Have discussions or posts on The Standard influenced political parties?
Some posts and discussions have had a lot of thought and effort gone into them, but also are flavoured with originality and appear to be worthy of further investigation. (Others not some much.)
Does anybody have examples where something written here on The Standard has been picked up by a political party? Is it even an objective of the site to be an influencer?
I can’t point to anything specific @Gristle, but there have been several things where policies ‘coincide’ with posts and comments written.
Ditto TDB.
And now on a related issue:
Jacinder Adhern will not approach the PNG Government over Manus Island.
I wonder how it would be if the PNG government were to approach the NZ government – possibly as (say) a French Government initiative offering limited placements in Noumea, Papeete ?
I am pretty certain that the various governments will not do this. They would all know that this would be hugely disruptive on the various bilateral relationships. Any deal will have the involvement of Australia.
The PM has already shown she intends to work with Australia on this issue, not go outside them. The bilateral relationship between NZ and Australian is way too important for the situation of the Manus island refugees to dictate how it runs. Not that Standardnistas seem to agree with that.
I note that there are already three new camps that have been built for the refugees with full support, (accommodation, food etc). Australia has paid, or will pay $150 million for this. The refugees say they will not be safe, but presumably extra security can be arranged.
I suspect that the refugees are using the current opportunity to get maximum publicity, especially in New Zealand, to get an early removal from Manus. But if that doesn’t succeed, which is not looking likely, then I imagine they will go to the new camps.
While I have little faith in any political parties or politicians I don’t think any of them are daft enough to take their policy lead from political blogs which represent only a few very politically motivated wonks.
I was waiting for a comment or two from Dishonourable members of the ‘electronic opposition’. We might even expect the gNats to start to see accusations in parliament from those very powerful Honourable opposition members – policy taken from “that far left Laboour blog The Standard, and a bunch of commies from TDB”. All the while when they continue to take advice from Koiwoiblog and the Tax Payers Union
so you think elected politicians along with their advisors are incapable of weeding out what are effectively submissions with accompanying evidence from a variety of sources, from chaff and bluster? I know there’s little faith in politicians, but its a far better system than most other alternatives.
I prefer the various processes to be as transparent as possible and available to public scrutiny – and venues such as this, or select committees, or advocacy groups who publish their policies all try to do that.
Far better than secretive little deals between politicians and individuals with card access to the parliamentary precincts.
That’s a bit like saying nobody should bother submitting to select committees cause it won’t change anything.
I did complain about the labour party having state housing for life and the 8 hour working day 40 hour working week on the frontage of their website as if they actually believed in these things.
I did notice they disappeared shortly after. Likely co-incidence but what a bunch of wankers abusing what the Labour Party used to believe in and deliver vs the right wing policies they believe in now.
No it’s not at all. All methods are legitimate. Submissions to select committees, visits to electorate offices, comments on posts/blogs (for that broad spectrum drench – ‘The Left’: TS, TDB and No Right Turn as examples), Worker Advocacy Groups, and you know who for ‘The Right’
Most policy leads come “politically motivated wonks,” it’s just that the wonks are their wonks. Taking a lead from a political blog is quite different from using a political blog to be the major/only source of policy ideas.
As an aside, what is it you find in political parties or politicians that cause you to have little faith in them?
Interesting questions but I think it might be more fruitful to ask individual posters & commenters why they do what they’re doing here on TS and with what expectations or goals, if any. There’s the small nitty-gritty stuff and there’s the larger picture …
Donne’s majestic poem is exemplified today as we all find ourselves affected,willingly or not in the trials of the world (and a few triumphs) through hyper-efficient news dissemination.
Unlike a few decades ago we currently stifle in a seething miasma of ideas instantly and widely disseminated via social media . Each thought/observation tossed into the pool finds its home with the like-minded to await endorsement or amplification. Tweeting and re-tweeting, posting and reposting we add to the tangle and it is at once challenging and unnerving.
Greenwald observes “…..journalists… endorse factually false claims that quickly spread and become viral, entrenched into narratives, and thus can never be adequately corrected. Its space constraints mean that tweeted headlines or tiny summaries of reporting are often assumed to be true with no critical analysis of their accuracy,”
As someone observed “you cannot un-ring the bell” First impressions last.
Essential to post our thoughts to enrich the cognitive climate (noosphere) in the belief that good ideas that are seasonally apt will germinate, capture the imagination of the like-minded and spread to outcompete those aligned with degenerative capitalism.
Action is also required, as has been said ‘more than believing in the change you want to see, or even expounding it, we have to be the change‘
You’re arguing for decisive intervention in the nature of the government of the nations from which these unfortunate young men were forced to flee, I take it.
I had more in mind being proactive participating in our new government’s socialistically oriented initiatives.
Taking practical steps that epitomize optimal climate change life style.
Participating in forums where negatives such as ‘attack politics’ are replaced by acknowledging good ideas and praising them.
Being “relentlessly positive” as a mantra that will keep us focused on the best we can become.
Where do ideas come from, where do they originate? In the collective unconscious perhaps?
Why do some ideas resonate? For example, neoliberalism felt good, it sounded good, but did it truly resonate with our whole being? I think it did not; it was a fad, a tempting and seductive one, but one nonetheless.
In this context, I think it is very important that politicians look outside their own ‘zones of comfort & familiarity’. They need to tap into the ‘wisdom of the crowd’. Our 120 MPs or the 63 who are ‘more or less’ in Government won’t have the time or intellectual & spiritual reach of the ‘crowd’ and will thus be exposed to only a limited range of ideas. This is not an intrinsically bad thing but it slows down progress and human evolution. Of course, politicians are under constant pressure to choose between binaries, which locks the mind into certain mind-set. Instead of diverging they need to learn to converge, we all do …
“Have discussions or posts on The Standard influenced political parties? ”
I’d say yes. The David Cunliffe episode was heavily influenced by this publication.
Generally I’m of the view that if you say something that makes sense others might adopt it, and if it’s babble they’ll reject it. I would think numerous seeds have been sown on this ground.
I reckon the Standard has had a major effect on both leadership contests and provides a good insight into what lefties are thinking. It is not so much the posts themselves but the discussion of the posts where often the really interesting ideas come from.
mickysavage
First come the posts! And we are eternally grateful to the authors for sticking in there at the top with their thoughtful and sourced writing.
Then we commenters can build on that, sliding pieces in or out, making additions, questioning strength of argument, likely scenario for each idea posited, looking to the heart of the matter, like a complicated puzzle box.
Agreed ms. In the past I have had one or two Labour politicians start conversations based on something they have seen on TS. Some Labour pollies even commented here until they were driven away by hostile responses. I was one of them during the course of the leadership wars a few years ago which is something I now regret. But in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high……
Agreed.
I noticed over the years, comments and responses from both Darrien Fenton and Clare Curran.
Similarly, TDB has contributions from various advocacy groups and people connected with political parties across Labour, Greens and NZ1 – even MP and Mana.
The ‘Right’ have equivalents, but I’d say they’re generally more secretive and operate with other opaque means of influence over policy.
I quite like it that The Penguin, The Sloth, and others are running their agendas openly on other public platforms (NZHearald, Stuff, 7 Blunt, Shock Jock Radio, et al), and blogs. It’s a shame we have to wait for the shady deals and cronyism to gradually leak out – drip drip drip. Though the obvious ‘rightie’ commenters on here can be a total piss off at times – almost to the point of seeing who is ‘on or off shift’ at various times – they kind of expose themselves. (Sometimes it’s bloody obvious when you look at linguistic style, or the things that get their knickers in a twist – they emerge almost on queue. Sometimes one can even smell the fear).
Just today Fran O said “the commentariat” had been vocal in their criticism of JA not making a firm statement on Manus after meeting with Turnbull. Presumably The Standard is a significant part of “the commentariat”.
Hell yeah. Politicians read this site and Farrar’s to stick a finger in the air. They’ll look at Cam’s site to see where the lobby $ is being spent and Martyn’s to see what the fringe are whacking on about.
I’d say stuff directed at Jacinda and Bill in blogs that I’d never say face to face. In the real world I’m a sycophant.
Does the vibe in blogs ever get carried over into policy? As much as anybody setting that policy will deny it, of course what they read and see has an influence on their decisions.
As much as we like to think otherwise, ultimately we make all of our decisions emotionally.
When I consider why I buy the toilet cleaner I do, I have no better justification than ‘I love that little duck guy.’
There was a time not so long ago that politicians kept a finger on our nation’s pulse via newspapers. In search of relevance the modern newspaper has become the go to reference if you’re wondering how the Kardashians got such large bottoms.
Actually I buy toilet based on the experience I’ve had of how well they did the job in the past… and I buy duck stuff because I can get the top off easily with my hands, rather than having to get out the pliers, hold the bottle between my feet and struggle with it – which is my experience with most other toilet cleaners –
“If you’re not a socialist by the age of 20 then you haven’t got a heart..
If you’re not a capitalist by the age of 30 then you haven’t got a brain..
If you’re not a socialist again by the age of 40 then you haven’t got a heart or a brain.”
So what the hell do you reckon went wrong with Chris Finlayson? (I think he has both a heart and a brain, but he’s way past his mid-life crisis)
Bolger and McKinnon are probably busy, still reconsidering their position and their ‘faith’.
And as that old ‘joke’ goes … English is still wondering what caused all his kids – especially after some treasury official couldn’t give him an answer.
Well I no that I said that I would like to see movies on NZ land wars but as I look around our world and see what could happen I change my mind . We could write/make movies about Maori being the first exporters or having some of the first cars many good stories that show OUR mana fuck WAR ,
You no that I said I was assistant manager of a 5000 cow farm well it was not just me.
I had 13 of my iwi /people working with me my wife daughters sons and other family members and we smashed it the farm was running better than it ever had . This other out fit took over the sharemilking and decided that the Maori were not good enough to manage the farm . But they need me to run farm during the dry season I should have looked for another farm for us they paid us a flight down south to keep me there showed me some of there farms down south . And because I had so many people on the farm I stayed. The idiot new manager change all the systems on the farm he changed our feed plan for the cows . He burnt through all the cows rations that were budget to last 2 months in 3 weeks he made me effluent man of course we had a couple of Hongi’s by now as I coud see he was fucking things up our hard work he decided it was best to give me my space. I got a nother job and left thats a whole new story .This new manager gave some one whom I would not have give a job as assistant he was not very skilled my job six month later LOL. And because this outfit let its prejudice opinion make there choices for them and decided to hire someone with all the paper knowledge but his practical skills and people skills were lacking/ shit.
They end up going broke cost them $20. million and more so you see people being raciest cost OUR country Billions open your eyes and hire the right people for the job.
I expected me and my sons to be managing a farm each by now I no they have the skills to do this. But some people have thrown a spanner in my familys future shitting on OUR good name and put us in hardship .
Now with Lawn’s Grass is like any other plant you can train IT to grow slow or feed it to grow fast If you want it to grow slow you cut it short and you can stress it ie scalp it and it will slow down so scalp it in spring and lift the cut when it dries up as in my option my clients want a green clean lawn .So if you want to mow 3 to 4 weeks scalp your lawn and mow it again in five days this will stress it and slow the growth. You see the best skills on can have is observation and growing grass is one of the mains skills a farmer needs Yes Jack you are right lawn is not good for our enviroment it is a luxury not many people around OUR world can afford. See I told you Jacinda Is Intelligent. P.S I’v got a move that’s going to make them shit the bed. Kia Kaha
Panama Papers Mk2: AKA the Paradise Papers, is a breaking story from the International Consortium of Journalists, in collaboration with some MSM organisations int he UK, US and Germany. It is a leak of papers relating to offshore trusts related to the corporation Appleby, now called Estera.
NZ is not mentioned in anything I have read so far. But Cook islands, Samoa, and Oceana get mentions.
The ICoJ article linked above says this:
The leaked cache of documents includes more than half a million files from Asiaciti Trust, a family-run offshore specialist that is headquartered in Singapore and has satellite offices from Samoa in the South Pacific to Nevis in the Caribbean.
It didn’t take me long to find this document, from the Managing Director – Trust Services for the Asiaciti Trust Group, who claims to be a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Whitney was one of a handful of small firms and barristers, along with Cone Marshall, John W. Hart, OliverShaw, Anchor Trustees and Asiaciti Trust New Zealand, who subsequently met with the then Revenue Minister Todd McClay on December 18, 2014.
I’m sure David Fisher and Matt Nippert will be on it.
Thanks. I can’t access that link without subscribing. What does it have to do with John Key?
I am trying to find when the Paradise Papers were released to the German newspaper. All I can find is that the leaked documents contain material from 1950-2016.
I was trying to see if there is a link between the leaking of the Paradise Papers, and John key’s surprise resignation at the end of 2016.
It seems that after the Paradise Papers were leaked, various news organisations and ICoJ started to investigate them, and are now going public.
I don’t know why that link is not working, it’s opens up for me and I’m not a subscriber but anyway
This bit here:
Leaked documents from the Asiaciti trust group in Singapore show inquiries by Henley & Partners, which runs a business migration program for the government of Malta, about setting up asset protection trusts in the Cook Islands which would thwart attempts by creditors for restitution.
(…)
The files raise questions about the loose oversight role that New Zealand’s government holds over the Cook Islands, a year after the Panama Papers forced changes in how New Zealand foreign trusts operate.
Former Allens Arthur Robinson lawyer James McConvill reported after a 2010 marketing trip for Appleby to Auckland and Wellington that law firms told him that then Prime Minister John Key was leading measures to promote New Zealand as an offshore hub through foreign trusts, which pay no tax on earnings outside New Zealand.
“Apparently the New Zealand Prime Minister is personally pushing the proposal, and it is expected to come into effect in 2011,” Mr McConvill reported. “In numerous meetings I was told that this proposal, if implemented, could lead to a lot of work for Appleby and other offshore firms.”
Cooks Island residents also hold New Zealand citizenship, but Rarotonga runs its own foreign policy.
The Cook Islands was the first country to enact an asset protection law in 1989, under which foreign creditors are barred from challenging the assets of a trust after a waiting period of one to two years. “
Cont’d
Adrian Taylor of Asiaciti told Mr Kalin that “the maximum time limitation period in respect of creditor ‘fraudulent transfer’ actions is two years from the date of transfer of assets into the trust. In some cases that period may be as little as 12 months.”
Mr Kalin replied: “I will be in touch or may refer the client directly to you. His name is Mr Karkukly from Chicago.”
No further details are available. However, the following day Mr Taylor referred to Mr Kalin in an email exchange with a lawyer with Texas law firm Cantey Hanger.
The US lawyer responded: “I spoke to Chris no more than 30 minutes ago. I know exactly why he is asking about Cook Island entities. I know so because he told me and asked me about it.
“I think it is a great opportunity for Asiaciti, assuming your business sources in Switzerland do not catch wind of it.”
US records indicate only one family named Karkukly lived in Chicago at the time, with several family members involved in setting up a remittance business.
One of these, Ahmad Karkukly, a loans officer with Countrywide Home Loans Inc, was subsequently jailed for his part in a $US17.2 million mortgage fraud which was uncovered in December 2006.
Henley & Partners declined to comment. Its position is that it has never had any involvement whatsoever in the Cook Islands. Asiaciti did not comment.
Henley Trust, which changed its name to Athos Group last year, provides corporate and trust services but had no legal connection with Henley & Partners, the firm maintains.
In December 2012 H&P Trust Company (Switzerland) AG wrote to Asiaciti’s Cook Islands office to introduce Dmitry Fadeev, a Singapore-based Russian who earned $US37 million in a $US1.4 billion sale of Russia’s largest juicing company to Pepsico in 2008.
The enclosed letter was on Henley & Partners stationery and used a Henleyglobal.com email address.
Asiaciti set up the Sakama Trust for Fadeev, to hold 7 million shares in Eagle Holdings Ltd of Anguilla and millions of shares in Panama companies Vinson International SA and Byzantium Global SA.
Henley & Partners also appears in the Appleby files, which show the firm was forced to repay $US468,150 in a legal action by Russian Otkritie Securities over a $US150 million fraud by its London traders.
Ruslan Pinaev, one of the Otkritie traders involved with the fraud had paid Henley $US492,118. Mr Kalin declined to answer if the payment was for a citizenship application.
The Asiaciti files show numerous clients – property developers, doctors, dentists, fund managers – who noted that all income was reported to tax offices.
Kenneth Whitney, the lawyer for former NZ PM John Key, in 2007 set up Catamount Holdings Trust for New York investment banker Neil Winward, formerly of Dresdner Kleinwort.
In other cases, Asiaciti offered a mortgage scheme where clients could in effect lend money to themselves from offshore accounts, and claim interest payments as deductions.
Other Asiaciti trust clients in the Cook Islands include:
Gary A Denkberg, who set up two trusts, and is facing charges of defrauding elderly people in the US of $US30 million.
The family of Kazakhstan senior official Serik Burkitbayev, one-time adviser to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was convicted of corruption in 2009.
Kevin Trudeau, imprisoned for fraud in the US in January over a long-running series of marketing frauds.
Arturo Rafael Frieri Gallo, whose lawyer explained why his name in Italian documents was different from Colombian documents. Italian authorities opened an investigation on him in 2014 in relation to suspected tax evasion of €331 million.
A $US25 million trust for Eduardo Langoria, whose family would later be embroiled in a bitter dispute over the estate of Mexican businessman Eduardo Langoria Senior.
And Kevin W Wessel, who the California District Court ruled “intentionally misrepresented and concealed important facts as part of a fraudulent asset protection scheme” in which clients deposited more than $US6.3 million in what they believed was a Swedish bank called The Alps.
New York lawyer Marie Kaiser-Napoli set up a Cook Island trust in November 2015 called the MEKN 2008 Family Trust, listing its purpose as “to provide a degree of protection from long-term inflation”.
Her husband Paul Napoli and law partner Marc Bern had won hundreds of millions of dollars from class actions for 9/11 responders and others, before their partnership dissolved in a bitterly acrimonious series of lawsuits in 2014 against Bern and Paul’s former mistress.
In 2014, while Israeli real estate developer Moti Zisser was battling attempts by banks to force him into bankruptcy over debt of $US700 million, his son David set up the Cottian trust in the Cook Islands.
At the time David Zisser’s lawyer, Ram Jeanne, said his business “has never had any connection to Motti Zisser, and any attempt to link David Zisser’s business to Motti Zisser has no connection with reality”.
OK. Thanks. I see most mainstream media in NZ are also mentioning the Asiaciti Trust Group. Probably too soon to find a direct link to tax evasion in NZ.
However, there were various concerns expressed in NZ MSM about the Asiaciti Trust connection in relation to the Panama Papers.
A controversial and disgraced prominent Brazilian politician accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes used a New Zealand company as part of a complex arrangement to hide his wealth in secret bank accounts.
…
The New Zealand link is PVCI New Zealand Trust, set up in July 2008 by a Panamanian company of the same name.
Its registered address was New Zealand-based offshore services firm Asiaciti Trust New Zealand, with three directors – Uruguayan lawyer, Luis Maria Pineyrua Pittaluga, and Argentine, Jorge Haiek Reggiardo, and Auckland based Sam Ruha of Asiaciti.
…
After PVCI NZ’s early role in setting up the Singapore companies used to hide Cunha’s alleged gains from graft, it seems to have been largely dormant. Its only New Zealand based link – director Sam Ruha, resigned in 2011.
Asiaciti did not respond to emails asking for comment.
New Zealand Companies Office records show PVCI moved its registered office to Auckland based law firm Cone Marshall in July 2014, and Geoffrey Cone became a director in November 2015 – a few months after Cunha had been indicted.
Cone and Marshall partner Geoffrey Cone
Both Asiaciti Trust and Cone Marshall were among several firms who lobbied the government in 2014 over fears the trust industry would be shut down by Inland Revenue (IRD).
And Matt Nippert at NZ Herald was looking at Asiaciti, in relation to the Panama Papers, and a response from an OIA query made by Nippert. In June 2017, Nippert reported:
An official report has highlighted concerns New Zealand’s charitable sector may be misused to evade tax or launder money after three local charities holding $140 million run by Swiss lawyers refused to disclose to investigators who they acted for.
An Internal Affairs Charities Service investigation dubbed “Operation Timepiece” into the New Zealand-registered Mulligan, Shepherd and Birdy Charitable Trusts found while some donations were made locally to Starship and Plunket, the vast majority of its distributions – almost $5m since 2012 – were directed offshore to a related Swiss entity called Fondation Eagle.
…
The New Zealand connection is the Queen St-based Asiaciti Trust, which provided an office address and directors – Lauren Willis, Megan Wu and Kevin Taylor – for the three trustee companies governing the charities.
Willis, the managing director of Asiaciti Trust New Zealand, said repeatedly in response to questions this week: “I can’t really comment, because this is bound by client confidentiality.”
There’s a lot more detail about this at the Nippert link.
But, I am pretty sure, Nippert and other NZ journos, will be looking very closely at leaks from Asiaciti in the Paradise Papers – look forward to Nippert’s article on this.
Yes there are better moves to improve our environmental foot print .
$ 5000 subsidy on secondhand electric car’s and no rego fees . This will also slow the demand of fule and should make OUR fuel companys more honest and we don’t need to buy new as there are plenty of secondhand cars coming to nz now. get these cars to go through a signture range check and they must only have 30.000 klm on the clock.
Many thing that we can change one Idea I had was to use Mother Nature I.E gravity desgin all cars to shut down and still be safe and automatically free wheel down hill heaps of fuel efficiency to be gained there in my opinion I’M still Loyal to Gull fuel staitions for supporting OUR new coalition government buy dropping there prices on the day they got the reins of POWER. Ka pai
I was not in NZ in the pre-election period so missed these news items. They reflect a Minister of health who just did not have the welfare of the population in his sights. Like other Cabinet Ministers in the last nine years, he did not do his job and not only that, dealt in spinning the facts convenient to their ideology. In effect, they were exercising their power for their own career advancement and that of their lobbyists and political funders. Coleman’s continuing arrogance about the facts of the state of the health care system as they developed in NZ is a sad inditement of National’s record in office.
For those that like action – climate love – a monhly newspaper for Nelson Tasman first one out now – around sustainability and low carbon futures. Bought to you by Charlotte Squire who created happyzine.co nz. Check out the Facebook page for submitting stories or for advertising.
“National MP and shadow leader of the house Simon Bridges said it was normal for places on select committees to be roughly equivalent to the size of Parliament, or around 120 MPs.”
“It’s a really alarming erosion of the Opposition’s democratic rights in our Parliament like we have never seen before. It is an unprecedented situation.” [Bridges said]
Maybe he should build 10 bridges and get over himself.
Hilarious to hear he and his party suddenly care about democratic rights, govt transparency, fairness. Wait til one of them rails about breaches of Privacy!
” Maybe he should build 10 bridges and get over himself.” LOL
It was an elegant move to block any undemocratic and some might even say treasonous moves by the National Party. That a former prime minister is sinking so low with the comments he made, I am certain that, if he continues with his undignified and shameful display, he will be ousted within 6 months.
So Jacinda has delivered on her promise of extending paid parental leave.
Whilst originally was against it – This is something that I agree that Labour got right and National’s arguments didnt make as much ‘real life’ logic as Labours
Now if only they could pay decent non-judgemental non-obligational amounts to raise their children to those predominantly Maori mothers, many of whom don’t have another partners income to fall back on, as they do to those predominantly European mothers who either have a good paying job prior to having their baby or a husbands income.
Plus all the others on benefits as well.
Just bring back completely non-judgemental universal family benefit for fucks sake and stop playing one set of parents off against the other.
The entire National Party of the day were Muldoonists……were he reincarnated with his excesses thrown behind the trickle-down lie the present lot would be again. ‘Born-To-Rule’ pricks.
I once played this over the phone to my octogenarian mother ,… as I wanted to get her opinion on what she thought ,… she thought it was ‘ energetic ‘ … quite a good song ,… then I told her who it was that both wrote it and also the group that sang it…
She was quite composed and conciliatory ,… considering the outcry and the stigma attached,… I guess she is quite the social thinker,… anyways ,… I think this is a good study in human sociology… to really get into the nitty gritty…
“Get On Home” sung by members of the Manson Family – YouTube
Video for charles manson get on home you tube▶ 3:31
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Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
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Have discussions or posts on The Standard influenced political parties?
Some posts and discussions have had a lot of thought and effort gone into them, but also are flavoured with originality and appear to be worthy of further investigation. (Others not some much.)
Does anybody have examples where something written here on The Standard has been picked up by a political party? Is it even an objective of the site to be an influencer?
Clare Curran suggested squatters’ rights as a solution to homelessness 🙂
Clare has since changed her stance. She came home from holiday to discover 2 families living in her place…..I’m kiddin…..sort of.
I can’t point to anything specific @Gristle, but there have been several things where policies ‘coincide’ with posts and comments written.
Ditto TDB.
And now on a related issue:
Jacinder Adhern will not approach the PNG Government over Manus Island.
I wonder how it would be if the PNG government were to approach the NZ government – possibly as (say) a French Government initiative offering limited placements in Noumea, Papeete ?
I am pretty certain that the various governments will not do this. They would all know that this would be hugely disruptive on the various bilateral relationships. Any deal will have the involvement of Australia.
The PM has already shown she intends to work with Australia on this issue, not go outside them. The bilateral relationship between NZ and Australian is way too important for the situation of the Manus island refugees to dictate how it runs. Not that Standardnistas seem to agree with that.
I note that there are already three new camps that have been built for the refugees with full support, (accommodation, food etc). Australia has paid, or will pay $150 million for this. The refugees say they will not be safe, but presumably extra security can be arranged.
I suspect that the refugees are using the current opportunity to get maximum publicity, especially in New Zealand, to get an early removal from Manus. But if that doesn’t succeed, which is not looking likely, then I imagine they will go to the new camps.
Yeah, that’s all those refugess want, eh? Publicity. You’re such an idiot.
Wayne, are you for real? Refugees getting publicity? Am I in gaga land or what?
While I have little faith in any political parties or politicians I don’t think any of them are daft enough to take their policy lead from political blogs which represent only a few very politically motivated wonks.
I was waiting for a comment or two from Dishonourable members of the ‘electronic opposition’. We might even expect the gNats to start to see accusations in parliament from those very powerful Honourable opposition members – policy taken from “that far left Laboour blog The Standard, and a bunch of commies from TDB”. All the while when they continue to take advice from Koiwoiblog and the Tax Payers Union
If government ministers take their policy lead from the Daily blog, Whaleoil, The Standard or Kiwiblog we’re all well fucked.
so you think elected politicians along with their advisors are incapable of weeding out what are effectively submissions with accompanying evidence from a variety of sources, from chaff and bluster? I know there’s little faith in politicians, but its a far better system than most other alternatives.
I prefer the various processes to be as transparent as possible and available to public scrutiny – and venues such as this, or select committees, or advocacy groups who publish their policies all try to do that.
Far better than secretive little deals between politicians and individuals with card access to the parliamentary precincts.
That’s a bit like saying nobody should bother submitting to select committees cause it won’t change anything.
I did complain about the labour party having state housing for life and the 8 hour working day 40 hour working week on the frontage of their website as if they actually believed in these things.
I did notice they disappeared shortly after. Likely co-incidence but what a bunch of wankers abusing what the Labour Party used to believe in and deliver vs the right wing policies they believe in now.
No it’s not at all. All methods are legitimate. Submissions to select committees, visits to electorate offices, comments on posts/blogs (for that broad spectrum drench – ‘The Left’: TS, TDB and No Right Turn as examples), Worker Advocacy Groups, and you know who for ‘The Right’
Most policy leads come “politically motivated wonks,” it’s just that the wonks are their wonks. Taking a lead from a political blog is quite different from using a political blog to be the major/only source of policy ideas.
As an aside, what is it you find in political parties or politicians that cause you to have little faith in them?
Interesting questions but I think it might be more fruitful to ask individual posters & commenters why they do what they’re doing here on TS and with what expectations or goals, if any. There’s the small nitty-gritty stuff and there’s the larger picture …
John Donne – 1624
Donne’s majestic poem is exemplified today as we all find ourselves affected,willingly or not in the trials of the world (and a few triumphs) through hyper-efficient news dissemination.
Unlike a few decades ago we currently stifle in a seething miasma of ideas instantly and widely disseminated via social media . Each thought/observation tossed into the pool finds its home with the like-minded to await endorsement or amplification. Tweeting and re-tweeting, posting and reposting we add to the tangle and it is at once challenging and unnerving.
Greenwald observes “…..journalists… endorse factually false claims that quickly spread and become viral, entrenched into narratives, and thus can never be adequately corrected. Its space constraints mean that tweeted headlines or tiny summaries of reporting are often assumed to be true with no critical analysis of their accuracy,”
ehttps://theintercept.com/2017/11/05/four-viral-claims-spread-by-journalists-on-twitter-in-the-last-week-alone-that-are-false/asily spread”
As someone observed “you cannot un-ring the bell” First impressions last.
Essential to post our thoughts to enrich the cognitive climate (noosphere) in the belief that good ideas that are seasonally apt will germinate, capture the imagination of the like-minded and spread to outcompete those aligned with degenerative capitalism.
Action is also required, as has been said ‘more than believing in the change you want to see, or even expounding it, we have to be the change‘
You’re arguing for decisive intervention in the nature of the government of the nations from which these unfortunate young men were forced to flee, I take it.
No, that’s forcing the change.
I had more in mind being proactive participating in our new government’s socialistically oriented initiatives.
Taking practical steps that epitomize optimal climate change life style.
Participating in forums where negatives such as ‘attack politics’ are replaced by acknowledging good ideas and praising them.
Being “relentlessly positive” as a mantra that will keep us focused on the best we can become.
Great comment(s)!
Where do ideas come from, where do they originate? In the collective unconscious perhaps?
Why do some ideas resonate? For example, neoliberalism felt good, it sounded good, but did it truly resonate with our whole being? I think it did not; it was a fad, a tempting and seductive one, but one nonetheless.
In this context, I think it is very important that politicians look outside their own ‘zones of comfort & familiarity’. They need to tap into the ‘wisdom of the crowd’. Our 120 MPs or the 63 who are ‘more or less’ in Government won’t have the time or intellectual & spiritual reach of the ‘crowd’ and will thus be exposed to only a limited range of ideas. This is not an intrinsically bad thing but it slows down progress and human evolution. Of course, politicians are under constant pressure to choose between binaries, which locks the mind into certain mind-set. Instead of diverging they need to learn to converge, we all do …
More interesting to ask the reverse:
Who here largely spins on behalf of this government?
“Have discussions or posts on The Standard influenced political parties? ”
I’d say yes. The David Cunliffe episode was heavily influenced by this publication.
Generally I’m of the view that if you say something that makes sense others might adopt it, and if it’s babble they’ll reject it. I would think numerous seeds have been sown on this ground.
I reckon the Standard has had a major effect on both leadership contests and provides a good insight into what lefties are thinking. It is not so much the posts themselves but the discussion of the posts where often the really interesting ideas come from.
mickysavage
First come the posts! And we are eternally grateful to the authors for sticking in there at the top with their thoughtful and sourced writing.
Then we commenters can build on that, sliding pieces in or out, making additions, questioning strength of argument, likely scenario for each idea posited, looking to the heart of the matter, like a complicated puzzle box.
Agreed ms. In the past I have had one or two Labour politicians start conversations based on something they have seen on TS. Some Labour pollies even commented here until they were driven away by hostile responses. I was one of them during the course of the leadership wars a few years ago which is something I now regret. But in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high……
Agreed.
I noticed over the years, comments and responses from both Darrien Fenton and Clare Curran.
Similarly, TDB has contributions from various advocacy groups and people connected with political parties across Labour, Greens and NZ1 – even MP and Mana.
The ‘Right’ have equivalents, but I’d say they’re generally more secretive and operate with other opaque means of influence over policy.
I quite like it that The Penguin, The Sloth, and others are running their agendas openly on other public platforms (NZHearald, Stuff, 7 Blunt, Shock Jock Radio, et al), and blogs. It’s a shame we have to wait for the shady deals and cronyism to gradually leak out – drip drip drip. Though the obvious ‘rightie’ commenters on here can be a total piss off at times – almost to the point of seeing who is ‘on or off shift’ at various times – they kind of expose themselves. (Sometimes it’s bloody obvious when you look at linguistic style, or the things that get their knickers in a twist – they emerge almost on queue. Sometimes one can even smell the fear).
One thing for sure is that TS has had no effect on Wayne. He still comes on TV speaking as if he’s a National cabinet minister.
A well-grounded media training and deep-rooted habits perhaps? Wayne should not be our yardstick.
Just today Fran O said “the commentariat” had been vocal in their criticism of JA not making a firm statement on Manus after meeting with Turnbull. Presumably The Standard is a significant part of “the commentariat”.
Hell yeah. Politicians read this site and Farrar’s to stick a finger in the air. They’ll look at Cam’s site to see where the lobby $ is being spent and Martyn’s to see what the fringe are whacking on about.
I’d say stuff directed at Jacinda and Bill in blogs that I’d never say face to face. In the real world I’m a sycophant.
Does the vibe in blogs ever get carried over into policy? As much as anybody setting that policy will deny it, of course what they read and see has an influence on their decisions.
As much as we like to think otherwise, ultimately we make all of our decisions emotionally.
When I consider why I buy the toilet cleaner I do, I have no better justification than ‘I love that little duck guy.’
There was a time not so long ago that politicians kept a finger on our nation’s pulse via newspapers. In search of relevance the modern newspaper has become the go to reference if you’re wondering how the Kardashians got such large bottoms.
Actually I buy toilet based on the experience I’ve had of how well they did the job in the past… and I buy duck stuff because I can get the top off easily with my hands, rather than having to get out the pliers, hold the bottle between my feet and struggle with it – which is my experience with most other toilet cleaners –
so it’s a rational decision.
Rubbish, you buy Harpic because your Mother did.
We all like to think that we’re smart enough to think as you describe but we don’t. We lean towards where our hearts lie.
Too true David Mac. And amusing. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, who is allowed to?
Thanks for the lead. I see that you and Weka have pushed this in the past. Are you aware if Claire Curren picked this approach up from here?
Worth looking at Q&A Ardern v Dann.
Ardern is clear she will pick one or two industries per year and negotiate big wage increases across a whole industry.
Bus drivers was an example.
Harriet Gale at Greater Auckland covers it today.
All power to this PM. Great job so far.
a correction to an old saying;
If you’re not a socialist by the age of 20 then you haven’t got a heart..
If you’re not a capitalist by the age of 30 then you haven’t got a brain..
If you’re not a socialist again by the age of 40 then you haven’t got a heart or a brain.
“If you’re not a socialist by the age of 20 then you haven’t got a heart..
If you’re not a capitalist by the age of 30 then you haven’t got a brain..
If you’re not a socialist again by the age of 40 then you haven’t got a heart or a brain.”
So what the hell do you reckon went wrong with Chris Finlayson? (I think he has both a heart and a brain, but he’s way past his mid-life crisis)
Bolger and McKinnon are probably busy, still reconsidering their position and their ‘faith’.
And as that old ‘joke’ goes … English is still wondering what caused all his kids – especially after some treasury official couldn’t give him an answer.
Well I no that I said that I would like to see movies on NZ land wars but as I look around our world and see what could happen I change my mind . We could write/make movies about Maori being the first exporters or having some of the first cars many good stories that show OUR mana fuck WAR ,
You no that I said I was assistant manager of a 5000 cow farm well it was not just me.
I had 13 of my iwi /people working with me my wife daughters sons and other family members and we smashed it the farm was running better than it ever had . This other out fit took over the sharemilking and decided that the Maori were not good enough to manage the farm . But they need me to run farm during the dry season I should have looked for another farm for us they paid us a flight down south to keep me there showed me some of there farms down south . And because I had so many people on the farm I stayed. The idiot new manager change all the systems on the farm he changed our feed plan for the cows . He burnt through all the cows rations that were budget to last 2 months in 3 weeks he made me effluent man of course we had a couple of Hongi’s by now as I coud see he was fucking things up our hard work he decided it was best to give me my space. I got a nother job and left thats a whole new story .This new manager gave some one whom I would not have give a job as assistant he was not very skilled my job six month later LOL. And because this outfit let its prejudice opinion make there choices for them and decided to hire someone with all the paper knowledge but his practical skills and people skills were lacking/ shit.
They end up going broke cost them $20. million and more so you see people being raciest cost OUR country Billions open your eyes and hire the right people for the job.
I expected me and my sons to be managing a farm each by now I no they have the skills to do this. But some people have thrown a spanner in my familys future shitting on OUR good name and put us in hardship .
Now with Lawn’s Grass is like any other plant you can train IT to grow slow or feed it to grow fast If you want it to grow slow you cut it short and you can stress it ie scalp it and it will slow down so scalp it in spring and lift the cut when it dries up as in my option my clients want a green clean lawn .So if you want to mow 3 to 4 weeks scalp your lawn and mow it again in five days this will stress it and slow the growth. You see the best skills on can have is observation and growing grass is one of the mains skills a farmer needs Yes Jack you are right lawn is not good for our enviroment it is a luxury not many people around OUR world can afford. See I told you Jacinda Is Intelligent. P.S I’v got a move that’s going to make them shit the bed. Kia Kaha
“being racist cost OUR country Billions open your eyes and hire the right people for the job”
Couldn’t agree more. Racist employers simply suck.
Panama Papers Mk2: AKA the Paradise Papers, is a breaking story from the International Consortium of Journalists, in collaboration with some MSM organisations int he UK, US and Germany. It is a leak of papers relating to offshore trusts related to the corporation Appleby, now called Estera.
The Guardian has several articles on it today, including “What are the Paradise Papers”.
The ICoJ has much on it, including this article.
NZ is not mentioned in anything I have read so far. But Cook islands, Samoa, and Oceana get mentions.
The ICoJ article linked above says this:
It didn’t take me long to find this document, from the Managing Director – Trust Services for the Asiaciti Trust Group, who claims to be a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/0000059335
It’s a submission to the proposed changes in 2007, to Trusstee laws.
NZ Business directory for this trust group.
The New Zealand Herald has a 2016 article on such trusts, and has a brief mention of Asiaciti
I’m sure David Fisher and Matt Nippert will be on it.
New Zealand is donkey deep in it, thanks to John Key
Paradise Papers: Link to firm that sued murdered Malta journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia http://www.afr.com/news/policy/tax/paradise-papers-link-to-firm-that-sued-murdered-malta-journalist-daphne-caruana-galizia-20171105-gzf1v0#ixzz4xbmZKQyR
Thanks. I can’t access that link without subscribing. What does it have to do with John Key?
I am trying to find when the Paradise Papers were released to the German newspaper. All I can find is that the leaked documents contain material from 1950-2016.
I was trying to see if there is a link between the leaking of the Paradise Papers, and John key’s surprise resignation at the end of 2016.
It seems that after the Paradise Papers were leaked, various news organisations and ICoJ started to investigate them, and are now going public.
I don’t know why that link is not working, it’s opens up for me and I’m not a subscriber but anyway
This bit here:
Leaked documents from the Asiaciti trust group in Singapore show inquiries by Henley & Partners, which runs a business migration program for the government of Malta, about setting up asset protection trusts in the Cook Islands which would thwart attempts by creditors for restitution.
(…)
The files raise questions about the loose oversight role that New Zealand’s government holds over the Cook Islands, a year after the Panama Papers forced changes in how New Zealand foreign trusts operate.
Former Allens Arthur Robinson lawyer James McConvill reported after a 2010 marketing trip for Appleby to Auckland and Wellington that law firms told him that then Prime Minister John Key was leading measures to promote New Zealand as an offshore hub through foreign trusts, which pay no tax on earnings outside New Zealand.
“Apparently the New Zealand Prime Minister is personally pushing the proposal, and it is expected to come into effect in 2011,” Mr McConvill reported. “In numerous meetings I was told that this proposal, if implemented, could lead to a lot of work for Appleby and other offshore firms.”
Cooks Island residents also hold New Zealand citizenship, but Rarotonga runs its own foreign policy.
The Cook Islands was the first country to enact an asset protection law in 1989, under which foreign creditors are barred from challenging the assets of a trust after a waiting period of one to two years. “
Cont’d
Adrian Taylor of Asiaciti told Mr Kalin that “the maximum time limitation period in respect of creditor ‘fraudulent transfer’ actions is two years from the date of transfer of assets into the trust. In some cases that period may be as little as 12 months.”
Mr Kalin replied: “I will be in touch or may refer the client directly to you. His name is Mr Karkukly from Chicago.”
No further details are available. However, the following day Mr Taylor referred to Mr Kalin in an email exchange with a lawyer with Texas law firm Cantey Hanger.
The US lawyer responded: “I spoke to Chris no more than 30 minutes ago. I know exactly why he is asking about Cook Island entities. I know so because he told me and asked me about it.
“I think it is a great opportunity for Asiaciti, assuming your business sources in Switzerland do not catch wind of it.”
US records indicate only one family named Karkukly lived in Chicago at the time, with several family members involved in setting up a remittance business.
One of these, Ahmad Karkukly, a loans officer with Countrywide Home Loans Inc, was subsequently jailed for his part in a $US17.2 million mortgage fraud which was uncovered in December 2006.
Henley & Partners declined to comment. Its position is that it has never had any involvement whatsoever in the Cook Islands. Asiaciti did not comment.
Henley Trust, which changed its name to Athos Group last year, provides corporate and trust services but had no legal connection with Henley & Partners, the firm maintains.
In December 2012 H&P Trust Company (Switzerland) AG wrote to Asiaciti’s Cook Islands office to introduce Dmitry Fadeev, a Singapore-based Russian who earned $US37 million in a $US1.4 billion sale of Russia’s largest juicing company to Pepsico in 2008.
The enclosed letter was on Henley & Partners stationery and used a Henleyglobal.com email address.
Asiaciti set up the Sakama Trust for Fadeev, to hold 7 million shares in Eagle Holdings Ltd of Anguilla and millions of shares in Panama companies Vinson International SA and Byzantium Global SA.
Henley & Partners also appears in the Appleby files, which show the firm was forced to repay $US468,150 in a legal action by Russian Otkritie Securities over a $US150 million fraud by its London traders.
Ruslan Pinaev, one of the Otkritie traders involved with the fraud had paid Henley $US492,118. Mr Kalin declined to answer if the payment was for a citizenship application.
The Asiaciti files show numerous clients – property developers, doctors, dentists, fund managers – who noted that all income was reported to tax offices.
Kenneth Whitney, the lawyer for former NZ PM John Key, in 2007 set up Catamount Holdings Trust for New York investment banker Neil Winward, formerly of Dresdner Kleinwort.
In other cases, Asiaciti offered a mortgage scheme where clients could in effect lend money to themselves from offshore accounts, and claim interest payments as deductions.
Other Asiaciti trust clients in the Cook Islands include:
Gary A Denkberg, who set up two trusts, and is facing charges of defrauding elderly people in the US of $US30 million.
The family of Kazakhstan senior official Serik Burkitbayev, one-time adviser to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was convicted of corruption in 2009.
Kevin Trudeau, imprisoned for fraud in the US in January over a long-running series of marketing frauds.
Arturo Rafael Frieri Gallo, whose lawyer explained why his name in Italian documents was different from Colombian documents. Italian authorities opened an investigation on him in 2014 in relation to suspected tax evasion of €331 million.
A $US25 million trust for Eduardo Langoria, whose family would later be embroiled in a bitter dispute over the estate of Mexican businessman Eduardo Langoria Senior.
And Kevin W Wessel, who the California District Court ruled “intentionally misrepresented and concealed important facts as part of a fraudulent asset protection scheme” in which clients deposited more than $US6.3 million in what they believed was a Swedish bank called The Alps.
New York lawyer Marie Kaiser-Napoli set up a Cook Island trust in November 2015 called the MEKN 2008 Family Trust, listing its purpose as “to provide a degree of protection from long-term inflation”.
Her husband Paul Napoli and law partner Marc Bern had won hundreds of millions of dollars from class actions for 9/11 responders and others, before their partnership dissolved in a bitterly acrimonious series of lawsuits in 2014 against Bern and Paul’s former mistress.
In 2014, while Israeli real estate developer Moti Zisser was battling attempts by banks to force him into bankruptcy over debt of $US700 million, his son David set up the Cottian trust in the Cook Islands.
At the time David Zisser’s lawyer, Ram Jeanne, said his business “has never had any connection to Motti Zisser, and any attempt to link David Zisser’s business to Motti Zisser has no connection with reality”.
Read more: http://www.afr.com/news/policy/tax/paradise-papers-link-to-firm-that-sued-murdered-malta-journalist-daphne-caruana-galizia-20171105-gzf1v0#ixzz4xd8XZaTD
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What’s the connection between Asiaciti and Key’s lawyer Whitney? -The above quote looks like they’re connected, but I don’t understand how.
OK. Thanks. I see most mainstream media in NZ are also mentioning the Asiaciti Trust Group. Probably too soon to find a direct link to tax evasion in NZ.
However, there were various concerns expressed in NZ MSM about the Asiaciti Trust connection in relation to the Panama Papers.
eg: the RNZ Panama Papers investigation group reported in May 2016:
And Matt Nippert at NZ Herald was looking at Asiaciti, in relation to the Panama Papers, and a response from an OIA query made by Nippert. In June 2017, Nippert reported:
There’s a lot more detail about this at the Nippert link.
But, I am pretty sure, Nippert and other NZ journos, will be looking very closely at leaks from Asiaciti in the Paradise Papers – look forward to Nippert’s article on this.
https://web.archive.org/web/20171105215023/http://www.afr.com/news/policy/tax/paradise-papers-link-to-firm-that-sued-murdered-malta-journalist-daphne-caruana-galizia-20171105-gzf1v0
Ah. thanks – the good old wayback machine.
Yes there are better moves to improve our environmental foot print .
$ 5000 subsidy on secondhand electric car’s and no rego fees . This will also slow the demand of fule and should make OUR fuel companys more honest and we don’t need to buy new as there are plenty of secondhand cars coming to nz now. get these cars to go through a signture range check and they must only have 30.000 klm on the clock.
Many thing that we can change one Idea I had was to use Mother Nature I.E gravity desgin all cars to shut down and still be safe and automatically free wheel down hill heaps of fuel efficiency to be gained there in my opinion I’M still Loyal to Gull fuel staitions for supporting OUR new coalition government buy dropping there prices on the day they got the reins of POWER. Ka pai
“Gravity design” is already here. Eco mode in a BMW disengages the driveshaft down hill.
Ten Reasons We Got Rid of National
No. 2: The likes of Dr. Jonathan Coleman
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10413574
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/96135652/coleman-skips-election-health-forum
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11922070
I was not in NZ in the pre-election period so missed these news items. They reflect a Minister of health who just did not have the welfare of the population in his sights. Like other Cabinet Ministers in the last nine years, he did not do his job and not only that, dealt in spinning the facts convenient to their ideology. In effect, they were exercising their power for their own career advancement and that of their lobbyists and political funders. Coleman’s continuing arrogance about the facts of the state of the health care system as they developed in NZ is a sad inditement of National’s record in office.
For those that like action – climate love – a monhly newspaper for Nelson Tasman first one out now – around sustainability and low carbon futures. Bought to you by Charlotte Squire who created happyzine.co nz. Check out the Facebook page for submitting stories or for advertising.
Good one mm. She was on RNZ with Jesse this arfo.
Good one Marty; I listened to Charlotte’s interview and liked what I heard. How do I get a copy of Climate Love? Nelson’s a way off 🙂
Email.me again and I’ll send some down. Yep it was a great interview – Charlotte’s happy.
Simon bridges in the news today:
“National MP and shadow leader of the house Simon Bridges said it was normal for places on select committees to be roughly equivalent to the size of Parliament, or around 120 MPs.”
“It’s a really alarming erosion of the Opposition’s democratic rights in our Parliament like we have never seen before. It is an unprecedented situation.” [Bridges said]
Maybe he should build 10 bridges and get over himself.
Philip Lyth @philiplyth
Simon Bridges crying foul over changes to select cites? In Aug, he was Minister moving the motion for the change.”
Hilarious to hear he and his party suddenly care about democratic rights, govt transparency, fairness. Wait til one of them rails about breaches of Privacy!
” Maybe he should build 10 bridges and get over himself.” LOL
tracey 12.03
+1
It was an elegant move to block any undemocratic and some might even say treasonous moves by the National Party. That a former prime minister is sinking so low with the comments he made, I am certain that, if he continues with his undignified and shameful display, he will be ousted within 6 months.
Gotta love the USA
https://www.facebook.com/events/505748039803791/
http://www.newsweek.com/americans-scream-helplessly-sky-donald-trump-election-anniversary-690889
Copywrite infringement was not even a crime in NZ which was the supposed reason for this Hollywood raid with armed defenders, Helicopters and FBI.
Dotcoms Announce Settlement of Lawsuit Against NZ Police
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/11/04/dotcoms-announce-settlement-of-lawsuit-against-nz-police/?utm_content=bufferad378&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
NZ PM gives finger to Turnbull. Fanstastic.
https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/m/o/t/j/4/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620×349.1mox34.png/1509866724565.jpg
So Jacinda has delivered on her promise of extending paid parental leave.
Whilst originally was against it – This is something that I agree that Labour got right and National’s arguments didnt make as much ‘real life’ logic as Labours
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/jacinda-ardern-commits-to-extending-paid-parental-leave-by-a-month.html
Now if only they could pay decent non-judgemental non-obligational amounts to raise their children to those predominantly Maori mothers, many of whom don’t have another partners income to fall back on, as they do to those predominantly European mothers who either have a good paying job prior to having their baby or a husbands income.
Plus all the others on benefits as well.
Just bring back completely non-judgemental universal family benefit for fucks sake and stop playing one set of parents off against the other.
DoSS
+100
More revelations about where the rich and powerful hide their money.
http://digg.com/2017/paradise-papers-explainer
A good long history as well which I think adds much more value.
“The papers cover the period from 1950 to 2016.”
Pity they don’t have the details of those who were tossing money into SCF in those last few weeks before bailout + interest.
A rather strained fit by Paul Thomas. ‘Winston the Muldoonist’.
http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/politics/the-last-muldoonist-has-his-final-stand-in-government/
The entire National Party of the day were Muldoonists……were he reincarnated with his excesses thrown behind the trickle-down lie the present lot would be again. ‘Born-To-Rule’ pricks.
I once played this over the phone to my octogenarian mother ,… as I wanted to get her opinion on what she thought ,… she thought it was ‘ energetic ‘ … quite a good song ,… then I told her who it was that both wrote it and also the group that sang it…
She was quite composed and conciliatory ,… considering the outcry and the stigma attached,… I guess she is quite the social thinker,… anyways ,… I think this is a good study in human sociology… to really get into the nitty gritty…
“Get On Home” sung by members of the Manson Family – YouTube
Video for charles manson get on home you tube▶ 3:31