Open mike 06/12/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:53 am, December 6th, 2013 - 137 comments
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openmike

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step right up to the mike …

137 comments on “Open mike 06/12/2013 ”

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  1. North 1
    6 December 2013 at 7:09 am

    And of course this was never gonna happen was it ? Call it Simon Bridges’ 89 day slavery law. *

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9483649/Thousands-lose-jobs-in-90-day-trial

    * For Simon Bridges read ShonKey Python.

    • Paul 1.1
      6 December 2013 at 7:36 am

      The only surprise is that this made the corporate news at all

    • Rogue Trooper 1.2
      6 December 2013 at 9:55 am

      there are always ‘McJobs’ to queue for. ‘McJobs’, very enticing…

    • Fisiani 1.3
      6 December 2013 at 9:59 am

      The 90 day right to prove yourself has been proven to be a wonderful success story. Thousands of people who would never have been given the chance to work have found employment. Employers agree that the 90 day right to prove yourself encourages employers to take a risk without risking being sued for thousands. New Zealand has thus joined every other country in the OECD which gives prospective workers the chance to work. It has been a great success story as the article clearly shows.

      • lprent 1.3.1
        6 December 2013 at 10:07 am

        A wonderful success for whom? One of the things you were touting years ago (from memory) was that youth unemployment rates would go down. Last time I looked they kept going up.

        So I guess that is a failure?

        • Puckish Rogue 1.3.1.1
          6 December 2013 at 10:13 am

          “It is not known how many workers were dismissed during the 90-day-trial period, but the figures revealed 27 per cent of employers said they had fired at least one new employee during or at the end of their trial. ”

          – So the papers are making stuff up again and not mentioning how many new employees had been hired at the same time

          • North 1.3.1.1.1
            6 December 2013 at 12:30 pm

            Dishonest Puckish Rogue. You ignore the basis on which it is tentatively calculated (actually written in the article) that 18,000 people are involved here. Dishonest Puckish Rogue. Not surprised. Textor-Tosser. As always.

            • BM 1.3.1.1.1.1
              6 December 2013 at 12:56 pm

              18,000 people who didn’t make the grade gave another 18,000 the opportunity to show what they’ve got and secure themselves a job.

              What’s the problem?

              • North …
                6 December 2013 at 1:32 pm

                Yeah alright then Bowel Motion……..and then 18,000 more for 89 days, and then 18,000 more the 89 days after that, and so on. I daresay the plantation owners too were in the position to resolve that their last slave purchase was a bad deal.

                The problem you fucked up old moron is that you don’t see a problem. Hope karma gets you. We’re talking at minimum 18,000 beating human hearts here. That doesn’t matter ??? Um um um what’s the problem ???

              • McFlock …
                6 December 2013 at 1:37 pm

                Because of the lack of distinction between people who should never have been hired in the first place and people who would have been excellent employees if their manager didn’t take a “sink or swim” approach.

                All 90-day fire at will provides is a ripcord for managers who can’t hire appropriate staff for the job, and can’t manage the staff they do hire.

                Frankly, it’s not the employee who should be fired after three months, it’s the incompetent manager.

                • BM …
                  6 December 2013 at 1:46 pm

                  What a load of horse shit.

                  • Rogue Trooper …
                    6 December 2013 at 2:31 pm

                    There is an odour surrounding your argument BM

                  • McFlock …
                    6 December 2013 at 3:59 pm

                    management style like that (abuse, not context, no explanation of basis for that response, no advise on how to improve) is a perfect illustration of the sort of stupid fuck who needs a 90F@W law in order to run their business.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.3.2
        6 December 2013 at 2:40 pm

        You can’t actually say any of that because we don’t know what’s really happening out there. All indications are, though, that the 90 day fire at will bill is working as intended – making work even more precarious and thus helping drive down wages.

      • Jenny 1.3.3
        6 December 2013 at 5:11 pm

        The 90 day right to prove yourself has been proven to be a wonderful success story. Thousands of people who would never have been given the sack have found unemployment

        Fisiani

    • fender 1.4
      6 December 2013 at 1:16 pm

      National think it’s great WINZ save money when someone on a benefit gets a job for 90 days then has a stand down period before receiving a benefit again. Sick f**ks.

    • Dumrse 1.5
      6 December 2013 at 9:17 pm

      And some dick from the EPMU is also bleating about people being released within 90 days. They get released because they don’t cut the the mustard. Cuntlipps can change the law but nothing will change. Employers will get rid of dead wood bludgers and yes, they will curse they ever employed them, but at least the employer will learn from his/her mistake.

      • Murray Olsen 1.5.1
        6 December 2013 at 11:04 pm

        I’ve never seen much evidence that most employers can learn from anything. Given the number of mistakes they do make, if they could actually learn from them, they’d all be bloody Nobel Laureates. Instead, they have the emotional maturity of someone who thinks it’s witty to name someone after labia.

  3. Te Reo Putake 3
    6 December 2013 at 7:30 am

    Some number crunching:

    1,058,636: number of votes received by National in 2011

    1,083,309: number of votes cast in the referendum, so far.

    • Te Reo Putake 3.1
      6 December 2013 at 7:39 am

      Hmmm, not sure why my comments are doubling up.

      • Paul 3.1.1
        6 December 2013 at 7:48 am

        I’m not sure I understand the point behind your numbers..
        Or is just a reflection?

        • Te Reo Putake 3.1.1.1
          6 December 2013 at 12:35 pm

          Hi, Paul, just noting that the number of posted referendum ballots has now passed the number of votes National claim gave them a ‘mandate’ to sell our assets. Not that all the ballots will be opposed, of course. I imagine we’ll need a return of around 1.5 million to have a ‘mandate’ that actually reflects what kiwis actually want.

      • lprent 3.1.2
        6 December 2013 at 7:52 am

        Nor do I. 90% of the time it is the browser. Try shutting it down and reopening it (if it isn’t IE of course – that never really shuts down).

        Could also be the server that just shut down, you’d have gotten diverted to another server so the dup checking wouldn’t have worked

        • lprent 3.1.2.1
          6 December 2013 at 8:05 am

          Dropping firefox and reopening it seems to have worked. I have lost the “Gateway problem” message. Chrome worked through the server drop without a hitch. Could be something to do with the server stickiness and chrome wasn’t on that server. Could also be that firefox isn’t as good at tcp link failures.

          Tis odd..

          • lprent 3.1.2.1.1
            6 December 2013 at 8:11 am

            Hummm replacement server also failed. That area seems to have a problem. Activating a server on the other side. Removing servers from the affected side.

            • lprent 3.1.2.1.1.1
              6 December 2013 at 8:30 am

              Fixed after figuring out the server that was causing the issue.

              • Te Reo Putake …
                6 December 2013 at 9:00 am

                Cheers, LP. As always, in awe of your technical prowess.

                • lprent …
                  6 December 2013 at 10:11 am

                  Not this morning. It was freaking irritating because it got in the way of what I got up at 0530 to work on.

                • lprent …
                  6 December 2013 at 10:12 am

                  Not this morning. It was freaking irritating because it got in the way of what I got up at 0530 to work on. And I forgot to resticky the balancer.

              • greywarbler …
                6 December 2013 at 10:08 am

                lprent
                I wonder do the other big blogs have problems similar? Do we need more money to purchase better, more robust systems. More should be forthcoming if this is so.

                Also I can’t see that the site would be immune from the noxious attitudes being shown by ACC to a poor protester in the street outside their mansion. Harrassment diminishing strength, and a desire to remove and clear the irritating dissent. Now we have wide ranging privacy interference laws and people with few scruples, it is possible that the disturbing of the systems will recur often as covert harrassment. I would consider it if I was on The Dark Side.

                • greywarbler …
                  6 December 2013 at 10:30 am

                  lprent
                  I notice that in my personal archive all the comments between Nov 30th and today have vanished.

                  • greywarbler …
                    6 December 2013 at 10:34 am

                    lprent
                    And each comment this morning once submitted has led to page ‘Connection closed by remote server’. I’ve gone back, gone Home, and found it but there is no edit option with it hence separate comments.

                • Lanthanide …
                  6 December 2013 at 11:38 am

                  I think The Standards reliability isn’t great compared to other big blogs either.

                  I put it down to Lynn doing this very much on a part-time / hobby basis, as well as with something that is a bit customised rather than a bog standard installation.

                  In that sense I think the reliability we receive is pretty good.

    • swordfish 3.2
      6 December 2013 at 8:20 am

      I see young master Robert Salmond is predicting a 950 K “No”-vote on a turnout of roughly 1.35 million. Not quite National’s vote, but not far off it. Opinion Polls, of course, have been suggesting two-thirds opposition for a long time now.

    • lprent 4.1
      6 December 2013 at 7:58 am

      Yeah. I have to find out why a server instance dumping like that causes a problem with dup comments. I guess it isn’t using the common memcache.

      Another job for the weekend.

  5. AsleepWhileWalking 5
    6 December 2013 at 8:02 am

    The ACC protest goes on, with Mike Dixon-McIvor looking increasingly sick and ACC is still harrassing him (see quote below). Why is this not even a brief story anymore?

    http://michaelbott.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/accs-continuing-persecution-of-mike.html

    “Now having lost his home and income thanks to ACC Mike is conducting a hunger strike on the doorsteps of ACC’s plush Wellington offices in Aitken Street.

    But now it seems that ACC’s bullying of Mike continues even while he protests. At night as he maintains his presence outside their building an ACC security guard wakes him up every two hours. Last night the guard admitted he did this on the instructions of ACC. The denial of sleep in this way is getting pretty close to a form of sleep deprivation. Also Wellington City Council received an “anonymous” complaint about Mike’s dog, who was his companion on the protest. Following an approach by the council, Mike’s dog has had to be sent away.

    The streets of our capital are cold at night, and to deprive an old man of both sleep and a source of warmth as he undertakes a hunger strike is particularly cruel.”

  6. AsleepWhileWalking 6
    6 December 2013 at 8:03 am

    The ACC protest goes on, with Mike Dixon-McIvor looking increasingly sick and ACC is still harrassing him (see quote below). Why is this not even a brief story anymore?

    http://michaelbott.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/accs-continuing-persecution-of-mike.html

    “Now having lost his home and income thanks to ACC Mike is conducting a hunger strike on the doorsteps of ACC’s plush Wellington offices in Aitken Street.

    But now it seems that ACC’s bullying of Mike continues even while he protests. At night as he maintains his presence outside their building an ACC security guard wakes him up every two hours. Last night the guard admitted he did this on the instructions of ACC. The denial of sleep in this way is getting pretty close to a form of sleep deprivation. Also Wellington City Council received an “anonymous” complaint about Mike’s dog, who was his companion on the protest. Following an approach by the council, Mike’s dog has had to be sent away.

    The streets of our capital are cold at night, and to deprive an old man of both sleep and a source of warmth as he undertakes a hunger strike is particularly cruel.”

  7. phillip ure 7
    6 December 2013 at 8:14 am

    @ asleep..thnx 4 the heads-up on that..

    ..i’ve featured it..fwiw..

    ..my headline is ‘the bastards who surround us’..

    ..phillip ure..

  8. Flip 8
    6 December 2013 at 8:27 am

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9483812/Quick-solution-to-online-underage-liquor-sales

    I do hope that the government will act to protect kids from the harm alcohol can do them. They seem to consistently ignore advice and solutions to the problems alcohol create.

    I’m left with the distinct impression that the alcohol industry has way too much influence on the government.

  9. phillip ure 9
    6 December 2013 at 8:32 am

    re cricket-corruption allegations:

    when you have three accused..

    ..and ‘a’ is ‘cooperating fully with the authorities’…

    ..and ‘b’ ‘has heard nothing’ from those same authorities..

    ..it is easy to surmise that ‘a’ has ‘rolled-over’..

    ..and is being lined up to give evidence against ‘b’..

    ..eh..?

    ..phillip ure..

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 9.1
      6 December 2013 at 8:38 am

      It looks a little like that, doesn’t it.

    • Herodotus 9.2
      6 December 2013 at 10:43 am

      Not at all,
      3 months ago it was known that the icc were preparing investigating match and spot fixing and that nz players were to be part of the investigation, so if within some circles it was known back then think something is being missed in the reporting.

  10. Colonial Viper 10
    6 December 2013 at 8:35 am

    Police officer punches down protesting student at University of London

    The power elite are destroying the university system of education in the UK, making it unaffordable for most, and privatising/corporatising the institution for the rest.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2013/dec/05/police-officer-punches-student-university-london-protest-video

  11. Ron 11
    6 December 2013 at 8:36 am

    Went to Bryan Gould’s book launch (“Myths, Politicians & Money”) last night (Thanks to the mighty Fabians for arranging)
    It was a good talk and he roved over some of the contents of the book and answered questions. Penny B was there and as usual was right on the button with her comments.
    Purchased a copy read the intro. late last night and hopefully can start book proper today.

    • Saarbo 11.1
      6 December 2013 at 8:43 am

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2575827

      I hope the above link works, it is the Bryan Gould interview with Chris Laidlaw a few weeks back discussing this book…very interesting.

      • karol 11.1.1
        6 December 2013 at 9:08 am

        Thanks. Interesting audio.

        Gould’s post based on his book.

        Extract from the post, with Thatcherism, Reaganism et al:

        The ability to move capital at will across national boundaries not only meant that international investors could bypass national governments but also enabled them to threaten such governments that they would lose essential investment if they did not comply with the investors’ demands. This shifted the balance of power dramatically back in the direction of capital, and set the seal on the triumph of those “free-market” principles of economic policy that became known as the “Washington consensus”.

        It became accepted that the “free market” was infallible and that its outcomes should not be challenged. Any attempt to second-guess the market would inevitably produce worse results. Everyone – it was thought – would be better off if the rich and powerful were subject to no restraint in manipulating the market to suit their own interests.

        But the whole point of democracy – that the legitimacy enjoyed by elected governments allowed them to defend the interests of ordinary people against the otherwise overwhelming economic power of those who dominated the market – was thereby lost.

        We see the outcomes of this shift all too clearly. Virtually the whole of the increased wealth of the last three decades has gone to the richest people in our society; poverty, even in the “rich” countries, has risen while inequality, with its attendant social ills, has widened; the rights of working people at work have been weakened; joblessness is endemic; and the “free market” free-for-all achieved its culmination in the global financial crisis.

        • greywarbler 11.1.1.1
          6 December 2013 at 9:55 am

          . Virtually the whole of the increased wealth of the last three decades has gone to the richest people in our society; poverty, even in the “rich” countries, has risen

          And this has come to be accepted as ‘the’ norm, the correct way,. Discussing with a wealthy relative this nation’s bad outcomes from past present and likely future policies, he said that Key will lead us out of our problems this is what he knows.

          When you have money there is no spur to change anything, to do anything but ameliorate some ills. The mind goes to sleep, and all interest is centred on organising one’s own little world to maximise benefits from one’s own resources.

          And the others who don’t have those resources get offered disingenuous slogans – ‘get more education, work harder, smarten yourself up to get opportunities and seize them – it’s all individual striving nothing structural and the advice ignores the current realities.

          • Tracey 11.1.1.1.1
            6 December 2013 at 12:00 pm

            in order for this kind of thinking to work politically, there must be a huge number of people NOT in the top group but who slavishly believe it’s either their fault for not working hard enough, or it’s only a matter of time? In the face of oh so much evidence to the contrary.

    • Draco T Bastard 11.2
      6 December 2013 at 5:56 pm

      The pathology of the rich

      Essential watching.

      • TheContrarian 11.2.1
        6 December 2013 at 10:38 pm

        1 minute into this video and two things strike me.

        Firstly, I like Hedges. His book ‘American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America’ was a good read and intellectually sound take on the US religious right.
        (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Fascists)

        Secondly was the quote “The inability to to articulate a viable socialism has been our gravest mistake”.

        That’s where you come in Draco…

      • TheContrarian 11.2.2
        6 December 2013 at 10:39 pm

        1 minute into this video and two things strike me.

        Firstly, I like Hedges. His book ‘American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America’ was a good read and intellectually sound take on the US religious right.
        (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Fascists)

        Secondly was the quote “The inability to to articulate a viable socialism has been our gravest mistake”.

        That’s where you come in Draco…

        • Colonial Viper 11.2.2.1
          6 December 2013 at 10:45 pm

          Hedges is very good. Writing from Sarajevo as it was being shelled week after week after week, as well as from many other war zones, has given the man a perspective of the potential results of moral, economic and political decline that few others have.

        • Draco T Bastard 11.2.2.2
          7 December 2013 at 12:40 am

          Secondly was the quote “The inability to to articulate a viable socialism has been our gravest mistake”.

          That’s where you come in Draco…

          I’m working on it and most of what I say is already sounder than the capitalist system that we have.

  12. Saarbo 12
    6 December 2013 at 8:37 am

    wow…Simon Bridges (wanker) Website hacked…

    http://www.simon-bridges.co.nz/

    Good work who ever did this!

  13. Colonial Viper 13
    6 December 2013 at 8:37 am

    UK Marine who shot heavily wounded Afghan insurgent in chest named

    Charged with murder. How to take a talented young man and twist him over the years into a cold blooded murderer on the orders of the power elite.

    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/05/royal-marine-alexander-blackman-taliban-murder

  14. phillip ure 14
    6 December 2013 at 9:34 am

    two words we really need to focus more on:

    ..’tax-gap’..

    ..this is the amount the tax dept of any country (from their number-crunching) estimates it should receive in revenue on any given year..

    ..and the actual amount that comes in..

    ..in britain..the chancellor there has estimated the amount is $35 billion..

    ..and the recent doco on poverty here had an ‘industry-expert’ estimate the amount here is $2.5 billion..

    ..each and every year..

    ..this is the amount the corporates/elites are ‘dodging/avoiding’…

    ..(and as an aside..get that monies due each year..and there is yr funding to end poverty..eh..?

    ..and to do so so much more..)

    ..and instead of parker pushing raising retirement age..(on economic grounds)..shouldn’t he be promising to get this money..?

    ..and that $2.5 billion per yr..puts into clear perspective those who this govt focuses on/targets..

    ..total benefit fraud in nz is $23 million per yr..

    ..not a small amount of money..

    ..but next to $2.5 billion..?..

    ..really..?..

    http://whoar.co.nz/2013/ed-just-what-is-the-tax-gap-here-in-new-zealand-just-how-much-are-those-1erscorporates-with-sharp-accountantslawyers-ripping-off-from-the-rest-of-the-country/

    phillip ure..

  15. captain hook 15
    6 December 2013 at 9:44 am

    great piece by Tipene O’regan on 9-noon this a.m.
    He understands what the nitwits dont.

  16. Morrissey 16
    6 December 2013 at 10:10 am

    BBC Hard Talk: SOFT on Power, HARD on Real Journalism, Truth Telling and Glenn Greenwald
    by JOSHUA FUNNELL, Huffington Post, 5 December 2013

    Listening to the political gurglings of right-wing commentators a vision is painted of a monolithic BBC acting as an anti-establishment, subversive enemy within. A BBC where leftist executives plot how best to infect society with commie ideals and pollute the minds of youth with an antibusiness, pro EU, anti military, politically correct neurosis. “The BBC is left wing” has become one of those “common sense” truisms read straight from the book of Tory cliches. Alas the idea bears no relation to reality.

    According to research by Cardiff University, the “left wing BBC” idea, academically speaking, is crap. For example, we are told Auntie Beeb is “anti business” and “pro unions”. Strange then that Cardiff have discovered that “On (the) BBC News at Six, business representatives outnumbered trade union spokespersons by more than five to one (11 vs 2) in 2007 and by 19 to one in 2012.” Additionally, whilst discussing the impacts of immigration and EU trade policy, out of 806 sources not ONE was from organised labour.

    Organised labour, lest we forget, amounts only to that minor accolade of being the single greatest democratic block of working people in British civil society and those primarily effected by the aforementioned policies. However, the BBC’s actions suggest that these union members do not register as economic players, they aren’t the movers and shakers, the guys in the big club wielding political and economic capital, the owner and controller class that the BBC routinely embraces for opinion and source material. The BBC has historic form on this front; the fledgling organisation was used by the Baldwin government to peddle government propaganda demonising the 1922 General Strike. Again in this instance the BBC denied appearances to organised labour representatives. Workers renamed the BBC in response as the “British Falsehood Corporation”.

    This hidden in plain sight bias has long been documented by the fine work of Media Lens. They have presided over a decades worth of ceaseless mainstream/corporate media vigilance, documenting clear trends in bias by scouring vast databases of media output. The bias is firmly to the establishment, of whom a principle culprit is the BBC. In short the BBC of today demonstrates a systematic penchant for parroting, or providing platforms for, the views of pro military interventionists, economic Neoliberals and the unholy trinity of UK party politics. Despite these entities and ideologies being responsible for economic and military extremism that has lead to disastrous foreign escapades and global financial meltdowns, they still provide the bulk of the BBC’s primary source material. This was notable during the financial crisis, where the BBC in a perverse and sick twist depended heavily on the city culprits themselves as sources. Cardiff’s research shows how they were gifted near saturation exposure by the BBC to exonerate themselves of responsibility.

    Additionally, let’s take the Iraq war, where former Director General Greg Dyke had the audacity to criticise the pro war bias of the American media. Yet under his own watch – according to both the University of Cardiff and research by Media Tennor – the BBC’s war coverage consisted of just 2% anti war voices. This was the single worst performance of any news organisation in the Western Media, where pro war voices outnumbered the antis by a ratio of roughly 10 to 1. The fact that the majority of the British public rejected the war did not reflect in coverage. The BBC’s abysmal performance amounted to a psychological crime perpetrated against the very public who fund the institution. Yet this should not surprise anyone. During the Falkland’s war the BBC stated in leaked minutes….

    Read more….
    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/joshua-funnell/glenn-greenwald-bbc_b_4376980.html

    If you are serious about the quality of public discourse, you will want to check out David Edwards’ and David Cromwell’s superb British site Media Lens, the scourge of the BBC, the Grauniad, the Murdoch media and other government mouthpieces….
    http://www.medialens.org/

    …and its superb forum….
    http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/

    • Tracey 16.1
      6 December 2013 at 12:08 pm

      thanks for this. good read.

    • swordfish 16.2
      6 December 2013 at 10:20 pm

      Yep, Morrissey, same preposterous accusations of Left-wing-bias against the mainstream US, Aussie and even Kiwi media. In reality, most journos are (in tune with their socio-economic interests) ‘Liberal-Centrists’ at best. Relatively liberal on moral issues like abortion, homosexual law reform and capital punishment, but generally centre-right on economic issues (Former leading journo-turned-Govt-Dept-Head, Al Morrisson, being a perfect example. Constantly abused by Righties (eg local Neo-Con bore, David Cohen) as a “leftie”, Morrison made clear on his retirement from the profession that his economic views were very much centre-right).

      More importantly, of course, the MSM they work for is inherently pro-establishment, including – as you argue – on foreign policy. Any critical journalism occurs within very narrow parameters.

      More on the British Bullshit Corporation in Part 2 (The Empire Strikes Back), below.

  17. Ake ake ake 17
    6 December 2013 at 10:23 am

    Good morning, peeps.

    Have just seen this.

    Throwaway remark or throw out the guy ? 🙂

    “A throwaway remark by Prime Minister John Key has unleashed nervous speculation and head scratching among members of Parliament that a minor party is about to rescue National’s stalled new environmental law.”

    http://agrihq.co.nz/article/speculation-grows-on-rma-rescue?p=6

  19. Morrissey 19
    6 December 2013 at 11:05 am

    Very sad news. With the deaths of Hugo Chávez and Nelson Mandela, that’s two great democratic leaders who have passed away this year.

    • Tracey 19.1
      6 December 2013 at 11:09 am

      Please that his struggle is over. I sometimes wondered if he kept hanging on cos others werent ready for him to go.

      This man epitomised “leadership”, SO MANY HOLD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS BUT ARENT ACTUALLY LEADERS.

      • Akldnut 19.1.1
        6 December 2013 at 11:35 am

        Very sad to hear about Nelson Mandela, because he was the “Epitome” of struggle and fight against an unjust & corrupt system.

        But life goes on, I will be watching to see what this govt will be slipping in under the radar while the public’s focus is elsewhere.

  20. Flip 20
    6 December 2013 at 11:15 am

    Still looking for work and getting very discouraged. Sick of agents and sick of being ignored or there being someone better, always some excuse. You are just a resource to be used up and boxed into a category. If you do not fit exactly forget it. Never mind that you have a brain and are adaptable. A cog in the machinery of business.When you are left out or do not fit what does that make you? A defective part?
    The feeling you get from employing managers and agents is do not bother me because I’m busy and my time is valuable and I’m more important than you. There must be something wrong with you if you cannot get a job.
    Life sucks when you cannot get a job. The financial, mental and physical effects take you down.
    Sorry for the self pity rant. Trying to stay positive but some days are hard. 😐

    • Tracey 20.1
      6 December 2013 at 12:09 pm

      Glad you could get it off your chest. I wont type anything trite just wish you all the luck in the world landing some work.

    • tc 20.2
      6 December 2013 at 2:59 pm

      my sympathies Flip, nearly went back overseas after months of that in a pre GFC market, I now know what the issue was….I have ability and a proven track record of achievement.

      Trick is to not stand out, threaten or look anything remotely like a free thinker who may rock the boat or you may show the incumbents up.

      Show up, fit in, keep your counsel, go the AB’s, gosh that John key’s a great bloke etc etc

      • Flip 20.2.1
        6 December 2013 at 4:36 pm

        Yep. Express an opinion or view that the boss has made a mistake. Managers are employed to do the capitalists bidding. Much like security guards protecting a tyrant.
        Hard for employees to get a say. It is only our lives that are expended in the service of the business not something important like money. (Sarcasm)

    • Arfamo 20.3
      6 December 2013 at 3:11 pm

      Reminds me of something someone said to me after a round of public service downsizings 20 odd years ago, although he was quoting someone who was talking of the private sector which was also going through a time of belt-tightening to enrich the executives and investors. “Give up on your boss – they gave up on you a long time ago”.

      The young uns probably have the right attitude these days. All the mission statements and values and bollocks about the organisation valuing its staff & customers is PR garbage.Show up, work for the hours you signed up to and no more. Leave that job for something different or something better every two years or so before you get too comfortable. Don’t expect the boss to do anything more for you than employ you to do what they hired you for and pay you what they agreed to pay you. You owe the boss nothing more than to work the hours they pay you for.

    • Rosie 20.4
      6 December 2013 at 3:51 pm

      Don’t apologise Flip. You are not the one to be sorry.

      I am in the same situation as you. I sometimes begin to doubt my ability after all the let downs and some days its hard not to feel discouraged, isolated and “other”. I try to remember that this is the first time in my life that I have not been able to get work, and that we are living in shit times with an anti worker govt that treats us like disposable units. The 90 day Act is a prime example.

      You are right though. It does suck, and I hope good things are just around the corner for you. Take care.

      • Flip 20.4.1
        6 December 2013 at 4:27 pm

        Thanks for the encouragement. Agree about the 90 day Act. Read on kiwiblog propaganda on how successful it has been from the POV of employers. Pointed out the article did not survey workers views and so it is a bit of a one-sided story.

    • Colonial Viper 20.5
      6 December 2013 at 4:18 pm

      It is a very difficult circumstance. Your health and fitness is most important. Also keep a sharp, tight, regular daily routine. Read. Actual physical books preferred. And join some volunteer or sporting activities during the week so you continue to extend your social networks. We place a lot of importance in defining ourselves and our place in society via work. That’s worth reflecting on by itself.

      • Flip 20.5.1
        6 December 2013 at 4:40 pm

        ‘We place a lot of importance in defining ourselves and our place in society via work. That’s worth reflecting on by itself.’

        Agree. That was me. Had to do a bit of redefining over the last few years.

      • Rosie 20.5.2
        6 December 2013 at 4:54 pm

        Good advice CV – I’ve tried to do the above. The library has provided an ongoing education and volunteering has been helpful, for social interaction and self esteem – I did gain a short term paid contract out of it too.

        Flip, something I’ve chosen to do is not engage with small minded opinionated types, the likes of which you find on kiwiblog. as mentioned at 20.4.1) Personally I find it a downer when daily life can sometimes be a struggle with the eternal budgeting and that sense the world seems against you, (even though you know its not) and then dealing with people like that, who want to bring you down and make you feel small. For others though, they might like to engage with such folks, maybe for sport, if it helps.

      • Draco T Bastard 20.5.3
        6 December 2013 at 5:34 pm

        We place a lot of importance in defining ourselves and our place in society via work.

        Well, some of us do.

  22. Penny Bright 22
    6 December 2013 at 11:46 am

    FYI

    NZ POLITICS DAILY: Is NZ really the least corrupt country on earth?

    Bryce Edwards | Thursday December 05, 2013
    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-politics-daily-5th-december-2013-149675#comment-640526

    (My comment – yet to be published….)

    In the recent Auckland Mayoral election, I polled 4th with 11,723 votes on a campaign to stop corrupt corporate control of the Auckland region.

    This is the ‘Action Plan’ upon which I campaigned, to stop ‘white collar’ crime, corruption and ‘corporate welfare’:

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf

    In my considered opinion, Transparency International’s ‘Corruption Perception Index’ is not worth the paper upon which it is written.

    How ‘transparent’ is the data upon which this ‘Corruption Perception Index’ is based?

    Is this ‘Corruption Perception Index’ not based upon the subjective opinions of anonymous business people?

    The ‘perception’ of New Zealand, as ‘the least corrupt country in the world’, is about as real as the ‘clean, green’ image.

    Pity that the reality doesn’t match the perception, and the FACTS don’t match the mantra?

    My opinion is considered, having now attended three international anti-corruption conferences, questioned and talked to anti-corruption experts, read the material, and carried out research no one else has here in New Zealand.

    Read it for yourself on http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

    http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
    http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz
    http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz
    http://www.stopthesupercity.org.nz

    Penny Bright

    Attendee: 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
    Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
    Attendee: 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference

    • Chooky 22.1
      6 December 2013 at 12:37 pm

      Good work Penny!….I agree with you…Corruption in NZ is something to be concerned and not complacent about …….and NZ seems to be becoming more corrupt, especially in Auckland

  23. captain hook 23
    6 December 2013 at 12:07 pm

    The nitwits from the use everything crowd and the thickos from federated farmers dont seem to understand that it is better to have 60% of something than 100% of nothing.
    trying to leverage the arable to the max and extract every last cent is short term and shows a distinct lack of understanding of what farming is all about.

    • Draco T Bastard 23.1
      6 December 2013 at 3:26 pm

      What it shows is the total and utter greed and selfishness of the farmers. We need to stop these fools before they destroy us.

  24. ianmac 24
    6 December 2013 at 12:09 pm

    Mr Ambrose is going to sue Mr Key for defamation. Good on yer mate!
    National Radio midday.

  26. North 26
    6 December 2013 at 12:43 pm

    John Key (TV3) just now. The dead face tells us that his relationship with Nelson Mandela was “quite an intimate one…..”. Oh yeah ?

    Perhaps the twenty hours of laxing back first-class to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral will afford him time to recall which side he was on during the Springbok Tour ’81.

    Disgusting little creep of a man !

  27. Naturesong 27
    6 December 2013 at 1:14 pm

    Professor David Nutt speaking at Auckland Uni this evening: Drugs without the hot air: A proper assessment of drug harms and their relative dangers .

    I saw he received some coverage on TV3.
    I’m hopeful that one day that New Zealands legislation around recreational drugs will focus on treating drug use as a health issue and focus on harm minimisation rather than the current prohibition and retribution model.

    • phillip ure 27.1
      6 December 2013 at 8:00 pm

      chrs 4 the heads-up on that..

      ..i saw it @ 5.30..and scooted right over..

      ..a most excellent lecture..

      ..it was filmed..and i will be notified when it is edited etc..

      ..so will link you to it then..

      phillip ure..

  28. Morrissey 28
    6 December 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Mark Crysell’s commentary on TV One today
    Friday 6 December 2013

    As you’d expect, the airwaves are full of Nelson Mandela retrospectives. Television One midday news covered the rugby connection, and of course, other than the 1995 RWC final, one event above all else had to be mentioned….

    MARK CRYSELL: The 1981 tour divided the nation….

    [VIDEO montage of protests, and clashes with police]

    MARK CRYSELL: And the protests against the tour were not confined to New Zealand. But the South African police had an entirely DIFFERENT way of dealing with protestors….

    [VIDEO of police flailing protestors with sjamboks]

    We expect, as a matter of course, for our “news” services to mislead and deceive us, or more commonly to deliberately omit crucial aspects of an issue; all of that is largely for ideological reasons. But it’s still unusual to see anything as unprofessional, as plain incompetent, as Crysell’s commentary.

    Colin Craig, John Banks, Simon Bridges, Jamie Whyte—this has been a remarkable week for moronic statements fouling this country’s public discourse. But Crysell’s commentary rivals all of those others for sheer breathtaking inanity. If Crysell thinks that the South African police brutality was worse or more extreme (“an entirely DIFFERENT way of dealing with protestors”) than the ferociousness and brutality of the New Zealand Police Red Squad in 1981, then he has the memory—or more accurately, the integrity—of John Key.

    Whether it’s a bad memory or simply a lack of honesty, Crysell’s incredibly stupid commentary surely renders him unfit for his job.

    Surely Television One viewers deserve better than Mark Crysell.

    • Te Reo Putake 28.1
      6 December 2013 at 2:10 pm

      You really are an ar5e, moz. The obvious point Crysell was making* was that the SA police force regularly killed protesters. Was that too subtle for you?

      *assuming you are quoting him correctly, which, on form, is unlikely

      • Morrissey 28.1.1
        6 December 2013 at 2:21 pm

        You really are a fool. Anybody that experienced or read about—you should try that some time—what the police did to protestors on that tour would have been as shocked as I was when Crysell tried to imply that the South African police whipping—not killing, and not, as the NZ police did, smashing them in the face with steel batons—were more violent.

        The violence of the New Zealand police shamed our country in 1981—but one “journalist” never noticed. And neither, it seems, did you.

        But carry on with your rancid abuse; it’s all you’ve got, obviously.

        • McFlock 28.1.1.1
          6 December 2013 at 3:49 pm

          When the NZ police deliberately massacre a minimum of 69 people in one event, you might have a point.

          Until then, you still make Don Quixote look like he has a handle on reality.

          • Morrissey 28.1.1.1.1
            6 December 2013 at 4:14 pm

            When the NZ police deliberately massacre a minimum of 69 people in one event, you might have a point.

            I did not suggest the New Zealand police were as bad all the time—just in 1981. Crysell was speaking over a clip of the S.A. police using SJAMBOKS. He seemed to be unaware of the fact that the New Zealand police had perpetrated far worse violence than that.

            • McFlock 28.1.1.1.1.1
              6 December 2013 at 4:39 pm

              look up the SA death in custody rate for about that time, you tool

              I have a huge amount of respect for the tour protestors in 1981, and I’m disgusted that a PM who can’t remember how he felt about the tour is uttering platitudes to mourn Mandela, but you’re a fucking moron if you think that the Red Squad were as bad as routine police work in SA at the time.

            • Zorr 28.1.1.1.1.2
              6 December 2013 at 4:41 pm

              As a younger child being driven around in South Africa in 1995, I remember pulling up in a town where the day before us arriving, a crowd of high school aged students had been shot with buckshot for daring to march peacefully to occupy an abandoned white school.

              NZ police ain’t got shit on that.

        • Te Reo Putake 28.1.1.2
          6 December 2013 at 4:01 pm

          Moz, I was a protester in 81 and I still have the helmet I was wearing at athletic park, complete with baton shaped dent. You know nothing about the tour and, obviously, less than zero about day to day life in RSA at the time.

          But, on the up side, if you work real hard and aim high, one day you could be average.

          • lprent 28.1.1.2.1
            6 December 2013 at 4:10 pm

            ..complete with baton shaped dent.

            Nice scar in my upper lip where a baton pushed my teeth through it. Had to have one of those ghastly 80’s moustaches to conceal the puckered scarred result for most of the 80’s until it disappeared into a fine white line.

            Bloody irritating thing was that it wasn’t from when I did anything remotely illegal. It was from when the police went nuts at the 3rd test “clearing” the street. Bloody police riot as they completely lost discipline was my view.

            • Anne 28.1.1.2.1.1
              6 December 2013 at 4:29 pm

              Reminds me of the final test match at Eden Park. As my ‘squad’ walked towards the park we passed a senior police officer (or somebody very important) dressed in a black uniform with whopping great epaulettes, and sitting in a smart highly polished red sportscar. I gave him a friendly smile. What I was given in return was the facial equivalent of a bullet through my skull. That was the mindset of the NZ Police hierarchy during that tour – ugly and sinister. Yet any reasonably sane person could see that the vast bulk of those protestors (many thousands of them) were ordinary, decent and kindly New Zealanders ranging in age from very young to very old…

              • Chooky …
                6 December 2013 at 11:34 pm

                Anne you were brave!…there is no way I would have gone there !…it looked like war, felt like war, with the police now facing the Maori gangs who really meant business!…and we were cheering for the gangs

                ….after Molesworth Street (my sister and I , one row from getting a batoning…where we screamed “Resign!”…and apparently some of the police did resign after Molesworth St…some of them looked as shocked as we felt);……and Palmerston North ( where we put on helmets and chest protectors, shin protectors and teeth guards)….where I was absolutely terrified with the army, and helicopters and the barbed wire):….and then Wellington’s Rintoul / Riddiford Street intersection… where the police shoved protesters into a glass shop front …leaving us the yellowest in the middle of Yellow Squad in the front row (squawk !)…..( however luckily for us we were facing Blue Squad, not Red( who were real mean bastards!), and the Blue Officer in charge was determined we werent going to get hurt and kept urging us to leave…we said we couldnt leave because the people behind would cop it…..and my Mother, a school teacher who had come to protect her daughters, offered Blue Squad lollies and told them off…(smirk!)I think the Blue Officer took a lolly or two rather bemused and put them in his pocket ….Blue Squad then set about softly pummeling us with their batons….. when this didn’t dislodge us they pulled my helmet off and cracked my friends ribs and threw my sister in the gutter, shoved around my mother…but thanks to the Blue officer who was watching out for us …we weren’t hurt..and eventually got out when we had had enough …only to watch police run kicking over sitting protesters):…. and then Christchurch where I saw innocent new novice protesters ….middle class, middle aged, well dressed good citizens getting a batoning…..there was no way in hell I was going to Auckland!!!!!!!!!!!

                For us it was both scary and serious, foolhardy and fun, part- time action on a matter of principle… The bravest NZers were the cold- headed public face organizers/strategists/ spokespeople like Trevor Richards and his partner Patty and Tom Newnam….who had to face the ire of rugby hooligans month after month…But of course the courage, year after year … of the activists in South Africa and Nelson Mandala …is almost unimaginable!…… and on a different plane altogether!

            • phillip ure 28.1.1.2.1.2
              6 December 2013 at 8:03 pm

              watched it all from a bar in new york..

              ..it was hell..

              ..phillip ure..

          • Morrissey 28.1.1.2.2
            6 December 2013 at 4:17 pm

            Moz, I was a protester in 81 and I still have the helmet I was wearing at athletic park, complete with baton shaped dent.

            And yet you have the hide to back up Crysell’s foolish suggestiion that police using sjamboks is as bad or worse than the brutal thuggery of the Red Squad.

    • tc 28.2
      6 December 2013 at 3:13 pm

      ‘Surely Television One viewers deserve better than Mark Crysell’ ahh no Mark Crysell is exactly what you deserve expecting quality from TVNZ.

      It could be alot worse like Jack Tame who would wax lyrically about a time before he was probably born.

  29. ianmac 29
    6 December 2013 at 2:09 pm

    Sharp little 4.9 earthquake felt sharply in Blenheim 1:45pm

  30. ianmac 30
    6 December 2013 at 2:09 pm

    Sharp little 4.9 earthquake felt sharply in Blenheim 1:45pm

  31. Ianmac 31
    6 December 2013 at 5:09 pm

    Having trouble getting into the Standard, refreshing, posting. Pity as it is a must read site. This try is in Safari instead of Firefox. Getting repeats or stopping altogether.

  33. Draco T Bastard 33
    6 December 2013 at 10:24 pm

    And it looks like the banksters are setting the world up for global financial another crash:

    So, they’ve found a new way to come up with real-estate-backed securities that can be turned into derivatives, worth billions in profits.
    How? They’ve become landlords.

    It’s simple.
    By renting these homes back to Americans, and securitizing America’s home-rental market, they can bundle up rental payments the same way they used to bundle mortgage payments, and sell them to investors.
    Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?

    • Colonial Viper 33.1
      6 December 2013 at 10:29 pm

      Who needs housing when you can stay for free in empty office blocks abandoned by closed down businesses?

  34. risildowgtn 34
    7 December 2013 at 11:22 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11168490

    Now re Sky City and the Proceeds of Drugs ACT etc etc etc , WHEN WILL THE CROWN BE CONFISCATING SKY CITY? or is only the poor who this LAW APPLIES TO?

  35. red blooded 35
    8 December 2013 at 12:18 pm

    Changing the topic, I have a friend who is currently unemployed. She is being told that she has to prove that she is actively looking for jobs. Last week she was at the WINZ office and sent to look at the jobs board – the only positions available that would suit a woman were as prostitutes.

    My friend is a confident, competent, middle aged woman. What about the younger, less articulate, more malleable women who are needing WINZ support? How many do WINZ send off into the brothels?

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    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 Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    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 Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    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-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    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 announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    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, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    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 ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    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 KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    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 ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    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 Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    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; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    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 ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    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. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    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 PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

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