“As I write, with over 75% of all yesterday’s English local election results in, Labour has a net gain of 55 councillors compared to the high water mark of the 2014 result in these wards, while the Tories have a net gain of one seat against a 2014 result which was regarded at the time as disastrous for them, and led the Daily Telegraph to editoralise “David Cameron Must Now Assuage the Voters’ Rage”.
Yet both the BBC and Sky News, have all night and this morning, treated these results, in which the Labour Party has increased by 3% an already record number of councillors in this election cycle, as a disaster. What is more, they have used that false analysis to plug again and again the “anti-Semitism in the Labour Party” witch-hunt. It was of course the continuous exacerbation of this mostly false accusation by Blairite MP’s which – deliberately on their part – stopped the Labour Party doing still better. The Blairites are all over the airwaves plugging this meme again today.”
@Ed +1, The establishment ‘western left’ ie the neo liberal Blairites, DNC, and most of our own Labour Party etc, including all their associated ‘liberal’ media arms would rather see the right win than see a real Left Progressive project gain any ground at all, that much is plain for all to see.
May I ask
.
What is Morrissey ? Is he /she proposing a reopening of Auschwitz ?. Buchenwald perhaps. Clearly, he is yet another misogynist misfit bully, kicking the ass off Jacinda.
The sissy Morressy
Whatever, he/she is, he/she is rather spiteful. Smacking women around has become a major national party trait. Sickening.
+1 Morrissey, the lack of pretty much any ongoing MSM coverage of the massacres taking place in Gaza right now is shameful, but also unfortunately unsurprising.
I don’t think Jacinda would never put herself on the line for an issue of morality if it would hurt her politically, remember she is of course only another third way neoliberal, just enabling in softening the multiple blows of a debunked economic ideology.
I have come to the conclusion Corbyn will never be the PM of the UK. Which isn’t to say I don’t think he can – and probably will – win the next general election over there. It is just he will never be allowed to form a government.
Here is what will happen. Labour will win the next election under Corbyn and the Blairite Torys in Labour, having coat tailed back into parliament under a Labour banner, will declare that they “cannot in good conscience” allow Corbyn to rule and implement his “disasterous policies” and that for the “good of the UK” they’ll form a rump centrist party and prop up the Tories for five more years.
That doing so might fatally damage UK democracy and even trigger violent rioting and a semi-coup will be ignored; The Blairites have demonstrated no powers of reflection or introspection. They’ll absolve themselves of all blame, and smear their opponents and pass ever harsher laws to repress dissent until such time as they get their tunr to ascend to the house of Lords and the boards of various financial institutions.
“I have come to the conclusion Corbyn will never be … allowed to form a government.”
Quite possibly – and I have to confess that I’m impatient to see how such a prospect would play out. Your scenario is certainly imaginable – and there are darker alternatives in the background.
What lengths will a corrupt and anti-democratic UK establishment go to in order to prevent it happening? Is there a chance that they will over-reach themselves so disgracefully that they lose control of the narrative? I hope we get the opportunity to see.
WH: What about the global situation, have things turned out as you expected?
KM: Pretty much. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and Party-state leaderships who never read my work properly, we have for the first time in human history unrestricted capitalism across the Earth. The world proletariat has never been larger. But, with the neoliberal roll-back of socialism and social democracy the flaws of capitalism are starkly obvious. Stagnant economic growth, overproduction, underconsumption, massive private debt throughout the system and everyday life, financial bubbles and collapses, periodic economic crises, a truly massive slum population increasingly angry at their plight, wanting to migrate…. Capitalism is not in great shape, don`t you agree?
Sadly we also have ‘tyrants’ still terrorising us all; – destroying our world as this one is;
Fact;
The historic curse of John Key has now finally been visited on every other country he has chosen to curse and live.
It is a fact that during the last decade, the US mainland, Hawaii, and NZ have all been at the centre of either earthquakes, volcanic activity, adverse weather events, or unstable governance.
It just dawned on me that everywhere John Key has resided in has been severely affected by either earthquakes, floods, eruptions and unstable governments.
I just hope that John key just resides elsewhere permanently now so NZ can find a way to recover from the earthquakes, floods, and all the other terrible effects this man has caused us all during his cured rein over us.
I don’t recognise key as morally ‘fit’ for a knighthood.
My goodness.
Your leader must be Brian Tamaki.
Your ridiculous rant about John Key is exactly the same thing as Tamaki was postulating.
According to Brian gays, sinners and murderers were responsible for earthquakes. You pin it on John Key.
Do you really believe this stuff, as Tamaki seems to, or is it simply the hangover from excessive consumption of mind-altering substances?
For your Prophet’s views on the same events see https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11749215
Well maybe Ruth Richardson (Limited) then, as her website used to proudly tell us – as adviser to various Sth American ‘jurisdictions’ (on their policies – going forward).
I’m not too sure she’d be too keen on visiting some of those places now (going forward).
Bloody interesting btw, how you appear to be so protective of JK – that poor wee boy who struggled with a solo-mum having to do her best to put food on the table in a State House, and who rose to fame and fortune (‘on the back of’) his own efforts. Notwithstanding most others were doing loikwoise in those poorer suburbs of ChCH – some even faintly remembering the ‘night cart’.
God how he must have felt SO bloody indequate having to attend BoiseHi rather than Christs.
What rotters we all are to be so cynical of JK’s rise to fame because we happen to disagree with the morals and ethics with which he did so.
JK should probably be shouting Nick Leeson a lunch somewhere in the Middle East where they can both have a replay of throwing the dice – winner takes all
You really have very little connection with the real world.
Protective of JK? Really? Can you demonstrate that or is it like so many of your statements, merely a product of your fetid imagination?
“he must have felt SO bloody indequate having to attend BoiseHi “. I suppose you have access to his deepest thoughts. He doesn’t seem to have ever expressed the thoughts publicly. The only senior politician I have ever seen who expressed such views was Michael Cullen. He of course seems to blame all his bitterness on the fact that he went to Christs, not that he was excluded.
Surely you aren’t as irrational as cleangreen. You do seem to be supporting this little epistle of his so it seems only reasonable to assume that you also think the Key can cause earthquakes.
Can you explain the actual mechanism? Just what does he do to cause the faults to move? How does he cause the volcanoes to erupt?
Please tell us. I am sure there are Geologists and Geophysicists who are dying to know. Of course if you did try and explain they would probably die from laughing about your views.
Maybe you’ve forgotten the spin and bullshit when JK first came to be PM.
There were so many sad sack stories circulating about his rags to riches shit going round that it reminded me that a good many had bogs in the back yard and that for them it was Norman Normal.
I’m not suggesting Key can cause Earthquakes, I am suggesting there are a good many who still think the sun shines brightly from an anus supported by a couple of knock-knees, and that there is a persona of someone that you appear to still idolise that’s about as genuine as a Chinese made Rolex.
You started this comment so well.
Yes I do remember the rather over the top reaction to Key at the beginning. It happens with all of them and you are quite entitled to talk about it.
The problem is that in the second paragraph you went from the general, “there were so many …..” to the particular “you appear to still idolise ….”.
If you are going to make claims about me then I suggest you provide some evidence. Otherwise you are no different, in principle, to the rat-bags making up the stories about Gayford.
You can’t be all bad. Anyone who appreciates Joe Cocker has some redeeming features.
I have had a soft spot for McFlock’s opinions ever since I found that he was a cigar enthusiast. Nobody who can understand the appeal of a good cigar can really be other than a gentleman underneath.
“With the Budget fast approaching perhaps our government should when selling us a vision not be too quick in over promising. (Included is the broken promise of the “deferred” $10 doctor visit that was to commence 1st July 2018)”
Its too late – they have already done the over selling – now they are in the letting people down phase.
James I lot of people will understand being “let down” but labour having to phase in their policies such as cheaper GP visits given the disgusting underspending and deliberate move to cover up the state of Middlemore Hospital.
Did you read the bit in the link that says we will plant half a billion trees at current rates anyway.. With a bit of creative accounting they could probably get to a billion without lifting a finger 🙂
In the 1930s USA half a million coal miners mined 600million tons.
Today a hundred thousand miners mine a billion tons.
Be careful judging today’s potential by 1930s outputs.
Which explains how only a few thousand forestry workers can “plant” 50-odd million trees a year. The biggest barrier seems to be finding 50,000 more hectares to put pine on over ten years.
As the dike grew, physicist Hendrik Antoon Lorentz calculated the force of the tide as the smaller gap made it stronger. Ten thousand workers, 27 large dredges, 13 floating cranes, 132 barges, and 88 tugs worked on the project at the end, timed to close the dike at low tide; it was finished on 28 May 1932.[2] Construction progressed better than expected; at three points along the line of the dike there were deeper underwater trenches where the tidal current was much stronger than elsewhere. These had been considered to be major obstacles to completing the dike, but all of them proved to be relatively straightforward. Two years earlier than initially thought, the Zuiderzee ceased to be, as the last tidal trench, the Vlieter, was closed by a final bucket of till. The IJsselmeer was born, even though it was still salty at the time.
…
The amount of material used is estimated at 23 million cubic metres (810,000,000 cu ft) of sand and 13.5 million cubic metres (480,000,000 cu ft) of till and over the years an average of around four to five thousand workers were involved with the construction every day, relieving some of the unemployment following the Great Depression. [my bold]
Herodotus, slaves built many great structures, so did armies way back then.
Tell me again why some men joined the army, was it to avoid prison or a harsh sentence back in the day?
Re the bridge the Romans built… “Since he (Caesar) had over 40,000 soldiers at his disposal, they built the first bridge in only 10 days using local lumber”
What was the punishment for abandoning or disobeying the Roman army?
To plant one billion trees at 1000 per day would be:
1 billion divided by 1000 = 1 million days
1 million days divided by 365 = 2739.72602739726 years
For one person it’s a bit much so it probably pays to hire more than one person to do it. If they hired three thousand they could probably get it done in about a year.
This is why you do at least some basic research before making bollocks assertions.
His figures are supported by a usually reputable source. https://www.history.com/topics/civilian-conservation-corps
You will of course have noted that he never said that there were 3 million people employed for the whole of the 10 years. He just said 3 million were involved.
These people also did lots of other things you know
Why don’t you read the link and then tell us whether you want to revise your comment after considering the facts.
Oh, dear.
Never let a few facts get in the way of a good moan.
Come on. It isn’t a very long article and I’m sure you can face the fact that you may, just occasionally, be wrong.
I did in fact point that out.
“These people also did lots of other things you know”
It doesn’t really make it moot of course, in the meaning of the word that is “no longer relevant”.
It just makes DTB’s calculations look rather silly and the definition of moot as “subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty” is certainly applicable.
IMO it displays the vacuum in the promise of 1b trees when you include existing replenishment replanting to achieve the desired numbers. https://www.labour.org.nz/speech_from_the_throne
This government is committed to a new planting programme, planting 100 million trees a year to reach a billion more trees in ten years. This New Zealand First initiative also connects directly to this government’s determination to take action on climate change.”
See that reach a billion MORE trees, nothing about adding 500m to the existing 500m current replanting program. https://www.labour.org.nz/red_letter_day_for_the_east_coast
“At the heart of this wide-ranging policy is the Government’s billion trees programme with enormous opportunities for our Māori people. It has to be remembered that nurseries are going to be needed for the millions of native trees that will have to be planted this year.
IMO our govt has been found out and they are scrambling to find a way of keeping their vision, even if it requires to act as the way Nation would.
When the policy was announced it was perfectly clear. When Jones was made minister it was perfectly clear: “It is understood that about 50 million trees are already planted in New Zealand each year, meaning the new Government’s planting will double that.” From your own link in the previous comment.
And the goal is a billion trees planted. That is not misleading.
“See that reach a billion MORE trees, nothing about adding 500m to the existing 500m current replanting program.” Well, yeah, it’s a billion more trees than we have now.
Seriously, if your problem with the planting policy is that the new government will only double the number of trees rather than triple it, you’re doing pretty well. And if the challenge were so difficult, how did the nats get to 70million in 2012?
So, can you tell me how to compare a conservation effort doing everything and involving millions of people over a decade can be compared to a single, specific, task that will be done by a couple of thousand people over a year or so?
Can you tell me how, given the maths, it’s not actually possible to plant a billion trees as implied by Herodotus ?
The assertion Herodotus made, and that you objected to was very simple.
“During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years”.
You then tried to claim that these numbers must be false and said
“This is why you do at least some basic research before making bollocks assertions”.
The assertion as stated was not bollocks. There were that many people involved and they did plant that many trees.
You then tried to claim that these numbers must be false
I didn’t say that they were false – I said that they were bollocks and they are. He tried to claim that planting lost of trees couldn’t be done because three million couldn’t do it in the 1930s.
That’s what my calculation was about. There’s absolutely no way that even a volunteer program would have people planting one tree per three and a half days each. It’s obvious that they would have had far fewer people planting 1000+ per day each.
The assertion as stated was not bollocks. There were that many people involved and they did plant that many trees.
No, it was complete bollocks.
There were that many people involved in CCC.
There weren’t that many of them planting trees. There weren’t even that many involved with planting trees.
If there had actually been three million people planting trees it wouldn’t have taken them 10 years. It would have taken them a day.
It’s a hypothetical question on a school homework site. You might as well suppose that the average speed of trains from pittsburgh is 30mph.
I linked to last year’s forestry projections from MPI in this comment here (although I boo-bood the pdf link pasting). Try a thousand trees per hectare, not 120. And it’s bringing total production to a billion trees when we’re on 50mil/yr anyway.
But I did tumble the land area math, over ten years a total of 500million trees at 1000/hectare = 500,000 hectares. Assuming none of that is replanting, that’s a little under 2% rather than 30% of NZ’s land area, and our current production forest land area is 1.7million hectares (according to the NEFD report on that MPI link).
This is what Herodotus wrote. “During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years !!!”
That states baldly and plainly that the planting involved 3 million people.
Of course, you then read the article, and it says this. “the CCC planted more than three billion trees and constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide during its nine years of existence.”
alwyn, there is a difference between what Herodotus paraphrased and what the cited article said.
What Herodotus wrote was an inaccurate and misleading reporting of that article. And indefensible.
That comment btw used “love of the language and a sense of fair play.”
What he said was, in fact, true.
Did you perchance accept some of the efforts at misleading people that the present Government get up to?
When they promised us $700/year in a heating allowance isn’t that just a tad crooked when they meant about $400 this year?
When they said $10 per visit reduction in GP visits from July 1 did they really get free rein to change it to “But not this year”.
And on and on and on.
Did you complain that people had interpreted it in a different way and they should do what everyone thought they meant?
Thought not. If you had you might have been entitled to your complaint on the grounds that you were being consistent. If you didn’t then you political bias is showing.
What he said was not true. Three million people were involved in a whole heap of work more than planting 3 billion trees for the CCC.
To then claim that just as the planting of three billion trees would require three million workers, so the NZ government target of i billion trees would require presumably one million workers is just plain wrong.
Herodotus said, “to give you some idea of the scale of this” referring to the planting of a billion trees, he cited an article and then said, ” “During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years !!!”
That is totally inaccurate as an example of scale.
Land value capture (which allows councils to capture the estimated paper gain increase in the value new infrastructure adds to private property) may be coming to your neighbourhood.
The problems I have with this is it hits low income households the hardest, thus may result in forcing people to sell up and move or become indebted.
Moreover, it will add to the cost of home ownership and potentially add inflationary pressure to rents.
Therefore, if the Government is going to allow this, low income households should be protected by being made exempt.
Additionally, it may backfire as the new tax may deter buyers from purchasing in locations that are targeted, opting to buy in the next street over, resulting in homes just outside of the targeted area increasing in value instead.
Chairman this is definitely a debate to track towards the latter part of this year.
It is going to come to a head with light rail in Auckland, which means it will probably open up the entire Unitary Plan debate. It is certainly building inside government.
Labour has lost elections before just on tax issues – I hope they have the skills for playing ‘capital gain harvest’ taxes.
He is quoted. “”You can believe Stuart believes this stuff, but the guys and girls above him are going to rumble him. There’s no chance they’re going to have a harder approach to the gangs.”
Not only is there that putdown by age and sex, but the reference to ‘rumble’ connects to a second meaning of the word ‘to have a gang fight’ as well as the primary sense he is using of ‘discover his true intent’.
Maybe Bridges is being clever and using this choice of language relating the issue to gangs? Maybe this language is also carefully meant to associate Labour with being gang associated? The term ‘guys’ is often used as a term for gangsters. Maybe the issue of gangs just triggers word associations.
Certainly, the ‘guy and girls’ is a putdown, and unworthy of the Leader of the Opposition to use.
Why did he not say “the men and women above him” or ‘the people above him” or ‘the leadership”or ” senior Cabinet members’ or ‘the cabinet executive’ or even ‘the party bosses’?
That Bridges boy just ain’t sensitive to nuance – and neither are you, so only it slags the Left. But that’s the Right for you – not even intellectual pygmies, much less intellectual giants.
Yup – because my little cabbage you’re an uncritical admirer of all things Right – however inane.
Gone are the days when rightwing trolls aspired to have a shred of intellectual credibility or economic competence – Key and English exhausted that pretention.
Bridges just calls people names. And that’s good enough for you – your expectations are so debased.
What don’t you recall exactly? My criticising the last National led government? I believe I have mentioned my disappointment in them on topics such as tax and regulatory reform on numerous occasions. Their refusal to do anything radical held back the country hugely.
It probably astonishes you to know Gosman, that the Left does not await your every utterance with bated breath. And, as you say, you focus on tax and regulatory reform because you have no interest in people or people’s issues.
Take a large scale political failing like Key’s dishonesty or Carter’s treacherous subversion of ministerial questions however, and you are silent as the grave – if not actually defending the wrongdoers.
It is ethically bereft MF like you that are holding the country back.
No, no.
If you had claimed a sense of humour as well as the other things I wouldn’t have used the phrase I did.
I would have said, instead “Five things listed and you fail four of them”.
There, does that make you feel better?
John Minto points out the anti-social nature of land-banking and ghost houses in this article. In my region, ten per cent of dwellings are unoccupied by permanent residents.
Instead we have some 600 Air B&Bs and Rent a Baches.
I hope the government can first do smiting (should have read ‘something’ but I like my spell checker’s (cocker’s) version) about first the issue of empty housing whilst people are homeless, and second that the tax fraudsters amongst the renters are brought to account financially and legally.
Not if the compliance cost involved in monitoring this are excessive. It could also involve a massive increase in the coercive power of the State if it involves inspectors going around to private property to see what is happening.
Straight off the top of my head, no research, how about a ‘vacancy fee’ for absentee home owners which could be incorporated into rates; or better still, a tax on the capital gains earned on ghost housing when sold over and above the usual taxation.
After all, New Zealand had a problem at the turn of the 19th Century under the Liberal government when land was all locked up in the hands of land owners.
My family benefited from John Mckenzie’s land tax when land was freed up for balloting. Taxation was the method of righting that particular problem.
Taxation was the method of righting the issue of poverty amongst our people and the welfare state and earlier the Liberal’s Old Age Pension which addressed the issue of income for older citizens.
Fair taxation, justly applied and large social, with financial and legal sanctions for the betrayers of the social contract. who at the moment remove from social expenditure use anywhere from $1.5 to $7 billion annually.
As much as I would love to see the left try and implement such a dumb tax it isn’t likely to be implemented any time soon for the main reason the Labour party wants to remain electable
So, what would you do, Gosman, to ensure that all our citizens are housed healthily and safely?
Such a ‘dumb’ tax provided enough land for four families within my grandparent’s generation to survive well enough. Those families then produced great rugby players, priests, district councillors, war heroes, teachers, nurses, etc etc.
Who complained? “Ready Money” Robinson might have. The owner of the Kinloch estate on the Banks Peninsula might have.
But the hundreds of families who benefited did not complain.
The Liberal Party policy was easy to implement in contrast to what is being suggested here. You can’t easily hide how big your land is but you can hide the fact it is not being used for something.
It’s no more difficult than operating Winz’s rules on relationships. In fact staff no longer needed to be punitive to the poor could readily transfer to a role monitoring sociopathic speculators.
We could use the 1800 new police that Stuart Nash is proposing. After they’ve cleaned up the “P” problem, they can move onto the “H” problem. 🙂
Seriously, though, when society accepts the depth of the problem and the social ills concomitant with homelessness and sub-standard housing, part of which is “P”, then it can find solutions equally in depth that most of us can accept and justify.
No need for “a massive increase in the coercive power of the State”.
Those Search And Surveillance powers enable this already.
How about a camera mounted on every telephone pole/street light to monitor the use of housing?
Smart meter data would paint an accurate picture re: occupancy. Spurts of consumption over weekends and long weekends would indicate air bnb or holiday house usage. Flat lining water/power consumption = empty house. Doesn’t need inspectors, just a robotic drill into the data.
While I agree that it would be good to discourage leaving houses empty for long periods of time, I can’t see a workable solution as there so many variables for why people may leave a house empty – e.g. working away from home, family commitments, changes in household, house empty for renovations, repair after major damage or sale.
Water meter usage is not monitored across New Zealand and how would the goverment access that information for the places that do? Do we want government to have access to that information (water and power) about individual households?
There were many houses empty for months and years after the earthquakes in Christchurch and in the east of Christchurch there still are – some at least are due to people not being in a position to repair and or sell. Even Housing New Zealand houses have been empty for monthes and monthes even in 2018.
My point is how can government differentiate between those that are landbanking and those whose circumstances mean that their house is empty (or is occupied but doesn’t use much power).
Actually Gos, there are a few ways. You know how your ilk were in favour of water meters and privatising power companies and telcos? There’s also this thing called ‘big data’ you’d be an advocate for.
At the moment though, the only problem is the purpose for which it is used, and you do realise those nanny state authorities actually have supremacy (unless of course some jumped up little army general decides otherwise and is able to persuade his underlings to agree)
Whilst any profiling is in its infancy, it does allow ‘officials’, or those ‘in authority’ to direct their attention to a particular property (going forward).
It’s not too dissimilar to all that demographic profiling thingy that MBIE had heavily invested in – until they were told to pull their heads in. Even though they haven’t YET come to grips with it all ….
Unless someone wants to leave the garden hose on as a drip, and perhaps run a modest hooch operation in the attic, if you provided me with the data, I’d be happy to direct those ‘officials’ in the right direction ….. for a modest fee of course (plus GST). I won’t even charge for any intermediary consultancy – such as finder’s fees or those ‘independent’ people verifying my impartiality (going forward).
I’m bloody sure there are others that’ll do likewise.
Clip go the shears boys clip clip clip
Bloody good points john makes that we should all seriously consider carefully now as the ‘land/house banking system is only used by banks and very rich investors trying to push prices up and will distort the whole economy again like 2007 what Enron did.
Wake up kiwis, we are being rorted here.
Ban these ‘leeches’ as house/land bankers and send them packing.
I agree chairman, but why stop at state housing.
Why not make a 3-5 kw array grid tied, compulsory on every new dwelling or building?
Water catchment/tanks too while we are at it.
Spinoff: “Considering your WORLD clothing tags say “Fabriqué en Nouvelle Zelande”, would customers reasonably assume these t-shirts and more have been made in New Zealand?”
Dame Denise: “As already stated, the WORLD clothing tags that say Made in NZ are Made in NZ, so there is nothing misleading about this. As explained, the t-shirts do not state this”.
Oh dear, that’s a frightfully wobbly defense. The garment swing tags that state ‘Made in NZ’ were die-cut and printed in NZ so they’re not deceptive…..what a load of bollix. I thought she was smarter than trying to float such a leaky boat.
Spinoff asked…
“Considering your WORLD clothing tags say “Fabriqué en Nouvelle Zelande”, would customers reasonably assume these t-shirts and more have been made in New Zealand?”
Dame Whatsherface replies…
“As already stated, the WORLD clothing tags that say Made in NZ are Made in NZ, so there is nothing misleading about this. As explained, the t-shirts do not state this.”
How embarrassing though.
Particularly as it was this Government that gave her the award entitling her to call herself “Dame”
I hope that Ardern hasn’t been wearing any of these clothes in her numerous woman’s magazine photo ops?
Please tell us she wasn’t wearing anything from this lot in the Vogue article.
alwyn I think you might be wrong. My understanding is the Honours awards are determined around six months in advance of their publication date. Since she received a dame-hood in the 2018 New Year, that means it was the previous National led government who determined her award.
I think you would be right if you said they started the process at that time. That would be immediately after the last lot were announced. In his case of course the last Government would have gone into caretaker mode in about mid-August and stayed there until the coalition took over. The new Government had about two and a half months to change things. I’m afraid they have to carry the, not very massive, can.
After all a whole bunch of them flew off on a jolly to the Chatham Islands to claim credit for something they had opposed in Opposition.
You take it one way you have to wear it the other.
Yes, given that there is no evidence of Ardern patronising the business. That would have been a little embarrassing but the presentation of a gong doesn’t matter.
They took lots and lots of their own, tax-payer funded, booze.
Then they dined on crayfish, lots and lots of crayfish.
I could easily be tempted to describe that as a jolly.
Shane may have missed out on his pornographic videos but the others were probably quite happy.
Actually gsays… I didn’t like john Key. I didn’t like his MO and I didn’t like is often sneaky ways. But he was PM for eight years and not everything he did was bad. So he was deserving of a gong. And bear in mind not many Kiwis care about who has gongs and who doesn’t anyway.
Put it another way. All prime ministers are offered a knighthood after they cease to be PM. Most but not all accept them. So, it was inevitable John Key would be offered a knighthood and equally inevitable he would be one of those who accept it. It was in that sense I used the term “deserving”.
Yep, as is usually the case, Dame Denise would of been much better off telling the truth . Said something like: “Thanks for drawing this to our attention Spinoff and I think you’re right, the wording could be taken the wrong way. It should read ‘Designed in NZ’ and that’s what they will say in the future.”
Spinoff would have their scalp, Dame Denise would prove she does the right thing when she can and the story would die.
“You might very well now feel that $99 is an outrageous price to pay for a locally produced swing tag Mr McFlock but you entered into the transaction of your own free will.”
““You might very well now feel that $99 is an outrageous price to pay for a locally produced swing tag Mr McFlock but you entered into the transaction of your own free will.””
Someone, please, check that them there tags are actually fabriqué en Nouvelle Zelande….
When I put ‘Designed in New Zealand’ into Google translate, the French is: Conçu en Nouvelle-Zélande. I think most of Dame Denise’s local customers would read that and still surmise that it says ‘Made in New Zealand’….I think I would…
“Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet has slammed a report by the Spinoff, calling it “trash” and “gutter journalism”.
In an interview with Newstalk ZB, she said she found the report disgusting and that it has damaged her brand.
“I am furious,” she told Newstalk ZB.
“I will not be torn down by some two-bit writer who thinks she can air her opinions that are not truthful.””
Btw, did anyone count the number of “but”s and “I don’t know”s DL’E-C said during her JC interview on Checkpoint?
And Christ! at the end of that interview, she put it all back on the consumer for being ‘stupid’ …… as in “I thought [the consumer] was smarter”.
Gorgeous darling! Almost gorgeous enough to come back for a fling on “The Panel”
And I’m sincerely hoping she’s not related to a former registrar because if he’s not tucked up somewhere with a minimum-waged Filipino wiping his arse, he’s sure as shit busy rolling in discomfort 3 feet below
Very interesting slice of history, and extremely relevant to today’s discussion.
Politics…
“”Named after Sir Edwin Airey, a construction magnate, around 200 of the houses were built on the estate in the late 50s as homes for miners, and few thought they would see in the millennium.
Made from prefabricated concrete and scrap metal salvaged from military vehicles, they were designed to meet the housing needs of the growing numbers of workers living outside cities.
Barry and Mavis Abbey, both in their early 70s, have lived on the estate since 1970, when the homes were owned by the National Coal Board.
At one stage the Abbeys had been led to believe they would be able to buy their home under the Thatcher government’s right-to-buy scheme. But this option was denied them for reasons that remain opaque. Ex-miners like Barry believe it was in revenge for them going on strike in the mid-1980s.
The estate was sold off by the NCB in 1986, after which the homes passed through a series of owners until they ended up in the hands of the Pemberstone Group, a private investment firm that boasts a diverse portfolio of interests including an Italian tour operator, an indoor ski slope and the Ilford camera-film brand.
Pemberstone’s “scheme” involves replacing the existing 70 Airey houses with 71 new properties, only 11 of which will be reserved for “affordable accommodation”, a number that it says is in line with Leeds city council’s Strategic Homes plan.
Locals have heard that the new homes will be priced at around £300,000 – 10 times what a three-bedroom Airey house on another estate fetched recently. Surrounded by attractive green spaces, close to motorways and 20 minutes from the city centre, they should sell easily.”
And in the important issues of the day:
does anybody else happen to listen to RNZ’s business news (going forward)?
I find it bloody hard whenever I have to listen to Nona Pelletier reporting.
I know I’m living ‘on the back of’ the age of the curmudgeon, but it’s not just that. Just as I need to listen to Soimun 10 Bridges twice before I’m able to decipher his wuzdim words, or avail moisef of a tranny, Nona sounds like she’s singing the descant.
Can she not be promoted to an off-ear pizzishun?
OR maybe I should just fuck off somewhere else where basic things like communicating with other human beings are no longer such an earfit.
Ekshully, I’ll take it all back and count myself lucky I’m not Donny the Don Brash who has to deal with listening to Mary
I have no issue with Nona’s voice … maybe that’s because I watch her on TV rather than just listen – on RNZ on channel 50. Sometimes I find it hard to understand on the phone or radio but if I can see them it’s easier for some reason. Similarly if I know where they are from I find it easier to tune into their accent.
“Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been meeting with New Zealand ministers and members of the opposition over the past couple of days in Wellington.
Before the Sheikh arrived at Ardern’s 9th floor office for the meeting he sent up a somewhat mysterious gift, in a large box, on a gurney. It was wheeled into Ardern’s office where she was later expected to open it.”
“Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on United Arab Emirates authorities to disclose the whereabouts and condition of a daughter of Dubai’s ruler, following reports she was forcibly returned after fleeing the Gulf Arab state”
Today I helped a family member who had to take a Medical Certificate to the Hamilton central WINZ office.
In the past we’ve waited in the cue inside the building. Today we had to wait in a cue of 12 people standing outside on the footpath. One of the three security gaurds said he had been told to only let one person through the door when someone else left. The footpath cue included a very frail elderly lady and a person with one leg using crutches. It took around 40 minuites waiting on the footpath just to get into the building.
The five parking spaces directly outside were blocked with orange cones. I asked why and was told that only WINZ staff could park there.
The fact that any government department can treat people like this is truly shocking and humilating.
Thank you Fireblade. I am not familiar with that particular location as being a WINZ office-sorry-“Service Centre”. The only one I could think of around here with 5 parking places outside the building was Dinsdale.
Have you or your family member complained about this? Who you’d complain to I’d be guessing. Complain to a local Nat MP? They’d really get off on blaming this on the current incumbents. Complain to Labour/Green/NZF? Who?
Perhaps someone in the local media? Treating people like this is totally unacceptable.
Actually…I might wander down there with a camera, take a few pictures, post them somewhere….
Obviously the office didn’t get the “show a little kindness” memo.
It’s quite interesting really – the degree to which some in the public service are pushing back against their political elected masters – probably on the basis that they’re ‘independent’ and immune from matters that are of an ‘operational’ nature.
(not just MSD/WINZ).
It’s going to be the true test of this coalition government – i.e. just how far politicians are prepared to accept obvious obfuscation, lies, spin and bullshit from their ‘officials’ before they react.
As things stand, so many hints have been given re the expectations of the public service and the policies on which they (the government) were elected.
Just as happened in the 80s, public service reform is long overdue, and they’re doing themselves no favours.
We’ll see over the next few months whether the new government is up to the challenge.
Ummm… David Seymour doesn’t look anything like the character of Alfred E Neuman. It would be like asking has anyone ever seen Chewbacca and David Seymour in the same room together.
There IS a superficial resemblance to the actor Chris Barrie who played/plays Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf and Gordon Brittas from The Brittas Empire. But so what?
There’s a pretty bloody good resemblance when Barrie is actually in character.
The “so what” is that it might partially explain why he’s spending more time on Dancing with the Lols rather than being a caucus leader.
Whether he is electoral cyanide because he does things like that, or whether he has the time to do things like that because he’s electoral cyanide, is a point of passing interest.
Concerning the Shameful Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet:
A Message from the Knights and Dames of the British Empire
May 7, 2018
It comes down to education. Don’t smoke it, don’t drink it, don’t buy Lotto tickets. I don’t believe there IS a shortage of jobs in New Zealand….
—Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, Sept. 5, 2014
We would like to point out that the rogue Denise L’Estrange-Corbet is an aberration, an abomination, an irritant, a boor, an exploiter, a liar, a racist, and a cad. An asshole, if one were to employ the vernacular. The rest of New Zealand’s, and indeed the Empire’s, knights and dames, however, are men and women of the highest character.
So let’s condemn Denise L’Estrange-Corbet by all means, but let us also praise good men and true (and good women and true), like the following exemplars of moral courage and intellectual excellence…..
Sir Paul Holmes
Sir Robert Jones
Sir John Howard
Sir William Gallagher
Sir Thomas Eichelbaum
Sir James Savile
Dame Margaret Thatcher
Sir Peter Leitch
Sir Jeremiah Mateparae
Sir John Key
Sir Clive Woodward
Easier to just add her to your list Morrisey.
She’d have been better off to have just fessed up and said she had no idea, and that she is disappointed and will make changes.
And IF, as she claims, the problem is a mere 1% of her business enterprise, and IF she has the concerns she claims she has, then I’d have expected her to forgo that 1%.
But then as I said yesterday, we should let Jim Mora’s “The Panel” resolve it all. She might even end up being the new Brian Edwards ‘on the back of’ a Gallery interview and resolution of an industrial dispute.
We could even call in Julie Christie to make a reality TV show of proceedings and she could clip the ticket to compensate for the loss of that 1%.
There ya go see @ Morrisey. Jim and his ‘The Panel’ have dealt with the issue and it’s now resolved.
End of story!
How could we have been so foolish as to have made such a mountain out of a molehill.
And btw ….. there’s no mole a bit of mascara can’t cover – even if it’s to highlight it as a fashion asset (going forward)
What sets apart Gaza from Gandhi and Martin Luther King is not that children participate in the Gaza marches…
…. but that unlike the British in India, and the white racists in the American South, only Israel targets and kills innocent children in demonstrations.
Add to that the famines England caused in Ireland (1840s) and in Bengal (1940s) – and that Russia caused in Ukraine (1930s) – still not good company for Bibi the Butcher to find himself in.
Good evening Newshub adventure tourism is a great way to bring vip tourist to Aotearoa.
I had a good escort this morning on the way to Auckland Im working and I get to see my mokos and daughter at the same time the youngest is 4 months old she really chubby.
Football NZ is going to pay the Football Ferns I’m a bit late tonight Ka kite ano P.S sorry about the heat they are just a bunch of intimidating bullies just ignore them there intimidation does not work on ECO MAORI
Good morning Newshub it shows that the last government did not want to help our Pacific Islands slashing the aid we gave the. If we give aid for renewable energy this will solve two problems lower there carbon footprint and save them money. Our other Pacific Islands cousins ad a lot of good thing to OUR country.
The old Maori way was to try and give back better than what was received.
I say this is the way a society should behave. As for Trump and Iran there is always another story behind the seens like the trade sanctions they are being employed to slow China from catching the west Technology domanince.
Many thanks to the Labour government for there new Labour laws the big employers are just screwing the employee with there no minimum hours temporary contracts I no some one who has all the bills one has like rent ect one week she gets 2 days work and the next 5 how can one live on 2 days a week work when rents cost 2 days work to pay for it.
Ka kite ano
I thought Winston was a Maori he is stuck in the 1940 when Maori we tricked in to a believing that the crown had OUR wellbeing in there policy truth be told they just want us to disappear so they can have our Whenua heres the link.
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland SmartS/Shutterstock Steam locomotives clattering along railway tracks. Paddle steamers churning down the Murray. Dreadnought battleships powered by steam engines. Many of us think the age of steam has ended. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Victims who experience family violence in Aotearoa New Zealand are treated differently, depending on which part of the justice system they turn to for help. But a new member’s bill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tesch, Visiting Fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University In perhaps the least surprising news of the year, Vladimir Putin has triumphed at the Russian ballot box and been enthroned for the fifth time as president. He ...
The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Despite a “historic” ceasefire agreement in Papua New Guinea between Enga authorities and tribal leaders after months of bitter warfare, a young woman has been found brutally killed near Kaekin village, Wapenamanda. Despite the peace agreement and signing concluded in Port Moresby last Thursday ...
The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
We live in 1984.
“As I write, with over 75% of all yesterday’s English local election results in, Labour has a net gain of 55 councillors compared to the high water mark of the 2014 result in these wards, while the Tories have a net gain of one seat against a 2014 result which was regarded at the time as disastrous for them, and led the Daily Telegraph to editoralise “David Cameron Must Now Assuage the Voters’ Rage”.
Yet both the BBC and Sky News, have all night and this morning, treated these results, in which the Labour Party has increased by 3% an already record number of councillors in this election cycle, as a disaster. What is more, they have used that false analysis to plug again and again the “anti-Semitism in the Labour Party” witch-hunt. It was of course the continuous exacerbation of this mostly false accusation by Blairite MP’s which – deliberately on their part – stopped the Labour Party doing still better. The Blairites are all over the airwaves plugging this meme again today.”
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/05/37463/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2018/05/05/people-are-showing-they-will-not-be-fooled-by-the-bbcs-anti-corbyn-bias/
We do and we also note that you haven’t done your morning exercises…
Chris73 – “Big Brother is watching you!”
That shirts a good look on you, you should wear it more often
@Ed +1, The establishment ‘western left’ ie the neo liberal Blairites, DNC, and most of our own Labour Party etc, including all their associated ‘liberal’ media arms would rather see the right win than see a real Left Progressive project gain any ground at all, that much is plain for all to see.
How the New York Times and Israel coordinate propaganda
By the way, has our media darling Jacinda uttered a word of support for the peaceful protestors being murdered every Friday?
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/06/how-the-ny-times-and-israel-coordinate-propaganda/
May I ask
.
What is Morrissey ? Is he /she proposing a reopening of Auschwitz ?. Buchenwald perhaps. Clearly, he is yet another misogynist misfit bully, kicking the ass off Jacinda.
The sissy Morressy
Whatever, he/she is, he/she is rather spiteful. Smacking women around has become a major national party trait. Sickening.
I think you might have the wrong guy OT. Morrissey is a mild mannered feminist leftie and not obviously a Neo Nazi…
A.
From your comment – Im guessing the “Observer” in your handle is being ironic.
/agreed
lol that makes three of us in agreement – one for the pool room, that…
????
Moron alert! Moron alert!
+1 Morrissey, the lack of pretty much any ongoing MSM coverage of the massacres taking place in Gaza right now is shameful, but also unfortunately unsurprising.
I don’t think Jacinda would never put herself on the line for an issue of morality if it would hurt her politically, remember she is of course only another third way neoliberal, just enabling in softening the multiple blows of a debunked economic ideology.
I have come to the conclusion Corbyn will never be the PM of the UK. Which isn’t to say I don’t think he can – and probably will – win the next general election over there. It is just he will never be allowed to form a government.
Here is what will happen. Labour will win the next election under Corbyn and the Blairite Torys in Labour, having coat tailed back into parliament under a Labour banner, will declare that they “cannot in good conscience” allow Corbyn to rule and implement his “disasterous policies” and that for the “good of the UK” they’ll form a rump centrist party and prop up the Tories for five more years.
That doing so might fatally damage UK democracy and even trigger violent rioting and a semi-coup will be ignored; The Blairites have demonstrated no powers of reflection or introspection. They’ll absolve themselves of all blame, and smear their opponents and pass ever harsher laws to repress dissent until such time as they get their tunr to ascend to the house of Lords and the boards of various financial institutions.
The solution is mandatory deselection.
“I have come to the conclusion Corbyn will never be the PM of the UK”
On that part we agree.
“I have come to the conclusion Corbyn will never be … allowed to form a government.”
Quite possibly – and I have to confess that I’m impatient to see how such a prospect would play out. Your scenario is certainly imaginable – and there are darker alternatives in the background.
What lengths will a corrupt and anti-democratic UK establishment go to in order to prevent it happening? Is there a chance that they will over-reach themselves so disgracefully that they lose control of the narrative? I hope we get the opportunity to see.
Is Marx still relevant?
Philosopher Peter Singer says that he fundamentally misconstrued human nature.
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/karl-marx-200th-birthday-by-peter-singer-2018-05?utm_source=Project+Syndicate+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e151c95e72-sunday_newsletter_6_5_2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73bad5b7d8-e151c95e72-105758597
I am pretty sure we’ll be still talking about Marx long after Peter Singer’s ghost disappears from the land of the dead.
Sorry…Peter who?
🙂
He’s a utilitarian ethicist.
One of the biggest recent data-driven analyses of Marx is Piketty.
Personally I prefer the Frankfurt variations, plus David Harvey and Freddy Jamieson.
good on you Ad for seeing the comic irony in my comment, but you have piqued my interest.
Hey I am absolutely with you on Habermas and David Harvey
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/30/karl-marx-200-years-on-exclusive-interview/
You do realise that is not the real Karl Marx Draco? 😉
Peter ‘we are all marxists now’, that’s who.
And not only ‘Marxists’ Gabby;
Sadly we also have ‘tyrants’ still terrorising us all; – destroying our world as this one is;
Fact;
The historic curse of John Key has now finally been visited on every other country he has chosen to curse and live.
It is a fact that during the last decade, the US mainland, Hawaii, and NZ have all been at the centre of either earthquakes, volcanic activity, adverse weather events, or unstable governance.
It just dawned on me that everywhere John Key has resided in has been severely affected by either earthquakes, floods, eruptions and unstable governments.
I just hope that John key just resides elsewhere permanently now so NZ can find a way to recover from the earthquakes, floods, and all the other terrible effects this man has caused us all during his cured rein over us.
I don’t recognise key as morally ‘fit’ for a knighthood.
My goodness.
Your leader must be Brian Tamaki.
Your ridiculous rant about John Key is exactly the same thing as Tamaki was postulating.
According to Brian gays, sinners and murderers were responsible for earthquakes. You pin it on John Key.
Do you really believe this stuff, as Tamaki seems to, or is it simply the hangover from excessive consumption of mind-altering substances?
For your Prophet’s views on the same events see
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11749215
Well maybe Ruth Richardson (Limited) then, as her website used to proudly tell us – as adviser to various Sth American ‘jurisdictions’ (on their policies – going forward).
I’m not too sure she’d be too keen on visiting some of those places now (going forward).
Bloody interesting btw, how you appear to be so protective of JK – that poor wee boy who struggled with a solo-mum having to do her best to put food on the table in a State House, and who rose to fame and fortune (‘on the back of’) his own efforts. Notwithstanding most others were doing loikwoise in those poorer suburbs of ChCH – some even faintly remembering the ‘night cart’.
God how he must have felt SO bloody indequate having to attend BoiseHi rather than Christs.
What rotters we all are to be so cynical of JK’s rise to fame because we happen to disagree with the morals and ethics with which he did so.
JK should probably be shouting Nick Leeson a lunch somewhere in the Middle East where they can both have a replay of throwing the dice – winner takes all
You really have very little connection with the real world.
Protective of JK? Really? Can you demonstrate that or is it like so many of your statements, merely a product of your fetid imagination?
“he must have felt SO bloody indequate having to attend BoiseHi “. I suppose you have access to his deepest thoughts. He doesn’t seem to have ever expressed the thoughts publicly. The only senior politician I have ever seen who expressed such views was Michael Cullen. He of course seems to blame all his bitterness on the fact that he went to Christs, not that he was excluded.
Surely you aren’t as irrational as cleangreen. You do seem to be supporting this little epistle of his so it seems only reasonable to assume that you also think the Key can cause earthquakes.
Can you explain the actual mechanism? Just what does he do to cause the faults to move? How does he cause the volcanoes to erupt?
Please tell us. I am sure there are Geologists and Geophysicists who are dying to know. Of course if you did try and explain they would probably die from laughing about your views.
Maybe you’ve forgotten the spin and bullshit when JK first came to be PM.
There were so many sad sack stories circulating about his rags to riches shit going round that it reminded me that a good many had bogs in the back yard and that for them it was Norman Normal.
I’m not suggesting Key can cause Earthquakes, I am suggesting there are a good many who still think the sun shines brightly from an anus supported by a couple of knock-knees, and that there is a persona of someone that you appear to still idolise that’s about as genuine as a Chinese made Rolex.
You started this comment so well.
Yes I do remember the rather over the top reaction to Key at the beginning. It happens with all of them and you are quite entitled to talk about it.
The problem is that in the second paragraph you went from the general, “there were so many …..” to the particular “you appear to still idolise ….”.
If you are going to make claims about me then I suggest you provide some evidence. Otherwise you are no different, in principle, to the rat-bags making up the stories about Gayford.
That’s different Alwyn. The made up stories about Gayford are false whereas the made up stories about you are quite obviously true 😉
I defer to your spectacular superiority. i’M TRULY IN AWE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpMkdPDthT8
You can’t be all bad. Anyone who appreciates Joe Cocker has some redeeming features.
I have had a soft spot for McFlock’s opinions ever since I found that he was a cigar enthusiast. Nobody who can understand the appeal of a good cigar can really be other than a gentleman underneath.
Now there’s a point Cleangreen (5.1) … Old Nick himself do you think walking amongst us?
Agree with your last comment. Key is morally bankrupt in just about every respect. A traitor of the highest degree!
With the Budget fast approaching perhaps our government should when selling us a vision not be too quick in over promising. (Included is the broken promise of the “deferred” $10 doctor visit that was to commence 1st July 2018)
Re 1 Billion trees, to give some idea as to the scale of this
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/funding-and-programmes/forestry/planting-one-billion-trees/
During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years !!!
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/funding-and-programmes/forestry/planting-one-billion-trees/
http://www.ccclegacy.org/CCC_Brief_History.html
NZ has had enough of empty visions we had 9 years of it, and for the current govt to continue the trend …. Really doesn’t help NZ.
“With the Budget fast approaching perhaps our government should when selling us a vision not be too quick in over promising. (Included is the broken promise of the “deferred” $10 doctor visit that was to commence 1st July 2018)”
Its too late – they have already done the over selling – now they are in the letting people down phase.
James I lot of people will understand being “let down” but labour having to phase in their policies such as cheaper GP visits given the disgusting underspending and deliberate move to cover up the state of Middlemore Hospital.
Did you read the bit in the link that says we will plant half a billion trees at current rates anyway.. With a bit of creative accounting they could probably get to a billion without lifting a finger 🙂
Maybe declare wilding pines a protected species.
In the 1930s USA half a million coal miners mined 600million tons.
Today a hundred thousand miners mine a billion tons.
Be careful judging today’s potential by 1930s outputs.
as mauī points out, we’re halfway there already.
And the Pantheon was built in in 8-9 years
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unlocking-mysteries-of-the-parthenon-16621015/
and the Romans built a bridge over the Rhine in 10 days
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Rhine_bridges
and finally Xerxes bridge built 480 bc reported by ,.. me !! ha ha Quicker than what was achieved last century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerxes%27_Pontoon_Bridges
Also don’t think that in todays world what we can achieve is always something special
You used the Depression as a benchmark. So I did, too.
I love discussions like these – one ends up in the most interesting (legal) places of the internet.
Gabby’s comment about making wilding pines a protect species wasn’t far off the mark: the industry calls it “control pollinated” (pdf report here).
Which explains how only a few thousand forestry workers can “plant” 50-odd million trees a year. The biggest barrier seems to be finding 50,000 more hectares to put pine on over ten years.
The Great Depression you say?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afsluitdijk
Herodotus, slaves built many great structures, so did armies way back then.
Tell me again why some men joined the army, was it to avoid prison or a harsh sentence back in the day?
Re the bridge the Romans built… “Since he (Caesar) had over 40,000 soldiers at his disposal, they built the first bridge in only 10 days using local lumber”
What was the punishment for abandoning or disobeying the Roman army?
Did you even bother doing the sums on that assertion?
3 billion divided by 3 million = 1000.
1000 divided by 10 = 100
100 divided by 356 = 0.356
Or one tree planted every three and a half days.
Meanwhile, in reality, a three person crew can do 10,000 in an eight hour shift if using a machine. Doing it by hand isn’t as fast but can still do 1000 to 3000 per day.
To plant one billion trees at 1000 per day would be:
1 billion divided by 1000 = 1 million days
1 million days divided by 365 = 2739.72602739726 years
For one person it’s a bit much so it probably pays to hire more than one person to do it. If they hired three thousand they could probably get it done in about a year.
This is why you do at least some basic research before making bollocks assertions.
His figures are supported by a usually reputable source.
https://www.history.com/topics/civilian-conservation-corps
You will of course have noted that he never said that there were 3 million people employed for the whole of the 10 years. He just said 3 million were involved.
These people also did lots of other things you know
Why don’t you read the link and then tell us whether you want to revise your comment after considering the facts.
But it was certainly implied.
Nope. Same reason applies – it’s simply not comparable.
Oh, dear.
Never let a few facts get in the way of a good moan.
Come on. It isn’t a very long article and I’m sure you can face the fact that you may, just occasionally, be wrong.
All a bit moot because they didn’t just plant trees, anyway.
I did in fact point that out.
“These people also did lots of other things you know”
It doesn’t really make it moot of course, in the meaning of the word that is “no longer relevant”.
It just makes DTB’s calculations look rather silly and the definition of moot as “subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty” is certainly applicable.
So you’d agree that 1 billion trees is a reasonable goal and not an “empty vision” as Herodotus put it?
refer to my calcs below, whist the vision is commendable not sure about the ability to achieve this vision, the same about the 100,000 affordable modern houses regarding Kiwibuild over 10 years .
https://thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/KiwiBuild_Factsheet.pdf
The ability of our govt to achieve anything like there visions is highly questionable.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/10/revealed-shane-jones-minister-for-100-million-trees-1-billion-regional-fund.html
So from this article of 1000 stems/ha. Many will be thinned out so there will not be 1billion tress grown. Even at 1000/ha this will still require 1m ha it still is 10,000km2 or 3.7% of the area on NZ
1billion including the current 500million
IMO it displays the vacuum in the promise of 1b trees when you include existing replenishment replanting to achieve the desired numbers.
https://www.labour.org.nz/speech_from_the_throne
This government is committed to a new planting programme, planting 100 million trees a year to reach a billion more trees in ten years. This New Zealand First initiative also connects directly to this government’s determination to take action on climate change.”
See that reach a billion MORE trees, nothing about adding 500m to the existing 500m current replanting program.
https://www.labour.org.nz/red_letter_day_for_the_east_coast
“At the heart of this wide-ranging policy is the Government’s billion trees programme with enormous opportunities for our Māori people. It has to be remembered that nurseries are going to be needed for the millions of native trees that will have to be planted this year.
IMO our govt has been found out and they are scrambling to find a way of keeping their vision, even if it requires to act as the way Nation would.
When the policy was announced it was perfectly clear. When Jones was made minister it was perfectly clear: “It is understood that about 50 million trees are already planted in New Zealand each year, meaning the new Government’s planting will double that.” From your own link in the previous comment.
And the goal is a billion trees planted. That is not misleading.
“See that reach a billion MORE trees, nothing about adding 500m to the existing 500m current replanting program.” Well, yeah, it’s a billion more trees than we have now.
Seriously, if your problem with the planting policy is that the new government will only double the number of trees rather than triple it, you’re doing pretty well. And if the challenge were so difficult, how did the nats get to 70million in 2012?
Riiiight.
So, can you tell me how to compare a conservation effort doing everything and involving millions of people over a decade can be compared to a single, specific, task that will be done by a couple of thousand people over a year or so?
Can you tell me how, given the maths, it’s not actually possible to plant a billion trees as implied by Herodotus ?
The assertion Herodotus made, and that you objected to was very simple.
“During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years”.
You then tried to claim that these numbers must be false and said
“This is why you do at least some basic research before making bollocks assertions”.
The assertion as stated was not bollocks. There were that many people involved and they did plant that many trees.
I didn’t say that they were false – I said that they were bollocks and they are. He tried to claim that planting lost of trees couldn’t be done because three million couldn’t do it in the 1930s.
That’s what my calculation was about. There’s absolutely no way that even a volunteer program would have people planting one tree per three and a half days each. It’s obvious that they would have had far fewer people planting 1000+ per day each.
No, it was complete bollocks.
There were that many people involved in CCC.
There weren’t that many of them planting trees. There weren’t even that many involved with planting trees.
If there had actually been three million people planting trees it wouldn’t have taken them 10 years. It would have taken them a day.
Just a quick use of google
https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/average-density-trees-acre-forest-53-trees-peracre–assuming-number-trees-per-
Don’t know of how reliable the source is BUT 1 billion trees by 53, so for ease of my maths ability say 50 trees/acre
so 1 Billion (US of 1,000,000,000 not the UK of 1,000,000,000,000) = 20,000,000 acres is need or 8.09m hectares, or 80,900km2 The area of land that NZ covers is 268,000km2 so 30% of the country. (I think my cals are correct, BUT could be out)
It’s a hypothetical question on a school homework site. You might as well suppose that the average speed of trains from pittsburgh is 30mph.
I linked to last year’s forestry projections from MPI in this comment here (although I boo-bood the pdf link pasting). Try a thousand trees per hectare, not 120. And it’s bringing total production to a billion trees when we’re on 50mil/yr anyway.
But I did tumble the land area math, over ten years a total of 500million trees at 1000/hectare = 500,000 hectares. Assuming none of that is replanting, that’s a little under 2% rather than 30% of NZ’s land area, and our current production forest land area is 1.7million hectares (according to the NEFD report on that MPI link).
This is what Herodotus wrote. “During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years !!!”
That states baldly and plainly that the planting involved 3 million people.
Of course, you then read the article, and it says this. “the CCC planted more than three billion trees and constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide during its nine years of existence.”
alwyn, there is a difference between what Herodotus paraphrased and what the cited article said.
What Herodotus wrote was an inaccurate and misleading reporting of that article. And indefensible.
That comment btw used “love of the language and a sense of fair play.”
What he said was, in fact, true.
Did you perchance accept some of the efforts at misleading people that the present Government get up to?
When they promised us $700/year in a heating allowance isn’t that just a tad crooked when they meant about $400 this year?
When they said $10 per visit reduction in GP visits from July 1 did they really get free rein to change it to “But not this year”.
And on and on and on.
Did you complain that people had interpreted it in a different way and they should do what everyone thought they meant?
Thought not. If you had you might have been entitled to your complaint on the grounds that you were being consistent. If you didn’t then you political bias is showing.
What he said was not true. Three million people were involved in a whole heap of work more than planting 3 billion trees for the CCC.
To then claim that just as the planting of three billion trees would require three million workers, so the NZ government target of i billion trees would require presumably one million workers is just plain wrong.
Herodotus said, “to give you some idea of the scale of this” referring to the planting of a billion trees, he cited an article and then said, ” “During the depression in the USA the CCC planted over 3 billion trees, that involved 3 million people over 10 years !!!”
That is totally inaccurate as an example of scale.
Draco T has worked the figures to show this.
Alwyn, you’re just wasting my time.
Land value capture (which allows councils to capture the estimated paper gain increase in the value new infrastructure adds to private property) may be coming to your neighbourhood.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103631686/wellingtons-mayors-want-a-piece-of-new-transport-funding–and-are-open-to-using-new-taxes-to-get-it
The problems I have with this is it hits low income households the hardest, thus may result in forcing people to sell up and move or become indebted.
Moreover, it will add to the cost of home ownership and potentially add inflationary pressure to rents.
Therefore, if the Government is going to allow this, low income households should be protected by being made exempt.
Additionally, it may backfire as the new tax may deter buyers from purchasing in locations that are targeted, opting to buy in the next street over, resulting in homes just outside of the targeted area increasing in value instead.
Chairman this is definitely a debate to track towards the latter part of this year.
It is going to come to a head with light rail in Auckland, which means it will probably open up the entire Unitary Plan debate. It is certainly building inside government.
Labour has lost elections before just on tax issues – I hope they have the skills for playing ‘capital gain harvest’ taxes.
I don’t think councils see driving poor people out of home ownership as a problem chairy.
What gives with Simon Bridges and his new naming of the Labour leadership?
He’s getting a hammering on Facebook for these comments, btw.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/05/simon-bridges-says-labour-guys-and-girls-won-t-get-tough-on-gangs.html
He is quoted. “”You can believe Stuart believes this stuff, but the guys and girls above him are going to rumble him. There’s no chance they’re going to have a harder approach to the gangs.”
Not only is there that putdown by age and sex, but the reference to ‘rumble’ connects to a second meaning of the word ‘to have a gang fight’ as well as the primary sense he is using of ‘discover his true intent’.
Maybe Bridges is being clever and using this choice of language relating the issue to gangs? Maybe this language is also carefully meant to associate Labour with being gang associated? The term ‘guys’ is often used as a term for gangsters. Maybe the issue of gangs just triggers word associations.
Certainly, the ‘guy and girls’ is a putdown, and unworthy of the Leader of the Opposition to use.
Why did he not say “the men and women above him” or ‘the people above him” or ‘the leadership”or ” senior Cabinet members’ or ‘the cabinet executive’ or even ‘the party bosses’?
100% mac 1
Yes Simon Bridges is a slippery character alright.
But he will be rolled sooner than later as he is weak and in-decisive.
The ghost of SS Joyce will overtake and consume him as the bloodletting within the diminishing National Party emerges.
Why is it unworthy of the Leader of the Opposition to use? Who determines this – You?
All of us, Gosman, all of us with a shred of decency and a love of the language and a sense of fair play and respect for office.
I would suggest not. I see nooone from the right or centre of politics who has an issue with what he is saying.
That Bridges boy just ain’t sensitive to nuance – and neither are you, so only it slags the Left. But that’s the Right for you – not even intellectual pygmies, much less intellectual giants.
Whatever. At the end of the day the only people concerned over his use of language are lefties like you.
Yup – because my little cabbage you’re an uncritical admirer of all things Right – however inane.
Gone are the days when rightwing trolls aspired to have a shred of intellectual credibility or economic competence – Key and English exhausted that pretention.
Bridges just calls people names. And that’s good enough for you – your expectations are so debased.
I’ve criticised numerous elements of the last National led government so you cannot be meaning myself.
I don’t recall that at all.
What don’t you recall exactly? My criticising the last National led government? I believe I have mentioned my disappointment in them on topics such as tax and regulatory reform on numerous occasions. Their refusal to do anything radical held back the country hugely.
It probably astonishes you to know Gosman, that the Left does not await your every utterance with bated breath. And, as you say, you focus on tax and regulatory reform because you have no interest in people or people’s issues.
Take a large scale political failing like Key’s dishonesty or Carter’s treacherous subversion of ministerial questions however, and you are silent as the grave – if not actually defending the wrongdoers.
It is ethically bereft MF like you that are holding the country back.
So has/does Mathew the Hoot. He’s even been known to criticise JK (probably more in the interests of being fair and balanced)
‘Whatever. At the end of the day the only people concerned over his use of language are lefties like you.’
So are you saying it was not the Right who was up in arms when Julie Anne Genter made mention of certain Old White Men
You silly wee Trolling Hypocrite
What has that got to do with what Bridges said?
if you cannot see the equivalence then you really are as dim witted as i presumed from your history of trolling
Well that leaves you out of it.
Four things listed and you fail all of them.
You know me that well, eh? Sorry, I’m not supposed to have a sense of humour, either.
No, no.
If you had claimed a sense of humour as well as the other things I wouldn’t have used the phrase I did.
I would have said, instead “Five things listed and you fail four of them”.
There, does that make you feel better?
Wasn’t feeling that bad actually., thanks, alwyn.
Slick Britches is disappointed that the work Nastynil did on eradicating gangs (and in no way profiting from the P explosion) is going to be reversed.
Crosby Textor focus groups at work.
A moral issue for our times.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2018/05/30-000-empty-homes-in-auckland-is-it-time-to-tax-the-owners.html
John Minto points out the anti-social nature of land-banking and ghost houses in this article. In my region, ten per cent of dwellings are unoccupied by permanent residents.
Instead we have some 600 Air B&Bs and Rent a Baches.
I hope the government can first do smiting (should have read ‘something’ but I like my spell checker’s (cocker’s) version) about first the issue of empty housing whilst people are homeless, and second that the tax fraudsters amongst the renters are brought to account financially and legally.
How will you check whether a property is being deliberately left unoccupied?
Is it worthwhile to find a solution to this problem?
Not if the compliance cost involved in monitoring this are excessive. It could also involve a massive increase in the coercive power of the State if it involves inspectors going around to private property to see what is happening.
Compliance costs could be lumped onto those that are targeted, strengthening the deterrent.
How would they be lumped on to those being targeted?
Via the new tax.
Straight off the top of my head, no research, how about a ‘vacancy fee’ for absentee home owners which could be incorporated into rates; or better still, a tax on the capital gains earned on ghost housing when sold over and above the usual taxation.
After all, New Zealand had a problem at the turn of the 19th Century under the Liberal government when land was all locked up in the hands of land owners.
My family benefited from John Mckenzie’s land tax when land was freed up for balloting. Taxation was the method of righting that particular problem.
Taxation was the method of righting the issue of poverty amongst our people and the welfare state and earlier the Liberal’s Old Age Pension which addressed the issue of income for older citizens.
Fair taxation, justly applied and large social, with financial and legal sanctions for the betrayers of the social contract. who at the moment remove from social expenditure use anywhere from $1.5 to $7 billion annually.
As much as I would love to see the left try and implement such a dumb tax it isn’t likely to be implemented any time soon for the main reason the Labour party wants to remain electable
So, what would you do, Gosman, to ensure that all our citizens are housed healthily and safely?
Such a ‘dumb’ tax provided enough land for four families within my grandparent’s generation to survive well enough. Those families then produced great rugby players, priests, district councillors, war heroes, teachers, nurses, etc etc.
Who complained? “Ready Money” Robinson might have. The owner of the Kinloch estate on the Banks Peninsula might have.
But the hundreds of families who benefited did not complain.
The Liberal Party policy was easy to implement in contrast to what is being suggested here. You can’t easily hide how big your land is but you can hide the fact it is not being used for something.
It’s no more difficult than operating Winz’s rules on relationships. In fact staff no longer needed to be punitive to the poor could readily transfer to a role monitoring sociopathic speculators.
Don’t you agree the WINZ rules around relationship status are unworkable?
What they are is morally repugnant. They’d be workable were Winz not too ashamed to state them plainly and publicly.
We could use the 1800 new police that Stuart Nash is proposing. After they’ve cleaned up the “P” problem, they can move onto the “H” problem. 🙂
Seriously, though, when society accepts the depth of the problem and the social ills concomitant with homelessness and sub-standard housing, part of which is “P”, then it can find solutions equally in depth that most of us can accept and justify.
No need for “a massive increase in the coercive power of the State”.
Those Search And Surveillance powers enable this already.
How about a camera mounted on every telephone pole/street light to monitor the use of housing?
Smart meter data would paint an accurate picture re: occupancy. Spurts of consumption over weekends and long weekends would indicate air bnb or holiday house usage. Flat lining water/power consumption = empty house. Doesn’t need inspectors, just a robotic drill into the data.
What happens if I go off grid?
I think it’s unlikely you’d be going to that expense just to lock the house up and leave it empty.
Maybe the house is 50 kms from nowhere. It’s not needed as a family rental.
That’s easy. Check water and electricity use. It is already being done.
While I agree that it would be good to discourage leaving houses empty for long periods of time, I can’t see a workable solution as there so many variables for why people may leave a house empty – e.g. working away from home, family commitments, changes in household, house empty for renovations, repair after major damage or sale.
Water meter usage is not monitored across New Zealand and how would the goverment access that information for the places that do? Do we want government to have access to that information (water and power) about individual households?
There were many houses empty for months and years after the earthquakes in Christchurch and in the east of Christchurch there still are – some at least are due to people not being in a position to repair and or sell. Even Housing New Zealand houses have been empty for monthes and monthes even in 2018.
My point is how can government differentiate between those that are landbanking and those whose circumstances mean that their house is empty (or is occupied but doesn’t use much power).
Actually Gos, there are a few ways. You know how your ilk were in favour of water meters and privatising power companies and telcos? There’s also this thing called ‘big data’ you’d be an advocate for.
At the moment though, the only problem is the purpose for which it is used, and you do realise those nanny state authorities actually have supremacy (unless of course some jumped up little army general decides otherwise and is able to persuade his underlings to agree)
Whilst any profiling is in its infancy, it does allow ‘officials’, or those ‘in authority’ to direct their attention to a particular property (going forward).
It’s not too dissimilar to all that demographic profiling thingy that MBIE had heavily invested in – until they were told to pull their heads in. Even though they haven’t YET come to grips with it all ….
Unless someone wants to leave the garden hose on as a drip, and perhaps run a modest hooch operation in the attic, if you provided me with the data, I’d be happy to direct those ‘officials’ in the right direction ….. for a modest fee of course (plus GST). I won’t even charge for any intermediary consultancy – such as finder’s fees or those ‘independent’ people verifying my impartiality (going forward).
I’m bloody sure there are others that’ll do likewise.
Clip go the shears boys clip clip clip
Yes mac 1.
Bloody good points john makes that we should all seriously consider carefully now as the ‘land/house banking system is only used by banks and very rich investors trying to push prices up and will distort the whole economy again like 2007 what Enron did.
Wake up kiwis, we are being rorted here.
Ban these ‘leeches’ as house/land bankers and send them packing.
If the Government is serious about their green credentials, they would equip (and allow) all state houses to have solar panels.
Good to see the Greens speaking up on this.
Must see: (from 19.55 into the clip)
https://www.threenow.co.nz/shows/the-hui/season-3%3A-sunday-6-may-2018/125685/M21250-300
An initiative to provide free solar power setup for the poor is declined by Housing NZ? WTF?
See clip in the link above.
I agree chairman, but why stop at state housing.
Why not make a 3-5 kw array grid tied, compulsory on every new dwelling or building?
Water catchment/tanks too while we are at it.
Solar panels are part of the building code in California.
Because it will increase the cost of housing which is already high.
‘World’ label boss who trumpeted locally-sourced fashion caught out reselling overseas-made goods with ‘Made in NZ’ tags: https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/07-05-2018/t-shirts-from-bangladesh-sequin-patches-from-china-all-sold-by-world-as-made-in-nz/
Said boss responds at length to article: https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/07-05-2018/those-world-t-shirts-dame-denise-lestrange-corbet-responds/
Hahahaha, what a hoot.
Spinoff: “Considering your WORLD clothing tags say “Fabriqué en Nouvelle Zelande”, would customers reasonably assume these t-shirts and more have been made in New Zealand?”
Dame Denise: “As already stated, the WORLD clothing tags that say Made in NZ are Made in NZ, so there is nothing misleading about this. As explained, the t-shirts do not state this”.
Oh dear, that’s a frightfully wobbly defense. The garment swing tags that state ‘Made in NZ’ were die-cut and printed in NZ so they’re not deceptive…..what a load of bollix. I thought she was smarter than trying to float such a leaky boat.
Anyway, why are the tags written in French rather than in either of our 2 official written languages?
So wish I had read that before I grumpily commented here….https://thestandard.org.nz/a-great-business-opportunity/#comment-1481867
I have no time for these people….
Spinoff asked…
“Considering your WORLD clothing tags say “Fabriqué en Nouvelle Zelande”, would customers reasonably assume these t-shirts and more have been made in New Zealand?”
Dame Whatsherface replies…
“As already stated, the WORLD clothing tags that say Made in NZ are Made in NZ, so there is nothing misleading about this. As explained, the t-shirts do not state this.”
Is it to late to get dame whatserface on dancing with the stars?
Those are a coupla handy pirouettes she is pulling off on that pin.
How embarrassing though.
Particularly as it was this Government that gave her the award entitling her to call herself “Dame”
I hope that Ardern hasn’t been wearing any of these clothes in her numerous woman’s magazine photo ops?
Please tell us she wasn’t wearing anything from this lot in the Vogue article.
alwyn I think you might be wrong. My understanding is the Honours awards are determined around six months in advance of their publication date. Since she received a dame-hood in the 2018 New Year, that means it was the previous National led government who determined her award.
I think you would be right if you said they started the process at that time. That would be immediately after the last lot were announced. In his case of course the last Government would have gone into caretaker mode in about mid-August and stayed there until the coalition took over. The new Government had about two and a half months to change things. I’m afraid they have to carry the, not very massive, can.
After all a whole bunch of them flew off on a jolly to the Chatham Islands to claim credit for something they had opposed in Opposition.
You take it one way you have to wear it the other.
I’m afraid they have to carry the, not very massive, can.
I get the feeling this case (can’t be bothered looking up her fancy name)
is a storm in a tea cup so who cares who gave her the gong anyway. 😐
Yes, given that there is no evidence of Ardern patronising the business. That would have been a little embarrassing but the presentation of a gong doesn’t matter.
A jolly in the Chathams wynny? Livin the dream.
They took lots and lots of their own, tax-payer funded, booze.
Then they dined on crayfish, lots and lots of crayfish.
I could easily be tempted to describe that as a jolly.
Shane may have missed out on his pornographic videos but the others were probably quite happy.
Not as embarrassing as the gong handed out to the last prime minister for services to nest feathering.
Actually gsays… I didn’t like john Key. I didn’t like his MO and I didn’t like is often sneaky ways. But he was PM for eight years and not everything he did was bad. So he was deserving of a gong. And bear in mind not many Kiwis care about who has gongs and who doesn’t anyway.
Are you serious!
PM for 8 years and he deserves a gong!
I would rather acknowledge and celebrate the people who foster children or the volunteers who enrich and strengthen communities.
Put it another way. All prime ministers are offered a knighthood after they cease to be PM. Most but not all accept them. So, it was inevitable John Key would be offered a knighthood and equally inevitable he would be one of those who accept it. It was in that sense I used the term “deserving”.
I see.
Phew.
To be fair I was quite hungry when I read your comment – with a full belly, I am largely unmoved by slippery John’s gong.
😀
Yep, as is usually the case, Dame Denise would of been much better off telling the truth . Said something like: “Thanks for drawing this to our attention Spinoff and I think you’re right, the wording could be taken the wrong way. It should read ‘Designed in NZ’ and that’s what they will say in the future.”
Spinoff would have their scalp, Dame Denise would prove she does the right thing when she can and the story would die.
lol
buy a World tag that was made in NZ, get a free tshirt from Bangladesh.
I wonder if comcom will buy that?
Hahahaha yeah, it’s a situation made for satire.
“You might very well now feel that $99 is an outrageous price to pay for a locally produced swing tag Mr McFlock but you entered into the transaction of your own free will.”
““You might very well now feel that $99 is an outrageous price to pay for a locally produced swing tag Mr McFlock but you entered into the transaction of your own free will.””
Someone, please, check that them there tags are actually fabriqué en Nouvelle Zelande….
This is a wound that deserves extra salt.
When I put ‘Designed in New Zealand’ into Google translate, the French is: Conçu en Nouvelle-Zélande. I think most of Dame Denise’s local customers would read that and still surmise that it says ‘Made in New Zealand’….I think I would…
The new tags will add Ceci n’est pas une tshirt.
I reckon we should leave it to Jim Mora and ‘The Panel’ to sort out.
Hah! The Dame ain’t happy…
“Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet has slammed a report by the Spinoff, calling it “trash” and “gutter journalism”.
In an interview with Newstalk ZB, she said she found the report disgusting and that it has damaged her brand.
“I am furious,” she told Newstalk ZB.
“I will not be torn down by some two-bit writer who thinks she can air her opinions that are not truthful.””
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12046775
or, if that link doesn’t work anymore…
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:M1cuSw7QzuMJ:https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm%3Fc_id%3D3%26objectid%3D12046775
“I will not be torn down”
Ah – this is the problem. Clearly believes she is in a place from which she can be torn down. Hubris is a horrible thing.
Btw, did anyone count the number of “but”s and “I don’t know”s DL’E-C said during her JC interview on Checkpoint?
And Christ! at the end of that interview, she put it all back on the consumer for being ‘stupid’ …… as in “I thought [the consumer] was smarter”.
Gorgeous darling! Almost gorgeous enough to come back for a fling on “The Panel”
And I’m sincerely hoping she’s not related to a former registrar because if he’s not tucked up somewhere with a minimum-waged Filipino wiping his arse, he’s sure as shit busy rolling in discomfort 3 feet below
While doing some follow up googling on empty house taxes, homelessness and the influence of developers I stumbled across this….
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/apr/07/oulton-leeds-prefab-airey-houses-demolition-eviction
Very interesting slice of history, and extremely relevant to today’s discussion.
Politics…
“”Named after Sir Edwin Airey, a construction magnate, around 200 of the houses were built on the estate in the late 50s as homes for miners, and few thought they would see in the millennium.
Made from prefabricated concrete and scrap metal salvaged from military vehicles, they were designed to meet the housing needs of the growing numbers of workers living outside cities.
Barry and Mavis Abbey, both in their early 70s, have lived on the estate since 1970, when the homes were owned by the National Coal Board.
At one stage the Abbeys had been led to believe they would be able to buy their home under the Thatcher government’s right-to-buy scheme. But this option was denied them for reasons that remain opaque. Ex-miners like Barry believe it was in revenge for them going on strike in the mid-1980s.
The estate was sold off by the NCB in 1986, after which the homes passed through a series of owners until they ended up in the hands of the Pemberstone Group, a private investment firm that boasts a diverse portfolio of interests including an Italian tour operator, an indoor ski slope and the Ilford camera-film brand.
Pemberstone’s “scheme” involves replacing the existing 70 Airey houses with 71 new properties, only 11 of which will be reserved for “affordable accommodation”, a number that it says is in line with Leeds city council’s Strategic Homes plan.
Locals have heard that the new homes will be priced at around £300,000 – 10 times what a three-bedroom Airey house on another estate fetched recently. Surrounded by attractive green spaces, close to motorways and 20 minutes from the city centre, they should sell easily.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103591593/jeanette-fitzsimons-says-greens-could-reject-waka-jumping-bill–and-it-wont-bring-down-the-government
Justice Minister Andrew Little said of the submissions he had read he was surprised by how many were flawed.
“I haven’t seen any convincing arguments to change much.”
Some of those who submitted are here if anyones interested:
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/a-submission-on-the-electoral-integrity-amendment-act
My reply.
And in the important issues of the day:
does anybody else happen to listen to RNZ’s business news (going forward)?
I find it bloody hard whenever I have to listen to Nona Pelletier reporting.
I know I’m living ‘on the back of’ the age of the curmudgeon, but it’s not just that. Just as I need to listen to Soimun 10 Bridges twice before I’m able to decipher his wuzdim words, or avail moisef of a tranny, Nona sounds like she’s singing the descant.
Can she not be promoted to an off-ear pizzishun?
OR maybe I should just fuck off somewhere else where basic things like communicating with other human beings are no longer such an earfit.
Ekshully, I’ll take it all back and count myself lucky I’m not Donny the Don Brash who has to deal with listening to Mary
I have no issue with Nona’s voice … maybe that’s because I watch her on TV rather than just listen – on RNZ on channel 50. Sometimes I find it hard to understand on the phone or radio but if I can see them it’s easier for some reason. Similarly if I know where they are from I find it easier to tune into their accent.
Okay. Now I’m not creating a rumour here or anything, but seems just a tad strange that just a few days after this…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103586961/uae-foreign-minister-meets-with-jacinda-ardern-in-wellington
“Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been meeting with New Zealand ministers and members of the opposition over the past couple of days in Wellington.
Before the Sheikh arrived at Ardern’s 9th floor office for the meeting he sent up a somewhat mysterious gift, in a large box, on a gurney. It was wheeled into Ardern’s office where she was later expected to open it.”
….there’s this,
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/356797/dubai-princess-forcibly-returned-after-attempt-to-flee-reports
“Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on United Arab Emirates authorities to disclose the whereabouts and condition of a daughter of Dubai’s ruler, following reports she was forcibly returned after fleeing the Gulf Arab state”
Are you suggesting that Princess Cindys gift was…an actual princess?
Of course not! Don’t be silly!
I’m just exploring an interesting juxtaposition of articles. That’s all. Honest.
Besides, our friends from UAE would NEVER, EVER treat a woman like some kind of chattel.
I guess there is precedence:
http://www.cracked.com/article_19591_6-most-ridiculous-abuses-diplomatic-immunity.html
Check out number 4 🙂
Today I helped a family member who had to take a Medical Certificate to the Hamilton central WINZ office.
In the past we’ve waited in the cue inside the building. Today we had to wait in a cue of 12 people standing outside on the footpath. One of the three security gaurds said he had been told to only let one person through the door when someone else left. The footpath cue included a very frail elderly lady and a person with one leg using crutches. It took around 40 minuites waiting on the footpath just to get into the building.
The five parking spaces directly outside were blocked with orange cones. I asked why and was told that only WINZ staff could park there.
The fact that any government department can treat people like this is truly shocking and humilating.
Barbarism.
It will be interesting to see if our resident right wing trolls have anything to say on this matter.
I doubt it.
Fireblade….which Hamilton WINZ office exactly?
Street address?
Parking places coned off when elderly /disabled clients might need close parking?
Three security guards? How many with clipboards?
So…this is how they respond to Ardern’s instructions to be kind?
Making clients wait in that cold southerly that blew up in Hamilton today?
Maybe they should be reminded what the Boss’s instructions were?
Rosemary. This WINZ office is 468 Anglesea St, Hamilton.
Thank you Fireblade. I am not familiar with that particular location as being a WINZ office-sorry-“Service Centre”. The only one I could think of around here with 5 parking places outside the building was Dinsdale.
Have you or your family member complained about this? Who you’d complain to I’d be guessing. Complain to a local Nat MP? They’d really get off on blaming this on the current incumbents. Complain to Labour/Green/NZF? Who?
Perhaps someone in the local media? Treating people like this is totally unacceptable.
Actually…I might wander down there with a camera, take a few pictures, post them somewhere….
You should have taken a photo and put it on Facebook. When are they going to try kindness and be “flexible?
Obviously the office didn’t get the “show a little kindness” memo.
It’s quite interesting really – the degree to which some in the public service are pushing back against their political elected masters – probably on the basis that they’re ‘independent’ and immune from matters that are of an ‘operational’ nature.
(not just MSD/WINZ).
It’s going to be the true test of this coalition government – i.e. just how far politicians are prepared to accept obvious obfuscation, lies, spin and bullshit from their ‘officials’ before they react.
As things stand, so many hints have been given re the expectations of the public service and the policies on which they (the government) were elected.
Just as happened in the 80s, public service reform is long overdue, and they’re doing themselves no favours.
We’ll see over the next few months whether the new government is up to the challenge.
Ha WINZ. Where the general public are seen as fraudulent self-entitled scum.
Bonus if you make your client cry.
Anyways…
I’m not one to start rumors but must just ask: Has anyone ever seen David Seymour and Alfred E Neuman in the same room together?
Ummm… David Seymour doesn’t look anything like the character of Alfred E Neuman. It would be like asking has anyone ever seen Chewbacca and David Seymour in the same room together.
There IS a superficial resemblance to the actor Chris Barrie who played/plays Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf and Gordon Brittas from The Brittas Empire. But so what?
There’s a pretty bloody good resemblance when Barrie is actually in character.
The “so what” is that it might partially explain why he’s spending more time on Dancing with the Lols rather than being a caucus leader.
Whether he is electoral cyanide because he does things like that, or whether he has the time to do things like that because he’s electoral cyanide, is a point of passing interest.
Do not try having a laugh around Gosman.
Has anyone ever seen Judith Collins and Pink Floyd The Walls Mother in the same room together?
Concerning the Shameful Dame Denise L’Estrange-Corbet:
A Message from the Knights and Dames of the British Empire
May 7, 2018
We would like to point out that the rogue Denise L’Estrange-Corbet is an aberration, an abomination, an irritant, a boor, an exploiter, a liar, a racist, and a cad. An asshole, if one were to employ the vernacular. The rest of New Zealand’s, and indeed the Empire’s, knights and dames, however, are men and women of the highest character.
So let’s condemn Denise L’Estrange-Corbet by all means, but let us also praise good men and true (and good women and true), like the following exemplars of moral courage and intellectual excellence…..
Sir Paul Holmes
Sir Robert Jones
Sir John Howard
Sir William Gallagher
Sir Thomas Eichelbaum
Sir James Savile
Dame Margaret Thatcher
Sir Peter Leitch
Sir Jeremiah Mateparae
Sir John Key
Sir Clive Woodward
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06092014/#comment-881331
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10072014/#comment-846842
Easier to just add her to your list Morrisey.
She’d have been better off to have just fessed up and said she had no idea, and that she is disappointed and will make changes.
And IF, as she claims, the problem is a mere 1% of her business enterprise, and IF she has the concerns she claims she has, then I’d have expected her to forgo that 1%.
But then as I said yesterday, we should let Jim Mora’s “The Panel” resolve it all. She might even end up being the new Brian Edwards ‘on the back of’ a Gallery interview and resolution of an industrial dispute.
We could even call in Julie Christie to make a reality TV show of proceedings and she could clip the ticket to compensate for the loss of that 1%.
There ya go see @ Morrisey. Jim and his ‘The Panel’ have dealt with the issue and it’s now resolved.
End of story!
How could we have been so foolish as to have made such a mountain out of a molehill.
And btw ….. there’s no mole a bit of mascara can’t cover – even if it’s to highlight it as a fashion asset (going forward)
What sets apart Gaza from Gandhi and Martin Luther King is not that children participate in the Gaza marches…
…. but that unlike the British in India, and the white racists in the American South, only Israel targets and kills innocent children in demonstrations.
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/06/w%E2%80%8Bhat-sets-apart-gaza-from-gandhi-and-martin-luther-king-is-not-that-children-%E2%80%8Bparticipate-in-the-gaza-marches-but-that-unlike-the-british-in-india-and-the-white-racists-in-the-ameri/
I believe the Nazi’s killed children with impunity so Israel isn’t the only one here to be fair.
The Armenian genocide and Pol Pot’s genocide weren’t child friendly I believe – The Zionist murderers are hardly in stellar company though are they?
Add to that the famines England caused in Ireland (1840s) and in Bengal (1940s) – and that Russia caused in Ukraine (1930s) – still not good company for Bibi the Butcher to find himself in.
It’s not only Bibi. It’s the entire Israeli political class that’s involved in this, going right back to Ben Gurion.
You still slapping Jacinda around eh! You got other women to bash up too ?
I get the feeling you are full of something sick. Something we don’t need in Aoteoroa.
… This comment does not appear to have any connection to the comment it is replying to…
Well I’m in Auckland at the moment I will be a bit busy Duncan Ka kite ano
New job got pay the bills
Good evening Newshub adventure tourism is a great way to bring vip tourist to Aotearoa.
I had a good escort this morning on the way to Auckland Im working and I get to see my mokos and daughter at the same time the youngest is 4 months old she really chubby.
Football NZ is going to pay the Football Ferns I’m a bit late tonight Ka kite ano P.S sorry about the heat they are just a bunch of intimidating bullies just ignore them there intimidation does not work on ECO MAORI
Good morning Newshub it shows that the last government did not want to help our Pacific Islands slashing the aid we gave the. If we give aid for renewable energy this will solve two problems lower there carbon footprint and save them money. Our other Pacific Islands cousins ad a lot of good thing to OUR country.
The old Maori way was to try and give back better than what was received.
I say this is the way a society should behave. As for Trump and Iran there is always another story behind the seens like the trade sanctions they are being employed to slow China from catching the west Technology domanince.
Many thanks to the Labour government for there new Labour laws the big employers are just screwing the employee with there no minimum hours temporary contracts I no some one who has all the bills one has like rent ect one week she gets 2 days work and the next 5 how can one live on 2 days a week work when rents cost 2 days work to pay for it.
Ka kite ano
Well don brash ECO MAORI is going to change that phenomenon here’s a link.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/103716508/don-brash-joel-maxwells-on-the-wrong-side-of-history Ka kite ano
I thought Winston was a Maori he is stuck in the 1940 when Maori we tricked in to a believing that the crown had OUR wellbeing in there policy truth be told they just want us to disappear so they can have our Whenua heres the link.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103716538/nanaia-mahuta-compulsory-te-reo-in-schools-not-if-but-when Ana to kai Ka kite ano
I no one can produce more with a few less cows it’s all about working smarter. Link below Ka kite ano
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/103716889/hold-your-heifers-for-all-of-david-parkers-problems-he-has-a-point many thanks to Our coalition government for taking the lead on this issue.