Some links to docos you might enjoy CV ….. although you may have seen them before …….. others could enjoy or learn from them …..
When I’m reading an article on the net and a name or operation I know nothing about is mentioned …. I ‘right click’ and search to see where the information leads and how it ties into things … it can end up very informative sometimes. …
Doug Valentine is a investigative journalist who after 4 years of research and interviews with C.I.A agents wrote a book “The Phoenix Program ” which ran during the Vietnam war …. “,…. it’s described as “A shocking exposé of
the covert CIA program of widespread torture, rape, and murder of civilians during America’s war in Vietnam,” …..
In this radio interview Doug Valentine describes his upbringing with a WWII vet father and how he got onto the phoenix program which was unknown to the public and had been a secret for 20 odd years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPUqUAhBg8 ……..
A lot of the doco explains specific propaganda and manipulation used to gain support for mass murder ( war )…………… He also gives a review of how he thinks Trump will operate… which is both critical and hopeful … Its a pack of murderers Trump will have to deal with and they certainly will not want to stop their sadistic blood democracy
But of course Vietnam and The Phoenix Program was just a continuation of using the worst psychopathic killers to suppress real democracy , murder political rivals, start wars, starve innocent civilians ….. and misinform us about it the whole time ….
“Operation Gladio” involved the C.I.As predecessor O.S.S and was specifically about the recruitment of Nazis,ultra-fascists and extreme right wingers after WWII was over………….. they were hidden militias/terrorist
The Govt sponsered nazis Killed many many innocent people …. which was then most often blamed on communists/socialist … using the resulting public outrage to kill or persecute them.
Which all leads me to ask ……. why do we …. as in New Zealand ….have a trade embargo against Russia for protecting ethnic russians and others from a proto fascist govt installed after destabilization and a violent coup ????….
“The International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals who have committed genocide and other major war crimes. Over 120 countries support it, but the United States is not one of them ……. ”
It all seems very disrespectful to WWII vets …. democracy u.s.a style ……….supporting Nazis
At least by not having a real air-force we did not become part of the ISIS aerial fighting wing like the Aussies and yanks did ….
Which all leads me to ask ……. why do we …. as in New Zealand ….have a trade embargo against Russia for protecting ethnic russians and others from a proto fascist govt installed after destabilization and a violent coup ????….
It certainly would be highly questionable, if the situation you describe reflected reality rather than fiction.
Thank you reason. The USA utterly destroyed its credibility with its actions in Vietnam, and has never come to terms with how appalling they really are(still).
Cheers garibaldi ………. one of the truly evil deeds done at the end of WWII was when the Brits reinstated the Fascist Nazi collaborators as police and Government in Greece ….. while waging war on the anti Nazi Greek partisan fighters who had liberated their country shortly before the Brits arrived …
….” as the December Battle of Athens had begun – known in Greece as the Dekemvriana – fought not between the British and the Nazis, but the British alongside supporters of the Nazis against the partisans. ” ……
“And thereafter Greece’s descent into catastrophic civil war: a cruel and bloody episode in British as well as Greek history which every Greek knows to their core”
” In France or Italy, if you fought the Nazis, you were respected in society after the war, regardless of ideology; they were heroes. In Greece, you found yourself fighting – or imprisoned and tortured by – the people who had collaborated with the Nazis, on British orders. There has never been a reckoning with that crime,” …. https://libcom.org/history/british-perfidy-greece-story-worth-remembering-ed-vulliamy-helena-smith
Those other Docos I posted up for Puckish were probably a bit long for Puckish …….. Here’s a 6 minute music one which has a simple message for him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5yYjcxnpCs
thank you reason. It seems that we have to educate some privileged citizens of the US-Anglo empire what their own recent history is. I bet some still think that the Contras were the “popularly supported freedom fighters”
My sister made some purchases in Briscoes yesterday. The salesman produced a plastic bag which she said she didn’t want. We were told they had to either give us a bag or put a ‘sold’ sticker on every item. Grrr!!
Once they’re paid for they belong to you and you can do whatever you like with them, including deciding you don’t want extra stickers. Plus what Ffloyd said.
They’d probably then insist on stickering or bagging them before the transaction was completed. There’s probably something politically creative to do with the bag or stickers at that point 😈
when this happen, accept the bag, go to the next rubbish bin outside of the shop and put any surplus packaging, plastic bags, plastic wrappings etc in said rubbish bin.
If someone from the Mall asks why you do that you simply state that you did not want the plastic bag/packaging/plastic wrapping and thus you leave it behind to let the store deal with the rubbish.
IF/when enough people do that and the shops/mall have ot empty their rubbish containers several times more a day some businesses will stop using any extra packaging.
I do that often at the Supermarket/Paknslave with plastic wrappers around boxes around bottles and the likes. Not gonna schlepp that stuff home.
it will be a company policy. Their bags are branded and while you walk around with your briscoes bag, your pak n slave bags etc etc you are a walking talking advertisement for the company and in many cases you have to pay 10 cents for the privelege.
Kick a fuss with the company and then start leaving all the surpluss packaging behind in the shops and let them deal with the rubbish.
Why would you a. schlepp that stuff home and b. pay for having it removed as rubbish?
When I’m reading an article on the net and a name or operation I know nothing about is mentioned I ‘right click’ and search to see where
the information leads and how it ties into things …
Doug Valentine is a investigative journalist who after 4 years of research and interviews with C.I.A agents wrote a book “The Phoenix Program ” which ran during the Vietnam war …. “,…. it’s described as “A shocking exposé of
the covert CIA program of widespread torture, rape, and murder of civilians during America’s war in Vietnam,” …..
In this radio interview he describes his upbringing with a WWII vet father and how he got onto the phoenix program which was unknown to the public and had been a secret for 20 odd years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPUqUAhBg8 ……..
A lot of the doco explains specific propaganda and manipulation used to gain support for mass murder ( war )…………… He also gives a review of how he thinks Trump will operate… which is both critical and hopeful … Its a pack of murderers Trump will have to deal with and they certainly will not want to stop.
But of course Vietnam and The Phoenix Program was just a continuation of using the worst psychopathic killers to suppress real democracy , murder political rivals, start wars, starve innocent civilians ….. and misinform us about it the whole time ….
“Operation Gladio” involved the C.I.As predecessor O.S.S and was specifically about the recruitment of Nazis,ultra-fascists and extreme right wingers after WWII was over………….. they were hidden militias/terrorist
The Govt sponsered nazis Killed many many innocent people …. which was then most often blamed on communists/socialist … using the resulting public outrage to kill or persecute them.
Which all leads me to ask ……. why do we …. as in New Zealand ….have a trade embargo against Russia for protecting ethnic russians and others from a proto fascist govt installed after destabilization and a violent coup ????….
“The International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals who have committed genocide and other major war crimes. Over 120 countries support it, but the United States is not one of them ……. ”
Its mainly our farmers who are paying for NZs support of fascism at the moment .. ….. good to see National party supporters paying for their policy
At least by not having a real air-force we did not become part of the ISIS aerial fighting wing like the Aussies and yanks did ….
Like our building industry where we sell raw materials for peanuts to buy back for a fortune, we can now give our water away to buy back in plastic bottles for $3. Bad for the environment, bad for the economy, but obviously a great profit for those getting the resource consents being dished out like lollies.
Yup, water should only be free if you harvest it off your roof or your own ponds, if you start taking from National parks, lakes, aquifers then you should have to pay per cubic meter for the water to the government and a levy to the local community and ONLY if it will have a minimal environmental effects.
The resource consents should be able to be modified or nulled if there are any negative effects and the consents should only be for 5 – 10 year periods not forever, so that if there is a drought or what have you – the consents can be modified.
It is crazy how the council and government are just giving away our public resources. Wonder who the company is and who they know in government and council?
Not sure where you live BM but many of us on town water seemed to be already charged for water, therefore why should a small group of people be able to take out millions of litres of water for their business from NZer’s without also paying for their useage?
If you want to avoid water charges collect from your roof or ponds for farms. Not some individuals diverting and taking water from everyone for their own benefit and selling if off shore while many locals are forced to pay for it.
Na mate, they are the first step in sorting out wasteful, entitled bludgers who think they can use as much water as they like and not have to pay for it. Bonus effect in allowing reticulation managers to get a handle on location and quantity of losses from their reticulation. So the result of metering is lower costs to most water users, apart from the wasteful entitled bludgers, who get to pay for their usage.
It’s the political clout of the wasteful entitled bludgers that keeps our water supplies un-metered, and uncontrolled.
The councils seem to be giving away the rate payers water that’s what I am objecting to, by giving private companies resource consent to harvest water for nothing.
It’s one of those things about economics that most people simply do not understand: We need to measure how much of a resource we have, how much of it can be used sustainably per year and how much and where is actually being used.
For some strange reason we’ve developed this idea that we can just take it all without worrying about it.
So, yes, every house, farm and business needs to have a water metre. And if we keep a market system then everyone needs to be charged for each unit that they use.
Like water is so scarce on the West Coast that there is not nearly enough to export.
Seriously, get real here. Why wouldn’t you export water from the West Coast? Standardnistas are always going on about the lack of jobs, especially in the regions, but obviously when they are created you are against them. Go figure.
One of the problems many have with this issue Wayne is the resource belongs to all New Zealanders, yet it will be a privately owned venture that is going to directly profit from this.
If we are going to bulk export water it should be done through Government and for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
I think that if you harvest from your own roof for residential use it should be free or if you irrigate stock from your own pond it should be free. What I object to, is that some locals paying a fortune for water, while other councils are giving it away for export (probably to cronies). Where is the fairness in that?
The point is that our present economic system mistakes money for wealth. Exporting resources actually makes us poorer even though a few people will have more money in the bank.
The Chump says he’s saving jobs in the US. A few hundred at a time. By individually bullying companies (into doing things they were going to do anyway, but the Chump and the company both get good press from bullshitting about it). But he’s promised to trash clean energy, which is one of the fastest growing and high value segments of the US economy. Meanwhile China is creating millions of jobs by getting serious about clean energy.
Trump is into good business and good deals. If “clean energy” can demonstrate its place in the US economy, it’ll have a very good run under Trump.
Meanwhile China is creating millions of jobs by getting serious about clean energy.
NB China is still opening up new thermal plants every month.
The Chump says he’s saving jobs in the US. A few hundred at a time. By individually bullying companies
It’s good to see that we finally have a US President who understands how business makes decisions and doesn’t believe in the free market mumbo jumbo of the Clintons and the Obamas.
Mexican press already complaining that Trump has cost Mexico at least 3600 jobs which were due to move from the US to Mexico.
@ Colonial Viper, Are you seriously saying that you believe Trump ( himself in the1% class) will operate outside his own class ideology, and help workers achieve better more stable conditions/pay over other (1% ers) industrialists/corporatists profit motives, and that he doesn’t believe in a totally free market?
What has he ever done in his own business ventures to have you believe those things?
He’s already doing those things. And it’s not just about Mexico – he’s just fired shots at the Toyota Corporation telling them if they do not build their next plant in the USA, they will face a 35% tariff at the border.
BTW you need to realise that the “elites” are not a monolithic block. History shows us that the “elites” often have conflicting or competing agendas. We can see this quite clearly with the deep state attempting to take the Trump Administration down before it even gets in.
Trump has expressed support for so-called right-to-work legislation, which allows workers to avoid paying union dues. Republican leaders in Congress have consistently sought such a change at the national level. Labor unions say such laws are aimed at undermining collective bargaining and workers’ rights.
It’s ok though, because a shithead propagandist says water is dry.
Trump is making the USA more attractive for business. He’ll threaten businesses who want to move jobs out of the USA. But he’ll also give them lower taxes and more compliant workforce conditions if they stay.
It’s a classic business-like carrot and stick approach.
Obama was just letting Detroit jobs walk away to Mexico – destroying US worker unions that way.
That’s the way of it. Trump can deliver some things, but given the political establishment he is up against, he won’t be able to deliver everything by himself.
You’ll have to point out where I said that. Indeed, I said above that elites often have conflicting or competing interests and that can be seen in how the Deep State is attempting to take Trump and his Administration down. (Implicitly suggesting that Trump is indeed part of the elite).
If anything, saying that Trump is part of the 1% is not wholly accurate. He is more correctly thought of as part of the 1% of the 1%.
Trump’s fellow elitists have long known that they cannot control him like they could control Reagan, Bush, Clinton and (they were hoping), Rodham Clinton.
OK, so just to be clear, are you saying that you believe that American workers, American civil rights, and freedom of speech will all improve overall under a Trump Presidency?
Also what historical episode are you alluding to where ‘elites’ ( a word I loath to use for the leeching class) have turned on their own class for the benefit of workers in a long term and substantive way?
OK, so just to be clear, are you saying that you believe that American workers, American civil rights, and freedom of speech will all improve overall under a Trump Presidency?
They’ll deteriorate at an equal or slower rate than under President Obama’s time.
I can almost guarantee that Trump will prosecute FEWER whistleblowers than the record breaking Orwellian Obama.
Recently, two U.S. coal companies, Peabody Energy Corporation and Arch Coal, filed for bankruptcy amid tumbling coal prices. These companies had invested significantly to acquire coal mines and were particularly hurt by low consumption in China.
Indications are that it will be lower from coal fired generation. So that would indicate that it does matter that China is going to add even more gigawatts of renewable power generation.
Krugman on the Chump’s phony jobs policy and how he’s playing the media with his “saving jobs” schtick.
“In other words, it may have sounded as if Mr. Trump was doing something substantive by intervening with Carrier, but he wasn’t. This was fake policy — a show intended to impress the rubes, not to achieve real results.”
Clinton Camper Krugman is just pissed that he didn’t get the White House position Hillary promised him, and has been losing his mind for the last two months over it.
If Krugman was really interested in policies which make a substantial difference to the US jobs market he should not have been dead-set against Gerald Friedmans estimates of the US economys future under Bernie Sanders economic policy.
Friedman was discussing policies which might actually make a dent in the 75,000 odd churn of the jobs market each day in the US.
The main point is, (as Krugman says), that “Friedman is implicitly assuming that the U.S. economy is (and will continue to be for a long time) dramatically below its productive capacity.” which he disputes. But given that Krugman is saying there that the US is actually much closer to full capacity utilization when dealing with Friedman (which means almost all of the 75,000 turnover will find other jobs quickly) why does he also claim some re-shoring is insignificant because many will languish without jobs for many many years, when dealing with Trump. Of course its because Krugman thinks he can have it both ways on this issue.
Also, despite claiming its fake policy, Krugman does nothing to actually show that the policy doesn’t do exactly what it says it does. e.g the headline of Krugmans piece is based on a lie! (most probably by the editor).
Society and civilisation is already collapsing for the bottom one to two billion in the world.
The stuck up ignorant intellectual-yet-idiots in first class don’t think anything is wrong with the Titanic, but those in steerage have noticed that the water is up to their knees and rising fast.
Even the wealthy locations around the world are experiencing weird, severe weather events year on year. But don’t worry we’re this close to self driving cars and drone courier deliveries which will of course solve all our problems.. not.
Alex Jones and Max Keiser (mid Dec): the Trump effect, death of the MSM, the rise of alternative media, RT as “fake news”, creating jobs in America, Vladimir Putin
I’m putting this in the reply because you mentioned the magic words “fake news”.
Check out this bizzare story of a dating site (yes really) attacking Assange.
There is a link in the article that goes to another story where Wikileaks threatening to sue CNN (the king of all fake news sites IMHO) for labeling Assange as a pedocrim.
thanks for the link. Mildly amazed it made it to mcclatchy as being newsworthy. US Gov has influence over tonnes of front people and front organisations to do this kind of nonsense with, not to mention offsiders like Soros etc funding NGOs who do similar under direction.
Cantabrians, is this an actual issue? Bubbling under the radar or out there in public? Or do people accept the destruction of public good for private profit as just capitalism NZ style in action?
Pretty good piece by Owen Jones here, maybe some on the left could actually now start expend some of their energy on T May, rather than bagging Corbyn for a change, you know divided we fall and all that….I know many free market liberals despise and fear a real socialist Left Wing voice..but maybe 2017 is time for them to wake up and understand that the neo liberal freemarket project as has been vigorously promoted by various ‘centre left’ western political parties is over, exposed as nothing more than a economic ponzi scheme.
“Theresa May backing Donald Trump over Israel is a disgrace”
Thanks for that, Adrian. It’s worth remembering though, that not all Labour Party MPs are moral reprobates, cowards and chickenhawks like Hilary Benn, Tony Blair and Ed Miliband….
I agree, just wish we could get back to having a real Left Labour in New Zealand, one that we could all really fight for, but no, just the same old centrist bullshit.
Who wants to fight for that…nobody that’s who, the best Labour can hope for in 2017 is people voting for them because they are either sick of National, or don’t feel they have any other choice…but certainly not because they are passionate and inspired about Labour as a vehicle of real and needed economic/political change.
Turn Labour Left.
Sorry to pop the hot air balloon – but in my considered opinion, New Zealand is a corrupt, polluted tax haven.
The tip of the giant New Zealand corruption iceberg has been revealed in the ‘Reasons for the Verdict’ of Justice Sally Fitzgerald dated 9 December 2016.
(International ‘Anti-Corruption Day’ – as it happens!)
CRI-2015-044-001286
[2016] NZHC 2970
THE QUEEN v
STEPHEN JAMES BORLASE
MURRAY JOHN NOONE
225 pages – which I have spent DAYS studying.)
The bribes paid by just ONE corrupt private contractor to just ONE corrupt ‘public official’ totalled $1.2 million over 7 years.
How many thousands of ‘public officials’ and thousands of private contractors are there in New Zealand, perceived’ for so many years to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – (according to the, in my view, the effectively bogus and completely meaningless Transparency International ‘Corruption Perception Index’?)
How is it either proper, or lawful, for ‘public officials’ to simultaneously be ‘private consultants’?
(Which has been proven to be the mechanism for the corrupt payment of bribes in the above-mentioned Judgment.)
How is it proper or lawful to have a policy of ‘collaboration’ and
‘co-operation’ between public officials and private consultants and contractors?
In my view, this policy of ‘collaboration’ and ‘co-operation’ between public officials and private consultants/ contractors has now been proven to breed corruption.
How widespread is this policy of ‘collaboration’ and ‘co-operation’ across local and central government?
Anyone else asking – or checking?
How much of this now proven to be fundamentally flawed, policy of ‘collaboration’ and ‘co-operation’ between public officials and private consultants/contractors has come about because of the, in my view, infestation of public official roles with private sector businesspeople?
And the commercialisation of public services, locally, nationally and internationally?
The NZ National Business Review (NBR) has led the charge and published two in-depth investigative articles revealing corruption in the NZ roading industry.
(16 and 23 December 2016
SPECIAL Investigation – Investigative journalist Karyn Scherer).
As a proven anti-corruption campaigner, who has attended five international
anti-corruption conferences, and ‘blown the whistle’ against corruption and the lack of transparency in the spending of public spending on private consultants and contractors for the last ten years – I now feel absolutely vindicated.
I’m standing as an Independent ‘anti-corruption’ candidate in the upcoming Mt Albert by-Election, and look forward to being able to ask some stinking hard questions about corruption in the House under Parliamentary privilege.
The strongest message, in my view, that can be given to this Government that decent New Zealanders want a STOP to corruption is to vote a proven anti-corruption ‘Public Watchdog’ into Parliament.
THAT will send a message that cannot be ignored – locally, nationally and internationally.
SEIZE THE MOMENT!
Penny Bright.
2017 Independent candidate in the Mt Albert by-election.
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Conference -Bangkok.
Attendee: 2009, 2013, 2015 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conferences.
“How is it either proper, or lawful, for ‘public officials’ to simultaneously be ‘private consultants’?”
It often isn’t. The public sector routinely uses Conflict of Interest processes to manage potentially competing interests including private business dealings.
It is impossible to prevent immoral arseholes like the primary convict in this case from lying on official COI forms and to successive managers, as revealed in the judgement notes. Yet they were still caught because colleagues had the moral fibre to pursue matters and the public records and testimony convinced the judge to find guilt. Result.
English Grammar
The NZ Herald must be finding it hard to find reporters that have any idea of writing an article and obviously do not proof read.
Refer Split in Trump’s Team.
I always thought that a person’s name was in capital letters and also the name of a organisation. Apparently the US is us. Have also noticed the “word” if that is what you call gotten is creeping in with some.
From the Financial Times: in the UK inherited wealth reinforces/increases wealth inequalities – according to the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an economic research organisation.
Basically, it’s increasingly hard for younger generations to build up their own wealth, if they don’t have wealthy parents. The wealthiest among older generations are likely to leave a sizeable sum to their children.
PM May says she aims to decrease inequalities, but her party’s promise to reduce inheritance taxes will work against this.
The amount of wealth held by elderly households has increased rapidly during the past decade because of rising home ownership and higher house prices. The average wealth of households where all members are aged 80 or older rose from £160,000 in 2002 to £230,000 in 2012, the most recent year for which data are available. Owner-occupied housing made up 70 per cent of this in 2012.
This rise has been accompanied by an increase in the share of elderly households expecting to leave a bequest.
…
But the wealth of elderly households is not equally distributed — the richest half hold 90 per cent of the wealth. “Hence a ‘lucky half’ of younger households look likely to get the vast majority of the inherited wealth,” said the authors of the report.
That “lucky half” are likely to already be well-off in their own right. Among people born in the 1970s, nearly 87 per cent of those in the highest income fifth expect to receive some form of inheritance or have already received one. This compares with 58 per cent of those in the lowest income fifth.
So, the housing bubble is feeding into growing wealth inequalities.
The hysterical anti-Russian lies being whipped up by the bitter and thoroughly discredited leadership of the Democratic Party have been mindlessly repeated in this country, with RNZ National and other major outlets leading every bulletin yesterday (Friday 6 January) with the (completely unsupported) allegations made by the notorious perjurer James Clapper….
One of the targets of the Clintonistas’ wrath has been Glenn Greenwald, the outstanding scholar and journalist who in 2014 was labeled “a loser” by our former prime minister John “Quitter” Key. He writes about it at the end of this typically excellent article….
The Washington Post Is Richly Rewarded for False News
About Russia Threat While Public Is Deceived
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, January 5 2017
….That Russia is a Grave Menace attacking the U.S. has — for obvious reasons — become a critical narrative for Democrats and other Trump opponents who dominate elite media circles on social media and elsewhere. They reward and herald anyone who bolsters that narrative, while viciously attacking anyone who questions it.
Indeed, in my 10-plus years of writing about politics on an endless number of polarizing issues — including the Snowden reporting — nothing remotely compares to the smear campaign that has been launched as a result of the work I’ve done questioning and challenging claims about Russian hacking and the threat posed by that country generally. This is being engineered not by random, fringe accounts, but by the most prominent Democratic pundits with the largest media followings.
I’ve been transformed, overnight, into an early adherent of alt-right ideology, an avid fan of Breitbart, an enthusiastic Trump supporter, and — needless to say — a Kremlin operative. That’s literally the explicit script they’re now using, often with outright fabrications of what I say (see here for one particularly glaring example).
They, of course, know all of this is false. A primary focus of the last 10 years of my journalism has been a defense of the civil liberties of Muslims. I wrote an entire book on the racism and inequality inherent in the U.S. justice system. My legal career involved numerous representations of victims of racial discrimination. I was one of the first journalists to condemn the misleadingly “neutral” approach to reporting on Trump and to call for more explicit condemnations of his extremism and lies. I was one of the few to defend Jorge Ramos from widespread media attacks when he challenged Trump’s immigration extremism. Along with many others, I tried to warn Democrats that nominating a candidate as unpopular as Hillary Clinton risked a Trump victory. And as someone who is very publicly in a same-sex, inter-racial marriage — with someone just elected to public office as a socialist — I make for a very unlikely alt-right leader, to put that mildly.
The malice of this campaign is exceeded only by its blatant stupidity. Even having to dignify it with a defense is depressing, though once it becomes this widespread, one has little choice.
But this is the climate Democrats have successfully cultivated — where anyone dissenting or even expressing skepticism about their deeply self-serving Russia narrative is the target of coordinated and potent smears; where, as The Nation’s James Carden documented yesterday, skepticism is literally equated with treason. And the converse is equally true: Those who disseminate claims and stories that bolster this narrative — no matter how divorced from reason and evidence they are — receive an array of benefits and rewards.
That the story ends up being completely discredited matters little. The damage is done, and the benefits received. Fake News in the narrow sense of that term is certainly something worth worrying about. But whatever one wants to call this type of behavior from the Post, it is a much greater menace given how far the reach is of the institutions that engage in it.
Good one Morrissey.
There are many on this site falling hook, line and sinker for the ‘Democrat’ propaganda maelstrom. It’s a pity the Democrats still can’t come to terms with the fact they ran a poor campaign with an unsuitable candidate.
None of all this bullshit Presidency of Trump would have happened if the DNC hadn’t had their heads up their arses and had had enough nous to see the need for change.
Their pathetic attempts to blame everyone else but themselves just shows what total disarray their Party is in. Shame on them.
You do get that it’s possible for senior Democrats to be trashing Glenn Greenwald and for Russian intelligence services to have hacked the DNC emails, right? The two are not mutually exclusive.
You don’t seem to understand how this stuff works. The source of the allegations isn’t Clapper, it’s the US intelligence services – which, however much we might not like them, do actually have a job to do and to some extent at least they actually do it. Your thoughts on the credibility of the results are no doubt of importance to you, but there’s no reason they should be important to anyone else. What counts is what US government officials think of it, and so far they’re taking it seriously.
The source of the allegations isn’t Clapper, it’s the US intelligence services
Plenty of bullshit allegations and assertions, zero fucking proof. Bill Binney, Ray McGovern, John Kiriakou, Murray Craig, Julian Assange have all been very clear on this.
On the other side of the equation the “intelligence services” keep releasing pointless shit reports like the recent FBI/DHS one and the declassified version of the ODNI report which don’t say a fucking thing except for providing more evidence-free assertions and conclusions.
As usual, you declare claims you don’t like to be “bullshit” “evidence-free assertions,” while those you do like are accepted at face value as “very clear” self-evident truth. That can be funny in a sit-com character, but is simply irritating in a live human.
1. The reports have no credibility.
2. Members of the US Congress and Senate take them seriously, meaning that…
3. We have a problem. A fucking huge one given that it’s all revolving around cranking up tensions with Russia.
The fight against the privatisation of State housing – for which there was never an electoral mandate.
FYI.
As an Independent candidate in the upcoming Mt Albert by-election, I absolutely support the brave stand by Niki Rauiti as a directly-affected State tenant who is fighting the privatisation of State housing by refusing to be evicted.
I will be coming on the march to help defend Niki and State housing on 17 January 2017, and supporting the proceeding occupation.
Let’s help make this a key Mt Albert by-election issue and put a HUGE spotlight on the housing issue that CANNOT be ignored!
Who’s coming with us?
Who else can help get this message out?
THANKS!
Penny Bright
‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog.
2017 Independent candidate
Mt Albert by-election.
______________________________
Tēnā koutou,
We are writing requesting support for Ioela ‘Niki’ Rauti, a long-term tenant who is being evicted from her home at 14 Taniwha Road, Glen Innes.
Niki is to be evicted so that private houses for the wealthy can be built on former Housing New Zealand land.
Niki intends to resist this eviction but requires support in order to be successful.
We will be holding two marches in support of Niki on the 17 January 2017, starting at 6:00pm.
There will be two starting points, the first will be Glen Innes Library, and the second will be the corner of Line Road and West Tāmaki Drive.
Both marches will meet at Niki’s home at 14 Taniwha.
If either the government or the redevelopment company, the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company, have not by this stage halted the eviction, an occupation of the surrounding land will be set up to act as a barrier of defense for Niki.
Niki is an elderly tenant who is also suffering from illness.
Niki is making a stand for the elderly, sick, disabled and for all tenants facing discrimination and eviction due to housing reform and profit-driven redevelopment.
We believe that the ‘housing crisis’ is not addressed through evictions, selling state housing and gentrifying communities.
This eviction is part of nationwide reforms that have led to eviction, displacement, increased homelessness, and transiency.
This fight for Niki is a fight for all tenants facing eviction and displacement.
We are making a call out for support for Niki to try and keep her home, and to make a stand against the Government’s housing policy.
A few suggestions are listed below:
Joining the March on 17 January 2017 as well as the proceeding occupation.
Public support for Niki on your Facebook, through a press release etc.
Sending out details about the occupation to your email lists.
Donating resources such as tents, full list available on the facebook page.
Sending donations to the Tāmaki Housing Group 38-9014-0147012-00
Most importantly we ask for your presence during Niki’s occupation of her home.
Human beings (en masse) are stupid so perhaps as a species we will indeed cease to exist in the not too distant future. We repeat the same mistakes and patterns time after time.
Consider ….diminishing resources+ resurgent eugenics+ Trump…. and be very afraid.
Cold War rhetoric isnt worth repeating because it’s so transparent. Every American intervention from Greece in 1947 to Syria today features a mythical Russian threat.
One thing has changed since 1947, the speed at which finance can travel the globe has increased dramatically transforming the great game from chess (Atrittion) to Go. Ask any Go master why they make a move, they reply, because it feels right.
So The United States doesn”t like overseas interference in their elections. Get over it you guys. The UK and New Zealand have been getting it for years, it’s called, CrosbyTextor.
Two smart home assistants hold a conversation than never sticks to the point and evades any evidence to support outrageous claims. It also includes allegations of lying, assertions of what was said and subsequent denials, and apparently at least one claim to be a god…
Bolivia proving that Socialism works and is profitable.
“Since 2006, Bolivia has been run by socialists every bit as militant as Venezuela’s. The country has experienced a spectacular run of economic growth and poverty reduction with no hint of the chaos that has plagued Venezuela. While inflation spirals toward the 1000 per cent mark in Venezuela, in Bolivia it runs below 4 per cent a year. Shortages of basic consumption goods – rampant in Caracas – are unheard of in La Paz………..
……. Bolivia was running budget surpluses every year between 2006 and 2014. This allowed it to draw down the public sector’s debt, which fell from 83 per cent of GDP in 2003 to just 26 per cent in 2014, even as Bolivia built up its international reserves dramatically, from US$1.7b in 2005 to US$15.1b at the end of the boom in 2014.
Ok Bolivia is resource rich but compared to Venezuela (and some other countries) The Washington Post is applauding the way Socialism and careful management is working there.
I've got one source saying more Labour MPs than expected are mulling whether to vote for the deal - including names who were not on the letter to Juncker and Tusk— Emilio Casalicchio (@e_casalicchio) 17 October 2019 I've compiled a list of possible reasons why Labour ...
On Wednesday, the government was loudly telling us that it needed to legislate to allow it to impose "control orders" - effectively a parole regime, but imposed without charge, prosecution, conviction or real evidence - on suspected terrorists because they couldn't be prosecuted for their supposed crimes. Today, it turns ...
On Monday, the Hit and Run inquiry heard from NZDF's former director of special operations, who claimed that the defence Minister knew everything about the Operation Burnham raid. Today, the inquiry heard from that (former) Minister - and it turns out that he didn't know nearly as much as NZDF ...
Yoga gurus and cult leaders – I’ve seen a few. Two weeks ago, I unknowingly joined an alleged new-age cult at the Kāpiti coast, together with a giant kraken and some neatly dressed pensioners who would make any book club proud.They were among the two hundred people of all ages ...
The last decade has seen a trend of increasing weapons availability to police. Assault rifles. Tasers on every hip. Guns in cars. And following the march 15 massacre, pistols on every hip, all over the country. At the same time, its also seen an increase in the abuse of force: ...
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been busy preparing for our summer paper on Science Communication. Looking for something amusing about ‘risk’ in science, I came across this neat xkcd.com cartoon about why so many people come knocking on my door (or phoning me, or emailing me) desperately wanting ...
by John Edmundson The International Socialist Organisation (ISO) have recently reposted a February article, by Romany Tasker-Poland, explaining ISO’s position in the “trans rights” debate. It is available on their website and on their Facebook Page. The article sets out to explain why “socialists support trans rights”. It reads more ...
"Auckland City Mission: 10% of Kiwis experiencing food insecurity", RNZ, 16 October 2019:About half a million people are experiencing food insecurity, according to new research from the Auckland City Mission. Food insecurity, or food poverty, is defined as not having enough appropriate food. The City Mission said over the last ...
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...
Would You Buy A Used Propaganda Video From This Man? Bridges and the National Party’s strategists have discovered that the ideas and attitudes considered acceptable by today’s editors and journalists are no longer enforceable. The rise and rise of the Internet and the social media platforms it spawned means that ...
There is plenty of evidence of the way the business mentality has permeated every level of society since the recrudescence of market liberalism 35 years ago. You only need to think of how citizens in need of help from their government, their state, their country, are now routinely described as ...
John MacCormickOver the last 40 years, New Zealanders – and people in other countries – have experienced big changes in the jobs they do and where they live and work. These changes include: a decline in manufacturing jobs an increase in jobs in ‘information-intensive’ industries (which are better paid ...
Nick Wilson, Leah Grout, Mereana Wilson, Anja Mizdrak, Phil Shoemack, Michael BakerProtecting waterways has the benefits of: (1) protecting water from hazardous microbes; (2) minimising cancer risk and other problems from nitrates in water; (3) avoiding algal blooms that are hazardous to health; (4) protecting mahinga kai uses (cultural ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In a press release today Massey University announced it has decided to rebrand and reorientate after struggling to be a University for grown-ups. For some time the University has wanted to be a safe play space for wee-woke-misogynists who have been really badly triggered ...
After a brief dalliance with 'hard Revoke' it looks like the Lib Dems are changing ground on on Brexit, with leader Jo Swinson reverting to calling for a second referendum on Johnson's deal.The party has tabled an amendment to the Queen’s speech requesting that any deal brought back from Brussels ...
The government has decided that someone has done Something Bad. But despite their belief, there seems to be no evidence that they have actually broken the law. So the government's solution is to pass a retrospective law allowing them to be punished anyway, on a lower standard of proof. If ...
So, Judith Collins has done a Facebook rant about climate change, peddling the same shit National has been shovelling for the past twenty years: the impacts are overstated, there's no need to do anything about it, and its too hard anyway (oh, and its so unfair that people who peddle ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThere is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...
I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
Last month, NZDF's shoddy coverup of what it knew about civilian casualties in Operation Burnham began to fall apart, with the revelation that a report on the matter, which NZDF claimed not to have, had been sitting in an NZDF safe for the past nine years. Yesterday, the man responsible ...
While many imagine that countries like the USA and Europe dominate space activities, in fact India is now a major player on this stage. It launches satellites for its own purposes and also commercially, and has constellations orbiting our planet and returning data of vital importance to that nation in ...
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 ...
An essay by Judith Collins MP reported on Carbon News yesterday seems to show an alarming shift in attitude within the National Party. Collins argues against the Zero Carbon Bill, the Paris Agreement, and downplays the magnitude of climate impacts. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and ratified ...
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 ...
How could government evolve over the next decades? Reports of democracy’s imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. However, satisfaction with political systems in many countries is low, so there is much to do for governments of all political stripes to improve relevance and trust. Digital technologies are seen as one ...
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 has prided itself for decades with regard to its lack of pollution, and all will be aware that the ‘100% Pure New Zealand‘ meme is under threat through land, water and air pollution of various causes. There is another type of contamination that the country also faces: light ...
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’ ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhy do people still think climate change isn’t real?David ...
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. ...
What is language? We generally assume that it a facility unique to humans, allowing us to share what’s in and on our minds. We can tell of our plans, our past exploits, our knowledge. It also allows us to lie. And yet there are vast numbers of people we can’t ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is predicting a hard Brexit for the United Kingdom, as he believes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be able to negotiate terms before the October 30 deadline. The Minister, who was one of the first to publicly come out and predict British voters would leave ...
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...
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 ...
The Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Bill. “Every New Zealander has a stake in New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension,” says Carmel Sepuloni. “They are our most common form of social assistance – nearly 800,000 New ...
Babies in Auckland aged six months and over can receive a free vaccination and children will all have access to vaccines, Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announced today at Papatoetoe High School. The move comes as part of Government efforts to step up the fight against measles. ...
***Check against delivery*** Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here, and to have the honour of opening this important conference on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Let us take the opportunity to acknowledge all the people who have helped make today possible, including our special ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash says the safety of frontline officers and members of the public will be the focus of a new trial of specialist Police response teams in three of our largest urban centres. Police have this morning released details of an initiative to be trialled in Counties Manukau, ...
The Minister of Fisheries is calling for entries for a new public award to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector. “I have established the Seafood Sustainability Awards to recognise and celebrate those throughout industry, tangata whenua and communities who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovation towards the sustainability of New Zealand’s ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter welcomes leaders in the private sector taking action on closing their gender pay gaps to ensure a fairer workplace for all New Zealanders. Ms Genter today launched a new report, Addressing the gender pay gap and driving women’s representation in senior leadership, from the Champions for ...
Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...
The Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...
The Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...
Statistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...
Minister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...
The Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...
The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...
At 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...
Kiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Feedback sought– Lyttelton commercial zone parking The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to remove on-site car parking requirements for new developments in the Lyttelton commercial zone. The proposal, by Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section 71 of the Greater ...
Hon Minister Poto Williams Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration MEDIA STATEMENT Tuesday 15 October 2019 Feedback sought – Hagley Oval The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal about Hagley Oval. The proposal was developed by Regenerate Christchurch ...
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 ...
As the New Zealand First Party gathers for its annual conference, the question swirling in the year is how it can carve out a path to avoid electoral defeat in 2020, writes Jo Moir for RNZ. It’s not you, it’s me. It’s a familiar break up excuse that’s used ...
To the early intervention therapists, to the teachers, to the speech therapists, the occupational therapists, music therapists, diabetes nurses and all: you change the world.When I was married almost a decade ago we had the following reading at our wedding:You are holding up a ceilingwith both arms. It is very ...
The faces said it all. The smiles of the European leaders crowded round Boris after the Brexit deal was struck. The deal his opponents – no, pretty much everyone – said was impossible.So what’s in it? The detail is still opaque, but subject to gremlins in the fine print, ...
Iran attracts an onslaught of negative media in New Zealand and Western media. But is it fair or deserved? David Robie has spent several weeks travelling in the country on sabbatical and finds the media negativity far from the reality of the “most friendly” country he has ever visited ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Leigh Sullivan discusses the week in politics with Michelle Grattan. They talk about Alan Jones accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of failing the immediate needs of drought-striken farmers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anita Parbhakar-Fox, Senior Research Fellow in Geometallurgy/Applied Geochemistry, The University of Queensland Last month, scientists uncovered a mineral called Edscottite. Minerals are solid, naturally occurring substances that are not living, such as quartz or haematite. This new mineral was discovered after an ...
The Auckland-based collective talk origins, ambitions and making the rave accessible to everybody.Friendly Potential is an outfit that defies easy summary. They’re among the country’s most ambitious and prolific club promoters. In their almost five-years of operation, they’ve been responsible for the local debuts of electronic music icons including Detroit ...
Analysis: Two polls show support for Labour sliding, the government is accused of breaking another promise and the Greens's refusal to back a bill forces Labour to rely on National to get it through. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiera Lindsey, University of Technology Sydney One spring morning in 1850, over 8,000 Sydneysiders marched through town to protest the resumption of transportation – the act of sending British criminals to Australia. It was the largest protest in Australia thus far, an ...
Two shareholders of failed insurance firm company CBL are leading a class action against the firm's former directors seeking compensation for financial losses. ...
Sam Brooks recaps the third episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and wonders why some of these queens don’t know how to sew.This episode asks, and sort of answers the main question that millions of people across the world: why would you come on Drag Race and not know how to sew?!There ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John M Clarke, Team Leader, Regional Projections, CSIRO Last month we lost Dr Penny Whetton – one of the world’s most respected climate scientists and a brilliant mentor to the next generation of researchers. Penny will also be remembered as a passionate ...
Ten moose were upended into the Dusky Sounds in 1910. Now, their descendants are getting their day in the sun.The climate crisis is affecting wildlife all over the country: rockhopper penguin populations are in drastic decline, tuatara eggs aren’t hatching females, and the ice walls keeping predators away from kea ...
Security footage of NZ First MP Clayton Mitchell being thrown out of a Tauranga bar looks unlikely to ever be aired - despite his leader Winston Peters promising a screening. ...
Amnesty International is concerned that Justice Minister Andrew Little's Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill could have the potential to undermine human rights in New Zealand. The Bill would give the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to ...
Expect the old campaigner Winston Peters to be at his belligerent best as he gears up for another election. He’s kept his party alive for 27 years and he shows no sign of quitting. The omens may be bleak—polls this week showed his party below the 5% threshold– but Peters ...
The National Party has agreed to take down any videos breaching the current rules around the use of parliamentary TV footage, as all parties try to reach consensus. ...
Recently the Health Promotion Agency released a report into hazardous drinking in New Zealand. The report shows that Māori who drink alcohol and live in deprived circumstances are less likely to have a harmful relationship with alcohol if they ...
Turkey-US joint-statement on military ops within Syria’s territory.The Turkish Embassy in New Zealand issued Evening Report this unabridged United States of America-Republic of Turkey joint-statement detailing what both sides agreed to regarding Turkey’s military operations within the so-called security zone within Syrian territory near Turkey’s southern border. It is ...
Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash didn’t mention what winners will receive, when he proudly called for entries for a new public award “to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector”. Nor did he mention the cost to taxpayers of this initiative. Point of Order’s checks with the website where more details have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona R Martin, Senior Lecturer in Convergent and Online Media, University of Sydney One of the basic tenets of the ABC Act is independence from government. Yet once again, in contravention to that principle, the federal government is trying to push through ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Lily Holloway.modernity to globalisationwhen I get there as still life and landscape and also portraitureseeking the cacti in small pots who dot the globeslices of pie offer up the vision after the sermonexpressing emotions without coherent narrative supportbecause no artist responded to this callemploying ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi to rule out any taxpayer-funded purchase or bailout for Mediaworks’s channel Three. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “For the last few months Mediaworks ...
The Police Commissioner's announcement that squadcars of officers with automatic rifles will patrol New Zealand's streets is dangerous and unnecessary, according to the criminal justice community organisation People Against Prisons Aotearoa. The ...
News broke this morning that Mediaworks is seeking to sell off, and even contemplating closing, its TV division. What might that mean for journalism?For journalism in New Zealand, the loss of Three’s TV division is a devastating blow. It is not yet known whether any of the news properties will ...
In our defence of our coalition Government policy on climate change, we fully support Government plan to use rail funding for rail infrastructure upgrades to promote use rail infrastructure for freight around NZ. ...
The billions of tonnes of plastic in our oceans isn’t going away any time soon, but innovative companies here and abroad are working together to find silver linings to this daunting problem.Fishing boats head out to sea and set their nets. They go back to shore. They head back out, ...
An EveningReport.nz investigation by Kevin ListKiwibank services. Image by Kevin List.Evening Report looks into the separation of Kiwibank from New Zealand Post, and considers the impact on the public’s access to banking services in their communities.Kiwibank. What’s going on? Kiwibank and New Zealand Post are in the ...
Local Government New Zealand today confirmed what many local election commentators have observed; that more of the voting public cast their ballots in favour of women candidates than ever before. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington (this week we totted up the data a day early, on Wednesday, to let our books ed. ...
New Zealand's mineral manufacturing sector is expected to face some testing times, with softer prices, tighter margins and sluggish export markets. ...
Portugal has been painted by pro-cannabis legalisation groups as a model to follow. Yet just last month, the mayor of Porto contradicted his previous pro-harm reduction position and endorsed reintroducing criminal penalties for drug use in public spaces. ...
Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short announced today the inclusion of six Cook Island First World War soldiers in the New Zealand and Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s official rolls of honour. ...
The latest statistics released by the Health Promotion Agency showing a dramatic fall in the numbers of cigarettes being sold in supermarkets, service stations, and liquor stores are being welcomed by the Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand (VTANZ). ...
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.NZ First Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Where to from here? How NZ First will win in ...
Aotearoa Climate Emergency (ACE), a climate change network, will host a conference in Wellington on 11 November (Armistice Day) to promote holding a Citizens Assembly in 2020, as a way of breaking the current political deadlock on treating climate ...
MediaWorks’ owners have called time after years of losses from its TV division. Sources say the company will announce it is for sale – if no buyers emerge, it will close within months.Three is facing the biggest crisis in its three decade history today, as its ownership will soon announce ...
Sam Brooks reviews Amazon Prime’s Modern Love, an anthology series based on the New York Times column dedicated to ‘love in all its forms’. A first date that ends up in the emergency room. A flagging marriage that finds new energy through tennis. The founder of a dating app who doesn’t ...
If we want to grow support for New Zealand’s aid, we need to get better at partnering with the ‘unlike-minded’ as well as the ‘like-minded’, and much better at telling people what we do with the money they give, says Josie Pagani, Executive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Orsola De Marco, Astrophysicist , Macquarie University If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au.How are stars made? –Zali, age 8, Karkoo, South Australia. How are stars made? Well, stars are not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gita Mishra, Professor of Life Course Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland All women know to expect the time in life when their periods finish and they reach menopause. Many might even look forward to it. What many women don’t ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of Sydney Since ancient times, horse behaviour, and the bond between horses and humans, has been a source of intrigue and fascination. The horse-lore that has accumulated over the centuries is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Wallis, Lecturer and Honorary Research Fellow, University of Southern Queensland A move to the country is often presented in popular culture as an idyllic life, a place where you can escape the pressures of the city. It’s in television shows such ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW The just-announced inquiry into Australia’s retirement income system ought to be anything but run-of-the-mill. Taking place 25 years after the introduction of compulsory superannuation, it provides an opportunity to either fix a broken system, or discard ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allan McCay, Law Lecturer, University of Sydney The rise of artificial intelligence has led to widespread concern about the role of humans in the workplaces of the future. Indeed, Israeli historian, futurist and publishing sensation Yuval Noah Harari warns in his most ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Saunders, Phd candidate, University of Wollongong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains images and names of deceased people. You leave Sydney and head for holidays on the South Coast. You plan to catch a quick surf, ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Clayton Mitchell denies accusations around a night out, food insecurity on the rise, and UK PM Boris Johnson secures deal with dubious prospects.NZ First MP Clayton Mitchell has got himself in a spot of late night bother in a Tauranga ...
As the rugby world wrestles with the new reality that players can, and will, be dismissed for accidental contact with an opponent’s head it's worth pondering the fate of three All Blacks not selected for the Ireland quarterfinal. ...
A new exhibition in Raetihi offers a rare opportunity to see early, colonialism-focused works by Wellington artist Barbara Strathdee, writes Pat Baskett. ...
Italy's Ambassador to New Zealand Fabrizio Marcelli responds to Newsroom stories - and The Detail podcasts - questioning the price of imported tinned tomatoes in light of reports of slave labour in the industry in his home country. ...
A measles outbreak in Samoa suspected to be responsible for the death of a one-year-old was “inevitable”, according to an expert who thinks NZ could have prevented it. ...
The big shock of the results in the weekend’s local elections was the unseating of Justin Lester as Wellington mayor. We invited him to pen a sort-of-valedictory.My three years as the mayor of Wellington ended on Sunday and I will forever remain grateful for the experience.I’m also acutely aware of ...
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Alex Braae reviews a night spent on the Intercity overnight sleeper bus getting from Wellington to Auckland.The most important thing to understand about long haul bus travel is that it’s all about getting exactly ...
Britain and the EU have agreed new terms for divorce. But with the Conservatives’ Northern Irish support party unimpressed, can the British prime minister at last put an end to the interminable shitstorm?At last, a deal! A palpable deal! A path out of the endless brain-melt!“Where there is a will, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Government sources insist shock jock Alan Jones didn’t drive Thursday’s announcement of a cash payment to drought-striken farmers about to be turfed off their household support because they’d reached the four year time limit. They ...
The proposition that global warming driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a risk that needs to be dealt with has achieved a large measure of agreement among policymakers. The proposition that it has to be dealt with right now and at great cost has no such consensus.One point ...
A bill to improve the pastoral care of students living in halls of residence has flown through its first reading in Parliament, thanks to cross-party support. ...
In this week's MediaRoom column: could MediaWorks close its TV operations altogether? And the Herald restructures its newsroom to remove a layer of management and shake up its investigative team. ...
Twenty-five young people who represent the future of the Asia-New Zealand relationship have been acknowledged as ‘ones to watch’, by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono. ...
The taboo that surrounds immigration and our refugee qouta, are two issues rising in New Zealand that need to start being given attention to challenge the fruit loops of the far left. ...
Open Mike 07/01/2017 
I find this unbelievable:
On Wednesday, the government was loudly telling us that it needed to legislate to allow it to impose "control orders" - effectively a parole regime, but imposed without charge, prosecution, conviction or real evidence - on suspected terrorists because they couldn't be prosecuted for their supposed crimes. Today, it turns ...14 hours ago
Yoga gurus and cult leaders – I’ve seen a few. Two weeks ago, I unknowingly joined an alleged new-age cult at the Kāpiti coast, together with a giant kraken and some neatly dressed pensioners who would make any book club proud.They were among the two hundred people of all ages ...17 hours ago
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been busy preparing for our summer paper on Science Communication. Looking for something amusing about ‘risk’ in science, I came across this neat xkcd.com cartoon about why so many people come knocking on my door (or phoning me, or emailing me) desperately wanting ...21 hours ago
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...2 days ago
Would You Buy A Used Propaganda Video From This Man? Bridges and the National Party’s strategists have discovered that the ideas and attitudes considered acceptable by today’s editors and journalists are no longer enforceable. The rise and rise of the Internet and the social media platforms it spawned means that ...2 days ago
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz There is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...3 days ago
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 ...4 days 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, ...4 days 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 ...1 week 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 ...1 week ago
We're rebuilding our hospitals, protecting our oceans, and taking mental health seriously. ...12 hours ago
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is predicting a hard Brexit for the United Kingdom, as he believes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be able to negotiate terms before the October 30 deadline. The Minister, who was one of the first to publicly come out and predict British voters would leave ...3 days ago
The Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...15 hours ago
As the New Zealand First Party gathers for its annual conference, the question swirling in the year is how it can carve out a path to avoid electoral defeat in 2020, writes Jo Moir for RNZ. It’s not you, it’s me. It’s a familiar break up excuse that’s used ...39 mins ago
Iran attracts an onslaught of negative media in New Zealand and Western media. But is it fair or deserved? David Robie has spent several weeks travelling in the country on sabbatical and finds the media negativity far from the reality of the “most friendly” country he has ever visited ...8 hours ago
A new law targeting potential returning terrorists like Mark Taylor raises questions about human rights and whether the bill is being rushed. ...11 hours ago
Analysis: Two polls show support for Labour sliding, the government is accused of breaking another promise and the Greens's refusal to back a bill forces Labour to rely on National to get it through. ...13 hours ago
Two shareholders of failed insurance firm company CBL are leading a class action against the firm's former directors seeking compensation for financial losses. ...14 hours ago
Amnesty International is concerned that Justice Minister Andrew Little's Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill could have the potential to undermine human rights in New Zealand. The Bill would give the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to ...15 hours ago
Politicians come crawling back after the holidays to repair some 'bad optics'. James Elliott pulls no punches in his news of the week. ...17 hours ago
New Zealand's mineral manufacturing sector is expected to face some testing times, with softer prices, tighter margins and sluggish export markets. ...18 hours ago
Environmental groups are urging the government to crack down on commercial industries whose activities are harming the marine environment. ...18 hours ago
Struggling media company MediaWorks is putting its TV business Three on the sale block, after axing and scaling back shows. ...19 hours ago
As the rugby world wrestles with the new reality that players can, and will, be dismissed for accidental contact with an opponent’s head it's worth pondering the fate of three All Blacks not selected for the Ireland quarterfinal. ...1 day ago
This week's biggest-selling NZ books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan NZ bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias. ...1 day ago
A new exhibition in Raetihi offers a rare opportunity to see early, colonialism-focused works by Wellington artist Barbara Strathdee, writes Pat Baskett. ...1 day ago
Italy's Ambassador to New Zealand Fabrizio Marcelli responds to Newsroom stories - and The Detail podcasts - questioning the price of imported tinned tomatoes in light of reports of slave labour in the industry in his home country. ...1 day ago
A measles outbreak in Samoa suspected to be responsible for the death of a one-year-old was “inevitable”, according to an expert who thinks NZ could have prevented it. ...1 day ago
Plans for Facebook’s proposed “stablecoin”, Libra, appear to be unraveling as awareness about its adverse effects grows. ...1 day ago
Explosives were used to blast a millions-of-years-old rock overhang in a national park. ...1 day ago
Medical issues, party leaks and a surprise resignation have taken their toll - but Winston Peters argues his party is as strong as ever. ...1 day ago
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Former MediaWorks news chief and Newsroom co-editor Mark Jennings looks at who or what might save Three now it has been put on the block. ...1 day ago
In this week's MediaRoom column: could MediaWorks close its TV operations altogether? And the Herald restructures its newsroom to remove a layer of management and shake up its investigative team. ...1 day ago
Judith Collins is filling the blackhole that is National’s climate policy with social media posts appealing to science deniers. ...1 day ago
with some capabilities to ensure increased NZ self sufficiency in a deglobalising world.
[I”ve asked you to stay out of commenting on my posts, please don’t do it again – weka]
[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.]
Colonial Viper
Don’t know what that’s about CV and don’t want to know but I agree with your comment.
It is a practical and necessary path to follow.
Cheers GWS.
Some links to docos you might enjoy CV ….. although you may have seen them before …….. others could enjoy or learn from them …..
When I’m reading an article on the net and a name or operation I know nothing about is mentioned …. I ‘right click’ and search to see where the information leads and how it ties into things … it can end up very informative sometimes. …
It was while watching a doco about Kissinger and his huge crimes against humanity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLMf-E9VRxc
http://www.globalresearch.ca/reliving-agent-orange-rethinking-the-cost-of-vietnam-war/5566106 …. that lead
me to Douglas Valentine …. http://www.douglasvalentine.com/bio.htm
Doug Valentine is a investigative journalist who after 4 years of research and interviews with C.I.A agents wrote a book “The Phoenix Program ” which ran during the Vietnam war …. “,…. it’s described as “A shocking exposé of
the covert CIA program of widespread torture, rape, and murder of civilians during America’s war in Vietnam,” …..
In this radio interview Doug Valentine describes his upbringing with a WWII vet father and how he got onto the phoenix program which was unknown to the public and had been a secret for 20 odd years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPUqUAhBg8 ……..
A lot of the doco explains specific propaganda and manipulation used to gain support for mass murder ( war )…………… He also gives a review of how he thinks Trump will operate… which is both critical and hopeful … Its a pack of murderers Trump will have to deal with and they certainly will not want to stop their sadistic blood democracy
But of course Vietnam and The Phoenix Program was just a continuation of using the worst psychopathic killers to suppress real democracy , murder political rivals, start wars, starve innocent civilians ….. and misinform us about it the whole time ….
“Operation Gladio” involved the C.I.As predecessor O.S.S and was specifically about the recruitment of Nazis,ultra-fascists and extreme right wingers after WWII was over………….. they were hidden militias/terrorist
Put in place to fight, kill and suppress democratic movements or governments …calling them socialists/communists …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trGfQREzScY …
The Govt sponsered nazis Killed many many innocent people …. which was then most often blamed on communists/socialist … using the resulting public outrage to kill or persecute them.
Which all leads me to ask ……. why do we …. as in New Zealand ….have a trade embargo against Russia for protecting ethnic russians and others from a proto fascist govt installed after destabilization and a violent coup ????….
http://nsnbc.me/2014/05/10/odessa-massacre-detail-investigation/
These nazi fascist scum are what the russians lost over 20 million citizens fighting against in WWII ………
Its mainly our farmers who are paying for NZs support of fascism at the moment .. ….. good to see National party supporters paying for their fascist support policy http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/11/united-states-votes-anti-nazi-un-resolution/
“The International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals who have committed genocide and other major war crimes. Over 120 countries support it, but the United States is not one of them ……. ”
It all seems very disrespectful to WWII vets …. democracy u.s.a style ……….supporting Nazis
At least by not having a real air-force we did not become part of the ISIS aerial fighting wing like the Aussies and yanks did ….
Which all leads me to ask ……. why do we …. as in New Zealand ….have a trade embargo against Russia for protecting ethnic russians and others from a proto fascist govt installed after destabilization and a violent coup ????….
It certainly would be highly questionable, if the situation you describe reflected reality rather than fiction.
Thank you reason. The USA utterly destroyed its credibility with its actions in Vietnam, and has never come to terms with how appalling they really are(still).
Cheers garibaldi ………. one of the truly evil deeds done at the end of WWII was when the Brits reinstated the Fascist Nazi collaborators as police and Government in Greece ….. while waging war on the anti Nazi Greek partisan fighters who had liberated their country shortly before the Brits arrived …
….” as the December Battle of Athens had begun – known in Greece as the Dekemvriana – fought not between the British and the Nazis, but the British alongside supporters of the Nazis against the partisans. ” ……
“And thereafter Greece’s descent into catastrophic civil war: a cruel and bloody episode in British as well as Greek history which every Greek knows to their core”
” In France or Italy, if you fought the Nazis, you were respected in society after the war, regardless of ideology; they were heroes. In Greece, you found yourself fighting – or imprisoned and tortured by – the people who had collaborated with the Nazis, on British orders. There has never been a reckoning with that crime,” …. https://libcom.org/history/british-perfidy-greece-story-worth-remembering-ed-vulliamy-helena-smith
True Heroes and decent people were killed and slaughtered and its quite bloody tragic ………. “Greek politician, physician, track and field athlete, pacifist……. ” …….. http://2013.100daysproject.co.nz/project/day/80/2013/118
Those other Docos I posted up for Puckish were probably a bit long for Puckish …….. Here’s a 6 minute music one which has a simple message for him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5yYjcxnpCs
He might learn a new language …………..:)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_casualties_in_World_War_II
thank you reason. It seems that we have to educate some privileged citizens of the US-Anglo empire what their own recent history is. I bet some still think that the Contras were the “popularly supported freedom fighters”
My sister made some purchases in Briscoes yesterday. The salesman produced a plastic bag which she said she didn’t want. We were told they had to either give us a bag or put a ‘sold’ sticker on every item. Grrr!!
I would have thought that a till receipt gives you all the proof of purchase you need.
Exactly – and when every other company is ( or says it is) trying to cut back on plastic waste, what does this Australian company think it’s up to?
Once they’re paid for they belong to you and you can do whatever you like with them, including deciding you don’t want extra stickers. Plus what Ffloyd said.
They’d probably then insist on stickering or bagging them before the transaction was completed. There’s probably something politically creative to do with the bag or stickers at that point 😈
Indeed that was what happened.
Hi weka, I would cynically suggest, insisting on a bag is no more than an advertising initiative.
when this happen, accept the bag, go to the next rubbish bin outside of the shop and put any surplus packaging, plastic bags, plastic wrappings etc in said rubbish bin.
If someone from the Mall asks why you do that you simply state that you did not want the plastic bag/packaging/plastic wrapping and thus you leave it behind to let the store deal with the rubbish.
IF/when enough people do that and the shops/mall have ot empty their rubbish containers several times more a day some businesses will stop using any extra packaging.
I do that often at the Supermarket/Paknslave with plastic wrappers around boxes around bottles and the likes. Not gonna schlepp that stuff home.
Not a bad idea, but if this is a company policy I think I need to kick up a public fuss as well
it will be a company policy. Their bags are branded and while you walk around with your briscoes bag, your pak n slave bags etc etc you are a walking talking advertisement for the company and in many cases you have to pay 10 cents for the privelege.
Kick a fuss with the company and then start leaving all the surpluss packaging behind in the shops and let them deal with the rubbish.
Why would you a. schlepp that stuff home and b. pay for having it removed as rubbish?
Thank you Polly.
Predatory health professionals should be put in prison IMHO. Instead the system continues protects them.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11694042
When I’m reading an article on the net and a name or operation I know nothing about is mentioned I ‘right click’ and search to see where
the information leads and how it ties into things …
It was while watching a doco about Kissinger and his huge crimes against humanity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLMf-E9VRxc
http://www.globalresearch.ca/reliving-agent-orange-rethinking-the-cost-of-vietnam-war/5566106 …. that lead
me to Douglas Valentine …. http://www.douglasvalentine.com/bio.htm
Doug Valentine is a investigative journalist who after 4 years of research and interviews with C.I.A agents wrote a book “The Phoenix Program ” which ran during the Vietnam war …. “,…. it’s described as “A shocking exposé of
the covert CIA program of widespread torture, rape, and murder of civilians during America’s war in Vietnam,” …..
In this radio interview he describes his upbringing with a WWII vet father and how he got onto the phoenix program which was unknown to the public and had been a secret for 20 odd years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkPUqUAhBg8 ……..
A lot of the doco explains specific propaganda and manipulation used to gain support for mass murder ( war )…………… He also gives a review of how he thinks Trump will operate… which is both critical and hopeful … Its a pack of murderers Trump will have to deal with and they certainly will not want to stop.
But of course Vietnam and The Phoenix Program was just a continuation of using the worst psychopathic killers to suppress real democracy , murder political rivals, start wars, starve innocent civilians ….. and misinform us about it the whole time ….
“Operation Gladio” involved the C.I.As predecessor O.S.S and was specifically about the recruitment of Nazis,ultra-fascists and extreme right wingers after WWII was over………….. they were hidden militias/terrorist
Put in place to fight, kill and suppress democratic movements or governments …calling them socialists/communists …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trGfQREzScY …
The Govt sponsered nazis Killed many many innocent people …. which was then most often blamed on communists/socialist … using the resulting public outrage to kill or persecute them.
Which all leads me to ask ……. why do we …. as in New Zealand ….have a trade embargo against Russia for protecting ethnic russians and others from a proto fascist govt installed after destabilization and a violent coup ????….
http://nsnbc.me/2014/05/10/odessa-massacre-detail-investigation/
These nazi fascist scum are what the russians lost over 20 million citizens fighting against in WWII ………
Yet here we are ……http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/11/united-states-votes-anti-nazi-un-resolution/
“The International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals who have committed genocide and other major war crimes. Over 120 countries support it, but the United States is not one of them ……. ”
Its mainly our farmers who are paying for NZs support of fascism at the moment .. ….. good to see National party supporters paying for their policy
At least by not having a real air-force we did not become part of the ISIS aerial fighting wing like the Aussies and yanks did ….
A wealthy Nigerian Prince has died and left his entire £12 million fortune to his cat.
He was quoted as saying, “I’ve tried to give it away on numerous occasions over the years but no one ever responded to my e-mails”
Haha Macro.
From national park to overseas: Plan to export billions of litres of West Coast water
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/88099749/from-national-park-to-overseas-plan-to-export-billions-of-litres-of-west-coast-water
– Great to see that we just give our natural resources away to anyone who puts in a resource consent. sarc.
It comes in two flavours: norovirus and campylobacter.
Wot? They’ve dropped giardia from the lineup?
Silly billies, the buggy water is saved for Kiwis.
Like our building industry where we sell raw materials for peanuts to buy back for a fortune, we can now give our water away to buy back in plastic bottles for $3. Bad for the environment, bad for the economy, but obviously a great profit for those getting the resource consents being dished out like lollies.
Some political party should revoke all these fucking water exporting rights. Labour, get on to it
Yup, water should only be free if you harvest it off your roof or your own ponds, if you start taking from National parks, lakes, aquifers then you should have to pay per cubic meter for the water to the government and a levy to the local community and ONLY if it will have a minimal environmental effects.
The resource consents should be able to be modified or nulled if there are any negative effects and the consents should only be for 5 – 10 year periods not forever, so that if there is a drought or what have you – the consents can be modified.
It is crazy how the council and government are just giving away our public resources. Wonder who the company is and who they know in government and council?
So, water meters for all residential properties.?
Not really too excited about that one.
Not sure where you live BM but many of us on town water seemed to be already charged for water, therefore why should a small group of people be able to take out millions of litres of water for their business from NZer’s without also paying for their useage?
If you want to avoid water charges collect from your roof or ponds for farms. Not some individuals diverting and taking water from everyone for their own benefit and selling if off shore while many locals are forced to pay for it.
Water meters are the first step in privatisation.
I don’t want our water supply sold off to a multinational, I’d prefer the city and rate payers stay in control of the water supply.
Wow, BM. That’s very socialist of you.
That seems to be a major disconnect from what’s actually happening.
The private companies are getting hold of our water and are exporting it with minimal controls and they’re not paying for it either.
Na mate, they are the first step in sorting out wasteful, entitled bludgers who think they can use as much water as they like and not have to pay for it. Bonus effect in allowing reticulation managers to get a handle on location and quantity of losses from their reticulation. So the result of metering is lower costs to most water users, apart from the wasteful entitled bludgers, who get to pay for their usage.
It’s the political clout of the wasteful entitled bludgers that keeps our water supplies un-metered, and uncontrolled.
+111
The councils seem to be giving away the rate payers water that’s what I am objecting to, by giving private companies resource consent to harvest water for nothing.
Traitor to the right!
Auckland has had them for at least 40 years.
It’s one of those things about economics that most people simply do not understand: We need to measure how much of a resource we have, how much of it can be used sustainably per year and how much and where is actually being used.
For some strange reason we’ve developed this idea that we can just take it all without worrying about it.
So, yes, every house, farm and business needs to have a water metre. And if we keep a market system then everyone needs to be charged for each unit that they use.
Strongly agree.
CV,
Like water is so scarce on the West Coast that there is not nearly enough to export.
Seriously, get real here. Why wouldn’t you export water from the West Coast? Standardnistas are always going on about the lack of jobs, especially in the regions, but obviously when they are created you are against them. Go figure.
Go and ask Damian O’Connor what he thinks.
That’s not a good argument for tax evasion, Wayne!
One of the problems many have with this issue Wayne is the resource belongs to all New Zealanders, yet it will be a privately owned venture that is going to directly profit from this.
If we are going to bulk export water it should be done through Government and for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
Yes, correct.
Why do you RWNJs always think that resources are unlimited?
How to make a country poor: Export all its resources for money
I think that if you harvest from your own roof for residential use it should be free or if you irrigate stock from your own pond it should be free. What I object to, is that some locals paying a fortune for water, while other councils are giving it away for export (probably to cronies). Where is the fairness in that?
The point is that our present economic system mistakes money for wealth. Exporting resources actually makes us poorer even though a few people will have more money in the bank.
The Chump says he’s saving jobs in the US. A few hundred at a time. By individually bullying companies (into doing things they were going to do anyway, but the Chump and the company both get good press from bullshitting about it). But he’s promised to trash clean energy, which is one of the fastest growing and high value segments of the US economy. Meanwhile China is creating millions of jobs by getting serious about clean energy.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-to-abandon-millions-of-high-wage-jobs-to-china-3554a04796b1#.qyh3a1owu
Trump is into good business and good deals. If “clean energy” can demonstrate its place in the US economy, it’ll have a very good run under Trump.
NB China is still opening up new thermal plants every month.
It’s good to see that we finally have a US President who understands how business makes decisions and doesn’t believe in the free market mumbo jumbo of the Clintons and the Obamas.
Mexican press already complaining that Trump has cost Mexico at least 3600 jobs which were due to move from the US to Mexico.
@ Colonial Viper, Are you seriously saying that you believe Trump ( himself in the1% class) will operate outside his own class ideology, and help workers achieve better more stable conditions/pay over other (1% ers) industrialists/corporatists profit motives, and that he doesn’t believe in a totally free market?
What has he ever done in his own business ventures to have you believe those things?
He’s already doing those things. And it’s not just about Mexico – he’s just fired shots at the Toyota Corporation telling them if they do not build their next plant in the USA, they will face a 35% tariff at the border.
BTW you need to realise that the “elites” are not a monolithic block. History shows us that the “elites” often have conflicting or competing agendas. We can see this quite clearly with the deep state attempting to take the Trump Administration down before it even gets in.
Meanwhile, on Earth:
It’s ok though, because a shithead propagandist says water is dry.
Trump is making the USA more attractive for business. He’ll threaten businesses who want to move jobs out of the USA. But he’ll also give them lower taxes and more compliant workforce conditions if they stay.
It’s a classic business-like carrot and stick approach.
Obama was just letting Detroit jobs walk away to Mexico – destroying US worker unions that way.
“…more compliant workforce conditions…”
TRANSLATION: Few if any workers’ rights, no overtime pay, little or no safety regulations, instant dismissal at the whim of the boss….
That’s the way of it. Trump can deliver some things, but given the political establishment he is up against, he won’t be able to deliver everything by himself.
” … less tax for the worker, more money in workers’ pockets, more spending power …”
You’re welcome.
“…dead at the bottom of a mineshaft…”
You’re welcome.
Why do you not think that Trump is an elite?
You’ll have to point out where I said that. Indeed, I said above that elites often have conflicting or competing interests and that can be seen in how the Deep State is attempting to take Trump and his Administration down. (Implicitly suggesting that Trump is indeed part of the elite).
If anything, saying that Trump is part of the 1% is not wholly accurate. He is more correctly thought of as part of the 1% of the 1%.
Trump’s fellow elitists have long known that they cannot control him like they could control Reagan, Bush, Clinton and (they were hoping), Rodham Clinton.
BINGO – you got it, millsy.
OK, so just to be clear, are you saying that you believe that American workers, American civil rights, and freedom of speech will all improve overall under a Trump Presidency?
Also what historical episode are you alluding to where ‘elites’ ( a word I loath to use for the leeching class) have turned on their own class for the benefit of workers in a long term and substantive way?
They’ll deteriorate at an equal or slower rate than under President Obama’s time.
I can almost guarantee that Trump will prosecute FEWER whistleblowers than the record breaking Orwellian Obama.
@Adrian: Yes, CV really is that special kind of stupid.
China Bans New Coal-fired Power Plants
from the link
No worries…
The Chump will reopen the US mines and bring back heaps of jobs!
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/world/americas/alienated-and-angry-coal-miners-see-donald-trump-as-their-only-choice.html?_r=0
Oh Wait! That’s from the NY Times – purveyors of Fake News!
Oh Wait! No matter what Trump says – Mining jobs are not returning to W Virginia
CV response in … 1, 2, 3,….
A temporary ban/slow down on new thermal units due to overcapacity and falling profitability, not due to environmental concerns
http://www.powermag.com/despite-policy-shifts-china-faces-huge-coal-fired-overcapacity/
And yet they’re also pushing massive investment in renewable energy.
Let’s get down to brass tacks, Draco. Is China’s CO2 emissions in 2017 going to be higher or lower than in 2015 and 2016?
Because if it’s higher then it doesn’t matter a rat’s arse if China adds a million square kilometres of solar panels.
Indications are that it will be lower from coal fired generation. So that would indicate that it does matter that China is going to add even more gigawatts of renewable power generation.
Krugman on the Chump’s phony jobs policy and how he’s playing the media with his “saving jobs” schtick.
“In other words, it may have sounded as if Mr. Trump was doing something substantive by intervening with Carrier, but he wasn’t. This was fake policy — a show intended to impress the rubes, not to achieve real results.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/opinion/the-age-of-fake-policy.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
Clinton Camper Krugman is just pissed that he didn’t get the White House position Hillary promised him, and has been losing his mind for the last two months over it.
A bit like you and the Labour Party, eh.
Explain? The Labour Party has no money to pay people with. It relies on free work done for it at no cost to keep functioning.
lol now you’re parroting Pauline Hanson, but without the courtesy of a “please”.
Perhaps you can explain then? Please?
Only if you clearly explain your obsession with pizza parlours. Maybe you should “self investigate”.
If Krugman was really interested in policies which make a substantial difference to the US jobs market he should not have been dead-set against Gerald Friedmans estimates of the US economys future under Bernie Sanders economic policy.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/romer-and-romer-on-friedman/
Friedman was discussing policies which might actually make a dent in the 75,000 odd churn of the jobs market each day in the US.
The main point is, (as Krugman says), that “Friedman is implicitly assuming that the U.S. economy is (and will continue to be for a long time) dramatically below its productive capacity.” which he disputes. But given that Krugman is saying there that the US is actually much closer to full capacity utilization when dealing with Friedman (which means almost all of the 75,000 turnover will find other jobs quickly) why does he also claim some re-shoring is insignificant because many will languish without jobs for many many years, when dealing with Trump. Of course its because Krugman thinks he can have it both ways on this issue.
Also, despite claiming its fake policy, Krugman does nothing to actually show that the policy doesn’t do exactly what it says it does. e.g the headline of Krugmans piece is based on a lie! (most probably by the editor).
Indeed. Krugman is Killarys handbag, like Podesta, aka one job, all they had to do was say yes.
Heh. More Chump job creation. Nervous companies hire more PR people for rapid response to 3am tweets.
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/06/donald-trumps-early-morning-tweetstorms-are-creating-jobs-for-nervous-pr-people/
Interesting science prediction. There will be a red nova sometime around 2022 from a binary star finally collapsing into itself.
http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/6/14184094/scientists-predict-stars-colliding
Joke science prediction: society will collapse within 10 years! It’s real! It’s based on actual math and social science and stuff!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/peter-turchin-cliodynamics-society-collapse_us_586f1e22e4b02b5f85882988?section=us_science
(Sorry if this excites the “We’re doomed Dooooomed I tells ya” crowd)
Society and civilisation is already collapsing for the bottom one to two billion in the world.
The stuck up ignorant intellectual-yet-idiots in first class don’t think anything is wrong with the Titanic, but those in steerage have noticed that the water is up to their knees and rising fast.
Even the wealthy locations around the world are experiencing weird, severe weather events year on year. But don’t worry we’re this close to self driving cars and drone courier deliveries which will of course solve all our problems.. not.
Alex Jones and Max Keiser (mid Dec): the Trump effect, death of the MSM, the rise of alternative media, RT as “fake news”, creating jobs in America, Vladimir Putin
I’m putting this in the reply because you mentioned the magic words “fake news”.
Check out this bizzare story of a dating site (yes really) attacking Assange.
There is a link in the article that goes to another story where Wikileaks threatening to sue CNN (the king of all fake news sites IMHO) for labeling Assange as a pedocrim.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article110904727.html
thanks for the link. Mildly amazed it made it to mcclatchy as being newsworthy. US Gov has influence over tonnes of front people and front organisations to do this kind of nonsense with, not to mention offsiders like Soros etc funding NGOs who do similar under direction.
I don’t think AI is quite ready to go Terminator on us. Bizarrely hilarious.
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/01/thousands-of-people-are-watching-two-google-homes-argue-with-each-other-on-twitch/
Cantabrians, is this an actual issue? Bubbling under the radar or out there in public? Or do people accept the destruction of public good for private profit as just capitalism NZ style in action?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/01/the-selwyn-river-s-unbelievable-decline.html
Pretty good piece by Owen Jones here, maybe some on the left could actually now start expend some of their energy on T May, rather than bagging Corbyn for a change, you know divided we fall and all that….I know many free market liberals despise and fear a real socialist Left Wing voice..but maybe 2017 is time for them to wake up and understand that the neo liberal freemarket project as has been vigorously promoted by various ‘centre left’ western political parties is over, exposed as nothing more than a economic ponzi scheme.
“Theresa May backing Donald Trump over Israel is a disgrace”
Thanks for that, Adrian. It’s worth remembering though, that not all Labour Party MPs are moral reprobates, cowards and chickenhawks like Hilary Benn, Tony Blair and Ed Miliband….
I agree, just wish we could get back to having a real Left Labour in New Zealand, one that we could all really fight for, but no, just the same old centrist bullshit.
Who wants to fight for that…nobody that’s who, the best Labour can hope for in 2017 is people voting for them because they are either sick of National, or don’t feel they have any other choice…but certainly not because they are passionate and inspired about Labour as a vehicle of real and needed economic/political change.
Turn Labour Left.
Who wants our ‘clean, green’ New Zealand back?
Sorry to pop the hot air balloon – but in my considered opinion, New Zealand is a corrupt, polluted tax haven.
The tip of the giant New Zealand corruption iceberg has been revealed in the ‘Reasons for the Verdict’ of Justice Sally Fitzgerald dated 9 December 2016.
(International ‘Anti-Corruption Day’ – as it happens!)
CRI-2015-044-001286
[2016] NZHC 2970
THE QUEEN v
STEPHEN JAMES BORLASE
MURRAY JOHN NOONE
225 pages – which I have spent DAYS studying.)
The bribes paid by just ONE corrupt private contractor to just ONE corrupt ‘public official’ totalled $1.2 million over 7 years.
How many thousands of ‘public officials’ and thousands of private contractors are there in New Zealand, perceived’ for so many years to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ – (according to the, in my view, the effectively bogus and completely meaningless Transparency International ‘Corruption Perception Index’?)
How is it either proper, or lawful, for ‘public officials’ to simultaneously be ‘private consultants’?
(Which has been proven to be the mechanism for the corrupt payment of bribes in the above-mentioned Judgment.)
How is it proper or lawful to have a policy of ‘collaboration’ and
‘co-operation’ between public officials and private consultants and contractors?
In my view, this policy of ‘collaboration’ and ‘co-operation’ between public officials and private consultants/ contractors has now been proven to breed corruption.
How widespread is this policy of ‘collaboration’ and ‘co-operation’ across local and central government?
Anyone else asking – or checking?
How much of this now proven to be fundamentally flawed, policy of ‘collaboration’ and ‘co-operation’ between public officials and private consultants/contractors has come about because of the, in my view, infestation of public official roles with private sector businesspeople?
And the commercialisation of public services, locally, nationally and internationally?
The NZ National Business Review (NBR) has led the charge and published two in-depth investigative articles revealing corruption in the NZ roading industry.
(16 and 23 December 2016
SPECIAL Investigation – Investigative journalist Karyn Scherer).
As a proven anti-corruption campaigner, who has attended five international
anti-corruption conferences, and ‘blown the whistle’ against corruption and the lack of transparency in the spending of public spending on private consultants and contractors for the last ten years – I now feel absolutely vindicated.
I’m standing as an Independent ‘anti-corruption’ candidate in the upcoming Mt Albert by-Election, and look forward to being able to ask some stinking hard questions about corruption in the House under Parliamentary privilege.
The strongest message, in my view, that can be given to this Government that decent New Zealanders want a STOP to corruption is to vote a proven anti-corruption ‘Public Watchdog’ into Parliament.
THAT will send a message that cannot be ignored – locally, nationally and internationally.
SEIZE THE MOMENT!
Penny Bright.
2017 Independent candidate in the Mt Albert by-election.
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Conference -Bangkok.
Attendee: 2009, 2013, 2015 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conferences.
Attendee: 2014 G20 Anti-Corruption Conference.
I’m sure that is just the tip of the Iceberg, Penny.
Indeed it is …..
“How is it either proper, or lawful, for ‘public officials’ to simultaneously be ‘private consultants’?”
It often isn’t. The public sector routinely uses Conflict of Interest processes to manage potentially competing interests including private business dealings.
It is impossible to prevent immoral arseholes like the primary convict in this case from lying on official COI forms and to successive managers, as revealed in the judgement notes. Yet they were still caught because colleagues had the moral fibre to pursue matters and the public records and testimony convinced the judge to find guilt. Result.
English Grammar
The NZ Herald must be finding it hard to find reporters that have any idea of writing an article and obviously do not proof read.
Refer Split in Trump’s Team.
I always thought that a person’s name was in capital letters and also the name of a organisation. Apparently the US is us. Have also noticed the “word” if that is what you call gotten is creeping in with some.
From the Financial Times: in the UK inherited wealth reinforces/increases wealth inequalities – according to the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, an economic research organisation.
Basically, it’s increasingly hard for younger generations to build up their own wealth, if they don’t have wealthy parents. The wealthiest among older generations are likely to leave a sizeable sum to their children.
PM May says she aims to decrease inequalities, but her party’s promise to reduce inheritance taxes will work against this.
So, the housing bubble is feeding into growing wealth inequalities.
The hysterical anti-Russian lies being whipped up by the bitter and thoroughly discredited leadership of the Democratic Party have been mindlessly repeated in this country, with RNZ National and other major outlets leading every bulletin yesterday (Friday 6 January) with the (completely unsupported) allegations made by the notorious perjurer James Clapper….
One of the targets of the Clintonistas’ wrath has been Glenn Greenwald, the outstanding scholar and journalist who in 2014 was labeled “a loser” by our former prime minister John “Quitter” Key. He writes about it at the end of this typically excellent article….
The Washington Post Is Richly Rewarded for False News
About Russia Threat While Public Is Deceived
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, January 5 2017
Read more….
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/04/washpost-is-richly-rewarded-for-false-news-about-russia-threat-while-public-is-deceived/
Good one Morrissey.
There are many on this site falling hook, line and sinker for the ‘Democrat’ propaganda maelstrom. It’s a pity the Democrats still can’t come to terms with the fact they ran a poor campaign with an unsuitable candidate.
None of all this bullshit Presidency of Trump would have happened if the DNC hadn’t had their heads up their arses and had had enough nous to see the need for change.
Their pathetic attempts to blame everyone else but themselves just shows what total disarray their Party is in. Shame on them.
+1 garibaldi
@Morrissey +1
You do get that it’s possible for senior Democrats to be trashing Glenn Greenwald and for Russian intelligence services to have hacked the DNC emails, right? The two are not mutually exclusive.
Sure I do, Milt. There’s just the slight problem of credibility, however, when the source of these allegations is the world’s most notorious perjurer.
You don’t seem to understand how this stuff works. The source of the allegations isn’t Clapper, it’s the US intelligence services – which, however much we might not like them, do actually have a job to do and to some extent at least they actually do it. Your thoughts on the credibility of the results are no doubt of importance to you, but there’s no reason they should be important to anyone else. What counts is what US government officials think of it, and so far they’re taking it seriously.
Plenty of bullshit allegations and assertions, zero fucking proof. Bill Binney, Ray McGovern, John Kiriakou, Murray Craig, Julian Assange have all been very clear on this.
On the other side of the equation the “intelligence services” keep releasing pointless shit reports like the recent FBI/DHS one and the declassified version of the ODNI report which don’t say a fucking thing except for providing more evidence-free assertions and conclusions.
As usual, you declare claims you don’t like to be “bullshit” “evidence-free assertions,” while those you do like are accepted at face value as “very clear” self-evident truth. That can be funny in a sit-com character, but is simply irritating in a live human.
1. The reports have no credibility.
2. Members of the US Congress and Senate take them seriously, meaning that…
3. We have a problem. A fucking huge one given that it’s all revolving around cranking up tensions with Russia.
STOP Niki’ eviction!
The fight against the privatisation of State housing – for which there was never an electoral mandate.
FYI.
As an Independent candidate in the upcoming Mt Albert by-election, I absolutely support the brave stand by Niki Rauiti as a directly-affected State tenant who is fighting the privatisation of State housing by refusing to be evicted.
I will be coming on the march to help defend Niki and State housing on 17 January 2017, and supporting the proceeding occupation.
Let’s help make this a key Mt Albert by-election issue and put a HUGE spotlight on the housing issue that CANNOT be ignored!
Who’s coming with us?
Who else can help get this message out?
THANKS!
Penny Bright
‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog.
2017 Independent candidate
Mt Albert by-election.
______________________________
Tēnā koutou,
We are writing requesting support for Ioela ‘Niki’ Rauti, a long-term tenant who is being evicted from her home at 14 Taniwha Road, Glen Innes.
Niki is to be evicted so that private houses for the wealthy can be built on former Housing New Zealand land.
Niki intends to resist this eviction but requires support in order to be successful.
We will be holding two marches in support of Niki on the 17 January 2017, starting at 6:00pm.
There will be two starting points, the first will be Glen Innes Library, and the second will be the corner of Line Road and West Tāmaki Drive.
Both marches will meet at Niki’s home at 14 Taniwha.
If either the government or the redevelopment company, the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company, have not by this stage halted the eviction, an occupation of the surrounding land will be set up to act as a barrier of defense for Niki.
Niki is an elderly tenant who is also suffering from illness.
Niki is making a stand for the elderly, sick, disabled and for all tenants facing discrimination and eviction due to housing reform and profit-driven redevelopment.
We believe that the ‘housing crisis’ is not addressed through evictions, selling state housing and gentrifying communities.
This eviction is part of nationwide reforms that have led to eviction, displacement, increased homelessness, and transiency.
This fight for Niki is a fight for all tenants facing eviction and displacement.
We are making a call out for support for Niki to try and keep her home, and to make a stand against the Government’s housing policy.
A few suggestions are listed below:
Joining the March on 17 January 2017 as well as the proceeding occupation.
Public support for Niki on your Facebook, through a press release etc.
Sending out details about the occupation to your email lists.
Donating resources such as tents, full list available on the facebook page.
Sending donations to the Tāmaki Housing Group 38-9014-0147012-00
Most importantly we ask for your presence during Niki’s occupation of her home.
Ngā mihi nui,
Niki & the Tāmaki Housing Group
Email: nikieviction@gmail.com
Twitter: defend_Niki
Instagram: tamaki_housing
Facebook page: facebook.com/THISHOMEISOCCUPIED
Human beings (en masse) are stupid so perhaps as a species we will indeed cease to exist in the not too distant future. We repeat the same mistakes and patterns time after time.
Consider ….diminishing resources+ resurgent eugenics+ Trump…. and be very afraid.
Just to add a bit of optimism and cheer, a return to wondering about mushroom clouds.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/william-perry-nuclear-weapons-proliferation-214604
His hypothesise is incorrect because the Soviet Union doesn’t exist anymore.
Nukes aren’t a first strick option because your soldiers will assassinate you.
That’s a hopeful scenario. Alternatively, you might have surrounded yourself with hawks who have never played the game of nuclear brinkmanship before.
Because it’s not about “Soviets vs Yanks”, it’s about power blocs with nukes and expansionist territorial demands.
Cold War rhetoric isnt worth repeating because it’s so transparent. Every American intervention from Greece in 1947 to Syria today features a mythical Russian threat.
One thing has changed since 1947, the speed at which finance can travel the globe has increased dramatically transforming the great game from chess (Atrittion) to Go. Ask any Go master why they make a move, they reply, because it feels right.
That’s nice.
Does the world burn if they lose?
Wrong game. You’re still playing checkers. Try and upgrade yourself to Connect Four before trying again.
And you can go fish, you fascist troll.
Donald Trump, greatest American president since Reagan, says 20th Jan will be a great show!
Indeed it will, Mr Trump. Indeed it will.
So The United States doesn”t like overseas interference in their elections. Get over it you guys. The UK and New Zealand have been getting it for years, it’s called, CrosbyTextor.
Some of the arguments on TheStandard have been had before.
Two smart home assistants hold a conversation than never sticks to the point and evades any evidence to support outrageous claims. It also includes allegations of lying, assertions of what was said and subsequent denials, and apparently at least one claim to be a god…
It got nasty while I was watching. One of them took offence at a “knock, knock” lead-in and tried Avada kedavra on the other…
Bolivia proving that Socialism works and is profitable.
“Since 2006, Bolivia has been run by socialists every bit as militant as Venezuela’s. The country has experienced a spectacular run of economic growth and poverty reduction with no hint of the chaos that has plagued Venezuela. While inflation spirals toward the 1000 per cent mark in Venezuela, in Bolivia it runs below 4 per cent a year. Shortages of basic consumption goods – rampant in Caracas – are unheard of in La Paz………..
……. Bolivia was running budget surpluses every year between 2006 and 2014. This allowed it to draw down the public sector’s debt, which fell from 83 per cent of GDP in 2003 to just 26 per cent in 2014, even as Bolivia built up its international reserves dramatically, from US$1.7b in 2005 to US$15.1b at the end of the boom in 2014.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11778233
Ok Bolivia is resource rich but compared to Venezuela (and some other countries) The Washington Post is applauding the way Socialism and careful management is working there.
The poster known as Gosman will hate this.