NZ FOR SALE…'That showed that six of the 10 biggest landowners are foreign forestry companies and when you look at how the land is spread amongst New Zealanders, about 4,500 people – or 0.1 per cent of the population – own 28 per cent of the land.'
Well done drawing attention to this insidious sell off of our land in the name of climate change rescue. Most of the commenters on this forum I would have thought might question the sell off to foreign owned entities but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. I wonder what the reaction would be if National was in power with the same agenda.
I doubt many commenters here support the selloffs in any form. Unfortunately the neoliberal buffoons who've parasitized our public service are full steam ahead on selling land offshore, a proposition that a substantial majority of the public oppose, rendering it illegitimate
"in the name of climate change rescue" – doubtful – that may be an entry on the OIO ledger, but the OIO would be the only clowns credulous enough to believe it.
If you want to know why Auckland University has fallen out of the top 200 list of best universities – a decline of over 133 places since arch neo-lib managerialist Stuart McCutcheon got the top job – then look no further than the extraordinary attack on Adrian Orr by the one of the swarm of chancer establishment cronies that have clearly flourished under McCutcheon's intellectual Stalinism.
A certain Robert MacCulloch, the Professor of Macroeconomics at Auckland University, has attacked the central bank saying Orr is a publicity seeker, the RBNZ now lacks intellectual fire-power and that much of the senior talent has "walked out the door". MacCulloch is playing the role of attack poodle for some clearly rattled gougers in the Aussie owned bank’s glass towers.
The attack on the RBNZ by MacCulloch well illustrates why neoliberalsm hangs on as a zombie ideology. Neoliberalism is a core ideology of a well paid, well funded and cosy class where totally owned tame friends in well-sponsored and funded right wing university departments give an intellectual veneer to a moth-eaten TINA before moving on to well paid banking jobs themselves.
As a marvellous piece of "radical centrism" in action as a neoliberal elite seeks to maintain the supremacy of it's soporific intellectual prescription MacCulloch's piece hard to beat.
I think he has every right to criticize, in fact an obligation as an academic to do so. But he should come up with a better argument than just, those guys are too thick to run things.
We have on the other hand a long standing weakness in our democratic processes known as Central Bank Independence. This breaks accountablity with the elected finance minister for his favoured strategy and results in fiscal policy being surpressed in favour of monetary policy.
Even if he triggers a more broad discussion I dont think what he is saying plays well in public. His arguments only make sense to a small cult like following who have been through an indoctrination program. For most the idea of banks having more skin in the game, similar to other businesses, is a winner.
MacCulloch reminds me of the University hierarchy in the U.S featured in the doco 'Inside Job'….so aggrieved at conflicts of interest being pointed out .
.In that case selective articles bought and well paid for that suited the finance industries objectives.
The hits on Orr are coming thick and fast. Stuff yesterday had a piece by someone called Kate McNamara attacking the RB Governor. As far as I could see there was no byline attached to the piece to indicate who this person worked for and what her relationship to the banking industry might be.
If this is the same person, then she is a PR person with an interest in banking. She also who seems to be peddling a peculiar form of climate change denialism – see these articles… https://muckrack.com/kate-macnamara/articles
Must be doing a good job then if the MSM repeaters and shills are blanketing him.
Ah yes that age old tactic of mysterious unmanned editorials and columns as they've likely been sent from PR Spin central with some talking points for the other opinionators to riff with.
"Although Mr Hosking is already complaining about Labour's looming budget, the National Party never committed to disciplining its own regulation and spending with the use of cost-benefit analysis. I was personally rebuffed by former Prime Minister John Key on this precise issue at the NZ Initiative."
Must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel for good arguements if he says the RBNZ under Orr lacks 'firepower'-
Im sure thats a common idea thrown around the Ivory Towers where competing views are dismissed with their version of a personal insult – lacking in intellect.
I don't disagree with you on MacCulloch, but NZ universities' tumble down the rankings is to do with the money being spent on universities in China and other developing countries, not any particular ideology – basically, there's much tougher competition for those top rankings than there used to be.
At the risk of being accused of attacking the messenger and not addressing his argument … and appreciating that Robert MacCulloch maybe a victim of a pestilential media …
MacCulloch attacking the central bank saying Orr is a publicity seeker? Orr is no doubt approached by many to comment. He is supposed to say he won't talk to anyone? He shouldn't talk to anyone?
And Robert MacCulloch, the same for him? He's in the media – he was approached to comment? He was supposed to say he wouldn't comment? He shouldn't talk to anyone? Is he just a 'publicity seeker'?
Thank goodness we have Rod Oram to tell us how well we are doing in spite of the negativeness of the Opposition and the Business Surveys.
Economics and politics are getting rockier and riskier around the world. Yet, New Zealand has never been more confident and capable of gaining from such turbulent times. So, here are six reasons for business optimism in New Zealand, from Rod Oram.
And the six reasons are told so well even I get it.
Thats what Hosking used to say during the Key government- the glass was always possible to get fuller -, however hes since been exposed as a partisan hack.
Rod Oram is certainly not an optimist when it comes to the likes of Fonterra and other forms of big business. Thats why he was pushed out from his weekend newspaper job.
Pat. Rod does back his optimism with hard facts. The naysayers do not except to say look at our survey. See? We all think the worst. And we are proud of that.
Hell, wouldn't it be terrible to have a country full of eternal optimists. Things would be so much better if everyone went around in Negative Nelly mode speaking through acid lips.
Sort of like the National supporters' mindset of 2018 onwards …
"Hell, wouldn't it be terrible to have a country full of eternal optimists."
Yes it would, not to mention dangerous..far more sensible to have a country full of realists though that is not going to happen either. Optimism has its place as does pessimism, neither should be a default.
Good point. Orrs job function is seek publicity . Robert MacCulloch and his acolytes at the NZ Initiative/Business Round Table do the very same thing at the behest of the corporates who fill their doggy bowls.
Trudeau’s Liberal Party is starting to track just ahead of the Conservative Party in CBC’s Canadian Federal Election Poll of Polls. It’s the first time since the beginning of the year (and the start of the SNC Lavalin scandal) that they have had the edge, though well within margin of error, in polling.
The Liberals have always been favoured to win the most seats due to their vote efficiency under Canada’s FPTP system. Until now though it was assumed that another majority was out of reach for Trudeau and he would have to settle for minority government. Latest polling puts the Liberals on the cusp of majority government with 2 weeks to go.
Coalition government is not popular in Canada. Usually the party with the largest number of seats runs a minority government. If this is Mr Trudeau’s fate then he will most likely look to both his left and right to get support to pass legislation. The NDP are in something of a crisis at the moment as their support has tanked across the country, especially in their former stronghold of Quebec where they are facing a wipeout on Election Day. It’s very unlikely they would agree to formally prop up a Liberal government.
Typically in Ottawa opposition parties will give the minority government votes on confidence bills in order to avoid the opprobrium that comes with unnecessarily collapsing the government and sending grumpy voters back to the polls. One unfortunate outcome from this is that minority governments can’t resist the temptation to pass contentious legislation via Omnibus bills where lots of different bills are bundled together and attached to a Budget Supply Bill which automatically tests the confidence of the House.
My memory while living in Toronto was the NDP was left centre, so 'something like NZ First'here, and can marry up again with the liberals rather than the Conservative government.
The long protests of the yellow jackets (nearly a year) and Hong Kong.
Plus those from central casting in Wellington, the later whose regular faces from the Aro valley (forgetting they live in a high EQ risk zone,which will look like abbotsford.
There is no climate 'crisis' – except in the minds of warmist bedwetters. The relationship between atmospheric CO2 concentration and atmospheric temperature is logarithmic. The more CO2 there is, the less effective it becomes as a warming agent because the ability of any one CO2 molecule to absorb IR radiation at 14.5 micron wavelength is being shielded by the increasing number of other CO2 molecules.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
It did not 'fully de-ice' in the last interglacial, the Eemian, which was quite a bit warmer than at present. So why would it do so in this interglacial, which is now nearing its end anyway
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The point of following the Greenland melt is that it is a nice hard set of data points – there is little or no prediction involved. As such it serves as a touchstone for predictive models. The melt, by proceeding much faster than has been predicted suggests, as might be expected given the level of activity of climate deniers, that predictions have been conservative, and inclined to err on the low side.
School strike equates to school bunk-off day. If you don't lose your pay you have not been on strike. Maybe they were missing out on those feared subjects physics and maths, which might have taught them about logic and the scientific method and maybe the principles of Socratic debate. All sadly missing in the 'climate strikers' ' minds.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Velcro, I suspect that is your mind that lacks the Socratic debate thing. Nice of you to mention it, but I challenge you to prove that you understand it better than the protestors, whom, to quote George Dubya, you sadly 'misunderestimate'.
No its national fault Our higher living cost rents power ect. Now the Papatuanuku is not looking stable so Our government should hold back some putea to weather a storm our government has invested more in social security so most people will be comfortable in Aotearoa hence the fact invest more in the % 99. and the tax take goes up national stop investing in social services and the tax take went down it not ROCKET SCIENCE. The carbon tax was needed to slow down our use of carbon and pay for Green Energy transition.
I agree with him shonky denied that there was a PEE problem when he was in power and the problem grew something stinks. Also agree that the gangs get all the blame what about the others that are pushing and using the poison.
The farright needs to be brought to heal on the 21 century compunction device.
I think it's great that the ban on dogs is the city has been lifted down South Land.
This App is a awesome idea this will help plant billions of trees if every one joins in the effort to pay for trees to be planted it will capture billions of tonnes of carbon. Also providing jobs in poor countries
This app lets you plant trees to fight deforestation
lanting trees to save the planet just got a whole lot easier – no gardening gloves required.
A new app from the young people behind the Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation means anyone can now help with the world’s reforestation efforts, in just a few simple clicks.
The app has 50 reforestation projects in developing countries to choose from. For just over $3, you can ‘plant’ a tree in Brazil, or for $108, you can plant 1,000 trees to restore the landscape of Indonesia – and the money goes straight to the tree planters on the ground.
And if you do want to get your hands dirty, the app also lets you register trees you’ve planted yourself, with photos and locations, as well as organise tree-planting competitions among schools or at work.
Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, says: “Widespread restoration requires us to reach out to large numbers of people, cost-effectively and quickly. Apps like this can go a long way to boost nature-based solutions for climate action, livelihoods and sustainability Ka kite Ano link below.
The United Nations needs to have money to do their mahi come on.
The United Nations may not have en8ough money for staff salaries next month if member states don't pay what they owe, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.
He told the 193-member UN General Assembly's budget committee that if he had not worked since January to cut spending then "we would not have had the liquidity to support" the annual gathering of world leaders last month.
"This month, we will reach the deepest deficit of the decade. We risk … entering November without enough cash to cover payrolls," said Guterres.
The United States is the largest contributor – responsible for 22 per cent of the more than $US3.3 billion ($A4.9 billion) regular budget for 2019, which pays for work including political, humanitarian, disarmament, economic and social affairs and communications.
Washington owes some $US381 million for prior regular budgets and $US674 million for the 2019 regular budget. The US mission to the United Nations confirmed the figures.
It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when it might pay.
I have seen quite a few of those wreckers left on the road I think they can be a distraction to the drivers.????.
I think some other civil servants have to much independence they have conned previous politicians to give them that saying that if they are to answer to the political establishment they could be used by politicians to gain power YEA RIGHT that just gave them unlimited power answerable to no one.
Global Warming has given Tawhirimate heaps of Mana now.
Please give heaps of donations for the Christchurch City mission as food is the only discretionary cost people pay rent power and other expenses and have no putea left for food.
Its great that our government is investing more in our mental health system the last lot cut their budgets.
Some countries have cycle friendly cities with the E bikes now one can ride bikes even if they are not super fit. I say we should be investing more in electric mass transport we need to stop making the same mistake pouring billion to build highways that are designed to cope with peek rush hour traffic next minute 50 % of the time our highways are empty work smarter not harder is needed.
Cold water therapy sounds great one gets better health benefits better circulation that's good for most things and best of all lowering our energy footprint having cold showers.
Save Our Kiwi month kia pai Imona that's awesome seeing the Kiwi egg rocking while hatching.
I think Pharmac should invest more in finding generic products and or making the drugs in Aotearoa there are many ways to solve a problem.
They new that there products will stuff our environment they let greed override any concerns for our future environment. They stopped the first electric car the Volt. Tangata around the Papatuanuku must start to lower their own carbon footprint if no-one buys their product they will become unprofitable that is the way to leave the stuff in the ground. They will all start investing in Green Energy.
Fossil fuel companies have been aware of their impact on the planet since at least the 1950s
For more than 50 years, the petroleum industry and politicians have been warned about the climate risks of burning fossil fuels. Yet the top 20 fossil fuel firms have continued to expand and have been behind a third of all carbon emissions since 1965. This timeline shows who knew what and when, and how they communicated or obscured the threat to the public
The Spark and TV 1 sports broadcasting deals puts delayed sports matches on free TV like the old days.
I was not impressed with the way he handled Kia Ora.
Its good that big tech companies are going to limit the stuff bad people put up on their platforms.
The Wahine and tamariki are going to be suffering the most in Syria.
United mental health is doing a good job highlighting the Papatuanuku mental health issues this publication let's people know it OK to seek help on this issue as it's a problem many people have suffered.
Its good to read that Ngapuhi Wahine voices are going to be heard.
I think teaching people to respect themselves by not touching PEE and respecting others is needed to many people have a attitude of who gives a stuff Our Tipuna do.
Te Ko Tahireo Pukapuka is a awesome organisation. I want to be able to read all. Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa pukapuka online for free.
Teaching tamariki about conserving our Tangaroa the Tahiti keeping their culture strong is good kia kaha.
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
by Phil Duncan In 2016 the National-led government suspended the Parent Visa Category, through which migrants were able to bring their parents into New Zealand. Since then over 5,700 people have been in immigration limbo, stuck on the visa wait list. Labour is now bringing back the scheme. Well, sort ...
The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
Yesterday was the last day for (reliably) posting your vote away in local body elections. Turnouts are mostly much lower than the equivalent time last year (Palmerston North is down 2.3%), and so naturally people are pushing their online-voting snake oil again. Because the online census worked so well, lets ...
This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
Another year, and the government has announced another enormous government "surplus". And just like last year, its nothing of the sort. When we have people homeless and sick and hungry, when we have schools and hospitals still falling down, when we have underpaid public servants and infrastucture unmaintained or unbuilt, ...
James Forsyth at The Spectator (I know, I know) has tapped one of his contacts inside Number Ten for an insight into the Johnson administration's thinking and strategy.It is fascinating, unsettling and quite, quite mad. Some key points:Negotiations have stalled and the Johnson administration are keen to blame the EU: ...
Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
Another round of tactical talks about forming a Government of National Unity have come to nothing with the Liberal Democrats still refusing countenance putting Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street:Opposition talks on Monday made little headway over when to try and vote down Boris Johnson's government and who might succeed him as ...
by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
Yesterday I went down to Wellington to participate in the Extinction Rebellion protest. Its part of the latest global wave of XR actions, with actions happening all over the world. Some of those protests are massively disruptive: in Canada, XR is blocking major bridges, stopping people from getting to work. ...
The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
The Ombudsman has been surveying people about their knowledge of the OIA and the right to information. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that widespread:The Chief Ombudsman says too many New Zealanders were in the dark over their right to access official information. Peter Boshier said an independent survey released yesterday on ...
In the wake of last Friday's climate strike, Peter McKenzie had an article in The Spinoff about protest strategies. The school strike movement is "polite" and cooperates with those in power because that's its kaupapa - its led by schoolkids who understandably don't want to risk arrest. But there's more ...
So, the latest ruminations on the gnews from Westminster (Again, sorry; I'll stop making that pun right now). This follows on from, and likely repeats bits of, my last post, on the suggestion that a Government of National Unity (GNU) should be set up and then oversee a referendum before ...
New Zealand likes to think of itself as not a racist country (despite being founded on the racist dispossession and subjugation of Maori). But for years, we've had a racist refugee policy, which basicly excludes refugees from Africa and the Middle East unless they already have relatives here. Now, the ...
Several people have asked me whether a particular repeat litigant could be declared a vexatious litigant, in light of their recent decision to appeal an adverse High Court ruling. My nascent tweet thread was getting ridiculously long, so it became this blog post instead.The short answer is: no. The particular ...
Appealing To The Past: Action Zealandia, like so many of the organisations springing up on the far-Right, across what they call the “Anglosphere”, is born out of the profound confusion over what a man is supposed to be in the twenty-first century and, more importantly, what he is supposed to do.THE STATUE OF ...
The attempts of anti-democratic transactivists to (often violently) disrupt women’s rights organising is largely ignored by those sections of the left most prone to misogyny and authoritarianism in New Zealand. In Britain, however, scores of trade union and left activists added their names to a letter in July, defending ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. The Bill would establish an independent, quasi-judicial body to investigate and review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer them back to the Court of appeal if required. It would be a vital backstop to our judiciary, help ...
by The Spark On September 14, a total of 22 drones and cruise missiles struck two oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Abqaiq is the largest oil production facility in the world. For a few days afterwards, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national ...
How much will NeoLiberal irregulation of the building sector and subsequent leaky homes crisis cost us? $47 billion, according to a new book:The total cost to fix all of New Zealand's leaky homes would be $47 billion, probably. The estimate comes from a new book, Rottenomics written by journalist Peter ...
Below is the start of another excellent article on the Freer Lives blog. Click onto the link at the end of this extract to read the full article. The punch-a-terf, kill-a-terf message pervades social media, always righteously delivered, chin held high. By contrast, the dehumanised “terfs” themselves, that is gender-critical ...
The Reserve Bank is currently planning tighter banking regulation, requiring banks to hold enough local capital to survive a 1-in-200 year financial crisis in order to protect consumers. The big Aussies banks, those foreign leeches who suck $5 billion in profit out of our economy every year, don't like that, ...
Its the usual story: a police officer beats a handcuffed suspect so hard they break one of their own fingers. The IPCA investigates and concludes that the use of force was unlawful. And the police refuse to do anything about it:A man punched repeatedly in the face by a police ...
From time to time we add links to our blogroll. The latest blog we have added is Freer Lives. This is a Marxist gender-critical blog, based in Melbourne, Australia. On it you will find a bunch of excellent articles which use the tools of Marxist analysis to critique the rise ...
Last Friday say the largest protest in a generation, as 170,000 people joined the school strike and marched to demand real action on climate change. The demands of the school strike were simple and clear: declare a climate emergency, set a climate target of net-zero by 2040, impose a total ...
Labour is a rather middle of the road capitalist party and earlier this year we discussed how far from being ‘transformative’, Ardern’s government is. An article published this week in the Guardian, by Bryce Edwards (political scientist and commentator at Victoria University), looks at Ardern’s business as usual performance. Where ...
In the hours since my last interminable wittering about the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain, there has been a slight maybe development:A Corbyn-led caretaker government could then sit for several months while it enacted and delivered a referendum with the support of smaller parties and ...
Jeremy Clarkson says much like Greta Thunberg, Anne Frank “didn’t like what was going on”, but “she didn’t have a tantrum about it.” Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offered praise to historical figure Anne Frank, comparing her favourably to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who he attacked in ...
Press release by Speak Up For Women Lesbians from women’s rights group Speak Up For Women are furious at reports that Rainbow Tick are threatening Massey University with the removal of their ‘tick’ if they let the group’s event go ahead. The group has been under attack from trans ...
By Duncan Garner Before you jump down my throat, nobody cares about the environment more than me. I have a garden, and since my wife and I broke up, I’ve let it grow wildly out of control, so please don’t tell me I’m not doing enough for plants. They’re ten ...
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help fund a new dredge for the Port of Greymouth to ensure the regional fishing fleet have a reliable and productive harbour, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “Last year the movements of ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
New applications from mining company OceanaGold to purchase land in Waihi for new tailings ponds associated with its gold mines have been approved. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Associate Minister of Finance David Parker considered the applications under the Overseas Investment Act. Earlier this year, applications from OceanaGold to ...
New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker leaves tomorrow for Dubai, London and Berlin for a series of meetings to advance New Zealand’s trade interests. In Dubai he will visit New Zealand’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 where construction is underway. There he will meet Minister of State for International Cooperation, Her ...
Confirmation that PHARMAC will fund two new cancer drugs is further evidence of the good progress the Government is making to improve the treatment of New Zealand’s leading cause of death, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December PHARMAC will fund alectinib (Alecensa) for ALK positive advanced non-small cell ...
An additional $2.7 million has been announced for the Government Strategy for Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation on the first anniversary of the strategy’s launch. Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson gave the opening address to the first Sport NZ Women + Girls Summit in Wellington today, ...
As part of its work to ensure businesses can get the skilled workers they need, the Coalition Government is re-opening and re-setting the Parent Category visa programme, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. The move will: support skilled migrants who help fill New Zealand’s skills gaps by providing a pathway for ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has today announced Major General Evan Williams of the New Zealand Defence Force has been selected as the commander of a significant, longstanding peacekeeping mission in the Middle East. In December, Major General Williams takes over as Force Commander for the Multinational Force and Observers ...
A record number of nurses are now working to deliver health services to New Zealanders as the Government’s increased funding and new initiatives rebuild key workforces start to show results, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. • 1458 more DHB nurses since the Government took office • 106 more midwives ...
Farmer and former Nuffield scholar Mel Poulton has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, David Parker, and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, announced today. The position supports key Government objectives, including raising the value of New Zealand agricultural goods and services. Mel is ...
New Zealand’s Pacific and Māori voyaging heritage is acknowledged and celebrated today as waka of the Tuia 250 voyage flotilla arrive in Tūranga / Gisborne. “Today we celebrate Tangata Whenua, the first people of Aotearoa, and the triumphs of the voyaging tradition that brought our ancestors here from Polynesia 1000 ...
“Fijian Language Week starts on Sunday and the theme reminds us how important it is that we each have something to anchor ourselves to, something that can help us pause and feel in control in a rapidly changing world,” says Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “Family, culture, faith, ...
The Government is establishing an Airspace Integration Trials Programme to support the safe testing and development of advanced unmanned aircraft and accelerate their integration into the aviation system, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods announced today. The Government will work with leading, innovative aviation industry partners to test and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...
By Michael Andrew and Sri Krishnamurthi The true story of one of the Pacific’s great waka builders and sailor has been captured in a stirring and visually gripping documentary. Loimata: The Sweetest Tears follows the final years of Ema Siope, a Samoan born kiwi who endured a tumultuous past ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Cowie, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Around one-third of Australians living with hepatitis C have been cured in the last four years. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is ...
New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Image AsiaPacificReport.nz/RNZ.Commentators across the political spectrum seem to agree – the Labour-led Government’s popularity is being damaged by its failure to deliver in Jacinda Ardern’s self-proclaimed “Year of Delivery”. Instead, the delivery of bad news to Labour and the Government has come in ...
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Polls Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern now dependent on Peters Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern still standing, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Austin, Professor UNSW Canberra Cyber, UNSW This is part of a new series looking at the national security challenges facing Australia, how our leaders are responding to them and how these measures are impacting society. Read other stories in the series ...
Researchers from Lincoln University are investigating how to use nanotechnology in agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. ...
The increased presence of anti-trans and white supremacist stickers around the University of Auckland campus is proof that inaction is enabling hate groups, write Anisha Sankar and Max Whitehurst.Anisha Sankar is a Chennai-born, Te Awakairangi-raised, South Indian Tamil studying at the University of Auckland. Max Whitehurst is a transgender Pākehā ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, the New Zealand government’s first response was to ban the firearms the alleged gunman had used to murder 51 people. Seven months later, the second tranche of this process ...
The nine members for the next three year term of the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB) for Auckland have been appointed by the statutory Selection Body. Their appointments begin on 1 November 2019 and continue to 31 October 2022. Mana Whenua ...
“If we are truly to solve the challenge of poverty within the Te Ao Maori world we must lift our people from the low wage and low skills growth side of the economy. At the same time we must continue to ensure our people, no matter where they are, ...
Alex Casey asks Rose Stewart from Family Planning every single question she can think of about New Zealand’s new free IUDs. Listen up, womb-owners who love free shit and long-term contraceptive options: Pharmac announced that they will be fully funding two new long-lasting, reversible contraceptives in New Zealand from November 1, ...
Patients are increasingly being turned away for treatment and there can be no more excuses from the Government over properly funding district health boards to boost specialist numbers in public hospitals, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ...
Today’s Council of Trade Unions’ report, Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness , provides a much-needed pathway to fair wages and conditions across several major industries, and the Government must deliver on its promise to introduce FPAs ...
The Speaker has limited the number of questions Simon Bridges can ask in the House as a punishment for the National Party defying Trevor Mallard by not pulling down their attack ads. ...
Sunshine capital? Check. Rich artisan tradition? Check. Incredible sausages? That’s a big check. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the truly gorgeous Nelson region this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate and Energy Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University In the four years since the Paris climate agreement was adopted, countries have debated the fine print of how emissions reduction should be tracked and ...
The flight drink company 1Above, partly-owned by the high profile, venture capital fund Movac and businessman Gareth Morgan, is in liquidation owing almost $10 million. ...
In recent weeks Responsible Campers Association Incorporated (RCAi) has become involved in some high level discussions about our right to camp. This began out of discussion about the disabled who which to participate in Sport and Recreation activities. ...
In their quest for a cashless society the Japanese have beaten New Zealand to its own next-gen shopping experience.New Zealanders are missing out to the Japanese on a Kiwi technology that is set to eliminate supermarket queues.The first store to implement the SmartCart cashierless shopping system will be in Osaka, ...
If you don’t like Shortland Street, or you’re unconvinced that Michael Galvin actually is a doctor, does that mean all New Zealand television is rubbish? Some say yes. Tara Ward says an emphatic no. The world is our TV oyster, but lately it seems not everyone in Godzone is feeling the ...
The National Party is accusing the Immigration Minister of a "Sroubek 2.0" after revelations he granted residence to a man with multiple drink-driving convictions. ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu urges the Crown to ensure that the Establishment Board of the newly formed Institute of Skills and Technology meets its Treaty obligations and addresses the statutory role of iwi as Treaty partners in redesigning the education ...
The top-selling food magazine in New Zealand is closing its print operation. Niki Bezzant, Healthy Food Guide‘s former editor, reflects on the challenges the title faced.The news that after 14 years and 176 issues Healthy Food Guide magazine is closing its print operation came as a shock to some. It ...
A unique deal saw Sky buy the rugby rights and sell some of itself to NZ Rugby. Trevor McKewen breaks down what it all means.The news came thick and fast over a remarkable five-day corporate slugfest, starting last Thursday. First, Spark Sport struck, gobbling up New Zealand Cricket’s domestic broadcasting ...
In what’s thought to be the last piece of writing Peter Wells completed before he died, he wonders about his great-grandfather, and the locket he wore all his life. ‘The Story of a Locket’ is published in part here, and features in the extraordinary collection of essays Queer Objects, released this ...
Relationship expert Holly Dixon explains why the entire Married at First Sight franchise is based on bunk science.As the third MAFS NZ season has come to an end, I thought it relevant to answer the question upon which the entire MAFS enterprise is built: Is it possible to predict attraction and ...
SkyCity Casino workers will be on strike and picketing today as Rob Campbell, the Chair of SkyCity Casino talks to other employers about making pay fair at a “Wellbeing at Work” conference today. ...
He was the prototypical high school nerd, hanging on Don Brash’s every word. Then the financial world turned upside down. This is the story of how Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr became a most unconventional economist.In 2008, Jarrod Kerr was working at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia when the global financial crisis ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriela D’Souza, Affiliate, Monash department of business statistics and econometrics, Monash University For most people the second week in October probably doesn’t hold much promise. Longer days for some, perhaps. But for those is us in the economics profession, come the second ...
One of the important parameters of the agreement’s aims was to ensure there was no threat to food production from the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. ...
A monument to Winston Peters and Think Big projects would both boost the economy, but Argentina learned the hard way they can also impoverish a nation, writes Tony Burton.Everyone who loves New Zealand should visit Argentina. There are more similarities than you might think – large areas of wild natural ...
The Salvation Army foodbank in Waitakere ran out of food last week; an indication of the strain many New Zealand whanau are under as they struggle to afford the cost of living. Wednesday, October 16 is World Food Day, and as demand for services offered ...
Phil Goff was re-elected by a huge margin on Saturday. How will he put that mandate to use this term? Hayden Donnell asks the questions.Phil Goff is once again Auckland’s mayor. Preliminary local election results show him with a lead of nearly 100,000 votes over his nearest challenger, John Tamihere. ...
Catherine Bindon from Ban the Boom has created these colourful and positive posters for you to use to show you don't support the use of fireworks in your neighbourhood over the next few weeks distressing our animals and birds. ...
On Tuesday morning the Operation Burnham inquiry hearing resumed after it was suspended three weeks ago. The hearing is being held at Royal Society of New Zealand, 11 Turnbull St, Thorndon, Wellington on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland It’s not uncommon for science and religion to be framed as two opposing forces. The Catholic church has famously struggled to accommodate scientific research in its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cat Pausé, Senior Lecturer in Human Development, Massey University The British Psychological Society is calling for changes for how we talk about fatness, suggesting we should no longer use the phrase “obese people”, but instead, “people with obesity” or “people living with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University The federal government’s much-vaunted Snowy Hydro expansion is supposed to smooth out the bumps in electricity supply as Australia transitions to renewables. But not only is the project a bad deal for taxpayers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By María Yanotti, Lecturer of Economics and Finance Tasmanian School of Business & Economics, University of Tasmania The housing market is moving again. In the past month, national prices have climbed 0.9%. What matters most to buyers (and especially to investors), along with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, University of Melbourne It seems appropriate that a painting titled Feng Shui dominates the new exhibition of Guan Wei’s work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Matthews, Lecturer in Digital Media and Popular Culture Researcher, Auckland University of Technology According to a recent study, the sixth leading cause of death for young men in the United States is the warranted and unwarranted use of police force. With ...
The Council of Trade Unions has today released its report - Fair Pay Agreements: A Framework for Fairness . The report details the six key principles needed for Fair Pay Agreements to deliver real change for working people, and democratic agreements ...
Too many New Zealanders endure poor working conditions in jobs that don’t pay enough and offer few opportunities for career progression, and the union movement is calling for change. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the latest polls which show a drop in support for Labour are not a concern when it comes to forming a government. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A pair of polls put pressure on the Labour Party, a wild night of weather in the North Island, and Shane Jones snapped brandishing a semi-automatic.Parliament resumes today after a fortnight recess, and MPs were given a welcome-back present in ...
Mandy Hager, the newly elected head of the New Zealand Society of Authors, is lobbying the government to improve the lot of writers - to no avail, despite the Prime Minister's championing of the arts. ...
Given the vast impacts that poor diet have had on global health, a deficit in nutrition education in medicine represents a big problem, writes Dr Jennifer Crowley. ...
Any time Olympian Luuka Jones needs advice or encouragement in her pursuit of more canoe slalom success, she doesn’t have to look far. Jones’ coach, Campbell Walsh, is also her partner. ...
Competition for the rights to broadcast sports matches involving NZ’s top teams has produced a bonanza for the sporting bodies, forcing media companies to be a lot more innovative. ...
The Wellington suburb’s successful opposition to a proposed Bottle-O shows how the system is biased towards communities with the organisation, capacity and resources to protest effectively, says Jenesa Jeram.For those unfamiliar with Wellington geography, Khandallah is a Very Nice place to live (Aucklanders: think Remuera). So when it was reported ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission conducted an inquiry into mortgage pricing as recently as last year. Now Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has asked it to do another, broader one, in order to ensure the banks’ ...
Dr Bryce EdwardsThe results of the local government elections appear to show that New Zealanders are generally supportive of a more diverse range of representatives, having voted in greater numbers for candidates from traditionally under-represented groups. The elections have therefore modernised our councils in a small but very significant ...
The Inquiry has today published Minute No 21. This Minute sets out how the Inquiry intends to proceed given that the Attorney-General the Hon David Parker has agreed to extend the Inquiry’s reporting date by three months to 31 March 2020. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Skrzypiec, Senior Lecturer, Flinders University Many Australian students don’t know the difference between banter and bullying, with some saying they joke about wishing their friend would “drown” or “die in a car crash”. More than 800 Australian students aged 11-16 took ...
But he did play a crucial role in helping journeyman Andy Foster knock over Justin Lester. Team Gone By Lunchtime size up the local elections, gaze plaintively at the dramas in the NZ First Party, and ask how bad the new poll is for Jacinda Ardern.Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and ...
In the fifth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect Artificial Intelligence has on our lives, Russell Brown speaks to Ben Reid, executive director of the AI Forum, about the role of government in embracing and regulating AI.Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below.To ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Local government Henry Cooke (Stuff): How to lose an election: Over-promise or under-deliver Simon Collins ...
By RNZ Pacific A Solomon Islands province has agreed to lease a large island to a Chinese developer to develop into a special economic zone, weeks after the country opened diplomatic ties with China. But already cracks abound; there has been no official announcement and the provincial premier says the ...
Open mike 07/10/2019 
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...8 hours ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...9 hours ago
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...10 hours ago
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...15 hours ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...4 days ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...5 days ago
https://mailchi.mp/7d9133add053/closing-the-gap-october-2019-newsletter ...5 days ago
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...6 days ago
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...2 weeks ago
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...10 hours ago
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...11 hours ago
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The last PM shock jock Alan Jones slapped down was Jacinda Ardern. His language was particularly offensive, advertisers deserted his program and he apologised to New Zealand’s leader. But at least Ardern didn’t have to ...3 hours ago
Internet Service Providers have cautiously greeted the news that the Government is exploring an internet filter for violent extremist and terrorist content. ...6 hours ago
The proceeds from the sale of Trump-style "Make Ardern Go Away" hats are being used to promote far right Facebook pages. ...8 hours ago
Support has risen for the general arming of police officers in the wake of March 15, but the police minister is opposed. ...8 hours ago
Researchers from Lincoln University are investigating how to use nanotechnology in agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impact. ...8 hours ago
The increased presence of anti-trans and white supremacist stickers around the University of Auckland campus is proof that inaction is enabling hate groups, write Anisha Sankar and Max Whitehurst.Anisha Sankar is a Chennai-born, Te Awakairangi-raised, South Indian Tamil studying at the University of Auckland. Max Whitehurst is a transgender Pākehā ...9 hours ago
Information spread by the Coalition of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) and picked up by ACT’s David Seymour is incorrect. ...9 hours ago
The Speaker has limited the number of questions Simon Bridges can ask in the House as a punishment for the National Party defying Trevor Mallard by not pulling down their attack ads. ...10 hours ago
The real estate market has sprung back into life, but national sales volumes were flat. ...11 hours ago
The flight drink company 1Above, partly-owned by the high profile, venture capital fund Movac and businessman Gareth Morgan, is in liquidation owing almost $10 million. ...11 hours ago
Mandy Hager, the newly elected head of the New Zealand Society of Authors, is lobbying the government to improve the lot of writers - to no avail, despite the Prime Minister's championing of the arts. ...18 hours ago
An ancient Polynesian form of resource management is helping rejuvenate areas in the Cook Islands. ...20 hours ago
Competition for the rights to broadcast sports matches involving NZ’s top teams has produced a bonanza for the sporting bodies, forcing media companies to be a lot more innovative. ...20 hours ago
Ongoing drama surrounds the Māui and Hector's dolphin threat management plan, with worries key information is not being made public promptly. ...20 hours ago
Is Jacindamania dead and buried? Not quite yet, but the Prime Minister has good cause for concern. ...1 day ago
NZ FOR SALE…'That showed that six of the 10 biggest landowners are foreign forestry companies and when you look at how the land is spread amongst New Zealanders, about 4,500 people – or 0.1 per cent of the population – own 28 per cent of the land.'
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-detail/116346806/the-detail-forestry-companies-buying-vast-amounts-new-zealand
Well done drawing attention to this insidious sell off of our land in the name of climate change rescue. Most of the commenters on this forum I would have thought might question the sell off to foreign owned entities but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. I wonder what the reaction would be if National was in power with the same agenda.
I doubt many commenters here support the selloffs in any form. Unfortunately the neoliberal buffoons who've parasitized our public service are full steam ahead on selling land offshore, a proposition that a substantial majority of the public oppose, rendering it illegitimate
"in the name of climate change rescue" – doubtful – that may be an entry on the OIO ledger, but the OIO would be the only clowns credulous enough to believe it.
If you want to know why Auckland University has fallen out of the top 200 list of best universities – a decline of over 133 places since arch neo-lib managerialist Stuart McCutcheon got the top job – then look no further than the extraordinary attack on Adrian Orr by the one of the swarm of chancer establishment cronies that have clearly flourished under McCutcheon's intellectual Stalinism.
A certain Robert MacCulloch, the Professor of Macroeconomics at Auckland University, has attacked the central bank saying Orr is a publicity seeker, the RBNZ now lacks intellectual fire-power and that much of the senior talent has "walked out the door". MacCulloch is playing the role of attack poodle for some clearly rattled gougers in the Aussie owned bank’s glass towers.
The attack on the RBNZ by MacCulloch well illustrates why neoliberalsm hangs on as a zombie ideology. Neoliberalism is a core ideology of a well paid, well funded and cosy class where totally owned tame friends in well-sponsored and funded right wing university departments give an intellectual veneer to a moth-eaten TINA before moving on to well paid banking jobs themselves.
As a marvellous piece of "radical centrism" in action as a neoliberal elite seeks to maintain the supremacy of it's soporific intellectual prescription MacCulloch's piece hard to beat.
Have a listen –
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018716504
I think he has every right to criticize, in fact an obligation as an academic to do so. But he should come up with a better argument than just, those guys are too thick to run things.
We have on the other hand a long standing weakness in our democratic processes known as Central Bank Independence. This breaks accountablity with the elected finance minister for his favoured strategy and results in fiscal policy being surpressed in favour of monetary policy.
Even if he triggers a more broad discussion I dont think what he is saying plays well in public. His arguments only make sense to a small cult like following who have been through an indoctrination program. For most the idea of banks having more skin in the game, similar to other businesses, is a winner.
Did you say “a small cult like following who have been through an indoctrination program”?
https://www.iza.org/en/publications/dp/10632/welfare-savings-not-taxation
Nicely put.
MacCulloch reminds me of the University hierarchy in the U.S featured in the doco 'Inside Job'….so aggrieved at conflicts of interest being pointed out .
.In that case selective articles bought and well paid for that suited the finance industries objectives.
Actually here is an excerpt..
Who could you trust. Academic economists? It all seems so corrupt Blazer!
The hits on Orr are coming thick and fast. Stuff yesterday had a piece by someone called Kate McNamara attacking the RB Governor. As far as I could see there was no byline attached to the piece to indicate who this person worked for and what her relationship to the banking industry might be.
If this is the same person, then she is a PR person with an interest in banking. She also who seems to be peddling a peculiar form of climate change denialism – see these articles… https://muckrack.com/kate-macnamara/articles
Must be doing a good job then if the MSM repeaters and shills are blanketing him.
Ah yes that age old tactic of mysterious unmanned editorials and columns as they've likely been sent from PR Spin central with some talking points for the other opinionators to riff with.
I seem to recall a fairly prevalent media presence for one Don Brash during his time as Reserve Bank Governor
MacCulloch writes for the Herald often along the same lines spouting ACT party lines and Business Round table -NZI nostrums
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11349608
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12209291
"Although Mr Hosking is already complaining about Labour's looming budget, the National Party never committed to disciplining its own regulation and spending with the use of cost-benefit analysis. I was personally rebuffed by former Prime Minister John Key on this precise issue at the NZ Initiative."
Must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel for good arguements if he says the RBNZ under Orr lacks 'firepower'-
Im sure thats a common idea thrown around the Ivory Towers where competing views are dismissed with their version of a personal insult – lacking in intellect.
I don't disagree with you on MacCulloch, but NZ universities' tumble down the rankings is to do with the money being spent on universities in China and other developing countries, not any particular ideology – basically, there's much tougher competition for those top rankings than there used to be.
Correct and a fair bit of higher ed talent has been crossing the ditch/retiring as the boys club under the VC's takes hold.
That's been going awhile now since Bovver Boy Joyce took them off Ayatolley who'd made a pigs ear of the hollowmens runsheet in education.
At the risk of being accused of attacking the messenger and not addressing his argument … and appreciating that Robert MacCulloch maybe a victim of a pestilential media …
MacCulloch attacking the central bank saying Orr is a publicity seeker? Orr is no doubt approached by many to comment. He is supposed to say he won't talk to anyone? He shouldn't talk to anyone?
And Robert MacCulloch, the same for him? He's in the media – he was approached to comment? He was supposed to say he wouldn't comment? He shouldn't talk to anyone? Is he just a 'publicity seeker'?
Thank goodness we have Rod Oram to tell us how well we are doing in spite of the negativeness of the Opposition and the Business Surveys.
And the six reasons are told so well even I get it.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/10/06/842075/reasons-to-be-cheerful-1 (Can't stop the italics.)
By his own admission Oram is an eternal optimist.
Thats what Hosking used to say during the Key government- the glass was always possible to get fuller -, however hes since been exposed as a partisan hack.
Rod Oram is certainly not an optimist when it comes to the likes of Fonterra and other forms of big business. Thats why he was pushed out from his weekend newspaper job.
I would never insult Mr Oram by comparing him to Hosking
I would never insult a fetid sack of shit by making that comparison.
Pat. Rod does back his optimism with hard facts. The naysayers do not except to say look at our survey. See? We all think the worst. And we are proud of that.
Theres not much in the way of hard facts in the mentioned article however.
Hell, wouldn't it be terrible to have a country full of eternal optimists. Things would be so much better if everyone went around in Negative Nelly mode speaking through acid lips.
Sort of like the National supporters' mindset of 2018 onwards …
"Hell, wouldn't it be terrible to have a country full of eternal optimists."
Yes it would, not to mention dangerous..far more sensible to have a country full of realists though that is not going to happen either. Optimism has its place as does pessimism, neither should be a default.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/10/06/842075/reasons-to-be-cheerful-1
Rod Oram. Previous link didn't link?
Good point. Orrs job function is seek publicity . Robert MacCulloch and his acolytes at the NZ Initiative/Business Round Table do the very same thing at the behest of the corporates who fill their doggy bowls.
https://nzinitiative.org.nz/membership/our-members/
Trudeau’s Liberal Party is starting to track just ahead of the Conservative Party in CBC’s Canadian Federal Election Poll of Polls. It’s the first time since the beginning of the year (and the start of the SNC Lavalin scandal) that they have had the edge, though well within margin of error, in polling.
The Liberals have always been favoured to win the most seats due to their vote efficiency under Canada’s FPTP system. Until now though it was assumed that another majority was out of reach for Trudeau and he would have to settle for minority government. Latest polling puts the Liberals on the cusp of majority government with 2 weeks to go.
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/
a Liberal party with New Democrats to make a coalition government ? Or are they too far apart.
Coalition government is not popular in Canada. Usually the party with the largest number of seats runs a minority government. If this is Mr Trudeau’s fate then he will most likely look to both his left and right to get support to pass legislation. The NDP are in something of a crisis at the moment as their support has tanked across the country, especially in their former stronghold of Quebec where they are facing a wipeout on Election Day. It’s very unlikely they would agree to formally prop up a Liberal government.
Typically in Ottawa opposition parties will give the minority government votes on confidence bills in order to avoid the opprobrium that comes with unnecessarily collapsing the government and sending grumpy voters back to the polls. One unfortunate outcome from this is that minority governments can’t resist the temptation to pass contentious legislation via Omnibus bills where lots of different bills are bundled together and attached to a Budget Supply Bill which automatically tests the confidence of the House.
My memory while living in Toronto was the NDP was left centre, so 'something like NZ First'here, and can marry up again with the liberals rather than the Conservative government.
Now this is a slip.
I’d call it a slide.
Call in Nick Smith, he can
be never seen againmake himself useful.Its not well known, but 'old' Taihape ( around the hospital) is built on an active slip – slow moving- but there
Large Deep Seated Landslides http://www.horizons.govt.nz/HRC/media/Media/Agenda-Reports/Catchment-Operations-Committee-2014-9-04/1465AnnexB.pdf
Visions of "green bay" development in Dunedin 1970's all over again then.
Marvelous.
#FilthyPieceOfToeRag
edit:
Protest season is upon us,now everyone is protesting for different reasons.
Fertilization of single woman and lesbians in France.
https://www.france24.com/en/20191006-france-paris-protest-conservatives-extended-procreation-bill-single-lesbian-women
Georgia with anti govt.
https://eurasianet.org/protest-season-returns-to-georgia
The long protests of the yellow jackets (nearly a year) and Hong Kong.
Plus those from central casting in Wellington, the later whose regular faces from the Aro valley (forgetting they live in a high EQ risk zone,which will look like abbotsford.
Who are the real 'denialists'? Those who refuse to consider or debate relevant facts. While CO2 is indeed a greenhouse gas, there is no climate crisis
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[Obviously, you are a slow learner]
There is no climate 'crisis' – except in the minds of warmist bedwetters. The relationship between atmospheric CO2 concentration and atmospheric temperature is logarithmic. The more CO2 there is, the less effective it becomes as a warming agent because the ability of any one CO2 molecule to absorb IR radiation at 14.5 micron wavelength is being shielded by the increasing number of other CO2 molecules.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
It did not 'fully de-ice' in the last interglacial, the Eemian, which was quite a bit warmer than at present. So why would it do so in this interglacial, which is now nearing its end anyway
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The point of following the Greenland melt is that it is a nice hard set of data points – there is little or no prediction involved. As such it serves as a touchstone for predictive models. The melt, by proceeding much faster than has been predicted suggests, as might be expected given the level of activity of climate deniers, that predictions have been conservative, and inclined to err on the low side.
School strike equates to school bunk-off day. If you don't lose your pay you have not been on strike. Maybe they were missing out on those feared subjects physics and maths, which might have taught them about logic and the scientific method and maybe the principles of Socratic debate. All sadly missing in the 'climate strikers' ' minds.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Velcro, I suspect that is your mind that lacks the Socratic debate thing. Nice of you to mention it, but I challenge you to prove that you understand it better than the protestors, whom, to quote George Dubya, you sadly 'misunderestimate'.
Velcro
Climate change is here now, go see Antarctica for yourself.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075tsy2
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-04-18/climate-change-the-facts-bbc-david-attenborough-documentary-air-date-time-issues/
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/climate-change-the-facts
Kia Ora The Breakfast Show.
No its national fault Our higher living cost rents power ect. Now the Papatuanuku is not looking stable so Our government should hold back some putea to weather a storm our government has invested more in social security so most people will be comfortable in Aotearoa hence the fact invest more in the % 99. and the tax take goes up national stop investing in social services and the tax take went down it not ROCKET SCIENCE. The carbon tax was needed to slow down our use of carbon and pay for Green Energy transition.
I agree with him shonky denied that there was a PEE problem when he was in power and the problem grew something stinks. Also agree that the gangs get all the blame what about the others that are pushing and using the poison.
The farright needs to be brought to heal on the 21 century compunction device.
I think it's great that the ban on dogs is the city has been lifted down South Land.
Ka kite Ano
This App is a awesome idea this will help plant billions of trees if every one joins in the effort to pay for trees to be planted it will capture billions of tonnes of carbon. Also providing jobs in poor countries
This app lets you plant trees to fight deforestation
lanting trees to save the planet just got a whole lot easier – no gardening gloves required.
A new app from the young people behind the Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation means anyone can now help with the world’s reforestation efforts, in just a few simple clicks.
The Plant-for-the-Planet app is part of the Trillion Tree Campaign, which grew out of the UN Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign, launched in 2006.
The app has 50 reforestation projects in developing countries to choose from. For just over $3, you can ‘plant’ a tree in Brazil, or for $108, you can plant 1,000 trees to restore the landscape of Indonesia – and the money goes straight to the tree planters on the ground.
And if you do want to get your hands dirty, the app also lets you register trees you’ve planted yourself, with photos and locations, as well as organise tree-planting competitions among schools or at work.
Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, says: “Widespread restoration requires us to reach out to large numbers of people, cost-effectively and quickly. Apps like this can go a long way to boost nature-based solutions for climate action, livelihoods and sustainability Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/technology-trees-deforestation-environment-app/
The United Nations needs to have money to do their mahi come on.
The United Nations may not have en8ough money for staff salaries next month if member states don't pay what they owe, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.
He told the 193-member UN General Assembly's budget committee that if he had not worked since January to cut spending then "we would not have had the liquidity to support" the annual gathering of world leaders last month.
"This month, we will reach the deepest deficit of the decade. We risk … entering November without enough cash to cover payrolls," said Guterres.
The United States is the largest contributor – responsible for 22 per cent of the more than $US3.3 billion ($A4.9 billion) regular budget for 2019, which pays for work including political, humanitarian, disarmament, economic and social affairs and communications.
Washington owes some $US381 million for prior regular budgets and $US674 million for the 2019 regular budget. The US mission to the United Nations confirmed the figures.
It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when it might pay.
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/10/united-nations-staff-could-miss-payday-if-member-states-don-t-pay-what-they-owe.html
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute
Kia Ora 1 News.
I have seen quite a few of those wreckers left on the road I think they can be a distraction to the drivers.????.
I think some other civil servants have to much independence they have conned previous politicians to give them that saying that if they are to answer to the political establishment they could be used by politicians to gain power YEA RIGHT that just gave them unlimited power answerable to no one.
Global Warming has given Tawhirimate heaps of Mana now.
Please give heaps of donations for the Christchurch City mission as food is the only discretionary cost people pay rent power and other expenses and have no putea left for food.
Ka kite Ano 😇
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That's good that our government is investing more putea 45 million into NZ Transport so they can improve the safety checks on our vehicle fleet.
That's a improvement with less Tuwharetoa tamariki ending up in oranga tamariki.
He just like playing the low cards string up some people emotionall. It was not long ago he was waving Te tangata whenua o Aotearoa flag .
Mana Wahine that's Awesome that more Wahine are running for local council seats in Te Tairawhiti Maori knows what's best for Maori.
Ka kite Ano 😇
Kia Ora The Breakfast Show.
Its great that our government is investing more in our mental health system the last lot cut their budgets.
Some countries have cycle friendly cities with the E bikes now one can ride bikes even if they are not super fit. I say we should be investing more in electric mass transport we need to stop making the same mistake pouring billion to build highways that are designed to cope with peek rush hour traffic next minute 50 % of the time our highways are empty work smarter not harder is needed.
Cold water therapy sounds great one gets better health benefits better circulation that's good for most things and best of all lowering our energy footprint having cold showers.
Save Our Kiwi month kia pai Imona that's awesome seeing the Kiwi egg rocking while hatching.
I think Pharmac should invest more in finding generic products and or making the drugs in Aotearoa there are many ways to solve a problem.
Ka kite Ano
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
They new that there products will stuff our environment they let greed override any concerns for our future environment. They stopped the first electric car the Volt. Tangata around the Papatuanuku must start to lower their own carbon footprint if no-one buys their product they will become unprofitable that is the way to leave the stuff in the ground. They will all start investing in Green Energy.
Fossil fuel companies have been aware of their impact on the planet since at least the 1950s
Jonathan Watts, Garry Blight and Pablo Gutiérrez
For more than 50 years, the petroleum industry and politicians have been warned about the climate risks of burning fossil fuels. Yet the top 20 fossil fuel firms have continued to expand and have been behind a third of all carbon emissions since 1965. This timeline shows who knew what and when, and how they communicated or obscured the threat to the public
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/oct/09/half-century-dither-denial-climate-crisis-timeline
Kia Ora 1 News.
The Spark and TV 1 sports broadcasting deals puts delayed sports matches on free TV like the old days.
I was not impressed with the way he handled Kia Ora.
Its good that big tech companies are going to limit the stuff bad people put up on their platforms.
The Wahine and tamariki are going to be suffering the most in Syria.
United mental health is doing a good job highlighting the Papatuanuku mental health issues this publication let's people know it OK to seek help on this issue as it's a problem many people have suffered.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
Its good to read that Ngapuhi Wahine voices are going to be heard.
I think teaching people to respect themselves by not touching PEE and respecting others is needed to many people have a attitude of who gives a stuff Our Tipuna do.
Te Ko Tahireo Pukapuka is a awesome organisation. I want to be able to read all. Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa pukapuka online for free.
Teaching tamariki about conserving our Tangaroa the Tahiti keeping their culture strong is good kia kaha.
Ka kite Ano