Whereas in relation to your comment BM, what a load of wank simpliciter !
Have you not the intelligence to understand the point BM ? Or is it that the mere mention of a collective responsibility for a collective ill stuns you into Babble Land ?
When it comes to Serco/Corrections the troubling knowledge and experience amassed in my daily line of work qualifies me to dismiss you as a fool. Who knows shit all about the matter.
“You fuck up” I think you mean “you get caught”. & also this “hopefully learn from it and move on”, if you are brutalised in prison or spending 23 hours in a cell you won’t move on buddy, thats where the ‘collective responsibility’ bit comes in.
Everything to do with you. As we live in a democracy what happens in our collective institutions is part of our personal responsibility.
That’s the main point of a democracy: We are responsible for what we do collectively.
You don’t get to declaim the responsibility by saying that it’s solely to do with Corrections as we have to be clear to Corrections about how they should behave. What sort of moral and ethical standards that they should uphold.
And, no, I’m not talking about telling them exactly what to do.
So our collective responsibility means that you have a personal responsibility for the actions of the democratic Government elected by the collective Draco?
Of course, part of that personal responsibility – in the collective context of a democracy – may be to seek to change the government that acts in our collective name but which (in one’s personal judgment) does harmful things.
We all have a personal responsibility to respond to the consequences of collective decisions and actions – because, by definition, we are all responsible for collective decisions and actions.
No doubt Draco will concur PG, so taking both your personal responsibilities as given, I would like to formally hold you both personally accountable for the actions of this government.
Before we start, can you remind me what our collective agreement is regarding the mechanism for imposing accountability for collective actions on individual members of the collective?
In Sheep’s example, personal responsibility has no meaning unless enforced by the collective.
Now, that’s a shit definition of personal responsibility but of course it’s hard to define something that only exists as a victim-blaming rhetorical device.
I agree OAB.
Personal responsibility has no meaning unless it can be enforced by the collective.
The collective has not agreed on any concept of, or mechanism for enforcing any such accountability.
Therefore, the theory of a personal responsibility for collective actions the individual had no direct influence or involvement in…..has no meaning.
It does not exist.
Sheep, are you pretending to be utterly stupid? Or just introducing stupid reductive rhetoric because you can’t handle the guts of the argument.
Those guts are: Puddleglum (and Paul Little) neatly exposes the shameful behaviour of the likes of you and BM, who enable this evil, and calls out your lip service to personal responsibility.
No wonder you’re twisting and turning like a grub on a pin.
…that’s a shit definition of personal responsibility but of course it’s hard to define something that only exists as a victim-blaming rhetorical device.
The only time right wingers invoke it is when pointing the finger at others. When it comes to the consequences of your own behaviour you’re all lawyered up from the get-go.
A whining rhetoric-merchant asked “What is the agreed mechanism…?”
Public contempt ridicule and shame are good. That’s why you don’t talk about Cabinet Club, and can’t abide the notion of personal responsibility for the right wing clusterfuck you voted for.
There is no collective agreement on it. No collective mechanism to administer it. No collective accountability to it. No collective sanction for ignoring it.
We can say then that the collective does not in fact hold individuals personally responsible for collective actions they are not directly involved in.
That leaves us with collective responsibility being a concept that is asserted by individuals, who take it upon themselves to make judgements on the culpability of others, and administer their personal sanctions of ‘contempt ridicule and shame’?
There is a certain whiff of sanctimonious arrogance and a vain assumption of moral superiority attached to individuals who place themselves in a position of judgement on others don’t you think?
Luckily, as belief in this concept is entirely personal, individuals can reject it with exactly the same degree of legitimacy as others can adopt it.
(That’s my last word. Now you can have that little burst of abuse at the end that lets you pretend to yourself that you have ‘won’ the argument and humiliated your opponents)
What about the criminal behaviour of the Prime Minister? Surely anyone who voted for his party, even in the light of the Dirty Politics scandal, is responsible for voting Key and his cronies back to power. (I presume you’re a National voter.)
By BM’s standards, to be logically consistent they must want to have John Key straight into prison for his criminal deeds, and they must also be totally fine with him being assaulted while in there.
And no doubt you’ll hold that opinion right up until the time you, or someone dear to you drives drunk, kills someone and gets a jail term. Then it’ll be excuse excuse excuse
An excellent article North. Thanks for putting it up. I can say why I think it is good: it presents a reminder of what prisons are supposed to be for, and discusses the ways in which they fall short. I am not sure why BM thinks it is “a load of lefty wank” since he/she offers no reasons.
I know everybody isn’t a boxing fan but the Herald this morning is showing highlights of the boxing bout with Joseph Parker and another fight with Zac Guilford the rugby player – but nothing of Irene’s fight. They are just the lousiest newspaper ever. Irene who graced our screens for years with fantastic netball and such a great person – and they haven’t got the decency to show her fight in their online content. I gave up on the paper ages ago and they still are not delivering fair coverage of everything that goes into print. A bloody waste of space.
I understand he is a recovering alcoholic, if he doesn’t watch it he will be a punch drunk instead for not wearing protective head gear – how irresponsible is that – the guy needs his head read literally. Irene is such a kiwi identity and I believe she won her bout – shame on the Herald, they ignore NZ netball as well with their coverage being sporadic.
FYI….
Intersting Insight (RNZ) on politicisation of the public service.
I find it amusing that people actually believe the Public Service is still impartial.
The neo-lib restructuring in the 80s (when we started having ‘CEOs’ and purchase agreements, and all the other crap), and when they justified it all by chants of “more accountability; less pliticisation’ efficiency and effectiveness” provided the means by which partisanship would creep in over time.
It’s high time that senior management positions in the Public Service need bipartisan support. The number of little (actually quite large) fiefdoms that comprise our public service is unbelievable. It occurs at middle and senior management.
Always refreshing to hear such a well presented discussion, and allow the listener to form their own opinion. Bang on Brent.Lets hope it makes an impact on those who are being lead by the nose, or herded onto the lorries.
Agreed. What’s slightly depressing is the lack of apparent interest (witness the lack of feedback – even here thus far).
When one considers the impact of it all, and how our daily lives are impacted by a politicised public service ….. I just think “Yea Nah” (when I see accusations of contributors being part of things like “Thorndon Bubbles” and various of shite).
Not much has been learned from history eh?
– I’ll wake up tomorrow …. Matty will be preparing to offer us his ultimate spin on NinetoNoon along with somebody ‘from the left’ (admittedly better than the last sellout)
– Various opposition elected ‘representatives will be preparing to trot off to parly armint with some hobby horse they’re desperately trying to gain traction on while watching the polls and pretending they aren’t
– complete arseholes like Lusk et al will be going about their daily bizz and doing the things they know best – while being incapable of even understanding the concept of a society, or a collective interest
– Paddy Gower will be preening hisself in the mirror wondering what tie might be best whilst he ponders the best way to put the boot in
– various IT wonder boys will be telling us how clever they are and how they have a solution (most times by reinventing the wheel)
– bankers and financial ‘experts’ will be readying themselves to deliver the usual spin on media outlets ‘on the back of’ whatever incident has just occurred (going forward)
– etc etc etc
Few seem to have considered the ACTUAL impact of a partisan administration and public service in our supposed 1st world democratic economy. I guess we get what we deserve really.
UK Tory MP doctored an email from constituent, the MP has since deleted the Facebook post, claiming that the three extra words were from another email and the post was an ‘illustration’ of the unpleasant comments she had received.
Over the ditch the Liberals retain the seat of North Sydney in the by-election called after the resignation of Joe Hockey. Normally that would be good news for the government, but the whopping 13% swing against them in the seat is a shocker, especially as the Labor Party didn’t even stand a candidate!
In other news, Tony Abbott has been caught bludging:
@Ropata – if the Natz didn’t have our country to sell, the emperors new clothes in the economy will be exposed.
There are plenty of migrants keen to buy here, not sure that housing bubble will burst – more like just make Kiwis on local wages paupers unable to afford to live in our own country.
The only way to slow property prices is to slow migration. Since most new migrants are voting the Natz and donating to them, just another way to stay in power.
100% correct, I wonder why Auction Clearance rates have dropped from 80% down to 35% in the past month, obviously all the Australian buyers have pulled out of the market?
Why the US, France and Britain are destroying Syria
by SAM GERRANS, 5 December 2015
Since Russia stepped up to the plate, suddenly western countries can’t wait to bomb ISIS. Are they now there to get the job done? Or are they there to stop Russia increasing its influence, and to make sure it doesn’t succeed where they failed?
The world is falling over itself to bomb Syria. The following statement from Reuters summarizes the situation: “
Most of the world’s powers are now flying combat missions over Iraq and Syria against Islamic State. But any consensus on how to proceed has been thwarted by opposing policies over the 4-year-old civil war in Syria, which has killed 250,000 people, driven 11 million from their homes, left swathes of territory in the hands of jihadist fighters and defied all diplomatic efforts at a solution.”
While it may seem to the outside observer that this catalogue of mayhem is the result of incompetence, to me – on the contrary – it is evidence of things going to plan.
I have never, thus far, seen a war the ruling elite clearly wanted to happen not happen.
Here, as in all other cases, there has been a bit of hand-wringing, some crying, some protests, some moving speeches. But like the morality plays of medieval times, after enjoying the sermon dressed as entertainment, life has inevitably carried on as normal with the barons raping and pillaging and everyone else having to put up with that reality.
Destruction of Syria is the plan
This time the plan – at least judging from the outcomes – is to destroy Syria.
Syria has been anathema to the self-appointed arbiters of righteousness: the ‘international community’, that coterie of hypocrites which arrogates to itself the monopoly on meting out death to those who won’t get with the program.
This group dislikes Syria which has had an uncompromising stance towards Israel and an independent financial system, and is using the chance to destroy it to flood Europe with refugees, thus further debasing the makeup of its constituent nations, and simultaneously justifying a lockdown in those countries. ….
I keep thinking of the Golan Heights and the present Syrian War and keep coming to the same conclusion – Syria now has the perfect opportunity to push the invaders, Israel, out. Wonder if they’ll take it.
This Wesley Clark explains in harsh reality what the military mindset is. We need more diplomats talking out the problems and looking for ways to meet part of others demands.
AMY GOODMAN: Do you think cluster bombs should be banned?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK: You know, we used, I think 1,400-plus cluster bombs.
And there’s a time when you have to use cluster bombs: when they’re the most appropriate and humane weapon. But I think you have to control the use very carefully. And I think we did in Yugoslavia.
AMY GOODMAN: Right now, the US has rejected an international call to ban the use of cluster bombs. On Friday, forty-six countries were in Oslo to develop a new international treaty to ban the use of cluster munitions by — I think it’s 2008. Would you support that?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK: Well, you know, people who are against war often make the case by trying to attack the weapons of war and stripping away the legitimacy of those weapons. I’ve participated in some of that. I’d like to get rid of landmines. I did participate in getting rid of laser blinding weapons. And I was part of the team that put together the agreement that got rid of laser blinding weapons. I’d like to get rid of nuclear weapons. But I can’t agree with those who say that force has no place in international affairs. It simply does for this country. And I would like to work to make it so that it doesn’t.
But the truth is, for now it does. And so, I can’t go against giving our men and women in uniform the appropriate weapons they need to fight, to fight effectively to succeed on the battlefield, and to minimize their own casualties. http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166
Renowned scholar activist Susan George introduces her new book, Shadow Sovereigns – How Global Corporations are seizing power. She explains how corporations have taken over all branches of the government as well as international governance, in particular through trade treaties such as the proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
They aren’t shutting it down just morphing it into the new “Inbox”. It’s a next gen intelligent email client that helps you navigate the torrents of crap and respond to the stuff that actually matters.
It’s also a superior data gathering service for the NSA to spy with
Agree that Groups are crap, once upon a time (in the nineties) the newsgroups were the liveliest part of the Web, but now they are dead, but that’s not Google’s fault
First off, I want to thank you for being the main source of my news for the past 20 plus years. Now 31, I have been an avid reader of the newspaper since I was a wee boy. Admittedly I no longer buy a copy everyday (along with the observer) as I rarely have the time to sit down and read the entire thing, but I still do on average three times a week and the Guardian website is the first website I go to on my laptop and I Phone.
Thank you for breaking the best stories, having the best commentators and generally having an angle I could trust, over this time.
However, the Guardian’s political coverage has sharply deteriorated since the election of Jeremy Corbyn and I will no longer be buying the newspaper or visiting the website. Admittedly it will be very difficult to not visit the website because it’s so ingrained in my behaviour. I’ve been trying the past few weeks to avoid it but keep on finding myself back there! But after this email, I hereby declare that I will never buy a Guardian newspaper or browse the website again.
In recent weeks I’ve read the Guardian’s coverage of Corbyn with disbelief. The drip feed of anti-Corbyn bias has got ridiculous. Remember the story of John McDonnell’s Little Red Book joke? Well that was an ironic joke about Osbourne’s public investment strategy, reliant as it is on the Chinese state, an authoritarian dictatorship. The Guardian’s interpretation? That McDonnell was referencing Mao as one of his heros, backed up with a ridiculous quote from Chuka Umuna to that effect. I’d expect such a tactic from the Daily Mail.
Or take the recent coverage of the Oldham by-election. During the build-up, the Guardian’s frame was that Labour was struggling because of Corbyn. The election was dubbed as a test of Corbyn’s Labour Party. There was recognition that Labour would probably win, but a low victory was predicted (“Labour works around Jeremy Corbyn in Greater Manchester”).
During the build-up, I expected something was amiss. I can say that as a Labour party activist in a northern city (Leicester) Corbyn has made campaigning far easier because we have a positive platform and a clear difference with the Tories. Surely this is something to tap into?
Fast forward to news of Labour’s emphatic victory, where Labour extended its lead by 7.5% to 62.3%, the Guardian’s view is that victory has very little to do with Corbyn and everything to do with Jim McMahon, the local guy who won despite the leadership.
Now, I wouldn’t want to take anything away from McMahon, who is clearly a fantastic local politician. But an extension of Labour’s lead is astounding given everything that has gone on, the turmoil in Labour following the Syria vote and relentless hostility in the national media. Something about Corbyn’s leadership is proving popular at the ballot box, despite the Guardian’s best efforts to set him up for a fall.
Indeed, over these past few months, I have come to understand the nature of the Guardian: it’s certainly not a modern incarnation of the “Poor Man’s Guardian”. That paper, originating in 1831, was part of the radical press which burgeoned following the advent of the printing press. It provided for the news and intellectual needs of working people, having as its motto “knowledge is power”.
Today’s Guardian is “guardian” in a more Orwellian sense: a paper that polices leftwing discourse, that sets limits on what is acceptable for leftwing politics, and what is acceptable is basically Blair without Iraq. Rafael Behr, Polly Toynbee, Jonathan Freedland: all are echoing this anti-Corbyn, essentially Blairite line.
It’s therefore with a sorry heart that I say goodbye. Like those who turned to the radical press in the 19th century, I shall turn to online news sources and social media where established filters do not apply. It is annoying though, as I do enjoy a good broadsheet and a cuppa.
heh – if I lived 100 odd miles north of London, I’d grab the opportunity to disassociate with both hands 😉
And even if the letter isn’t actually a piece of correspondence that was sent to the Guardian, the analysis of their (the Guardian’s) bent and the sentiments of the writer are pretty well spot on.
The most significant political development of the year was the ‘Mediapocalypse’ – the ongoing collapse of serious journalism in New Zealand driven by challenges to the fundamental business model of the media industry. Those changes have been matched in state-owned media outlets. Maori TV shut down its investigative journalism show because it was exposing corruption among Maori elites. TVNZ has an infotainment show on every week night where the host gives a speech praising the government and attacking its critics.
Yep it was a damn depressing year, more of the same BS from the Nats, they are still looking unstoppable. For me the biggest theme of the year was the all out assault on TV journalism. Campbell Live, then Maori TV, now 3D, and the redundancies from the Herald.
I am relieved that Glucina and her awful Scout vehicle hit the fan. And there’s a glimmer of hope that independent efforts like The Spinoff and WatchMe will throw a spanner in the works of the Nat media machine.
A real speech, from a real Benn
by KIT, Off-Guardian, 2 December 2015
Parliament has just made a decision that this time bombing the Middle East will fix everything, partially on the back of a speech from Hilary Benn. This, in our view, is the most apposite response:
The NZ media is now reporting on all serious assaults in western mega cities. Expect to see detailed reports about all shootings, domestic assaults from LA and New York in papers next week. Their reporting won’t spread panic or link anything to errorism….
Well of course they’ll report it if anybody’s reportedly claimed attackers yelled “allahu akbar” or “Syria” or dressed up in military-style gear and attacked anyone in a country that’s involved in fighting in Syria or Iraq. And especially one that’s recently joined the fighting like Britain, France, Germany.
Domestic assaults/drunken bashings/gang & drug-related shootings and that sort of shit happening overseas isn’t going to get reported here any more often than it usually does – i.e only when someone yells “allahu akbar” or “Syria” or gets dressed up in military style gear, or goes on a shooting spree, or kills their whole family…or does something else out of the ordinary.
Aren’t we in a murky world on what constitutes terrorism though? If the offender didn’t say anything during the incident, then it isn’t a story at the top of the news hour or a leading story on our news sites. The media is obviously hyper sensitive around this whole issue given recent events and I think we should call them out when they over egg the terrorism thing. This is the same group that duped the public into there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq more than a decade ago and look how much destruction that’s caused since. They’re passing on misinformation without critical analysis, at least some of us can be critical of them although not enough of the NZ public is.
B52 Bombers have failed in the past and I don’t see things changing in the future?
Whatever happened to meaningful dialogue, it a lot cheaper than war and there is less human and financial damage. When will the world ever learn from past mistakes?
Whatever happened to meaningful dialogue, it a lot cheaper than war and there is less human and financial damage.
You answered yourself in your question:
it a lot cheaper than war
War makes far more profit because it’s more expensive. It’s why we’ve had social services cut and replaced by privatisation. It’s more expensive and thus makes more profit.
It s a horrible thought but she has a following in nz and as papakura didn’t kick her out last election they’d probably still vote for her if she changed parties.
Or . . . the media is claiming every nutter out there is aligned to the Corbyn movement to create the perception every one aligned Corbyn is also a nutter?
Can’t see an end to that situation macro. So many people there insist on being allowed to have guns eventually everyone could conceivably need one to protect themselves from any other angry person who loses the plot, or mugger, thug, burglar, nutter or even over-excited security guard or armed enforcement official.
How would you get people to give up guns once they’ve legally got them? Every time there’s a mass shooting the numbers buying/applying for guns go up. The idea of their government trying to take guns away from gun owners over there is preposterous: it’ll never happen. The stable door’s wide open and that horse has long bolted. How do you stop owners of multiple firearms giving guns away or selling them privately to others. The chances of getting yourself shot by accident or in cross fire must be reasonably high already.
Even US gun control proposals seem to only be about improving background checks. Sounds like the San Bernardino shooter couple got their assault rifles from a neighbour who purchased them legally.
As I understand it, the number of households with guns is actually going down, even as the average number of guns per household goes up. I was very surprised to read that, but it seemed a reputable source. So there’s actually fewer nuts with guns, but the nuts that still have guns are getting waaayyyy nuttier and stockpiling way more guns (and ammo).
I spent most of the 90s in the US, and was most recently back there for three weeks in January. I have the feeling there actually is a slow shift in the general cultural acceptability of guns, which is about the only chance of improving things. But that kind of shift takes generations to show results, and with the nuts getting nuttier things will probably get a lot worse before they get better.
And all their surveillance seems kind of pointless if even getting yourself on a terrorist no-fly list is apparently no impediment at all to buying any guns you want. Which the NRA thinks is just the way it should be.
Good points, thanks for that. Here are some interesting stats/information.
Gun ownership’s declining but support for gun ownership’s increasing.
Gun ownership in the United States is declining overall, but nearly a third of households still have a gun.
“Active shooter” events have become more common in recent years.
massive inequality, a permanent underclass that is tormented by the system, institutions that exist to entrench privilege not serve the community
the USA is sick.
I know many wonderful Americans, who I really respect and care about, but there is a dark side of that country, that is festering and not being dealt with
If you have cancer, which I believe is a fungus, and we can put a pic line into your body and we’re flushing, let’s say, salt water, sodium cardonate [sic], through that line, and flushing out the fungus… These are some procedures that are not FDA-approved in America that are very inexpensive, cost-effective.
Disappointing to see the NZ dairy industry squealing about having their practices investigated. I would rather have seen them acknowledge the problem, apologise to the people of NZ for their lack of oversight, and promise to do better next time.
looked to me from watching thr safe vid it was the industry itself” putting the boot in ” to the poor bloody calves and hitherto they didnt give a stuff .I supose we can be greatfull that dairyfarmers no longer cut off the tails of their cows an obscene practise that was not too long ago seen the length and breadth of the country .Logically the figure of 99% doing a great job would be wildly generous i.m.o.
What bemuses me is how easy this has been to sell this as an inevitable consequence of technology change, when of course that’s nonsense. But then of course this kind of stuff is easier to pull off in New Zealand.
Steve Braunias’ secret diary of Mark Weldon was gold in the Herald yesterday.
I’m sick to fucking death of everything Labour says not just because they’re a bunch of hopeless right-wing gits but because they’ve wrecked all trace of a record that shows they mean what they say and have created one that says they don’t. The Nothing Party. Hopeless lying right-wing gits.
I SO hope Judith Collins stands in the 2016 Auckland Mayoralty!
Comparing our proven track records on the ‘anti-corruption’ front will be SUCH fun!
(Not to mention the forced Auckland ‘Supercity’ amalgamation.
ie: I opposed it and National MP Judith Collins voted for it? )
_________________________________________________
Judith Collins on the Auckland mayoralty
Sunday, 06 December 2015
The New Zealand Herald
National MP Judith Collins. Photo / Doug Sherring
By Audrey Young
National MP Judith Collins gave a wide-ranging speech about the Auckland Council to an Act regional conference yesterday, which is bound to renew speculation she is considering standing for the Auckland mayoralty.
However she also appeared to make a pitch for Chamber of Commerce head Michael Barnett, whose name has also been associated with a mayoral run.
“Auckland desperately needs a leader, someone who can articulate their plan, implement it and be accountable for it,” she said.
She applauded the fact that Mr Barnett had repeatedly called for a transparent line-by-line review of council costs and planned capital expenditure.
“He is absolutely right…taxpayers deserve to know what public money is being spent cost effectively and efficiently…
“As a ratepayer, I just hope that we end up with a financially literate, decisive mayor who can work with central government and not someone who thinks that being Mayor of Auckland is all about themselves,” she said in the speech which was distributed by her press secretary. ….”
_____________________________________________________________
So – if that’s the case – do both Judith Collins and Michael Barnett support my stand against Auckland Council not telling citizens and ratepayers EXACTLY where public rates monies are being spent?
What exactly have Judith Collins and Michael Barnett done to help ensure ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government in Auckland ?
(The same question can be asked of Labour MP / ‘Independent’ 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate – Phil Goff?)
After having had a look at that feature, I tend to feel that it is not particularly useful. It just leads to people being silenced because what they say isn’t popular. Better to leave it so people can say what they want within the limits of the site rules about behaviour, including making barbed and smart derogatory comments about other peoples comments.
When commenters walk over behavioural limits, then the moderators act. PB figured out the boundaries a long time ago, and she listens when she gets pulled up for being a wee bit enthusiastic about using our space. So she gets to use the soapbox – carefully.
I have another plugin in testing to allow an uptick that doesn’t suck performance out of the site, rations how many ticks people can have over a month AND allows me to restrict it to people who have had a minimum number of accepted comments on the site (or have that ultra-rare login).
Down votes aren’t good as there are people who will gang up behind the scenes and down vote not only because they don’t like the content but because they don’t like the person making the comment and it becomes a wasteful game of petty politics. That’s my personal experience.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
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New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
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Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
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This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
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Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
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COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
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On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
This is already beginning to feel like a very long, very hot, very dry summer.
Not in the beautiful central north island they predicted cool and damp for us and so far so good.
I just wish it would STOP raining. My vege’s are coming up with water wings.
Might be the summer of the wasp I’ve squashed 10 or more paper wasp nests already!
Good article by Paul Little re Serco.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11556603
What a load of lefty wank that article is.
Whereas in relation to your comment BM, what a load of wank simpliciter !
Have you not the intelligence to understand the point BM ? Or is it that the mere mention of a collective responsibility for a collective ill stuns you into Babble Land ?
When it comes to Serco/Corrections the troubling knowledge and experience amassed in my daily line of work qualifies me to dismiss you as a fool. Who knows shit all about the matter.
You can shove “the collective responsibly” up your arse.
You fuck up, you pay the price and hopefully learn from it and move on.
I’m not in the remotest bit responsible or should feel responsible for someone else’s criminal behavior or stupidity.
“You fuck up” I think you mean “you get caught”. & also this “hopefully learn from it and move on”, if you are brutalised in prison or spending 23 hours in a cell you won’t move on buddy, thats where the ‘collective responsibility’ bit comes in.
That’s an issue with corrections, nothing to do with me.
Everything to do with you. As we live in a democracy what happens in our collective institutions is part of our personal responsibility.
That’s the main point of a democracy: We are responsible for what we do collectively.
You don’t get to declaim the responsibility by saying that it’s solely to do with Corrections as we have to be clear to Corrections about how they should behave. What sort of moral and ethical standards that they should uphold.
And, no, I’m not talking about telling them exactly what to do.
So our collective responsibility means that you have a personal responsibility for the actions of the democratic Government elected by the collective Draco?
Yes.
Of course, part of that personal responsibility – in the collective context of a democracy – may be to seek to change the government that acts in our collective name but which (in one’s personal judgment) does harmful things.
We all have a personal responsibility to respond to the consequences of collective decisions and actions – because, by definition, we are all responsible for collective decisions and actions.
I should clarify that I was not of course responding for Draco.
I take sole personal responsibility for my comment – it was not a collective comment 😊
No doubt Draco will concur PG, so taking both your personal responsibilities as given, I would like to formally hold you both personally accountable for the actions of this government.
Before we start, can you remind me what our collective agreement is regarding the mechanism for imposing accountability for collective actions on individual members of the collective?
In Sheep’s example, personal responsibility has no meaning unless enforced by the collective.
Now, that’s a shit definition of personal responsibility but of course it’s hard to define something that only exists as a victim-blaming rhetorical device.
🙄
I agree OAB.
Personal responsibility has no meaning unless it can be enforced by the collective.
The collective has not agreed on any concept of, or mechanism for enforcing any such accountability.
Therefore, the theory of a personal responsibility for collective actions the individual had no direct influence or involvement in…..has no meaning.
It does not exist.
Maybe not but you probably said it better than me.
Sheep, are you pretending to be utterly stupid? Or just introducing stupid reductive rhetoric because you can’t handle the guts of the argument.
Those guts are: Puddleglum (and Paul Little) neatly exposes the shameful behaviour of the likes of you and BM, who enable this evil, and calls out your lip service to personal responsibility.
No wonder you’re twisting and turning like a grub on a pin.
As you believe it exists OAB, you will be able to tell me
what the collectives agreed definition of personal responsibility for collective actions is?
What collective body is responsible for administering the collective responsibility policy?
What is the agreed mechanism of accountability?
What sanctions can be imposed on individuals deemed to have failed in their responsibility?
Meanwhile on Earth, what I in fact said is:
The only time right wingers invoke it is when pointing the finger at others. When it comes to the consequences of your own behaviour you’re all lawyered up from the get-go.
You didn’t answer my questions OAB?
If PG, Draco and yourself are correct, then it should be a simple matter to do so?
A whining rhetoric-merchant asked “What is the agreed mechanism…?”
Public contempt ridicule and shame are good. That’s why you don’t talk about Cabinet Club, and can’t abide the notion of personal responsibility for the right wing clusterfuck you voted for.
There is no collective agreement on it. No collective mechanism to administer it. No collective accountability to it. No collective sanction for ignoring it.
We can say then that the collective does not in fact hold individuals personally responsible for collective actions they are not directly involved in.
That leaves us with collective responsibility being a concept that is asserted by individuals, who take it upon themselves to make judgements on the culpability of others, and administer their personal sanctions of ‘contempt ridicule and shame’?
There is a certain whiff of sanctimonious arrogance and a vain assumption of moral superiority attached to individuals who place themselves in a position of judgement on others don’t you think?
Luckily, as belief in this concept is entirely personal, individuals can reject it with exactly the same degree of legitimacy as others can adopt it.
(That’s my last word. Now you can have that little burst of abuse at the end that lets you pretend to yourself that you have ‘won’ the argument and humiliated your opponents)
Meanwhile, on Earth, the notion of personal responsibility that has to be enforced by the collective is:
1. Introduced by you.
2. An oxymoron.
Which leads back to the point: you enable SERCO’s corruption and brutality, and exhibit no personal responsibility whatsoever.
What about the criminal behaviour of the Prime Minister? Surely anyone who voted for his party, even in the light of the Dirty Politics scandal, is responsible for voting Key and his cronies back to power. (I presume you’re a National voter.)
By BM’s standards, to be logically consistent they must want to have John Key straight into prison for his criminal deeds, and they must also be totally fine with him being assaulted while in there.
So Bill English calling prisons a “moral and fiscal failure” makes him a lefty wanker?
And no doubt you’ll hold that opinion right up until the time you, or someone dear to you drives drunk, kills someone and gets a jail term. Then it’ll be excuse excuse excuse
Rich drunk drivers don’t go to jail.
Nor do sober ones who attempt to murder by vehicle,
judge pissed off at media, wants to let off the sociopath banker
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7579697/Judge-slams-road-rage-banker-conviction
An excellent article North. Thanks for putting it up. I can say why I think it is good: it presents a reminder of what prisons are supposed to be for, and discusses the ways in which they fall short. I am not sure why BM thinks it is “a load of lefty wank” since he/she offers no reasons.
Load of typical lefty middle class wank.
Your intellectual flatulence is overpowering BM……you first obviously.
Raise the level of your debating skills, please.
I know everybody isn’t a boxing fan but the Herald this morning is showing highlights of the boxing bout with Joseph Parker and another fight with Zac Guilford the rugby player – but nothing of Irene’s fight. They are just the lousiest newspaper ever. Irene who graced our screens for years with fantastic netball and such a great person – and they haven’t got the decency to show her fight in their online content. I gave up on the paper ages ago and they still are not delivering fair coverage of everything that goes into print. A bloody waste of space.
The Herald love focusing on Zac Guildford because he is perfect tabloid fodder for a certain type of NZer.
I understand he is a recovering alcoholic, if he doesn’t watch it he will be a punch drunk instead for not wearing protective head gear – how irresponsible is that – the guy needs his head read literally. Irene is such a kiwi identity and I believe she won her bout – shame on the Herald, they ignore NZ netball as well with their coverage being sporadic.
FYI….
Intersting Insight (RNZ) on politicisation of the public service.
I find it amusing that people actually believe the Public Service is still impartial.
The neo-lib restructuring in the 80s (when we started having ‘CEOs’ and purchase agreements, and all the other crap), and when they justified it all by chants of “more accountability; less pliticisation’ efficiency and effectiveness” provided the means by which partisanship would creep in over time.
It’s high time that senior management positions in the Public Service need bipartisan support. The number of little (actually quite large) fiefdoms that comprise our public service is unbelievable. It occurs at middle and senior management.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/201781443/insight-for-6-december-2015-politics-and-public-servants
Always refreshing to hear such a well presented discussion, and allow the listener to form their own opinion. Bang on Brent.Lets hope it makes an impact on those who are being lead by the nose, or herded onto the lorries.
Agreed. What’s slightly depressing is the lack of apparent interest (witness the lack of feedback – even here thus far).
When one considers the impact of it all, and how our daily lives are impacted by a politicised public service ….. I just think “Yea Nah” (when I see accusations of contributors being part of things like “Thorndon Bubbles” and various of shite).
Not much has been learned from history eh?
– I’ll wake up tomorrow …. Matty will be preparing to offer us his ultimate spin on NinetoNoon along with somebody ‘from the left’ (admittedly better than the last sellout)
– Various opposition elected ‘representatives will be preparing to trot off to parly armint with some hobby horse they’re desperately trying to gain traction on while watching the polls and pretending they aren’t
– complete arseholes like Lusk et al will be going about their daily bizz and doing the things they know best – while being incapable of even understanding the concept of a society, or a collective interest
– Paddy Gower will be preening hisself in the mirror wondering what tie might be best whilst he ponders the best way to put the boot in
– various IT wonder boys will be telling us how clever they are and how they have a solution (most times by reinventing the wheel)
– bankers and financial ‘experts’ will be readying themselves to deliver the usual spin on media outlets ‘on the back of’ whatever incident has just occurred (going forward)
– etc etc etc
Few seem to have considered the ACTUAL impact of a partisan administration and public service in our supposed 1st world democratic economy. I guess we get what we deserve really.
I always appreciate the Insight series, it is disappointing to see the lacking engagement.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3346220/Tory-MP-voted-bomb-Syria-Facebook-death-threat-row-adding-unless-die-constituent-s-email.html
UK Tory MP doctored an email from constituent, the MP has since deleted the Facebook post, claiming that the three extra words were from another email and the post was an ‘illustration’ of the unpleasant comments she had received.
I.e, Tory caught in a lie then lies more to try and cover the first lie.
Fairly typical behaviour for Tories really.
Over the ditch the Liberals retain the seat of North Sydney in the by-election called after the resignation of Joe Hockey. Normally that would be good news for the government, but the whopping 13% swing against them in the seat is a shocker, especially as the Labor Party didn’t even stand a candidate!
In other news, Tony Abbott has been caught bludging:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-06/abbott-used-taxpayer-funds-on-same-day-as-donors-birthday-bash/7004648
New Zealand’s greatest export market: selling Auckland property to the Chinese
https://canofwormsopened.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/government-announces-plan-to-grow-auckland-housing-bubble/
@Ropata – if the Natz didn’t have our country to sell, the emperors new clothes in the economy will be exposed.
There are plenty of migrants keen to buy here, not sure that housing bubble will burst – more like just make Kiwis on local wages paupers unable to afford to live in our own country.
The only way to slow property prices is to slow migration. Since most new migrants are voting the Natz and donating to them, just another way to stay in power.
+100 savenz…especially “…not sure that housing bubble will burst”…
100% correct, I wonder why Auction Clearance rates have dropped from 80% down to 35% in the past month, obviously all the Australian buyers have pulled out of the market?
Possibly partly because after the Chinese stock market bubble has burst the CCP has tightened up on allowing Chinese to move money out of China.
They need all the money they can keep inside the country to stay inside the country.
And maybe… just maybe… NZ has a property market bubble and it’s found its peak.
Why the US, France and Britain are destroying Syria
by SAM GERRANS, 5 December 2015
Since Russia stepped up to the plate, suddenly western countries can’t wait to bomb ISIS. Are they now there to get the job done? Or are they there to stop Russia increasing its influence, and to make sure it doesn’t succeed where they failed?
The world is falling over itself to bomb Syria. The following statement from Reuters summarizes the situation: “
While it may seem to the outside observer that this catalogue of mayhem is the result of incompetence, to me – on the contrary – it is evidence of things going to plan.
I have never, thus far, seen a war the ruling elite clearly wanted to happen not happen.
Here, as in all other cases, there has been a bit of hand-wringing, some crying, some protests, some moving speeches. But like the morality plays of medieval times, after enjoying the sermon dressed as entertainment, life has inevitably carried on as normal with the barons raping and pillaging and everyone else having to put up with that reality.
Destruction of Syria is the plan
This time the plan – at least judging from the outcomes – is to destroy Syria.
Syria has been anathema to the self-appointed arbiters of righteousness: the ‘international community’, that coterie of hypocrites which arrogates to itself the monopoly on meting out death to those who won’t get with the program.
This group dislikes Syria which has had an uncompromising stance towards Israel and an independent financial system, and is using the chance to destroy it to flood Europe with refugees, thus further debasing the makeup of its constituent nations, and simultaneously justifying a lockdown in those countries. ….
Read more….
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/324853-us-france-britain-syria/
@Morrissey – Syria also has a natural gas pipeline coming from Saudi Arabia/Qatar through Syria and Turkey. Hence all the international interest.
http://www.troll.me/images/joseph-ducreux/you-good-sir-are-the-man-thumb.jpg
Why the US, France and Britain are destroying Syria
According to General Wesley Clark it is the execution of a plan. A conspiracy
Sykes–Picot Agreement along with the desire to remap borders, seemingly part of the same discussion
Annexation of Golan Heights by Israel and the involvement of Genie Energy (check the names who make up the company board)
Abuse and deception on a grand scale
Iran next ?
+100 Morrissey and One Two
‘As Syria Reels, Israel Looks to Expand Settlements in Golan Heights’
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-israel-golan-heights.html?_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2015/10/03/world/middleeast/israels-growing-stake-in-the-golan-heights/s/03-GOLAN-WEB-slide-4HDP.html
and
‘Bashar al-Assad wins re-election in Syria as uprising against him rages’
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/04/bashar-al-assad-winds-reelection-in-landslide-victory
‘Syrian presidential election, 2014’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_presidential_election,_2014
I keep thinking of the Golan Heights and the present Syrian War and keep coming to the same conclusion – Syria now has the perfect opportunity to push the invaders, Israel, out. Wonder if they’ll take it.
This Wesley Clark explains in harsh reality what the military mindset is. We need more diplomats talking out the problems and looking for ways to meet part of others demands.
AMY GOODMAN: Do you think cluster bombs should be banned?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK: You know, we used, I think 1,400-plus cluster bombs.
And there’s a time when you have to use cluster bombs: when they’re the most appropriate and humane weapon. But I think you have to control the use very carefully. And I think we did in Yugoslavia.
AMY GOODMAN: Right now, the US has rejected an international call to ban the use of cluster bombs. On Friday, forty-six countries were in Oslo to develop a new international treaty to ban the use of cluster munitions by — I think it’s 2008. Would you support that?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK: Well, you know, people who are against war often make the case by trying to attack the weapons of war and stripping away the legitimacy of those weapons. I’ve participated in some of that. I’d like to get rid of landmines. I did participate in getting rid of laser blinding weapons. And I was part of the team that put together the agreement that got rid of laser blinding weapons. I’d like to get rid of nuclear weapons. But I can’t agree with those who say that force has no place in international affairs. It simply does for this country. And I would like to work to make it so that it doesn’t.
But the truth is, for now it does. And so, I can’t go against giving our men and women in uniform the appropriate weapons they need to fight, to fight effectively to succeed on the battlefield, and to minimize their own casualties.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/we-re-going-to-take-out-7-countries-in-5-years-iraq-syria-lebanon-libya-somalia-sudan-iran/5166
Renowned scholar activist Susan George introduces her new book, Shadow Sovereigns – How Global Corporations are seizing power. She explains how corporations have taken over all branches of the government as well as international governance, in particular through trade treaties such as the proposed EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOrJqWMzpXM&feature=em-share_video_user
+1 true
-1 depressing
Google has virtually ruined Google Groups;
Now is it planning to ruin Gmail?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/12/05/google-ending-gmail/
They aren’t shutting it down just morphing it into the new “Inbox”. It’s a next gen intelligent email client that helps you navigate the torrents of crap and respond to the stuff that actually matters.
It’s also a superior data gathering service for the NSA to spy with
Agree that Groups are crap, once upon a time (in the nineties) the newsgroups were the liveliest part of the Web, but now they are dead, but that’s not Google’s fault
Readers’ letters: Goodbye, Guardian
5 December 2015
Dear Guardian
First off, I want to thank you for being the main source of my news for the past 20 plus years. Now 31, I have been an avid reader of the newspaper since I was a wee boy. Admittedly I no longer buy a copy everyday (along with the observer) as I rarely have the time to sit down and read the entire thing, but I still do on average three times a week and the Guardian website is the first website I go to on my laptop and I Phone.
Thank you for breaking the best stories, having the best commentators and generally having an angle I could trust, over this time.
However, the Guardian’s political coverage has sharply deteriorated since the election of Jeremy Corbyn and I will no longer be buying the newspaper or visiting the website. Admittedly it will be very difficult to not visit the website because it’s so ingrained in my behaviour. I’ve been trying the past few weeks to avoid it but keep on finding myself back there! But after this email, I hereby declare that I will never buy a Guardian newspaper or browse the website again.
In recent weeks I’ve read the Guardian’s coverage of Corbyn with disbelief. The drip feed of anti-Corbyn bias has got ridiculous. Remember the story of John McDonnell’s Little Red Book joke? Well that was an ironic joke about Osbourne’s public investment strategy, reliant as it is on the Chinese state, an authoritarian dictatorship. The Guardian’s interpretation? That McDonnell was referencing Mao as one of his heros, backed up with a ridiculous quote from Chuka Umuna to that effect. I’d expect such a tactic from the Daily Mail.
Or take the recent coverage of the Oldham by-election. During the build-up, the Guardian’s frame was that Labour was struggling because of Corbyn. The election was dubbed as a test of Corbyn’s Labour Party. There was recognition that Labour would probably win, but a low victory was predicted (“Labour works around Jeremy Corbyn in Greater Manchester”).
During the build-up, I expected something was amiss. I can say that as a Labour party activist in a northern city (Leicester) Corbyn has made campaigning far easier because we have a positive platform and a clear difference with the Tories. Surely this is something to tap into?
Fast forward to news of Labour’s emphatic victory, where Labour extended its lead by 7.5% to 62.3%, the Guardian’s view is that victory has very little to do with Corbyn and everything to do with Jim McMahon, the local guy who won despite the leadership.
Now, I wouldn’t want to take anything away from McMahon, who is clearly a fantastic local politician. But an extension of Labour’s lead is astounding given everything that has gone on, the turmoil in Labour following the Syria vote and relentless hostility in the national media. Something about Corbyn’s leadership is proving popular at the ballot box, despite the Guardian’s best efforts to set him up for a fall.
Indeed, over these past few months, I have come to understand the nature of the Guardian: it’s certainly not a modern incarnation of the “Poor Man’s Guardian”. That paper, originating in 1831, was part of the radical press which burgeoned following the advent of the printing press. It provided for the news and intellectual needs of working people, having as its motto “knowledge is power”.
Today’s Guardian is “guardian” in a more Orwellian sense: a paper that polices leftwing discourse, that sets limits on what is acceptable for leftwing politics, and what is acceptable is basically Blair without Iraq. Rafael Behr, Polly Toynbee, Jonathan Freedland: all are echoing this anti-Corbyn, essentially Blairite line.
It’s therefore with a sorry heart that I say goodbye. Like those who turned to the radical press in the 19th century, I shall turn to online news sources and social media where established filters do not apply. It is annoying though, as I do enjoy a good broadsheet and a cuppa.
Yours,
Tom Mills
http://off-guardian.org/2015/12/05/readers-letters-goodbye-guardian/
That letter may be a fake, Moz. Leicester’s not a northern town and the Guardian is not a broadsheet.
I thought calling Leicester a northern city was a bit odd as well.
I think that “broadsheet” may simply mean “quality newspaper”.
But well done, Te Reo…..
http://giphy.com/gifs/funny-celebrity-bill-murray-vCKC987OpQAco
heh – if I lived 100 odd miles north of London, I’d grab the opportunity to disassociate with both hands 😉
And even if the letter isn’t actually a piece of correspondence that was sent to the Guardian, the analysis of their (the Guardian’s) bent and the sentiments of the writer are pretty well spot on.
Danyl thinks it “wasn’t a very inspiring year” in politics —
https://dimpost.wordpress.com/2015/12/04/notes-on-politics-in-2015/
Yep it was a damn depressing year, more of the same BS from the Nats, they are still looking unstoppable. For me the biggest theme of the year was the all out assault on TV journalism. Campbell Live, then Maori TV, now 3D, and the redundancies from the Herald.
I am relieved that Glucina and her awful Scout vehicle hit the fan. And there’s a glimmer of hope that independent efforts like The Spinoff and WatchMe will throw a spanner in the works of the Nat media machine.
A real speech, from a real Benn
by KIT, Off-Guardian, 2 December 2015
Parliament has just made a decision that this time bombing the Middle East will fix everything, partially on the back of a speech from Hilary Benn. This, in our view, is the most apposite response:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXmpJRZPYI
http://off-guardian.org/2015/12/02/a-real-speech-from-a-real-benn/
The NZ media is now reporting on all serious assaults in western mega cities. Expect to see detailed reports about all shootings, domestic assaults from LA and New York in papers next week. Their reporting won’t spread panic or link anything to errorism….
http://i.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/74783281/London-tube-attack-witnesses-stabber-yelled-support-for-Syria
Well of course they’ll report it if anybody’s reportedly claimed attackers yelled “allahu akbar” or “Syria” or dressed up in military-style gear and attacked anyone in a country that’s involved in fighting in Syria or Iraq. And especially one that’s recently joined the fighting like Britain, France, Germany.
Domestic assaults/drunken bashings/gang & drug-related shootings and that sort of shit happening overseas isn’t going to get reported here any more often than it usually does – i.e only when someone yells “allahu akbar” or “Syria” or gets dressed up in military style gear, or goes on a shooting spree, or kills their whole family…or does something else out of the ordinary.
Aren’t we in a murky world on what constitutes terrorism though? If the offender didn’t say anything during the incident, then it isn’t a story at the top of the news hour or a leading story on our news sites. The media is obviously hyper sensitive around this whole issue given recent events and I think we should call them out when they over egg the terrorism thing. This is the same group that duped the public into there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq more than a decade ago and look how much destruction that’s caused since. They’re passing on misinformation without critical analysis, at least some of us can be critical of them although not enough of the NZ public is.
Latest post by “Pablo” on Kiwipolitico well worth a read on subject of terrorism -what it is and what it isn’t:
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2015/12/mass-murder-is-not-always-terrorism/
Look at these horrible Syrian Islamists: Putin should bomb their village, what wankers, don’t they look awful?
Putin is great man bringing freedom to them, and look at them. Ungrateful sods.
https://twitter.com/RamiSafadi93/status/673206599733809152
Bombing: a simplistic answer to a complex problem.
But simplistic easy answers sell better to the
propaganda outletscorporate PR machinepublic news mediaB52 Bombers have failed in the past and I don’t see things changing in the future?
Whatever happened to meaningful dialogue, it a lot cheaper than war and there is less human and financial damage. When will the world ever learn from past mistakes?
You answered yourself in your question:
War makes far more profit because it’s more expensive. It’s why we’ve had social services cut and replaced by privatisation. It’s more expensive and thus makes more profit.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/291404/collins-wants-'monster'-maori-board-dumped
Now why would Collins be head lining an act party conference. ?
Is she there next leader perhaps?
Maybe we are seeing the rise of the new ACT Leader
It s a horrible thought but she has a following in nz and as papakura didn’t kick her out last election they’d probably still vote for her if she changed parties.
Collins tells Act conference her pick Michael Barnett agrees with Penny Bright:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11556831
“He is absolutely right…taxpayers deserve to know what public money is being spent cost effectively and efficiently…”
That should fuel another few months of daily reminders ..
I wonder if her business and government affairs would stand up to line by line scrutiny.
but we don’t elect Penny, she appoints herself
I was thinking about Collins. As for Penny snowballs and hell spring to mind when it comes to the mayors job.
Lunatic fringe ruining the Corbyn movement
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/05/jeremy-corbyn-new-politics-self-righteous-left-wallows-in-cruelty
See right here in microcosm on TS…
‘
Or . . . the media is claiming every nutter out there is aligned to the Corbyn movement to create the perception every one aligned Corbyn is also a nutter?
An ordinary American family and its guns
OMG! They really are nutcases these “ordinary” Republicans.
Can’t see an end to that situation macro. So many people there insist on being allowed to have guns eventually everyone could conceivably need one to protect themselves from any other angry person who loses the plot, or mugger, thug, burglar, nutter or even over-excited security guard or armed enforcement official.
How would you get people to give up guns once they’ve legally got them? Every time there’s a mass shooting the numbers buying/applying for guns go up. The idea of their government trying to take guns away from gun owners over there is preposterous: it’ll never happen. The stable door’s wide open and that horse has long bolted. How do you stop owners of multiple firearms giving guns away or selling them privately to others. The chances of getting yourself shot by accident or in cross fire must be reasonably high already.
Even US gun control proposals seem to only be about improving background checks. Sounds like the San Bernardino shooter couple got their assault rifles from a neighbour who purchased them legally.
As I understand it, the number of households with guns is actually going down, even as the average number of guns per household goes up. I was very surprised to read that, but it seemed a reputable source. So there’s actually fewer nuts with guns, but the nuts that still have guns are getting waaayyyy nuttier and stockpiling way more guns (and ammo).
I spent most of the 90s in the US, and was most recently back there for three weeks in January. I have the feeling there actually is a slow shift in the general cultural acceptability of guns, which is about the only chance of improving things. But that kind of shift takes generations to show results, and with the nuts getting nuttier things will probably get a lot worse before they get better.
And all their surveillance seems kind of pointless if even getting yourself on a terrorist no-fly list is apparently no impediment at all to buying any guns you want. Which the NRA thinks is just the way it should be.
Good points, thanks for that. Here are some interesting stats/information.
Gun ownership’s declining but support for gun ownership’s increasing.
Gun ownership in the United States is declining overall, but nearly a third of households still have a gun.
“Active shooter” events have become more common in recent years.
The First Dog as usual nails it!
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2015/dec/04/afraid-of-guns-buy-more-guns-the-circle-of-life-in-america
Guns not the problem which need solving
The mass shootings are beginning to have the distinctive whiff of manufactured events, given the recent frequency
a consequence of totally unfettered capitalism…
massive inequality, a permanent underclass that is tormented by the system, institutions that exist to entrench privilege not serve the community
the USA is sick.
I know many wonderful Americans, who I really respect and care about, but there is a dark side of that country, that is festering and not being dealt with
No! Can’t blame the guns – that would never do – the gun makers, and merchants, have to make their killing! 🙁
Michele Fiore, loon.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/02/24/3626567/nevada-assemblywoman-cancer-fungus/
I long for the day when politicians shut up when they know nothing, and try to actually represent their constituents
D’OH I forgot, their constituents are Wall St, Big Oil and the Arms industry, not middle class America
Disappointing to see the NZ dairy industry squealing about having their practices investigated. I would rather have seen them acknowledge the problem, apologise to the people of NZ for their lack of oversight, and promise to do better next time.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/291413/dairy-ad-'putting-the-boot-in‘
This is the result of the Nats obsession with industry self-regulation. Key point being – they don’t.
looked to me from watching thr safe vid it was the industry itself” putting the boot in ” to the poor bloody calves and hitherto they didnt give a stuff .I supose we can be greatfull that dairyfarmers no longer cut off the tails of their cows an obscene practise that was not too long ago seen the length and breadth of the country .Logically the figure of 99% doing a great job would be wildly generous i.m.o.
16 people apperantly dead incident happened yesterday?. anything of this in the ‘news’?
Might would not suit the drill baby drill, and it can’t happen here crowd.
http://www.oilandgaspeople.com/news/6237/breaking-news-2-major-incidents-underway-as-platform-collapses-and-another-catches-fire-offshore-azerbaijan/
Mediawatch is worth a listen today, especially its segment on the ongoing travesty of the death of current affairs journalism in NZ.
What bemuses me is how easy this has been to sell this as an inevitable consequence of technology change, when of course that’s nonsense. But then of course this kind of stuff is easier to pull off in New Zealand.
Steve Braunias’ secret diary of Mark Weldon was gold in the Herald yesterday.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/74787252/Early-access-to-Government-funded-drugs-would-happen-under-Labour
I can’t help thinking King cocked up by promising action on the keytruda drug and has backed Little into a corner,.
The greens putting the boot in as well doesn’t help.
And so Labour does what it does best: backtracks, does a u-turn, waters it down: whatever you call it Labour says stuff then changes it mind.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/74885332/labour-softens-stance-on-direct-funding-of-gamechanger-melanoma-drug
I’m sick to fucking death of everything Labour says not just because they’re a bunch of hopeless right-wing gits but because they’ve wrecked all trace of a record that shows they mean what they say and have created one that says they don’t. The Nothing Party. Hopeless lying right-wing gits.
Yes collins and King got into a pissing comp on henry over it , bit silly of king.
I SO hope Judith Collins stands in the 2016 Auckland Mayoralty!
Comparing our proven track records on the ‘anti-corruption’ front will be SUCH fun!
(Not to mention the forced Auckland ‘Supercity’ amalgamation.
ie: I opposed it and National MP Judith Collins voted for it? )
_________________________________________________
Judith Collins on the Auckland mayoralty
Sunday, 06 December 2015
The New Zealand Herald
National MP Judith Collins. Photo / Doug Sherring
By Audrey Young
National MP Judith Collins gave a wide-ranging speech about the Auckland Council to an Act regional conference yesterday, which is bound to renew speculation she is considering standing for the Auckland mayoralty.
However she also appeared to make a pitch for Chamber of Commerce head Michael Barnett, whose name has also been associated with a mayoral run.
“Auckland desperately needs a leader, someone who can articulate their plan, implement it and be accountable for it,” she said.
She applauded the fact that Mr Barnett had repeatedly called for a transparent line-by-line review of council costs and planned capital expenditure.
“He is absolutely right…taxpayers deserve to know what public money is being spent cost effectively and efficiently…
“As a ratepayer, I just hope that we end up with a financially literate, decisive mayor who can work with central government and not someone who thinks that being Mayor of Auckland is all about themselves,” she said in the speech which was distributed by her press secretary. ….”
_____________________________________________________________
So – if that’s the case – do both Judith Collins and Michael Barnett support my stand against Auckland Council not telling citizens and ratepayers EXACTLY where public rates monies are being spent?
What exactly have Judith Collins and Michael Barnett done to help ensure ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government in Auckland ?
(The same question can be asked of Labour MP / ‘Independent’ 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate – Phil Goff?)
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
I wish TS had a “hide comment” feature like Kiwiblog. PB’s burblings are always downrated to oblivion over there 💩
After having had a look at that feature, I tend to feel that it is not particularly useful. It just leads to people being silenced because what they say isn’t popular. Better to leave it so people can say what they want within the limits of the site rules about behaviour, including making barbed and smart derogatory comments about other peoples comments.
When commenters walk over behavioural limits, then the moderators act. PB figured out the boundaries a long time ago, and she listens when she gets pulled up for being a wee bit enthusiastic about using our space. So she gets to use the soapbox – carefully.
meh. it is very satisfying to click a 👍 or 👎
I have another plugin in testing to allow an uptick that doesn’t suck performance out of the site, rations how many ticks people can have over a month AND allows me to restrict it to people who have had a minimum number of accepted comments on the site (or have that ultra-rare login).
Down votes aren’t good as there are people who will gang up behind the scenes and down vote not only because they don’t like the content but because they don’t like the person making the comment and it becomes a wasteful game of petty politics. That’s my personal experience.
That has been what I have observed as well. That is why I’m only going issue people with a very limited number of upticks.
Ropata, if up and down votes are what get you up in the morning you could always just stick to Kiwiblog…and Facebook.
-1 googolplex 👎
kiwiblog/facebook, no thanks, i value my sanity 🙄