In the same article Mr Higher ShonKey Standards says he’s no more able to give Banks advice about Banks’ resigning than he’s able to give David Cunliffe advice about he Cunliffe resigning. ??????
Field was Labour/Polynesian……..Polynesian/Labour. Both bad but the latter particularly excited the scribblers. Jonolists…….overall not very bright boys and girls who went to a ‘school’ rather than……
Part of me is thinking – stay, oh dishonest Banks, be true to your real self, please keep planet Key going on its last dying days, you are a boon, a blessing, a treasure, a priceless asset to the National-Act-and-pretend Administration.
“The unhinged one Richard Prebble in the Herald this morning defines Banks’ guilt as a “clerical error”. “
I think you should rephrase that. Prebble described Banks’ crime as a clerical error. Your comment reads as if he described the judge’s verdict as a clerical error.
Watch for the unhinged one to downgrade this with detail little known to the masses that Banks is in fact a cleric.
A cleric for Mammon?
In the same article Mr Higher ShonKey Standards says he’s no more able to give Banks advice about Banks’ resigning than he’s able to give David Cunliffe advice about he Cunliffe resigning. ?
Oh, he can give advice but that’s all he can do. Banks stepping down is up to Banks. As he’s an electorate MP no one can force him out. We had this same problem with Philip Field.
Nomi Prins is a senior fellow at public policy think tank Demos, journalist and author whose work focuses on corporate governance, economic policy, Wall Street and the political/regulatory environment. Before becoming a journalist, she served as a managing director for Goldman Sachs in New York and ran the analytics group at Bear Stearns in London. Her new book is All the President’s Bankers: the Hidden Alliances That Drive America’s Power (Nation Books, ISBN: 978-1-56858-749-3).
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
Nomi Prins: bankers and power ( 39′ 4″ )
09:05 Senior fellow at public policy think tank Demos, and author of All the President’s Bankers: the Hidden Alliances That Drive America’s Power.
“care to give us just one example of anything even remotely useful you may have posted here..?”
Modesty (and probably ignorance) prevents me from answering, but as always, I’m happy to leave it to others to decide the worth of my postings, not that I’m driven by popularity contests.
I usually have a number three at the barbers, and from memory Dunne is 100% grey with a bouffant, so like I wrote earlier about your skills as a pundit, not even close :smirk:
As for very wrinkly, I’ll have to say no. Not a Peter Pan by any means, but mostly they’re laughter lines… Thanks for increasing the count Phil.
Costs more, and would be opposite to what has been seen globally. That cities grow upwards and become seeds for future economic prosperity.
Oh, wait, that’s it, you want prosperity in the rural areas.
oops, shouldn’t have voted National then. National loath the idea of any competition for dairy.
I mean Farmers need the shear joy of carrying NZ to sustain them.
And the bankers need farmers to be heavily indebt, buying and selling inflated priced farmland.
Her comes more the propaganda against the left – look at the photo – and the way this article is structured. It does have the feel of more of the same old women hating BS from the herald.
The photo is awful, but I don’t think the article itself is too bad. Though Young notes “anti-abortion groups were quick to condemn the proposal” she hasn’t actually included any of their comments, and sums up the current legal situation pretty well (though she pushes the fact that abortion is still a crime in NZ way down, and that’s something that often surprises people.)
Do you know what proportion of Green members voted to approve this policy? A conscience issue would risk Green MPs not holding the line. Is that the advantage that you see in the House with this approach?
And there will be many others. IMO the views of abortion liberalisation activists do not correspond to that of the majority of women.
While the illegitimate death of an unborn child must remain a serious criminal offence punishable by prison time, I am certainly for the decriminalisation of professional, highly regulated and medically performed abortions.
However in my view any move to significantly relax access to abortions of the fetus all the way up to 20 weeks is absolutely the wrong move. At that stage the fetus is just 10-12 weeks away from being viable as a high probability survival baby. A baby born at 30-32 weeks will require only moderate levels of medical care initially to live a full and complete life.
But this is simply my personal opinion. IMO because of its potential significance on so many thousands of young lives per year, way more so than the “anti-smacking” legislation, any move to significantly liberalise abortion access all the way through to 20 weeks should also go to a full referendum.
I consider myself an “abortion liberalisation activist” and I disagree entirely with your comment.
Yes, if you just walk up to people out of the blue and say “Let’s kill babies in the womb, good times!!!” you’re probably going to get a negative reaction.
But, shockingly, that’s not how the discussion goes. Alison McCulloch did a road trip through NZ to promote her book and talk to people about abortion, and she said that many people were quite happy to discuss the issues, and very interested to learn that abortion is still a crime in NZ.
Every time I’ve seen decriminalisation raised in a political context (i.e. by the Greens this week and at Labour Party conferences) there’s always a few people who don’t realise it’s still a crime. Once we get that message more widespread, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of will to change.
As for 20 week abortions, as I’ve said on other threads, the idea that pregnant people just go “god, I’m bored of this foetus” at 20 weeks is a complete myth. Unfortunately, things go wrong in pregnancy and late-term abortions are sometimes required to save lives (yes, I know, how ironic 🙄 ) And sometimes – because of archaic, condescending processes like we currently have in NZ – people don’t have access to abortion services earlier.
If you support the right of pregnant people to choose not to be pregnant – safely, legally, and early – and to access necessary medical care, then you should support decriminalisation, support comprehensive sexuality education and access to contraceptives, and please, stop with the inaccurate and irrational arguments about late-term abortions.
and please, stop with the inaccurate and irrational arguments about late-term abortions.
There’s nothing “inaccurate” or “irrational” with my point of view.
1) At 20 weeks the baby is just 60-70 days away from being a fully viable person with a ~90%+ chance of growing up into a full, contributing human being. (And today, medical care routinely saves pre-term babies born at just 26-28 weeks).
2) Liberalisation of abortion access all the way to this very late 20 week mark is a step which will affect the lives and deaths of thousands of babies every year. I stand personally against it.
3) This is more significant than the “anti-smacking” legislation and should therefore be taken to a full referendum of the people.
Every time I’ve seen decriminalisation raised in a political context (i.e. by the Greens this week and at Labour Party conferences) there’s always a few people who don’t realise it’s still a crime.
I fully support the decriminalisation of highly regulated, professionally performed and medically appropriate abortion. Involvement in the illegitimate death of an unborn child should remain a serious crime punishable by prison sentence.
In my view the Green Party core ethos is one of nurturing, encouraging and supporting the full, healthy and complete development of NZ children into adulthood through whatever difficulties, poverty, economic hardships etc. that arise on the way. I’m not sure this policy is consistent with that.
It’s always very illuminating (and transparent) when people keep raising issues which are so rare or exceptional they’re irrelevant to an argument. In this case, you want to keep talking about 20-week abortions, ignoring their extreme rarity, because this allows you to keep pushing the message that abortion law reform is extreme, dangerous, wacky, unpopular – but without coming clean and acknowledging you oppose a person’s right to choose what to do with their own body if that body is pregnant.
In this case, you want to keep talking about 20-week abortions, ignoring their extreme rarity
Perhaps I am mistaken – I thought that the new Green Party policy removes the additional hurdles currently in place for abortions conducted beyond the 12 week mark, and goes so far as to liberalise access to abortions all the way to 20 weeks as being routine and no different to an abortion at the earlier 12 week mark.
Is this not the case? I am quite happy to be corrected by you.
but without coming clean and acknowledging you oppose a person’s right to choose what to do with their own body if that body is pregnant.
There is no such thing as an immutable, unconditional right to take the life of another human being.
Is it possible that a law could be fair law if it would provide someone other than the pregnant person an unconditional, immutable right to tell that person what can and cannot be decided about their own body and life?
BL. In society, the vulnerable, the voiceless and the very young must always be given additional protections and consideration under the law.
if it would provide someone other than the pregnant person an unconditional, immutable right to tell that person what can and cannot be decided about their own body
No one has asked for this or suggested that this be the case.
“Perhaps I am mistaken – I thought that the new Green Party policy removes the additional hurdles currently in place for abortions conducted beyond the 12 week mark, and goes so far as to liberalise access to abortions all the way to 20 weeks as being routine and no different to an abortion at the earlier 12 week mark.
Is this not the case? I am quite happy to be corrected by you.”
Given that yesterday you were questioning the GP for not having a policy on contraception when they actually have one, I think the onus is on you to back up your statements (and do your own research). AFAIK the GP has made a policy announcement but the actual policy detail hasn’t been released yet. In other words you are making shit up to support your argument.
I suspect that you are in fact anti-abortion and that you understand that in the political circles you move in this won’t work, so you are willing for abortion to be legal as long as women aren’t in charge ie so long as extensive hoops have to be jumped through, and doctors and parliament hold the power. As I have said to you a number of times, I think these conversation would be more productive if you were just more upfront about what you actually think and want instead of prevaricating.
The aim of the policy, as stated by Logie, is to remove some hurdles, so that more abortions will be done earlier in the pregnancy than is now the case.
“BL. In society, the vulnerable, the voiceless and the very young must always be given additional protections and consideration under the law.”
Ok, so how can you support any law that allows abortion then? If we are talking about killing a human, whatever the gestational age, how do you rationalise that some kilings are ok and others aren’t?
Ok, thanks. I now take it that I have permission from you to interpret what you say how I want. In the absence of you being willing to clarify what you think that seems reasonable.
🙄 Yes, you’re definitely engaging sincerely on this topic, I should totally waste more of my time doing your homework for you.
I meant what I said.
There is no such thing as an immutable, unconditional right to take the life of another human being.
And I’ll go further. In the circumstance where the state is either directly involved in or closely associated with the death of a human being or of its citizens eg. abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, etc, the level of regulation and oversight must be very substantial, very significant and fully transparent.
And in one trite sentence you discard a women’s right to choose things for her body and life.
Excerpts of Michael Sandel’s arguments to the point you raise:
Probing the assumptions underlying the equal moral status view of the embryo, Sandel asks how a person holding that view would behave if confronted with a fire in a fertility clinic. Given a choice between saving a five-year-old girl or a tray of 10 embryos, which would one choose?
But Sandel finds further flaws with the equal moral status view. “The fact that all persons were once blastocysts does not prove that all blastocysts are persons. This is faulty reasoning. The fact that every oak tree was once an acorn does not prove that every acorn is an oak tree” — or that we should regard the loss of an acorn eaten by a squirrel as equivalent to the loss of an oak tree felled by a windstorm. George responds that “saplings are not mature oak trees either, but this fact does not make us doubt that infants are equal in human dignity to adults.”
Ironically, anti-choicers are trapped in a fatal contradiction here—women are undeniably human beings; yet anti-choicers are quite willing to sacrifice the human rights of women in favour of fetuses, whose status as human beings is highly questionable. If they can’t even respect the lives and rights of born human beings, why should we trust their alleged concern for fetuses as human beings?
Probing the assumptions underlying the equal moral status view of the embryo, Sandel asks how a person holding that view would behave if confronted with a fire in a fertility clinic. Given a choice between saving a five-year-old girl or a tray of 10 embryos, which would one choose?
Incorrect analogy.
The correct analogy is this:
if confronted with a fire in a fertility clinic. Given a choice between saving a 25 year old woman who is pregnant, and the same 25 year old woman who is not, which would one choose?
And for this
If they can’t even respect the lives and rights of born human beings, why should we trust their alleged concern for fetuses as human beings?
the correct response is thus:
The taking of an invaluable human life shall always be a last resort, not a first choice, and the requirements of our society should reflect that.
if confronted with a fire in a fertility clinic. Given a choice between saving a 25 year old woman who is pregnant, and the same 25 year old woman who is not, which would one choose?
But if the 12wk pregnant woman was equivalent to 2 lives, why wouldn’t you rescue the plate of 25 embryos instead?
he Green Party want a high-quality health system that is fair for everyone.
We believe in a holistic approach to health and well-being that is focused on promoting good health, reducing the risk of illness, and improving quality of life.
We are committed to a public health care system that provides the same access and level of care regardless of wealth or income. All the evidence shows that a more equal society is better for everyone.
We want to make sure that there is enough for all Kiwis, our Pacific neighbours and all of humanity, to enjoy a decent quality of life.
[…]
Our Population Policy is about understanding the optimal population for Aotearoa, planning for the future, and enabling parents to make informed choices about family size.
[…]
Informed decisions about family size and spacing will be made by the parents concerned.
Family planning via birth control, with parents being given to choice betwen the options available, is the preferred option.
The abortion policy is aimed at dealing with the practicalities of human reproduction, because it’s not something that can be totally planned for.
The abortion policy is aimed at dealing with the practicalities of human reproduction, because it’s not something that can be totally planned for.
Definitely. There is a need for good access to well regulated abortion services in NZ.
But why do these other Green Party policies treat children as complete people with their own rights, their own needs, and their own agency, but not this new abortion policy?
A foetus does not have agency that can be consulted with.
The parent makes endless decisions about what they consider is important for the well being of their child/ren.
How are the people opposed to decriminalisation taking account of the potential child as a whole being, if they are not considering the situation a baby will be born into?
Zygote, embryo, foetus, pre-term baby, baby. These are not difficult concepts CV and I know damn well that you have enough medical knowledge to be able to appreciate the differences. Babies don’t generally get aborted except in extreme circumstances.
Yeah you are right karol, parents make all sorts of major decisions for/about their children, 99.99% of those decisions tho do not have death as a result…
Some extracts taken from the Green Policy on Pregnancy Termination:
We trust women to make decisions that are best for them and their whānau/family. We want to ensure equal access to all potential options is available to pregnant women.
The Green Party supports the right to choose.
To prevent coercion either for or against abortion, the Green Party will:
Ensure neutral counselling is available (but not mandatory).
Discourage non-neutral counselling which provides women with biased, inaccurate health information.
To support the freedom to have an abortion the Green Party will:
Decriminalise abortion by removing it from the Crimes Act.
Allow terminations after 20 weeks gestation only when the woman would otherwise face serious permanent injury to her health, or in the case of severe fetal abnormalities (as is current practice).
To protect the freedom to choose to continue a pregnancy, the Green Party will:
Provide increased support to vulnerable pregnant women so they feel they can continue with their pregnancy if this is their preferred option.
Ensure women are not penalised financially for choosing to keep their child (see Income Support policy).
Sound to me like the Greens have considered all angles – as usual – please pay particular attention to the last section in bold with reference to your concerns. i.e. they are setting up systems to encourage continuation of the pregnancy by removing obstacles to pursuing that course.
Note your concern re over 20 weeks is false – they are continuing with current practice on that matter.
Also:
“The Green Party recognises this situation as problematic, because:
The time taken to see two consultants means abortions happen later in the pregnancy. This is more dangerous, and it makes it difficult to access medical abortions"
How are the people opposed to decriminalisation taking account of the potential child as a whole being, if they are not considering the situation a baby will be born into?
Perhaps you could ask someone who opposes decriminalisation?
I support decriminalisation of well regulated, professionally conducted, medically appropriate abortions. However, the illegitimate death of an unborn child needs to remain a serious crime punishable by imprisonment.
Note your concern re over 20 weeks is false – they are continuing with current practice on that matter.
I’ve no concerns for the over 20 week situation and have never said that I have.
One of my main concerns however is the liberalisation of access past 12 weeks (where AFAIK there is a current threshold of permissibility) all the way through to the 20 week mark.
Any change liberalising abortion access through to this later 20 week mark will be far more impactful on thousands of young New Zealanders per year than the “anti-smacking” legislation has ever been and IMO should be put out to a full referendum.
CV, weren’t you the one who wanted to leave immunisation up to the informed choice of the parents? Some would say that could lead to an unimmunised child dying.
PS: You’ve redefined decriminalisation – the Green’s policy is called “decriminalisation”.
The ones that got away from the abortionist then karol, lets expand the Law into that area then, wishing to have never been born seems a valid reason for the State to sanction the termination of life,
Well as valid as a lot of em i have seen in the last couple of days of discussion, seems the ultimate cure for depression, along with child abuse and neglect, constrained career achievement,inability to remember simple things like contraceptives,casual unprotected sex, the list is endless,
i cannot quite fathom what my opposition is all about…
CV, I’d like the ask the question another way, because I still don’t understand what you are suggesting. If you agree that abortions should be available within the context of regulation and medical supervision, what criteria do you think should be used? eg gestational age alone? Or other criteria as well?
bad, right from conception, the decisions, or actions, that lead to a child being born are usually made by the parents, whether or not they take into account the well being of the child that might be born.
If you agree that abortions should be available within the context of regulation and medical supervision, what criteria do you think should be used? eg gestational age alone? Or other criteria as well?
I expect that it will be a check list of items and review both from the medical standpoint, informed consent etc. and also the social work/government provided support standpoint.
I’ve been wondering that too blue, but I suspect that CV either simply doesn’t understand what the problems are with the current law, or is being disingenuous and evasive and in reality wants abortion restricted.
Current New Zealand law allows for abortions to be performed for the following reasons, providing the abortion is approved by two certifying consultants and the pregnancy is less than 20 weeks old:
to save the life of the woman (even if after 20 weeks)
to preserve the physical health of the woman
to preserve the mental health of the woman
foetal impairment
in cases of incest
The main changes that the GP are suggesting, as far as I can tell, are to remove the certifying consultant step, and to allow abortions even if the woman doesn’t fit those criteria. What CV seems to not understand is that many women already get abortions without meeting those criteria, but doctors are bending the law to make that possible. The GP wants the law to reflect current practice, because the current law doesn’t work and because the current law means some women can access the health service while others can’t based on things like geography and socioeconomic status (irony alert there for people who follow CV’s politics).
Where did you get the bit about liberalizing pregnancy terminations out to 20 weeks CV?
Good question…I’ll have to look back at where I picked that up from…hope I haven’t misread something. Anyways IMO liberalising access to abortion beyond the current 12 week marker all the way out to the 20 week mark is a very bad idea.
So? You’ve already made it clear you have no opinion on how the law should be written or where the lines should be drawn. I’m not really interested in debating the various aspects of gestational age and what will happen as medicine increases its ability to keep preterm babies alive. Throughout this conversation you’ve based your comments on incorrect assumptions that you haven’t bothered to check out or even bothered to ask people here who know, and then when you’ve been asked for clarity on your views you’ve been evasive. Poor form dude. I’ll just say it one more time, be honest about what you really think.
I am quite surprised that they are conducted that late- I would strongly suspect terminations conducted after 12 weeks were linked to health issues arising of either the fetus or the mother – because every site I have been reading states that terminations occurring 12 weeks or less are much safer – therefore my guess is that doctors would be unkeen to conduct them later than that. (it wouldn’t be best practice)
I have found a chart that shows the vast majority of pregnancies are terminated under 12 weeks – only approx 5-6% over 14 weeks and 3% at 13 weeks and the rest under that.
These stats are a bit depressing, but have supplied the link in case anyone wants to check – you have to scroll down – it is the last table.
It would be helpful to have it confirmed that these later terminations were due to abnormality/extenuating circumstances, however I haven’t been able to find any such data in my search.
The report (and subsequently the law) ended up deciding which reasons for having an abortion would be legal (not criminal) and which would not. (You can look them up in the Act itself if you’re interested, go to section 187(A)1.) The Royal Commissioners had to do a lot of fancy footwork to pull this off (and tripped over themselves numerous times) but one thing they did not do was ever find out the actual reasons people have abortions. Here, I quote directly from the report: “In New Zealand no authoritative study has ever been made of the reasons why women seek abortions.” (p. 201)
I suspect that there’s still a few people around making the same decisions with the same ignorance as the 1970s Royal Commission.
Yeah, I don’t suppose they would want to document those reasons considering a lot of them I’ll bet have to do with the pathetic state of joblessness and financial poverty some are in, and the pathetic state of high debt repayments and time poverty others are in. All avoidable if we had decent governments who actually cared about the people who vote them in and were governing focused on improving conditions for people not simply on profits for a few.
🙄 as has been pointed out to you, we already have abortions up to 20 weeks. The GP law change would actually reduce the abortions happening later by enabling better access to abortion earlier.
This is starting to reach PG proportions of ridiculous. I’ll try and stay away because I hate having arguments with people I otherwise respect when they are doing stupid shit.
It is good to see there are not many at and above that time – like I said, I have to presume that this occurs in extenuating circumstances – would be good to know for sure though, I also think anything much above 12 weeks is pretty dodgy.
@ Weka,
Yeah I agree, especially your first point, (yet your second isn’t off the mark either really….)
Yep CV, that is an excellent question to be asking, the ”policy” appears to have come out of the blue and i was intending this morning to have a Google round to see if there is any evidence of a Green Party Membership vote on this,
Bit late to be doing morning stuff now and i will try and get into it this arvo…
No doubt Pop, that’ll be around the time you grow a pair of functioning balls, and ones that produce sperm rather than “Pledge – the housewife’s best friend” (brought to you by Salmon and Spraggon)
“A conscience issue would risk Green MPs not holding the line. Is that the advantage that you see in the House with this approach?”
Yes, and it also means that a controversial issue won’t become a derailment. It’s been through due process within the party, so let the policy stand. The GP is a prochoice party. If anyone within the party has a problem with that they need to deal with it privately.
Are there two weka here??? or just one that keeps so to speak changing the overcoat???
Strangely enough, on the Green Party web-site i can find no other mention of abortion except the most recent announcement,
What this looks like, note that i do not use a definitive term here, is Jan Logie having engaged in some discussion among some groups of woman across the motu making a top down decision of this is how it will be,
Perhaps i am incorrect here, and, there is a slight chance that i missed the email to all members asking for their opinion on this issue,
Hell and i was going to give Russell my electorate vote this time round…
policy development in the greens consists of a few policy-wonks drawing it up..
..management signing off on that..
..and then the finished product presented for rubber-stamping..but already having the approval of the party leadership behind it..
..so i think the greens wd never have had a piece of presented policy rejected by members..
..the whole thing in reality is totally top/down..
..if you have the internet party at one end of the membership involvement..with members raising/driving/debating on/voting for policy..after a robust open forum discussion of all the pros/cons etc etc..
..the greens are at the other end of that spectrum..
..a top/down-driven/rubber-stamped by members process..
..when i was a member i refused to sign-into those internal/closed forums..as a personal protest against that secret-practice..i used to argue..’what the fuck are you scared of..?..that national will steal yr ideas..?’..
..and my memories from the green party back then is that there most certainly was not unanimity on wholesale-abortion..
..and i will guarantee that many green party members will be very upset by the (seemingly cavalier) over-riding/ignoring of their beliefs..
..esp. now that official green party policy is to allow no questions asked abortions up to 20 weeks..
..that escalation will horrify many of them..
..late-abortion inflames opponents like abortion on steroids..
..it ramps everything up..
..this policy reeks of the planning/shepherding by the radicals on the other end of this spectrum..
So what happens to the feedback from members on policy that the policy convenors ask for? I got an email about this last week. Do local areas no longer work on policy?
“..esp. now that official green party policy is to allow no questions asked abortions up to 20 weeks..”
That’s not what is being recommended.
AFAIK in the IP the final decision about policy rests with the exec.
you really/seriously aren’t trying to defend the green party policy-making process as ‘superior’ to that new open-access-to-all-debate policy-development of the internet party..?
..are you..?
..(imagine the loss of ‘control’..eh..?..that wouldn’t do..eh..?..)
“..That’s not what is being recommended…”
..isn’t that what viper has been arguing against..?
I asked two questions. The first you don’t know the answer to, so I assume the second one you didn’t reply to you also don’t know the answer to. So why should we take your word on how the GP policy development process works or doesn’t work?
I don’t know enough about the IP process. I’ve read a bit online about it, and it looks interesting. I’m also interested to see over time how the power actually plays out (I don’t think this is visible at this point).
I’m in no way interested in having a pissing contest with you about who is the better party. I find both parties’ processes interesting and I think they each reflect their membership, place in parliament, and their kaupapa.
Jan Logie is very beautiful and has the most soothing voice in parliament. I have her looped on my ipod in case I need to calm people down in a civil emergency.
I would never have recognised her from that photo.
David’s latest attempt of a go at Stuart Nash is here: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/06/labour_candidate_seeking_a_poor_person.html
He’ll probably change it but you’d think if he paused for a second before rushing to post he’d have cropped the image. Based on the data currently shown in the image and less than a two minute search on google and facebook it looks like a staff member in Chris Tremain’s office most likely took the screenshot to pass on to kiwiblog. Just another example of how closely tied National and David are.
No no no Farrar’s story is “Local politician uses Facebook to reach a wide audience which proves he’s out of touch because, you know, communicating via the internet is… um… what?……”
ps it seems that the staffer so carelessly exposed by Farrar is being targeted by facebook adverts as a bible-thumper who’s looking for some elitist love action…
And Stuff are kindly informing us that our High Commissioner to Niue has a second job perhaps??
“High Commissioner to Niue Mark Blumsky …… Blumsky and his wife have become significant players on the island, running five companies, mainly in tourism. ”
Whatever happened to the $140 million of tax payers money gifted and loaned to Solid Energy purportedly to be to save jobs. And spouted as by both National and Labour apologists as the reason for the bailout?
For this much tax payers dosh not one single job should have been lost at Solid Energy.
This exposes this dirty planet damaging bailout for what it really is, corporate welfare for the plutocrats of the fossil fuel industry. The fate of the workers are of no concern of the Labour and National Party supporters of this deal at all, risking workers health and safety and mercilessly letting the coal barons dump them whenever they see fit, to keep this dying industry staggering on. Wrecking the planet by keeping the banksters in the readys is much more important than workers jobs.
For this sort of money thousands of permanent well paying jobs could have been created by funding projects like THIS!
Maybe the Green Party’s Gareth Hughes was right all along and that money should have been used to fund a just transition for these workers to jobs that don’t fry the planet.
Where is the accountability?
Why aren’t the Labour and National supporters of the bailout jumping up and down demanding some answers?
Or are they too busy in the committee rooms of parliament forelock tugging to the fossil fuel lobbyists?
And by the way where is Greg Presland’s AKA mickysavage’s long promised post on the Solid Energy bail out that he said that he was working on?
Will Jenny get banned again for asking such questions?
As I accurately predicted Greg Presland would never finish working on his post and if he did ever finish it he would not publish. Then, as now, the Centre Left Authors of The Standard when it comes to challenging the fossil fuel barons prefer to self censor.
I have written 18 posts this year that mention climate change. The Solid energy bail out is a shifting subject that requires more time and head space that I have currently. Strange that you equate one incomplete post with some sort of conspiracy to hide the consequences of climate change.
“I have written 18 posts this year that mention climate change.”
mickysavage
Greg you can write all the posts you like about climate change, but if you refuse to address doing something about it…..
….or even support policies that make it worse. Then you are guilty of the worst form of hypocrisy.
The reason you cannot write about the Solid Energy bail out, and find it such a shifting slippery subject is because by doing so, you would have to take a stand. One way, or the other. There is no escaping it. Better to keep your silence. On the subject of taking a stand on climate change, silence has been Labour’s fall back policy.
David Shearer was a master at it, never missing an opportunity to refuse to address the issue.
I hoped better of David Cunliffe, (and still do).
Climate change is the worst calamity that humanity has ever faced.
It screams out for us to take action to halt it, or at the very least not make it worse.
David Cunliffe in his famous Dolphin and Dole queue speech, before he became leader and went all mysteriously silent, said this:
“How much longer will this paradise last? I’m not sure. I’m very sad to say there’s a very good chance that by the time my two young sons reach adulthood, the safe and healthy world that we all took for granted will be gone. Finished.”
David Cunliffe The Dolphin and the Dole Queue, June 23, 2012
In my opinion David Cunliffe was more of a leader before he attained the title.
National and Labour on climate change
National are the open partizan supporters of big business, including the polluters, and they make no bones about it. National are beyond the pale. National will never do anything about climate change. In fact National openly promote policies, that will make climate change worse, policies like new coal mines, deep sea oil drilling and fracking, pouring $billions into new motorways while starving public transport of funds, supporting and sustaining the fossil fuel industries with tax payer subsidies and bail outs. National openly support these policies and even boast of them. In this National are representative of how generally conservative governments around the globe ignore the problem of climate change.
Labour are different, like National Labour also support digging new coal mines, subsidising the polluters, drilling for deep sea oil, fracking and all the other extreme non-conventional fossil fuel technologies that will exacerbate climate change. The only difference you like to keep silent about it.
Shane Jones was one of the few Labour MPs who was open and unashamed about Labour’s support for the fossil fuel industry. That is why people in Labour were always telling him to shut up. Every time Shane Jones opened his mouth Left voters flocked to the Green Party.
The fact is Labour are extremely close to National on carrying on the policies that will make our children’s world unrecognisable to us, that you could have trouble putting a cigarette paper between you both.
Don’t take my word for it, listen to what your Deputy Leader David Parker has to say on the matter:
David Parker, says his party’s policies on oil, gas and mineral extraction are close to those of the Government.
“I don’t think we are much different from National,” Parker said. “They’ve continued on with the programme that we started in respect to oil and gas,” he said yesterday after a breakfast for the Mood of the Boardroom survey in which chief executives expressed strong support for mining.
Labour says views close to Govt’s
NZ Herald July 27, 2012
The above is why you keep your silence over the Solid Energy bailout, or deep sea oil drilling or the cancelation of Hauaura Ma Raki, or the betrayal of the Maduro Declaration.
Monbiot calls people like you fifth level climate deniers, those who admit to the problem and even write treatises detailing its advance, but abjectly refuse to demand action on it even when they are in a position to do so.
I call you climate change ignorers.
80% of the population are opposed to deep sea oil drilling.
Greg you want to know why Labour’s support is so low in opinion polls?
Labour’s ignoring of the overwhelming popular opposition to deep sea oil is symptomatic of Labour’s refusal to take a stand on anything, including Greg your own refusal to take a stand on the bail out of Solid Energy.
If Labour had taken a stand against the bail out of Solid Energy this would have created a frisson, a point of difference between Labour and National. People would have said maybe Labour are right and this huge amount of money, would, as Gareth Hughes pointed out at the time, be better spent on paying for; “A Just Transition” for the coal workers “to jobs that don’t fry the planet.”
And when as now the bail out has proved to be abject failure in saving workers jobs, you would have had something to say on the matter, and people would say yes the government was wrong and Labour were right all along.
I am well aware karol of The Standard’s policy of censorship, self censorship, and resort to Godwin’s Law. All of which Lynn likes to refer to as “robust debate”.
What this really tells me karol is that not one of the Centre Left authors at The Standard can muster any moral or logical justification for the bail out of Solid Energy, which is the topic of discussion here. And though you are unable to defend the National Government’s bail out of Solid Energy, none of you have the guts to condemn it either.
The latest lay offs at Solid Energy tore the last shred of the veil of the excuse used by National that the bail out was to save jobs.
And while we are talking about The Standard’s self imposed silence over this act of corporate welfare in the commission of this climate crime.
I have not heard one peep from any of you about the cancelation of Hauauru Ma Raki, near Huntly which would have allowed us to close down the Huntly coal fired power station.
Nor have I ever heard one of you even whisper the words “Majuro Declaration” the treaty which John Key signed with the Island Nations in which we agreed to endeavor to cut down on our CO2 emissions, but which he completely ignored just three weeks after his return from the Marshall Islands Pacific Forum Conference on Climate Change, bailing out Solid Energy to the tune of $155 million, a direct violation of this treaty and a racist slap in the face to the Marshallese and all the other low lying front line Island States directly suffering the consequences of near runaway climate change.
You may call this telling The Standard authors what to write karol, but when it comes to climate change, I don’t need to tell you what to write, you already know what to write, and what not to write.
As the saying goes; evil triumphs when good people stay silent, and what greater evil can there be than being complicit with your silence in condemning future innocent generations to having to live with a severely degraded and damaged bio-sphere.
Just don’t let any commenter point out your blind spot, eh karol, instead resort to threatening to shut then down, or compare them to Joseph Goebbels. Mature, really mature. Yeah right.
[lprent: Yeah right. I suspect that she was just being kind and warning you about my attitudes about demanding authors do anything except what they want to. But hey, try playing the victim. I really just don’t care.
I will just increase the martyrdom since you seem hell bent to crucify yourself. Or you could just argue your case without demanding that everyone (especially authors) has to follow the prescriptions of your obsessions. By all means proceed to Calvary. I don’t think that it will help you cause as much as discussing why you think that there is an issue, suffering the disagreements, and learning how to respond coherently. ]
Are you suggesting that I should join you in not mentioning climate change in case I upset the results?
While we are talking, what are the big election issues anyway?
Can you tell me?
I think I did see Steven Joyce wittering away on TV saying something about promising to fund some millionaires yacht race. Is this one of the issues that this election you speak of will be fought over? Yawn.
And I hear that Labour was promising to build a few new $300,000 completely unaffordable to low income earners “affordable” homes. Inspiring stuff? not.
Are there any other election issues you think I should know about CV?
If there is please let me know.
Maybe I was just obsessing just too much about climate change, only the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.
I would rush out right now and enroll. Or maybe not, the debt collectors will find out where I live.
My compassion today is with the workers and their families who lost their jobs.
Your head is in the clouds.
Theirs is at the supermarket counter every week, counting out dollar coins.
My compassion today is with the workers and their families who lost their jobs. Ad
Your “compassion” is worthless and therefore insincere.
Ab what do you think we should actually do about preventing this sort of thing ?
Do you think that the $155 million from the taxpayer bail out to keep Solid Energy afloat, that has wound up in the banksters pockets would have been better paid to the workers to provide “a Just Transition to jobs that don’t fry the planet”?
Be aware Ab that the coal mining industry is a dying industry, it is slowly but surely going the way of the asbestos mining industry. The current position of these dumped coal workers is the future of all coal workers and their families, unless we do something now.
Your head is in the clouds.
And yours, by denying the reality and urgency of climate change is in a much more uncomfortable and darker place.
Lynn, can you please fix the stripping of numbered lists inside comments?
For some time now (6+ months) if you make a numbered list in a comment, the numbers are stripped out. For example:
One
Two
Three
The same list as above, after editing to restore the numbered list:
1. One
2. Two
3. Three
You can edit the comment and put the numbers back in and they stay, but if you go to edit it again after that they have been replaced by p and li html tags, and saving that 2nd edit will again strip the numbers. It’s very frustrating.
It’s especially annoying when cut and pasting from elsewhere eg party policy. It strips out the list numbers AND the spaces so it all ends up one paragraph.
I tried writing a single number the other day and it changed into a listed number.
btw, the day that I got a message saying I didn’t have permission to edit my post I was trying to do pretty much what Lanth described, but I was on the second or third edit.
First time I just typed with the numbers (I don’t get WYSIWYG ready made codes. I edited it by highlighting and adding the ol code.
When I went back to edit again, the ol code was still there but with an il code added magically. I added a comment and updated, but found the numbers and codes had disappeared.
maybe take 10 mins to watch this … latest video from Internet Party with Key and Obama look-alikes … how to wake young, sleeping voters ! humour, wit and accessibility … I love it …
Mind you, I’m not so sure about the actor playing Key. The kind of caricatured less-than-subtle ham-acting all too typical of local (ie Kiwi) attempts at comedy/satire. Like an end-of-the-Pier Panto at a fading British Seaside Resort.
Less is more. Obvious desperation to be funny is desperately unfunny.
Yeah – I thought the Obama was true-to-life but the “John Key” seemed to me to have more than a touch of the Colin Craig about him …. that intense, gaunt look of desperation, maybe ?
Meant to say Yeshe – thanks for putting up this link. This video is hugely funny. Wonder how many more they’ll come up with during the election campaign.
Another good must-see documentary starting on the rounds.
New Climate Film – Screening Opportunities
2 Degrees is probably the definitive climate film of 2014. A riveting political thriller set against the backdrop of the UN climate negotiations, the award winning documentary is an emotional ride from the despair of the bureaucratic process to the thrill of tapping into the transformative momentum of people power. Climate justice is a key theme.
As the world waits in hope for a new dawn on climate change it becomes chillingly clear that we cannot wait for governments to lead the way. So if commitment to act won’t come from above, perhaps the voices and actions of communities will bring the revolution that is needed… 2 Degrees takes to the streets of a small Australian town, and follows the passionate efforts to replace the coal fired power stations with solar thermal power. The formidable, 80 year old mayor of the town leads the charge, and fiery youth walk over 300km to take their message to parliament.
This film is about to be launched throughout Aotearoa. There is an opportunity for community groups/individuals to host a screening/premiere. Nelson-based co-producer Ange Palmer will be available to attend some screenings. She is an engaging, moving speaker and will share some of her experiences of the film making process, discuss the Eradicating Ecocide campaign and offer insight into how we can respond effectively to the challenges of this time with clarity and strength.
A good film provides a path for understanding and provokes dialogue. You can use the event to raise funds for your group, raise your profile, enlist new members and educate your community.
Tour schedule is being arranged NOW. Please get in early.
Contact angepalmer@gtfilms.com.au 03 5530353/ 0211450334 for details. Online preview available.
In revenue terms there would normally be little point in registration. Virtually all the costs bodies corporate incur and levy their members to cover would include GST, generating an input tax deduction to offset the GST on levies. Why impose the compliance cost?
But the situation changes with leaky buildings.
Where a body corporate receives a compensation payment and uses it to finance remedial work (the hefty bills for which include GST), if it is registered it is able to claim back the GST. Robin Oliver of tax consultants OliverShaw, a former deputy commissioner of Inland Revenue in charge of tax policy, said that was the right outcome.
The Government has already received GST when the original faulty work was done. If the repair work was done by the original builders it would not get a second bite of the cherry, whereas under the IRD’s traditional position, which the Government now intends to legalise, it does. That is double taxation and confiscation, Oliver said.
Was that tough, guys? Or tough guys? Or both. See link – coalition attacks nhs – in joe 90s comment. And think this is about the country that many of our forebears tried to escape, yet now we are following their slide and decline into miserable class distinction and preference.
In his book, Harry’s Last Stand, Harry Smith 91, says about the National Health Service first set up when Britain was on its knees after WW2 in 1948, now being majorly dismantled:
The creation of the NHS made us understand that we were in truth our brother’s keeper, and that taxation benefits everyone through maintaining not just our roads and sewers but the health of our children, workers and elderly.
To me, the introduction of free health care was the first brick laid on the road to the social welfare state. So it has always been difficult for me to listen to politicians, proud possessors of health insurance and shares in private health care companies, when they talk about how the health service that we fought so hard to build must change. The coalition government’s Health and Social Care Act will create a two-tier health care system. This act will see the NHS stripped down like a derelict house is by criminals for copper wiring. Ukip has even proposed that A&E patients should have the right to buy their way to the front of the queue,
It was on 3 News tonight too. I needed to take a breath and consider. I was actually hoping that KDC would step back from the IP, and leave it to others. I am not keen on KDC becoming an NZ MP.
Maybe I’ll just leave this til after the election.
I can understand those sentiments.
I am not really gullible and can be very cynical but having said that, I get a sense that his recent experience might have changed him in some ways.
In any case, the IP might be a case of wait-and-see plus too-early-to-tell. It is attracting a lot of attention and support, or at least expressions of support, from some interesting quarters – young adult children of staunch Tory parents (ha ha) from the relatively small sample size of half a dozen Nat families that I hang out with.
KDC looks to me like someone who wants money and power. Kind of the mirror image of John key. Right now he is useful to the left, re challenging Key, and encouraging more younger people to vote. But after that, in the medium to long term, I have my concerns about KDC.
KDC looks to me like someone who wants money and power.
So we already know that he really likes money.
As for power – what has happened to him in the last couple of years has caused him to reconsider what is truly important in this world and has politicised him.
I’ll tell you what I like about KDC – he has not ‘born to rule’ attitude or air about him.
I think it was utterly overplayed on 3 News. KDC was obviously asked “Would you want to stand as an MP?” and said “Sure, but obviously I can’t right now, maybe next time.” This was depicted as “KDC overshadows everyone by declaring he wants to be an MP!!!” when it was a very lighthearted comment.
Laila Harre was also painted as “defensive” just because she told Brook Sabin to stop trying to make her say IMP wants Labour to do a deal in Te Tai Tokerau.
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Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Flood, Professor of Sociology, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people ...
The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassy Dittman, Senior Lecturer/Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology), Research Fellow, Manna Institute, CQUniversity Australia With winter sports swinging into action, adults around the country have volunteered or been volunteered by others (humorously known as being “volun-told”) to coach junior sports teams. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University richardernestyap/Shutterstock Parents are often advised to burp their babies after feeding them. Some people think burping after feeding is important to reduce or prevent discomfort crying, or to ...
Workers at a major ASB contact centre in Auckland have voted to take strike action and withdraw their labour following disappointing pay negotiations with the employer and an "offer" to workers that would leave them worse off than the previous year. ...
As the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next.New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...
The Labour Party is demanding Peters be stood down, saying "he's embarrassed the country" with a "totally unacceptable" attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. ...
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, whose members were victims of a China-backed cyber attack, is discussing forming a standing committee to deal with foreign influence. ...
The PSA is concerned that the voluntary redundancies being offered to staff by Stats NZ will impact on the agency’s ability to deliver on its core functions. ...
Results ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of culinary creation, of sensory delights, of gastronomic poetry. I also can’t afford anything nice. Why does a pack of instant noodles and some milk cost ten bucks? I love you, Aotearoa, but I miss ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Police in Solomon Islands are on high alert ahead of the election of the prime minister today. The two candidates for the top job are former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele at the head of the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation, which is ...
He’s fine but it feels like I’m losing a friend and it’s making me bitter. How do I say ‘enough is enough’? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzHey Hera,I’ve recently moved in with a girlfriend, her partner Steve, and his friend. We all live in a lovely little house. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Chartres, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney shutterstockAhmet Misirligul/Shutterstock You go to the gym, eat healthy and walk as much as possible. You wash your hands and get vaccinated. You control your health. This is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Hendriks, Research Fellow and Lecturer, Curtin University Children and young people may be seeing news headlines about men murdering women or footage of people rallying to call for action. Perhaps they or their friends have even gone to the protests. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Balanzategui, Senior Lecturer in Media, RMIT University ABC “Bluey mania” shows no sign of abating. Bluey’s season finale, The Sign, was the most viewed ABC program of all time on iView. A “hidden” follow-up episode, aptly named The Surprise, created ...
Labour market figures came in softer than the Reserve Bank had forecast, but they won’t be enough to move the needle on interest rates, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Unemployment ...
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back.‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
While women’s sport is exploding in Aotearoa and around the world, you still don’t hear a lot of talk about athletes and their periods, RED-S, breastfeeding and visible panty-lines. SASS (Suze and Sez Sports)Talk isn’t afraid to have that kōrero.LockerRoom founder Suzanne McFadden and Olympian broadcaster Sarah ...
On an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...
A Labour Party Member’s Bill aims to plug a culpability gap between manslaughter and health and safety breaches The post New push for corporate killing laws appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Terence O’Brien had the rare and no doubt undesired distinction of rising to one of the most exalted positions in New Zealand diplomacy, then being unceremoniously recalled to Wellington without explanation just when his career was at its zenith. What is perhaps more surprising is that he appears to have ...
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Why has New Zealand slipped from third to 12th on Quality of Death Indexes over the past decade or so? Hospice New Zealand Chief Executive Wayne Naylor has a list of reasons. “We don’t have a current national strategy – the Government hasn’t renewed our 2001 strategy, so we don’t ...
Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Prime Minister and state and territory leaders met on Wednesday as the national cabinet to discuss a crisis gripping Australia – the horrific number of women murdered this year. The killings have shocked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Radhika Raghav, Teaching Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Otago Netflix Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his big-budget Bollywood production, featuring grand sets, star casts, meticulously choreographed dance sequences and lavish costumes, jewellery and furnishings. ...
Sir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University Violence against women is not a women’s problem to solve, it is a whole of society problem to solve; and men in particular have to take responsibility. Those were the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Snapshot freddy/ShutterstockPlans to revive an old coal-fired power station using bioenergy are being considered in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Similar plans for the station ...
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...
Average ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...
As of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...
Thousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
The PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
The unhinged one Richard Prebble in the Herald this morning defines Banks’ guilt as a “clerical error”. Watch for the unhinged one to downgrade this with detail little known to the masses that Banks is in fact a cleric.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11269328
In the same article Mr Higher ShonKey Standards says he’s no more able to give Banks advice about Banks’ resigning than he’s able to give David Cunliffe advice about he Cunliffe resigning. ??????
Leaving Planet Key and travelling to a somewhat less farcical place – this morning’s Herald editorial: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11269399
I’m sure the media were somewhat different when Mr Field was found guilty.
Field was Labour/Polynesian……..Polynesian/Labour. Both bad but the latter particularly excited the scribblers. Jonolists…….overall not very bright boys and girls who went to a ‘school’ rather than……
Part of me is thinking – stay, oh dishonest Banks, be true to your real self, please keep planet Key going on its last dying days, you are a boon, a blessing, a treasure, a priceless asset to the National-Act-and-pretend Administration.
“The unhinged one Richard Prebble in the Herald this morning defines Banks’ guilt as a “clerical error”. “
I think you should rephrase that. Prebble described Banks’ crime as a clerical error. Your comment reads as if he described the judge’s verdict as a clerical error.
A cleric for Mammon?
Oh, he can give advice but that’s all he can do. Banks stepping down is up to Banks. As he’s an electorate MP no one can force him out. We had this same problem with Philip Field.
ACT are toast. Robbing a child’s grave!
On the Nation, the Greens were ready for the nonsense, and immediately cited the statistic for the number of ACT MPs having criminal records.
And now ACT has chosen a candidate, See More.
I can see the black humor.
See More of ACT if you haven’t alredy.
FYI …. coming up on RNZ National Nomi Prins at 9am – should be worth a listen
Yes Nomi Prins is worth a listen +100
Nomi Prins is a senior fellow at public policy think tank Demos, journalist and author whose work focuses on corporate governance, economic policy, Wall Street and the political/regulatory environment. Before becoming a journalist, she served as a managing director for Goldman Sachs in New York and ran the analytics group at Bear Stearns in London. Her new book is All the President’s Bankers: the Hidden Alliances That Drive America’s Power (Nation Books, ISBN: 978-1-56858-749-3).
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
Nomi Prins: bankers and power ( 39′ 4″ )
09:05 Senior fellow at public policy think tank Demos, and author of All the President’s Bankers: the Hidden Alliances That Drive America’s Power.
Yes. Listened to Nomi/Kim. Very important.
Weird how the population just accepts the status quo. Meanwhile back in NZ still a worry.
Nomi Prins talks further on All the Presidents Bankers
And how the relationship between big government and the big banks is now more dangerous than ever. (Interview on Democracy Now).
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11269222
Claire girl, where do you get off implying that Pasifika people’ve fully got the number of Mr Higher ShonKey Standards ?
That’s how my Samoan house guest reads you anyway. Polite you were however…….unlike my house guest……..no mention of ‘that’ dancing.
(ever wondered why you ‘hang out’ for junk-food..?
..it’s ‘cos yr addicted to it..eh..?..
..food-scientists are the new evil/mad-scientists of our times..)
“..5 Unhealthy Foods Engineered to Be Addictive..
“..Food scientists use dangerous chemicals to make you eat and buy –
more junk food..”
(cont..)
http://www.alternet.org/5-unhealthy-foods-engineered-be-addictive
I haven’t had a wimpy half pounder with cheese in over 15 years.
I think you are addicted to ‘meat is murder’ musings.
I’ll go another 15 years without a wimpy if you can go 10 minutes without posting sh!t. Deal?
i guess ‘shit’ is in the eye/nose of the beholder..eh..?
..as your offerings in this forum most certainly have a certain faecal-‘odour’ about them..eh..?
..care to give us just one example of anything even remotely useful you may have posted here..?
..and pray tell of what possible interest to anyone at all..cd be the timespan since you last ate a ‘wimpy-burger’..?
..(do they even still exist as a commercial-offering..?..)
(and that was 12 mins between posts..so no cheezy-wimpys for u 4 another 15 yrs..eh..?..)
If I’d said 30 minutes you would have failed 😆
“care to give us just one example of anything even remotely useful you may have posted here..?”
Modesty (and probably ignorance) prevents me from answering, but as always, I’m happy to leave it to others to decide the worth of my postings, not that I’m driven by popularity contests.
heh..!..this one is for you..allen..
“..Here are the foods that will help you fight off aging..”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/06/anti-aging-diet-_n_5454398.html
..i use all of those..bar the fish..
..and funny story..!
..the link also has 12 of the foods/drinks that make you look old..and for why..for each one..
..and i wd bet that all (?) of those are part of yr diet..
..eh..?
..but you have shown yrslf in the past to be fairly adamant in yr ignorances..
..eh..?
“..Here are the foods that will help you fight off aging..”
Fight off ageing 😆 I wear my wrinkles and full head of more salt than pepper hair with pride.
“12 of the foods/drinks that make you look old..and for why..for each one
..and i wd bet that all (?) of those are part of yr diet..”
Then you would be as good a fortune teller as you are political pundit. 😆
“you have shown yrslf in the past to be fairly adamant in yr ignorances”
I am nothing but the sum of my parts. Ignorance maybe, stupid, not so much.
“.eh..?”
That’s what cockney orses eat.
“..and full head of more salt than pepper hair with pride…”
ew..!..have you got dunne-hair..?
..(do you run yr fingers thru it..?..as an affectation..?..ew..!..)
..this is an ugly picture you are building here..
..a very wrinkly dunne..?
..am i close..?
I usually have a number three at the barbers, and from memory Dunne is 100% grey with a bouffant, so like I wrote earlier about your skills as a pundit, not even close :smirk:
As for very wrinkly, I’ll have to say no. Not a Peter Pan by any means, but mostly they’re laughter lines… Thanks for increasing the count Phil.
“if you can go 10 minutes without posting sh!t. Deal?”
So you know Philip, I don’t always think that. Some of your observations are spot on, so keep on trucking them out.
“Then you would be as good a fortune teller as you are political pundit”
“your skills as a pundit, not even close :smirk:”
See above.
“.eh..?” “That’s what cockney orses eat.”
I did eat a horse curry once, but it gave me the trots.
chrs..
..and that one wasn’t ‘almost funny’..
No worries.
Then I best not tell you about the camel steaks I had in Morocco, ’cause you’d get the hump.
just stop that..!..right now..!
..where is the/any dignity..?
“where is the/any dignity..?”
Everyone’s a critic.
National’s plan to address the housing crisis?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/27729033
Its real funny that the major stall to the growth of the economy, is housing.
Auckland’s need to grow upwards.
And how regulation is holding back the economy.
And its all supported by ACT, who loath the idea that the great unwashed will move into
Epsom in numbers. Apartment numbers.
“Auckland’s need to grow upwards.”
Or spread it’s population around the country.
Costs more, and would be opposite to what has been seen globally. That cities grow upwards and become seeds for future economic prosperity.
Oh, wait, that’s it, you want prosperity in the rural areas.
oops, shouldn’t have voted National then. National loath the idea of any competition for dairy.
I mean Farmers need the shear joy of carrying NZ to sustain them.
And the bankers need farmers to be heavily indebt, buying and selling inflated priced farmland.
Under way.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11268470
Her comes more the propaganda against the left – look at the photo – and the way this article is structured. It does have the feel of more of the same old women hating BS from the herald.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11269286
The photo is awful, but I don’t think the article itself is too bad. Though Young notes “anti-abortion groups were quick to condemn the proposal” she hasn’t actually included any of their comments, and sums up the current legal situation pretty well (though she pushes the fact that abortion is still a crime in NZ way down, and that’s something that often surprises people.)
Interested to see that the GP have made this a party issue rather than a conscience issue. Good move.
Do you know what proportion of Green members voted to approve this policy? A conscience issue would risk Green MPs not holding the line. Is that the advantage that you see in the House with this approach?
My wife just stopped her Green donation ap and membership over this issue.
So it’s not for everyone.
And there will be many others. IMO the views of abortion liberalisation activists do not correspond to that of the majority of women.
While the illegitimate death of an unborn child must remain a serious criminal offence punishable by prison time, I am certainly for the decriminalisation of professional, highly regulated and medically performed abortions.
However in my view any move to significantly relax access to abortions of the fetus all the way up to 20 weeks is absolutely the wrong move. At that stage the fetus is just 10-12 weeks away from being viable as a high probability survival baby. A baby born at 30-32 weeks will require only moderate levels of medical care initially to live a full and complete life.
But this is simply my personal opinion. IMO because of its potential significance on so many thousands of young lives per year, way more so than the “anti-smacking” legislation, any move to significantly liberalise abortion access all the way through to 20 weeks should also go to a full referendum.
I consider myself an “abortion liberalisation activist” and I disagree entirely with your comment.
Yes, if you just walk up to people out of the blue and say “Let’s kill babies in the womb, good times!!!” you’re probably going to get a negative reaction.
But, shockingly, that’s not how the discussion goes. Alison McCulloch did a road trip through NZ to promote her book and talk to people about abortion, and she said that many people were quite happy to discuss the issues, and very interested to learn that abortion is still a crime in NZ.
Every time I’ve seen decriminalisation raised in a political context (i.e. by the Greens this week and at Labour Party conferences) there’s always a few people who don’t realise it’s still a crime. Once we get that message more widespread, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of will to change.
As for 20 week abortions, as I’ve said on other threads, the idea that pregnant people just go “god, I’m bored of this foetus” at 20 weeks is a complete myth. Unfortunately, things go wrong in pregnancy and late-term abortions are sometimes required to save lives (yes, I know, how ironic 🙄 ) And sometimes – because of archaic, condescending processes like we currently have in NZ – people don’t have access to abortion services earlier.
If you support the right of pregnant people to choose not to be pregnant – safely, legally, and early – and to access necessary medical care, then you should support decriminalisation, support comprehensive sexuality education and access to contraceptives, and please, stop with the inaccurate and irrational arguments about late-term abortions.
There’s nothing “inaccurate” or “irrational” with my point of view.
1) At 20 weeks the baby is just 60-70 days away from being a fully viable person with a ~90%+ chance of growing up into a full, contributing human being. (And today, medical care routinely saves pre-term babies born at just 26-28 weeks).
2) Liberalisation of abortion access all the way to this very late 20 week mark is a step which will affect the lives and deaths of thousands of babies every year. I stand personally against it.
3) This is more significant than the “anti-smacking” legislation and should therefore be taken to a full referendum of the people.
I fully support the decriminalisation of highly regulated, professionally performed and medically appropriate abortion. Involvement in the illegitimate death of an unborn child should remain a serious crime punishable by prison sentence.
In my view the Green Party core ethos is one of nurturing, encouraging and supporting the full, healthy and complete development of NZ children into adulthood through whatever difficulties, poverty, economic hardships etc. that arise on the way. I’m not sure this policy is consistent with that.
Your concern is noted. 🙄
It’s always very illuminating (and transparent) when people keep raising issues which are so rare or exceptional they’re irrelevant to an argument. In this case, you want to keep talking about 20-week abortions, ignoring their extreme rarity, because this allows you to keep pushing the message that abortion law reform is extreme, dangerous, wacky, unpopular – but without coming clean and acknowledging you oppose a person’s right to choose what to do with their own body if that body is pregnant.
Perhaps I am mistaken – I thought that the new Green Party policy removes the additional hurdles currently in place for abortions conducted beyond the 12 week mark, and goes so far as to liberalise access to abortions all the way to 20 weeks as being routine and no different to an abortion at the earlier 12 week mark.
Is this not the case? I am quite happy to be corrected by you.
There is no such thing as an immutable, unconditional right to take the life of another human being.
I pose the question to you again, CV
Is it possible that a law could be fair law if it would provide someone other than the pregnant person an unconditional, immutable right to tell that person what can and cannot be decided about their own body and life?
BL. In society, the vulnerable, the voiceless and the very young must always be given additional protections and consideration under the law.
No one has asked for this or suggested that this be the case.
“Perhaps I am mistaken – I thought that the new Green Party policy removes the additional hurdles currently in place for abortions conducted beyond the 12 week mark, and goes so far as to liberalise access to abortions all the way to 20 weeks as being routine and no different to an abortion at the earlier 12 week mark.
Is this not the case? I am quite happy to be corrected by you.”
Given that yesterday you were questioning the GP for not having a policy on contraception when they actually have one, I think the onus is on you to back up your statements (and do your own research). AFAIK the GP has made a policy announcement but the actual policy detail hasn’t been released yet. In other words you are making shit up to support your argument.
I suspect that you are in fact anti-abortion and that you understand that in the political circles you move in this won’t work, so you are willing for abortion to be legal as long as women aren’t in charge ie so long as extensive hoops have to be jumped through, and doctors and parliament hold the power. As I have said to you a number of times, I think these conversation would be more productive if you were just more upfront about what you actually think and want instead of prevaricating.
The aim of the policy, as stated by Logie, is to remove some hurdles, so that more abortions will be done earlier in the pregnancy than is now the case.
“BL. In society, the vulnerable, the voiceless and the very young must always be given additional protections and consideration under the law.”
Ok, so how can you support any law that allows abortion then? If we are talking about killing a human, whatever the gestational age, how do you rationalise that some kilings are ok and others aren’t?
It’s the way things are now and you seem to be implying that it should be kept that way.
@Draco T Bastard …
7 June 2014 at 2:39 pm
Yes, that is exactly where I was coming from too.
There is no such thing as an immutable, unconditional right to take the life of another human being.
🙄 Yes, you’re definitely engaging sincerely on this topic, I should totally waste more of my time doing your homework for you.
“Take it how you want weka.”
Ok, thanks. I now take it that I have permission from you to interpret what you say how I want. In the absence of you being willing to clarify what you think that seems reasonable.
I meant what I said.
There is no such thing as an immutable, unconditional right to take the life of another human being.
And I’ll go further. In the circumstance where the state is either directly involved in or closely associated with the death of a human being or of its citizens eg. abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, etc, the level of regulation and oversight must be very substantial, very significant and fully transparent.
@ karol..
“..There are people who wish they’d never been born..”
..and that is apropos of what exactly..?
..in the context of this conversation/topic..?
@ CV,
And in one trite sentence you discard a women’s right to choose things for her body and life.
Excerpts of Michael Sandel’s arguments to the point you raise:
http://harvardmagazine.com/2004/07/debating-the-moral-statu.html
And from: http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/fetusperson.shtml
Both articles are well worth the read.
Incorrect analogy.
The correct analogy is this:
And for this
the correct response is thus:
The taking of an invaluable human life shall always be a last resort, not a first choice, and the requirements of our society should reflect that.
“The taking of an invaluable human life shall always be a last resort, not a first choice, and the requirements of our society should reflect that.”
Can you be any more vague?
@ CV
“The taking of an invaluable human life shall always be a last resort, not a first choice,”
Who has been saying pregnancy termination should be the first choice?
Noone has been saying that.
Sheesh, get with the program.
But if the 12wk pregnant woman was equivalent to 2 lives, why wouldn’t you rescue the plate of 25 embryos instead?
You need to look more closely at the Green Party’s interlinked values and policies.
Their Health policy/aim:
Their population policy:
Family planning via birth control, with parents being given to choice betwen the options available, is the preferred option.
The abortion policy is aimed at dealing with the practicalities of human reproduction, because it’s not something that can be totally planned for.
Definitely. There is a need for good access to well regulated abortion services in NZ.
But why do these other Green Party policies treat children as complete people with their own rights, their own needs, and their own agency, but not this new abortion policy?
A foetus does not have agency that can be consulted with.
The parent makes endless decisions about what they consider is important for the well being of their child/ren.
How are the people opposed to decriminalisation taking account of the potential child as a whole being, if they are not considering the situation a baby will be born into?
Zygote, embryo, foetus, pre-term baby, baby. These are not difficult concepts CV and I know damn well that you have enough medical knowledge to be able to appreciate the differences. Babies don’t generally get aborted except in extreme circumstances.
Yeah you are right karol, parents make all sorts of major decisions for/about their children, 99.99% of those decisions tho do not have death as a result…
There are people who wish they’d never been born.
CV,
Some extracts taken from the Green Policy on Pregnancy Termination:
Sound to me like the Greens have considered all angles – as usual – please pay particular attention to the last section in bold with reference to your concerns. i.e. they are setting up systems to encourage continuation of the pregnancy by removing obstacles to pursuing that course.
Note your concern re over 20 weeks is false – they are continuing with current practice on that matter.
Also:
“The Green Party recognises this situation as problematic, because:
The time taken to see two consultants means abortions happen later in the pregnancy. This is more dangerous, and it makes it difficult to access medical abortions"
link: https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/womens-policy-valuing-women
Perhaps you could ask someone who opposes decriminalisation?
I support decriminalisation of well regulated, professionally conducted, medically appropriate abortions. However, the illegitimate death of an unborn child needs to remain a serious crime punishable by imprisonment.
I’ve no concerns for the over 20 week situation and have never said that I have.
One of my main concerns however is the liberalisation of access past 12 weeks (where AFAIK there is a current threshold of permissibility) all the way through to the 20 week mark.
Any change liberalising abortion access through to this later 20 week mark will be far more impactful on thousands of young New Zealanders per year than the “anti-smacking” legislation has ever been and IMO should be put out to a full referendum.
“I support decriminalisation of well regulated, professionally conducted, medically appropriate abortions.”
Great, so you support the GP policy then. Good to know.
“However, the illegitimate death of an unborn child needs to remain a serious crime punishable by imprisonment.”
Who has argued for the illegimate killing of unborn children??
In what circumstances can a pregnancy be illegitimate when the women has chosen this course of action that Greens haven’t already addressed?
e.g note the excerpts I copy and pasted above under ‘To prevent coercion either for or against abortion, the Green Party will:’
I can think of none.
CV, weren’t you the one who wanted to leave immunisation up to the informed choice of the parents? Some would say that could lead to an unimmunised child dying.
PS: You’ve redefined decriminalisation – the Green’s policy is called “decriminalisation”.
Thanks for finding the detail and links bl!
The ones that got away from the abortionist then karol, lets expand the Law into that area then, wishing to have never been born seems a valid reason for the State to sanction the termination of life,
Well as valid as a lot of em i have seen in the last couple of days of discussion, seems the ultimate cure for depression, along with child abuse and neglect, constrained career achievement,inability to remember simple things like contraceptives,casual unprotected sex, the list is endless,
i cannot quite fathom what my opposition is all about…
Yes that sounds like me 🙂
Although I use the term vaccination.
CV, I’d like the ask the question another way, because I still don’t understand what you are suggesting. If you agree that abortions should be available within the context of regulation and medical supervision, what criteria do you think should be used? eg gestational age alone? Or other criteria as well?
bad, right from conception, the decisions, or actions, that lead to a child being born are usually made by the parents, whether or not they take into account the well being of the child that might be born.
@ CV,
“One of my main concerns however is the liberalisation of access past 12 weeks”
Where did you see that?
I can’t find it on that link that I provided – which says it is the full policy.
@ Weka,
Cheers 🙂
I expect that it will be a check list of items and review both from the medical standpoint, informed consent etc. and also the social work/government provided support standpoint.
Ok, so I will again take it that you are supportive of the GP policy, and don’t have any suggestions of your own about how the law should be written.
Take it how you want weka. Any liberalisation of the abortion access out to a full 20 weeks should go to a referendum.
I will try that again,
Where did you get the bit about liberalizing pregnancy terminations out to 20 weeks CV?
I’ve been wondering that too blue, but I suspect that CV either simply doesn’t understand what the problems are with the current law, or is being disingenuous and evasive and in reality wants abortion restricted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_New_Zealand#The_Contraception.2C_Sterilisation_and_Abortion_Act_1977
The main changes that the GP are suggesting, as far as I can tell, are to remove the certifying consultant step, and to allow abortions even if the woman doesn’t fit those criteria. What CV seems to not understand is that many women already get abortions without meeting those criteria, but doctors are bending the law to make that possible. The GP wants the law to reflect current practice, because the current law doesn’t work and because the current law means some women can access the health service while others can’t based on things like geography and socioeconomic status (irony alert there for people who follow CV’s politics).
Good question…I’ll have to look back at where I picked that up from…hope I haven’t misread something. Anyways IMO liberalising access to abortion beyond the current 12 week marker all the way out to the 20 week mark is a very bad idea.
But if that’s not in the GP policy then no probs.
The law already allows abortion up to 20 weeks.
Thanks. 20 weeks is only a few weeks (five to six) off a preterm baby with a good chance of survival.
So? You’ve already made it clear you have no opinion on how the law should be written or where the lines should be drawn. I’m not really interested in debating the various aspects of gestational age and what will happen as medicine increases its ability to keep preterm babies alive. Throughout this conversation you’ve based your comments on incorrect assumptions that you haven’t bothered to check out or even bothered to ask people here who know, and then when you’ve been asked for clarity on your views you’ve been evasive. Poor form dude. I’ll just say it one more time, be honest about what you really think.
I am quite surprised that they are conducted that late- I would strongly suspect terminations conducted after 12 weeks were linked to health issues arising of either the fetus or the mother – because every site I have been reading states that terminations occurring 12 weeks or less are much safer – therefore my guess is that doctors would be unkeen to conduct them later than that. (it wouldn’t be best practice)
I have found a chart that shows the vast majority of pregnancies are terminated under 12 weeks – only approx 5-6% over 14 weeks and 3% at 13 weeks and the rest under that.
These stats are a bit depressing, but have supplied the link in case anyone wants to check – you have to scroll down – it is the last table.
http://www.abortion.gen.nz/information/statistics.html
It would be helpful to have it confirmed that these later terminations were due to abnormality/extenuating circumstances, however I haven’t been able to find any such data in my search.
Abortion on the Agenda: Thanks Greens!
I suspect that there’s still a few people around making the same decisions with the same ignorance as the 1970s Royal Commission.
Yeah, I don’t suppose they would want to document those reasons considering a lot of them I’ll bet have to do with the pathetic state of joblessness and financial poverty some are in, and the pathetic state of high debt repayments and time poverty others are in. All avoidable if we had decent governments who actually cared about the people who vote them in and were governing focused on improving conditions for people not simply on profits for a few.
Its pretty awful, but thanks for the stats you dug up suggesting that its very rare.
I remain opposed to any liberalisation of abortion access if it extends right up to that late stage 20 week mark.
🙄 as has been pointed out to you, we already have abortions up to 20 weeks. The GP law change would actually reduce the abortions happening later by enabling better access to abortion earlier.
This is starting to reach PG proportions of ridiculous. I’ll try and stay away because I hate having arguments with people I otherwise respect when they are doing stupid shit.
No probs CV,
It is good to see there are not many at and above that time – like I said, I have to presume that this occurs in extenuating circumstances – would be good to know for sure though, I also think anything much above 12 weeks is pretty dodgy.
@ Weka,
Yeah I agree, especially your first point, (yet your second isn’t off the mark either really….)
Yep Ad, my membership will probably go the same way…
Yep CV, that is an excellent question to be asking, the ”policy” appears to have come out of the blue and i was intending this morning to have a Google round to see if there is any evidence of a Green Party Membership vote on this,
Bit late to be doing morning stuff now and i will try and get into it this arvo…
There was discussion in the GP members’ forum earlier in the year. This is not out of the blue.
weka, would you have a link to this discussion in the online forum, i would like a read…
If you are a member of the GP you apply for access via the main website.
And when you two grow functioning uteri, I shall endeavour to care what you think.
No doubt Pop, that’ll be around the time you grow a pair of functioning balls, and ones that produce sperm rather than “Pledge – the housewife’s best friend” (brought to you by Salmon and Spraggon)
Lolz, swish, sharp…
@ pop..and that is just as silly as me demanding you never mention vasectomies..
..”cos you need to grow ‘functioning’ testicles and a penis..
..before you can opine..
..now..that’s just silly..isn’t it..?
“A conscience issue would risk Green MPs not holding the line. Is that the advantage that you see in the House with this approach?”
Yes, and it also means that a controversial issue won’t become a derailment. It’s been through due process within the party, so let the policy stand. The GP is a prochoice party. If anyone within the party has a problem with that they need to deal with it privately.
I’m sure that individual Green Party members will be doing just that.
what due process was this weka, the online forum discussion you mention perhaps???…
The normal processes the party uses for policy development.
Are there two weka here??? or just one that keeps so to speak changing the overcoat???
Strangely enough, on the Green Party web-site i can find no other mention of abortion except the most recent announcement,
What this looks like, note that i do not use a definitive term here, is Jan Logie having engaged in some discussion among some groups of woman across the motu making a top down decision of this is how it will be,
Perhaps i am incorrect here, and, there is a slight chance that i missed the email to all members asking for their opinion on this issue,
Hell and i was going to give Russell my electorate vote this time round…
Yep was on another computer before.
The discussion on abortion policy was in the usual place for members, nothing hidden away.
That’s strange weka, even logging in and keywording ‘abortion’ gets me nothing, do you remember the specific title of the particular discussion…
policy development in the greens consists of a few policy-wonks drawing it up..
..management signing off on that..
..and then the finished product presented for rubber-stamping..but already having the approval of the party leadership behind it..
..so i think the greens wd never have had a piece of presented policy rejected by members..
..the whole thing in reality is totally top/down..
..if you have the internet party at one end of the membership involvement..with members raising/driving/debating on/voting for policy..after a robust open forum discussion of all the pros/cons etc etc..
..the greens are at the other end of that spectrum..
..a top/down-driven/rubber-stamped by members process..
..when i was a member i refused to sign-into those internal/closed forums..as a personal protest against that secret-practice..i used to argue..’what the fuck are you scared of..?..that national will steal yr ideas..?’..
..and my memories from the green party back then is that there most certainly was not unanimity on wholesale-abortion..
..and i will guarantee that many green party members will be very upset by the (seemingly cavalier) over-riding/ignoring of their beliefs..
..esp. now that official green party policy is to allow no questions asked abortions up to 20 weeks..
..that escalation will horrify many of them..
..late-abortion inflames opponents like abortion on steroids..
..it ramps everything up..
..this policy reeks of the planning/shepherding by the radicals on the other end of this spectrum..
..democratic debate/discussion nowhere in sight..
So what happens to the feedback from members on policy that the policy convenors ask for? I got an email about this last week. Do local areas no longer work on policy?
“..esp. now that official green party policy is to allow no questions asked abortions up to 20 weeks..”
That’s not what is being recommended.
AFAIK in the IP the final decision about policy rests with the exec.
you really/seriously aren’t trying to defend the green party policy-making process as ‘superior’ to that new open-access-to-all-debate policy-development of the internet party..?
..are you..?
..(imagine the loss of ‘control’..eh..?..that wouldn’t do..eh..?..)
“..That’s not what is being recommended…”
..isn’t that what viper has been arguing against..?
No, I’m not doing that, stop making shit up. How about you answer my pretty straightforwward and easy to understand questions?
what questions..?
..and how about you tell me.us how close my description of policy-making in the greens is..
..and how accurate my call on the lack of pro-abortion-unanimity in the party..?
Questions in my comment that you just replied to http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07062014/#comment-827132
ok..an email may be sent to ask for feedback..
..but who really bothers to reply….?
..once again..u need to make a comparison with what/how the internet prty is doing it..
..now answer mine..
I asked two questions. The first you don’t know the answer to, so I assume the second one you didn’t reply to you also don’t know the answer to. So why should we take your word on how the GP policy development process works or doesn’t work?
I don’t know enough about the IP process. I’ve read a bit online about it, and it looks interesting. I’m also interested to see over time how the power actually plays out (I don’t think this is visible at this point).
I’m in no way interested in having a pissing contest with you about who is the better party. I find both parties’ processes interesting and I think they each reflect their membership, place in parliament, and their kaupapa.
Jan Logie is very beautiful and has the most soothing voice in parliament. I have her looped on my ipod in case I need to calm people down in a civil emergency.
I would never have recognised her from that photo.
I’ve heard her speak at a few events, she’s just utterly lovely.
whoar..!
“..California Weed Industry Worth $31 Billion Per Year..”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/04/california-weed-industry-31-billion_n_5447659.html
And that’s just Snoop’s share.
David’s latest attempt of a go at Stuart Nash is here:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/06/labour_candidate_seeking_a_poor_person.html
He’ll probably change it but you’d think if he paused for a second before rushing to post he’d have cropped the image. Based on the data currently shown in the image and less than a two minute search on google and facebook it looks like a staff member in Chris Tremain’s office most likely took the screenshot to pass on to kiwiblog. Just another example of how closely tied National and David are.
I assume it’s been cropped now … but really, the story is “Local politician uses Facebook to reach a wide audience”? Seriously? How shocking!
No no no Farrar’s story is “Local politician uses Facebook to reach a wide audience which proves he’s out of touch because, you know, communicating via the internet is… um… what?……”
Anyway the fucking idiot cropped the picture on the page but left the original online because, um, moron: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/SN-FB-Poverty-Story.png
ps it seems that the staffer so carelessly exposed by Farrar is being targeted by facebook adverts as a bible-thumper who’s looking for some elitist love action…
pps Chris Tremain in a bowtie looks a lot like Ron from Party Down.
Except Ron probably doesn’t have an 18 property rental portfolio.
True. Has anyone ever seen Chris Tremain in the same room as the MP for Wakatipu South?
http://youtu.be/rnUJi1qjZrU
File’s not available now. Be nice if it cost be hosted somewhere so we can see exactly what it is that David doesn’t want us to know.
Looks like someone has uploaded it here: http://oi61.tinypic.com/6pylxi.jpg
Trevor Mallard knows he will lose to National’s Chris Bishop and has announced that he will not stand in Hutt South.
Actually funny, well done.
Ever hopeful. He had a 4000+ majority last time. Perhaps you should read numbers…
john key stood on the plank that it was Nationals “TURN”. well he has had his turn so he should just resign now!
And Stuff are kindly informing us that our High Commissioner to Niue has a second job perhaps??
“High Commissioner to Niue Mark Blumsky …… Blumsky and his wife have become significant players on the island, running five companies, mainly in tourism. ”
I wonder if we are paying him as well.
CLIMATE CHANGE!
Social Welfare or just the same corrupt old greedy corporate welfare?
“Almost 140 jobs are to be axed at Solid Energy’s Stockton mine, the company announced today.”
Whatever happened to the $140 million of tax payers money gifted and loaned to Solid Energy purportedly to be to save jobs. And spouted as by both National and Labour apologists as the reason for the bailout?
For this much tax payers dosh not one single job should have been lost at Solid Energy.
This exposes this dirty planet damaging bailout for what it really is, corporate welfare for the plutocrats of the fossil fuel industry. The fate of the workers are of no concern of the Labour and National Party supporters of this deal at all, risking workers health and safety and mercilessly letting the coal barons dump them whenever they see fit, to keep this dying industry staggering on. Wrecking the planet by keeping the banksters in the readys is much more important than workers jobs.
For this sort of money thousands of permanent well paying jobs could have been created by funding projects like THIS!
Maybe the Green Party’s Gareth Hughes was right all along and that money should have been used to fund a just transition for these workers to jobs that don’t fry the planet.
Where is the accountability?
Why aren’t the Labour and National supporters of the bailout jumping up and down demanding some answers?
Or are they too busy in the committee rooms of parliament forelock tugging to the fossil fuel lobbyists?
And by the way where is Greg Presland’s AKA mickysavage’s long promised post on the Solid Energy bail out that he said that he was working on?
Will Jenny get banned again for asking such questions?
As I accurately predicted Greg Presland would never finish working on his post and if he did ever finish it he would not publish. Then, as now, the Centre Left Authors of The Standard when it comes to challenging the fossil fuel barons prefer to self censor.
Telling The Standard authors what to write, and then deliberately acting in a way to try and martyr yourself? Clever.
Jenny asking to have Her heart rate sped up again…
“Telling The Standard authors what to write, and then deliberately acting in a way to try and martyr yourself? Clever.”
Or we could consider it a public service 😉
lol we should be so lucky
Gee Jenny
I have written 18 posts this year that mention climate change. The Solid energy bail out is a shifting subject that requires more time and head space that I have currently. Strange that you equate one incomplete post with some sort of conspiracy to hide the consequences of climate change.
Having seen a few of Jenny’s comments on the standard, I don’t find it at all strange.
Greg you can write all the posts you like about climate change, but if you refuse to address doing something about it…..
….or even support policies that make it worse. Then you are guilty of the worst form of hypocrisy.
The reason you cannot write about the Solid Energy bail out, and find it such a shifting slippery subject is because by doing so, you would have to take a stand. One way, or the other. There is no escaping it. Better to keep your silence. On the subject of taking a stand on climate change, silence has been Labour’s fall back policy.
David Shearer was a master at it, never missing an opportunity to refuse to address the issue.
I hoped better of David Cunliffe, (and still do).
Climate change is the worst calamity that humanity has ever faced.
It screams out for us to take action to halt it, or at the very least not make it worse.
David Cunliffe in his famous Dolphin and Dole queue speech, before he became leader and went all mysteriously silent, said this:
In my opinion David Cunliffe was more of a leader before he attained the title.
National and Labour on climate change
National are the open partizan supporters of big business, including the polluters, and they make no bones about it. National are beyond the pale. National will never do anything about climate change. In fact National openly promote policies, that will make climate change worse, policies like new coal mines, deep sea oil drilling and fracking, pouring $billions into new motorways while starving public transport of funds, supporting and sustaining the fossil fuel industries with tax payer subsidies and bail outs. National openly support these policies and even boast of them. In this National are representative of how generally conservative governments around the globe ignore the problem of climate change.
Labour are different, like National Labour also support digging new coal mines, subsidising the polluters, drilling for deep sea oil, fracking and all the other extreme non-conventional fossil fuel technologies that will exacerbate climate change. The only difference you like to keep silent about it.
Shane Jones was one of the few Labour MPs who was open and unashamed about Labour’s support for the fossil fuel industry. That is why people in Labour were always telling him to shut up. Every time Shane Jones opened his mouth Left voters flocked to the Green Party.
The fact is Labour are extremely close to National on carrying on the policies that will make our children’s world unrecognisable to us, that you could have trouble putting a cigarette paper between you both.
Don’t take my word for it, listen to what your Deputy Leader David Parker has to say on the matter:
The above is why you keep your silence over the Solid Energy bailout, or deep sea oil drilling or the cancelation of Hauaura Ma Raki, or the betrayal of the Maduro Declaration.
Monbiot calls people like you fifth level climate deniers, those who admit to the problem and even write treatises detailing its advance, but abjectly refuse to demand action on it even when they are in a position to do so.
I call you climate change ignorers.
80% of the population are opposed to deep sea oil drilling.
Greg you want to know why Labour’s support is so low in opinion polls?
Labour’s ignoring of the overwhelming popular opposition to deep sea oil is symptomatic of Labour’s refusal to take a stand on anything, including Greg your own refusal to take a stand on the bail out of Solid Energy.
If Labour had taken a stand against the bail out of Solid Energy this would have created a frisson, a point of difference between Labour and National. People would have said maybe Labour are right and this huge amount of money, would, as Gareth Hughes pointed out at the time, be better spent on paying for; “A Just Transition” for the coal workers “to jobs that don’t fry the planet.”
And when as now the bail out has proved to be abject failure in saving workers jobs, you would have had something to say on the matter, and people would say yes the government was wrong and Labour were right all along.
Rare photo of the Labour Shadow Cabinet meeting in camera to discuss climate change
We have too long maintained a silence that closely resembles stupidity.
Try reading the Standard policy on self martyrdom, Jenny.
I am well aware karol of The Standard’s policy of censorship, self censorship, and resort to Godwin’s Law. All of which Lynn likes to refer to as “robust debate”.
What this really tells me karol is that not one of the Centre Left authors at The Standard can muster any moral or logical justification for the bail out of Solid Energy, which is the topic of discussion here. And though you are unable to defend the National Government’s bail out of Solid Energy, none of you have the guts to condemn it either.
The latest lay offs at Solid Energy tore the last shred of the veil of the excuse used by National that the bail out was to save jobs.
And while we are talking about The Standard’s self imposed silence over this act of corporate welfare in the commission of this climate crime.
I have not heard one peep from any of you about the cancelation of Hauauru Ma Raki, near Huntly which would have allowed us to close down the Huntly coal fired power station.
Nor have I ever heard one of you even whisper the words “Majuro Declaration” the treaty which John Key signed with the Island Nations in which we agreed to endeavor to cut down on our CO2 emissions, but which he completely ignored just three weeks after his return from the Marshall Islands Pacific Forum Conference on Climate Change, bailing out Solid Energy to the tune of $155 million, a direct violation of this treaty and a racist slap in the face to the Marshallese and all the other low lying front line Island States directly suffering the consequences of near runaway climate change.
You may call this telling The Standard authors what to write karol, but when it comes to climate change, I don’t need to tell you what to write, you already know what to write, and what not to write.
As the saying goes; evil triumphs when good people stay silent, and what greater evil can there be than being complicit with your silence in condemning future innocent generations to having to live with a severely degraded and damaged bio-sphere.
Just don’t let any commenter point out your blind spot, eh karol, instead resort to threatening to shut then down, or compare them to Joseph Goebbels. Mature, really mature. Yeah right.
[lprent: Yeah right. I suspect that she was just being kind and warning you about my attitudes about demanding authors do anything except what they want to. But hey, try playing the victim. I really just don’t care.
I will just increase the martyrdom since you seem hell bent to crucify yourself. Or you could just argue your case without demanding that everyone (especially authors) has to follow the prescriptions of your obsessions. By all means proceed to Calvary. I don’t think that it will help you cause as much as discussing why you think that there is an issue, suffering the disagreements, and learning how to respond coherently. ]
You do know that there is a general election on in 100 days, right?
There is?
Are you suggesting that I should join you in not mentioning climate change in case I upset the results?
While we are talking, what are the big election issues anyway?
Can you tell me?
I think I did see Steven Joyce wittering away on TV saying something about promising to fund some millionaires yacht race. Is this one of the issues that this election you speak of will be fought over? Yawn.
And I hear that Labour was promising to build a few new $300,000 completely unaffordable to low income earners “affordable” homes. Inspiring stuff? not.
Are there any other election issues you think I should know about CV?
If there is please let me know.
Maybe I was just obsessing just too much about climate change, only the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced.
I would rush out right now and enroll. Or maybe not, the debt collectors will find out where I live.
My compassion today is with the workers and their families who lost their jobs.
Your head is in the clouds.
Theirs is at the supermarket counter every week, counting out dollar coins.
Your “compassion” is worthless and therefore insincere.
Ab what do you think we should actually do about preventing this sort of thing ?
Do you think that the $155 million from the taxpayer bail out to keep Solid Energy afloat, that has wound up in the banksters pockets would have been better paid to the workers to provide “a Just Transition to jobs that don’t fry the planet”?
Be aware Ab that the coal mining industry is a dying industry, it is slowly but surely going the way of the asbestos mining industry. The current position of these dumped coal workers is the future of all coal workers and their families, unless we do something now.
And yours, by denying the reality and urgency of climate change is in a much more uncomfortable and darker place.
Cunliffe compelling and on fire at the list conference.
Worth being here just for that.
Is there any video, or transcript available?
The plight of women in India
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/womanifesto_modi_loc/?bSQzacb&v=40690
Lynn, can you please fix the stripping of numbered lists inside comments?
For some time now (6+ months) if you make a numbered list in a comment, the numbers are stripped out. For example:
One
Two
Three
The same list as above, after editing to restore the numbered list:
1. One
2. Two
3. Three
You can edit the comment and put the numbers back in and they stay, but if you go to edit it again after that they have been replaced by p and li html tags, and saving that 2nd edit will again strip the numbers. It’s very frustrating.
+1 very annoying.
As a workaround I’ve been using 1: 2: 3: or 1) 2) 3) or a. b. c. etc
OK. I am spending time at the northern labour list conference most of this weekend.
It’s especially annoying when cut and pasting from elsewhere eg party policy. It strips out the list numbers AND the spaces so it all ends up one paragraph.
I tried writing a single number the other day and it changed into a listed number.
btw, the day that I got a message saying I didn’t have permission to edit my post I was trying to do pretty much what Lanth described, but I was on the second or third edit.
On the subject of editing, it would be nice if the timer could be extended to, say, 10 minutes.
That one is easy… Done. That is a pretty long time.
Ok, I just typed that in with just the numbers and it (correctly) changed it to an ordered list with ol + li’s
What have you been doing?
So, I couldn’t just type in the numbers, I had to use the ol code.
Oh, and then the numbers disappeared when I edited and added a comment.
Was that typed in as
[number][dot][space][text]
[number][dot][space][text]
etc…
First time I just typed with the numbers (I don’t get WYSIWYG ready made codes. I edited it by highlighting and adding the ol code.
When I went back to edit again, the ol code was still there but with an il code added magically. I added a comment and updated, but found the numbers and codes had disappeared.
line
test
Test after removing the KSES extender.
testing
this line
What do we get?
Ok, after adding ol/ul/li to KSES
Lets see..
Now lets try as someone not logged in
test
this line
now
save and then edit
Damn… The edit kills the ol/li. Need a preprocess loader for that. But what filter name?
Testing with a more direct approach for the theme
Now what do we get
And after editing?
We are still ok. Try that folks…
Yes! Worked without me adding any codes. but i see the codes are there when I go to edit. now, will hit “update”
edited fine – on firefox.
Ok AncientGeek gets the effect. Looks like there is some privileged code for the admin. Explains why I have never seen it myself.
Looks like some kind of KSES effect. Maybe firefox?
This is a test on chrome as someone not logged in
test
line
Ok not firefox
testagain
for another line
From editor?
Ok, the editor was happy to add ol/li. Now what happens if I save again.
Cute. It strips the ol/li after saving. Has a bit of a sequencing issue. But the problem appears to be filtering out the ol/ul/li
text
text
trying that
This is a test of just adding the list in
Ok..
That is weird. Works well for me. Trying as AncientGeek
Try it now. I added them into the KSES table for
ol allows start and type
ul allows type
li allows align and value
Let me know if there are others that you’d like and I’ll see if I like them too.
Editing converts it into ol and li tags, lets see if it survives the save…
Yay, it’s fixed! Thanks Lynn!
Not too much of a problem. Biggest problem was simply being able to see it – couldn’t see it when I was the admin.
maybe take 10 mins to watch this … latest video from Internet Party with Key and Obama look-alikes … how to wake young, sleeping voters ! humour, wit and accessibility … I love it …
What fun. Kim seems so natural in front of the camera. And John Key is so true to life. And where did they get such a good Obama? Wow!
He does quite a bit of Obama work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Brown_(impersonator)
Mind you, I’m not so sure about the actor playing Key. The kind of caricatured less-than-subtle ham-acting all too typical of local (ie Kiwi) attempts at comedy/satire. Like an end-of-the-Pier Panto at a fading British Seaside Resort.
Less is more. Obvious desperation to be funny is desperately unfunny.
Yeah – I thought the Obama was true-to-life but the “John Key” seemed to me to have more than a touch of the Colin Craig about him …. that intense, gaunt look of desperation, maybe ?
The John Key impersonator started out doing monologues to the screen, which were pretty good.
KDC got in on the act (and Jono and Ben at 10, no doubt others as well) and get him to do acting in these skits, which he’s really not up to.
Meant to say Yeshe – thanks for putting up this link. This video is hugely funny. Wonder how many more they’ll come up with during the election campaign.
Another good must-see documentary starting on the rounds.
New Climate Film – Screening Opportunities
2 Degrees is probably the definitive climate film of 2014. A riveting political thriller set against the backdrop of the UN climate negotiations, the award winning documentary is an emotional ride from the despair of the bureaucratic process to the thrill of tapping into the transformative momentum of people power. Climate justice is a key theme.
As the world waits in hope for a new dawn on climate change it becomes chillingly clear that we cannot wait for governments to lead the way. So if commitment to act won’t come from above, perhaps the voices and actions of communities will bring the revolution that is needed… 2 Degrees takes to the streets of a small Australian town, and follows the passionate efforts to replace the coal fired power stations with solar thermal power. The formidable, 80 year old mayor of the town leads the charge, and fiery youth walk over 300km to take their message to parliament.
This film is about to be launched throughout Aotearoa. There is an opportunity for community groups/individuals to host a screening/premiere. Nelson-based co-producer Ange Palmer will be available to attend some screenings. She is an engaging, moving speaker and will share some of her experiences of the film making process, discuss the Eradicating Ecocide campaign and offer insight into how we can respond effectively to the challenges of this time with clarity and strength.
A good film provides a path for understanding and provokes dialogue. You can use the event to raise funds for your group, raise your profile, enlist new members and educate your community.
Tour schedule is being arranged NOW. Please get in early.
Contact angepalmer@gtfilms.com.au 03 5530353/ 0211450334 for details. Online preview available.
2 Degrees was shot in 15 countries.
See http://www.2degreesmovie.com
+100%, thx for link.
Who is more repulsive – Martin Indyk or John Banks. Discuss.
Discuss??? any other orders you would also like us all to take note of while you are here your highness…
Banks is finished. Indyk’s significantly more dangerous.
Don’t you just love capitalists and their attempts to oppress everyone else?
The gummint has found some other body they can tax than the rich. Making extra money from the activities needed to repair leaky buildings would seem to be putting the boot in.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11269391
In revenue terms there would normally be little point in registration. Virtually all the costs bodies corporate incur and levy their members to cover would include GST, generating an input tax deduction to offset the GST on levies. Why impose the compliance cost?
But the situation changes with leaky buildings.
Where a body corporate receives a compensation payment and uses it to finance remedial work (the hefty bills for which include GST), if it is registered it is able to claim back the GST. Robin Oliver of tax consultants OliverShaw, a former deputy commissioner of Inland Revenue in charge of tax policy, said that was the right outcome.
The Government has already received GST when the original faulty work was done. If the repair work was done by the original builders it would not get a second bite of the cherry, whereas under the IRD’s traditional position, which the Government now intends to legalise, it does. That is double taxation and confiscation, Oliver said.
English needs his surplus…
into each…onto each life a little poop must fall
LOL @ your highness.
Tough guys.
/
http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/issues/more/item/5343-%E2%80%9Cthe-nhs-will-be-shown-no-mercy-says-cameron-health-adviser
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/04/coalition-attacks-nhs-return-britain-age-workhouse
Was that tough, guys? Or tough guys? Or both. See link – coalition attacks nhs – in joe 90s comment. And think this is about the country that many of our forebears tried to escape, yet now we are following their slide and decline into miserable class distinction and preference.
In his book, Harry’s Last Stand, Harry Smith 91, says about the National Health Service first set up when Britain was on its knees after WW2 in 1948, now being majorly dismantled:
The creation of the NHS made us understand that we were in truth our brother’s keeper, and that taxation benefits everyone through maintaining not just our roads and sewers but the health of our children, workers and elderly.
To me, the introduction of free health care was the first brick laid on the road to the social welfare state. So it has always been difficult for me to listen to politicians, proud possessors of health insurance and shares in private health care companies, when they talk about how the health service that we fought so hard to build must change. The coalition government’s Health and Social Care Act will create a two-tier health care system. This act will see the NHS stripped down like a derelict house is by criminals for copper wiring.
Ukip has even proposed that A&E patients should have the right to buy their way to the front of the queue,
kinda gob-smacked over this avoiding putin at ww2 ceremonies..
..when the russian people gave the biggest sacrifice in that war..
..and without russia..germany/japan wd have likely won that war..
..the debt owed russia/the russian people is huge…
..(this is why that inbred royal in britain comparing him to hitler..given how russia saved their sorry arses from hitler..
..is..i reckon..beyond fucken contempt..)
Only if you choose to ignore the original intention of uncle Joe and his mate Adolph to roll over Europe and divvy the spoils.
why..”
…how does that detract at all from the actual sacrifices made/those loss-realities..?
Did anyone watch the IP candidate live stream today? Or go to the meeting?
Google News is pointing to this TVNZ link at the mo (quick summary):
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/kim-dotcom-eyes-seat-in-parliament-5994563
It was on 3 News tonight too. I needed to take a breath and consider. I was actually hoping that KDC would step back from the IP, and leave it to others. I am not keen on KDC becoming an NZ MP.
Maybe I’ll just leave this til after the election.
I can understand those sentiments.
I am not really gullible and can be very cynical but having said that, I get a sense that his recent experience might have changed him in some ways.
In any case, the IP might be a case of wait-and-see plus too-early-to-tell. It is attracting a lot of attention and support, or at least expressions of support, from some interesting quarters – young adult children of staunch Tory parents (ha ha) from the relatively small sample size of half a dozen Nat families that I hang out with.
KDC looks to me like someone who wants money and power. Kind of the mirror image of John key. Right now he is useful to the left, re challenging Key, and encouraging more younger people to vote. But after that, in the medium to long term, I have my concerns about KDC.
Yeah, while I really appreciate KDC’s ability to voice some very important messages to New Zealanders, I am also starting to have similar concerns.
So we already know that he really likes money.
As for power – what has happened to him in the last couple of years has caused him to reconsider what is truly important in this world and has politicised him.
I’ll tell you what I like about KDC – he has not ‘born to rule’ attitude or air about him.
I think it was utterly overplayed on 3 News. KDC was obviously asked “Would you want to stand as an MP?” and said “Sure, but obviously I can’t right now, maybe next time.” This was depicted as “KDC overshadows everyone by declaring he wants to be an MP!!!” when it was a very lighthearted comment.
Laila Harre was also painted as “defensive” just because she told Brook Sabin to stop trying to make her say IMP wants Labour to do a deal in Te Tai Tokerau.
WOW! 180 comments here today.
I guess this would be a good place to bury this …
Question: which party “at the very least is more popular than Trevor Mallard”?
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=188133&fm=newsmain%2Cnrhl
Haahhh
I can’t believe he got less than Colin Craig.