….and this promotion of fear can “activate” certain groups in society into becoming proponents of authoritarianism.
“…According to Stenner’s theory, there is a certain subset of people who hold latent authoritarian tendencies. These tendencies can be triggered or “activated” by the perception of physical threats or by destabilizing social change, leading those individuals to desire policies and leaders that we might more colloquially call authoritarian.
It is as if, the NYU professor Jonathan Haidt has written, a button is pushed that says, “In case of moral threat, lock down the borders, kick out those who are different, and punish those who are morally deviant.”….
Grim reading for leftists however all is not lost apparently. The revolution can be saved with a managed float and perhaps the country has more stashed away than originally thought.
Perhaps we should worry about Venezuela after our failed finance minister and failing prime minister show that they can break even without borrowing $20 billion a year.
Do you get paid Gosman? Or simply a volunteer, but you ought to get an honorarium, or a nice bottle of whisky from the group leader each Christmas. Perhaps we should protest about the principle of you deserving compensation if not receiving some reward. Just let us know who you work for and we will decide what approach would be most suitable. We of course are trying to hold onto principles, but you wouldn’t be conversant with such matters.
You definitely do a good job of adding to the smoke and confabulation around the running of our nation. If it was cigarette smoke, it would be bad but yours is more noxious coming from lower regions.
Keyistas in the “National” party are attempting to use a symbol associated with rugby on a new national flag despite mounting medical evidence of life-changing injury.
I do apologise for bordering on spam with my repetitive woeful cries about the fact that Justin Lester, Deputy Mayor of Wellington and Mayoral candidate has a conflict of interest as he sits on the executive of the Wellington branch of the NZ Property Council (and other issues, background and history).
But now it’s becoming clear why this hasn’t been declared as a conflict of interest – the council don’t see it as one, not when they are considering creating a council body who purpose is to be a property market player:
“This year’s draft Annual Plan includes a new climate change strategy, with a focus on reducing car ownership, as well as plans for a new council-controlled organisation that can play the property market.”
WTF?
and more WTF?
“The formation of an Urban Development Agency has also been proposed. The new council-controlled organisation would be able to purchase land, enter into agreements with developers, and prepare ‘master plans’ for urban growth and big projects that boost economic development.”
The seedy links the council already with developers, (and they already have agreements with developers) instead of being destroyed for the public good will now be formalised and entrenched.
So ratepayers who can barely afford to cover their rates as it is because they are on inadequate wages or fixed wages, can’t afford to buy their first house, or struggling with their own mortgage will now get to fund the council and it’s property development fantasies. Our $$$ will be used to invest in an unstable volatile “product” that is exposed to the ever changing winds of the market.
So we are well and truly stuffed here in Wellington. This year we have a choice between the faux left that run council now and National Party aligned Nicola Young, so either way we will end up with the same.
I didn’t say anything about climate adaptation projects being more expensive that doing nothing. I have no idea how you got to that conclusion.
I’m talking about the duplicity that exists between developers and the council, how that unhealthy relationship may possibly be formalised and how the ratepayer will provide the funds for the council’s property development fantasies – we can’t afford to prop this plaything up.
If you’d read my previous comments about WCC and it’s amazing lack of interest in developing ANY climate change strategy (we are faux green as well as faux left) you would assume I would welcome some sort gesture towards mitigating climate change.
The idea to get more cars off the road is a good start but it is merely a token gesture. Reasons being:
a) Wellingtonians are the highest users of public transport in the country already. This can be built upon by reducing fares on public transport and providing free public transport in the weekend, as has been proposed by actual Green councillor, Iona Pannett, but rejected.
b)I have spoken at length with councillors, and council officers about the lack of climate strategy for the mass development projects they are so fond of. As I’ve said many times on TS, there has been no environmental protections in place on these development areas, let alone measures put in place to reduce the impact development ultimately has on climate.
Huge tracts of land have been turned into housing. This means more tarmac, less vegetation, more people sucking up resources like air conditioning as there is no shade provided by tree’s – these areas are hotter than traditional suburbs with established trees. There is no expectation for developers to plant tree’s to offset increased carbon levels. Very little public transport has been put in to these new areas, so people drive cars to work instead of catching the bus. There is no commercial zoning in these developments, so people have to drive several KM’s to get to the nearest shops and service centres.
These poorly designed developments have a detrimental effect on the environment.
Our council are a bunch of hypocrites when they pay lip service to climate change.
You’re focusing on the costs to ratepayers as well as potential conflicts of interest; your link describes climate projects as being (at least partially) behind the cost increases.
You’re making sense. People aren’t listening to each other very well at the moment. Don’t know why. OAB does lots of small, fast comments which suggest to me he is at work and can’t devote a lot of time to looking at things indepth, or taking time to check things out (that’s also a social skill that to many here lack). But his comments to you today look weird even allowing for that.
I mean that from what you’re saying, they’re using climate issues as a smokescreen: the article makes much of the increased spending that will have to occur as a result, when the real purpose is simply to channel public funds to developers.
OK OAB. I was using the article as reference only, not analysing it’s reporting of WCC’s options.
What I am doing is trying to highlight the sheer hypocrisy of the WCC around their potential implementation of climate change strategy when they’ve had their heads in the sand for years and years and refuse to acknowledge the unnecessary damage development does.
And, yes, agreed, the real purpose is to channel funds to developers.
Without looking very closely at it (only reading your comment not the link), I’d say that in theory council’s investing in property to have more control over subdivision development and thus housing is potentially a useful thing (because it’s been left to private developpers for too long). But in practice, in this neoliberal environment, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. That they use the word ‘play’ the market in a document suggests just how far up their own arses they already are that they don’t see anything wrong with that.
I don’t know what you can do other other than what you already do. Write submissions, make oral submissions, organise. Have you talked to the GP? Are they putting up candidates this year on the GP ticket?
There’s been a lot of jiggery pokery done to local bodies in recent years, I haven’t kept up with it, but it concerns me that we don’t look at how National have been fucking with that as much as with health, education, welfare etc. It’s been low hanging fruit for them and we’ve ignored it to our detriment.
Yes, on the surface weka, it could look like council investment in private residential development could be socially beneficial, after all this council has been very good at refurbishing social housing stock to a comfortable and safe standard and building good quality new social housing.
But you’re right, the neoliberal approach is the one they are taking. This has been confirmed to me through my ongoing conversations with certain councillors.
As for getting things done, I have tried to organise at a local level on our development and others but have been met with silence. (The northern ward roughly sits within the same footprint as the Ohariu electorate, very conservative).
Ironically the only councillor supporting me is a right winger, who is more aghast at the behaviour of the council than anything. he legit though, completely on the level. The Green Party councillor won’t respond to my emails. I’ve had meetings with council managers, at the council and meetings with a councillor at my house.
I’ve really run out of options as just one person.
As for the National Government, you’re right there too, they have had a profound influence in Wellington in regard to the SHA Accord and roading.
Can’t speak for other regions. Thats why it’s always good to hear from other commenters about what’s happening in their turf, both at a local and government level. Often the regional political news doesn’t make it to the MSM, so it’s good to stay connected in other ways.
Rosie – while it is true that the WCC has done a good job of refurbishing some of its social housing stock, the reason may have been lost in some of the mists of recent history. The investor sharks were circling until the government put the kaibosh on the intended privatisation of some of the council housing stock. The deal ended up with a healthy dollop of taxpayer funding and a ‘no-sale’ edict.
Otherwise, and more pertinent to your comments, the Council (elected and administrative) have a lengthy grab-bag of strategies to aid and abet a coterie of favoured developers who can already do much as they please with the wink and nod of planning and compliance staff which constantly frustrates local communities throughout the city. In most cases, the developers eventually get largely what they want, unless cases are taken to the Environment Court. The quandry then is, how many small groups of ratepayers can affort to front against the high paid lawyers engaged by Council and developers who act as a ‘tag team’, along with their so called ‘expert’ witnesses who, on occasions, prove to be little more than paid obfuscators. The other interesting feature of the Wellington Council is that it engages its former employees as ‘Independent’ Commissioners and has an open door policy when private sector ex-colleagues are engaged by developers. Recently it seems, they also had ex-employees contracted to cover full-time staff who were engaged in the MDH propaganda campaign. It all seems pretty incestuous and getting closer to something more sinister. The latest utterances regarding the proposed new CCO is taking the situation into the ball-park of the questionable deals like those of WWL and subsequently City Shaper which is under the same developer friendly leadership.
Petertoo. I hadn’t been aware of the intention to sell off some of the housing, or only vaguely aware perhaps….was that mid to late 2000’s? During Clark’s Government and during Prendergast’s time? I had only just recently arrived back in Wellington. Or was it more recent?
“The other interesting feature of the Wellington Council is that it engages its former employees as ‘Independent’ Commissioners and has an open door policy when private sector ex-colleagues are engaged by developers.”
You mentioned this recently. It’s fascinating, as is your statement about ex employees being engaged in the MDH campaign.
You really do seem to have some very detailed knowledge of the motivations and processes of some councillors and council officials. I really would like to know the full story – after having spent 18 months dealing with these people, both developer and council and having my eyes opened to some disturbing behavioural patterns and alliances. But I only have part of the picture. I want to see the whole picture. It will also help me join a few dots that I haven’t been able to connect.
Would you consider writing a guest post about the matter?
Rosie – a number of people have been around the traps a bit but so far, the Council/developer cabal have been fortunate in that they have only had to deal with small isolated individuals and inadequately financed community groups. That said, the Council and their fellow-traveller developer friends invariably get pegged back, even by amateur litigants, at Court hearings if cases proceed that far. It is unfortunate that no-one has yet been sufficiently motivated to write a guest post, this commentor included but this will doubt change if there is evidence of the metaphorical brown paper bag or two filled with cash. In the meantime, it is suggested you keep an eye on wellington.scoop.co.nz which constantly exposes gems of information for those of a justified cynical disposition.
As an additional comment, it is not fair to be too hard on some of the Councillors. The Council administration, no doubt with some guidance from the spin-meister, Richard McLean, seem to do a good job of ensuring that any criticism is sanitised before it gets to them.
Thanks for the reminder about scoop. They DO have some interesting council snippets that would never make it to the Dom Post.
I do look forward to a time when you may be able to do a guest post – you’ve got a good writing style and you have more of a 360 degree view than me. I’m a relative newbie to the shenanigans at WCC. I was naive enough to trust them earlier on due to the political colours of a good number of the councillors.
Now, it’s anything but that. As a Labour member I can’t bring myself to attend the electorate AGM next week as Justin Lester will be speaking. He has been an active enabler, contributing to my problems with the developer in my neighbourhood and standing by as I was abused by these powerful men.
He damn well better not give any speeches about the rights and equality of women, ever.
These Auckland problems are just on my periphery at the mo and having scanned through your post on TS and the public address it would take some digesting.
Just quickly are the outsourced planners local but being paid more in fee’s than council employees would be, or are they so outsourced that they’re from another country? – (Outsourcing design tasks to other countries happens in the engineering sector, so it wasn’t a funny ha ha question).
It’s a very National Government way of working – outsource work to “consultants” and pay more while reducing job security for those who have the knowledge of the systems.
I have just voted in the flag referendum and could not help reflecting that the system is broken due to the
closure of local post offices. I have to trek to mine a few suburbs away.
Indeed. A friend of mine who works for the PWUA said something like 1300 “street receivers”, those street side boxes used to post mail, have been removed in recent years. Posties receive a lot of complaints from the public about inconvenient this is.
Can someone wise in the ways of the web and the intellectual ownership industry advise me why the link to some NZ Vimeo content that I had put in one of my comments just disappears after a short time? Are people not allowed to show examples of performances, work on line if done by Vimeo? Youtube can be invoked with little trouble, and is a great way to bring content to new viewers or refresh memories of past content.
I should mention that it was a song written for an advertisement for AMP. I don’t think it is still being used by them though I wouldn’t know as I gave up TV on changeover from digital.
“Plan A was based on a future promise that told us to stay the course. Things will come right once our trade negotiators have prevailed. This is now not going to happen. We will have some small successes in opening up new markets, but the big step change promised since the Uruguay Round now won’t happen. We need a Plan B that can actually address the problems, shocks, surprises that are starting to overwhelm us here and now.
Actually, we need multiple Plan B’s. One of the most hypnotic and seductive aspects of the liberalization plan was that it presented governments and policymakers with a ‘one size fits all’ answer to any policy problem. It would be a dire mistake to respond to the monolithic quality of Plan A by suggesting that there is a fully formed one size fits all Plan B just waiting to be implemented. Achieve resilient transitions to a more sustainable future will require many solutions of varying size fitted to problems of varying scale. We will need to draw on the reservoir of marginalized and neglected alternatives that sit outside Plan A. We will need to know as much as we can about small-scale food provisioning, medium-scale networks of food production and consumption, and the relationship between food systems and energy systems. We will need to pay attention to how specific communities and localities are trying to create their own Plan B’s in fitting these things together into credible transition pathways. In order to do so, we must first recognize that Plan A no longer provides a full or sufficient answer to the challenges of agriculture and food in the 21st century. “
Power outages.
The NZH reports this morning that there was an outage in the Auckland CBD ( http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11601121)
Most consumers were only out for a short period but 88 for about 5 hours.
BTW Outage is not in my dictionary but I think it is a very neat and clever word
Not reported by the NZH is another outage in Milford on Saturday 5.3.16, which lasted from about 2pm to 8.30pm.
It was reported by Stuff who said that the cause was that a seagull
had broken the line which must have been weakened by wind and age? One person was hospitalised for electric shock.
Is it then appropriate that the lines company is called Vector?
The 2nd meaning of Vector in my dictionary is ” The carrier of a disease or infection”.
Private providers of electricity services in the USA have vectored in mass outages that are called brown-outs, not quite black-outs.
Brownout (electricity) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownout_(electricity)
A brownout is an intentional or unintentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system. Intentional brownouts are used for load reduction in an emergency. The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag (or dip).
This will no doubt be adopted here, as being more efficient than aiming for 100% provision at any time whatever the load, which involves over and under capacity, and that would probably lead to lower profits.
in the film enron; the smartest guys in the room, brownouts (unscheduled maintenance on a generator or two) were a deliberate ploy used in california to up the spot price of power therefore making massive returns to enron.
The “employment issue” in a National Party electorate office is understood to involve a claim a secret recording was made by Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay.
Long-serving staff member Glenys Dickson left Mr Barclay’s Gore office last month after 18 years in the job.
The circumstances of her departure have been kept under wraps.
The Otago Daily Times asked the National Party if it was investigating a claim about a secret recording, but party secretary Greg Hamilton said in a statement it was not the role of the party to investigate or comment on staffing matters.
Mr Barclay said he could not comment because it involved staff.
Last week, Gore branch secretary Maeva Smith said an “employment issue” was behind Mrs Dickson’s departure.
At the weekend, electorate chairman Stuart Davie resigned, calling his position untenable, but he declined to comment further.
It is understood some southern party members feel the matter warrants further investigation.
A central issue is whether the recording was made, or whether its existence was an unfounded claim.
A party member, who declined to be named, said that the issue was sensitive for the party because of the prominence of surveillance and spying issues during its time in office.
The Parliamentary Service, which employs electorate secretaries, declined to comment.
Mrs Dickson had worked for Deputy Prime Minister Bill English when he was Clutha-Southland MP.
Yesterday, Mr English declined to comment, but earlier this week told reporters in Wellington the resignations reflected a transition phase in which an MP builds their own team, and he was not concerned about the situation.
Queenstown electorate secretary Barbara Swan has also resigned, and is working out a notice period.
Earlier this week, Mr Barclay apologised for releasing Ms Swan’s resignation letter to a media outlet.
Mr Barclay (25), who grew up in Dipton and Gore, was elected to Parliament in 2014 after Mr English opted to become a list MP.
His youth and previous employment at Phillip Morris New Zealand prompted comment when he was selected for the blue-ribbon seat.
The “employment issue” in a National Party electorate office is understood to involve a claim a secret recording was made by Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay.
If the kid was found to have made a recording the woman that resigned could take a personal grievance against him for recording their conversations without her knowledge.
Yeah, there was a chat about this on Open Mike last Friday.
Nats need to respond to the membership who want an investigation and grant it………. If they have any sense of responsibility to the membership they would.
And how neurotic/paranoid/nutty is that kid if he IS recording conversations.
My understanding is the challenge could come from the Queenstown guy who pulled out at the last minute in the last pre selection process. From recollection his name was Simon Flood and he was…drumroll please…. a currency trader…. that had parachuted in from Singapore to contest the seat.
Interesting dynamic in this seat because it is a mix of ultra rural heartland Southland and cosmopolitan Queenstown. The Queenstown faction have always wanted a Queenstown advocate which is fair enough given the distinct issues they face so maybe they now sense their opportunity. Of course that will not be popular with the rural base who have plenty of issues of their own to deal with at present.
Fair point Weka. I suspect though if Barclay has been so woeful or infact has acted illegally as an employer and Queenstown can get a credible candidate up, then it could all be on. Although Barclay is based in Gore and is originally from Dipton his rural credentials as a tabacco lobbyist are hardly overwhelming. Does this disarray signal the chance of another Northland upset?
One would hope that Labour, the Greens and NZF would try talking to each other. Probably shouldn’t hold our breaths though.
I’m not sure what the rest of Southland would think about a Queenstown candidate. I guess it would depend on who it was. I can see how Baccy could easily lose the nomination next time round, he’s a really bad fit for that electorate. And now the National Party nationally appear to be saying that Clutha Southland should suck it up and get used to things being run by the suits. It will indeed be interesting to follow.
Labour had what seemed to be a credible candidate last time. I think she was a health professional or the like but she was heavily defeated. I think someone with a strong rural background would poll well here.
Skulduggery by Parata?
At Rangiora High School they administer a Trust which owns about $16million worth of land. This Trust has operated for about 100 years and the Trust is usuallyv mostly by the BOT and Principal. The school was running well until the Ministry spotted the $16million. The Trust refused to give it to the Ministry to fund repairs and build a new hall.
After a Commissioner was put in to get at the millions, Ministry fired the BOT and suspended the Principal Peggy Burrows hinting at Financial malpractice. No such malpractice exists as an audit has cleared them all but now Peggy has been fired by the Commissioner anyway. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11601495
Another principal sacked in Invercargill won her Employment Court case and was awarded $158,000. That principal compared Hekia Parata to Hitler which was a bit unfair on Adolf.
I’m not sure if the Minister and her motley Ministry crew will be compared to Hitler in this case. I don’t know how corrupt, vindictive and plain nasty Hitler was.
The old School Inspectorate, independent educational experts working directly to the Department of Education, would have nipped any problems in the bud a long time ago and before it got to this crisis point whereby a very good, highly qualified woman School Principal is sacked.
The Labour Party under Rogernomics and David Lange made a huge mistake by bringing in ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’
Hekia Parata does not have the experience or educational qualifications or ethics to be judge in this matter … she is captured by John Key’s and ACT’s privatising agenda for Charter Schools…a USA model whereby privatised schools are run by corporations …(replacing State run schools which employed highly qualified educational professionals) …and a model which has failed
“I don’t know how corrupt, vindictive and plain nasty Hitler was.”
Unutterably vile, petty, vindictive and mean-spirited. Much worse than Trump – he was even worse than Cruz (who is much more evil than Trump. Cruz is the one who’s promising to legislate Government discrimination against minorities if he gets elected).
Fairly bad in fact – I recommend http://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Intrepid-Incredible-Narrative/dp/159921170X – outlines a lot about Hitler et al from an external perspective. Jung has a nice anecdote in Psychology and the Unconcious too. The Gnats are probably more like the Italian Fascists – crookeder but less about racial destiny.
Best Joke of the year, when he was asked what he gave to Rupert Murdoch, as a wedding present, Guest, Barry Humphries replied, a set of Jumper Leads. Hilarious,
Regarding Trump’s hideous behaviour of making the crowd vote for him, there is a really apt word for this ‘trumpery’. It is actually an old word which means foolish words or actions and has a secondary meaning of worthless and useless. All of which I gleaned from Bryan Gould’s brilliant post below.
Donald Trump appears to take aspects of his German background seriously. John Walter works for the Trump Organization, and when he visits Donald in his office, Ivana told a friend, he clicks his heels and says, “Heil Hitler,” possibly as a family joke.
Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler’s speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist.
“Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.
Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”
“I don’t remember,” I said.
“Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)
Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”
“Bernie Sanders has attacked Hillary Clinton over her record with corporate America and “disastrous trade agreements” destructive to the US economy, as well as multibillion bailouts that robbed the state of jobs – all at the expense of the US middle class….
‘Assange: Vote for Hillary Clinton is ‘vote for endless, stupid war’ which spreads terrorism’
Yes, let’s just ignore Sanders’ shilling for the NRA, Lockheed Martin and the war machine and his commitment to an ongoing drone programme.
Fuck it, while we’re at it let’s just forget about Sanders’ part in the export of nuclear waste to some place far far away where brown people live, too.
/
The Government is being accused of going easy on Chinese authorities when making trade deals for the infant formula industry.
Dozens of Kiwi brands made by small businesses going down the drain.
There were 200 brands – and now there are just 20.
Michael Barnett of the Infant Formula Exporters Association said “MPI have allowed them to control that process, so we’ve ended up with a small group of privileged exporters.”
He says many of those exporters are Chinese-owned companies based in New Zealand.
Despite the growing attacks on Donald Trump from within the Republican establishment, all three of his challengers vowed to support Trump if he wins the nomination.
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While much of the NZ left has transitioned to postmodern and identity politics in relation to transgender ideology, there are some very good articles about that deploy Marxist methodology in relation to this subject. The one below is from the British marxist group Counterfire and appeared on their site here ...
by Daphna Whitmore At Golden Oaks, a luxurious country retreat in the Hudson Valley, pregnant women have the best care money can buy. From the organic food, personalised exercise programmes, private yoga instruction and daily massages Golden Oaks looks like a country lodge for the upper class. Set some time ...
When Labour was running for election in 2017, it felt it needed to demonstrate "fiscal responsibility" and signed itself up to masochistic "budget responsibility rules". It was a fool's errand: the sorts of voters who demand fiscal responsibility are also the sorts of voters who believe that labour can never ...
Writing in Stuff, Joel MacManus looks at what we need to do to meet the Zero Carbon Act's targets. The core of it:1. Convert 85 per cent of vehicles on the road to electric. 2. Eliminate fossil fuels from all industrial heating up to 300 degrees Celsius. 3. Double our ...
Professors Janet Hoek and Richard Edwards, Emeritus Professor Phil Gendall, Jude Ball, Dr Judith McCool, Anaru Waa, Dr Becky FreemanRecent media reports have presented conflicting evidence on youth vaping in NZ. While some NZ school principals report concerns about increasing vaping on school grounds and confiscating vapes, ASH Year ...
“America the Beautiful!”, staunch defender of democracy, freedom and… a whole lot of despotic tyrants that play nice with what is called “the Washington Consensus.” America is indeed capable of immense good, but like any Nation, and most assuredly any aspirant to the mantle of Empire, great, immense evil. All ...
Image credit:The beginner’s guide to blogging I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is ...
1080 is used to control pests in NZ. Its use is contested by a noisy few. A new report claims high levels of 1080 in rats washed up on a beach. Flora and Fauna of Aotearoa (F&F) won’t name the laboratory that did their testing. It has sparked a hunt ...
What Kind Of Empire? The thing for Kiwis to decide is what kind of empire they want to belong to. The kind that, while offering its own citizens democratic rights, demands absolute obedience from its “friends”? Or, the kind that, while authoritarian at home, takes a relaxed attitude to the ...
It hasn't been a good week for the Conservatives, pollwise. All major recent polls are showing their lead shrinking.Comparing each pollster's current (between 29/11 and 22/11) and previous most recent poll.Com Res - Conservative lead down 3 points.You Gov - Conservative lead down 1 point.Kantar - Conservative lead down 4 ...
Within quick succession, Countdown maths wizard and twitterer Rachel Riley, alleged comedian David Baddiel and prominent lawyer Andrew Julius have all expressed very similar opinions / ideas:
These #3billboards are going round London today, organised by ex-Labour people, horrified by what their party has become. Their principles haven’t changed, they’re ...
So, there have been a bunch of bad polls out for Labour, and even the Leftie's friend, Survation, have recently given the Conservatives a rip-snorting 11% lead. You Gov's much vaunted MRP poll - which pretty much nailed the result in 2015 - is currently predicting a comfortable majority for ...
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to declare a climate emergency:The European parliament has declared a global “climate and environmental emergency” as it urged all EU countries to commit to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The vote came as scientists warned that the world may have already crossed ...
Pure Fear: Worse than Heroin, this drug’s addictive power was terrifying. People under its influence didn’t drift off to Elysium. Nor did it persuade inadequate individuals that they could conquer the world. No, this drug – pure crystal methamphetamine, “P” for short – unlocked the gates of Hell itself. It ...
As the rate of measles infection, and of deaths, continues to climb in Samoa, antivaccination activists infectious disease proponents seem intent on doubling down on their claims about vaccination. (Check pretty much any news-media FB post about measles & you’ll see exactly what I mean.) Unfortunately, some of them have ...
Samoa are experiencing a devastating measles epidemic. It is possible that 2-3% of the population will ultimately be infected by the time it is over. Hopefully the mass immunisation campaign currently under way can mitigate some of this, for many it is too late. The first question many people ask ...
Meghan Murphy is a Canadian writer and journalist She runs the Feminist Current website which she founded in 2012. She was a keynote speaker for the Feminism2020 conference in Wellington this month. When Massey University cancelled the original venue booking Feminism2020 was hosted in Parliament by MP David Seymour. Meghan ...
Text and photos by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Colombia has lived through one week of protests against the economic measures taken by president Duque. What looked like a protest that would fizzle out after its first day on November 21st is still going strong. Part of the reason for the continuance ...
Around a million billion pass through you each second, almost all originating from our sun, but few of them are likely to interact with you enroute. I was reading in a physics magazine earlier in the week about the nature of neutrinos. These are extremely numerous elementary particles, but only ...
By Pallab GhoshThere’s value in covering new research advances, even when the underlying science is unsettled. But there are also risks.The recent announcement that scientists discovered water on the planet K2-18b, 110 light years away, prompted a media swoon. News stories, including a piece written by me, billed ...
I wrote this review a couple of years ago when I was still in the process of getting my head around the politics of transgenderism, and specifically the claim that intersex conditions lend support to the notion that sex is ‘socially constructed’. Since writing this review I have come across ...
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.nzHow much does our use of air travel contribute to the ...
Minor planet/asteroid (2309) Mr. Spock is named not for the character in Star Trek, but for a cat that was itself imperturbable, logical, intelligent and had pointed ears. In a preceding blog post I introduced one of my favourite asteroids, (2472) Bradman, and also mentioned (6581) Sobers amongst a few ...
Today the death toll from measles in Samoa rose to 32. All but four of the dead were less than 5 years old. Absolutely terrible, heartbreaking, news. That statistic alone should be enough to give the lie to the common claim by antivaccination activists plague enthusiasts that “measles is a ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh It is late here in Bogotá, almost 11.30pm on Monday the 25th of November as I write this. The day began full of hope with yet more massive marches throughout the country, a mix of the International Day of Non-Violence Against Women and the National Strike. ...
Anti-fluoride activists are rubbing their hands in glee over what they claim is “yet another study” showing fluoride harms the brains of children. But their promotion relies on IQ relationships which the paper’s authors acknowledge disappearing when outliers or other factors are considered. And they completely ignore other relationships ...
The feature below is the conclusion of A History of Economic Thought, whose author was a leading Marxist economist in Russia in the early 20th century, Isaac Ilyich Rubin. The book arose from a course he ran at Moscow University following the Russian Revolution. First published in Russian in 1929, ...
There are many thousands of asteroids with formal names, some humdrum but other more noteworthy (depending on your predilections). One of my favourites, the name of which I was involved in suggesting, is (2472) Bradman, named for the Australian cricketing great. As a minor planet (synonym: asteroid) spotter, I have ...
Tory manifesto: big on austerity, low on promise, non-existent on delivery. The Tories: the party so big on ambition they couldn't be arsed writing a manifesto. MLK: "I have a dream!"BJ: "I'll just have a nap." Labour: Broadband!Tories: Narrow minds! Labour have hope, dreams and ambition. The Tories will save ...
The Ministry of Health has announced that “people under the age of 50 travelling from New Zealand to Samoa, Tonga, Philippines and Fiji” are now on the list of national priorities for MMR vaccination. Given the outbreaks of measles in Samoa, Tonga, Philippines and Fiji, the Ministry of Health is ...
Hong Kong has been protesting for six months for, demanding democracy, human rights, and an end to police violence. Today, they went to the polls in district council elections - a low-level of government with virtually no power, similar to community boards in New Zealand. But while the positions themselves ...
Text and photos by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh On Friday 22nd of November a curfew came into effect and troops were deployed on the streets, here in Bogota. It was the first time since September 1977 that a curfew had been imposed on the city. The decision was a cynical pre-planned ...
Meanwhile, while the government is planning to restore voting rights to prisoners, National is promising to turn our prisons into US-style slave-labour camps:The Opposition is proposing compulsory education, training or employment for prisoners who are serving sentences of two years or more. [...] On Sunday, National Party Leader Simon Bridges ...
Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman Spinifex Press, 2013. Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the second part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna ...
Dalmeet Singh ChawlaIn 2008, psychologists proposed that when humans are shown an unfamiliar face, they judge it on two main dimensions: trustworthiness and physical strength. These form the basis of first impressions, which may help people make important social decisions, from who to vote for to how long a ...
Claas Kirchhelle, University of Oxford; Adam Roberts, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Andrew Singer, Centre for Ecology & HydrologyAntibiotics are among the most important medicines known to humankind, but we are running out of this crucial resource. Decisive action is needed if we are to retain access to ...
Things That Make You Go - Hmmmm: “All right. Let me come at this another way. I’m guessing that what you’ve got in that box contains names, dates, bank account numbers – all the details you need to put Winston Peters and Jacinda Ardern squarely in the cross-hairs. So, the first ...
Coasters Turn Out In Droves: It’s precisely the widening gulf between those with actual experience of things like guns, chainsaws and drilling machines, and those who regulate their use, that accounts for the angry crowd at Greymouth’s Messenger Park on Sunday, 17 November 2019. In the rarefied atmosphere where decisions ...
There are perennial arguments about the circumstances of the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, and in particular whether more than one shooter is required by the evidence (such as the Zapruder film). Those who know little about physics frequently claim that the sharp backwards motion of JFK’s head as ...
Apparently, some people enjoy washing their cars. Each to his or her own, I suppose. I mean, some people like duck shooting, some people follow Coronation Street, and some people’s idea of a good day out is to sit on a grass bank at Seddon Park and watch cricket all ...
Last week we learned that New Zealand First had apparently tried to enrich itself from public office, with a dodgy forestry company linked to a number of NZ First figures sticking its hand out repeatedly for government money. Today in Question Time Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had his ...
Finally, governments seem slowly to be beginning to act on climate change. But its not enough. While they're publicly signing up to targets, they're planning to destroy the world by continuing fossil fuel extraction:The world’s nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas ...
Stuff has begun interviewing NZ First's secret donors, and it turns out that its as bad as we expected. They start with racing industry figure Garry Chittick, who is predictably grumpy about NZ First's coalition choices. Meanwhile, I'm looking at the list of pork NZ First has effectively given its ...
Stag At Bay: Twelve years ago, Winston Peters was still robust enough to come back from the political crucifixion which his political and media enemies had prepared for him. In his seventies now, the chances of a second resurrection are slim. We should, therefore, prepare for the last gasp of ...
Satellites pass over NZ all the time (literally). Here I focus on the 187 Planet Labs ‘Dove’ Earth-imaging satellites, and I show that one can determine in advance where they will be, enabling scientists on the ground to correlate their environmental and other data collection with opportunities to get imaging ...
The Council of Disobedient Women has learned that the Prefect of Aro Valley has been promoted to a new role with the blessing of the Pope of Wellington. Softy Jejune Parson has been appointed Mother Superior of Woke Wellington for the work she has been doing calling out heretics, ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Human Rights A critical step has been taken to end gender based violence against women and girls in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Human Rights Jenny Marcroft MP has welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Crimes (Definition of Female ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says it's time to recognise market forces haven't led to the expected reduction in Māori smoking rates and try a new approach. The Party had recently invoked the agree to disagree clause in their Coalition Agreement with the Labour Party, and will not support ...
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...
The Coalition Government will be banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, ahead of next year’s general elections. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament and passed under urgency – emphasising the need for such restrictions to safeguard our democracy. The bill introduces a new requirement that party secretaries and ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones opened Taipā's $19 million bridge recently, improving transport infrastructure in the Northland region. The two-lane bridge is 107m long with a 2.5m-wide shared walking and cycling path, and will reduce the congestion that the old one-lane bridge was notorious for. The project had also included ...
The Overseas Investment Office have rejected the application of Mercury Agriculture LP, which is 92 per cent controlled by Canadian interests, to purchase more than 2000 hectares of South Canterbury and Otago land. Mercury wanted to buy 2000ha at Rangitata, 1494ha near Ashburton, 816ha near Cromwell and 212ha near Temuka. ...
This weekend was Labour's 103rd Party Conference! We welcomed over 500 of our Labour whānau in red to Whanganui, where we reflected on the last two years in Government, and looked ahead to 2020 and beyond. We know the long-term challenges facing New Zealand won't be tackled overnight, but we're making ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced that the Provincial Growth Fund will invest $9.6 million to seal the final unsealed section of State Highway 43 from Stratford to Taumarunui. The Minister said sealing the 12-kilometre gravel section of the highway – also called the “Forgotten World Highway” - through ...
Former Finance Minister and former chair of the Tax Working Group, Sir Michael Cullen, has voiced his support for New Zealand First’s decision to oppose the planned increase in tobacco excise tax. In an interview with The Weekend Collective, he said that increasing the price was no longer effective in ...
Māori are natural storytellers. On the marae we use stories to tell our history, to teach the next generation life lessons and to let people know, in our most creative of ways, who we are and where we have come from. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First has invoked the ‘Agree to Disagree’ provisions of the Coalition Agreement because it cannot support the announced 11.46 percent increase in the tobacco excise from 1 January 2020. “Studies show that the automatic tobacco excise increases are having less effect ...
Taupō-based company Geo40 has made a breakthrough in extracting near battery-grade lithium from geothermal fluid which its says could be a gamechanger. Its chief executive John Worth said the earth mineral was highly prized, with battery-grade lithium selling for US$10,000 (NZ$15,600) a tonne. Geo40 was founded in 2010 to find ...
Crown research institute AgResearch Ltd, as part of its Future Footprint plan, had intended to relocate top scientists and support staff — particularly those focused on sheep genetics and genomics — from Invermay to Lincoln. However, those plans seem to have been shelved at the request of the Coalition Government. ...
Ten engineering firms in Southland are receiving a total of $2.13 million in Provincial Growth Fund funding to lift productivity and create new jobs. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced in Invercargill that the 10 engineering and manufacturing firms would receive funding to assist them with buying equipment that ...
The number of new residents to New Zealand is the lowest it has been in nearly two decades and it has earned the ire of the immigration industry. The industry alleges that 'Trump-style extreme vetting' is being put in place aimed at keeping a lid on immigration numbers. June Ranson, ...
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is one step closer to modernising its fleet after the United States State Department recently approved the sale of five new C-130J Hercules aircraft to New Zealand. Arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide the aircraft, but as a "foreign military ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones wants to create a log barging facility at Hicks Bay and turn the area into a Special Economic Zone. The move would be part of protecting New Zealand's forests from being depleted by India and China, he said. It follows his announcement last week to strengthen ...
New Zealand First supports the changes recommended by the Winter Grazing Taskforce to improve animal welfare outcomes through the winter months, and the establishment of a pan-sector action group to implement them. New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Mark Patterson says the report highlights areas of concern about the animal ...
Former prime ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key, formerly from the Labour and National parties respectively, have joined forces in support of New Zealand First’s plan to relocate Auckland's port to Whangārei. While Ms Clark and Sir John spent their political careers on opposite sides of the political divide, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is in Japan for the Foreign Ministers' meeting of the G20 grouping of countries as one of nine "invited" countries. He has used the opportunity to cast a spotlight on the plight of Pacific countries, calling out countries which still offered subsidies or Government assistance to ...
It's been a great week of progress: we've celebrated Children's Day, we've made communities safer with 1800 new police, and we've seen almost 90% of eligible schools take up Government funding to scrap school donations - taking pressure off the families of more than 416,000 students. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Forestry The Government will further strengthen New Zealand’s wood processing sector as part of our focus on ‘value over volume’ in our forestry industry, Forestry Minister Shane Jones says. Minister Jones will today meet with forestry representatives in Northland to signal new measures to help the ...
New Zealand First are celebrating the announcement of an investment of $3.5 million into five new trapping devices. These are a range of bait and trap devices, all designed to be left unattended for long periods of time. NZ First conservation spokesperson Jenny Marcroft says that this latest development will ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Conservation New Zealand First is proud to announce the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has allocated $3.5 million to develop innovative predator control approaches which will reduce the need for repeated 1080 use. $19.5 million of PGF funding was announced for Predator Free 2050 Limited in February ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Police New Zealand First is proud to have delivered on a key Coalition Agreement commitment to adding 1800 new frontline police, with the graduation of Recruit Wing 332 in Porirua today. Law and Order Spokesperson Darroch Ball says increasing police numbers and boosting their resources was one ...
Clayton Mitchell, Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs The ‘wheel clamping’ Bill that will cap clamper fees to $100 passed its third readinginParliament today. New Zealand First welcomes The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill to combat predatory wheel clamping behaviour in what is currently a largely unregulated business. Cowboy clampers are: gouging ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its first reading in Parliament. “Today’s progress takes serious action on the mental health and addiction crisis the country is facing,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Jenny Marcroft. “The re-establishment ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries Today the Government announced the delivery of the promise to protect New Zealand interests by applying a new National Interest Test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. This further strengthening of the Overseas Investment Act will ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced further support as the Government of Samoa responds to a serious measles outbreak. “New Zealand will deploy a further 18 vaccination nurses, bringing the total to 30 working in Samoa over the next ...
The Coalition Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high-risk assets to overseas buyers. Under current Overseas Investment Act (OIA) rules, assets such as ports and airports, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity and ...
Rt Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Allegations raised this morning by Stuff Limited / Fairfax concern a party matter but I am confident that New Zealand First has operated within electoral laws, now and for the last 27 years. Declarable donations were declared to the Electoral Commission. Our ...
The chairman of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy (UNISCS) working group, Wayne Brown, has hit back at critics of his group’s recommendations to relocate the Ports of Auckland cargo operations to Whangarei’s deepwater port of Northport. The working group's recommendation to close Auckland waterfront to all but cruise ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says new appointments to DHBs represent a significant changing of the guard, with 13 new chairs including four Māori chairs. Today 76 appointments have been announced to complement elected board members, as well as eight elected members appointed as either chair or deputy chair. Four ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Fletcher Tabuteau, is travelling to Germany, Poland, Austria, and Spain next week to bolster New Zealand’s political and trade relationships in Europe. While in Spain, Mr Tabuteau will represent New Zealand at the 14th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid. “New Zealand strongly supports ...
“I’ve spoken to Minister Faafoi, who has apologised for his poor handling of this issue,” Jacinda Ardern said. “I have confidence in Kris as a hardworking and effective Minister, but this should have been dealt with in a much clearer manner, and I’ve made my views on that very clear ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters met with Tongan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa in Wellington today. The pair signed a Statement of Partnership setting out joint priorities for cooperation out to 2023. “We welcomed Prime Minister Tu'i'onetoa on his first visit to New Zealand as Prime Minister. Tonga ...
The Minister of Police Stuart Nash says his sympathies are with the family of a man who died after being shot by Police in Kurow. “Initial reports are that Police were called by a family member to help the man who was threatening to harm himself,” Mr Nash says. “However ...
Healthier waterways, better productivity and farmer wellbeing are front and centre in a new project involving more than 1000 Southland farmers and growers. Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor today announced that the Thriving Southland Change and Innovation Project is the first region-wide extension programme supported by the $229 million Sustainable ...
Work to look after nature and restore freshwater quality in Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost, thanks to new Government funding support Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage announced in Canvastown today. “Every New Zealander should be able to swim in their local river without getting sick, and ...
Eight Queen’s Counsel have been appointed under a process that includes the new criterion of a commitment to improving access to justice, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. “The new criterion was included this year. It emphasises that excellence and leadership in the profession can be seen through a wider, community ...
Onslow College in Wellington will get 20 new classrooms for more than 400 students, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The much-needed investment will relieve growth pressure the school has been experiencing for some time. Seven existing classrooms which have deteriorated over time will also be replaced, bringing the total ...
More than 250 young New Zealanders will add international experience to their education, thanks to the latest Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia (PMSA) and Latin America (PMSLA), Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This round of scholarships supports 252 recent graduates or current students to undertake study, research or internships ...
Consumers will benefit from a more competitive, transparent retail fuel market as a result of changes the Government will be making in response to the findings of the Commerce Commission’s study of the fuel sector. “We accept the Commission’s findings and, as the Prime Minister has said, we’re ready to ...
Five new cancer medicines have now been funded this year, meaning thousands of people have more treatment options PHARMAC has today announced that it has approved two new medicines for funding – fulvestrant for breast cancer and olaparib for ovarian cancer. This follows earlier decisions on advanced lung cancer treatment alectinib, ...
The Minister of Local Government, Hon Nanaia Mahuta says the Government will consider making changes to local electoral legislation before the 2022 elections to fix the problems that have arisen where elections are settled by a coin toss. The Minister says the recount process in the Murupara- Galatea ward at ...
New Zealand will sign up to new international maritime regulations to reduce ship emissions and lift air quality around ports and harbours, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced today. Subject to completion of the Parliamentary treaty examination process, New Zealand will sign up to Annex VI of MARPOL, an ...
New legislation to transform our urban areas and create sustainable, inclusive and thriving communities will tomorrow be introduced to Parliament, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said. “The Urban Development Bill gives Kāinga Ora-Homes and Communities the tools it needs to partner with councils, communities, mana whenua and private developers to ...
Today’s launch of He taonga te Tamaiti: Every child a taonga: The Early Learning Action Plan 2019-2029 provides the foundation for long-lasting changes to early learning, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. “Early learning will be one of the Government’s top education priorities going into 2020,” Chris Hipkins said. ...
Major decisions made by the Government will now be considered under a climate change lens, Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. “Cabinet routinely considers the effects of its decisions on human rights, the Treaty of Waitangi, rural communities, the disability community, and gender – now climate change will ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced the appointment of Māori education specialist Dr Wayne Ngata and Business NZ head Kirk Hope to the Board of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Dr Alastair MacCormick has been reappointed for another term. “Wayne Ngata, Kirk Hope and Alastair MacCormick bring a great deal ...
The next phase of the Pike River Re-entry project is underway, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little says. “Fresh air will be pumped into the Pike River Mine drift this week, following acceptance of the plan for re-entry beyond the 170m barrier by New Zealand’s independent health and ...
New Zealand consumers will have greater certainty about their insurance cover when they need to make claims as a result of proposed government changes. “Insurance is vitally important in supporting consumers and businesses to be financially resilient when unexpected events happen,” Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Kris Faafoi said. ...
The Crown is providing an opportunity for the hapu of Ngāpuhi to rebuild its framework from the ground up for collective negotiations to deal with its historical Treaty claims, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little and Minister for Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The Crown is also ...
A Bill enabling referendums to be held with the 2020 General Election has passed its third reading. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Act is important for upholding the integrity of New Zealand’s electoral process. “The Government has committed to holding a referendum on legalising recreational cannabis at the next ...
The first release of public information on the two referendums to be held at next year’s General Election was made today with an informative new Government website going live. Additionally, the draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill has been released, showing the strict controls on cannabis that will apply if ...
The Government is taking action to protect New Zealand from foreign interference in our elections by banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon and passed under urgency. “There’s no need for anyone other than New ...
Governments and tech companies are holding a two-day workshop, hosted by YouTube/Google in Wellington, to test the Christchurch Call Shared Crisis Response Protocol. The workshop aims to refine and strengthen the response in the event of a terrorist attack with online implications. Companies, governments, civil society experts and NGOs will ...
The new independent Cancer Control Agency has formally opened today, delivering on the Government’s plan to improve cancer care in New Zealand. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Health David Clark marked the occasion by announcing the membership of the Advisory Council that will be supporting ...
Small businesses who deal with government departments are set to be paid faster and have improved cash flow as a result, under a new strategy released today. The Government is backing recommendations from the Small Business Council (SBC) and has agreed to implement three initiatives immediately to support business and ...
The Education and Training Bill 2019, introduced in Parliament today, proposes the biggest education changes in decades and is an important step towards improving success for all our learners, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “The Bill’s rewrite of education legislation is long overdue. Indeed one Education Act, parts of which ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio will travel to Bali to represent New Zealand at the 12th Bali Democracy Forum that will be held on the 5-6 December. “The Forum is a valuable opportunity for Asia-Pacific countries to share experiences and best practice in building home-grown democracy and fostering ...
A package of new and expanded technology and other tools will encourage responsible camping and help communities and local councils better manage freedom camping this summer, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. “Our Government has been investing to improve the freedom camping experience for everyone because we want to support ...
The government is laying the groundwork to understanding our genes – work that can help us tackle some of our biggest health challenges, like heart disease and diabetes, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. $4.7 million has been invested in the Genomics Aotearoa Rakeiora programme. The programme will ...
Nearly every state schools will receive a capital injection next year valued at $693 per student to bring forward urgent school property improvements, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The one-off cash injection is the first project to be announced from the Government’s infrastructure package ...
The Government has decided to bring forward major investments in New Zealand’s infrastructure to future proof the economy. “Cabinet has agreed to a significant boost to infrastructure investment. I have directed the Treasury to help bring together a package of projects that can be brought into the Government’s short and ...
It is a great pleasure to be with you today in Whanganui. Like the Prime Minister I grew up with the TV clip of Selwyn Toogood booming “What do you say Whanganui, the money or the bag?” to an unsuspecting ‘It’s in the Bag’ audience. For those under the age ...
New Zealand’s newest Great Walk, the Paparoa Track, was officially opened in Blackball today by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage alongside the family members of the Pike 29 and Ngāti Waewae. Local mayors and MP for the West Coast Hon Damien O’Connor were also in attendance. “Paparoa National Park ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark turned the first sod of earth on the infrastructure works for the new P-8A Poseidon fleet at RNZAF Base Ohakea today. “The Coalition Government’s investment in Ohakea will ensure the Royal New Zealand Air Force can manage, maintain and task the new fleet efficiently ahead ...
Civil Defence Minister Hon Peeni Henare today announced the establishment of the new National Emergency Management Agency from 1 December 2019. The National Emergency Management Agency will replace the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management. It will be an autonomous departmental agency, hosted by the Department of the Prime ...
New Zealand tertiary students with top grades and a passion for space will once again be offered the opportunity to work with the world’s best and brightest at NASA, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Recipients of the New Zealand Space Scholarship are nominated by the Ministry of Business, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further support to Samoa in the wake of an ongoing measles outbreak in the country. Additional medical supplies and personnel, including a third rotation of New Zealand’s emergency medical assistance team (NZMAT), further nurse vaccinators, intensive care (ICU) specialists and Samoan-speaking medical professionals, will ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says new data showing a sharp drop in the number of people who can’t afford to visit their GP is a sign of real progress. One year after the Government made it cheaper for about 600,000 Kiwis to visit their doctor, results of the New ...
Following the raging success of the 2018 non-goat ethical Christmas gift guide, here for you today – responsibly wrapped in reusable gift wrap – is the 2019 list of ethical, sustainable, socially conscious, or charitable gift ideas to satisfy all kinds of family members and budgets.Budget Category: ‘Can we pay ...
Lime brought e-scooters to Auckland and changed the way we travel in less than a year. Now, the council is replacing it and Wave with three new contenders. Josie Adams goes to the Lime warehouse to say goodbye to the original scooters.In a warehouse in Eden Terrace, almost a thousand ...
Analysis - The government's first crack at cannabis legislation runs into trouble, a foreign donations bill is rammed through Parliament and a select committee refuses to listen to former NZ First officeholders. ...
Dr Ben Jansen is Oceania's leading prescriber of cannabis medicines, and a co-founder of the Hemp Foundation.org.nz “I’d like to thank the Labour Party and Chris Woodney. Thanks to his policy remit at Labours national conference, and Labours full support, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Soong, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education Practice, School of Education, University of South Australia Australian 15 year olds were around three and a half years behind their counterparts in China in maths, according to the OECD’s latest results for education systems ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitri Perrin, Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology More than a year ago, the world was shocked by Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui’s attempt to use CRISPR technology to modify human embryos and make them resistant to HIV, which led to the birth ...
Cabinet minister Kris Faafoi has apologised to the Prime Minister for his messages to Jason Kerrison regarding an immigration case, but will not lose his job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Meyrick, Professor of Creative Arts, Flinders University The decision to merge the Department of Communications and the Arts with Transport, Infrastructure and Regional development (dropping the “Arts” entirely) ends a year in which Australian politics has been deeply confused over its ...
A historic referendum on independence has been completed in Bougainville. Johnny Blades of RNZ was there. People in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville have voted in an historic independence referendum. The long-anticipated referendum is the ultimate provision of 2001’s Bougainville Peace Agreement, which followed a brutal, protracted ...
Dairy farmers had some Xmas cheer this week, as dairy giant Fonterra told them the forecast payout would be the fourth-highest-ever, at the mid-point of its farmgate milk price range. The $7.30kg/ms means the cash payout for the season will reach $11.2bn, a rise of about $400m from the earlier forecast. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Syme, PhD in Vertebrate Palaeontology, The University of Queensland When you find dinosaur skeletons, how can you tell how old the dinosaur was? Like, if the skeleton is from a child dinosaur or an adult dinosaur? – Henry, aged 8. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) has had to clarify the law with Police and receive their reassurance that while the amnesty for ammunition was not extended to 20 December, Police will act as if it has been. ...
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.AUCKLAND1 We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa by Chris McDowall & Tim Denee (Massey University Press, $70)Superlative ...
This week a petition with more than 15,000 signatures was presented at parliament to Nicola Willis, MP and opposition spokesperson for Early Childhood Education. Also attending were Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick and Hon Nikki Kaye. ...
It’s that time of year again when, for the third year running, a new A Christmas Prince movie is released. Sam Brooks was in front of a TV screen for the latest instalment’s debut on Netflix last night, and here catalogues the many stupid, wild, and wildly stupid things he ...
One of the most highly rated members of Jacinda Ardern’s Cabinet is under pressure over assurances given in relation to an immigration case. How bad could it get, asks Toby Manhire.There has never been a New Zealand prime minister more engaged with contemporary homegrown music than Jacinda Ardern. She’s forever ...
Kris Faafoi, Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media; Minister ofCommerce and Consumer Affairs;Minister of Government Digital Services; Associate Minister forHousing; MP for Mana.The latest allegations of a corruption scandal involving a Cabinet minister suggests this government is far too loose when it comes to providing access to power ...
The National Party cannot credibly critique the Government’s hikes to fuel tax while it refuses to commit to reversing these hikes, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Simon Bridges has lambasted ...
Newspaper staff were among those to express dismay and fury during the frenzy of denunciations that followed publication of an ill-considered cartoon about Samoa and the measles epidemic. The Spinoffrecorded their reactions under the heading ODT cartoonist infuriates his colleagues with Sāmoa measles epidemic ‘joke’. It also reproduced the ...
New Zealand Police Association condemns comments made by People Against Prisons Aotearoa following the fatal police shooting of an armed man who had made threats of suicide. ...
A new poem by Harry Ricketts. The Writing Life You want to write.You want to be published.You want to be read. You want to be a cult figure.You want to be reviewed.You want to write. You want to win prizes.You want to be anthologised.You want to be read. You want to be taught in schools ...
As Christmas is near, it’s time to set the record straight on some of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of employment law that apply to the festive season. ...
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.Kris Faafoi immigration case Fiona Connor and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): ‘I’m on it bro’: Messages show Kris Faafoi offering help to ...
The Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta has announced changes to prevent Māori wards being voted down by referendums are off the table, saying she believes such a change is not possible within the coalition. ...
It’s officially the festive season, and what does that mean? An office Secret Santa with a budget of $20 and you’ve picked your boss. Instead of settling for a bottle of average wine and a ribbon, follow our essential guide on what to get those unique workmates.At last year’s Secret ...
The shooting of a suicidal man in Southland shows that police armament is dangerous, says criminal justice group People Against Prisons Aotearoa. The shooting comes just over a month into the controversial trial of heavily armed police teams in 3 regions ...
The Prime Minister should deal urgently with reports Cabinet Minister Kris Faafoi offered to help a friend over an immigration case, National Party leader Simon Bridges says. ...
The families of top former All Blacks are likely to donate their loved ones’ brains to research so the effect of head impacts in sport can be studied. ...
A woman who went on a Tinder date with the man who murdered Grace Millane tells her story, and issues a warning to other women to trust their instincts when something doesn’t feel right.First published on Newshub.co.nzI went on a date with Grace Millane’s killer while her body lay in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gottfried Lechner, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Telecommunications Research, University of South Australia, University of South Australia Satellites are becoming increasingly important in our lives, as they help us meet a demand for more data, exchanged at higher speeds. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminology, Bond University According to the latest figures, homicides in Australia are at historic lows and compare well against international trends. So what do the trends tell us and why is the homicide rate in Australia declining? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy O’Rourke, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, The University of Queensland Welcome to the next article in our Designing Hospitals series, where we explore how architecture and design shape our hospitals and medical centres. Today, we look at what Indigenous people tell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results are bad news for Australian students, parents, employers and policymakers. Pretty much everyone. Australian 15-year-olds are now below the OECD average in mathematics, and our results in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Clode, Senior Research Fellow in Creative Writing, Flinders University It is only mid-November but we have to walk early to avoid the heat. A northerly wind picks up clouds of dust and pollen, sending dirty billows across the paddocks. The long ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Changes coming to fuel market, anti-vaxxer arrested in Samoa, and banks told to hold more capital.New recommendations to increase competition in the fuel market have been made by the Commerce Commission, reports the NZ Herald. Their conclusion is that it isn’t competitive ...
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias. ...
An alliance of top researchers is trying to keep New Zealand ahead of complex health challenges from overuse of antibiotics, threats to freshwater quality and emerging infectious diseases. ...
The birthplace of the Labour Party is once again at the forefront of a new movement, this time harnessing the power of the collective to step away from coal towards a low carbon future.Blackball is a small place with a huge history. This week the town, 29 kilometres from Greymouth, ...
Life expectancy is increasing all the time, and now actuaries and retirement experts say young people need far more information on what they’ll need to do with their money if they live to 100. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. The message from the Retirement Income Interest Group of the New ...
German politician Joschka Fischer has had a remarkable career. From street violence and helping to set up the Green party, he matured into the foreign minister and vice-chancellor of a united Germany, serving until 2005. His understanding of power politics led him to support the use of force in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison said it with a straight face, and repetition for emphasis. “I’m very pleased, very pleased, with the performance of all of my ministers,” he declared on Thursday. This ringing if unconvincing universal endorsement ...
PARENTS AROUND THE WORLD PLEA FOR URGENT CLIMATE ACTION 222 parents groups from 27 countries have released a heartfelt joint plea calling on negotiators at this year’s UN climate summit – COP25 – in Madrid to push for ambitious and urgent ...
Government proposals to overhaul insurance contract laws should make the whole process of taking out insurance easier and simpler to understand for consumers, says Financial Advice New Zealand. ...
Despite New Zealand First lobbying hard at the Cabinet table, the Finance Minister says the case to move Auckland's port operations north has not yet been made. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Tomnay, Assoc. Professor / Director of Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, University of Melbourne Around one in six Australian women have had an abortion by their mid-30s. These women come from all age groups and demographics: some are mothers ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roslyn Petelin, Course coordinator, The University of Queensland Reports this week about the demise of the Apostrophe Protection Society may have been greatly exaggerated. The Apostrophe Protection Society was set up in 2001 in the UK by retired journalist John Richards with ...
Today the Court of Appeal released their decision to allow Helen Milner (The Black Widow) to have the last remaining body samples of the husband she murdered, in an attempt to prove her innocence by trying to see if he had an underlying heart condition. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Pearse, Lecturer, Department of Political Economy, University of Sydney Federal Labor this week commemorated a dubious anniversary – a decade of climate policy failure. And it pointed the finger of blame squarely at the Greens. Labor claimed that had the Greens ...
The recent statement by Simon Tyler on behalf of the National Provident Fund and the Government Superannuation Fund, that environmental and social goals must be balanced with financial risk and reward, displays conceptual confusion about the role of ethical ...
A bill designed to deal with terrorists returning from overseas has hit its latest speed bump as human rights groups raise concerns that it could be used to stifle press freedom. ...
by David Barber “To read,” says Jim Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Politics at Otago University, “is to enter a magic realm in which people are more interesting, informed, amusing and intelligent than anyone you encounter in everyday life.” It is a realm that half of New Zealand 15-year-olds never enter, ...
Open mike 07/03/2016 
Open mike is your post.
We are very pleased to publish this submission is from Lucinda Stoan. She is a social justice activist, mother, and educator, based in Washington State in the US. This detailed and comprehensive source-linked overview of trans issues and what is at stake will be useful for many people, especially in ...15 hours ago
Newshub last night reported that Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi had apparently promised to help out a mate with an immigration issue. While its normal for people to approach MPs for assistance in this area, when you're a Minister, the rules are different: as the Cabinet Manual says, Ministers must "at ...19 hours ago
New Zealand's Underarm Banker: It bears recalling that the “independence” of the Reserve Bank Governor was for decades held up by neoliberal capitalists as the most compelling justification for passing the Reserve Bank Act. Interesting, is it not, how the ruling class’s support for the Bank’s independence lasted no longer than ...1 day ago
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. A long and bitter court feud between former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig and Jordan Williams has been settled, with an apology and compensation from Williams. On Tuesday, Craig sent out ...1 day ago
Some people seem to want to close down any critical discussion of the current research into the relationship between water fluoride and child IQ. They appear to argue that claims made by researchers should not be open to critical review and that the claims be accepted without proper consideration ...2 days ago
In an unreliable, strange and confusing world, Public Address is proud to present a measure of comfort and stability by annually asking everyone what words or phrases sum up the year that's been – and then giving some of them consumer goods as prizes for being clever or simply lucky.Well, ...2 days ago
Both my parents are pretty handy – and they seem to have the right tools for most jobs in the garage and they know how to fix practically anything. A similar story could be told about their generation’s experience in the workforce – being a generalist was not unusual and ...2 days ago
While much of the NZ left has transitioned to postmodern and identity politics in relation to transgender ideology, there are some very good articles about that deploy Marxist methodology in relation to this subject. The one below is from the British marxist group Counterfire and appeared on their site here ...4 days ago
“America the Beautiful!”, staunch defender of democracy, freedom and… a whole lot of despotic tyrants that play nice with what is called “the Washington Consensus.” America is indeed capable of immense good, but like any Nation, and most assuredly any aspirant to the mantle of Empire, great, immense evil. All ...6 days ago
Image credit: The beginner’s guide to blogging I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is ... 6 days ago
It hasn't been a good week for the Conservatives, pollwise. All major recent polls are showing their lead shrinking.Comparing each pollster's current (between 29/11 and 22/11) and previous most recent poll.Com Res - Conservative lead down 3 points.You Gov - Conservative lead down 1 point.Kantar - Conservative lead down 4 ...7 days ago
The Council of Disobedient Women has learned that the Prefect of Aro Valley has been promoted to a new role with the blessing of the Pope of Wellington. Softy Jejune Parson has been appointed Mother Superior of Woke Wellington for the work she has been doing calling out heretics, ...2 weeks ago
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...2 days ago
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...4 days ago
Health Minister Dr David Clark says new appointments to DHBs represent a significant changing of the guard, with 13 new chairs including four Māori chairs. Today 76 appointments have been announced to complement elected board members, as well as eight elected members appointed as either chair or deputy chair. Four ...39 mins ago
Following the raging success of the 2018 non-goat ethical Christmas gift guide, here for you today – responsibly wrapped in reusable gift wrap – is the 2019 list of ethical, sustainable, socially conscious, or charitable gift ideas to satisfy all kinds of family members and budgets.Budget Category: ‘Can we pay ...36 mins ago
"The neighbour takes my hand and walks me over the concrete to my parent’s back door": a look inside Hell by Alisha Tyson. ...1 hour ago
Analysis - The government's first crack at cannabis legislation runs into trouble, a foreign donations bill is rammed through Parliament and a select committee refuses to listen to former NZ First officeholders. ...12 hours ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Soong, Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education Practice, School of Education, University of South Australia Australian 15 year olds were around three and a half years behind their counterparts in China in maths, according to the OECD’s latest results for education systems ...14 hours ago
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The Government is investing up to $9 million in a project that it says will help Southland farmers use their land more sustainably. ...19 hours ago
Donation legislation, the infinite monkey theory and the angriest man in NZ politics. Not to mention Paula Bennett's black-market oregano. ...19 hours ago
Newspaper staff were among those to express dismay and fury during the frenzy of denunciations that followed publication of an ill-considered cartoon about Samoa and the measles epidemic. The Spinoff recorded their reactions under the heading ODT cartoonist infuriates his colleagues with Sāmoa measles epidemic ‘joke’. It also reproduced the ...20 hours ago
You do not have to sacrifice short term returns in order to invest sustainably. ...21 hours ago
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The Finance Minister Grant Robertson won’t be drawn on how much new capital requirements for banks will hit consumers. ...23 hours ago
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NZ is seeing an increasing number of retail 'events' imported from overseas - how long before our spending is exhausted? ...1 day ago
German politician Joschka Fischer has had a remarkable career. From street violence and helping to set up the Green party, he matured into the foreign minister and vice-chancellor of a united Germany, serving until 2005. His understanding of power politics led him to support the use of force in the ...1 day ago
Despite New Zealand First lobbying hard at the Cabinet table, the Finance Minister says the case to move Auckland's port operations north has not yet been made. ...2 days ago
The year has provided tests for the PM's party, government, and the country as a whole - but she is confident 2020 will bring success. ...2 days ago
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by David Barber “To read,” says Jim Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Politics at Otago University, “is to enter a magic realm in which people are more interesting, informed, amusing and intelligent than anyone you encounter in everyday life.” It is a realm that half of New Zealand 15-year-olds never enter, ...2 days ago
The media promotes fear.
Fear of crime
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=11600999
Fear of Islam
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/325102-muslims-attacks-media-britain/
Better to be scared than questioning why the 1% have everything.
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/18/richest-62-billionaires-wealthy-half-world-population-combined
Of course they do.
Fear sells.
And I sense you condone it
….and this promotion of fear can “activate” certain groups in society into becoming proponents of authoritarianism.
“…According to Stenner’s theory, there is a certain subset of people who hold latent authoritarian tendencies. These tendencies can be triggered or “activated” by the perception of physical threats or by destabilizing social change, leading those individuals to desire policies and leaders that we might more colloquially call authoritarian.
It is as if, the NYU professor Jonathan Haidt has written, a button is pushed that says, “In case of moral threat, lock down the borders, kick out those who are different, and punish those who are morally deviant.”….
http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
Grim reading for leftists however all is not lost apparently. The revolution can be saved with a managed float and perhaps the country has more stashed away than originally thought.
http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11832
ha ha, and where is Zimbabwe gosman? If only the world were so black and so white you funny man
How is El Salvador coming along?
How is Ukraine coming along?
And the environmentalist murders in Honduras?
How’s the economy going in the Ukraine?
Perhaps we should worry about Venezuela after our failed finance minister and failing prime minister show that they can break even without borrowing $20 billion a year.
must be the beginning of a new working week…i see our resident troll are back on the clock.
Do you get paid Gosman? Or simply a volunteer, but you ought to get an honorarium, or a nice bottle of whisky from the group leader each Christmas. Perhaps we should protest about the principle of you deserving compensation if not receiving some reward. Just let us know who you work for and we will decide what approach would be most suitable. We of course are trying to hold onto principles, but you wouldn’t be conversant with such matters.
You definitely do a good job of adding to the smoke and confabulation around the running of our nation. If it was cigarette smoke, it would be bad but yours is more noxious coming from lower regions.
Who.Oh no not Grossman again!
lol…I see i missed the “s” off trolls
Hows your boy Ron Paul doing?
Keyistas in the “National” party are attempting to use a symbol associated with rugby on a new national flag despite mounting medical evidence of life-changing injury.
http://deeperweb.com/results.php?cx=%21004415538554621685521%3Avgwa9iznfuo&cof=FORID%3A11%3BNB%3A1&ie=UTF-8&q=rugby+injury&as_qdr=
Nationalism is the last refuge of the scoundrel
I’d leave off the -ism.
Nationalism comes in positive and negative forms – some of which may be necessary to resist the ills of globalisation.
It is National that is the refuge of scoundrels.
I do apologise for bordering on spam with my repetitive woeful cries about the fact that Justin Lester, Deputy Mayor of Wellington and Mayoral candidate has a conflict of interest as he sits on the executive of the Wellington branch of the NZ Property Council (and other issues, background and history).
But now it’s becoming clear why this hasn’t been declared as a conflict of interest – the council don’t see it as one, not when they are considering creating a council body who purpose is to be a property market player:
“This year’s draft Annual Plan includes a new climate change strategy, with a focus on reducing car ownership, as well as plans for a new council-controlled organisation that can play the property market.”
WTF?
and more WTF?
“The formation of an Urban Development Agency has also been proposed. The new council-controlled organisation would be able to purchase land, enter into agreements with developers, and prepare ‘master plans’ for urban growth and big projects that boost economic development.”
The seedy links the council already with developers, (and they already have agreements with developers) instead of being destroyed for the public good will now be formalised and entrenched.
So ratepayers who can barely afford to cover their rates as it is because they are on inadequate wages or fixed wages, can’t afford to buy their first house, or struggling with their own mortgage will now get to fund the council and it’s property development fantasies. Our $$$ will be used to invest in an unstable volatile “product” that is exposed to the ever changing winds of the market.
So we are well and truly stuffed here in Wellington. This year we have a choice between the faux left that run council now and National Party aligned Nicola Young, so either way we will end up with the same.
How can it be stopped?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/77592281/wellingtons-rates-and-debt-set-to-increase-as-city-council-eyes-big-projects
What makes you think climate adaptation projects will be more expensive than doing nothing?
I didn’t say anything about climate adaptation projects being more expensive that doing nothing. I have no idea how you got to that conclusion.
I’m talking about the duplicity that exists between developers and the council, how that unhealthy relationship may possibly be formalised and how the ratepayer will provide the funds for the council’s property development fantasies – we can’t afford to prop this plaything up.
If you’d read my previous comments about WCC and it’s amazing lack of interest in developing ANY climate change strategy (we are faux green as well as faux left) you would assume I would welcome some sort gesture towards mitigating climate change.
The idea to get more cars off the road is a good start but it is merely a token gesture. Reasons being:
a) Wellingtonians are the highest users of public transport in the country already. This can be built upon by reducing fares on public transport and providing free public transport in the weekend, as has been proposed by actual Green councillor, Iona Pannett, but rejected.
b)I have spoken at length with councillors, and council officers about the lack of climate strategy for the mass development projects they are so fond of. As I’ve said many times on TS, there has been no environmental protections in place on these development areas, let alone measures put in place to reduce the impact development ultimately has on climate.
Huge tracts of land have been turned into housing. This means more tarmac, less vegetation, more people sucking up resources like air conditioning as there is no shade provided by tree’s – these areas are hotter than traditional suburbs with established trees. There is no expectation for developers to plant tree’s to offset increased carbon levels. Very little public transport has been put in to these new areas, so people drive cars to work instead of catching the bus. There is no commercial zoning in these developments, so people have to drive several KM’s to get to the nearest shops and service centres.
These poorly designed developments have a detrimental effect on the environment.
Our council are a bunch of hypocrites when they pay lip service to climate change.
You’re focusing on the costs to ratepayers as well as potential conflicts of interest; your link describes climate projects as being (at least partially) behind the cost increases.
Sounds like it’s just a smokescreen.
What do you mean smoke screen? The extra costs are the stupid convention centre and the latest Peter Jackson project we have to fund.
I really think that OAB has misunderstood what you are talking about Rosie. Make of that what you will 😉
Thats what I figured. Am I not making sense?
You’re making sense. People aren’t listening to each other very well at the moment. Don’t know why. OAB does lots of small, fast comments which suggest to me he is at work and can’t devote a lot of time to looking at things indepth, or taking time to check things out (that’s also a social skill that to many here lack). But his comments to you today look weird even allowing for that.
I mean that from what you’re saying, they’re using climate issues as a smokescreen: the article makes much of the increased spending that will have to occur as a result, when the real purpose is simply to channel public funds to developers.
OK OAB. I was using the article as reference only, not analysing it’s reporting of WCC’s options.
What I am doing is trying to highlight the sheer hypocrisy of the WCC around their potential implementation of climate change strategy when they’ve had their heads in the sand for years and years and refuse to acknowledge the unnecessary damage development does.
And, yes, agreed, the real purpose is to channel funds to developers.
+1 Rosie
Without looking very closely at it (only reading your comment not the link), I’d say that in theory council’s investing in property to have more control over subdivision development and thus housing is potentially a useful thing (because it’s been left to private developpers for too long). But in practice, in this neoliberal environment, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. That they use the word ‘play’ the market in a document suggests just how far up their own arses they already are that they don’t see anything wrong with that.
I don’t know what you can do other other than what you already do. Write submissions, make oral submissions, organise. Have you talked to the GP? Are they putting up candidates this year on the GP ticket?
There’s been a lot of jiggery pokery done to local bodies in recent years, I haven’t kept up with it, but it concerns me that we don’t look at how National have been fucking with that as much as with health, education, welfare etc. It’s been low hanging fruit for them and we’ve ignored it to our detriment.
Yes, on the surface weka, it could look like council investment in private residential development could be socially beneficial, after all this council has been very good at refurbishing social housing stock to a comfortable and safe standard and building good quality new social housing.
But you’re right, the neoliberal approach is the one they are taking. This has been confirmed to me through my ongoing conversations with certain councillors.
As for getting things done, I have tried to organise at a local level on our development and others but have been met with silence. (The northern ward roughly sits within the same footprint as the Ohariu electorate, very conservative).
Ironically the only councillor supporting me is a right winger, who is more aghast at the behaviour of the council than anything. he legit though, completely on the level. The Green Party councillor won’t respond to my emails. I’ve had meetings with council managers, at the council and meetings with a councillor at my house.
I’ve really run out of options as just one person.
As for the National Government, you’re right there too, they have had a profound influence in Wellington in regard to the SHA Accord and roading.
Can’t speak for other regions. Thats why it’s always good to hear from other commenters about what’s happening in their turf, both at a local and government level. Often the regional political news doesn’t make it to the MSM, so it’s good to stay connected in other ways.
Hmm, maybe try phoning the Green one, or doorstepping them?
It’s not good nationally from what I can tell, although some areas seem to be doing good things in isolation.
After 18 months of this fight with the council and the developers I’m kind of pooped. They win.
Fair enough Rosie.
Rosie – while it is true that the WCC has done a good job of refurbishing some of its social housing stock, the reason may have been lost in some of the mists of recent history. The investor sharks were circling until the government put the kaibosh on the intended privatisation of some of the council housing stock. The deal ended up with a healthy dollop of taxpayer funding and a ‘no-sale’ edict.
Otherwise, and more pertinent to your comments, the Council (elected and administrative) have a lengthy grab-bag of strategies to aid and abet a coterie of favoured developers who can already do much as they please with the wink and nod of planning and compliance staff which constantly frustrates local communities throughout the city. In most cases, the developers eventually get largely what they want, unless cases are taken to the Environment Court. The quandry then is, how many small groups of ratepayers can affort to front against the high paid lawyers engaged by Council and developers who act as a ‘tag team’, along with their so called ‘expert’ witnesses who, on occasions, prove to be little more than paid obfuscators. The other interesting feature of the Wellington Council is that it engages its former employees as ‘Independent’ Commissioners and has an open door policy when private sector ex-colleagues are engaged by developers. Recently it seems, they also had ex-employees contracted to cover full-time staff who were engaged in the MDH propaganda campaign. It all seems pretty incestuous and getting closer to something more sinister. The latest utterances regarding the proposed new CCO is taking the situation into the ball-park of the questionable deals like those of WWL and subsequently City Shaper which is under the same developer friendly leadership.
Petertoo. I hadn’t been aware of the intention to sell off some of the housing, or only vaguely aware perhaps….was that mid to late 2000’s? During Clark’s Government and during Prendergast’s time? I had only just recently arrived back in Wellington. Or was it more recent?
“The other interesting feature of the Wellington Council is that it engages its former employees as ‘Independent’ Commissioners and has an open door policy when private sector ex-colleagues are engaged by developers.”
You mentioned this recently. It’s fascinating, as is your statement about ex employees being engaged in the MDH campaign.
You really do seem to have some very detailed knowledge of the motivations and processes of some councillors and council officials. I really would like to know the full story – after having spent 18 months dealing with these people, both developer and council and having my eyes opened to some disturbing behavioural patterns and alliances. But I only have part of the picture. I want to see the whole picture. It will also help me join a few dots that I haven’t been able to connect.
Would you consider writing a guest post about the matter?
Rosie – a number of people have been around the traps a bit but so far, the Council/developer cabal have been fortunate in that they have only had to deal with small isolated individuals and inadequately financed community groups. That said, the Council and their fellow-traveller developer friends invariably get pegged back, even by amateur litigants, at Court hearings if cases proceed that far. It is unfortunate that no-one has yet been sufficiently motivated to write a guest post, this commentor included but this will doubt change if there is evidence of the metaphorical brown paper bag or two filled with cash. In the meantime, it is suggested you keep an eye on wellington.scoop.co.nz which constantly exposes gems of information for those of a justified cynical disposition.
As an additional comment, it is not fair to be too hard on some of the Councillors. The Council administration, no doubt with some guidance from the spin-meister, Richard McLean, seem to do a good job of ensuring that any criticism is sanitised before it gets to them.
Thanks for the reminder about scoop. They DO have some interesting council snippets that would never make it to the Dom Post.
I do look forward to a time when you may be able to do a guest post – you’ve got a good writing style and you have more of a 360 degree view than me. I’m a relative newbie to the shenanigans at WCC. I was naive enough to trust them earlier on due to the political colours of a good number of the councillors.
Now, it’s anything but that. As a Labour member I can’t bring myself to attend the electorate AGM next week as Justin Lester will be speaking. He has been an active enabler, contributing to my problems with the developer in my neighbourhood and standing by as I was abused by these powerful men.
He damn well better not give any speeches about the rights and equality of women, ever.
+1 Rosie
+1 Rosie. Auckland Council is now apparently spending 2 million a MONTH on outsourced planners.
On top of over 1 billion in IT blowouts.
http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/the-unstable-supercity/
You are very wise to be worried.
These Auckland problems are just on my periphery at the mo and having scanned through your post on TS and the public address it would take some digesting.
Just quickly are the outsourced planners local but being paid more in fee’s than council employees would be, or are they so outsourced that they’re from another country? – (Outsourcing design tasks to other countries happens in the engineering sector, so it wasn’t a funny ha ha question).
It’s a very National Government way of working – outsource work to “consultants” and pay more while reducing job security for those who have the knowledge of the systems.
I have just voted in the flag referendum and could not help reflecting that the system is broken due to the
closure of local post offices. I have to trek to mine a few suburbs away.
Indeed. A friend of mine who works for the PWUA said something like 1300 “street receivers”, those street side boxes used to post mail, have been removed in recent years. Posties receive a lot of complaints from the public about inconvenient this is.
& small post offices all around the country too.
annnd some of the large ones in suburban centres.
Can someone wise in the ways of the web and the intellectual ownership industry advise me why the link to some NZ Vimeo content that I had put in one of my comments just disappears after a short time? Are people not allowed to show examples of performances, work on line if done by Vimeo? Youtube can be invoked with little trouble, and is a great way to bring content to new viewers or refresh memories of past content.
I should mention that it was a song written for an advertisement for AMP. I don’t think it is still being used by them though I wouldn’t know as I gave up TV on changeover from digital.
I would ask Lynn first. It always helps if you link to what you are referring to so people can see what is going on directly.
Links are still visible in the search engine but not the actual comments
/?s=vimeo&isopen=none&search_posts=true&search_comments=true&search_sortby=date
Looks like it’s not just grey’s couple of comments. Here’s a comment from Draco where the link is no longer visible,
Draco’s comment should have https://*****.com/71074210 in it (* = vimeo) as per the search results above.
Freaking odd.
I can see what is happening inside the code. It has a div with an iframe. But the other side (ie vimeo) as it set as being off.
I’ll have a look later in the day.
Lots of others are missing too, but I found this one with the link still visible
Thanks weka and lprent
is it the difference between http and https?
Does Farming need a Plan B? – an interesting read.
http://www.brct.org.nz/cuppa-tea/hugh-campbell/high-time-for-a-plan-b-for-new-zealand-agriculture/
“Plan A was based on a future promise that told us to stay the course. Things will come right once our trade negotiators have prevailed. This is now not going to happen. We will have some small successes in opening up new markets, but the big step change promised since the Uruguay Round now won’t happen. We need a Plan B that can actually address the problems, shocks, surprises that are starting to overwhelm us here and now.
Actually, we need multiple Plan B’s. One of the most hypnotic and seductive aspects of the liberalization plan was that it presented governments and policymakers with a ‘one size fits all’ answer to any policy problem. It would be a dire mistake to respond to the monolithic quality of Plan A by suggesting that there is a fully formed one size fits all Plan B just waiting to be implemented. Achieve resilient transitions to a more sustainable future will require many solutions of varying size fitted to problems of varying scale. We will need to draw on the reservoir of marginalized and neglected alternatives that sit outside Plan A. We will need to know as much as we can about small-scale food provisioning, medium-scale networks of food production and consumption, and the relationship between food systems and energy systems. We will need to pay attention to how specific communities and localities are trying to create their own Plan B’s in fitting these things together into credible transition pathways. In order to do so, we must first recognize that Plan A no longer provides a full or sufficient answer to the challenges of agriculture and food in the 21st century. “
Power outages.
The NZH reports this morning that there was an outage in the Auckland CBD ( http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11601121)
Most consumers were only out for a short period but 88 for about 5 hours.
BTW Outage is not in my dictionary but I think it is a very neat and clever word
Not reported by the NZH is another outage in Milford on Saturday 5.3.16, which lasted from about 2pm to 8.30pm.
It was reported by Stuff who said that the cause was that a seagull
had broken the line which must have been weakened by wind and age? One person was hospitalised for electric shock.
Is it then appropriate that the lines company is called Vector?
The 2nd meaning of Vector in my dictionary is ” The carrier of a disease or infection”.
BTW Outage is not in my dictionary, NZ Oxford.
Private providers of electricity services in the USA have vectored in mass outages that are called brown-outs, not quite black-outs.
Brownout (electricity) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownout_(electricity)
A brownout is an intentional or unintentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system. Intentional brownouts are used for load reduction in an emergency. The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag (or dip).
This will no doubt be adopted here, as being more efficient than aiming for 100% provision at any time whatever the load, which involves over and under capacity, and that would probably lead to lower profits.
in the film enron; the smartest guys in the room, brownouts (unscheduled maintenance on a generator or two) were a deliberate ploy used in california to up the spot price of power therefore making massive returns to enron.
As some one who had to fight to get on a waiting list.
Big thanks to Idiot/Savant for this piece.
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/a-waiting-list-by-another-name.html
Could be a duck….
Matthew Reichbach
@fbihop
Trump rally photo is… something.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cc0Ok4_W8AAdCru.jpg
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271932-trump-makes-rally-attendees-swear-to-vote-for-him
a GINGER in action politiking…i know he is a badass but i still prefer him to Hillary
of course Bernie is the BESTEST
Always frisk your local MP. The little fucker’s wearing a wire.
I got the impression in one of the earlier articles about this was the implication that it was normal with National MPs to record everything.
Either that’s the wrong link or Stuff have removed any reference to recording. Always best to cut and paste 😉
Not the wrong link – I’m hoping readers can join the dots. Too obscure?
I couldn’t see anything in that about recording at all. ODT link below is reporting it up front.
Yes, that’s what I was hoping they’d join the dots to. Definitely too obscure. Oh, well.
The “employment issue” in a National Party electorate office is understood to involve a claim a secret recording was made by Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay.
Long-serving staff member Glenys Dickson left Mr Barclay’s Gore office last month after 18 years in the job.
The circumstances of her departure have been kept under wraps.
The Otago Daily Times asked the National Party if it was investigating a claim about a secret recording, but party secretary Greg Hamilton said in a statement it was not the role of the party to investigate or comment on staffing matters.
Mr Barclay said he could not comment because it involved staff.
Last week, Gore branch secretary Maeva Smith said an “employment issue” was behind Mrs Dickson’s departure.
At the weekend, electorate chairman Stuart Davie resigned, calling his position untenable, but he declined to comment further.
It is understood some southern party members feel the matter warrants further investigation.
A central issue is whether the recording was made, or whether its existence was an unfounded claim.
A party member, who declined to be named, said that the issue was sensitive for the party because of the prominence of surveillance and spying issues during its time in office.
The Parliamentary Service, which employs electorate secretaries, declined to comment.
Mrs Dickson had worked for Deputy Prime Minister Bill English when he was Clutha-Southland MP.
Yesterday, Mr English declined to comment, but earlier this week told reporters in Wellington the resignations reflected a transition phase in which an MP builds their own team, and he was not concerned about the situation.
Queenstown electorate secretary Barbara Swan has also resigned, and is working out a notice period.
Earlier this week, Mr Barclay apologised for releasing Ms Swan’s resignation letter to a media outlet.
Mr Barclay (25), who grew up in Dipton and Gore, was elected to Parliament in 2014 after Mr English opted to become a list MP.
His youth and previous employment at Phillip Morris New Zealand prompted comment when he was selected for the blue-ribbon seat.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/375242/claim-secret-recording
Wee Toddy Baccy must be angling for a role with the SIS.
Wee Toddy Baccy, that’s good.
For a moment there I thought you said Mr Barclay had grown up!
gotta love the local news:
Gotta love good faith employers, eh…
If the kid was found to have made a recording the woman that resigned could take a personal grievance against him for recording their conversations without her knowledge.
Indeed.
and if he was recording conversations that he wasn’t party to, it’s a criminal offence.
If recordings were taken, after all. Unless it was at a photo-op where everyone could expect to be recorded.
Our PM, bold as brass hypocrite.
Yeah, there was a chat about this on Open Mike last Friday.
Nats need to respond to the membership who want an investigation and grant it………. If they have any sense of responsibility to the membership they would.
And how neurotic/paranoid/nutty is that kid if he IS recording conversations.
“And how neurotic/paranoid/nutty is that kid if he IS recording conversations.”
Probably means he’s got got a bright future in national.
What makes you think he hasn’t caught them doing something illegal? They are National Party types, after all.
Well, none of the staffers seem to have been put on the fast track to candidate selection. Does their reputations good…
Looks like the tom toms are getting louder for Barclay.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/77630096/disquiet-over-mp-todd-barclays-performance-could-spark-selection-challenge
My understanding is the challenge could come from the Queenstown guy who pulled out at the last minute in the last pre selection process. From recollection his name was Simon Flood and he was…drumroll please…. a currency trader…. that had parachuted in from Singapore to contest the seat.
Interesting dynamic in this seat because it is a mix of ultra rural heartland Southland and cosmopolitan Queenstown. The Queenstown faction have always wanted a Queenstown advocate which is fair enough given the distinct issues they face so maybe they now sense their opportunity. Of course that will not be popular with the rural base who have plenty of issues of their own to deal with at present.
Queenstown population 13,000
Gore 12,000
Clutha Southland voting age population 51,000
Queenstown doesn’t look that special in what is essentially a rural seat.
Can’t find the voter age population for the individual towns, but here’s the polling place breakdown from 2014.
Fair point Weka. I suspect though if Barclay has been so woeful or infact has acted illegally as an employer and Queenstown can get a credible candidate up, then it could all be on. Although Barclay is based in Gore and is originally from Dipton his rural credentials as a tabacco lobbyist are hardly overwhelming. Does this disarray signal the chance of another Northland upset?
One would hope that Labour, the Greens and NZF would try talking to each other. Probably shouldn’t hold our breaths though.
I’m not sure what the rest of Southland would think about a Queenstown candidate. I guess it would depend on who it was. I can see how Baccy could easily lose the nomination next time round, he’s a really bad fit for that electorate. And now the National Party nationally appear to be saying that Clutha Southland should suck it up and get used to things being run by the suits. It will indeed be interesting to follow.
Labour had what seemed to be a credible candidate last time. I think she was a health professional or the like but she was heavily defeated. I think someone with a strong rural background would poll well here.
Skulduggery by Parata?
At Rangiora High School they administer a Trust which owns about $16million worth of land. This Trust has operated for about 100 years and the Trust is usuallyv mostly by the BOT and Principal. The school was running well until the Ministry spotted the $16million. The Trust refused to give it to the Ministry to fund repairs and build a new hall.
After a Commissioner was put in to get at the millions, Ministry fired the BOT and suspended the Principal Peggy Burrows hinting at Financial malpractice. No such malpractice exists as an audit has cleared them all but now Peggy has been fired by the Commissioner anyway.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11601495
Peggy Burrows sacked.
Another principal sacked in Invercargill won her Employment Court case and was awarded $158,000. That principal compared Hekia Parata to Hitler which was a bit unfair on Adolf.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/77622719/rangiora-high-principal-peggy-burrows-sacked
Some background:
https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/in-cold-blood-terror-as-an-instrument-of-control-in-state-education-part-1/
https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/in-cold-blood-the-rangiora-horror-show-part-2/
https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/press-release-from-nz-first-urgent-action-required-at-rangiora-high/
https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/rangiora-invidious-deception-but-truth-now-out-burrows-suspended-to-get-at-schools-money/
I’m not sure if the Minister and her motley Ministry crew will be compared to Hitler in this case. I don’t know how corrupt, vindictive and plain nasty Hitler was.
The old School Inspectorate, independent educational experts working directly to the Department of Education, would have nipped any problems in the bud a long time ago and before it got to this crisis point whereby a very good, highly qualified woman School Principal is sacked.
The Labour Party under Rogernomics and David Lange made a huge mistake by bringing in ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’
http://schools.reap.org.nz/tanui/Jubileepages/Tomorrows%20Schools.htm
http://www.ppta.org.nz/events-info-forms/doc_view/26-tomorrow-s-schools-yesterday-s-mistake
Hekia Parata does not have the experience or educational qualifications or ethics to be judge in this matter … she is captured by John Key’s and ACT’s privatising agenda for Charter Schools…a USA model whereby privatised schools are run by corporations …(replacing State run schools which employed highly qualified educational professionals) …and a model which has failed
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/07/06/growing-evidence-charter-schools-are-failing
“I don’t know how corrupt, vindictive and plain nasty Hitler was.”
Unutterably vile, petty, vindictive and mean-spirited. Much worse than Trump – he was even worse than Cruz (who is much more evil than Trump. Cruz is the one who’s promising to legislate Government discrimination against minorities if he gets elected).
Fairly bad in fact – I recommend http://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Intrepid-Incredible-Narrative/dp/159921170X – outlines a lot about Hitler et al from an external perspective. Jung has a nice anecdote in Psychology and the Unconcious too. The Gnats are probably more like the Italian Fascists – crookeder but less about racial destiny.
Worth watching.
Best Joke of the year, when he was asked what he gave to Rupert Murdoch, as a wedding present, Guest, Barry Humphries replied, a set of Jumper Leads. Hilarious,
Why automation is a bad idea,
E-Lev-in Will never be the same. Ouch!
Good spelling of a Scottish accent!
@joe90 12.57pm
Regarding Trump’s hideous behaviour of making the crowd vote for him, there is a really apt word for this ‘trumpery’. It is actually an old word which means foolish words or actions and has a secondary meaning of worthless and useless. All of which I gleaned from Bryan Gould’s brilliant post below.
http://www.bryangould.com/trumpery-is-the-last-thing-we-need/
….especially as we have had almost eight years of trumpery from key……. I knew there was a word for his unappealing and unacceptable behaviours.
Mr Drumpf is rather proud of his heritage.
Donald Trump appears to take aspects of his German background seriously. John Walter works for the Trump Organization, and when he visits Donald in his office, Ivana told a friend, he clicks his heels and says, “Heil Hitler,” possibly as a family joke.
Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler’s speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist.
“Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.
Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”
“I don’t remember,” I said.
“Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)
Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2015/07/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-prenup-marie-brenner
Sanders attacks Clinton over Wall Street ties & ‘disastrous trade agreements’
https://www.rt.com/usa/334754-sanders-attacks-clinton-debates/
“Bernie Sanders has attacked Hillary Clinton over her record with corporate America and “disastrous trade agreements” destructive to the US economy, as well as multibillion bailouts that robbed the state of jobs – all at the expense of the US middle class….
‘Assange: Vote for Hillary Clinton is ‘vote for endless, stupid war’ which spreads terrorism’
https://www.rt.com/news/332022-assange-clinton-vote-war/
‘Michael Savage: Only Trump Can Beat Hillary Clinton’
https://www.rt.com/shows/politicking-larry-king/323154-larrry-king-politickin-michael-savage/
Ralph Nader Slams Bernie Sanders for Endorsing Hillary Clinton
Yes, let’s just ignore Sanders’ shilling for the NRA, Lockheed Martin and the war machine and his commitment to an ongoing drone programme.
Fuck it, while we’re at it let’s just forget about Sanders’ part in the export of nuclear waste to some place far far away where brown people live, too.
/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-nra-helped-put-bernie-sanders-in-congress/2015/07/19/ed1be26c-2bfe-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html
http://gui.afsc.org/birddog/bernie-sanders-lockheed-martin-f-35-jets-vermont
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/09/bernie-sanders-loves-this-1-trillion-war-machine.html
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-sanders-troubling-history-supporting-us-military-violence-abroad
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/08/31/3697175/bernie-sanders-wouldnt-end-obamas-drone-program-promises-to-use-it-very-selectively/
http://social-ecology.org/wp/1998/10/the-texas-vermont-maine-nuclear-dump-bringing-environmental-racism-home/
The Government is being accused of going easy on Chinese authorities when making trade deals for the infant formula industry.
Dozens of Kiwi brands made by small businesses going down the drain.
There were 200 brands – and now there are just 20.
Michael Barnett of the Infant Formula Exporters Association said “MPI have allowed them to control that process, so we’ve ended up with a small group of privileged exporters.”
He says many of those exporters are Chinese-owned companies based in New Zealand.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/business/infant-formula-agency-accused-government-going-easy-china?autoPlay=4785655384001
Thoughts?
My inside contact says follow the money.
I say .. also follow the political and personal relationships.
No-one who knows the culture would’ve expected anything different. But where were our government? Drunk? Asleep? Or bought and paid for?
Despite the growing attacks on Donald Trump from within the Republican establishment, all three of his challengers vowed to support Trump if he wins the nomination.
Has anybody else seen Pete Georges new profile picture on YourNZ ???
Something ain’t right.
Think he’s having a mental break down.
I’m still giggling at his description of himself as a “better democracy campaigner”.
“Eminem” anyone ?