I'm not 100% on your measurement of political failure but I do agree that this is a major fail. Disgusting actually that Labour can even be connected with that veto on benefit rates and disrespect to this report. Fuck they are in for some shit – time for action Labour and yes I know you're in a coalition – so fucken what. I'm pissed at these people leaving our most vulnerable even worse off.
It's time that Labour got back into the viewpoint that we should aim for full employment – even if a lot of that is doing volunteer work. And people should be able to be on unemployment and still make extra on that, or be in part-time work and have their income boosted. Keep people in the loop, not feeling useless, rejected then resentful and angry.
The point is that we need to follow the line again of 'investing in people'. Bugger waiting for cold-minded, hard-eyed, calculating business to do it, especially since government has facilitated a lot of our business being bought or controlled by foreigners, either living here or overseas. Not all foreigners are bad of course, but many are very good at ripping NZ off, and that just adds to the scamming NZs already in business. The climate for employees is not a good one.
Encouragement for people who can get vibrant community measures going would be essential to raising us up where we belong. Like this great piece that Kathryn Ryan did this morning with the Whanganui low income-no income people.
Give funding for something like this in every community – skill-building, confidence and pride building, respect-the-people building, this is what Labour and Greens can do and NZF would agree; some of the funding could go to old people working with the young.
The Chairman shows Phil O'Reilly thinking that the welfare system needs work. I doubt very much if that man or any of his cohort have much useful stuff to add, so I'd say to progressive lefties, do your planning and just let him make suggestions if they will help the people-capacity building plan along. He would probably have something to say about being ready for employment; being able to get a job and be a capable and useful employee is important, but jobs will be pulled out from under your feet all the time in coming years. (Note the recent case in Wellington for a long-term arts-involved part-timer being dismissively dismissed; putting people out of work is a default position for business). So being able to be self-caring, self-managing, and co-operate with other good people who are also aiming for self-respect and respect for others, resilience, and who are learning capacity-building and passing it on, should be the goal.
The Chairman was doing a thorough think-through on this welfare report and tentative response from government yesterday and made some telling points that I have copied.
No, I'm suggesting that the government has no mandate from voters for radical welfare reform and that's why it's taking a cautious approach.
Here we go again. You've yet to prove that. Merely repeating it doesn't make it so.
Sixty-five percent of New Zealand First supporters wanted the party to go with Labour. Who widely campaigned on addressing poverty and inequality.
Additionally, if it were just Bradford and I that are disappointed Labour wouldn't have a problem. Unfortunately for them, the disappointment is widespread.
Moreover, failing to deliver on more of the recommendations sooner will lead to their fiscal management coming under the spotlight. People will question why they aren't prepared to invest now to save the greater cost and social harm of not doing so.
This goes beyond political disappointment. This is about denying via delaying further help to real people struggling in poverty. So no, I'm not here to gloat, I'm seeking solutions. Is a new left party the answer or do you think it will be possible to encourage Labour to act with urgency?
a vast majority of the current cabinet could well be working under a national govt instead of the current Laboir govt and we would not see any difference in decisions 😢
Have you ever had to try and get multiple independent groups with conflicting agendas to agree and work together smoothly and consistently on common goals? I've watched other people trying to do it and would not like to try it myself.
Coalition government between parties with opposing political interests is extremely difficult. This current one is performing way better than I expected it would, not least for the simple fact that it still exists and hasn't torn itself to shreds. If you want a well-disciplined group smoothly implementing policy it has no mandate for, National is (unfortunately) your only currently-available option.
This lot have found a very simple method. Simply ask Tsar Winston what he wants and do it. You can't really try and claim that the Green Party, all the time, and the Labour Party, most of the time, have ever attempted to do something that Winston doesn't approve of. Labour occasionally put something forward that Winston doesn't see as really important to his survival and he will allow them to do it. The Green Party, on the other hand are simply doormats. Still, about half them get to ride in the limos and no longer have to settle for calling a taxi to get them around. I guess that feels like progress to them.
Your proposed method would have a bit more credibility (ie, an amount > 0) if Kiwiblog et al hadn't devoted plenty of space to berating Peters' as Labour/Greens' lapdog for accepting the end of further oil and gas exploration and agreeing to the UN migration compact.
I fail to see why I should be held responsible for comments made by other people on Kiwiblog. That would be rather like saying thaat you are responsible for the complaints about the mendacity of the Government in the views of No Right Turn. I'm imagine you used to agree with him on political matters. He has, of course, started to see the light about the appalling behaviour of the CoL. Are you willing to open your eyes as well?
I didn't suggest that you were responsible for the comments, but they do serve to highlight how fatuous your claim is.
As Winston giving a damn about oil exploration, he's trying to position his party as the defender of the regions. And Shane Jones' face when he was sharing the stage for the announcement told everyone viewing it what he thought of the idea.
However as far as I can see the whole ban proposal has been gutted. Anyone who has a permit can apparently go on with exploration, and drilling, and almost certainly new production, as if the ban was never mentioned.
Sure it was but it was sold as halting any work when the permit expired. Instead we have the situation that permits are, seemingly as of right, extended when they approach expiry. This of course means that they will in practice never expire. That was not what was said at the time of her "Captains Call" was it?
At the time she said that rights would cease when the permit expired. Now we find they don't really expire at all.
One doesn't have to be ultra left to outperform this lot.
Nevertheless, I'm left but I'm a lefty with a long-term proposal that would potentially result in doing away with taxing locals. Something that would get your average right-wingers attention, thus perhaps support.
And ponder this, how many businesses would benefit from consumers (receiving benefits) spending more? Increasing benefits rates doesn't just benefit beneficiaries. It's also good for businesses returns while saving tax dollars via helping to reduce many social ills, thus is able to muster traditional right wing support. As shown by Phil O'Reilly’s support of the welfare overhaul.
Right, so this fantasy party that would be left of labour and the greens is just rhetoric and fake, just like your concern for their vote share at the next general election.
With our populace, labour have to err to centre to get elected and stay there, especially so with the right NZ1st in coalition and a public that shows no appetite for full on leftism.
The answer to turn labour left, as it always has been, is to party vote the greens and give them 10 to 15 percent to trade for policy in post election negotiations.
At this stage, there has only been calls for a new party to form.
And being left doesn't mean it won't also appeal to the right (as shown above). Thus, the wider public.
The flaw with your logic (which is commonly stated) is Labour doesn’t have to be right (or as you put it, err to the centre) to win over the right and the centre vote. Again, as shown above.
Labour's problem is they aren't prepared to stand strong for the left and take the debate to National. For example, they could have won the CGT battle. Polls show the public supported it. Moreover, their constant backing down gives the public the perception they were wrong, further weakening theirs (and the left's in general) position in the eyes of the wider public.
The Greens have shown they fold far too easy to hold Labour to account. And seeing as I've been continually telling them to up their game or risk losing their support, at this stage I won't be voting for them again.
And the way the Greens are currently polling, it could be a wasted vote, nonetheless.
Aside from clearly not understanding how mmp works, expecting a 6% party to call the shots who aren't even in government proper, for a long time you've been an attacker of the greens on here, unbelievably more so than the rwnj brigade, the answer to getting more green policy enacted is still to vote for them in bigger numbers, increasing their bargaining power in negotiations.
The Chairman, saying that the Greens are a better alternative to Labour, considering your opinion of that party, is not really an endorsement.
"I'd prefer a head cold to the'flu," is what you're saying!
And here's what you say about Labour in this thread, below. "But yes, a number will fall for Labour again." Note the language.
This is what "fall for' means.
fall for sth. informal. — phrasal verb with fall uk /fɔːl/ us /fɑːl/ verb fell, fallen. to be tricked into believing something that is not true: He told me that he owned a mansion in Spain and I fell for it.
What you say is what you believe, The Chairman. Methinks thou dost protest too much.
People supporting Labour hoping that they know when to hold, and when to fold, oand will get to the counting goodies stage?
Or people giving up and saying that Labour is full of borer, all hollowed out inside, and folds under pressure, but hoping that new growth shoots can be encouraged?
Or people saying that time is short, winter is here, the time for withholding criticism is over, let's have a new party of the left that is dedicated to people at grassroots level and practical living standards and regulation all set up for the everyday person and micro and small business, and the Greens can concentrate on the green issues, better light bulbs, environment and the people with special interests.
Did Labour Coalition have a choice on the CCTPPa? What would have happened if we had said we can't sign it or wecan't sign it in this form and wanted all sorts of alterations, or deliberately made so many requests that we in the end were frozen out?
I felt we would have been very unpopular, frozen out in other markets, and received a pasting here through the bought media.
It seems Labour had a choice when they were campaigning against it.
Moreover, the potential return on the TPP was/is minimal. So it wouldn't have been a great loss.
Labour did manage to disappoint a lot of people by ultimately supporting it.
And while they seem to have overcome that (as the negative impact of the TPP has yet to fully occur) it's the build up of disappointments accumulating that risks taking them out. Yet, I concede they are doing ok in the polls, but one must consider if they could be doing better if it wasn't for the disappointments accumulating. Moreover, will they take a hit if they continue to fail to deliver.
The Disappointment Accumulator. Perhaps we could make money on it if someone started a book with some outfit like William Hill. They can't take us on as customers as they are only licensed for Gt Britain and Gibraltar. I'm sick of feeling miserable as I watch the country go to the dogs – might as well have a bet on the side.
Where did I say I expected the Greens to call all the shots?
I've been holding the Greens to account. And have even passed on advise.
I'm a believer that democracy doesn't just end after we vote. If we make our feelings widely known, there is more chance parties will take heed and listen. Whereas, if we remain silent, little will change. Hence, more of us need to speak up and take this approach.
And even if the Greens do muster more support (which at this stage I think is unlikely) they (this current lot) have shown they are not fighters. And if one wants more from the table, one has to stand strong and fight for it. Especially as the Greens will still be the smaller partner in any new deal with Labour. And the Greens just don't have the backbone at the moment.
Apart from it can't be slander because it's the written word, and it also happens to be a fair representation, you have earned a reputation here as being anti green, which is because you continually post anti green comments.
I'm not anti Green, I just hold them to account. Them, Labour and their cheerleaders are so scared of any form of criticism it seen as an attack.
Thus, they do their best to isolate it (making out it is a single voice in a crowd) and diminish it (usually by trying to paint the person as being part of the opposition). And that is how this reputation all came about.
Therefore, you have either fallen for it (which some have) or you are advancing it. Either way I suggest you pull your head in and stick on topic. Playing the man and not the ball is another common distraction used.
If you're worried about the alleged libel, shit or get off the pot, it's your call. Given your posting history and abuse towards the green party, I'm not sweating it. You can pretend it's holding them to account, but the reputation you have is, in my opinion, well deserved… And I’m not alone in thinking that, far from it.
In noting how you're attempting to rewrite the past by mitigating the abuse you've unfairly apportioned, the crocodile tears about people playing the man are, I suspect, more boy who cried wolf.
Alternatively, your idea of holding people to account is to focus exclusively on overstating the negatives of the party(s – you give Labour the same assistance, too, sometimes), leaving little effort to recognise their successes or even criticising the tories once in a while, too.
If you were an employer treating people like that, you'd be done for constructive dismissal and workplace harrassment.
I'm not worried what people think about me, I'm not the issue.
I was just giving you a heads up on where it's at. Moreover, it was a test of your character to see if you would now refrain or continue to advance the personal crap. Clearly you failed.
Thus keep playing the man, but you will now be allocated to the sidelines as you have now been exposed as a player.
Stick to the politics you’ll get a reply, play the man and you’ll be playing by yourself.
So I've failed your character test. To be brutally honest, I take that as more of a compliment than a defect.
What I will keep doing, abiding by the site rules, is point out where you are being unreasonable and lacking a grasp of today's politics. If you want to divorce yourself from the green party, that's fine, but cut the crap you've got their best interests at heart. From your continued abuse, I don’t believe it for a second, and It's quite clear you really haven't.
If you don't want to be called fake green, the simple way out is not act like a fake green.
Its failure to deliver is going to be problematic for this Government come next election.
Maybe. On one hand folks might vote National (or not Labour/Greens) figuring we're all better off being led by arseholes who are proud of the fact they are arseholes.
Or, this lot will be voted in again because they appear so kind and loving while pretending they are not being arseholes. Who doesn't like the warm fuzzies?
Well, there is Mana and Social Credit some on the left may turn too. Some (as I've already heard) will no longer vote at all. And some may turn to a new party if one is formed.
Personally oppose TOP. Their UBI was insufficient and they wanted to tax unrealised gains, forcing those that are asset rich but income poor to borrow to meet the burden.
In Vino I note and agree with you, which is pretty usual.
I used to dislike The Chairman because he was negative too early in my opinion, a disagreeable old moaner, in my opinion, when we needed to watch, encourage, wait for results and not put weedkiller on our patch.
But I read some of his stuff the other day and think his opinion was right for the time. He made a case that would allow Prime Minister Jacinda to press forward using leverage on her popularity with NZ, and get the austerity-for-everyone-but-me Labourites off their bums and looking across the room at other figures and numbers. They don't care about people in need and the founding ideals of Labour. But figures and numbers that show money spent now will save huge expense later would crown their miserly minds; and Labour could draw on reserves set aside now for those high expected future expenses. Spend now, and produce three-fold advantage of drops in expenditure in ten years or such.
From my comment at 1 1 1 1 I think I quoted The Chairman saying what I consider should be pressed on the Labour Coalition leaders prior to the Budget of the 30th May.
Sixty-five percent of New Zealand First supporters wanted the party to go with Labour. Who widely campaigned on addressing poverty and inequality.
Additionally, if it were just Bradford and I that are disappointed Labour wouldn't have a problem. Unfortunately for them, the disappointment is widespread.
Moreover, failing to deliver on more of the recommendations sooner will lead to their fiscal management coming under the spotlight. People will question why they aren't prepared to invest now to save the greater cost and social harm of not doing so.
"The Last American Vagabond" is always really on-to-it with his analysis. He always links to the stories he is drawing his information from, so even if you don't agree with his conclusions, the links speak for themselves.
In the case of what is going on in Gaza, it seems one balloon on fire (as reported by Israel) landed on Israeli territory. Israel then fired missiles into Gaza for two days before the Gaza government responded. One of the Last Vagabond's small but very interesting points is why the Gaza missiles that are basic and unguided haven't hit civilian targets while the sophisticated guided Israeli ones have. There is one video of a rocket hitting an apartment block that makes it completely collapse. I don't think the Israelis are so stupid they wouldn't know how to hit the target they want to with its guided missiles. I'm going to speculate that they already knew what its targets they wanted to draw out. One has to wonder what Israel's ultimate objective in regards to the Palestinians is now and how a war with Iran might aid that.
Here is a good piece from the ever reliable FAIR…you can include NZ media in this analysis too, and shamefully including RNZ.
The Atlantic Illustrates Everything That’s Wrong With Media Coverage of Venezuela Sanctions
“Trump’s Venezuela Policy: Slow Suffocation,” an Atlantic report (4/17/19) by Uri Friedman and Kathy Gilsinan, passed up a rich opportunity to expose the humanitarian pretexts for economic intervention, and instead exhibited the worst tendencies of corporate media coverage of US policy in Latin America."
Venezuela can choose to trade with any other country on the planet. They do not NEED to trade witht he US. The US is not under any obligation to trade with Venezuela if they do not like the current regime in charge there.
Rubbish. Lot's of nations have survived and even thrived when the US has refused to trade with them. Iran is certainly not falling apart at this point in time. Even Cuba has managed for close to 60 years with trade restrictions and even managed a degree of growth until the 1990's.
@Gosman, when you make a statement like the one above, you show that you are either extremely naive', stupendously stupid or a troll, or maybe a bit of each?
Cripes Adrian you are either extremely naive', stupendously stupid to keep on discussing anything with Gosman – you have been here long enough. What was that about mad people doing same things, expecting different results?
Simply because it is using anothers term of reference.
To be clear, I am all for Te Reo in schools and highly value how Maori have shaped what being a "kiwi' is eg we are marvelous hosts, great allies and formidable opponents, and the importance of breaking bread together feet under the same table.
What a load of waffle this thing about description is – pakeha, tauiwi, kiwi, whats the beef? My gran used to say 'You can call me anything you like, but don't call me 'late for dinner'.
If people choose to use the word to describe themselves or allow others to do the same that is their right. I myself do not prefer to be defined by another culture.
There's a comedy festival in town. do you like your comedy political, switched on and intelligent? Many The Standard readers will love this guy. Thank me later.
Are you looking for a mad genius? A crazy discombobulated no holds barred anything goes act like you've never seen before. One of my favorite acts in the world (and people).
I heard Duncan Garner on TV last night saying that studies show cannabis causes brain damage to kids. Allbeit it was a station promo there was no reply and I was left with the impression that this was irrefutable fact. ( clever work TVNZ ). I thought then that the numbers with fetal cannabis syndrome would be huge, but can't find the numbers. Also very grateful we were lucky with our three kids. And all the kids of the parents in my cohort.
Cannabis use among pregnant and parenting women is increasing in the USA, alongside escalating THC potency in available cannabis products and the use of synthetic preparations. Existing information on how cannabis use during pregnancy may impact the course of pregnancy and fetal/child development is limited, and studies that evaluate birth outcomes and postnatal development of prenatally exposed children are inconsistent. However, accumulating neurodevelopmental data in animals and humans shows that pre- and postnatal cannabis exposure portends harm for the developing fetus and the child. THC crosses the placental barrier, and current evidence indicates that prenatal cannabis use, especially during critical periods of brain development, places the developing child at risk for neuropsychiatric, behavioral, and substance abuse problems. The extensive legalization of cannabis, the recent increase in marijuana use by pregnant women, the availability of cannabis with higher THC concentrations, and the introduction and escalating use of synthetic cannabinoids create an urgent need to determine the effects of the amplified fetal THC exposure. The risk of neurodevelopmental problems in THC-exposed children may be enhanced if the child is raised by a mother affected by neurobehavioral dysfunctions and associated comorbidities of an active cannabis use disorder. Identification and treatment of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder in women during the perinatal period should be a high clinical priority. Misperception of risk, inadequacy of provider knowledge and training, and scarcity of time and resources to comprehensively address the needs of cannabis-exposed mother-child dyads are common among health providers. Although more research is needed to establish the perinatal effects of maternal cannabis use, pregnant and postpartum women should be aware that perinatal cannabis use risks safety for both mother and child. This chapter provides an overview of the epidemiology of perinatal cannabis use, the neurobehavioral effects of prenatal cannabis exposure for the developing child, and the treatment strategies for the mother-child dyad affected by cannabis use.
Marijuana is recently a subject of a global debate due to potential medical application of cannabis products and the progressive legalization of its recreational use. This situation leads to the need for access to comprehensive and reliable information about the effects of marijuana intake. Our review presents the actual state of knowledge regarding acute and chronic health effects generated by recreational marijuana use. Marijuana smoking can lead to structural and functional alterations in the central nervous system. These effects are especially significant and dangerous at the prenatal, child, and adolescence periods. In contrary to a common myth, cannabis does exhibit an addictive potency, albeit not a strong one. We discuss the “cannabis gateway hypothesis,” which suggests that marijuana use can be the first step before trying more dangerous drugs. However, drawing significant conclusions is difficult due to the strong impact of confounders and often unclear relationships among studied factors, especially in the socioeconomic context. Moreover, we point to the need for the unbiased assessment of the harm generated by marijuana in comparison with other drugs.
Cannabinoid signalling modulates several aspects of brain function, including the generation and survival of neurons during embryonic and adult periods. The present review intended to summarise evidence supporting a role for the endocannabinoid system on the control of neurogenesis and neurogenesis-dependent functions. Studies reporting participation of cannabinoids on the regulation of any step of neurogenesis and the effects of cannabinoid compounds on animal models possessing neurogenesis-dependent features were selected from Medline. Qualitative evaluation of the selected studies indicated that activation of cannabinoid receptors may change neurogenesis in embryonic or adult nervous systems alongside rescue of phenotypes in animal models of different psychiatric and neurological disorders. The text offers an overview on the effects of cannabinoids on central nervous system development and the possible links with psychiatric and neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, brain ischaemia/stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. An understanding of the mechanisms by which cannabinoid signalling influences developmental and adult neurogenesis will help foster the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Today 7th May 2019 was the best hard hitting action from John Campbell I have seen to date.
He ripped into the Christchurch debate and had Dame Sylvia Cartwright on the show "to boot" talking about the upcoming 'class action' lawsuit going against Government agency "Southern Response". Hard hitting stuff worth a watch.
John Campbell exclusive: Major Australian law firm backing around 3000 Canterbury homeowners in class action against Southern Response JOHN CAMPBELL BREAKFAST PRESENTER
"From our experiences with some other litigation, we have serious reservations about what sort of directions may have come from the previous Government to the leadership of this particular organisation. We don’t believe the present Government has had any part in directing what has taken place here."
National leading the charge in shafting citizens no doubt.
~ 3000 claimants short changed with Billions in question.
These older women want to be maintained in the style they are accustomed to and given all the medical help to live out healthy long lives with their needs met. They think it is wrong that five-storey units should be erected near their pensioner units. Is it? Five stories is high. The planners are insisting on this, but three-storeys surely would be more suitable. At five stories, there becomes the need for a lift which a ground floor and two higher would avoid.
Compromise, going lower while still enabling more people to be housed not just have smart young planners force their ideas on the public because they can would be the best approach I think.
They live just back from a major arterial route, not some sleepy village. Five storeys (including retail and office levels) is already a compromise to get more people living and working near frequent transport and all the local businesses that population density allows to thrive.
I have sympathy for both points of view – both the women who want an aesthetically pleasant environment and a city on a human scale, and the council who has to find somewhere to put all these people.
What are cities for? Are they primarily places where commerce can occur at close proximity? Or are they places that are good to live in? I suspect it is difficult for them to be both successfully – other than for a small elite of the wealthy.
The question can also be asked – do old people who go on living far beyond the age that was normal, have the right to be treated as royalty and eat cake and be kept in an extremely comfortable manner because they merely have not died, while the young are left to crawl out of their cardboard boxes in the middle of the road etc.
A caring and intelligent society would not end up with the differential in living standards we have now. Ergo we are not a caring and intelligent society. That is an awful shock to realise for an older person who believed NZ was a good country. Old people's opinions should count. and they would be concerned about leaving things good for the next generations so their reasonable objections should be listened to while not stopping the higher building level.
I suggested three stories would be suitable, having lived in a building that high. It is right that building should go up but not to a height that is isolating. The upper crust might enjoy the Ayn Rand style. Most like to be closer to the ground and the wider community life there. What are cities for? The inhabitants to have a home and leave some land to grow stuff when it all comes down to it.
The Bjarke Ingels Group, who have built lower-cost developments as well as the Lego House, and museums in Denmark, show how higher density does not necessarily mean loss of amenity.
Have a look at their Big 8 house – a development with high rise apartments that have been designed to have a small outdoor space, and a walkway that connects you to the rest of the development and the ground outside each apartment.
Link to a Youtube clip that I haven't watched, but scanned through. The walkway is at around 11.30
I'll have a look at that. I only lived in 3 storey and that seemed good. I have seen the details about the attempt to put western people in the high rise places and how badly that works out. They have them in places like Hong Kong, Singapore – if Singapore they are so antsy about keeping tidy, they might be able to run an effective high-rise without squalor and vandalism.
But the ones you mention sound as if they offer better access. But being too far from the ground for parents with young children can be a very bad move.
Eww. I remember going for a walk past where my forebears built their house in the outer city back in the early 1900s. Alas I don't think we had ever taken photographs of it – we weren't very imaginative and thoughtful. Alas it had come down and was part of the ground environment for a similar high storey building as you showed in the link.
When I was newly married and had saved a deposit and went to a subdivision being developed by a builder, there was a book of plans to choose from, and if you wanted an extra room here or a bigger laundry, it got costed in. There was a choice of claddings.
Now the ugly boxes painted brown with dark grey roofs are a third-rate version of a home. All the same all the way down the road. And apparently the government has allowed restrictive liens to go onto titles so you can't even create something that you would like after you buy. They all have to be the same. It's a body corporate effect I think even when you have your own separate free-standing house and title.
When i was looking at cohousing and looking at the body corporate legislation, the function is there to have a fairer document that doesn't give power to a small bunch of elected members, but each person can have a free vote on most things.
I think that the average developer has far too much power, and far too little imagination to have the amount of say they have achieved. The quality of life and attraction of suburbs has diminished according to the size of the developer's brain – as in Fawlty Towers one should watch the ground when with a developer, if you see a pea-sized object it could be a vital part of the man/woman's brain.
" But being too far from the ground for parents with young children can be a very bad move. "
I watched a different documentary on the architect, but the Big 8 house which is in the clip, has a walkway in a loop from the ground to the top storey, at an accessible grade, which means that people can ride their bicycles – or push pushchairs – to their front doors. It also provides that front space for all units that becomes community space, where neighbours hang out and talk.
Innovative design – can mitigate some of the issues that are brought up regarding the high density living our planners should be moving towards.
However, it does not come without criticism, and the studio has been criticised by the BAU and traditional form crowd for "ugly" buildings. The occupants seem to like them though.
The problem with the horrible high rises in UK and USA has been access to the upper units, through a lobby where residents could be targets, or which could be in awful condition. So what you have said might be the answer. I could imagine the skateboarders loving the sloping walkways. Sounds as if it could be an enjoyable place, and noise could be mitigated.
When it comes to multiple storeys the views of this well built town in Verona Italy La Garda? really appeal – the buildings look nice and none of them are grey, brown or charcoal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k-7mEyPkR0
As if. You haven't responded about what's underlying your preference for short buildings other than claiming everyone else wants the same as you.
This region can’t afford more car-dependant sprawl with climate change upon us, which means building up rather than out from now on.
The more people live in each area, the more small businesses can thrive there. Taller buildings also frees up more surrounding space for shared public assets like parks and community centres.
Three storeys can be less accessible than five for people who actually can't handle stairs, increasingly common with age. The ongoing cost of lifts is shared so it is more expensive per home in a four-storey than a nine-storey building or a ninety.
Worldwide urban designers know that seven storeys is still human scale architecture as it echoes the largest established forest trees our ancestors were familiar with.
The community-building facilities that surround a building have more impact on inhabitants' sense of belonging than its height does.
There will always be smaller dwellings and quiet seaside villages but not everyone will be able to afford to live in them.
Those developers might have just come down from the trees and had their ideas affected accordingly. From an ordinary human point of view the three storey that I suggested is the best and cheapest option.
And indeed the top storey isn't then for everyone, but in life we have to look at what is suitable, difference gives choice.
The ongoing cost of lifts is shared so it is more expensive per home in a four-storey than a nine-storey building or a ninety.
It would be cheaper in a three storey to not have a lift than the four-storey which would need a lift, and so (with a lift) the height would probably need to be – ground and five upper storeys, so six to make it practical.
But three storeys could be manageable without a lift. And indeed we could start incorporating the Dutch-style method of having a beam to haul stuff to for the higher floor.
Meh. Many Aucklanders want to live in a mult-million-residents city AND live in a nice house with a garden AND be located with convenient access to the city AND not have any apartment blocks near them AND have a low cost of living. People who have contradictory expectations usually find that not all their expectations are met.
One and two-bedroom units are sold to the elderly at 80 per cent of the market value, with the exception of the village at Carrick Place, Mt Eden where the units are 50 per cent of the market value.
Chloe Swarbrick should be the leader of the Greens Party. That woman has a good future in politics. She is mature beyond her years. Always organised and interviews extremely well. I am not a fan of the greens especially while Marama Davison and James Shaw are there as joint leaders. I really think they should go to the single leader ie. Chloe.
Marama and James don't seem to be natural leaders to me either, they're not natural extroverts for a start. Chloe has that great oratory skill, much like Ardern and Lange which I think is critical to get people to connect with and follow you.
It's very kind of Erdygerdy to give the hoi polloi the opportunity to correct their mistake. He will no doubt ensure the outcome is the right one this time.
The EU is the closest inter-nation body in the world, to respective societal economic contributors and diplomat corps of nation states combining along with others of different nations in the formation of blocks that then dynamically VOTE on what are to be collective shared courses of action that are the most beneficial.
Inclusive and dynamic economic networking combining with democratic political structures.
Someways to go to that maybe but then someways to regress also.
A lot of the time, it is UN stuff that we get but it is perhaps no less fruitful to engage with and constructively support the EU when appropriate too.
Interesting, and somewhat predictable update on the Gloriously Simple Answer to all our Future Nature of Work and Subsequent Inequality Problems That Everyone Loves Even Zucherberg and All The Other Tax Dodgers, otherwise known as the UBI.
“If cash payments are allowed to take precedence, there’s a serious risk of crowding out efforts to build collaborative, sustainable services and infrastructure – and setting a pattern for future development that promotes commodification rather than emancipation.” This may help to explain why UBI has attracted support from Silicon Valley tycoons, who are more interested in defending consumer capitalism than in tackling poverty and inequality……
This calls for more and better quality public services that are free to those who need them, regardless of ability to pay.
and there's the rub..all of our austerity budget governments are committed to spending as little as possible, be they Right, Left or in the Middle..they all would like us to know how not spending is more important than even basicaly maintaining the house we live in, let alone securing good outcomes for our children.
Except that the people are regarded as cash cows by business – that's where they want the spending to be. Not on repairs, but on new goods with either volume mark-up or goods of taste and discernment that allow for better profit from those who have risen on the social mobility ladder.
If you aren't in that bracket, and can't even afford the cheaper volume goods, the business community have managed to limit your access to second-hand electrical goods under health and safety, repairs are almost as dear as new goods. If Council don't upkeep the public provision of things it makes life more difficult. Further down its round the rubbish bins, dumpster diving is prevented by locks though they throw out much good, edible produce, the opshop throw outs (and the opshops are keen pricer uppers), and so on – there are plugs in place to prevent trickle downs by big business. The system is pretty tight.
"Bridges said it was important for him to draw attention to the fact that …"
Bridges simply drew attention to the fact that he's a dick. After his big extra speaking time splurge last week he thinks he's The Manbut still showing everyone he's the boy.
Another problem for the Labour Coalition with is corsets so tight – enough to make the government faint. All agree at the Waikato DHB that basically the problem there is underfunding. No-one has wanted to run it since the last CEO got the heaveho in late 2017.
Tesla put the elictric car's on the World stage. I agree that there needed to be a stimulating of the NZ elictric car's up take.
Don't worry Graham I have put some good videos up that even a – – – – – – can get the true facts on climate change.
I believe that technology changes have to happen to fight climate change but don't go trying to build huge carbon capture machines when we just need to plant Papatuanukue billion years old solution to that issue TREES.
Its good to see that NZ business confidence is up on the official cash rate drop. I would buy a elictric car if I could afford one
We have to make sure the huge multi national companies are reined in from all there cheating OUR society of honesty and a happy healthy future for ALL this administration is just sucking as much money out of the world as they can possibly get before they get there ASS kicked out.
California defies Trump to ban pesticide linked to childhood brain damage
The EPA had moved to ban chlorpyrifos under Obama, but the Trump administration reversed that effort
California is banning a widely used pesticide that has been linked to brain damage in children, a major victory for public health advocates who have long fought to outlaw the toxic chemical in the agricultural industry.
The state ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used on almonds, citrus, cotton, grapes, walnuts and other crops, follows years of research finding the chemical causes serious health effects in children, including impaired brain and neurological development. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had moved to ban the chemical under Barack Obama, but the Trump administration reversed that effort, rejecting the scientific conclusions of its own government experts
No nothing to look at here no laws broken YEA RIGHT what about the privacy laws they are in bed together all the people that work for clark and thompson are EX police WTF.
Firm that spied on quake insurance complainants 'did not break law.
I think that the main goal of MPI is to eradicate the bovine dease it's a mess the wealthy southland farmers created so they need to lump it.
I don't think NZ has to stop dairy farming to meet our Paris agreement the study has not been conducted with NZ farming conditions we will have to farm organically tho. No comment on Cameron.
There you go another bad issue with PEE O NO we don't have a huge PEE problem nothing bad going down in NZ YEA RIGHT.
That's cool brain sergery to save one of Atoearoa taonga a kakapo chicks live saving operation Ka pai.
That's bullshit alcohol consumption is dropping. A study commissioned by the alcohol industry is going to try and influence people to drink more of the shit.
I had a excellent dog the manager could not get over how fast I got him working he was a hunter way.
I will pridict that there will be no blame with the loss of the SAS person.
Te wharehuia Milroy all the best to your whanau I'm sure they will miss you and will always remember your Mana Wairua.
Looks like the police and Maori tv love publishing the positive phenomenon of Tangata whenua YEA RIGHT I know you people are to stupid to see the effects you have on OUR tangata Mauri. Ma te wa I will teach the Neanderthals a lesson Ka kite ano
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 ...
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, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
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. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. 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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
Even Phil O'Reilly get's it (the need to overhaul the welfare system)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdo_Pz6ez5w&t=20s
The extent of this political failure is measured by how bad the poverty stats are compared to how good the economic growth and unemployment stats are.
4% unemployed, major sectors seriously begging for staff, really low numbers on welfare.
A generational moment to address poverty using the state's machinery.
But no. Leave it.
Real shit work Sepuloni.
Two weeks to budget and its 'framework', this government is acting as tired an uncaring as a third term National Party government.
I'm not 100% on your measurement of political failure but I do agree that this is a major fail. Disgusting actually that Labour can even be connected with that veto on benefit rates and disrespect to this report. Fuck they are in for some shit – time for action Labour and yes I know you're in a coalition – so fucken what. I'm pissed at these people leaving our most vulnerable even worse off.
It's time that Labour got back into the viewpoint that we should aim for full employment – even if a lot of that is doing volunteer work. And people should be able to be on unemployment and still make extra on that, or be in part-time work and have their income boosted. Keep people in the loop, not feeling useless, rejected then resentful and angry.
The point is that we need to follow the line again of 'investing in people'. Bugger waiting for cold-minded, hard-eyed, calculating business to do it, especially since government has facilitated a lot of our business being bought or controlled by foreigners, either living here or overseas. Not all foreigners are bad of course, but many are very good at ripping NZ off, and that just adds to the scamming NZs already in business. The climate for employees is not a good one.
Encouragement for people who can get vibrant community measures going would be essential to raising us up where we belong. Like this great piece that Kathryn Ryan did this morning with the Whanganui low income-no income people.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018693899/growing-silverbeet-and-self-esteem-in-whanganui
Give funding for something like this in every community – skill-building, confidence and pride building, respect-the-people building, this is what Labour and Greens can do and NZF would agree; some of the funding could go to old people working with the young.
The Chairman shows Phil O'Reilly thinking that the welfare system needs work. I doubt very much if that man or any of his cohort have much useful stuff to add, so I'd say to progressive lefties, do your planning and just let him make suggestions if they will help the people-capacity building plan along. He would probably have something to say about being ready for employment; being able to get a job and be a capable and useful employee is important, but jobs will be pulled out from under your feet all the time in coming years. (Note the recent case in Wellington for a long-term arts-involved part-timer being dismissively dismissed; putting people out of work is a default position for business). So being able to be self-caring, self-managing, and co-operate with other good people who are also aiming for self-respect and respect for others, resilience, and who are learning capacity-building and passing it on, should be the goal.
The Chairman was doing a thorough think-through on this welfare report and tentative response from government yesterday and made some telling points that I have copied.
The Chairman …
7 May 2019 at 10:10 am
Here we go again. You've yet to prove that. Merely repeating it doesn't make it so.
Sixty-five percent of New Zealand First supporters wanted the party to go with Labour. Who widely campaigned on addressing poverty and inequality.
Additionally, if it were just Bradford and I that are disappointed Labour wouldn't have a problem. Unfortunately for them, the disappointment is widespread.
Moreover, failing to deliver on more of the recommendations sooner will lead to their fiscal management coming under the spotlight. People will question why they aren't prepared to invest now to save the greater cost and social harm of not doing so.
The Chairman 5.1.1
6 May 2019 at 12:14 pm
This goes beyond political disappointment. This is about denying via delaying further help to real people struggling in poverty. So no, I'm not here to gloat, I'm seeking solutions. Is a new left party the answer or do you think it will be possible to encourage Labour to act with urgency?
The Chairman …
7 May 2019 at 7:20 am
The report highlights what is required. Therefore, it's not that they don't have a clue.
They aren't stuck fiddling, they are stalling.
a vast majority of the current cabinet could well be working under a national govt instead of the current Laboir govt and we would not see any difference in decisions 😢
Have you ever had to try and get multiple independent groups with conflicting agendas to agree and work together smoothly and consistently on common goals? I've watched other people trying to do it and would not like to try it myself.
Coalition government between parties with opposing political interests is extremely difficult. This current one is performing way better than I expected it would, not least for the simple fact that it still exists and hasn't torn itself to shreds. If you want a well-disciplined group smoothly implementing policy it has no mandate for, National is (unfortunately) your only currently-available option.
"to agree and work together smoothly".
This lot have found a very simple method. Simply ask Tsar Winston what he wants and do it. You can't really try and claim that the Green Party, all the time, and the Labour Party, most of the time, have ever attempted to do something that Winston doesn't approve of. Labour occasionally put something forward that Winston doesn't see as really important to his survival and he will allow them to do it. The Green Party, on the other hand are simply doormats. Still, about half them get to ride in the limos and no longer have to settle for calling a taxi to get them around. I guess that feels like progress to them.
Spot on.
Abolish 3 strikes anyone?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104608068/governments-three-strikes-repeal-killed-by-nz-first
Capital gains Tax anyone?
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/jacinda-ardern-thuds-back-to-earth-thanks-to-nzfs-carefully-generated-torpedo-cgt
Your proposed method would have a bit more credibility (ie, an amount > 0) if Kiwiblog et al hadn't devoted plenty of space to berating Peters' as Labour/Greens' lapdog for accepting the end of further oil and gas exploration and agreeing to the UN migration compact.
I fail to see why I should be held responsible for comments made by other people on Kiwiblog. That would be rather like saying thaat you are responsible for the complaints about the mendacity of the Government in the views of No Right Turn. I'm imagine you used to agree with him on political matters. He has, of course, started to see the light about the appalling behaviour of the CoL. Are you willing to open your eyes as well?
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/05/not-binding.html
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-fix.html
Besides what evidence do you have that Winston gives a damn about oil exploration? There doesn't appear to be any in Northland does there?
I didn't suggest that you were responsible for the comments, but they do serve to highlight how fatuous your claim is.
As Winston giving a damn about oil exploration, he's trying to position his party as the defender of the regions. And Shane Jones' face when he was sharing the stage for the announcement told everyone viewing it what he thought of the idea.
Maybe.
However as far as I can see the whole ban proposal has been gutted. Anyone who has a permit can apparently go on with exploration, and drilling, and almost certainly new production, as if the ban was never mentioned.
OMV are planning to do precisely that.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12220887
The Green Party don't like it but they are simply being ignored.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12220973
It was only ever a ban on NEW exploration permits so not sure why you think it has been gutted.
It was not part of the Green-Labour agreement but rather a bonus so while the Greens will voice their opinion they have not been wronged.
"new permits"
Sure it was but it was sold as halting any work when the permit expired. Instead we have the situation that permits are, seemingly as of right, extended when they approach expiry. This of course means that they will in practice never expire. That was not what was said at the time of her "Captains Call" was it?
At the time she said that rights would cease when the permit expired. Now we find they don't really expire at all.
Up North here we told Statoil to fuck off and they did. It was a worry for a while though.
Its failure to deliver is going to be problematic for this Government come next election.
Why would you worry about that?
Wont that new ultra left party you're advocating for easily become the new government?
One doesn't have to be ultra left to outperform this lot.
Nevertheless, I'm left but I'm a lefty with a long-term proposal that would potentially result in doing away with taxing locals. Something that would get your average right-wingers attention, thus perhaps support.
And ponder this, how many businesses would benefit from consumers (receiving benefits) spending more? Increasing benefits rates doesn't just benefit beneficiaries. It's also good for businesses returns while saving tax dollars via helping to reduce many social ills, thus is able to muster traditional right wing support. As shown by Phil O'Reilly’s support of the welfare overhaul.
You asked: "Why would you worry about that?"
Because I'd like to see them deliver on more.
Right, so this fantasy party that would be left of labour and the greens is just rhetoric and fake, just like your concern for their vote share at the next general election.
With our populace, labour have to err to centre to get elected and stay there, especially so with the right NZ1st in coalition and a public that shows no appetite for full on leftism.
The answer to turn labour left, as it always has been, is to party vote the greens and give them 10 to 15 percent to trade for policy in post election negotiations.
Wow!
Back it up.
At this stage, there has only been calls for a new party to form.
And being left doesn't mean it won't also appeal to the right (as shown above). Thus, the wider public.
The flaw with your logic (which is commonly stated) is Labour doesn’t have to be right (or as you put it, err to the centre) to win over the right and the centre vote. Again, as shown above.
Labour's problem is they aren't prepared to stand strong for the left and take the debate to National. For example, they could have won the CGT battle. Polls show the public supported it. Moreover, their constant backing down gives the public the perception they were wrong, further weakening theirs (and the left's in general) position in the eyes of the wider public.
The Greens have shown they fold far too easy to hold Labour to account. And seeing as I've been continually telling them to up their game or risk losing their support, at this stage I won't be voting for them again.
And the way the Greens are currently polling, it could be a wasted vote, nonetheless.
Vote Green again my arse. You are just a really crap troll.
Not only did I vote Green last election, I was on here (thus on record) encouraging others too. So save your bullshit.
Giss-a-link or it didn't happen.
Aside from clearly not understanding how mmp works, expecting a 6% party to call the shots who aren't even in government proper, for a long time you've been an attacker of the greens on here, unbelievably more so than the rwnj brigade, the answer to getting more green policy enacted is still to vote for them in bigger numbers, increasing their bargaining power in negotiations.
“Vote Green again my arse. You are just a really crap troll.”
Obvious dichotomy.
Here's one where I highlight the Greens are a better choice
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07092017/#comment-1379864
The Chairman, saying that the Greens are a better alternative to Labour, considering your opinion of that party, is not really an endorsement.
"I'd prefer a head cold to the'flu," is what you're saying!
And here's what you say about Labour in this thread, below. "But yes, a number will fall for Labour again." Note the language.
This is what "fall for' means.
fall for sth. informal. — phrasal verb with fall uk /fɔːl/ us /fɑːl/ verb fell, fallen. to be tricked into believing something that is not true: He told me that he owned a mansion in Spain and I fell for it.
What you say is what you believe, The Chairman. Methinks thou dost protest too much.
The Gambler with Kenny Rogers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hx4gdlfamo
Who or what is The Gambler at the moment?
People supporting Labour hoping that they know when to hold, and when to fold, oand will get to the counting goodies stage?
Or people giving up and saying that Labour is full of borer, all hollowed out inside, and folds under pressure, but hoping that new growth shoots can be encouraged?
Or people saying that time is short, winter is here, the time for withholding criticism is over, let's have a new party of the left that is dedicated to people at grassroots level and practical living standards and regulation all set up for the everyday person and micro and small business, and the Greens can concentrate on the green issues, better light bulbs, environment and the people with special interests.
Yes, in politics one has to know when to hold or when to fold. Unfortunately for Labour they seem to have it the wrong way around.
They should have folded on their support of the TPP and stood strong on their support of a CGT.
Did Labour Coalition have a choice on the CCTPPa? What would have happened if we had said we can't sign it or wecan't sign it in this form and wanted all sorts of alterations, or deliberately made so many requests that we in the end were frozen out?
I felt we would have been very unpopular, frozen out in other markets, and received a pasting here through the bought media.
It seems Labour had a choice when they were campaigning against it.
Moreover, the potential return on the TPP was/is minimal. So it wouldn't have been a great loss.
Labour did manage to disappoint a lot of people by ultimately supporting it.
And while they seem to have overcome that (as the negative impact of the TPP has yet to fully occur) it's the build up of disappointments accumulating that risks taking them out. Yet, I concede they are doing ok in the polls, but one must consider if they could be doing better if it wasn't for the disappointments accumulating. Moreover, will they take a hit if they continue to fail to deliver.
The Disappointment Accumulator. Perhaps we could make money on it if someone started a book with some outfit like William Hill. They can't take us on as customers as they are only licensed for Gt Britain and Gibraltar. I'm sick of feeling miserable as I watch the country go to the dogs – might as well have a bet on the side.
Where did I say I expected the Greens to call all the shots?
I've been holding the Greens to account. And have even passed on advise.
I'm a believer that democracy doesn't just end after we vote. If we make our feelings widely known, there is more chance parties will take heed and listen. Whereas, if we remain silent, little will change. Hence, more of us need to speak up and take this approach.
And even if the Greens do muster more support (which at this stage I think is unlikely) they (this current lot) have shown they are not fighters. And if one wants more from the table, one has to stand strong and fight for it. Especially as the Greens will still be the smaller partner in any new deal with Labour. And the Greens just don't have the backbone at the moment.
Your reputation precedes you, so that latest attack on the greens isn't all that unexpected.
History shows you definitely appear to be a fake green/ leftie on a sustained smear mission.
That reputation is based on slander which you are perpetuating.
My feelings on the Greens are widely shared, evident by comments on social media and their failure to gain traction in the polls.
You've been caught out so many times. Might as well just ditch the handle and start all over.
Apart from it can't be slander because it's the written word, and it also happens to be a fair representation, you have earned a reputation here as being anti green, which is because you continually post anti green comments.
With supporter like you, who needs enemies?
It is still libel/defamation nonetheless.
I'm not anti Green, I just hold them to account. Them, Labour and their cheerleaders are so scared of any form of criticism it seen as an attack.
Thus, they do their best to isolate it (making out it is a single voice in a crowd) and diminish it (usually by trying to paint the person as being part of the opposition). And that is how this reputation all came about.
Therefore, you have either fallen for it (which some have) or you are advancing it. Either way I suggest you pull your head in and stick on topic. Playing the man and not the ball is another common distraction used.
If you're worried about the alleged libel, shit or get off the pot, it's your call. Given your posting history and abuse towards the green party, I'm not sweating it. You can pretend it's holding them to account, but the reputation you have is, in my opinion, well deserved… And I’m not alone in thinking that, far from it.
In noting how you're attempting to rewrite the past by mitigating the abuse you've unfairly apportioned, the crocodile tears about people playing the man are, I suspect, more boy who cried wolf.
Alternatively, your idea of holding people to account is to focus exclusively on overstating the negatives of the party(s – you give Labour the same assistance, too, sometimes), leaving little effort to recognise their successes or even criticising the tories once in a while, too.
If you were an employer treating people like that, you'd be done for constructive dismissal and workplace harrassment.
I'm not worried what people think about me, I'm not the issue.
I was just giving you a heads up on where it's at. Moreover, it was a test of your character to see if you would now refrain or continue to advance the personal crap. Clearly you failed.
Thus keep playing the man, but you will now be allocated to the sidelines as you have now been exposed as a player.
Stick to the politics you’ll get a reply, play the man and you’ll be playing by yourself.
So I've failed your character test. To be brutally honest, I take that as more of a compliment than a defect.
What I will keep doing, abiding by the site rules, is point out where you are being unreasonable and lacking a grasp of today's politics. If you want to divorce yourself from the green party, that's fine, but cut the crap you've got their best interests at heart. From your continued abuse, I don’t believe it for a second, and It's quite clear you really haven't.
If you don't want to be called fake green, the simple way out is not act like a fake green.
Its failure to deliver is going to be problematic for this Government come next election.
Maybe. On one hand folks might vote National (or not Labour/Greens) figuring we're all better off being led by arseholes who are proud of the fact they are arseholes.
Or, this lot will be voted in again because they appear so kind and loving while pretending they are not being arseholes. Who doesn't like the warm fuzzies?
Well, there is Mana and Social Credit some on the left may turn too. Some (as I've already heard) will no longer vote at all. And some may turn to a new party if one is formed.
But yes, a number will fall for Labour again.
What about TOP. It sounded promising if it sticks to the UBI with increments, it might drag in some of the welfare bennies.
Personally oppose TOP. Their UBI was insufficient and they wanted to tax unrealised gains, forcing those that are asset rich but income poor to borrow to meet the burden.
Coming in late at the end of a long thread.. I love that phrase 'The Disappointment Accumulator'
I too have long seen The Chairman as a concern troll – the most persistent and devious I have seen.
But I would now like name The Chairman "The Disappointment Accumulation Dispersal Man."
His messages always spread discouragement… so far.
In Vino I note and agree with you, which is pretty usual.
I used to dislike The Chairman because he was negative too early in my opinion, a disagreeable old moaner, in my opinion, when we needed to watch, encourage, wait for results and not put weedkiller on our patch.
But I read some of his stuff the other day and think his opinion was right for the time. He made a case that would allow Prime Minister Jacinda to press forward using leverage on her popularity with NZ, and get the austerity-for-everyone-but-me Labourites off their bums and looking across the room at other figures and numbers. They don't care about people in need and the founding ideals of Labour. But figures and numbers that show money spent now will save huge expense later would crown their miserly minds; and Labour could draw on reserves set aside now for those high expected future expenses. Spend now, and produce three-fold advantage of drops in expenditure in ten years or such.
From my comment at 1 1 1 1 I think I quoted The Chairman saying what I consider should be pressed on the Labour Coalition leaders prior to the Budget of the 30th May.
"The Last American Vagabond" is always really on-to-it with his analysis. He always links to the stories he is drawing his information from, so even if you don't agree with his conclusions, the links speak for themselves.
In the case of what is going on in Gaza, it seems one balloon on fire (as reported by Israel) landed on Israeli territory. Israel then fired missiles into Gaza for two days before the Gaza government responded. One of the Last Vagabond's small but very interesting points is why the Gaza missiles that are basic and unguided haven't hit civilian targets while the sophisticated guided Israeli ones have. There is one video of a rocket hitting an apartment block that makes it completely collapse. I don't think the Israelis are so stupid they wouldn't know how to hit the target they want to with its guided missiles. I'm going to speculate that they already knew what its targets they wanted to draw out. One has to wonder what Israel's ultimate objective in regards to the Palestinians is now and how a war with Iran might aid that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK17ZxwucuM&feature=share
Here is a good piece from the ever reliable FAIR…you can include NZ media in this analysis too, and shamefully including RNZ.
The Atlantic Illustrates Everything That’s Wrong With Media Coverage of Venezuela Sanctions
“Trump’s Venezuela Policy: Slow Suffocation,” an Atlantic report (4/17/19) by Uri Friedman and Kathy Gilsinan, passed up a rich opportunity to expose the humanitarian pretexts for economic intervention, and instead exhibited the worst tendencies of corporate media coverage of US policy in Latin America."
https://fair.org/home/the-atlantic-illustrates-everything-thats-wrong-with-media-coverage-of-venezuela-sanctions/?awt_l=CnT3e&awt_m=h0eSPn4haIR._TQ
Venezuela can choose to trade with any other country on the planet. They do not NEED to trade witht he US. The US is not under any obligation to trade with Venezuela if they do not like the current regime in charge there.
its not that simple.
When the U.S engages in financial war, trade becomes extremely difficult for regimes that have sanctions applied to them.
Denying nations access to the B.I.S and SWIFT systems as Iran is experiencing ,have a huge impact on trade and the domestic economy.
Rubbish. Lot's of nations have survived and even thrived when the US has refused to trade with them. Iran is certainly not falling apart at this point in time. Even Cuba has managed for close to 60 years with trade restrictions and even managed a degree of growth until the 1990's.
@Gosman, when you make a statement like the one above, you show that you are either extremely naive', stupendously stupid or a troll, or maybe a bit of each?
If you disagree with me explain to me WHY the US should trade with nations that it has fundamental ideological differences with.
Cripes Adrian you are either extremely naive', stupendously stupid to keep on discussing anything with Gosman – you have been here long enough. What was that about mad people doing same things, expecting different results?
@greywarshark, true enough, you got me there.
The yankistanis heavy other nations into complying with their sanctions gozzer, you didn't realise that?
Of course they do. And nations can choose to ignore the US pressure as they do in relation to Cuba.
you do not seem to understand how international financing of trade works .
Do you actually know what SWIFT and the B.I.S are!
Lot's of countries carry out financing of trade without reference to the US.
which ones and how do they pay for oil?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/iran-sell-oil-grey-market-tightens-sanctions-190505162325159.html
Name 10.
Our colonial anxiety – again https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/112491079/how-many-times-does-this-need-to-be-said-pakeha-is-not-a-slur
I don't mind others using pakeha to describe me.
I don't use the word to describe myself.
Simply because it is using anothers term of reference.
To be clear, I am all for Te Reo in schools and highly value how Maori have shaped what being a "kiwi' is eg we are marvelous hosts, great allies and formidable opponents, and the importance of breaking bread together feet under the same table.
Whereas as a pakeha I'm not that keen on being called a kiwi
Fair enough Jan, I will bear that in mind when addressing you.
Do you mind if I ask why?
What a load of waffle this thing about description is – pakeha, tauiwi, kiwi, whats the beef? My gran used to say 'You can call me anything you like, but don't call me 'late for dinner'.
Absolutely. I would much rather be called "Pakeha" than "kiwi".
"Kiwi" is infantile nonsense.
Resisting a term defined by others is an expression of power – who has it, who fears losing it, and the balance society negotiates at the time.
One persons 'expression of power' is another's desire for autonomy.
Individualism is a value of some cultural groups.
If people choose to use the word to describe themselves or allow others to do the same that is their right. I myself do not prefer to be defined by another culture.
What 'culture' are you then.
NZ European or NZ Anglo-Celtic.
I'm from the culture of Hip-Hop….Rap is something you do, Hip-Hop is something you live! You are not doing Hip-Hop, you are Hip-Hop!
You can 'prefer' all you want, but that does not determine what social groups you belong to. That is negotiated by society, funnily enough.
There's a comedy festival in town. do you like your comedy political, switched on and intelligent? Many The Standard readers will love this guy. Thank me later.
https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/steve-hughes/
Are you looking for a mad genius? A crazy discombobulated no holds barred anything goes act like you've never seen before. One of my favorite acts in the world (and people).
https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/phil-nichol-your-wrong/
And there is a mad gem of a comic here from Australia. Seriously off the wall, I was an instant fan after this clip: Demi Lardner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4ryPZW06EY
https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/demi-lardner/
Demi might be relatively new, but she certainly deserves patronage. Seriously funny, but not everyone's cup of tea.
You should be able to find your own cup of tea in the Festival there are a lot of shows.
https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/find-a-show/
Demi, excellent!
"…just an owl.." brilliant.
I heard Duncan Garner on TV last night saying that studies show cannabis causes brain damage to kids. Allbeit it was a station promo there was no reply and I was left with the impression that this was irrefutable fact. ( clever work TVNZ ). I thought then that the numbers with fetal cannabis syndrome would be huge, but can't find the numbers. Also very grateful we were lucky with our three kids. And all the kids of the parents in my cohort.
Hi Bruce
I didn't hear Duncan Garner on this, but the links between cannabis use in pregnancy and foetal development problems are covered in the following:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140127093140.htm
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-cannabis-impairs-fetal-brain-development-012814#1 (which links to http://emboj.embopress.org/content/early/2014/01/27/embj.201386035)
Some more recent (2019) links (all cite Shadrach's 2014 EMBO Journal paper).
Only the abstracts (copied here) are free.
Today 7th May 2019 was the best hard hitting action from John Campbell I have seen to date.
He ripped into the Christchurch debate and had Dame Sylvia Cartwright on the show "to boot" talking about the upcoming 'class action' lawsuit going against Government agency "Southern Response". Hard hitting stuff worth a watch.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/john-campbell-exclusive-major-australian-law-firm-backing-3000-canterbury-homeowners-in-class-action-against-government-owned-southern-response?auto=6033165600001
John Campbell exclusive: Major Australian law firm backing around 3000 Canterbury homeowners in class action against Southern Response JOHN CAMPBELL BREAKFAST PRESENTER
"From our experiences with some other litigation, we have serious reservations about what sort of directions may have come from the previous Government to the leadership of this particular organisation. We don’t believe the present Government has had any part in directing what has taken place here."
National leading the charge in shafting citizens no doubt.
~ 3000 claimants short changed with Billions in question.
Wonder if the current Government will advise them to settle this out of court?
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/388631/elderly-women-take-a-stand-as-auckland-council-fights-its-own-organisation
These older women want to be maintained in the style they are accustomed to and given all the medical help to live out healthy long lives with their needs met. They think it is wrong that five-storey units should be erected near their pensioner units. Is it? Five stories is high. The planners are insisting on this, but three-storeys surely would be more suitable. At five stories, there becomes the need for a lift which a ground floor and two higher would avoid.
Compromise, going lower while still enabling more people to be housed not just have smart young planners force their ideas on the public because they can would be the best approach I think.
They live just back from a major arterial route, not some sleepy village. Five storeys (including retail and office levels) is already a compromise to get more people living and working near frequent transport and all the local businesses that population density allows to thrive.
I have sympathy for both points of view – both the women who want an aesthetically pleasant environment and a city on a human scale, and the council who has to find somewhere to put all these people.
What are cities for? Are they primarily places where commerce can occur at close proximity? Or are they places that are good to live in? I suspect it is difficult for them to be both successfully – other than for a small elite of the wealthy.
The question can also be asked – do old people who go on living far beyond the age that was normal, have the right to be treated as royalty and eat cake and be kept in an extremely comfortable manner because they merely have not died, while the young are left to crawl out of their cardboard boxes in the middle of the road etc.
A caring and intelligent society would not end up with the differential in living standards we have now. Ergo we are not a caring and intelligent society. That is an awful shock to realise for an older person who believed NZ was a good country. Old people's opinions should count. and they would be concerned about leaving things good for the next generations so their reasonable objections should be listened to while not stopping the higher building level.
I suggested three stories would be suitable, having lived in a building that high. It is right that building should go up but not to a height that is isolating. The upper crust might enjoy the Ayn Rand style. Most like to be closer to the ground and the wider community life there. What are cities for? The inhabitants to have a home and leave some land to grow stuff when it all comes down to it.
Design quality is important Grey.
The Bjarke Ingels Group, who have built lower-cost developments as well as the Lego House, and museums in Denmark, show how higher density does not necessarily mean loss of amenity.
Have a look at their Big 8 house – a development with high rise apartments that have been designed to have a small outdoor space, and a walkway that connects you to the rest of the development and the ground outside each apartment.
Link to a Youtube clip that I haven't watched, but scanned through. The walkway is at around 11.30
I'll have a look at that. I only lived in 3 storey and that seemed good. I have seen the details about the attempt to put western people in the high rise places and how badly that works out. They have them in places like Hong Kong, Singapore – if Singapore they are so antsy about keeping tidy, they might be able to run an effective high-rise without squalor and vandalism.
But the ones you mention sound as if they offer better access. But being too far from the ground for parents with young children can be a very bad move.
The ugliness of spreadsheet architecture.
https://unherd.com/2019/04/the-hideous-spread-of-spreadsheet-architecture/
Eww. I remember going for a walk past where my forebears built their house in the outer city back in the early 1900s. Alas I don't think we had ever taken photographs of it – we weren't very imaginative and thoughtful. Alas it had come down and was part of the ground environment for a similar high storey building as you showed in the link.
When I was newly married and had saved a deposit and went to a subdivision being developed by a builder, there was a book of plans to choose from, and if you wanted an extra room here or a bigger laundry, it got costed in. There was a choice of claddings.
Now the ugly boxes painted brown with dark grey roofs are a third-rate version of a home. All the same all the way down the road. And apparently the government has allowed restrictive liens to go onto titles so you can't even create something that you would like after you buy. They all have to be the same. It's a body corporate effect I think even when you have your own separate free-standing house and title.
When i was looking at cohousing and looking at the body corporate legislation, the function is there to have a fairer document that doesn't give power to a small bunch of elected members, but each person can have a free vote on most things.
I think that the average developer has far too much power, and far too little imagination to have the amount of say they have achieved. The quality of life and attraction of suburbs has diminished according to the size of the developer's brain – as in Fawlty Towers one should watch the ground when with a developer, if you see a pea-sized object it could be a vital part of the man/woman's brain.
" But being too far from the ground for parents with young children can be a very bad move. "
I watched a different documentary on the architect, but the Big 8 house which is in the clip, has a walkway in a loop from the ground to the top storey, at an accessible grade, which means that people can ride their bicycles – or push pushchairs – to their front doors. It also provides that front space for all units that becomes community space, where neighbours hang out and talk.
Innovative design – can mitigate some of the issues that are brought up regarding the high density living our planners should be moving towards.
However, it does not come without criticism, and the studio has been criticised by the BAU and traditional form crowd for "ugly" buildings. The occupants seem to like them though.
The problem with the horrible high rises in UK and USA has been access to the upper units, through a lobby where residents could be targets, or which could be in awful condition. So what you have said might be the answer. I could imagine the skateboarders loving the sloping walkways. Sounds as if it could be an enjoyable place, and noise could be mitigated.
When it comes to multiple storeys the views of this well built town in Verona Italy La Garda? really appeal – the buildings look nice and none of them are grey, brown or charcoal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k-7mEyPkR0
Unlike the critics, I actually like the aesthetic of the Big 8 development, primarily because of the way that they allocate space.
Beauty in the eye of … and all that.
You did notice how tall those Italian buildings are, right? People have lived like that for centuries, without pining for a lawn to mow.
Are you going to pick everything I say apart now and put it under a microscope Sacha?
As if. You haven't responded about what's underlying your preference for short buildings other than claiming everyone else wants the same as you.
This region can’t afford more car-dependant sprawl with climate change upon us, which means building up rather than out from now on.
The more people live in each area, the more small businesses can thrive there. Taller buildings also frees up more surrounding space for shared public assets like parks and community centres.
Three storeys can be less accessible than five for people who actually can't handle stairs, increasingly common with age. The ongoing cost of lifts is shared so it is more expensive per home in a four-storey than a nine-storey building or a ninety.
Worldwide urban designers know that seven storeys is still human scale architecture as it echoes the largest established forest trees our ancestors were familiar with.
The community-building facilities that surround a building have more impact on inhabitants' sense of belonging than its height does.
There will always be smaller dwellings and quiet seaside villages but not everyone will be able to afford to live in them.
Those developers might have just come down from the trees and had their ideas affected accordingly. From an ordinary human point of view the three storey that I suggested is the best and cheapest option.
And indeed the top storey isn't then for everyone, but in life we have to look at what is suitable, difference gives choice.
"From an ordinary human point of view the three storey that I suggested is the best and cheapest option."
Best for what? Cheaper per home than what?
The ongoing cost of lifts is shared so it is more expensive per home in a four-storey than a nine-storey building or a ninety.
It would be cheaper in a three storey to not have a lift than the four-storey which would need a lift, and so (with a lift) the height would probably need to be – ground and five upper storeys, so six to make it practical.
But three storeys could be manageable without a lift. And indeed we could start incorporating the Dutch-style method of having a beam to haul stuff to for the higher floor.
Again, best for what?
Meh. Many Aucklanders want to live in a mult-million-residents city AND live in a nice house with a garden AND be located with convenient access to the city AND not have any apartment blocks near them AND have a low cost of living. People who have contradictory expectations usually find that not all their expectations are met.
The council don't think it's such a flash idea either greysy. Might be worth following the money on this one.
Obviously a hefty ratepayer subsidy isn't enough.
Was this the bit that caught your eye?
Āe
FFS, that's the icing on the cake. And the smug old ducks just popped up on the telly full of their own importance. Nope.
That's interesting joe90 thanks.
Chloe Swarbrick should be the leader of the Greens Party. That woman has a good future in politics. She is mature beyond her years. Always organised and interviews extremely well. I am not a fan of the greens especially while Marama Davison and James Shaw are there as joint leaders. I really think they should go to the single leader ie. Chloe.
Marama and James don't seem to be natural leaders to me either, they're not natural extroverts for a start. Chloe has that great oratory skill, much like Ardern and Lange which I think is critical to get people to connect with and follow you.
Agree… and I think Chloe is actually smarter than both the current leaders.
Best of three?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48177740
It's very kind of Erdygerdy to give the hoi polloi the opportunity to correct their mistake. He will no doubt ensure the outcome is the right one this time.
https://www.magic.co.nz/home/news/2019/04/jacinda-ardern–the-christchurch-summit-in-paris.html
The EU is the closest inter-nation body in the world, to respective societal economic contributors and diplomat corps of nation states combining along with others of different nations in the formation of blocks that then dynamically VOTE on what are to be collective shared courses of action that are the most beneficial.
Inclusive and dynamic economic networking combining with democratic political structures.
Someways to go to that maybe but then someways to regress also.
A lot of the time, it is UN stuff that we get but it is perhaps no less fruitful to engage with and constructively support the EU when appropriate too.
Some welcomed news on a binding cannabis referendum – https://www.greens.org.nz/news/press-release/green-party-welcomes-cannabis-referendum-fully-drafted-legislation?fbclid=IwAR3eVVyFKpRrQZlsVzil9X0iS1cNIypMPA6vChp1estxzkDJvqP-fg7vUz0
Very interesting EP. Couldn't find such info elsewhere. Has Andrew announced it all yet?
Interesting, and somewhat predictable update on the Gloriously Simple Answer to all our Future Nature of Work and Subsequent Inequality Problems That Everyone Loves Even Zucherberg and All The Other Tax Dodgers, otherwise known as the UBI.
and there's the rub..all of our austerity budget governments are committed to spending as little as possible, be they Right, Left or in the Middle..they all would like us to know how not spending is more important than even basicaly maintaining the house we live in, let alone securing good outcomes for our children.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/06/universal-basic-income-public-realm-poverty-inequality?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2eOPMyVg68zNacUN2fNj4FhNi_K_Gex0OYzTRZbFKv1K5x0e0DqzdxDew#Echobox=1557140856
Except that the people are regarded as cash cows by business – that's where they want the spending to be. Not on repairs, but on new goods with either volume mark-up or goods of taste and discernment that allow for better profit from those who have risen on the social mobility ladder.
If you aren't in that bracket, and can't even afford the cheaper volume goods, the business community have managed to limit your access to second-hand electrical goods under health and safety, repairs are almost as dear as new goods. If Council don't upkeep the public provision of things it makes life more difficult. Further down its round the rubbish bins, dumpster diving is prevented by locks though they throw out much good, edible produce, the opshop throw outs (and the opshops are keen pricer uppers), and so on – there are plugs in place to prevent trickle downs by big business. The system is pretty tight.
Oops. Simon Bridges has been chucked out of the House for rubbishing the Speaker mid through Simon's questions.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel for attention now.
Simon was near to whining child like.
"Bridges said it was important for him to draw attention to the fact that …"
Bridges simply drew attention to the fact that he's a dick. After his big extra speaking time splurge last week he thinks he's The Man but still showing everyone he's the boy.
Simon has to understand yet that 'decorum' is more than making up de numbers in de House.
or the need for the apple de-coring.
Today's barnyard noises are brought to you by Simon Bridges.
Funny Goats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlYlNF30bVg
Amazing vocals.. But can't beat the sheep.
Ashley Clinton Sheeps Choir
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs5cGVl-Zto
It goes for 4 minutes.
Another problem for the Labour Coalition with is corsets so tight – enough to make the government faint. All agree at the Waikato DHB that basically the problem there is underfunding. No-one has wanted to run it since the last CEO got the heaveho in late 2017.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/388660/health-minister-replaces-waikato-dhb-board-with-commissioner
Kia ora Newshub
The Auckland mayor race is on
Tesla put the elictric car's on the World stage. I agree that there needed to be a stimulating of the NZ elictric car's up take.
Don't worry Graham I have put some good videos up that even a – – – – – – can get the true facts on climate change.
I believe that technology changes have to happen to fight climate change but don't go trying to build huge carbon capture machines when we just need to plant Papatuanukue billion years old solution to that issue TREES.
Its good to see that NZ business confidence is up on the official cash rate drop. I would buy a elictric car if I could afford one
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/qqjVwAg5fK4
We have to make sure the huge multi national companies are reined in from all there cheating OUR society of honesty and a happy healthy future for ALL this administration is just sucking as much money out of the world as they can possibly get before they get there ASS kicked out.
California defies Trump to ban pesticide linked to childhood brain damage
The EPA had moved to ban chlorpyrifos under Obama, but the Trump administration reversed that effort
California is banning a widely used pesticide that has been linked to brain damage in children, a major victory for public health advocates who have long fought to outlaw the toxic chemical in the agricultural industry.
The state ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used on almonds, citrus, cotton, grapes, walnuts and other crops, follows years of research finding the chemical causes serious health effects in children, including impaired brain and neurological development. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had moved to ban the chemical under Barack Obama, but the Trump administration reversed that effort, rejecting the scientific conclusions of its own government experts
Ka kite ano links below
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/08/california-pesticide-ban-chlorpyrifos-agriculture
https://youtu.be/s4rGnCIU-w8
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/h4DFXUndvbw
A uneducated tangata whenua O Atoearoa let's the Papatuanukue know the justice system of the PAPATUANUKUE are corrupt
No nothing to look at here no laws broken YEA RIGHT what about the privacy laws they are in bed together all the people that work for clark and thompson are EX police WTF.
Firm that spied on quake insurance complainants 'did not break law.
Ka kite ano link below.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/112592552/firm-that-spied-on-quake-insurance-complainants-did-not-break-law
Kia ora Newshub.
Archie is a cool name for the new royal tama.
I think that the main goal of MPI is to eradicate the bovine dease it's a mess the wealthy southland farmers created so they need to lump it.
I don't think NZ has to stop dairy farming to meet our Paris agreement the study has not been conducted with NZ farming conditions we will have to farm organically tho. No comment on Cameron.
There you go another bad issue with PEE O NO we don't have a huge PEE problem nothing bad going down in NZ YEA RIGHT.
That's cool brain sergery to save one of Atoearoa taonga a kakapo chicks live saving operation Ka pai.
That's bullshit alcohol consumption is dropping. A study commissioned by the alcohol industry is going to try and influence people to drink more of the shit.
I had a excellent dog the manager could not get over how fast I got him working he was a hunter way.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te ao Maori News.
Condolences to the SAS whanau.
I will pridict that there will be no blame with the loss of the SAS person.
Te wharehuia Milroy all the best to your whanau I'm sure they will miss you and will always remember your Mana Wairua.
Looks like the police and Maori tv love publishing the positive phenomenon of Tangata whenua YEA RIGHT I know you people are to stupid to see the effects you have on OUR tangata Mauri. Ma te wa I will teach the Neanderthals a lesson Ka kite ano
Kia ora The AM Show.
https://youtu.be/vqnwqsJYyiU
Mokopuna mahi
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/hT_nvWreIhg
Had a epiphany yesterday Ma te wa Whanau
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/DgGr_n4fgyI
Whanau we must teach all te Mokopuna te reo
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/bnVUHWCynig