Isn’t this the same AMI that, after taking people’s premiums for earthquake insurance for decades, got bailed out to the tune of $1 billion by the tax payer, for not coughing up when the earthquake struck?
AMI need to be publicly shamed into returning this charity group back into their rental accommodation.
So Maori are taking the Government to Court in response to the Government’s proposal to stop the treaty from being applied to the Power Companies. Fair enough. Water is clearly a taonga preserved to Maori by the treaty. Just as gentrified English have retained wealth within their families for centuries why should not Maori retain what was originally theirs?
The remedy sought causes concern. One potion is for Maori to be provided shares in the companies. If this happens it will at least in part legitimise the privatisation of community assets. And instead of all Maori owning them the shareholding will be concentrated in the hands of an elite who will enjoy disproportionately the benefits of doing so. The Sealord settlement springs to mind.
Maori should instead insist that the privatisation not go ahead. Or if it does insist that the companies pay proper compensation for their water and rivers. That should prevent the share sales going through and retaining ownership of the companies in NZ as a whole will mean that Maori will benefit.
One further comment, some have questioned the suggestion that this is deliberate dog whistling by Key. But you just have to wonder about the timing of the release. The Treaty clause has obviously been an issue for months but in the week of Waitangi it is released. Key then gets what he wanted, film of conflict and the chance to say a few Crosby Textor designed red neck appealing slogans. Utterly appalling.
What was more appalling was Mike Hosking’s interview on Close Up last night.
There was no questioning or interviewing. Hosking simply outlined his own views which conveniently fitted into what Key wanted to portray. Hosking should just stay on talkback – that is all his shallow abilities are worth.
It was one of the most woeful displays I have ever seen.
PB – His 2 TV series Accent of Money and War of the World, I found interesting and for the time they were on justified the sky subscription, it was worth reviewing the repeats of both series. 😉 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_Ferguson
“The Psychology Of Systemic Collapse”
“Again, it’s a misconception of scale. Industrial society is based almost entirely on fossil fuels, and such an enormous population is not possible without these fuels. When the fuel is gone, so is the population. Because the size of the population is so closely correlated to the fuel supply, between now and the year 2050 about 2.5 billion people will die of famine, while lost and averted births will amount to another 2.5 billion. And the proposal for avoiding such an unprecedented catastrophe is to install solar panels? People with these ideas surely cannot be serious.”
“The truly fundamental problem of understanding systemic collapse, however, is that the human brain cannot assimilate it emotionally. If I were standing in front of a judge, and he told me I was being sentenced to death for murder, I suspect I’d be focusing on the sound of a sparrow outside the window. The brain just goes into neutral. But as academics, as intellectuals, that excuse is not good enough.
What might be called “the Pollyanna Principle” is the belief that “everything will turn out all right in the end.” It might also be called “the Doll’s House Principle,” with reference to Ibsen’s play. But closing our eyes to the grim reality does not change the facts. A different perspective can be reached by doing some reading about what actually happens during a famine. Cecil Woodham-Smith, in The Great Hunger, describes the Irish potato-famine of the 1840s: “Bodies half-eaten by rats were an ordinary sight.”
My thoughts are he’s right, but all of us are so caught up in day to day living that this future simply isn’t real to us. And the vast majority don’t know and aren’t interested in the connection between population numbers and fossil fuel energy availability. Fossil fuels are our Irish potato! What happens when our industrialised food source begins its terminal availability? As with Climate Change this issue is the biggest Macro concern of our time.
There are links to the petition and also the latest one page fact sheet. Please check it out, the answers to most of the right’s lies about the fight are in there.
“This meme of southern verses northern Māori is common as muck and often used to try and divide – I’ve heard it a million times and it doesn’t work, it does the opposite – it binds us together.”
There are no words in the Englsih language to do justice to the offense I feel in Bill English’s remarks. While the manaakitanga of Te Rau Aroha is legendary, it is equally fantastic, although different, at marae all over the country.
That there were no protests at Mr English’s presence saddens me, I am sure that he heard plenty during one on one discussion.
Anyway, although I wasn’t there, it is not impossible that there were things said in Maori that he didn’t understand 🙂
REALLY IMPORTANT OCCUPY AUCKLAND COURT CASE TOMORROW!
8 PEACEFUL OCCUPY AUCKLAND PROTESTORS POTENTIALLY FACING JAIL FOR BREACHING A COURT ORDER WHICH (in my considered opinion) TREATED THE FACTS, THE EVIDENCE AND THE LAW WITH CONTEMPT!
8 peaceful protestors from Occupy Auckland are in the Auckland District Court (Albert St) tomorrow – Wednesday 8 February 2012.
Solidarity protest outside from 9.00am – then the hearing on the ‘Order of Committal for Contempt of Court’ starting at 10am.
This is SERIOUS.
8 named parties (including myself) are potentially facing imprisonment for allegedly breaching the Court Order made on 21 December 2011 by Judge Wilson by continuing to peacefully protest /camp at Aotea Square.
Judge Wilson, in my considered opinion, treated the FACTS, the EVIDENCE and the LAW with contempt.
I for one, treat his ‘Court Order’ with contempt.
Decisions which are not based upon the RULE OF LAW – deserve to be treated with contempt.
“WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW _ RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY!”
Council By Laws cannot ‘trump’ our lawful rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression – end of story.
(s.155(3) Local Government Act 2002)
I will NOT be silenced or bow down to municipal and judicial bullying and intimidation.
I for one, am prepared to go to jail in order to defend these fundamental human rights.
This should help to cast a national and international spotlight on how our corporate-controlled Auckland Council is a $UPERCITY for the 1%, and how NZ status – ‘perceived’ to be the ‘least corrupt country in the world’ (according to Transparency International’s 2011 ‘Corruption Perception Index’) – is not worth the paper upon which it is written.
Tomorrow, in my opinion, will be a milestone case, for those representing the interests of the wealthy, corporate 1% vs the public majority 99%.
Much as I believe that freedom of speech and expression is important, when I think of the venal degrading nature of James 3’s comments I wonder if to make the world a better place James 3 should be stopped from wasting my bandwidth.
Much as I believe that freedom of speech and expression is important
Do you? Really? 😀 😀 😀
(You might, most others here don’t think freedom of speech matters at all, unless they agree with what’s being expressed. Otherwise…)
Fisani
Have to agree did you see Parker get assinated on the Crafer Farm Sales. When he was in charge of Land sales in a Labour Government he let go 410,000 hectares. Why would they even bring it up talk about shooting yourself in the Foot. Clayton Cosgrove said in the house in 2005 quote (its impossible to sto land sales to overseas people if that was to happen would lthe last person out in New Zealand please turn out the lights)
Does that mean that Labour says and does one thing in Government, and does the exact opposite in opposistion. Very hypocritical ,and not really a party that would engender any trust
No, fuckwit, it means that Labour has finally caught on to the fact the majority of NZers don’t like our land being sold to foreigners. If that 410,000 had been as well published as the Crafar farm sale had been then the opposition would have started a lot sooner. I’m pretty sure that NAct understand that which is why they’re trying to stop any information flow from the government to the people. NAct really can’t have the people being informed and educated because then they will try to stop what NAct are doing to the country.
The FTA just says we have to do with China on no-worse grounds than any other country.
So that just means we put the same limits on sales to all foreign countries, as Labour is proposing, and then China isn’t being treated any worse than any other country.
Lanthanide – I suppose then by default the stipulation will be that of what we allow Australian investors to do. As we would have to also bar Aussies from being able to acquire land. And I have yet to hear or read any comments limiting Aussie investment !!
The selling off of pre-existing assets and capabilities for no new added value or additional processing technology or capabilties is the absolute lowest quality “investment”.
Clare Trevett’s article in todays Herald is a sure sign that the Right are going to try and pull the same trick on Shearer as they did with the unforunate Phil Goff. Labour members must make sure that any plan to denigrate David Shearer is niped in the bud now!
Regardless of what the article says (haven’t read it), the fact remains that Labour opted for personality over political substance. So I’m afraid Mr Dithering Bleeding Heart Sh-eh-ahr-er deserves all that flies in his direction.
ffs! Where are we going when people are jailed for possessing magazine articles/pamphlets? From the UK.
Baum, also of Solingen, admitted (…) having an article entitled “39 Ways Of Participating or Serving in Jihad”. He was jailed for 12 months after the prosecution said the document was at the lower end of the extremist literature spectrum.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said this afternoon that about $6 million of tax-payer cash had been “squandered” on a Whanau Ora programme that funded “family reunions”.
“Whanau Ora is a waste of tax-payer’s money. It’s going to be a disaster for Maoridom. It’s a pet idea of the Maori Party and John Key is selling out on separatist policies,” Peters said.
He said an official Whanau Ora report showed more than 200 applications for the scheme – known as “Whanau Integration, Innovation and Engagement funding” – had been accepted.
The report says the fund is “available to support whanau, who, among other things, want to strengthen whanau ties”.
It details the case of Johni Rutene who ”wants to reconnect his 180-strong family with each other and their Wairarapa turangawaewae, strengthen their bonds and improve their overall whanau ora”.
Maori “seperatism” is just one of the drums Peters beats, and will continue to do so.
A must watch!
Campbell Live covered the Mr Dotcom “invasion” tonight. First an escort through the house (mansion?) by the bodyguard through the premises decribing the timing and actions of the police.
Then Assistant Commissioner who authorised the program.
One of the questions from Campbell,”Has there ever been a precedent where such force was used against a white collar alleged criminal?” Mmmm.
Fascinating viewing. http://www.3news.co.nz/Campbell-Live-enters-Kim-Dotcoms-Coatesville-mansion/tabid/367/articleID/242116/Default.aspx
A must watch!
Campbell Live covered the Mr Dotcom “invasion” tonight. First an escort through the house (mansion?) by the bodyguard through the premises decribing the timing and actions of the police.
Wow! How cool is Clint Eastwood? I watched this yesterday and was quietly amazed, but thought it was odd coming from a bloke I always thought was an arch Republican. Not so much anymore, apparently.
Cant help thinking what a master hand Hone Harawira played at Waitangi. The man (who I have branded a racist etc with good reason) certainly won my respect for his deft handling of the asset sales issue.
Hone knew the Maori Party had to be detached from the Nats, and he knews this has to be made a constitutional matter because the Nats still had a majority of one. Most importantly he needed to keep the media from branding him a “Maori radical” at Waitangi thereby providing Key with a smokescreen.
Master stroke one: shame the Maori Party amongst Maori hapu / iwi and council with the prospect of a retreat on Treaty Principles. Turn up the heat in the kitchen.
Master stroke two: make it evident that their is no clear majority in parliament supporting asset sales and raise the issue of constitutional matters before the Govenor General and the representatives of the legal hierachy: Keys weak point is a disdain for constitutional law. Voila, a legal challenge appears and the Courts are primed.
Master stroke three : know that the radicals would be outside making a noise that the media would use to support Keys case. Then have his mother sit with Key and himself challenge the radicals thereby disarming Keys most potent weapon: a media so friendly they fall for his photo op imagery and faux populism. No Harawiras to take the blame, no popular bad guy radical to focus the smokescreen on.
In Berlin today, last night was the coldest on record for 25 years (just saying).
By coincidence I am attending a conference on Green technologies, they are predicting global cooling now (which on past performance willl brobably lead to things getting warmer).
Never bad weather, just wrong clothes 😉 I invested in a heavy duty coat after last winter in Vienna. Finally I can use it (still haven’t matched last year’s minimum though). The first snowfall of the season last night, it usually snows in December – so it’s worth going out in the cold now.
At 7.55pm, Tuesday 7 February 2012, at the Auckland Central Police Station, I filed a formal complaint, alleging perjury against the Auckland Council Manager for Risk and Assurance, Natalie Verdouw.
“(1) Perjury is an assertion as to a matter of fact, belief, or knowledge made by a witness in a judicial proceeding as part of his evidence on oath, whether the evidence is given in open court or by affidavit or otherwise, that assertion being known to the witness to be false and being intended by him to mislead the tribunal holding the proceeding.”
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS COMPLAINT:
A) Supplementary affidavit of Natalie Verdouw in support of application for injunction to prevent breach of bylaw, CIV-2011-404-002497, between Auckland Council (Applicant) and The Occupiers of Aotea Square (Respondents) sworn 2 December 2011:
Paragraph 9
” On Monday 28 November 2011 Conor Roberts (the Mayor’s chief political advisor) telephoned me to arrange a further meeting to be held that day to hear the responses from Occupy Auckland to the Mayor’s requests. I called Andrew Hendrie to determine whether resolutions had been made by the group during the course of the two General Assembly meetings held over the weekend.
He told me that no resolutions had been made. ……..”
B) Email from Andrew Hendrie to Penny Bright, dated 6 December 2011:
“Penny,
To answer your question from Sunday, council called on Monday to find out the outcome from the GA and I advised them of my understanding of the situation, which is what I have done for the last 6 weeks with them, that was that the GA had agreed to invite the mayor and council to the GA. that was the only resolution communicated to me from Chris…………………
I know about this one resolution because I saw the letter from Sunday’s GA and I signed it. ”
(Also – pages 4 – 32 of the Notes of Evidence taken before Judge DM Wilson QC, Hearing Date 8 December 2011, CIV-2011-004-002497 )
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS COMPLAINT:
It was from this one allegedly untrue telephone conversation between the Auckland Council Manager for Risk and Assurance, Natalie Verdouw and ONE member of the Occupy Auckland Council Liaison Team, Andrew Hendrie, that triggered the ongoing Court proceedings between Auckland Council and Occupy Auckland peaceful protestors.
On Wednesday 8 February 2012, as a ‘Named Respondent’ I am facing an Order of Committal for contempt of Court, and in so doing, am facing imprisonment. I have broken no law. Council Bylaws cannot ‘trump’ our lawful rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and Judge Wilson’s decision is under appeal.
Had Court proceedings arguably not been precipitiously triggered by Ms Verdouw’s perjurious statement(s), myself and other peaceful Occupy Auckland protestors would not now be facing jail.
Please be reminded of your Police Oath, and, without ‘favour or affection, malice or illwill’ uphold the law of New Zealand in a proper way help ensure that ‘ justice is done and is seen to be done’.
Yours sincerely,
COMPLAINANT: Penelope Mary Bright (aka Penny Bright)
__________________________________________________________
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Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University Gumbariya/Shutterstock The Reserve Bank’s decision to cut interest rates for the first time in four years has triggered a round of celebration. Mortgage holders are cheering the fact their monthly repayments are now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Housing supply in Australia will be a key battleground in the election campaign. With home ownership more and more out of reach for young and not so young Australians, red tape and low productivity are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Korolev, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, UNSW Sydney The United States and Russia agreed to work on a plan to end the war in Ukraine at high-level talks in Saudi Arabia this week. Ukrainian and European representatives were pointedly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University BaLL LunLa/Shutterstock Sleep is the holy grail for new parents. So no wonder many tired parents are looking for something to help their babies sleep. A TikTok trend claims ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ranjana Gupta, Senior Lecturer, Accounting Department, Auckland University of Technology Jirsak/Shutterstock The profit made on every breakfast bowl of weet-bix is tax exempt, giving Sanitarium Health Food Company, owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, an advantage over other breakfast food companies. ...
A closer look at some of the homegrown talent currently commanding television screens around the globe. The new season of The White Lotus hit our screens this week, and with it a familiar face in New Zealand actor Morgana O’Reilly. To secure a role in one of the world’s most ...
"This is a crisis of the Government’s own making and the unit is another sign of desperation," said PSA acting national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesca Perugia, Senior Lecturer, School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University Australia’s housing crisis has created a push for fast-tracked construction. Federal, state and territory governments have set a target of 1.2 million new homes over five years. Increasing housing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ash Watson, Scientia Fellow and Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock When we’re uncomfortable we say the “vibe is off”. When we’re having a good time we’re “vibing”. To assess the mood we do a “vibe check”. And when the atmosphere in ...
What’s up with the man from Epsom? The leader of the Act Party has been in plenty of headlines in the last two weeks, ranging from a controversial letter to police on behalf of constituent Philip Polkinghorne (written before David Seymour was a minister) to an attempt to drive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Australian National University Newly published research has found clear evidence that openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer+ (LGBTIQ+) Australian politicians were disproportionately targeted with personal abuse on social media at the ...
Gilmore Girls, Schitt’s Creek, even The Vampire Diaries – they’re all set in tight-knit neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone. So what is it like to actually know your neighbours? My favourite television shows are set in tight-knit neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone. Characters attend town meetings where they debate local ...
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Wellington travellers say their buses are so hot they’re often forced to get off early and walk. Shanti Mathias explores the impact of non-functioning air conditioning on public transport. When Bella, a young professional living in Wellington, thinks about taking the bus, her first thought is “Ugh”. The bus might ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Kroen, Research Fellow Planning and Transport, RMIT University The cleanup is underway in northern Queensland following the latest flooding catastrophe to hit the state. More than 7,000 insurance claims have already been lodged, most of them for inundated homes and other ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Tasmania has been burning for more than two weeks, with no end in sight. Almost 100,000 hectares of bushland in the northwest has burned to date. This includes the Tarkine rainforest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney This week, the Productivity Commission released its much-awaited report into productivity growth in Australia’s housing construction sector. It wasn’t a glowing appraisal. The commission found physical productivity – the total number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pascale Lubbe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Royal spoonbills are among several new species that have crossed the Tasman and naturalised in New Zealand. JJ Harrison/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA When people arrived on the shores of Aotearoa ...
Stats NZ’s head is stepping down over the agency’s failure to safeguard census data, and more officials may soon be in the firing line, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. An ‘absolutely unacceptable’ failure Stats NZ chief ...
Health NZ is under greater government scrutiny, with the new health minister setting up a unit he says will "drive greater accountability and performance". ...
Manurewa Marae acknowledges should have done better at handling completed census forms, following an inquiry into steps government agencies took to protect data. ...
Police failed to protect people from protesters at a high-profile rally and made unlawful arrests at another, the Independent Police Conduct Authority says. ...
Comment: Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are making it easier for people to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum without having to handle digital wallets or private keys. These allow investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency through their regular brokerage accounts.This has opened the door for billions of dollars ...
Two long-awaited reports into alleged personal data misuse, centred on census collection and Covid-19 vaccination efforts at Manurewa Marae, were released yesterday. Here’s what you need to know.“Very sobering reading” was how public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche described his organisation’s long-awaited report into the alleged misuse of census ...
Backbench MPs reached new levels of patsy questions in an extraordinarily dull question time on Tuesday. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. “MPs ask questions to explore key issues ...
AM I a blood sucking vampire squid?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6373313/Landlord-forced-to-evict-welfare-group
Isn’t this the same AMI that, after taking people’s premiums for earthquake insurance for decades, got bailed out to the tune of $1 billion by the tax payer, for not coughing up when the earthquake struck?
AMI need to be publicly shamed into returning this charity group back into their rental accommodation.
So Maori are taking the Government to Court in response to the Government’s proposal to stop the treaty from being applied to the Power Companies. Fair enough. Water is clearly a taonga preserved to Maori by the treaty. Just as gentrified English have retained wealth within their families for centuries why should not Maori retain what was originally theirs?
The remedy sought causes concern. One potion is for Maori to be provided shares in the companies. If this happens it will at least in part legitimise the privatisation of community assets. And instead of all Maori owning them the shareholding will be concentrated in the hands of an elite who will enjoy disproportionately the benefits of doing so. The Sealord settlement springs to mind.
Maori should instead insist that the privatisation not go ahead. Or if it does insist that the companies pay proper compensation for their water and rivers. That should prevent the share sales going through and retaining ownership of the companies in NZ as a whole will mean that Maori will benefit.
One further comment, some have questioned the suggestion that this is deliberate dog whistling by Key. But you just have to wonder about the timing of the release. The Treaty clause has obviously been an issue for months but in the week of Waitangi it is released. Key then gets what he wanted, film of conflict and the chance to say a few Crosby Textor designed red neck appealing slogans. Utterly appalling.
What was more appalling was Mike Hosking’s interview on Close Up last night.
There was no questioning or interviewing. Hosking simply outlined his own views which conveniently fitted into what Key wanted to portray. Hosking should just stay on talkback – that is all his shallow abilities are worth.
It was one of the most woeful displays I have ever seen.
Pathetic.
I thought TVNZ was talkback with pictures
vto +1. It was a shocker.
He is grotesque – a redneck embarrasment. I felt so ashamed with overseas guests in the house watching that.
+1
Niall Ferguson is someone I’ve been recomended to read, but I’ve never gotten around to doing so.
This piece http://bit.ly/yBLy84 does not encourage me to do so.
Leaving aside the conclusions, the arguments he presents there are fucking woeful.
Does he even know what “realism” is? given his self selected beat, he should be all over that shit, but nah.
PB – His 2 TV series Accent of Money and War of the World, I found interesting and for the time they were on justified the sky subscription, it was worth reviewing the repeats of both series. 😉
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_Ferguson
what shearer and key read on their holidays..(cartoon..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/the-first-ever-whoar-political-cartoon-2/
[email look alike deleted].
I thought this post was more interesting:
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/nz-tax-on-rich-lowest-in-the-world/
With a nod to afewknowthetruth and Robert Atack. Here is another article by Goodchild about our future to 2050.
Refer link: http://www.countercurrents.org/goodchild060212.htm
“The Psychology Of Systemic Collapse”
“Again, it’s a misconception of scale. Industrial society is based almost entirely on fossil fuels, and such an enormous population is not possible without these fuels. When the fuel is gone, so is the population. Because the size of the population is so closely correlated to the fuel supply, between now and the year 2050 about 2.5 billion people will die of famine, while lost and averted births will amount to another 2.5 billion. And the proposal for avoiding such an unprecedented catastrophe is to install solar panels? People with these ideas surely cannot be serious.”
“The truly fundamental problem of understanding systemic collapse, however, is that the human brain cannot assimilate it emotionally. If I were standing in front of a judge, and he told me I was being sentenced to death for murder, I suspect I’d be focusing on the sound of a sparrow outside the window. The brain just goes into neutral. But as academics, as intellectuals, that excuse is not good enough.
What might be called “the Pollyanna Principle” is the belief that “everything will turn out all right in the end.” It might also be called “the Doll’s House Principle,” with reference to Ibsen’s play. But closing our eyes to the grim reality does not change the facts. A different perspective can be reached by doing some reading about what actually happens during a famine. Cecil Woodham-Smith, in The Great Hunger, describes the Irish potato-famine of the 1840s: “Bodies half-eaten by rats were an ordinary sight.”
My thoughts are he’s right, but all of us are so caught up in day to day living that this future simply isn’t real to us. And the vast majority don’t know and aren’t interested in the connection between population numbers and fossil fuel energy availability. Fossil fuels are our Irish potato! What happens when our industrialised food source begins its terminal availability? As with Climate Change this issue is the biggest Macro concern of our time.
MUNZ, the CTU and activists have set up a webpage to encourage support and lay out the real facts of the POAL dispute:
http://www.saveourport.com/
There are links to the petition and also the latest one page fact sheet. Please check it out, the answers to most of the right’s lies about the fight are in there.
+1
Signed and Facebooked.
Bill English at Te Rau Aroha marae in bluff yesterday
“If the northern tribes could run a marae properly, New Zealand might have a more positive view of the Treaty.”
H.T. – http://robertguyton.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/english-insults-maori.html
My response
“This meme of southern verses northern Māori is common as muck and often used to try and divide – I’ve heard it a million times and it doesn’t work, it does the opposite – it binds us together.”
http://mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/all-are-insulted-by-dipton-dipstick.html
There are no words in the Englsih language to do justice to the offense I feel in Bill English’s remarks. While the manaakitanga of Te Rau Aroha is legendary, it is equally fantastic, although different, at marae all over the country.
That there were no protests at Mr English’s presence saddens me, I am sure that he heard plenty during one on one discussion.
Anyway, although I wasn’t there, it is not impossible that there were things said in Maori that he didn’t understand 🙂
REALLY IMPORTANT OCCUPY AUCKLAND COURT CASE TOMORROW!
8 PEACEFUL OCCUPY AUCKLAND PROTESTORS POTENTIALLY FACING JAIL FOR BREACHING A COURT ORDER WHICH (in my considered opinion) TREATED THE FACTS, THE EVIDENCE AND THE LAW WITH CONTEMPT!
8 peaceful protestors from Occupy Auckland are in the Auckland District Court (Albert St) tomorrow – Wednesday 8 February 2012.
Solidarity protest outside from 9.00am – then the hearing on the ‘Order of Committal for Contempt of Court’ starting at 10am.
This is SERIOUS.
8 named parties (including myself) are potentially facing imprisonment for allegedly breaching the Court Order made on 21 December 2011 by Judge Wilson by continuing to peacefully protest /camp at Aotea Square.
Judge Wilson, in my considered opinion, treated the FACTS, the EVIDENCE and the LAW with contempt.
I for one, treat his ‘Court Order’ with contempt.
Decisions which are not based upon the RULE OF LAW – deserve to be treated with contempt.
“WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW _ RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY!”
Council By Laws cannot ‘trump’ our lawful rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression – end of story.
(s.155(3) Local Government Act 2002)
I will NOT be silenced or bow down to municipal and judicial bullying and intimidation.
I for one, am prepared to go to jail in order to defend these fundamental human rights.
This should help to cast a national and international spotlight on how our corporate-controlled Auckland Council is a $UPERCITY for the 1%, and how NZ status – ‘perceived’ to be the ‘least corrupt country in the world’ (according to Transparency International’s 2011 ‘Corruption Perception Index’) – is not worth the paper upon which it is written.
Tomorrow, in my opinion, will be a milestone case, for those representing the interests of the wealthy, corporate 1% vs the public majority 99%.
Corporate rights (wrongs) – vs human rights?
If you can make it – please be there!
Cheers! Penny Bright
(Named Respondent)
Penny Who Cares hope theyall get fined and have to pay to put the park back to where it was prior to the occupation
Back home from school early, James? You probably should have stayed on for the English class at least.
“… pay to put the park back to where it was prior to the occupation”
The park hasn’t moved, doofus.
Glad to see you using mother english, and not Te Reo
Ignorant pillock… Not that I should really be surprised..
Kia ira Hemi tokotoru
Kei kora tonu te papa takaro. Ehara tera he whenua nekeneke
A horrid little troll like yourself is lucky people aren’t speaking norse at you.
Much as I believe that freedom of speech and expression is important, when I think of the venal degrading nature of James 3’s comments I wonder if to make the world a better place James 3 should be stopped from wasting my bandwidth.
Do you? Really? 😀 😀 😀
(You might, most others here don’t think freedom of speech matters at all, unless they agree with what’s being expressed. Otherwise…)
… they also speak. And use words like “bigot”.
Question Time 7/2/12
12 nil.
Was that the best the Opposition can do?
Fisani
Have to agree did you see Parker get assinated on the Crafer Farm Sales. When he was in charge of Land sales in a Labour Government he let go 410,000 hectares. Why would they even bring it up talk about shooting yourself in the Foot. Clayton Cosgrove said in the house in 2005 quote (its impossible to sto land sales to overseas people if that was to happen would lthe last person out in New Zealand please turn out the lights)
Does that mean that Labour says and does one thing in Government, and does the exact opposite in opposistion. Very hypocritical ,and not really a party that would engender any trust
No, fuckwit, it means that Labour has finally caught on to the fact the majority of NZers don’t like our land being sold to foreigners. If that 410,000 had been as well published as the Crafar farm sale had been then the opposition would have started a lot sooner. I’m pretty sure that NAct understand that which is why they’re trying to stop any information flow from the government to the people. NAct really can’t have the people being informed and educated because then they will try to stop what NAct are doing to the country.
More like 650k ha were sold under the 5th Lab govt. 🙁
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10681304
Still I have not read how after signing a FTA with China how we now can put a halt on this and still be compliant within the FTA. We already have Sold our NZ soul.
There are simple means to overcome the barrier- Just do a JV with an iwi, just like how we sold away our fishing rights overseas. This issue has ben addressed many time here before.
http://thestandard.org.nz/labour-moves-on-slave-fishing/#comment-400462
http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/template/news_item.jsp?cid=414934
The FTA just says we have to do with China on no-worse grounds than any other country.
So that just means we put the same limits on sales to all foreign countries, as Labour is proposing, and then China isn’t being treated any worse than any other country.
Lanthanide – I suppose then by default the stipulation will be that of what we allow Australian investors to do. As we would have to also bar Aussies from being able to acquire land. And I have yet to hear or read any comments limiting Aussie investment !!
The selling off of pre-existing assets and capabilities for no new added value or additional processing technology or capabilties is the absolute lowest quality “investment”.
Clare Trevett’s article in todays Herald is a sure sign that the Right are going to try and pull the same trick on Shearer as they did with the unforunate Phil Goff. Labour members must make sure that any plan to denigrate David Shearer is niped in the bud now!
Regardless of what the article says (haven’t read it), the fact remains that Labour opted for personality over political substance. So I’m afraid Mr Dithering Bleeding Heart Sh-eh-ahr-er deserves all that flies in his direction.
The debate around the need for a constitution is a worthy one:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/waitangi-day-constitution-and-waituna.html
ffs! Where are we going when people are jailed for possessing magazine articles/pamphlets? From the UK.
(emph. added)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/06/germans-al-qaida-terror-dover
book burning as a “terrorism prevention measure” on the way next.
Winston all but accused Tariana Turia of corruption in question time today.
Claimed Whanau Ora had paid for the birthday bash of a well healed Maori business family.
Could he be forcing a resignation?
as covered here.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6378062/Whanau-Ora-a-waste-of-money
Maori “seperatism” is just one of the drums Peters beats, and will continue to do so.
It was the money paid to a wealthy family wasn’t it?
A must watch!
Campbell Live covered the Mr Dotcom “invasion” tonight. First an escort through the house (mansion?) by the bodyguard through the premises decribing the timing and actions of the police.
Then Assistant Commissioner who authorised the program.
One of the questions from Campbell,”Has there ever been a precedent where such force was used against a white collar alleged criminal?” Mmmm.
Fascinating viewing.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Campbell-Live-enters-Kim-Dotcoms-Coatesville-mansion/tabid/367/articleID/242116/Default.aspx
It was scary stuff indeed!
Wow! How cool is Clint Eastwood? I watched this yesterday and was quietly amazed, but thought it was odd coming from a bloke I always thought was an arch Republican. Not so much anymore, apparently.
Hone pulls Nacts teeth, masterly work.
Cant help thinking what a master hand Hone Harawira played at Waitangi. The man (who I have branded a racist etc with good reason) certainly won my respect for his deft handling of the asset sales issue.
Hone knew the Maori Party had to be detached from the Nats, and he knews this has to be made a constitutional matter because the Nats still had a majority of one. Most importantly he needed to keep the media from branding him a “Maori radical” at Waitangi thereby providing Key with a smokescreen.
Master stroke one: shame the Maori Party amongst Maori hapu / iwi and council with the prospect of a retreat on Treaty Principles. Turn up the heat in the kitchen.
Master stroke two: make it evident that their is no clear majority in parliament supporting asset sales and raise the issue of constitutional matters before the Govenor General and the representatives of the legal hierachy: Keys weak point is a disdain for constitutional law. Voila, a legal challenge appears and the Courts are primed.
Master stroke three : know that the radicals would be outside making a noise that the media would use to support Keys case. Then have his mother sit with Key and himself challenge the radicals thereby disarming Keys most potent weapon: a media so friendly they fall for his photo op imagery and faux populism. No Harawiras to take the blame, no popular bad guy radical to focus the smokescreen on.
Genius, my hats off to you Hone.
In Berlin today, last night was the coldest on record for 25 years (just saying).
By coincidence I am attending a conference on Green technologies, they are predicting global cooling now (which on past performance willl brobably lead to things getting warmer).
Yip, that weather system they got over there at the moment sure isn’t something, ain’t it?
went out for dinner last night, walked about half an hour from the hotel, absolutely froze through, these germans are tough!
Never bad weather, just wrong clothes 😉 I invested in a heavy duty coat after last winter in Vienna. Finally I can use it (still haven’t matched last year’s minimum though). The first snowfall of the season last night, it usually snows in December – so it’s worth going out in the cold now.
Continental climates are somewhat extreme. Give me ocean encircled islands anytime, provided they have hills.
OCCUPY AUCKLAND FIGHTBACK!!
At 7.55pm, Tuesday 7 February 2012, at the Auckland Central Police Station, I filed a formal complaint, alleging perjury against the Auckland Council Manager for Risk and Assurance, Natalie Verdouw.
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Under the NZ Crimes Act 1961, 108 Perjury defined
“(1) Perjury is an assertion as to a matter of fact, belief, or knowledge made by a witness in a judicial proceeding as part of his evidence on oath, whether the evidence is given in open court or by affidavit or otherwise, that assertion being known to the witness to be false and being intended by him to mislead the tribunal holding the proceeding.”
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS COMPLAINT:
A) Supplementary affidavit of Natalie Verdouw in support of application for injunction to prevent breach of bylaw, CIV-2011-404-002497, between Auckland Council (Applicant) and The Occupiers of Aotea Square (Respondents) sworn 2 December 2011:
Paragraph 9
” On Monday 28 November 2011 Conor Roberts (the Mayor’s chief political advisor) telephoned me to arrange a further meeting to be held that day to hear the responses from Occupy Auckland to the Mayor’s requests. I called Andrew Hendrie to determine whether resolutions had been made by the group during the course of the two General Assembly meetings held over the weekend.
He told me that no resolutions had been made. ……..”
B) Email from Andrew Hendrie to Penny Bright, dated 6 December 2011:
“Penny,
To answer your question from Sunday, council called on Monday to find out the outcome from the GA and I advised them of my understanding of the situation, which is what I have done for the last 6 weeks with them, that was that the GA had agreed to invite the mayor and council to the GA. that was the only resolution communicated to me from Chris…………………
I know about this one resolution because I saw the letter from Sunday’s GA and I signed it. ”
(Also – pages 4 – 32 of the Notes of Evidence taken before Judge DM Wilson QC, Hearing Date 8 December 2011, CIV-2011-004-002497 )
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS COMPLAINT:
It was from this one allegedly untrue telephone conversation between the Auckland Council Manager for Risk and Assurance, Natalie Verdouw and ONE member of the Occupy Auckland Council Liaison Team, Andrew Hendrie, that triggered the ongoing Court proceedings between Auckland Council and Occupy Auckland peaceful protestors.
On Wednesday 8 February 2012, as a ‘Named Respondent’ I am facing an Order of Committal for contempt of Court, and in so doing, am facing imprisonment. I have broken no law. Council Bylaws cannot ‘trump’ our lawful rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and Judge Wilson’s decision is under appeal.
Had Court proceedings arguably not been precipitiously triggered by Ms Verdouw’s perjurious statement(s), myself and other peaceful Occupy Auckland protestors would not now be facing jail.
Please be reminded of your Police Oath, and, without ‘favour or affection, malice or illwill’ uphold the law of New Zealand in a proper way help ensure that ‘ justice is done and is seen to be done’.
Yours sincerely,
COMPLAINANT: Penelope Mary Bright (aka Penny Bright)
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this may amuse some..
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/5-ridiculous-sex-myths-everyone-believes/
excerpt:..
“…In truth, sperm are hardier than the fragile balls that birthed them.
They can stay alive and viable for days after ejaculation – watching and waiting for their opportunity to make a happy accident.
Just how long can a sperm survive in the wild and terrible world?
BabyMed says five days – WebMD concurs.
The Mayo Clinic allows that they can survive “perhaps even longer.”..”
(cont..)
[email look alike deleted].