding it hard to take instruction from someone who can’t even control how much she puts in her mouth.
Not impressed, Morrissey. This week a lot of women are really finding it tough in the face of a lot of abusive, gender-loaded stuff flying about. In this context, your attempt at laddish (or is it pseudo-laddish) humour is just plain nasty.
I cannot support a service when they are incapable of stringing facts together to prevent people from being dismissed when a serious crime has occurred.
Is there something wrong in NZ in how those who investigate rape are being trained and supervised?
But out of respect for the victim and her family Police are unable to discuss this particular situation any further, however the victim’s complaint is still part of the continuing investigation and should new supporting evidence come to light as part of the ongoing enquiry , the decision in this case not to prosecute will be reviewed.
+ 1 Yep all a big lie from start to finish – the lying fucks – meanwhile how many young women and girls have suffered because of our police? How many? Fucken bastards those police that sat on this shit.
Hard not to be thinking about Louise Nicholas at this point. Both because of the culture within in the NZ Police that she exposed (the word misogynistic seems entired inadequate), and because of the amount of work she did to change rape culture in NZ. The difference in dialogue now compared to then is huge.
Fuck the police.
I’m in the wrong part of the country for this, but I wish someone would organise a national day of action and solidarity. Can’t help but feel there is an opportunity here to make some real change.
Good idea weka about the day of action – hard to organise from Mohua but we will be marching on that day for sure. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Louise Nicholas – she is a hero in my eyes. I hope things change – but I am feeling rage at the moment, rage that the police whom we entrust have let those young women and girls down so badly. I expect deeper and worse revelations on this one.
There’s one already jailed for hiding police rape. Dewar. Probably paroled by now. Living quite nicely on a handsome super somewhere like Little Waihi or Wanaka.
Like the one who proved to be Teina Poara’s evil angel.
“Would it help if I pointed a house out Teina…….?”
We could have a trial by judges if the fucking useless police did their fucking jobs.
But they don’t seem to want to when it comes to rape for some reason, so trial by media it is, until the fucking police, start to do, their fucking job.
Porcine references-wise, pigs get a bad rap. Cops, on the other hand, are often assholes. I think Anne’s link above is really the coup de grace. Asking the 13 y/o to re-enact with mannequins? Oyy… nk
Anyway, as far as I see it, at least as the 13 y/o complainant is concerned, they don’t need much beyond the act of penetration and the admission of having done so by 1 or more of these guys to secure a conviction for sexual conduct with someone under the age of 16. Of course, if these videos that were posted online actually do exist, they would assist the evidential matrix.
No doubt the boys will be lawyered up with the likes of Paul Mabey QC and whoever the spiritual successor to John Haigh is pretty quickly, and various girls involved will end up being subject to a lengthy defended hearing or hearings and humiliating cross-examination. Maybe just me but perhaps some sort of ADR might be more fruitful for the girls and their families?
What ever arse wipe, the only one around here who’d be acting like a pig would be you,squealing away while your socialist mates root you up the jacksey.
Come on bud whats with this pigs shit.
The vast majority of people gave that wankery up once they hit their 20’s, what are you 50+?, to be carry on like some teenager is pretty fucking tragic.
Hi Fender, somehow I don’t think that BM’s limited set of intellectual skills includes self-awareness or consistency. Still, as a toy, he’s fun to play with.
Defending our lawful rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically-accountable’ local government:
I have been granted ‘speaking rights’ at the ‘ public input section of the 7 November Governing Body meeting commencing at 10.00am in the Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall’.
” You will be allocated five minutes in total to speak on the following subjects:
· The apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, failure to address the increased risk of money-laundering in the Auckland Council submission on the International Convention Centre Bill.
· Potential consequences if Auckland Council fails to uphold the RULE OF LAW regarding the statutory requirement under the Public Records Act 2005 s.17.
· Perceived ‘conflicts of interest’ in the ‘inquiry’ into the conduct of Mayor Len Brown.”
‘Open Letter’ request for speaking rights at the Auckland Council Governing Body meeting to be held on Thursday 7 November 2013 at 10am at the Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall:
Good afternoon …….,
I would like to address the Auckland Council Governing Body meeting to be held on Thursday 7 November 2013, at 10am at the Auckland Town Hall, in ‘Public forum’.
My subject matter will be:
1) The apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, failure to address the increased risk of money-laundering in the Auckland Council submission on the International Convention Centre Bill, as outlined in the following Regulatory Impact Statement:
2) Potential consequences if Auckland Council fails to uphold the RULE OF LAW regarding the statutory requirement under the Public Records Act 2005 s.17
(1)Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
(2) Every public office must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all public records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act or required by or under another Act.
(3) Every local authority must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all protected records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act.
3) Perceived ‘conflicts of interest’ in the ‘inquiry’ into the conduct of Mayor Len Brown.
ie: The fact that Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay, Ernst and Young and Nigel Morrison (CEO of Sky City) are all members of the unelected, very powerful private lobby group – the Committee for Auckland, who arguably are not unhappy with the performance of Mayor Len Brown.
“Based on information revealed tonight on the way underage sexual violation case has been handled, we will be referring it to the IPCA.” – Jacinda Ardern.
I half expect them to say that only police actions can be complained about, and they didn’t take any in this case. As far as not treating the case any differently because one of their sons was involved – how would they have acted if one of the 13 year old girls was one of their daughters?
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A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 17 through Sat, May 23, 2020Editor's ChoiceMore than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areasA man salvages items from ...
Two poor political polls within the same week had seen National for the first time in over a decade dropping major support in the face of a competent and assured COVID-19 health response from the Coalition government. Step forward the relatively unknown Todd Muller, who by Friday afternoon had secured ...
SUNDAY MAY 24The Luminaries (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). There are an awful lot of indeterminate accents in The Luminaries; even lead Eve Hewson seems undecided about being Irish, and she is Irish. Fair play, accents can go badly wrong, so perhaps not over-egging was a consideration. Marton Csokas, always impeccable, and Himesh Patel ...
Let’s be honest; Simon Bridges was a disaster of a political leader. If he wasn’t attempting to criticise the Government’s perfectly good policy initiatives that the public generally supported, he was fudging his lines after getting caught out in yet another lie. When Jami-Lee Ross said Bridges “is a flawed individual ...
The media treat budgets as bit of a circus: lots of theatre and soon forgotten. For a serious economist they show how a team of economists is thinking about the wider economy. The 2020 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) was the most difficult forecasting exercise in the history of ...
Air NZ shed 1,300 workers, Fletchers about to sack 1000. Economists Strateg.Ease predict over 12,400 jobs gone by March next year in central Auckland alone. Here’s Don Franks during the 2008 election campaign when he stood for the Workers Party. He’s talking about fightback strategies, ideas that he believes are ...
One of these MPs is the new leader of the National party. Can you pick which? (Source: Office of the Clerk/Parliamentary Service) National has chosen its new leader, and as expected, it is an old bald white man. Totally representative of modern New Zealand, then. But its not ...
Five years ago, Know Your Stuff didn't have a name. They were just a group of people from the festival community who began testing party drugs onsite because they'd seen the consequences of people taking substances they couldn't identify or didn't understand. They didn't want to see people in their ...
Last week, an article on Newsroom made it clear how the funder / provider split - a core part of our public service - was used to enable underfunding. The government holds the purse strings, but dumps responsibility for its decisions on providers, so they get the blame for poor ...
Dr Jaijus Pallippadan-Johny1, Dr John McDermott2, Rodney Jones1 and Michael Duddin1 (1 Wigram Capital Advisors, Auckland; 2Motu Economic and Policy Research, Wellington)In this blog, we introduce our modelling approach to estimating the transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. We demonstrate the usefulness of ...
The Illusions Of Power: Does Jacinda Ardern, like Abraham Lincoln, wake in the dark watches of the night still enveloped in the terrors of life-and-death decision-making? Maybe – maybe not. She’s a twenty-first century prime minister, not so susceptible, perhaps, to the deep religious feeling and romanticism that was such ...
Well, that seals it. The supposedly more National sympathetic One News-Colmar Brunton poll has tonight delivered Simon Bridges’ National Party a worst result than the Newshub-Reid Research three days agoi.On tonight’s numbers Labour sits at an “unprecedented” 59 percent, while National has slumped 17 percent to 29 percent. Anything in ...
The National Party are quite simply a party out of time…Literally, insofar as the 2020 Election is concerned, and certainly in terms of their ideological positioning which has grown far more trenchantly extreme in the last few years in particular, under the leadership of both Simon Bridges, and Paula ...
If tonight’s 1News-Colmar Brunton poll result is anywhere near the 31% recorded in Monday’s Newshub-Reid Research poll, Simon Bridges will surely be dog tucker when his caucus colleagues meet tomorrow to vote on the National Party leadership. The momentum is with newcomer Todd Muller, who seems likely to be installed ...
At last year's Splore festival Listening Lounge sessions, one of the most popular discussions was the one on psychedelic therapy. So for this year's festival, I brought back two of the participants from that panel – Dr Will Evans and Amadeus Diamond – and was delighted to be able to ...
The government is reportedly looking at "helicopter money" - giving cash directly to people to spend - as a way of stimulating the economy in the wake of the pandemic. But its not just central government: Palmerston North City Council is looking at the same thing, though on a much ...
Mahmoud Elkhodr, CQUniversity AustraliaNew Zealanders finally have access to the government’s new tracing app to help people monitor their movements as lockdown continues to ease. As businesses can now open, the NZ COVID Tracer app allows people to keep a register of the places they visit. This “digital diary” ...
Eyes Left! On the face of it, the election of Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye is a no-brainer. New Zealanders are clearly in no mood for a “dirty little street-fighter” and, if the polls are any indication, resent strongly Bridges’ implication that they are. To be at all competitive with ...
Tahu Kukutai, University of Waikato; Helen Moewaka Barnes, Massey University; Tim McCreanor, Massey University, and Tracey McintoshAs schools and businesses reopen and attention shifts to the longer-term repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that Māori be involved in decision making more equitably than has so far happened. ...
Dane Giraud from The Free Speech Coalition talks with Redline writer and editor Daphna Whitmore on cancel culture, gender ideology, postmodernism and irrationalism. They look at the free speech implications of issues like the Twitter mob, the Government’s proposed emergency police powers, and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Free Speech interview ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzAlmost every threat to modern humanity can be traced simply ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee is holding an inquiry into the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 which was rushed through Parliament last week, and has called for submissions. Submissions are due by Sunday, 28 June 2020. You can either submit online through the form above, or by posting dead ...
While the world is currently struggling with the pandemic, we have another crisis to deal with as well: climate change. Fortunately, not everyone has forgotten about it, with Spain announcing ambitious plans to go net-zero by 2050: Under the law, which still needs to be approved by Parliament, the government ...
Children used in this study were from Lintingkou town (a normal-fluoride/control area) and Dakoutun town (a high-fluoride area) in Baodi district of Tianjin, China. The towns are 25 km apart. Anti-fluoridation activists on ...
When we see how the pandemic is being handled in the rest of the world, we can thank our lucky stars that we live here, in New Zealand, and under our current government, led by Jacinda Ardern. The latest polls suggest that this is exactly how Kiwis feel. But the ...
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Sophie Febery, Dr Ling Chan, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael BakerThe concepts of an Alert Level system, household “bubbles”, and social event size limits are all valuable pandemic control measures. Nevertheless, better “source control” of COVID-19 at various Alert Levels by requiring masks in ...
This is a repost from the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund blog, by CSLDF Executive Director Lauren Kurtz The COVID-19 pandemic illuminates the crucial role scientists at university, state, and local laboratories in the United States and abroad play in protecting public health and safety—and shows that global research must be done ...
Arguments by religious folk that they are being discriminated against under the Level 2 pandemic restrictions in NZ, which limit church services to ten people or less when schools, restaurants, malls and other service outlets are allowed to host many more people under voluntary self-distancing protocols, got me to think ...
Now that the initial wave has passed, and we are (hopefully) safe in our national bubble, the government is thinking about how to keep the economy ticking over, and how to salvage the bits (like tourism) that are now useless. And for that particular industry, she has mentioned a great ...
There’s been a lot of conjecture concerning the reasons behind the National Party’s fall to 30% in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll. Some commentators have correctly ascertained that the current leader, Simon Bridges, has been consistently getting his tone wrong! Others believe that the shift in support is all about ...
It probably was too good to last. The blessed peace on the roads that I wrote about here began eroding even before we left Level 4 of the Covid-19 restrictions – and on day one of Level 3, with the tradies rushing to catch upon their work, the double-cab utes ...
Missing From The Electoral Action: The radical Left's last forlorn hope, the "Missing Million", is generally despised by mainstream New Zealand and mistrusted by the respectable members of their own communities. They have moved well beyond the reach of conventional electoral politics.TO SAY the Left’s reaction to Grant Robertson’s “Recovery ...
by Don Franks As we face new unknowns against Covid 19, there’s something reassuring about level 2’s basic rules. “Physical distancing- keep your distance when out and about. Two metres in public and in retail stores, like supermarkets. One metre in most other environments like workplaces, cafes, restaurants, and gyms.” ...
Richard Shaw, Massey UniversityOnce upon a very different time, British cabinet minister Michael Gove sneered that “people have had enough of experts from organisations with acronyms saying that they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong.” But that was then and this is now. One or two ...
From its name, you would think the Environmental protection Authority was there to protect the environment. But we've had another reminder that nothing could be further from the truth, with its decision to allow a toxic, burned-out Korean fishing boat to be dumped at sea: The ship's owner, Dong Won ...
Story of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... The Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Finds Itself on Increasingly ...
It was just a month ago that the chief executive of Rotorua Lakes Council, Geoff Williams, described suggestions his executive team should consider taking pay cuts as “immoral”. Williams told the NZ Herald: “I am very fortunate to have around me an extremely committed, dedicated and hardworking executive team who ...
“Every day, we see the powers that promulgate laws that oblige one to take certain routes and [those] that do not follow these indications or do not want them to be part of their legislation, are accused and politely persecuted” – Pope Francis What does the Government’s decision to limit ...
In a previous post I noted that futures thinking usually tries to identify what people think will change and what they think needs to change. As lockdown constraints ease, we are seeing a lot of opinions about both. There is no shortage of shovel ready points of view ...
And so it came pass that a great plague swept the face of all the Earth. Some say it came from the East, others say it came from gloomy caverns of the bat or jungles of the civet. From whence it came, who can say? But come it did.In the ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 10 through Sat, May 16, 2020Editor's ChoiceThese 6 books explore climate change science and solutionsRecent books about climate change tackle science and offer visions of the ...
How radical or transformative is Grant Robertson’s 2020 Budget? Opinions are divided over this week’s landmark economic package. Some are viewing the big spend as a return to traditional Labour – or even socialist – politics, while others see it as “business as usual”, albeit on a grander scale. Seeing ...
Recent reports have surfaced that hospital officials in some US localities are inflating the CV-19 death count by classifying anyone who dies in their care who is not the victim of an accident or other obvious non-viral cause as a CV-19 victim. Apparently this is because the US public health ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield at their daily media briefings make a point of publicly thanking different groups of essential workers. Cleaners, supermarket workers, caregivers and others have been singled out for their crucial role in keeping Aotearoa New Zealand functioning during the pandemic. Indeed, ...
Sufficient Leverage? Years of underfunding and down-scaling, and countless restructurings, have routinely wiped away decades of institutional memory. Grant Robertson's 2020 Budget has engaged the levers of government action - but do they still work?THE FINANCE MINISTER would appear to have pulled hard on every economic lever he could find. ...
The Green Party has begun the process for a Select Committee inquiry into student accommodation, which has been exposed during COVID-19 as an under-regulated sector that straddles students with unfair debt. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Megan Woods, Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Hon Dr David Clark, Minister of Health Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, and Health Minister David Clark today announced a COVID-19 vaccine strategy, ...
Budget 2020 is about rebuilding together, supporting jobs, getting business moving and the books back into the black. It’s an integral part of our COVID-19 economic response, and our plan to grow our economy and get New Zealand moving again.Here’s a quick look at the five top things you ...
The Coalition Government has approved $206 million in essential upgrades at Ōhakea Air Base. Defence Minister Ron Mark said the money would be spent on improving old infrastructure. He said safety issues would be addressed, as well as upgrades to taxiways, accommodation and fresh, storm and waste water systems. "This ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First “I am not persisting with this case just for myself, but for all people who have had their privacy breached. Privacy of information is a cornerstone of our country’s democracy. Without it our society truly faces a bleak future. We now ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones has introduced a Bill to Parliament that he says will "force more transparency, integrity and respect" for the domestic wood-processing sector through the registration of log traders and practice standards. The Forests (Regulation of Log Traders and Forestry Advisers) Amendment Bill had its first reading in ...
Green MP Golriz Ghahraman is joining over 300 lawmakers from around the world in calling on the big banks and the IMF to forgive the debt of developing countries, in the wake of the COVID crisis. ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones says concerns that carbon foresters are planting pine trees that will never be harvested are the result of "misinformation". "The billion tree strategy is an excellent idea, unfortunately from time to time it's tainted by misinformation spread by the National Party or their grandees, hiding in scattered ...
The Green Party welcomes funding in the budget to reunite more refugees with their families, ensuring they have the best chance at a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
This year’s Budget is about rebuilding New Zealand together in the face of COVID-19. Jobs are central to how we’re going to do that.There’s a lot of targeted investment for employment in this year’s Budget, with announcements on creating new jobs, training people for the jobs we have, and supporting ...
Speaking to Stuff's Coronavirus NZ podcast, Foreign Minister Winston Peters revealed China tried to dissuade New Zealand from going into lockdown.“Without speaking out of turn, they wanted a discussion as to why we were doing it, because they thought it was an overreaction,” Mr Peters told Stuff’s Coronavirus NZ podcast.He also ...
The Coalition Government is making changes to the Overseas Investment Act to ensure New Zealand assets don't fall into the hands of foreign ownership in the economic aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Associate Minister of Finance David Parker announced the Act will be amended to bring forward a national interest ...
A quick start to a trans-Tasman bubble could see the tourism industry make a swift recovery, according to Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. "I believe tourism will turn around dramatically faster than people think," Mr Peters told reporters after Thursday's Budget. "Why? Because I think the Tasman bubble is [going ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Please check against deliveryhttps://vimeo.com/418303651 Budget 2020: Jobs, Business and Balance Introduction Acknowledgements to all Cabinet colleagues, and party ministers Tracey Martin, Shane Jones and Ron Mark, Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau and to caucus colleagues. Thank you for your support, your ...
The 2020 Budget includes significant support to stabilise New Zealand’s family violence services, whose work has been shown to be so essential throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. ...
The Green Party says huge new investment in public and transitional housing will get thousands more families into the warm, safe homes they deserve. ...
The Green Party says the $1.1 billion environmental investment in this year’s budget to create thousands of green jobs will help jump start a sustainable recovery from the COVID crisis. ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said today the Coalition Government told foreigners at the start of the Covid-19 crisis that if their circumstances had changed dramatically, they should go home. "And 50,000 did," Mr Peters said. Official advice to Cabinet revealed there is potentially 380,000 foreigners and migrant workers in ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First welcomes the decision today to go to Alert Level 2 from midnight Wednesday, says Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters. Alert Level 2 will mean a return to work for the vast majority of New Zealand’s businesses. A return ...
Nurses now look set to get more protection from violence at work, under a proposed new law.This after NZ First MP Darroch Ball's "Protection for First Responders Bill", which introduces a six-month minimum sentence for assaults on first responders, will now also cover emergency department healthcare workers. The ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Law and Order Spokesperson An amendment to the ‘Protection of First Responders Bill’ is being tabled which will see emergency department healthcare workers included in the legislation. “During this COVID-19 crisis we have seen reports of violence and specifically increased incidents of spitting towards ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is breathing new life into the proposal to move Auckland's port to Whangārei to help in the economic recovery post Covid-19 pandemic.If New ZealandFirst was returned in the September general election, Minister Jones said a priority would be development of an "economic haven" at Northport, ...
The plan to build a memorial to the SS Ventnor, and those who were lost when it sank off the Hokianga coast in 1902, has been granted $100,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund.Originally planned for a site near Rāwene cemetery, the memorial will now be built at the new Manea ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First LeaderLeader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters said: “Today is the 75th anniversary of VE Day – marking the end of World War II in Europe."Millions died in the six years of war, and families were torn apart. 75 years ...
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has committed to providing calm, clear, and consistent communication, including regular press conference updates from the Prime Minister. While New Zealand is at Alert Level 3, we're making sure that New Zealanders are kept informed and up-to-date with all the latest ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay. A day earlier, National Party leader Simon Bridges was on the radio show and referred to the Deputy Prime Minister as, "my sweetheart Winston". Mr Peters swiftly dismissed the question of whether Bridges had changed his mind about ...
The Ministry of Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa have agreed to settle the pay equity claim for teacher aides, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This will see more than 22,000 teacher aides, mostly women, being valued and paid fairly for the work they do. “Teacher aides are frontline ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have marked the first anniversary of the New Zealand-Singapore Enhanced Partnership with a virtual Leaders’ Meeting today. The Enhanced Partnership, signed on 17 May 2019, provides the framework for cooperation across the four main areas of trade, defence and ...
On 17 May 2019, New Zealand and Singapore established an Enhanced Partnership to elevate our relations. The Enhanced Partnership – based on the four pillars of trade and economics, security and defence, science, technology and innovation, and people-to-people links – has seen the long-standing relationship between our countries strengthen over the ...
State-Owned Enterprises Minister Winston Peters has welcomed KiwiRail’s announcement that it is seeking a preferred shipyard to build two new rail-enabled ferries for the Cook Strait crossing. “This Government is committed to restoring rail to its rightful place in New Zealand. Bigger, better ships, with new technology are yet another ...
Better protection for seabirds is being put in place with a new National Plan of Action to reduce fishing-related captures, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The National Plan of Action for Seabirds 2020 outlines our commitment to reduce fishing-related captures and associated seabird ...
Almost $1 billion in interest-free loans for small businesses More than 55,000 businesses have applied; 95% approved Average loan approx. $17,300 90% of applications from firms with ten or fewer staff A wide cross-section of businesses have applied, the most common are the construction industry, accommodation providers, professional firms, and ...
Thousands of children will have healthier lungs after the Government’s ban on smoking in cars with kids becomes law, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. This comes after the third reading of Smoke-free Environments (Prohibiting Smoking in Motor Vehicles Carrying Children) Amendment Bill earlier today. “This law makes it ...
The special Epidemic Response Committee (ERC) has successfully concluded its role, Leader of the House Chris Hipkins said today. The committee was set up on 25 March by the agreement of Parliament to scrutinise the Government and its actions while keeping people safe during levels 4 and 3 of lockdown. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced four diplomatic appointments: New Zealand’s Ambassador to Belgium, High Commissioners to Nauru and Niue, and Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. “As the world seeks to manage and then recover from COVID-19, our diplomatic and trade networks are more important than ever,” Mr Peters said. “The ...
New Zealanders will be better protected from online harm through a Bill introduced to Parliament today, says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “The internet brings many benefits to society but can also be used as a weapon to spread harmful and illegal content and that is what this legislation targets,” ...
New Zealand’s world-first plan to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis is on track the latest technical data shows, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “Two years ago the Government, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand and industry partners made a bold decision to go hard and commit ...
Further support for New Zealanders affected by 1-in-100 year global economic shock 12-week payment will support people searching for new work or retraining Work programme on employment insurance to support workers and businesses The Government today announced a new temporary payment to support New Zealanders who lose their jobs due ...
The Provincial Growth Fund will play a vital role in New Zealand’s post-COVID-19 recovery by creating jobs in shorter timeframes through at least $600 million being refocused on projects with more immediate economic benefits, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The funding is comprised of repurposed Provincial Growth ...
Government exempts some home improvements from costly consents Homeowners, builders and DIYers will soon have an easier time making basic home improvements as the Government scraps the need for consents for low-risk building work such as sleep-outs, sheds and carports – allowing the construction sector to fire back up quicker ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says the New Zealand Government has reacted with concern at the introduction of legislation in China’s National People’s Congress relating to national security in Hong Kong. “We have a strong interest in seeing confidence maintained in the ‘one country, two systems’ principle under which Hong ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, says the theme for the 2020 Samoa Language Week is a perfect fit for helping our Pacific communities cope with the unfolding COVID-19 crisis, and to prepare now for the journey ahead as New Zealand focuses on recovery plans and rebuilding New ...
A nearly 40-year programme to protect one of New Zealand’s most critically endangered birds is paying off, with a record number of adult kakī/black stilt recently recorded living in the wild, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. “Thanks to the team effort involved in the Department of Conservation’s ...
The story of the Waikato-Tainui Treaty process and its enduring impact on the community is being told with a five-part web story launched today on the 25th anniversary of settlement, announced Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni. “I am grateful to Waikato-Tainui for allowing us to help capture ...
Taita College in the Hutt Valley will be redeveloped to upgrade its ageing classrooms and leaky roofs, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “The work is long overdue and will make a lasting difference to the school for generations to come,” Chris Hipkins said. “Too many of our schools are ...
The Government is allocating $36.72 million to projects in regions hard hit economically by COVID-19 to keep people working, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Projects in Hawke’s Bay, Northland, Rotorua and Queenstown will be funded from the Government’s $100 million worker ...
A $35m boost to financial capability service providers funded by MSD will help New Zealanders manage their money better both day to day and through periods of financial difficulty, announced Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni. “It’s always been our position to increase support to key groups experiencing or at risk ...
Dunedin barrister Melinda Broek has been appointed as a District Court Judge with Family Court jurisdiction to be based in Rotorua, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Ms Broek has iwi affiliations to Ngai Tai. She commenced her employment in 1996 with Scholefield Cockroft Lloyd in Invercargill specialising in family and ...
The Coalition Government has approved a business case for $206 million in upgrades to critical infrastructure at Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Ohakea, with the first phase starting later this year, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. The investment will be made in three phases over five years, and ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today released the Ministry of Transport’s review of the organisational culture at the Civil Aviation Authority. Phil Twyford says all employees are entitled to a safe work environment. “I commissioned this independent review due to the concerns I had about the culture within the CAA, and ...
Ensuring that Stats NZ’s direction and strategy best supports government policy decisions will be a key focus for a new Governance Advisory Board announced today by the Minister for Statistics, James Shaw. The new Governance Advisory Board will provide strategic advice to Stats NZ to ensure it is meeting New ...
Environment Judge David Kirkpatrick of Auckland has been appointed as the Principal Environment Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Judge Kirkpatrick was appointed an Environment Judge in February 2014. From December 2013 to July 2016 he was Chair of the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel. Prior to appointment he ...
A programme to connect marae around the country to the internet has received $1.4 million to expand to include urban marae in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Kris Faafoi and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. The funding for the Marae Connectivity Programme ...
The Government will provide $500,000 to the Hawke’s Bay Mayoral Drought Relief Fund to help farmers facing one of the worst droughts in living memory, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “Yesterday afternoon I received a letter from Hawke's Bay's five local Government leaders asking me to contribute to the Fund. ...
Budget 2020 provides a major investment in New Zealand’s documentary heritage sector, with a commitment to leasing a new Archives Wellington facility and an increase in funding for Archives and National Library work. “Last year I released plans for a new Archives Wellington building – a purpose-built facility physically connected ...
Government Ministers are asking significant private enterprises to adopt prompt payment practices in line with the state sector, as a way to improve cashflow for small businesses. The Ministers of Finance, Small Business, Commerce and Consumer Affairs have written to more than 40 significant enterprises and banking industry representatives to ...
Maori Arts and Crafts will continue to underpin the heart of the tourism sector says Minister for Maori Development Nanaia Mahuta. “That’s why we are making a core investment of $7.6 million to Te Puia New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, over two years, as part of the Government’s ...
The Government is funding more pathways to jobs through training and education programmes in regional New Zealand to support the provinces’ recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson have announced. “New Zealand’s economic recovery will be largely driven by ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has announced the launch of a national conversation that aims to find out whether New Zealanders think there should be a formal agreement between service people, the Government, and the people of New Zealand. “This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World ...
The Government’s drive to improve the quality of early childhood education (ECE) is taking another step forward with the reintroduction of a higher funding rate for services that employ fully qualified and registered teachers, Education Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. “Research shows that high-quality ECE can improve young people’s learning ...
The Sport and Recreation sector will receive a multi-million dollar boost as part of the COVID-19 response funded at Budget 2020. Grant Robertson says the Sport and Recreation Sector contributes about $5 billion a year to New Zealand’s GDP and employs more than 53,000 people. “Sport plays a significant role ...
A major increase in funding and availability of support will improve the incomes and reduce the pressure on 14,000 caregivers looking after more than 22,000 children. Children’s Minister Tracey Martin says that caregivers – all those looking after someone else’s children both in and outside the state care system – ...
Vital conservation and visitor infrastructure destroyed by a severe flood event in Fiordland earlier this year is being rebuilt through a $13.7 million Budget 2020 investment, announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “This investment will mean iconic Great Walks such as the Routeburn track and the full length of ...
The Government is investing $40 million in a partnership with Māori to get more whānau into warm, dry and secure accommodation, Associate Minister for Housing (Māori Housing) Hon Nanaia Mahuta says.. “We are partnering with Māori and iwi to respond to the growing housing crisis in the wake of COVID-19. ...
Keeping New Zealanders safe in the water Our lifeguards and coastguards who keep New Zealanders safe in the water have been given a funding boost thanks to the 2020 Budget, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Poto Williams has announced. The water safety sector will receive $63 million over ...
The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020, which set a sound legal framework ahead of the move to Alert level 2, has been referred to a parliamentary select committee for review. Attorney-General David Parker said the review of the operation of the COVID-19 specific law would be reported back to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University In the expansion of its iron ore mine in Western Pilbara, Rio Tinto blasted the Juukan Gorge 1 and 2 – Aboriginal rock shelters dating ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Climie, Exercise Physiologist and Research Fellow, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute In Australia, more than 1.1 million people currently have type 2 diabetes. A host of potential complications associated with the disease mean a 45-year-old diagnosed with type 2 diabetes will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Adams, Postdoctoral Biomedical Engineering Researcher, Deakin University During the frenzy of the past few months to secure resources for the fight against COVID-19, the demand for technologies that promise to detect symptomatic individuals has been sky-high. However, not all proposed solutions ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brooke Collins-Gearing, Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle Review: The Beach, created and directed by Warwick Thornton Watching Warwick Thornton’s The Beach is a journey into place and self. It made me want to breathe deeper and smell the salty air. It made ...
“The Government is undermining democracy by progressing 15 bills in the space of just 17 hours,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Government has put Parliament into urgency this evening and asked it to consider 15 pieces of legislation ...
By RNZ News New opposition National leader Todd Muller is backing his front bench, saying he chose the shadow cabinet line-up on merit and talent. While three out of National’s top four ranked MPs are women, there are no Māori MPs on the front bench, or of any other ethnicity. ...
Civil society and tech industry stakeholders are split over a provision in new legislation that would grant the Government the ability to filter the internet. ...
National Party leader, Todd Muller. Is Todd Muller the Ned Flanders of the National Party? This is how he’s been characterised by political commentator Gordon Campbell, who suggests the change in leadership is, in Simpsons terms, akin to swapping the scary and cruel Monty Burns for Homer Simpson’s compassionate ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Sweden reverting to type. Chart by Keith Rankin. Australia happy to spend foreigners’ savings (someone has to do it!). Chart by Keith Rankin. 1980s: Sweden like New Zealand and Australia Sweden in the 1980s, financially speaking, looked something like New Zealand and Australia. It ...
Tensions flared over race relations again today at Parliament, with National MP Judith Collins saying questions about treaty partnership and government procurement were "stupid". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Quinn, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University A new trial has begun in Victoria this week to evaluate a potential vaccine against COVID-19. The vaccine is called NVX-CoV2373 and is from a US biotech company, Novavax. ...
Pacific Media Watch Six South Pacific journalists have been awarded grants by the Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) to strengthen environmental reporting in the region, reports Internews. The awardees include three Fiji journalists – Mai TV journalist and chief executive Stanley Simpson, who hosts the investigative current affairs programme Simpson@Eight, ...
Immigration regulations newly-introduced by Government that applications from migrants trapped offshore with valid work visas need clearance through a Lead Agency (Government Dept responsible for a specific industry) are nothing but a political whitewash,” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle The Jerusalem District Court has ruled that Malka Leifer is fit to stand trial on charges of child sexual abuse. This is a significant ruling in a very long ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elspeth Tilley, Associate Professor of English (Expressive Arts), Massey University You’re walking on a public footpath when a jogger overtakes you from behind, well inside the recommended two-metre physical distance. What to do? By the time you’ve reacted it’s too late. Just ...
Last night New Zealand witnessed one of the most exhilarating, confronting political stories to air on national television. Hayden Donnell has watched it several hundred times. Newshub at 6 opened last night with a back-and-forth between presenters Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts. After an intro from Hayes, McRoberts set the scene ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorana Bartels, Professor and Program Leader of Criminology, Australian National University Yesterday was National Sorry Day in Australia. It marks the anniversary of the tabling of the Bringing Them Home report, which chronicles decades of removals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ...
It makes sense to focus on our unique selling points as a country during the post-Covid rebuild. But we also have to live the values we market to the world, writes Jessica Desmond.Earlier this week ‘future of food’ expert Rosie Bosworth wrote that to turbo-boost our Covid recovery, New Zealand ...
A willingness to think differently, finding new ways to upskill Deaf people, and supporting businesses is a key priority for the employment team at Deaf Aotearoa. For many businesses, hiring a Deaf employee often presents their very first interaction ...
The National Plan of Action for Seabirds, released by the Government today, puts the fate of threatened species firmly in the hands of the fishing industry, says Greenpeace. Jessica Desmond, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace, says the action plan ...
Two Labour Members of Parliament have confirmed the claim by Democracy Action that the Government and Police condone illegal iwi roadblocks on public roads. Tamati Coffey (Labour – Waiariki) and Kiri Allan (Labour – List MP living in the East ...
Two years ago, her genre-busting show Nanette broke the internet. Now Hannah Gadsby has released a new stand-up special, and expectations are sky high. So how does Douglas hold up? “If you’re here because of Nanette, why?”The elephant in the room is quickly addressed in Hannah Gadsby’s new Netflix special ...
We’ve heard of people being treated like animals by the governments of some countries. But two statements from the Beehive yesterday suggest the well-being of beasts – those that contribute to our export receipts, at least – is much higher in government budget priorities than the well-being of people. Our ...
The Blues will return to their main home ground, Auckland’s Eden Park, for the revamped Super Rugby Aotearoa competition after the stadium and Auckland Rugby waived its hiring fee. Confirmation comes after Eden Park had initially asked the Blues for $30,000 to open the stadium for the games, given they will ...
The Blues will return to their main home ground, Auckland’s Eden Park, for the revamped Super Rugby Aotearoa competition after the stadium and Auckland Rugby waived its hiring fee. Confirmation comes after Eden Park had initially asked the Blues for a high fee - said by two sources to be ...
While the Budget promise to help rebuild the economy by creating 'nature-based jobs' has been lauded, the plan has also been met with renewed calls for a scorecard to measure progress. ...
Family First NZ today called on politicians in a select committee to amend a private members bill which allows for bereavement leave for a miscarriage to be extended to allow support for women with post-abortion grief. The wording of the previous ...
A week ago, New Zealand launched its official contact tracing app to help in the fight against Covid-19. How does it compare to some of those overseas?NZ COVID Tracer has been live for less than a week and so far it’s been downloaded by more than 400,000 users. The current ...
A lot of people – including quite a few in Britain’s Conservative party – don’t like Dominic Cummings, special adviser to PM Boris Johnson and a key figure in the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2019 Brexit-focused general election.So there was some undisguised joy ...
The Green Party has revealed its three candidates to contest the Wellington electorates in the forthcoming general election. Climate change minister and Green Party co-leader James Shaw will stand in Wellington Central, environmental lawyer and author Teall ...
WAI 1945 claimants, supported by Ātiawa kaumātua and Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust, welcome the Waitangi Tribunal report on the Kārewarewa Urupā, and its findings that the systematic lack of Crown protection led to its development ...
True to the party's nature, National's leadership change was not about personalities, policies, or even performance – it was solely focused on regaining political office ...
By Barbara Dreaver, Pacific correspondent of TVNZ One News Pacific governments are being warned to put urgent covid-19 safety measures into place at ports as foreign fishing boats emerge as a new point of transmission. One Ecuadorian vessel is now at sea with 29 out of 30 of its crew ...
Here’s The Spinoff’s weekly round-up of data tracking the effects and response of Covid-19 around the world – and how New Zealand stacks up.Our weekly summaries of data and visualisations use Our World in Data’s work on the Covid-19 pandemic, which is freely available for re-use. Not all data is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sian Tomkinson, Media and Communication Scholar, University of Western Australia Last week, a 17-year-old boy in Toronto was charged with an act of terrorism in the alleged killing of a woman with a machete – the first time such a charge has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Rosenbaum, Associate professor & Scientia Fellow, UNSW Amid the coronavirus pandemic we are being warned of a “second wave” of mental health problems that threatens to overrun an already weakened mental health service. As we emerge from this crisis, while some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Hare, Director, Climate Analytics, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University (Perth), Visiting scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Every few years, the idea that gas will help Australia transition to a zero-emissions economy seems to re-emerge, as if no one had thought ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah McLaren, Professor of Life Cycle Management, Massey University CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University As COVID-19 lockdown measures are lifted, some children may experience social anxiety about the prospect of returning to school. People with social anxiety may fear embarrassment or the expectation to perform in social ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Libby Porter, Professor of Urban Planning, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University The need for public housing is greater than ever before – Australia has a shortfall of at least 433,000 dwellings. Using public land for public housing is a no-brainer. But, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brigit Busicchia, PhD, Political Economy, Macquarie University Extreme shortages of toilet paper, pasta and other pantry products defined the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic for many shoppers around the world. Availability of most these goods has returned to normal. But not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Toffoletti, Associate Professor of Sociology, Deakin University Digital fitness is enjoying a COVID-19 boom. Online fitness technology provider Virtuagym reports a 400% increase in engagement and a 300% increase in the use of online workouts. Gyms, barre instructors, and yoga studios ...
In response to a new financial vulnerability survey that shows Māori are among the worst affected economically by COVID-19, Māori Party Co-leader and Te Tai Hauāuru candidate Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is calling on the Government to lift incomes by doubling ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Political divisions rage as election looms, economic forecasts considered too optimistic, and travel routes start to move again.They had all been doing so well at getting along, but that’s all over now. A cross-party consensus is emerging that it’s time to ...
Tens of thousands in donor's funds given to the New Zealand First Foundation were spent paying expenses, wages and bills for people closely associated with the New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. ...
New Zealand writer Anna Rankin concludes her remarkable two-part essay on Los Angeles in lockdown as she wanders through the deserted, crumbling city. From my small apartment, I take walks around the old Mexican neighbourhood that was once Jewish, Russian, Japanese and so on. History is a palimpsest, its nucleus ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level two – read The Spinoff’s giant explainer about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this ...
A flawed development plan for a fragile national park site must be stopped, opponents say. David Williams reports In November 2018, Jacinda Ardern announced a $140 million “investment package” for the South Island’s West Coast, through the cash-dispersing, regions-boosting provincial growth fund. Using symbolism that would fit neatly today, in ...
Bullying and harassment at the CAA is no exception in a public sector widely considered toxic. If we want a world worth handing to our children, it will require ethical leadership in our boards, writes Lola Toppin-Casserly. Transport Minister Phil Twyford is right to point out that to avoid further situations of the Civil Aviation Authority ...
A little dolphin is causing a big fuss for the fishing industry. Farah Hancock reports on how Māui dolphin are the subjects of a lawsuit in the United States that could impact $200 million of exports a year. A US lawsuit could spur government action on an overdue plan to better protect ...
With star shooter Bailey Mes laid low, the Northern Mystics will have a troika of teenagers scoring their goals in netball's revived ANZ Premiership. Grace Nweke has braced herself for the challenge. This time last year, the schoolgirl shooter was the phenomenon of the ANZ Premiership; the Avondale College student who, at 1.93m, ...
After many years of extolling the virtues of high capital levels, why would the Reserve Bank now encourage banks to use capital, asks Victoria University of Wellington’s Martien Lubberink The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has taken exceptional measures to respond to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. It ...
Still unsure about what you need to do in restaurants and bars under level two? You’re not alone, according to a new Spinoff-commissioned survey.Ongoing confusion around the use of mobile apps for contact tracing and social distancing in restaurants means New Zealanders and business owners still have work to do ...
How many hours you can and should work each week depends on the mode of thinking your job requires, writes Simon Hertnon. Our national discussion about a four-day week has jumped out of first gear, thanks to last week’s Facebook live video by prime minister Jacinda Ardern.In the video, which quickly ...
One in three households are in financial difficulty and a greater number still at risk of tipping into hardship following the Covid crisis, finds a Commission for Financial Capability report. The Commission for Financial Capability has this morning published findings on the financial vulnerability of New Zealanders following the Covid crisis. ...
Aggressively expanding its power in Hong Kong, and punitive to countries that call for an inquiry into how coronavirus took hold, China is making sure a good crisis is not going to waste. There’s no doubt that China has seized the opportunity of international distraction to sweep into Hong Kong. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has indeed taken to heart that adage about not wasting a crisis. He insists he is going to put to advantage the opportunity brought by these most unfortunate circumstances. His plan for a ...
COMMENT:By Sue Bradford for Punditand RNZ News In the age of covid-19 we are Jacinda’s team of five million, except for some. There has rarely been a more blatant case of discrimination against beneficiaries than Grant Robertson’s announcement yesterday that people who have lost their jobs because of the ...
With the new benefit policy, only some of us get to be in that waka the Prime Minister has talked about, while others get swept away further into poverty. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Krystian Seibert, Industry Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology Comedian Celeste Barber’s whopping $51 million bushfire fundraiser showed us just how generous people can be in times of trouble. But the need to seek the NSW Supreme Court’s advice ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. From an interview with Geoff Bertram, on The Panel, RNZ 22 May 2020 Wallace Chapman: “Are we setting up our future generations, our future children, to be born into a life of national debt?” [He mentions the on-line Fabian Society discussion, held on 23 May, and ...
ACT is calling for an independent Royal Commission to investigate the response to Covid-19 before next year’s flu season. “Covid-19 may return next year and we can’t afford to shut the economy down again. Being unprepared for the first major ...
Open mike 06/11/2013 
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
George Henderson New Zealand schools have introduced a climate change resource that suggests children “eat less meat and dairy”, even though teachers will not know how much meat or dairy any child in their care has eaten. Opinion pieces in the papers have called for the reduction of meat and ...5 hours ago
67 Articles Observations & observational methods of global warming & effects Dramatic decline of Arctic sea ice linked to global warming A rising trend of double tropopauses over South Asia in a warming environment: implications for moistening of the lower stratosphere Determining the anthropogenic greenhouse gas contribution to ...7 hours ago
Questioning the number of district health boards in New Zealand has got to the extent that “too many DHBs” has become a perceived truth requiring no further elaboration. It is rarely challenged by policy advisers, academics, and journalists. But when one drills down further it becomes clear that the number ...8 hours ago
While the government has dealt with the pandemic spectacularly well, it hasn't been perfect. One big flaw in its response has been its treatment of temporary migrants. The government has the power to extend social welfare benefits to temporary migrants during a pandemic, and the Epidemic Response Act clearly expects ...9 hours ago
The emergence of a new National party leader, seemingly out of nowhere, has – not surprisingly – raised a number of questions as to who Todd Mulller actually is and what makes him tick. He has been an MP for some time but seems to have hidden his light under ...10 hours ago
We all know that many so-called journalists and political commentators in New Zealand work directly or indirectly for political parties or for certain political factions. This was obviously the case when pundit for hire Matthew Hooton launched a campaign against then National Party leader, Simon Bridges, over their numerous polling ...1 day ago
1 day ago
Anyone who keeps an eye on evidence around cannabis and public health will be familiar with the Christchurch Health and Development Study. It's one of two local longitudinal studies frequently cited with respect to cannabis and youth development. But in a new article in the New Zealand Medical Journal, it is ...2 days ago
In the age of covid we are Jacinda’s team of five million, except for some. There has rarely been a more blatant case of discrimination against beneficiaries than Grant Robertson’s announcement yesterday that people who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus will receive weekly payments of $490 per week for 12 weeks and $250 per week for part time ...2 days ago
Well, we are out of lockdown, essentially. I did end up getting the wage subsidy while we were on levels 3 and 4 but I would have been fine if we didn’t. The first day of level 2, the Thursday, the office opened again for the people who weren’t able ...2 days ago
age credit: Science and Politics – Skeptically.org It seems impossible to keep politics out of science. It’s a pity because politics can end up forcing science to produce the results desired by ... 3 days ago
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Matthew Parry, Dr Ayesha Verrall, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Martin Eichner (author details*) This blog details a recent modelling study we conducted. In it we estimated that it would take between 27 and 33 days of no new detected cases of COVID-19 for there to be ...3 days ago
The National Party are quite simply a party out of time… Literally, insofar as the 2020 Election is concerned, and certainly in terms of their ideological positioning which has grown far more trenchantly extreme in the last few years in particular, under the leadership of both Simon Bridges, and Paula ...6 days ago
Children used in this study were from Lintingkou town (a normal-fluoride/control area) and Dakoutun town (a high-fluoride area) in Baodi district of Tianjin, China. The towns are 25 km apart. Anti-fluoridation activists on ... 1 week ago
Arguments by religious folk that they are being discriminated against under the Level 2 pandemic restrictions in NZ, which limit church services to ten people or less when schools, restaurants, malls and other service outlets are allowed to host many more people under voluntary self-distancing protocols, got me to think ...1 week ago
The Green Party has begun the process for a Select Committee inquiry into student accommodation, which has been exposed during COVID-19 as an under-regulated sector that straddles students with unfair debt. ...7 hours ago
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Megan Woods, Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Hon Dr David Clark, Minister of Health Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, and Health Minister David Clark today announced a COVID-19 vaccine strategy, ...2 days ago
Budget 2020 is about rebuilding together, supporting jobs, getting business moving and the books back into the black. It’s an integral part of our COVID-19 economic response, and our plan to grow our economy and get New Zealand moving again. Here’s a quick look at the five top things you ...2 days ago
The Ministry of Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa have agreed to settle the pay equity claim for teacher aides, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This will see more than 22,000 teacher aides, mostly women, being valued and paid fairly for the work they do. “Teacher aides are frontline ...5 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University In the expansion of its iron ore mine in Western Pilbara, Rio Tinto blasted the Juukan Gorge 1 and 2 – Aboriginal rock shelters dating ...3 hours ago
The Ministry of Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa have agreed to settle an historic pay equity claim for teacher aides. ...5 hours ago
“The Government is undermining democracy by progressing 15 bills in the space of just 17 hours,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour. “The Government has put Parliament into urgency this evening and asked it to consider 15 pieces of legislation ...6 hours ago
Civil society and tech industry stakeholders are split over a provision in new legislation that would grant the Government the ability to filter the internet. ...7 hours ago
Last night New Zealand witnessed one of the most exhilarating, confronting political stories to air on national television. Hayden Donnell has watched it several hundred times. Newshub at 6 opened last night with a back-and-forth between presenters Samantha Hayes and Mike McRoberts. After an intro from Hayes, McRoberts set the scene ...9 hours ago
We’ve heard of people being treated like animals by the governments of some countries. But two statements from the Beehive yesterday suggest the well-being of beasts – those that contribute to our export receipts, at least – is much higher in government budget priorities than the well-being of people. Our ...11 hours ago
The Blues will return to their main home ground, Auckland’s Eden Park, for the revamped Super Rugby Aotearoa competition after the stadium and Auckland Rugby waived its hiring fee. Confirmation comes after Eden Park had initially asked the Blues for $30,000 to open the stadium for the games, given they will ...12 hours ago
A lot of people – including quite a few in Britain’s Conservative party – don’t like Dominic Cummings, special adviser to PM Boris Johnson and a key figure in the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2019 Brexit-focused general election. So there was some undisguised joy ...14 hours ago
True to the party's nature, National's leadership change was not about personalities, policies, or even performance – it was solely focused on regaining political office ...15 hours ago
Air NZ burned through $360m of cash in two months, but still has $640m left and has yet to use the Government's $900m convertible loan ...17 hours ago
New Zealand writer Anna Rankin concludes her remarkable two-part essay on Los Angeles in lockdown as she wanders through the deserted, crumbling city. From my small apartment, I take walks around the old Mexican neighbourhood that was once Jewish, Russian, Japanese and so on. History is a palimpsest, its nucleus ...18 hours ago
A flawed development plan for a fragile national park site must be stopped, opponents say. David Williams reports In November 2018, Jacinda Ardern announced a $140 million “investment package” for the South Island’s West Coast, through the cash-dispersing, regions-boosting provincial growth fund. Using symbolism that would fit neatly today, in ...18 hours ago
Bullying and harassment at the CAA is no exception in a public sector widely considered toxic. If we want a world worth handing to our children, it will require ethical leadership in our boards, writes Lola Toppin-Casserly. Transport Minister Phil Twyford is right to point out that to avoid further situations of the Civil Aviation Authority ...19 hours ago
A little dolphin is causing a big fuss for the fishing industry. Farah Hancock reports on how Māui dolphin are the subjects of a lawsuit in the United States that could impact $200 million of exports a year. A US lawsuit could spur government action on an overdue plan to better protect ...19 hours ago
With star shooter Bailey Mes laid low, the Northern Mystics will have a troika of teenagers scoring their goals in netball's revived ANZ Premiership. Grace Nweke has braced herself for the challenge. This time last year, the schoolgirl shooter was the phenomenon of the ANZ Premiership; the Avondale College student who, at 1.93m, ...19 hours ago
After many years of extolling the virtues of high capital levels, why would the Reserve Bank now encourage banks to use capital, asks Victoria University of Wellington’s Martien Lubberink The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has taken exceptional measures to respond to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. It ...19 hours ago
Aggressively expanding its power in Hong Kong, and punitive to countries that call for an inquiry into how coronavirus took hold, China is making sure a good crisis is not going to waste. There’s no doubt that China has seized the opportunity of international distraction to sweep into Hong Kong. ...19 hours ago
The new National leader on climate change, Māori representation, and whether he has any shot at winning power. ...1 day ago
The Government needs to be thinking about how to make it simpler and easier for businesses to quickly adapt to a changed world ...1 day ago
Parties within the coalition are in disagreement on what 'be kind' means when it comes to migration ...1 day ago
With the new benefit policy, only some of us get to be in that waka the Prime Minister has talked about, while others get swept away further into poverty. ...1 day ago
Herald and nats gloating about john key betting 50 bucks on the melbourne cup yesterday then go on to say that joyce says no harm proved from sky city deal… herald and key showing a deep understanding of the issues then.
So ‘backbuster’ Veitch returns to the ‘top’ of the stinking pile that is sports radio. Should people be given a second chance? I am all for the possibility of rehabilitation, except few get genuinely offered it in the NZ justice system. It is who you know for this misogynist.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152047
He has never shown remorse, only self-pity for ‘being hard done for’. A despicable, loathsome little turd.
Well, “Veitchy” won’t have to worry about filling Deaker’s boots.
According to “Deaks”, the reason why our sportspeople arent winning enough is because there are too many women teachers in our schools, and they dont keep score at netball matches, etc.
I see a sportsperson dying in his 50’s. Husks of people is what some sports people have become as they get older. And people like Deaks and Veni, vidi, veitchy will sit in their boxes and pass judgment on the heaving masses below like Roman senators at the colosseum. Those who can do, those who can’t exercise their mouths.
Cant comment for Veitch. As for Deaker I applaud his decision to retire and congratulate him on the pleasure he has given lots of sports fans over the 20+ years of his weekly TV show. I watched his final appearance where he replayed his favourite interviews, it seemed to me he gave women equal time, interviewing to some great sports women like Devoy, Roe, Faumoina and others. It was a great show if you are a sports fan. So from me, thank you and go well Deaks.
PS Could he do? He at-least tried, got to his level, and as a consequence had a good handle on his subject. And as a sports interviewer he succeeded admirably, check the ratings.
Ennui, you must be joking. What you have written reminds me of the rubbish that was printed after “Sir” Paul Holmes died; i.e. you have either forgotten or are deliberately repressing what an offensive, racist, and just plain uninformed sports commentator Deaker was.
Your bit about his treatment of women is extremely misleading, given the comments he made and encouraged on his show, and his defiant re-hiring of Boot-boy Veitch.
I’m preparing a retrospective of “Deaks”, which I’ll have up in the next few days.
How much longer are we going to see these establishment guys defending, supporting and promoting guys who are rape culture role models?!!
Veitch back on air; Radio Live defending Tamihere & Jackson (FFS, if the girls were under age it’s statutory rape, whether they were drinking or not! What’s wrong with those guys?!)
And, as Martyn Bradbury posted, the police are quick to jump on the vigilantes, but not so quick to follow up the rape allegations.
yes, the Police have indicated that protection would be assigned to the ‘roasters’ if their safety was at risk.
Willie and JT are on the radio right now, trying to justify their disgusting interview yesterday.
Can’t justify what is not justifiable. Tamihere is a misogynist … Labour should never let him back as an MP.
I am for rehabilitation but there also need to be consequences. I am involved in sport as my business and change channels if he is on. Actually its when I reacquainted myself with nat radio.
Coming up this week on Al Jazeera 101 East: The promo today talked about NZ’s very high prison stats, and that Maori are majorly over-represented in NZ prisons:
101 East airs each week at the following times GMT: Thursday: 2230; Friday: 0930; Saturday: 0330; Sunday: 1630.
The title: “Locked up Warriors” and the photo with it, indicates they are borrowing from the movie: “Once Were Warriors”.
Too much of what our “Justice” system is doing to Maori and Pasifika under 30 just perpetuates the cycle of crime. The fact that Justice and Corrections are also being asked to try and compensate for the severe failings in our social-economy is also a crime in of itself.
minify was stopping the comments/opinions tab on the right on firefox. Turned off.
some sensitive moderation occurring Lynn
I see that. However it appears to be pretty much targeting you. I’d advise resetting the router to pick up a different IP.
targeting you, as well as the Norts and Southers, Rogue 🙂
“When Rogue Trooper arrived at Fort Neuropa he discovered that everyone was suffering from “Siege Mentality” ( and neglecting their Robe-Runners…)” 😉
😎
well, what else can a Trooper do…
Avenge his buddies and find out the truth, of course 🙂
been thinking about Dunners…visited there a few times…bigger city, more scope for employment…interests…less heat…, lotsa’ hills though for a cyclist…and competition for work…sigh…still, it is being discussed. (coulda’ mailed you, but hey…Forgettaboutit! ) 😉
It’s a nice spot and there are definitely opportunities down here, often niche but talent is always appreciated. I think this will be one of the renaissance cities of the 21st century 🙂
seems to be some hyper-sensitive moderation Captcha occurring this morning
Ok. That is triggered from akismet. I removed one layer (cloudflare). But I also changed a few params on the conditional captcha so they’d go to moderation and I could have a look at them.
(of course got to work and immediately ran out of time to look at them. Doing release work. *sigh*)
Ta. seems remedied now. (given any more thought to that rough bastard file…) 😉
may be some chastisement for slacking off to a Lighter work-load 😀
more from russell brand:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/05/russell-brand-democratic-system-newsnight
(excerpt:..)
“..He more than any of us – is aware that politicians are frauds.
I’ve not spent too much time around them – only on the telly –
– it’s not pleasant;
– once you’ve been on Question Time – and seen Boris simpering under a make-up brush –
– it’s difficult to be enthusiastic about politics..”
phillip ure..
nicely written if slightly overlong, will keep things fizzing with several references RB makes
test, seems to be some hyper-sensitive moderation captcha occurring Lynn
and just for some more good news:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9365915/Economy-set-to-fly-says-Westpac
Into Westpac’s pockets?
Nz looking bad in another oecd ranking… only ahead of greece for percentage of income required for accomodation…
despite high employment disposable income below oecd average. That would be a fail under national standards.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152041
Didnt john key say one of the reasons for his ecomic plan was so we dont end up like greece?
Yeah, rents are so high, it is absolutely unbeliveable.
well, we do have an abundance of ruined buildings…
…to haunt us
Sort of like Greece, but without the grand history and scale.
Millsy
I was so pleased to see deaker finally go imagine my horror at his replacement. It wasnt a well kept secret. As soon as I heard veitch was on saturday I knew what was coming…
and people wonder why ewe have young men trashing on girls and women. None so blind as those who will not see.
Journalists are the new terrorists in the UK:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/police-state-britain-uk-security-services-can-decide-if-journalism-is-terrorism/5356726
Good write up of that over at No Right Turn:
So the exact same thing can happen here.
Have just read today’s Bowalley Road post on KiwiAssure in which Chris Trotter argues that caucus is still wobbly.
Two salient quotes-
” In David Cunliffe Labour now has a leader who is willing to be as radical as his party. Significantly, it is the third leg of the tripod – the Labour Caucus – which is visibly wobbling. The KiwiAssure policy is a worrying case in point. Radical in intent, radical in expression, but disappointingly conservative in execution”
“At the conference just concluded a distressingly large number of Labour MPs put on a display of childish pique that bodes very ill for the party’s future.”
childishness displayed on both sides of the House.
“but disappointingly conservative in execution”
Example?
Weka, Trotter’s ‘ example’ (?) is a brief critique of the policy around KiwiAssure, and is not too different from some mainstream commentary I’ve read: a quote to save you reading it for yourself 🙁
“the average Labour supporter might well object: “What on earth is the point of a state-owned insurance company that will, in every respect that matters, be indistinguishable from its private sector competitors?”
Given the fate of AMI, that same voter might also ask what would motivate the ordinary Kiwi family to put its faith (not to mention its future financial security) in a state-owned insurer that not even its own creator is willing to stand behind?…”
yep. I wrote similar yesterday. If KiwiAssure relies on the same foreign re-insurers as today’s crop of insurance companies does, and not the sovereign balance sheet and money creation potential of the Crown, then its unfortunately not much more than a front shop being set up.
The NZ Herald editorial on the subject has it 80% right I think.
Yeah. It really skewers the (I thought perfect) example I came up with for why a state insurer would be better than the private ones: people in CHCH are stuck in a fight over liability between the insurers and EQC, where state-owned insurer could just pay the money and do the paperwork later. But if actually the state-owned insurer is just the same as a private one, that potential benefit vanishes.
In plain English you appear to be saying that David Cunliffe is simply being a populist wanker by trotting out ‘the insurance company’ as a flagship Labour policy,
For the reasons given above, especially Cunliffe’s ignorance of the Government’s ability to provide it’s own capital needs as far as spreading of the risk after a major event goes does seem to take more than a little of the gloss of such a firms ownership…
Or, you could read this:
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2013/11/06/gordon-campbell-on-why-we-need-a-kiwi-owned-insurance-company-and-the-tpp/
some good stuff by Gordon Campbell on the web
“Populist” is code for, “How dare a politician actually do anything that the majority want”!!
It shows how much contempt many politicians, and their media hacks, have for democracy.
It may slow down the transfer of our wealth to a few at the top.
Two Out Of Three Ain’t Enough
And, yeah, it’s a good column. Labour, despite their new leader and the enthusiasm of its membership ain’t yet the radical party it needs to become.
Heard key telling Cunliffe that he could be needing life insurance himself at some time. Sounded like a threat to me.
oooooh.
in the interests of accuracy..key was talking about the ‘life’ of cunnliffes’ leadership of parliament..
..he wasn’t physically threatening cunnliffe..
..phillip ure..
ahem..!..make ‘parliament’..’the labour party’..
phillip ure..
Hes lucky, if he (Cunliffe) had said to me that I’d sell my own mother he’d be tasting my fist but fortunately for Cunliffe John Key doesn’t stoop to that level
ooooo, you’re ever so butch
Gosh. I didn’t know online aliases had fists.
And just like he’s doing with every flawed utterance from Key, Cunliffe would chew up and spit out your fist.
Yes I’m sure hes a big man referencing John Keys mother the way he did, just shows the type of person he is really (not that the people on here could ever see that)
Cunliffe could be worse.
He could do a slit-throat gesture towards the opposition while normal humans are getting over the drama that had just played out above them.
Oh Glee , we are not immune to you telling us more…
Puckish Rogue@15.3.3.1 – Come on. Have a heart. What about Hone’s mother ????
Not even Hannibal Lecter would taste your stupid fist, PR. Get a grip.
Stinkfist
I’m looking forward to Labour crushing Trademe too. The fees are too high and it’s just a giant corporate only worried about its shareholders. I’m sure everyone will switch to KiwiTrade to keep them honest.
Same goes with Xero. A billion dollar company once again only pleasing shareholders. KiwiAccounts is another great business Labour could get in to.
Come to mention it, McDonalds is just taking all it’s money overseas. KiwiBurger is something real everyday New Zealanders could afford!
KiwiBurger is already a registered trademark in the fast food industry.
Ah, a RWNJ with the usual level comprehension of economics to be expected from such – none.
But hey, can’t live without Trade Me, the govt should def take that over.
Nationalising TradeMe is one I agree with but that’s because it’s a natural monopoly.
I can live without trademe.
On Campbell Live last night John had an interview with Steven Joyce Re the failing film industry. After the frenetic Simon Bridges and ditto John Key I was surprised that Mr Joyce seemed to listen to the questions (rather long) and answer in reasonably concise manner. Sounded reasonable even though I have a prejudice against the smug Joyce but….
ahhhh yes, Mr Joyce, unable to transfer the subsidies to Warner Bros. to the small end of the film-making industry, yet bending over backwards to the extraction industries, surveys, legislation…
Must think we have cloth for ears and buttons for eyes.
joyce..like collins..is in full campaign mode..
..to be the successor to key..
..and as such..like collins..both having been in full sneer-mode for five long years..
..have both now taken on the sysiphian-task/are making that giant leap ..
..to appear to be human..
..i find joyce trying to be ‘nice’ decidedly oleaginous in nature/result/outcome..
..whereas collins flashing her thin-lipped smile/grimace..
..is just downright scary..
..(and has been known to make dogs howl/hens stop laying….)
phillip ure..
see the dompost this a.m. for a letter saying that finning sharks is sustainable.
I dont think so but hey.
prove me wrong.
soo Nick Smith on Midday Report is claiming New Zealand import more building materials to address the 30% premium on price New Zealand sourced-materials have over Australian equivalents, and, wait for it, …. for builders to advise customers of kickbacks (rebates) they have received from suppliers. Good Oh, (builders not too chuffed, as rebates relate to bulk supplies not individual specs, and equivalent to sales incentives in other industries and professions ). Will physicians, hairdressers and panel-beaters be required to do the same in the future, in a Totalitarian state near you.
postscript- And the Conservatory missing from the plans? Fletchers.
Doesn’t explain why NZ ‘sourced’ building materials are 2/3 the price in Australia.
Maybe we should just re-import NZ building materials from OZ.
Ah. Whoops.
Or. We can just borrow more to buy more short lived poor quality crap from China.
Then borrow more again in ten years to replace and repair it as we repeat the leaky building saga.
And replace our builders with dodgy cheap untrained foreigners. Oop’s we do that already as most of the good tradesmen have gone to Australia where they get paid. Instead of being limited to peanuts an hour by Fletchers stranglehold on Christchurch..
If you really want to know why building is expensive here, look at the middlemen.
Ask why it costs less to build a house in Oz even though builders earn twice as much.
China will be happy to lend us the money to buy more of their short lived poor quality crap. A happy money go round, as we exhaust our world’s resources on throwaway materials.
The way things are, China is probably lending us money to buy our own resources.
Ahhh yes the beautiful money go-round. Great if you are in the 1%.
Something new from Labour :
KiwiKai
It will replace all these nasty multinationals who are poisoning us with their terrible food and taking all the money overseas.
KiwiKai will serve delicious meals approved by every health board, lobby group in the country. Delicious.
Labour will spend 14 million dollars building a website where people can see the menu. Another 9 million on developing fun apps for the iphone and Android ecosystem. Kids will be able to log in and play awesome games that shows them how healthy their dinner will be.
To order, kiwis will just need to file a form 36 working days before they want their awesome takeaways. Orders will be delivered using public transport only.
KiwiKai – keeping kiwi families healthy.
Can someone get rid of this F**king TR0LL, it’s fruitloop comments have become less than the height of stupidity…
LOL, don’t worry about a red horse that has obviously kicked itself in the head. It’s clearly lost it’s rider but I’m sure Key will wager a cool 50 bucks on it…
+1
Is this your 3rd form English political satire project?
C- (and it’s off to the knacker’s yard with you!)
Bloody good idea. Kick McD’s and their disgusting food and employment practices into touch. Ha Ha.
Is it dead yet? Can we flog it?
such a Silly Thing , or Something Else 😎
This is an ad that has been circulating through social media. Alarming!
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/national-1972-%E2%80%9Cnigger%E2%80%9D-campaign-ad-clearly-implausible-%E2%80%93-but-where-did-it-come-from/
Ever wondered why the labour party is so loudly opposed to apartheid?
Ever wondered why lazy good for nothing maoris and islanders are defended by the labour party?
Ever wondered why the labour party want more Kenyan wogs let into the country?
Ever wondered why the labour party side with the viet cong?
– because they’re soft on niggers
– of any colour – black niggers – brown niggers – yellow niggers
You name it and Norm Kirk will be prostrating himself before them?
Vote National the white man’s party!
OK – further investigation – just some massey students having a bit of a lark!
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/revealed-national-1972-%E2%80%9Cnigger%E2%80%9D-campaign-advertisement-source/
So ….. ignore!
Ever wonder why people who seem to have had full frontal lobotomy’s posting shit like this are given the kick off of the Standard…
This has done the rounds on the standard before and, last time if I recall, was given significantly more credence. No need to get grumpy.
😉
Thanks. My apologies … was too late in trying to delete.
“Cunliffe called Key the “Kiwi-spoiler,” someone who had beaten up on Kiwbank when it first started, KiwiSaver, KiwiRail and now KiwiAssure.
Key responded on KiwiBank. Yes it was a good little business.
“I might point out though this it has taken $860 million of taxpayers’ money and it has never paid a dividend in 10 years.”
He challenged Cunliffe to name another bank operating in New Zealand that had an insurance company, and offered insurance on the same property they were lending on.
“They do not do that.”
Cunliffe: “Is he aware that ASB Bank own Tower Insurance? If he is, why is he asking such a stupid question.”
Within minutes of Cunliffe’s comment, National’s research unit – or perhaps a few friends in the insurance industry – had got the message to Key that Cunliffe was wrong.
ASB did not own Tower. They sent the list of owners. Key tried to read through the list.
Eventually Labour’s deputy, David Parker, and possibly the source of his leader’s error, did the honourable thing and acknowledged the error by asking Key: “Has he received any advice that ASB in fact own Sovereign Assurance?”
Key: “Yes it does own Sovereign and let us get to the better bit…Sovereign provides life insurance, and the way [Cunliffe] is going, he will need life insurance.”
D’oh!
Ouch, that’s bad…
if it was not for the reality that Brownlee and Key had to hold up proceedings and bully the speaker to achieve their pyrrhic victory; really PR, is that all you have today, are we to go to bed hungry without any supper?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t KiwiBank been making a profit for the last few years? My understanding was that it’s profits have been helping to prop up NZ Post (which should have always remained a Government department, and certainly should never have had unfair competition forced upon it, whereby it is at a disadvantage because it has statutory social obligations).
Besides that, there’s more to government than making a profit. One of the main purpose of KiwiBank was to introduce government-owned competition into the market to drive down unnecessary fees – something which it has achieved well.
Labour policy- the man ban is merely following Key’s own policy of closely stacking front bench parliamentary seats with women, while banning men to the back and sides. Abbotts man ban policy is significantly problematic as it conflicts with his single woman policy.
The Bruce Jesson talk is on line. Do other people know how to make it easily available.
I haven’t tried but with my expertise I will probably not succeed.
Do you have a link to it?
Thanks, I have a link. Will post it.
More good news
http://www.ssc.govt.nz/kiwis-count-update-jun13
well that’s obscure. You’re that hard up for trumpets to blow that you’ll pucker you lips for a 1-point improvement in the june year public service satisfaction rate?
No wonder you chose the nom de byte “puckish”.
Let’s just call him freckle.
and Chide
i laughed
“A little bit insipid….”
Godawful new Hobbit song fails to impress as Panel plumbs new low
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Wednesday 6 November 2013
Paul Brennan, Joe Bennett, Ellen Read
Long-suffering listeners to The Panel have been assailed by some utterly disgusting, insultingly shallow and banal aural dreck over the last eight years. Just off the top of my head, I recall the cruel laughter directed by the likes of Chris Trotter at victims of state repression; the mad anti-democracy rants by Michelle Boag; the snarling attempts at character assassination by Dr Michael “Bonkers” Bassett; the honking hypocrisy of lawyer and former ACT MP Stephen Franks, a spokesman for the knife-loving S.S. Trust, lecturing in tones of heightened gravitas about modern “wickedness”; the halfwitted observations of Nevil “Breivik” Gibson; the insane raving of Christine (Spankin’) Rankin; and the haughty denunciation of “these people” (Egyptians) by Rosemary McLeod.
But, even bearing in mind all of that depravity and mediocrity, I believe that the nadir was reached at 4:45 this afternoon. For some reason, producer Susan Balducci saw fit to play thirty seconds of “I See Fire”, a dire, plodding, tuneless dirge by Ed Sheeran, written for the latest New Zealand taxpayer-funded Peter Jackson snore-fest The Desolation of Smaug. After what seemed like thirty MINUTES of sub-Chris Rea pap, there was an uneasy silence in the studio. Realising that he was expected to say something vaguely supportive about the dog, Joe Bennett showed uncharacteristic restraint and said: “It’s not to my taste.” Not even Ellen Read, who is a diehard supporter of the dodgy deal foisted on the National Government by Warner Bros. that has led to such truly terrible “product”, could work herself up into defending this one. After an uncomfortable pause, she delivered her verdict: “It’s a little bit insipid.”
Susan Baldacci, a little taken aback by the lack of respect for this piece of shit, lamely explained that Sheeran had written the dirge for the end credits—“which is not where they’re going to play a real rocker”. She got no support from Paul Brennan, obviously as appalled as Bennett and Read.
———————-
If, like me, you’ve been of the opinion for the last decade or so that the song Céline Dion sang for Titanic was the worst in the history of the movies, then you may change your mind after you click on THIS….
http://metro.co.uk/2013/11/05/listen-to-ed-sheerans-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-song-i-see-fire-4175112/
– Paula Bennet telling it like it is
“Telling it like it is.” Chris, your loyalty is of the same order as that desperately mugging Hamilton West MP behind Bennett—unstinting and clearly uncritical.
Since you obviously respect her, or pretend to at least, maybe you should tell her that every time she says something cruel or dishonest, she puts on another kilogram.
Its amusing how quickly the left descend to personal attacks when they hear something they don’t like so are you saying theres something wrong with being overweight? That if shes overweight she can’t do her job?
You can attack her policies, her views etc etc but attacking her over her weight is a bit, well desperate really
Women have enough hurdles to overcome (especially in politics) without people like you expecting them to live up to some (probably impossible) body image
I’ll trust you not to take Morrissey as speaking for anyone but his deluded self.
I’ll trust you not to take Morrissey as speaking for anyone but his deluded self.
“Deluded”? How so? You’d better explain carefully and clearly why you’re suddenly in Camp Bennett, so as to dispel the impression that you are irresponsible and lazy.
Piss off Morrissey you twisted fuck.
Piss off Morrissey you twisted fuck.
That only makes you look irresponsible, lazy, and foul-mouthed to boot.
Come ON, felix….
http://static.businessinsider.com/image/4e04eb144bd7c8d819110000/image.jpg
“Thinking Morrisseey is a deluded fuckwit” does not equal “Supporting Paula Bennett”.
Believing those two statements to be equal is to be deluded.
Was that explanation clear enough?
“Thinking Morrisseey [sic] is a deluded fuckwit” does not equal “Supporting Paula Bennett”. Believing those two statements to be equal is to be deluded.
Was that explanation clear enough?
No it was not good enough, as I’m sure you knew perfectly well as you sent that ill-advised, illogical message of support for our struggling friend into the blogosphere. You foolishly decided to back a surefire loser by coming in behind felix’s indolent exercise in abuse. I advise you to desist from this path, my flocculent friend; we all know you never prosper in these exchanges.
QED
Indeed.
Cancel that nasty message I posted about you being untrustworthy; your gracious admission of defeat shows you are indeed the gallant we always suspected you were.
🙄
I’d watch out if I was you, your comment is getting awfully close to saying you *wned someone, which is something that lprent highly frowns upon.
If it were up to me, Morrissey would’ve been banned months ago.
Close, but not quite there. Not like this one from my work field where someone traced a vessel course with the word below…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24586394
…your comment is getting awfully close to saying you *wned someone…
This is very awkward. I receive a gracious concession by my friend and occasional adversary felix. I try to behave like a gentleman, and acknowledge his good manners—and I find I’ve blundered into another minefield.
Lower down this thread, two more people have coyly rolled their eyes in the submission posture; I have also politely saluted their good manners. Could you explain how that makes me the one in the wrong here?
It is pretty simple. Claiming victory in an environment where the best that can be hoped for is “..agree to disagree..” merely starts flamewars of the na-nah-de-dah type that are so common when you listen to the playgrounds of primary schools. One side claims “victory” / “owns” / “pwned” and resolutely holds to that. The other sides pour derision. And it escalates….
Eventually I have to wander to crack heads as the shrill screaming of the children disturbs the adults and they start to defend their offspring..In fact school sports matches often descend into this.
I find that grabbing the first person to claim victory and exiling them for some time works wonders at reducing my workload. Which is of course my primary motivation. My secondary is that I don’t have to read the boring squealing.
So argue all that you like. But to try to claim victory without a very explicit statement from the other person (something that I see maybe 5 times a year here) and you will find this is a very dangerous business. Start gloating and (as you say it) you find the site becomes a minefield…
Your answer is irrelevant to the question.
You really are in a wee universe all to yourself.
‘The Breen Delusion’. Heh, catchy.
I know, I’m probably on his list now… 🙂
Ha! Any port in a storm, eh, Chris?
(Friendly warning, my friend: check carefully who you go into temporary alliances with. The fellow you shared a little joke with just now is not someone you can trust.)
I think you might be taking this all a bit too seriously…
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7G6ciJUMuAk/SoD9uG78PTI/AAAAAAAAANI/6BtwSHhMZoY/s1600-h/not+sure+if+serious.jpg
Yeah, just a smidge.
But Chris I bet all those staving beneficiaries are finding it hard to take instruction from someone who can’t even control how much she puts in her mouth.
🙄
Thanks for the support, mon amie. Call me a susceptible ninny, but I’m always chuffed when a woman rolls her eyes coyly like that.
🙄
Thanks, Lanthanide. I appreciate your support.
Not impressed, Morrissey. This week a lot of women are really finding it tough in the face of a lot of abusive, gender-loaded stuff flying about. In this context, your attempt at laddish (or is it pseudo-laddish) humour is just plain nasty.
+1
Ill-judged.
+1.
This writer, i.e. moi, should have focused on Ms Bennett’s malice and hypocrisy, and not linked it to her weight issue.
Also see his comment at 7:00am today above.
TV3 are doing a proper job regarding exposing how inadequate the police have been regarding their management of the gang of young thugs.
I missed the first minute of the news, what I heard was enough.
What a brave person she is to have spoken out about making a complaint two years ago.
I support the police and believe that most of the police force are good people wanting to help and do the right thing
On this though the ball was dropped badly and I’d support an inquiry to see why it was so badly run and to make sure it didn’t happen in the future
and The Vote found the confidence of New Zealanders in their police force to have…
(clue: it is not risen…We all know who that concerns!).
My view is still the same as it ever was but they got this majorly wrong
I cannot support a service when they are incapable of stringing facts together to prevent people from being dismissed when a serious crime has occurred.
Is there something wrong in NZ in how those who investigate rape are being trained and supervised?
“On this though the ball was dropped badly”
Nah, not dropped. Handed off. Or kicked for touch, perhaps.
I was about to say unbelievable. But it’s not…
http://www.3news.co.nz/Roast-Busters-victim-asked-to-re-enact-alleged-rape/tabid/423/articleID/320311/Default.aspx#.UnnT1CehsiI
So everything the police have said this week is a lie. Not wrong, not mistaken, an out and out lie.
1. A 13 year old laid a complaint of rape in 2011.
2. The Police said there was not enough evidence to prosecute.
3. The Police began monitoring the accused on facebook.
4. The accused admitted to the victim, on facebook, that everything she said was 100% true.
5. The Police say they don’t have enough evidence to prosecute.
6. The Police say no one has been brave enough to come forward.
+ 1 Yep all a big lie from start to finish – the lying fucks – meanwhile how many young women and girls have suffered because of our police? How many? Fucken bastards those police that sat on this shit.
Hard not to be thinking about Louise Nicholas at this point. Both because of the culture within in the NZ Police that she exposed (the word misogynistic seems entired inadequate), and because of the amount of work she did to change rape culture in NZ. The difference in dialogue now compared to then is huge.
Fuck the police.
I’m in the wrong part of the country for this, but I wish someone would organise a national day of action and solidarity. Can’t help but feel there is an opportunity here to make some real change.
Good idea weka about the day of action – hard to organise from Mohua but we will be marching on that day for sure. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Louise Nicholas – she is a hero in my eyes. I hope things change – but I am feeling rage at the moment, rage that the police whom we entrust have let those young women and girls down so badly. I expect deeper and worse revelations on this one.
(i’m logged in – why am I being asked to log in to comment?)
Weka, a day of action has been organised.
23 November
On various localised Facebook pages. I did tweet @SlutWalknz asking if it was being publicised anywhere other than Facebook.
Haven’t had a reply.
Thanks karol!
There’s one already jailed for hiding police rape. Dewar. Probably paroled by now. Living quite nicely on a handsome super somewhere like Little Waihi or Wanaka.
Like the one who proved to be Teina Poara’s evil angel.
“Would it help if I pointed a house out Teina…….?”
I do find the trial by media a bit of a concern.
Buoyed by this weeks events and ratings, I do wonder who Media works is going to set their sights on next.
If no one has crossed the line or proven to have not done a proper investigation there is nothing for them to worry about.
We could have a trial by judges if the fucking useless police did their fucking jobs.
But they don’t seem to want to when it comes to rape for some reason, so trial by media it is, until the fucking police, start to do, their fucking job.
Really?, that’s a bit of a dangerous path you want to go down.
What, the path of the rule of law? 🙄
No trial by media, especially one owned by BIG BUSINESS
Pb was pretty clear that’s not the path he wants to go down – quite the opposite in fact.
You’d have had to have read the whole two sentences to figure that out though.
idk what the hell he means. Big Busines is pro-rape? Is that a thing now?
Just when you thought that it couldn’t get any worse, it gets worse.
It turns out that the pigs knew all along:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9367982/Rape-complaint-after-Roast-Busters-teen-says
But of course one was the son of a pig and another the son of a celebrity.
In case you didn’t know, this is proof of endemic corruption.
I’m probably insulting those of the bacon-flavoured kind, aren’t I?
Porcine references-wise, pigs get a bad rap. Cops, on the other hand, are often assholes. I think Anne’s link above is really the coup de grace. Asking the 13 y/o to re-enact with mannequins? Oyy… nk
Anyway, as far as I see it, at least as the 13 y/o complainant is concerned, they don’t need much beyond the act of penetration and the admission of having done so by 1 or more of these guys to secure a conviction for sexual conduct with someone under the age of 16. Of course, if these videos that were posted online actually do exist, they would assist the evidential matrix.
No doubt the boys will be lawyered up with the likes of Paul Mabey QC and whoever the spiritual successor to John Haigh is pretty quickly, and various girls involved will end up being subject to a lengthy defended hearing or hearings and humiliating cross-examination. Maybe just me but perhaps some sort of ADR might be more fruitful for the girls and their families?
The pigs?, Man of your age, that’s just sad, fool.
You’re right, Bowel Movement – likening pigs to police is grossly unfair to pigs.
What ever arse wipe, the only one around here who’d be acting like a pig would be you,squealing away while your socialist mates root you up the jacksey.
Ooh, homophobia. How witty. Now how about content please?
Oh come on BM, kissy kissy, mwah mwah! Try harder!
Come on bud whats with this pigs shit.
The vast majority of people gave that wankery up once they hit their 20’s, what are you 50+?, to be carry on like some teenager is pretty fucking tragic.
to be carry on like some teenager is pretty fucking tragic.
Indeed – I couldn’t have said it better myself. Well, actually I could, with better grammar.
You don’t get it, do you, BM? You think that you’re a troll, but you’re a toy. Keep posting please.
BM objects to calling cops pigs, but just yesterday he makes this racist statement . Get off your high horse BM…
Hi Fender, somehow I don’t think that BM’s limited set of intellectual skills includes self-awareness or consistency. Still, as a toy, he’s fun to play with.
He’s gone rather quiet, guess he’s changing his engine mounts again…
Pity the heads’ cracked….
Well, that’s a bit disappointing. I may be a pointy-headed intellectual, but I do like my childish pleasures now and again.
I guess it’s off to bed then. G’night to you.
You’re ugly and your mother dresses you funny. There, let’s be done with it. It’s about as relevant, after all.
Bloody typical – makes the overture and then won’t follow through.
I call them ngati poaka. How sad is that?
The hillbillies in Deliverance were all registered Republicans.
How about this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/207530/Hales-looked-at-second-police-file
Familiar name?
Looks like the blue slime don’t learn and continue to look after their own.
World’s Worst-Chosen Words Award – Mayor of Toronto talking to reporters: “I want to make it crystal clear………..”
That is pretty funny.
heh
…that I’m standing as Mayor for Boulder.
…or Little Rock.
Defending our lawful rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically-accountable’ local government:
I have been granted ‘speaking rights’ at the ‘ public input section of the 7 November Governing Body meeting commencing at 10.00am in the Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall’.
” You will be allocated five minutes in total to speak on the following subjects:
· The apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, failure to address the increased risk of money-laundering in the Auckland Council submission on the International Convention Centre Bill.
· Potential consequences if Auckland Council fails to uphold the RULE OF LAW regarding the statutory requirement under the Public Records Act 2005 s.17.
· Perceived ‘conflicts of interest’ in the ‘inquiry’ into the conduct of Mayor Len Brown.”
_____________________________________________________________________________
My request for speaking rights:
4 November 2013
‘Open Letter’ request for speaking rights at the Auckland Council Governing Body meeting to be held on Thursday 7 November 2013 at 10am at the Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall:
Good afternoon …….,
I would like to address the Auckland Council Governing Body meeting to be held on Thursday 7 November 2013, at 10am at the Auckland Town Hall, in ‘Public forum’.
My subject matter will be:
1) The apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, failure to address the increased risk of money-laundering in the Auckland Council submission on the International Convention Centre Bill, as outlined in the following Regulatory Impact Statement:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
2) Potential consequences if Auckland Council fails to uphold the RULE OF LAW regarding the statutory requirement under the Public Records Act 2005 s.17
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345729.html
Recordkeeping requirements
Subpart 1—Key duties
17 Requirement to create and maintain records
(1)Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
(2) Every public office must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all public records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act or required by or under another Act.
(3) Every local authority must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all protected records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act.
3) Perceived ‘conflicts of interest’ in the ‘inquiry’ into the conduct of Mayor Len Brown.
ie: The fact that Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay, Ernst and Young and Nigel Morrison (CEO of Sky City) are all members of the unelected, very powerful private lobby group – the Committee for Auckland, who arguably are not unhappy with the performance of Mayor Len Brown.
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz membership
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
“Based on information revealed tonight on the way underage sexual violation case has been handled, we will be referring it to the IPCA.” – Jacinda Ardern.
I half expect them to say that only police actions can be complained about, and they didn’t take any in this case. As far as not treating the case any differently because one of their sons was involved – how would they have acted if one of the 13 year old girls was one of their daughters?
Had a mate of a mate personally and properly sort the young guys out, at a quick guess.
I think you credit these sick fucks with too much humanity.
Humanity doesn’t need to come into it, Felix. Think patriarchy and property rights.
True dat
Good question.
I’d be thinking they’d be acting with speed and intent to show how very seriously indeed they take reports of sexual violence.