Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, greedy.
Power companies.
Power prices are an ongoing worry for many people, who hold back heating their homes in a bid to cut down on the power bill, a survey shows.
Figures from a new Consumer NZ survey showed 38 per cent of people said their homes were not as warm as they would like because they were restricting their energy use to keep bills down.
Asked how much they tried to cut their power bill, 16 per cent said not at all, 29 per cent said sometimes, 41 per cent said all the time and 14 per cent of people were neutral.
Those living in a rented home were more likely to turn down the heat, with 43 per cent of renters cutting back on heating because of costs.
That compares with 33 per cent who own their homes and cut heating to save.
Grey Power Auckland president Anne-Marie Coury said a lot of those choosing not to turn the heater on because of high costs were pensioners.
“In Auckland, 51 per cent that are entitled to national Super … have no other income. So if their rates go up … what do they cut back on? Food and electricity.”.
Yesterday afternoon I had to drop something off to an old fella at his council flat, he came to the door dressed in jacket & big wooly hat that covered his ears like he was in Antarctica! I asked if he was alright warm enough etc? He said ‘all good mate, you have a good day’.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, greedy.
Landlords and real estate companies that manage rentals.
A family who huddle together in one room of their freezing mould-ridden rental to keep warm say they are fed up and scared for their health.
Seth Lougheed, and partner Amy, say their Tokoroa rental is so cold and damp that their three-month-old baby’s lips and hands turn blue.
“We are scared for our baby’s sake, she is getting colds non-stop and I have got letters from my doctor and Plunket nurse because they are worried,” Amy, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, said.electricity.”
Despite paying $240 a week for their three bedroom home the couple say they can only use their tiny lounge, dining and kitchen area because the rest of the house is uninhabitable.
That’s because substantial black mould seeps through the walls and carpet of the bedrooms. The place is also freezing despite a fire going constantly.
The majority of windows and doors also don’t shut properly, the floor under the bath is soft, the wooden deck is rotten, the back garden floods, they had to install their own smoke alarms, the heat pump is out-of-order, and the roof panel above the fire recently collapsed, they claim. The list goes on.
Amy said while they have repeatedly complained to Ray White Real Estate Tokoroa, which manages the property, little has been done to remedy the problems.
“We told the property manager six months ago about the mould and were told just to wipe it off but it’s not getting rid of the spores so it just keeps coming back,” she said.
Despite paying $240 a week for their three bedroom home the couple say they can only use their tiny lounge, dining and kitchen area because the rest of the house is uninhabitable.
We’ve been in this situation too; in fact I suspect a lot of New Zealanders shut down part of their house in winter because they cannot afford to heat it all.
And this is largely due to a building industry that for generations has been overpriced and under-performing. In my opinion about three-quarters of kiwi houses need renovating with a bulldozer.
When we came to NZ we were told winter here is an indoor experience as much as it is an outdoor one. We have had wind coming from the floor as it was not insulated just like the rest of the house; there was no heating source so we had to use a portable gas heater and oil heaters at night; you can imagine the wet windows in the morning and the fight to wipe them. No amount of open windows during the day can prevent the condensation that comes at night. It pushed us to do everything we could to be out of there and into our own house, which we did exactly a year after we moved into it. But we are privileged to be able to do that and it makes me so angry there are no regulations when it comes to rentals. If landlords cannot afford to provide a decent standard of living for their tenants they should not be landlords.
There are two types of rentals; purpose built new apartments and townhouses which are generally ok. It’s not often appreciated but historically something in the order of 10-15% of all new builds are intended as rental investments. Generally these units will be pretty good; the landlord has put in solid money upfront and wants to keep them for decades for their rental income, not their speculative capital gain.
But historically the bulk of rentals are ordinary homes that are in the last 25% of their economic life … and no-one wants them as their ‘dream home’ anymore. These are the problem houses; either an energetic owner will renovate them in the hope that the capital gain will cover the considerable costs OR a landlord will just leave them to slowly depreciate and decay while the rental income makes a modest cash flow.
A lot depends on the location and the long term plans of the landlord. Bear in mind that a decent reno on a run-down older house may well cost > $50k and with a rental income of only $15k pa or less, plus rates, insurance, interest and other costs … if there is no capital gain it absolutely makes no commercial sense to upgrade. You can spend a lot of money doing up a rental, and the income barely changes. The tenant gets all the benefits of warmer house and lower power bills, the landlord gets nothing except maybe an improved occupancy rate.
The core problem here is a lot of mis-aligned market signals.
Bear in mind that a decent reno on a run-down older house may well cost > $50k
My landlord is presently renovating this house and has budgeted $80k to do it. Now that he’s started he’s concerned that he hasn’t budgeted enough.
The place is ~40 years old, it’s not in bad condition but it’s the not the best either. The landlord does, as a matter of fact, live here as well (I rent a room).
The core problem here is a lot of mis-aligned market signals.
Actually, the core problem is that the market doesn’t really work in housing.
Andrew Little has fallen into the same trap as Bennett by referring to the need to increase the number of “beds” for the homeless. How patronising is that? Guess it’s to be expected though, from the party for the workers – meaning those with jobs, that is.
small difference between Paula (Has got her benefits) Bennett and Andrew Little.
The National MP of Do Nothing Paula B. wants to spend more money on existing beds not increase the number of emergency beds available.
Andrew Little wants to increase the Number of emergency beds/housing as there is currently and prolly for a few years coming a need.
Safe your concern for the National Party and their Do Nothing Minister of Fuck UPs.
That’s because substantial black mould seeps through the walls and carpet of the bedrooms.
The majority of windows and doors also don’t shut properly, the floor under the bath is soft, the wooden deck is rotten…
I kinda realised that aspect a couple of years ago when the WOF for rental properties was first mooted. The idea would be to progressively work through them.
“This is a case, Hillary Clinton, that cries out for presentation to a grand jury. Political appointees including Jim Comey and Loretta Lynch should not be making this decision.”
“Now what we have is a country that doesn’t believe in the system anymore. This case should have gone to a grand jury. Ordinary Americans should have heard this case. You’ve got political appointees like Jim Comey, Loretta Lynch, and someone who was beneath Loretta Lynch who is also a political appointee making this decision, reeks of favoritism.”
Judge Pirro then lays the timeline out and very bluntly asks everyone to put the pieces together.
“One day you’ve got Bill Clinton meeting with Loretta Lynch, the next day you’ve got Hillary Clinton meeting with the FBI, and then after that you’ve got Hillary Clinton campaigning with the president after she says ‘I would consider Loretta Lynch as my Attorney General’, folks put the pieces together.”
Donald Trump says it more simply – under his presidency, Loretta Lynch would be out of a job. But Clinton can promise her additional terms in office if she won the presidency.
“It’s a bribe! I mean the Attorney General is sitting there saying ‘you know if I get Hillary off the hook, I’m gonna have four more years, or eight more years, but if she loses I’m out of a job'”
In my opinion, born from principle and common decency, that you support a racist, misogynist, billionaire one percenter invalidates you from giving me shit over just about anything.
To me, your opinion is as valid as nf, kkk rednecks.
I’m underwhelmed. lol
Anyway, I’m under orders from Bill, now.
As you’re untouchable, you’ll be all right to carry on by yourself until the coast clears and the dust settles. lol
When you say “serious political comment” you mean join you on a daily basis in rabbiting on about neolibs, Trump, Putin, RT links, Labour are shit and we’re all going die from the radiation.
It’d take a heavy hammer and a willing head smacker first.
Punching out now, so make sure the cheque is in the post, ta.
Be led like a lamb to the slaughter, if you wish. After all the farmer has fed you without fail every day, how could he be wishing anything bad for you? To question otherwise is to be a “conspiracy theorist.”
I’ve got no time for the FBI but it’s not as simple as: An Obama political appointment so he does was the president wants.
Here’s the wiki short version on James Comey:
James Brien Comey, Jr. (born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer. He is the seventh and current Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He was the United States Deputy Attorney General, serving in President George W. Bush’s administration. As Deputy Attorney General, Comey was the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and ran the day-to-day operations of the Department, serving in that office from December 2003 through August 2005. He was U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York prior to becoming Deputy Attorney General.
What an odd piece by Trevett in the Herald about Andrew Little. A complete load of rubbish, cliched writing. And, predictably, it’s been turned into a hatchet job on the Labour leader.
There were two pieces. One headlined ‘The Man who would be King’ which is a story about inflated egos seeking glory but failing.
The other was referenced the Labour housing statements as a ‘Crusade’ which is a futile and divisive part of history still playing out on the world stage.
Both suggested the datedness and futility of Labour policy and the articles themselves only explored the policy and leadership ambitions as it relates to government policy and the leader of the government, not touching on the people for which the policy aim to help. She seeked to consolidate and defend the fragmented and reluctant govt policy and present it as worthwhile but over a longer timeframe.
She really is the stuff floating on the surface of stagnant government thought.
“Andrew Little: Is it not the truth that he has taken no action to stop the sale of our productive land into overseas ownership and that his pledge to ensure that we will not become tenants in our own land is just more hollow words from a hollow man?
Hon Steven Joyce: Angry Andrew.
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well, he is angry because he has had to wait a wee while to ask his question. But I stand by my record”
******************************************
“Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Government’s response in housing has been quite comprehensive”
********************************************
“Andrew Little: Does he agree with Nick Smith that the costs of modern insulation and heating standards are not worth the benefits, given that the benefits are preventing Kiwi kids from getting sick and from dying?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I agree with Nick Smith in the context of the statements he would have been making. ”
**********************************************
“Andrew Little: How proud is the Prime Minister of the company he is now keeping when the Panama Papers lump New Zealand in with such auspicious company as Belize, the Seychelles, and Costa Rica in the list of 21 tax havens?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think New Zealand can stand quite proudly on the regime that it runs here”
************************************************
“Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can he stand by his statements yesterday that New Zealand “is not a tax haven” and that we “also have an extensive disclosure regime”, when specialist law firms on trusts for foreigners point out there is no need for disclosure of identity, or trust registration, or for any such trust accounts to be audited?
Starting with the slightly sneering reference to “crusade” in the headline, travelling on down to suggestion by default of a practical and moral equivalence in the parties’ respective positions, and the ever-present fascination with the ‘game’ of it all.
What a John Key botty muncher is Deputy Trev’ ! Fukn unbelievable !
And what of the vox pop they’ve had up on Herald online – what are people saying about Andrew Little ? No context, no analysis, no reporting of numbers or percentages. Just out-of-the-blue, “Ya like him, or no ?
Love it where Fran says it is a pretty crap society that pulls the housing ladder up on the young and less well-off to preserve their unearned wealth. Well said indeed.
Yep the easiest thing is to stop reading the herald. I try just to look about once a month just in case there has been some editorial change to act like a newspaper not a propaganda advertorial for Natz and friends.
As for Little he’s doing the best job he can and has united the caucus and he seems really honest. So a good contrast to Key the liar.
The only thing I am concerned about is that Labour seem to be deciding to have some sort of rah rah housing policy coming out, and that will be falling into the Natz and MSM hands.
In times of bad news, notice Key disappears, off to Fiji, Hawaii or whathaveyou. But Labour feel compelled to be in the spot light at that time so are then appearing whenever there is bad news.
There is no knight in shining armour for housing in Auckland and New Zealand. What ever is done is gonna piss a lot of people off, either the 1 in 4 migrants in Auckland, the 67% homeowners or the renters many of whom did seem to want to vote Labour or Greens last election in spite of seemingly housing policy gains for them.
There is no possible way to look good on housing and please everyone. You are more likely to displease everyone. So the best thing is to leave the Natz alone in the spotlight to face the housing crisis alone. They choreographed the situation and now it is their time to face the music (by themselves).
Don’t make any announcements Labour/Greens! Just sit tight on housing announcements and let the swords fall and MSM talons, on who deserve it. The Natz.
Labour/Greens can fix up housing when they are elected and not let that be the downfall like last election.
Wouldn’t normally link to the horrendous old Daily Telegraph … but … Defeated Labour Rebels admit ‘it’s finished’, as Jeremy Corbyn refuses to Resign as Leader
Corbyn may look like the runty guy who gets sand kicked in his face all the way down the beach, but clearly he has stones of steel. The rebel MP’s bet that the Members would not rise sufficiently to his defence.
They bet wrong.
Corbyn has won the people, and with that, can happily knife all the PLP Rebels as quickly or as slowly as he likes, and install his own in to the shadow Cabinet. A major payback for enduring the crap.
I haven’t always warmed to him personally, but I respect a well-played political defence.
Very happy with the broad direction Corbyn and McDonnell have set out for the Party … but I’m by no means entirely uncritical of aspects of his leadership.
The core problem now is that (unsurprisingly) polls suggest an overwhelming majority of voters (including around half of Labour voters) see the Party as deeply divided and, partly as a consequence, they see Corbyn as a less than capable and competent Leader. “If they can’t run their own Party, how can they run the Country” etc
There’s almost an element of blackmail here … PLP gross disloyalty undermines the leadership team and destroys confidence in Labour as a viable alternative Govt … potentially leading to ever poorer poll ratings and the prospect of Corbyn becoming a lame duck leader.
Owen Jones recently suggested the Corbyn team’s plan was to nurture a Left-leaning successor to take over the leadership a couple of year’s before the 2020 Election (assuming it isn’t earlier). I’d almost be prepared to accept a Corbyn compromise with the PLP by making their favoured candidate -the Soft Left’s Owen Smith – that successor. (the PLP are well aware that the membership will never accept anyone from the Centre or Right of the Party, so have reluctantly opted for Smith).
Except, the Brownites and Blairites play hardball – they’re interested in exerting as much control over Smith as possible (like they tried to do with Miliband – leading to a great deal of policy ambiguity in the lead-up to the 2015 Election) and they clearly want to inflict a historic defeat on the Left of the Party. As Tony Blair once implied – the last thing they want to see is a popular electable Left-leaning Leader.
Blair has been immolated by the Chilcott report, but it’s no time for Corbyn to be cocky.
2020 is one helluva long time to survive in an office where 2/3 of your ‘colleagues’ utterly loathe you and will slit your hamstrings every time you move.
Can Corbyn ‘smile, and murder while I smile’? Not yet.
Politics is, as he is figuring very very late, a whole bunch more than speechifying and apologies.
What evidence do you have that he’s only figuring that out now? He’s very long in the tooth politically. Your suggestion seems utterly bizarre to me. More likely he knew that he was always going to face an enormous amount of adversity, and there was no course of action he could choose that would not result in at least one major stand-off.
I’ll leave that judgement for six months and look back.
But so far Corbyn:
– hasn’t unified the MPs he has to work with
– hasn’t unified the MPs to the Members
– hasn’t made a mark against the Conservatives
– hasn’t won anything
– hasn’t raised any money of note
– hasn’t got a functioning shadow Cabinet
– hasn’t convinced the only mildly leftie paper the Guardian
– was on the wrong side of the Brexit vote and doesn’t have a plan for it
(He definitely has got more ordinary members. But this isn’t an episode of Robin Hood.)
Now, it’s quite possible this set of failures is all part of some astonishing masterplan that you can impute for him. Go for it. To me that list of failures signifies a poor political leader. (There were plenty here who thought Sanders was going to win as well, simply through arm waving and tent revival meetings. They were wrong)
– hasn’t unified the MPs he has to work with
– hasn’t unified the MPs to the Members
He needs to eliminate several dozen of the disloyal MPs from the party, particularly the ones who clearly don’t understand that Blairite careerism isn’t what the Labour Party stands for any more.
Trying to make nice with them would be the same fatal mistake that Cunliffe made.
– hasn’t convinced the only mildly leftie paper the Guardian
Why would he want to do that? The Guardian can’t swing an election for him, and they have been against him from the start.
Ignore The Guardian and make the news on your on terms.
Well, on the results of ignoring them listed above, I would just urge Corbyn a little caution going down that path.
I’d love any Labour leader to be able to ignore any part of the media, MSM or otherwise. Such political romance is fun to imagine, but in reality politicians exist in ugly codependent relationships with them.
Worth remembering that politicians need the media a whole bunch more than the media need politicians.
Corbyn’s constituency don’t listen to the Guardian
Exactly. That is obvious in the fact that they elected him in the first place, let alone the fact that his support has failed to cave on the basis of the paper’s continued slant against him.
In any case, the only way to get a publication on-side when it is systemically inimical to your programme is to give up that programme. It’s the surest path to achieving almost none of your original aims, as the course of Labour and Social Democratic parties over the last few decades has shown.
I’ll leave that judgement for six months and look back.
Another bizarre statement. What, in the next six months, would be likely to indicate whether or not Corbyn had figured out prior to his leadership bid that politics is about “more than speechifying and apologies”?
But so far Corbyn:
– hasn’t unified the MPs he has to work with
This presupposes that he sees unifying Blairites with those more disposed towards following him as being desirable in any way.
– hasn’t unified the MPs to the Members
Presupposes the same thing, as well as assuming that the membership, who have signed up in swathes in the wake of his becoming leader, want a bar of the MPs who trenchantly opposed him – and vice versa.
– hasn’t made a mark against the Conservatives
This really isn’t the timeframe to be reading anything at all into that. It is also exactly that part of politics most heavily dominated by the speechifying side of things, so I don’t see how it could be seen as evidence for what you’re saying.
– hasn’t won anything
And your point is…?
– hasn’t raised any money of note
You could be right about that; do you have a link?
– hasn’t got a functioning shadow Cabinet
See above.
– hasn’t convinced the only mildly leftie paper the Guardian
The Blairites? So?
– was on the wrong side of the Brexit vote and doesn’t have a plan for it
As so often evidenced in your writing, your concept of “right” and “wrong” in politics is defined by electoral success. I think that says more about how you are reading Corbyn here than anything else you’ve written, and chimes well with your willingness to accommodate a third-way position to the point of being indistinguishable from it. Ironically, it suggests an approach to politics that emphasises “speechifying”. Corbyn’s historical record as a Eurosceptic aside, what public actions apart from speeches were you expecting, especially during a campaign whose terms had been largely defined along xenophobic and populist lines well before the referendum was called? Surely he would be better off dealing with his own party, and articulating his plan (whether he already has one or has yet to formulate it) at the earliest when Europe makes its own position known. Given that, how can his actions at this point be seen as evidence of a lack of plan? Perhaps that is the judgment you should be reserving for at least six months.
You’ve provided quite a lot of detail, but no real evidence that Corbyn is mainly about “speechifying”, let alone that he hasn’t worked out that there’s more to politics.
I wish him well, truly, and I hope it works out.
He’s a luv.
Call me in January and we’ll have another go. See if he’s managed to tick a couple of those big problems of his off the list. Maybe then he’s got just the chance of a mote in God’s eye of surviving.
Now hold still, here’s a little illustration for you:
There’s a great line reported yesterday in Salon in the Democrat meeting where Sanders met with all Democrat Senate and Congress leaders, to come to some pre-Conference pact, and he started off his little address to them with:
“The point isn’t to win elections …”
…at which point he was universally booed by them. And he continued:
“The point is to transform America.”
And there is a really good illustration of a resolutely principled person. Who has no place being in political leadership.
The one thing that politics really, really is, is a popularity contest. Not only with your party members, not only with your elected colleagues, but also with all people, and with the media.
You really have to fall in love with democracy, and the particular set of processes that constitute it, if you are going to make it. You have to be so good at it, and you have to be good at it for years on end. That’s why I have a whole bunch more faith that Andrew LIttle and Mr Shorten have a shit-show, and people like Sanders and Corbyn and as we’ve seen many others don’t.
A go at what? I thought you were trying to show how Corbyn was a waffler who did nothing but make speeches. However, now you seem to be advocating the sort of politics that involves winning people over with soundbites and speeches that appeal to their more instinctive side.
You really have to fall in love with democracy, and the particular set of processes that constitute it […]
You’re assuming that democracy is about voting periodically for representatives whose faces you like.
The one thing that politics really, really is, is a popularity contest.
So this, essentially “success=popularity”, is a statement which the paragraph afterwards is trying to substantiate?
if you are going to make it. You have to be so good at it, and you have to be good at it for years on end. That’s why I have a whole bunch more faith that Andrew LIttle and Mr Shorten have a shit-show, and people like Sanders and Corbyn and as we’ve seen many others don’t.
Unfortunately, you beg the question by assuming that “making it” consists in achieving popularity, rather than showing how popularity gets a programme realised. Your entire paradigm is exactly the mixture of truisms (popularity wins a popular vote) and questionable assumptions masquerading as common sense (being in government enables the realisation of the principles you had when you weren’t in government) that typefy the Right in general.
The one thing that politics really, really is, is a popularity contest.
Maybe that’s what politics has become but it shouldn’t be. Politics is about decision-making, based on sound process, and executing these decisions, i.e. “getting on with it”.
The assumption underlying policy debates – their true purpose in a democracy – is to engage in a principled argument in order to reach a discernible truth. It isn’t, as we have seen more and more often, to win a short-term victory at any and all costs.
In a modern progressive pluralistic society with proportional representation in Parliament decision-making ideally and primarily should be based on reaching consensus IMO, through cooperation and consultation, because these decisions affect many if not all members of such society.
Unfortunately, partisan politics rule in New Zealand and there still is a strong FPP mentality that dictates that the ‘winner’ is the one who reaches 51% of the vote; that’s all that’s needed to ‘win’. As a side-line, I do think that neo-liberal ideology (doctrine) plays a major role in this since it encourages competition and individualism and counters moves to unification and this has resulted in an erosion of communities and community spirit and given us a society of confused fearful individuals who feel disengaged from politics and the political process and socially powerless. Rings a bell?
I’d argue that (broad) consensus makes a vote obsolete and that this also avoids the “tyranny of the majority”. A vote might only be really necessary when a stalemate has been reached, only as a last resort. An analogy would be industrial action when talks between negotiating parties have broken down. Alternatively, a vote (or poll) could be taken as a starting point rather for the political process to commence, which is the exact opposite of present practice!
I could go on about how it is impossible to base decisions on popularity alone, without the necessary confidence and trust, and as the sole basis of (political) power and authority.
strewth talk about a negative moaning bitch ad what part of the people love him dont you understand ?The people flocking to join the lp over there arent doing it because theyve been conned by the establishment theyre going there because they perceive a difference in this man and theyre gonna give him a fighting chance unlike you apparently
done.
[lprent: I can’t see any relevance of this to the post. OpenMike and I’d suggest that you might want to explain your ideas to those of us without your enhanced visions. ]
You’re not the only one sick and tired of the shit Adam.
When I’ve got people in the real world – people who know neither CV nor trp – telling me they’re way fucking over reading threads that suddenly morph into something that might have come from the ‘trade-me’ message boards or similar…
There’s an easy solution, Bill. Return the standard to its original purpose, which was, as I recall, to be an intelligent, articulate voice from the movement. This place is still broken.
The recurring message I get from anyone who brings any current state of ‘the standard’ up in conversation (not an entirely uncommon occurrence) is that it’s a far lesser place than it once was principally because of your behaviour trp.
Oh, bollocks. My posts are well read and well commented on. Like it or not, I’m not afraid to call bullshit when I see it, and I’m not going to dicky lick our resident troll. Your mileage may differ. At the moment, we’re drifting into the abyss where right wing conspiracy theories collide with worker hating petit bourgeois snobbery.
Can’t find a reply button on your comment finishing “Is the Standard a serious left wing blog?” Oh what arrogance of you to claim impeccable left-wingism ! Impeccable Labour Partyism is the highest I can put it.
So, wherever this appears let me say this……you seem to have all the fake muscles of an unmitigated bully TRP. And you CV seem never to have recovered from Twyford’s “chinese names” business. Which while your face is brazenly and spittlingly set against it is in some measure significantly true. And now you’re lurching off into fucking Trumpism……call me Mabel and fuck me gently !
You’re both egotistical, control freak pains in the arse and we’re the somewhat bored “scroll down past them” collateral damage to your ‘always gotta be right’ spats. Grow up you fucking children !
I’m sick of it, too. Having said that, even if I find a lot of CV’s writings since the last election frustratingly one-sided, especially considering the difference in that regard to his earlier contributions, they always seem to me to articulate (and generally substantiate) a point that is passionately held with a view to changing the global political discourse in the long term, and not personally directed. I would be hard pressed to say the same for all others.
The relevance of my post was the hopes and aims of the first labour government, and in particular Peter Fraser. Also that in the early days of the labour movement poetry, and other forms of literature were used to convey messages. Sadly almost dead aspect, when we have society full of literalist.
This story just gets worse. This attack on whistle blowers from the Obama administration, feels very much like the Wilson play book is back on the table.
My guess, Clinton will carry on with this type of domestic suppression.
Seems that Chelsea Manning tried to take her own life and her lawyers were not told.
It pisses me off how Snowden and Manning get utterly crucified by the US for doing their nation a major service while Killary Clinton’s deliberate mishandling of secret information leading to it being stolen by foreign hackers gets zero.
Couldn’t agree more CV, I wrote about that in a previous post about Clinton and how “ordinary people” would be tried for treason and wouldn’t see the light of day ever again but Clinton who enabled her mail to be exposed into the wrong hands is hit with a wet bus ticket. A law for one and a law for the great unwashed. She is tarnished now and ever was/will be with the Clinton Foundation so just like Blair her legacy isn’t looking good and shouldn’t ever be either. Trump may be nuts but he is his own man and although certainly not in a good mind frame to be President he doesn’t have the smell of corruption at a government level about him like she does.
Bernie is the only decent candidate for the job of US President, so they’ve made sure he won’t get it. “They” not being Republicans nor Trump, but the Democratic Party.
Jesus I’m getting really worried about the equanimity, indeed the glee, of some commenters here whose Leftie stuff I’ve long respected, to the prospect of Herr Drumpf smashing Clinton in November. Careful what you wish for darlings. Yes Clinton yuk but Jesus…….arch racist and terminal egoist Drumpf ?
Herr Drumpf was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Racist, cruel capitalist, vile daddy gave him 40 mill’ to start off with. Drumpf ain’t no friend of the working people. In the office of Pres’ the fucking ego-freak, trophy wife toting lunatic could cinder the whole fucking lot of us ! By accident or on a bad hair day. Which, looking down from Heaven I would have to guage as very annoying. On account of its avoidability.
I don’t want the world to go up in smoke because of some (I suspect tiddly little cock) ugly like Drumpf.
More broadly … Hillary’s capacity to hold a grudge and exact revenge on political opponents is reputedly even greater than Nixon’s. She’ll be drawing up a blacklist as we speak.
Police reporting only “the good stuff”.
Apparently, at least one senior police officer is under the impression that knowing local police activity is not in the public interest unless it’s a good news story.
This strikes me as being indicative of a fundamental progression towards the “us vs them” policing philosophy that creates a paramilitary police force rather than a community police force. The daily activity blotter is one of those little things that’s essential, if barely noticed, in an open society. Suppressing daily police activities should only occur if the need for confidentiality (e.g. privacy or prejudice of justice concerns) outweighs the public’s right to know.
Local crime is obviously of public interest. We don’t need to know, we have a right to know, and they have an obligation to openly and efficiently report their activity to us, so we can tell if they’re doing their damned job. Stats can be juked, but the local emergency services daily blotter used to give a fair impression of how safe our community was. Removing that because the community might discover the truth that’s inconvenient for the police is an inch away from covering up incompetence and corruption.
your taking the piss pucker …………… banks is a nasty little piece of work ……… he thought clint rickards was a great police office ……….. when the cops were acting like his goons when he was auckland mayor ………..
He like the nats is a dishonest money grubber using all sort of scams.
And never forget the trash racism hoax he and his national party whip mate “Hone carter” tried to pull when banks was a radio talk back host.
Yeah Banks is, always was, a right wee Mother Theresa……
Your final paragraph PR – “…….how could the judge possibly have believed KDC and his wife over John Banks and his wife ?”
You’re a crashing snob PR !
Not to mention your appalling ignorance of the principle of law that the fact finder determines issues according to the evidence adduced in court. If that weren’t the story you might as well call Rachel Glucina “Chief Justice”. Or the ponytail fetishist “Lord Denning”.
It is of course for the honourable judge but I’d wager there are plenty of people who know stuff about law who would question that the judge owes any apology to anyone.
Must say though, it’s refreshing to see a high public office holder prepared to fashion a sense of honour and decency and have it triumph over personal ego. Cf. the scurvy, effete, increasingly brittle liar Key. And Blair. The morals of both of them missing in action always.
Or did PR mean, ‘…….How could the judge possibly have believed John Banks and his wife over anybody ?’.We all know how straight up Banksy is and always has been.
……or in the authenticity of the mysterious appearance of two previously obscure American business men and their belated but oh so relevant ‘affidavits’ to save Banksy’s bacon. Old boys gotta stick together.$$$$
I stand to be corrected of course but I recall that the LA affidavit writers, Warner Bros guys weren’t they, never ever appeared in a New Zealand court for cross-examination on their affidavits.
Yet the Court of Appeal read those untested affidavits and said “No, fuck that, acquittal !”
I do know a little bit about appellate proceedings and I remain troubled as to how in the name of God a few untested scraps of paper bearing signatures were ever enough to have the appellate court kill the thing dead rather than take the customary step in instances of new evidence of quashing and ordering a retrial. That’s what happens to all the brown boys (except, mercifully, Teina). Still boggles me !
If in fact these guys did appear and were cross-examined on their affidavits I retract it all and Banks truly is a selfless Mother Theresa. Chartered and licensed by God!
Have a look on youtube at the late Christopher Hitchen’s and Penn and Teller’s opinions on Mother Teresa. Your comparison with our Banksy may be more appropriate than you think.
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
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 ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
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 Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
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 ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
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 ...
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 ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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 ...
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Rongotai MP Julie Anne Genter has apologised in Parliament after National accused her of intimidating and attacking one of its ministers in the House. ...
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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. ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, greedy.
Power companies.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11669927
Yesterday afternoon I had to drop something off to an old fella at his council flat, he came to the door dressed in jacket & big wooly hat that covered his ears like he was in Antarctica! I asked if he was alright warm enough etc? He said ‘all good mate, you have a good day’.
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring, greedy.
Landlords and real estate companies that manage rentals.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/81823651/family-trapped-in-mould-horror-house
Not good enough all round.
Despite paying $240 a week for their three bedroom home the couple say they can only use their tiny lounge, dining and kitchen area because the rest of the house is uninhabitable.
We’ve been in this situation too; in fact I suspect a lot of New Zealanders shut down part of their house in winter because they cannot afford to heat it all.
And this is largely due to a building industry that for generations has been overpriced and under-performing. In my opinion about three-quarters of kiwi houses need renovating with a bulldozer.
Spot on.
After the floods in South Dunedin a bunch of residents did just that, just shut off the damaged part of the house & lived in 1/2 rooms.
When we came to NZ we were told winter here is an indoor experience as much as it is an outdoor one. We have had wind coming from the floor as it was not insulated just like the rest of the house; there was no heating source so we had to use a portable gas heater and oil heaters at night; you can imagine the wet windows in the morning and the fight to wipe them. No amount of open windows during the day can prevent the condensation that comes at night. It pushed us to do everything we could to be out of there and into our own house, which we did exactly a year after we moved into it. But we are privileged to be able to do that and it makes me so angry there are no regulations when it comes to rentals. If landlords cannot afford to provide a decent standard of living for their tenants they should not be landlords.
There are two types of rentals; purpose built new apartments and townhouses which are generally ok. It’s not often appreciated but historically something in the order of 10-15% of all new builds are intended as rental investments. Generally these units will be pretty good; the landlord has put in solid money upfront and wants to keep them for decades for their rental income, not their speculative capital gain.
But historically the bulk of rentals are ordinary homes that are in the last 25% of their economic life … and no-one wants them as their ‘dream home’ anymore. These are the problem houses; either an energetic owner will renovate them in the hope that the capital gain will cover the considerable costs OR a landlord will just leave them to slowly depreciate and decay while the rental income makes a modest cash flow.
A lot depends on the location and the long term plans of the landlord. Bear in mind that a decent reno on a run-down older house may well cost > $50k and with a rental income of only $15k pa or less, plus rates, insurance, interest and other costs … if there is no capital gain it absolutely makes no commercial sense to upgrade. You can spend a lot of money doing up a rental, and the income barely changes. The tenant gets all the benefits of warmer house and lower power bills, the landlord gets nothing except maybe an improved occupancy rate.
The core problem here is a lot of mis-aligned market signals.
That’s a good analysis from a front line landlord POV, thanks RL.
My landlord is presently renovating this house and has budgeted $80k to do it. Now that he’s started he’s concerned that he hasn’t budgeted enough.
The place is ~40 years old, it’s not in bad condition but it’s the not the best either. The landlord does, as a matter of fact, live here as well (I rent a room).
Actually, the core problem is that the market doesn’t really work in housing.
+1
Andrew Little has fallen into the same trap as Bennett by referring to the need to increase the number of “beds” for the homeless. How patronising is that? Guess it’s to be expected though, from the party for the workers – meaning those with jobs, that is.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81851560/labour-leader-andrew-little-unveils-60m-plan-to-boost-emergency-housing
small difference between Paula (Has got her benefits) Bennett and Andrew Little.
The National MP of Do Nothing Paula B. wants to spend more money on existing beds not increase the number of emergency beds available.
Andrew Little wants to increase the Number of emergency beds/housing as there is currently and prolly for a few years coming a need.
Safe your concern for the National Party and their Do Nothing Minister of Fuck UPs.
Okay then.
Ok, that place actually needs to be condemned.
quote from someone at AKL Council when i called to have a property that i rented checked and condemned.
“If we were to condemn all AKl houses that are below standard and even more like slum buildings we would loose over 50% of all Houses in AKL.”
so you see there is a problem.
I kinda realised that aspect a couple of years ago when the WOF for rental properties was first mooted. The idea would be to progressively work through them.
Obama political appointees to the FBI and Justice Department clear the way for Hillary Clinton to run
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-06/folks-put-pieces-together-judge-jeanine-rages-over-comeyclinton-debacle
Donald Trump says it more simply – under his presidency, Loretta Lynch would be out of a job. But Clinton can promise her additional terms in office if she won the presidency.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-06/trump-says-clinton-trying-bribe-loretta-lynch
No one cares, bro.
Nailed it. lol
Neither of you care about political interference in due legal process. Thanks for clearing that up.
In my opinion, born from principle and common decency, that you support a racist, misogynist, billionaire one percenter invalidates you from giving me shit over just about anything.
To me, your opinion is as valid as nf, kkk rednecks.
I’m underwhelmed. lol
Straw man me all you like, but Trump will be far better for NZ than neocon infected Killary Clinton.
If only because Trump will be far less likely to start a shooting war with China or Russia in the Pacific, and he will shitcan both the TPPA and TTIP.
I don’t mind how you try to wish it all away 🙂
Anyway, I’m under orders from Bill, now.
As you’re untouchable, you’ll be all right to carry on by yourself until the coast clears and the dust settles. lol
not untouchable.
just not obsessively touchable when it derails a post 🙂
Either way, just be aware you’re goading someone who thinks he’s channeling messages from the “intrinsic intelligence of the universe”…
Heh
Just make a serious political comment instead of astroturfing. That’s all it takes.
When you say “serious political comment” you mean join you on a daily basis in rabbiting on about neolibs, Trump, Putin, RT links, Labour are shit and we’re all going die from the radiation.
It’d take a heavy hammer and a willing head smacker first.
Punching out now, so make sure the cheque is in the post, ta.
Zero hedge really has it in for Clinton
You wouldn’t be a member of the Clinton fan club if you consider the implications of the Obama White House smoothing away felony charges for her.
Zero Hedge never met a conspiracy theory they didn’t mind repeating. Or inventing.
Be led like a lamb to the slaughter, if you wish. After all the farmer has fed you without fail every day, how could he be wishing anything bad for you? To question otherwise is to be a “conspiracy theorist.”
Boy who cried wolf, etc.
I’ve got no time for the FBI but it’s not as simple as: An Obama political appointment so he does was the president wants.
Here’s the wiki short version on James Comey:
James Brien Comey, Jr. (born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer. He is the seventh and current Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He was the United States Deputy Attorney General, serving in President George W. Bush’s administration. As Deputy Attorney General, Comey was the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and ran the day-to-day operations of the Department, serving in that office from December 2003 through August 2005. He was U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York prior to becoming Deputy Attorney General.
An interesting article in The Age (and presumably SMH) asking how was it that, in spite of the polls throughout the campaign calling it pretty much 50-50, the Gallery in Canberra allowed themselves to get suckered in by the Turnbull government’s spin and were all confidently predicting a reasonably comfortable majority for the Coalition.
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016-opinion/election-2016-the-uncomfortable-truth-is-the-media-got-it-wrong-how-did-we-do-it-20160705-gpzatm.html
What an odd piece by Trevett in the Herald about Andrew Little. A complete load of rubbish, cliched writing. And, predictably, it’s been turned into a hatchet job on the Labour leader.
she has got to earn a living somehow?
this may have something to do with it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11670146
There were two pieces. One headlined ‘The Man who would be King’ which is a story about inflated egos seeking glory but failing.
The other was referenced the Labour housing statements as a ‘Crusade’ which is a futile and divisive part of history still playing out on the world stage.
Both suggested the datedness and futility of Labour policy and the articles themselves only explored the policy and leadership ambitions as it relates to government policy and the leader of the government, not touching on the people for which the policy aim to help. She seeked to consolidate and defend the fragmented and reluctant govt policy and present it as worthwhile but over a longer timeframe.
She really is the stuff floating on the surface of stagnant government thought.
The Herald currently has the Trevitt article with the headline “He’s not ready to be Prime Minister”, wankers.
He is not. You should be applauding the fact that the Herald has produced an accurate headline.
I can just picture you applauding like a seal, arf! arf!
Technically speaking, no one is ready to be PM until after they’ve been PM for awhile. It really is the experience that counts.
John Key, even after 7 years in the job, still isn’t ready to be PM.
IMO this is framing it the wrong way and asking a misleading question.
The question should be whether he’s capable to take the responsibility and fulfil his duty if/when he has to step up.
Similarly and simultaneously, the same question should be asked about the team he’s leading now and the coalition he might be leading.
I’d say that Andrew Little and his team are as capable, if not more, as John Key and his band of MPs.
“Andrew Little: Is it not the truth that he has taken no action to stop the sale of our productive land into overseas ownership and that his pledge to ensure that we will not become tenants in our own land is just more hollow words from a hollow man?
Hon Steven Joyce: Angry Andrew.
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well, he is angry because he has had to wait a wee while to ask his question. But I stand by my record”
******************************************
“Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Government’s response in housing has been quite comprehensive”
********************************************
“Andrew Little: Does he agree with Nick Smith that the costs of modern insulation and heating standards are not worth the benefits, given that the benefits are preventing Kiwi kids from getting sick and from dying?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I agree with Nick Smith in the context of the statements he would have been making. ”
**********************************************
“Andrew Little: How proud is the Prime Minister of the company he is now keeping when the Panama Papers lump New Zealand in with such auspicious company as Belize, the Seychelles, and Costa Rica in the list of 21 tax havens?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think New Zealand can stand quite proudly on the regime that it runs here”
************************************************
“Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can he stand by his statements yesterday that New Zealand “is not a tax haven” and that we “also have an extensive disclosure regime”, when specialist law firms on trusts for foreigners point out there is no need for disclosure of identity, or trust registration, or for any such trust accounts to be audited?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Because I am right”
*****************************************************
“Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I cannot confirm whether the Bahamas is a tax haven or not—I simply do not know.”
*******************************************************
and we’ll finish with a inside joke between two tax haven supporters
“David Seymour: In what century did the wine-box inquiry take place?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: One so far back I can hardly remember it.”
haha ………. get it? ………… almost like jail house humor
They are worried about how sensible and honest ,yes honest, Little is sounding. It confuses them.
How’s this for rubbish writing from Deputy Trev’ of the Herald ?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11669873
Starting with the slightly sneering reference to “crusade” in the headline, travelling on down to suggestion by default of a practical and moral equivalence in the parties’ respective positions, and the ever-present fascination with the ‘game’ of it all.
What a John Key botty muncher is Deputy Trev’ ! Fukn unbelievable !
And what of the vox pop they’ve had up on Herald online – what are people saying about Andrew Little ? No context, no analysis, no reporting of numbers or percentages. Just out-of-the-blue, “Ya like him, or no ?
mind this might be only to counter this from Fran Sullivan?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11669161
Love it where Fran says it is a pretty crap society that pulls the housing ladder up on the young and less well-off to preserve their unearned wealth. Well said indeed.
Yep. She always seeks to minimise government mistakes, and opposition advances.
She must have a massive property portfolio.
Yep the easiest thing is to stop reading the herald. I try just to look about once a month just in case there has been some editorial change to act like a newspaper not a propaganda advertorial for Natz and friends.
As for Little he’s doing the best job he can and has united the caucus and he seems really honest. So a good contrast to Key the liar.
The only thing I am concerned about is that Labour seem to be deciding to have some sort of rah rah housing policy coming out, and that will be falling into the Natz and MSM hands.
In times of bad news, notice Key disappears, off to Fiji, Hawaii or whathaveyou. But Labour feel compelled to be in the spot light at that time so are then appearing whenever there is bad news.
There is no knight in shining armour for housing in Auckland and New Zealand. What ever is done is gonna piss a lot of people off, either the 1 in 4 migrants in Auckland, the 67% homeowners or the renters many of whom did seem to want to vote Labour or Greens last election in spite of seemingly housing policy gains for them.
There is no possible way to look good on housing and please everyone. You are more likely to displease everyone. So the best thing is to leave the Natz alone in the spotlight to face the housing crisis alone. They choreographed the situation and now it is their time to face the music (by themselves).
Don’t make any announcements Labour/Greens! Just sit tight on housing announcements and let the swords fall and MSM talons, on who deserve it. The Natz.
Labour/Greens can fix up housing when they are elected and not let that be the downfall like last election.
Wouldn’t normally link to the horrendous old Daily Telegraph … but … Defeated Labour Rebels admit ‘it’s finished’, as Jeremy Corbyn refuses to Resign as Leader
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/06/defeated-labour-rebels-admit-its-finished-as-jeremy-corbyn-refus/
Meanwhile, over at the New Statesman … A surge in Labour Membership has further bolstered Corbyn’s leadership … http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/07/labour-membership-hit-600000
And why Corbyn’s allies are confident … http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2016/07/jeremy-corbyn-s-allies-believe-they-ll-win-again-because-their-opponents-haven-t
Corbyn may look like the runty guy who gets sand kicked in his face all the way down the beach, but clearly he has stones of steel. The rebel MP’s bet that the Members would not rise sufficiently to his defence.
They bet wrong.
Corbyn has won the people, and with that, can happily knife all the PLP Rebels as quickly or as slowly as he likes, and install his own in to the shadow Cabinet. A major payback for enduring the crap.
I haven’t always warmed to him personally, but I respect a well-played political defence.
Very happy with the broad direction Corbyn and McDonnell have set out for the Party … but I’m by no means entirely uncritical of aspects of his leadership.
The core problem now is that (unsurprisingly) polls suggest an overwhelming majority of voters (including around half of Labour voters) see the Party as deeply divided and, partly as a consequence, they see Corbyn as a less than capable and competent Leader. “If they can’t run their own Party, how can they run the Country” etc
There’s almost an element of blackmail here … PLP gross disloyalty undermines the leadership team and destroys confidence in Labour as a viable alternative Govt … potentially leading to ever poorer poll ratings and the prospect of Corbyn becoming a lame duck leader.
Owen Jones recently suggested the Corbyn team’s plan was to nurture a Left-leaning successor to take over the leadership a couple of year’s before the 2020 Election (assuming it isn’t earlier). I’d almost be prepared to accept a Corbyn compromise with the PLP by making their favoured candidate -the Soft Left’s Owen Smith – that successor. (the PLP are well aware that the membership will never accept anyone from the Centre or Right of the Party, so have reluctantly opted for Smith).
Except, the Brownites and Blairites play hardball – they’re interested in exerting as much control over Smith as possible (like they tried to do with Miliband – leading to a great deal of policy ambiguity in the lead-up to the 2015 Election) and they clearly want to inflict a historic defeat on the Left of the Party. As Tony Blair once implied – the last thing they want to see is a popular electable Left-leaning Leader.
Blair has been immolated by the Chilcott report, but it’s no time for Corbyn to be cocky.
2020 is one helluva long time to survive in an office where 2/3 of your ‘colleagues’ utterly loathe you and will slit your hamstrings every time you move.
Can Corbyn ‘smile, and murder while I smile’? Not yet.
Politics is, as he is figuring very very late, a whole bunch more than speechifying and apologies.
What evidence do you have that he’s only figuring that out now? He’s very long in the tooth politically. Your suggestion seems utterly bizarre to me. More likely he knew that he was always going to face an enormous amount of adversity, and there was no course of action he could choose that would not result in at least one major stand-off.
I’ll leave that judgement for six months and look back.
But so far Corbyn:
– hasn’t unified the MPs he has to work with
– hasn’t unified the MPs to the Members
– hasn’t made a mark against the Conservatives
– hasn’t won anything
– hasn’t raised any money of note
– hasn’t got a functioning shadow Cabinet
– hasn’t convinced the only mildly leftie paper the Guardian
– was on the wrong side of the Brexit vote and doesn’t have a plan for it
(He definitely has got more ordinary members. But this isn’t an episode of Robin Hood.)
Now, it’s quite possible this set of failures is all part of some astonishing masterplan that you can impute for him. Go for it. To me that list of failures signifies a poor political leader. (There were plenty here who thought Sanders was going to win as well, simply through arm waving and tent revival meetings. They were wrong)
I’m just going to wait and see.
He needs to eliminate several dozen of the disloyal MPs from the party, particularly the ones who clearly don’t understand that Blairite careerism isn’t what the Labour Party stands for any more.
Trying to make nice with them would be the same fatal mistake that Cunliffe made.
Why would he want to do that? The Guardian can’t swing an election for him, and they have been against him from the start.
Ignore The Guardian and make the news on your on terms.
Definitely needs to eliminate a whole swathe of MPs. Hope he has the stones and the tactical acumen for it.
The problem with ignoring The Guardian, or any news channel, is that they don’t ignore you. You never, ever get to “make news on your own terms.”
Corbyn’s constituency don’t listen to the Guardian, Ad. So why should he bother pretending that either the Guardian, or its readership, are important.
Well, on the results of ignoring them listed above, I would just urge Corbyn a little caution going down that path.
I’d love any Labour leader to be able to ignore any part of the media, MSM or otherwise. Such political romance is fun to imagine, but in reality politicians exist in ugly codependent relationships with them.
Worth remembering that politicians need the media a whole bunch more than the media need politicians.
Another bizarre statement. What, in the next six months, would be likely to indicate whether or not Corbyn had figured out prior to his leadership bid that politics is about “more than speechifying and apologies”?
This presupposes that he sees unifying Blairites with those more disposed towards following him as being desirable in any way.
Presupposes the same thing, as well as assuming that the membership, who have signed up in swathes in the wake of his becoming leader, want a bar of the MPs who trenchantly opposed him – and vice versa.
This really isn’t the timeframe to be reading anything at all into that. It is also exactly that part of politics most heavily dominated by the speechifying side of things, so I don’t see how it could be seen as evidence for what you’re saying.
And your point is…?
You could be right about that; do you have a link?
See above.
The Blairites? So?
As so often evidenced in your writing, your concept of “right” and “wrong” in politics is defined by electoral success. I think that says more about how you are reading Corbyn here than anything else you’ve written, and chimes well with your willingness to accommodate a third-way position to the point of being indistinguishable from it. Ironically, it suggests an approach to politics that emphasises “speechifying”. Corbyn’s historical record as a Eurosceptic aside, what public actions apart from speeches were you expecting, especially during a campaign whose terms had been largely defined along xenophobic and populist lines well before the referendum was called? Surely he would be better off dealing with his own party, and articulating his plan (whether he already has one or has yet to formulate it) at the earliest when Europe makes its own position known. Given that, how can his actions at this point be seen as evidence of a lack of plan? Perhaps that is the judgment you should be reserving for at least six months.
You’ve provided quite a lot of detail, but no real evidence that Corbyn is mainly about “speechifying”, let alone that he hasn’t worked out that there’s more to politics.
I wish him well, truly, and I hope it works out.
He’s a luv.
Call me in January and we’ll have another go. See if he’s managed to tick a couple of those big problems of his off the list. Maybe then he’s got just the chance of a mote in God’s eye of surviving.
Now hold still, here’s a little illustration for you:
There’s a great line reported yesterday in Salon in the Democrat meeting where Sanders met with all Democrat Senate and Congress leaders, to come to some pre-Conference pact, and he started off his little address to them with:
“The point isn’t to win elections …”
…at which point he was universally booed by them. And he continued:
“The point is to transform America.”
And there is a really good illustration of a resolutely principled person. Who has no place being in political leadership.
The one thing that politics really, really is, is a popularity contest. Not only with your party members, not only with your elected colleagues, but also with all people, and with the media.
You really have to fall in love with democracy, and the particular set of processes that constitute it, if you are going to make it. You have to be so good at it, and you have to be good at it for years on end. That’s why I have a whole bunch more faith that Andrew LIttle and Mr Shorten have a shit-show, and people like Sanders and Corbyn and as we’ve seen many others don’t.
See you in January on this.
A go at what? I thought you were trying to show how Corbyn was a waffler who did nothing but make speeches. However, now you seem to be advocating the sort of politics that involves winning people over with soundbites and speeches that appeal to their more instinctive side.
You’re assuming that democracy is about voting periodically for representatives whose faces you like.
So this, essentially “success=popularity”, is a statement which the paragraph afterwards is trying to substantiate?
Unfortunately, you beg the question by assuming that “making it” consists in achieving popularity, rather than showing how popularity gets a programme realised. Your entire paradigm is exactly the mixture of truisms (popularity wins a popular vote) and questionable assumptions masquerading as common sense (being in government enables the realisation of the principles you had when you weren’t in government) that typefy the Right in general.
@ Ad 7 July 2016 at 8:17 pm:
Maybe that’s what politics has become but it shouldn’t be. Politics is about decision-making, based on sound process, and executing these decisions, i.e. “getting on with it”.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11664653
In a modern progressive pluralistic society with proportional representation in Parliament decision-making ideally and primarily should be based on reaching consensus IMO, through cooperation and consultation, because these decisions affect many if not all members of such society.
Unfortunately, partisan politics rule in New Zealand and there still is a strong FPP mentality that dictates that the ‘winner’ is the one who reaches 51% of the vote; that’s all that’s needed to ‘win’. As a side-line, I do think that neo-liberal ideology (doctrine) plays a major role in this since it encourages competition and individualism and counters moves to unification and this has resulted in an erosion of communities and community spirit and given us a society of confused fearful individuals who feel disengaged from politics and the political process and socially powerless. Rings a bell?
I’d argue that (broad) consensus makes a vote obsolete and that this also avoids the “tyranny of the majority”. A vote might only be really necessary when a stalemate has been reached, only as a last resort. An analogy would be industrial action when talks between negotiating parties have broken down. Alternatively, a vote (or poll) could be taken as a starting point rather for the political process to commence, which is the exact opposite of present practice!
I could go on about how it is impossible to base decisions on popularity alone, without the necessary confidence and trust, and as the sole basis of (political) power and authority.
strewth talk about a negative moaning bitch ad what part of the people love him dont you understand ?The people flocking to join the lp over there arent doing it because theyve been conned by the establishment theyre going there because they perceive a difference in this man and theyre gonna give him a fighting chance unlike you apparently
And tommorow comes the song,
the song was sung,
cough, cough, splutter
done.
[lprent: I can’t see any relevance of this to the post. OpenMike and I’d suggest that you might want to explain your ideas to those of us without your enhanced visions. ]
Labour can’t even bring itself to sing the Red Flag any more
I’ll bet you never knew the words. Or, more importantly, understood their meaning.
Practicing your telepathy again, TRP? The socialist meaning of the song is exactly why NZ Labour ditched it.
Telepathy or dodgy snake oil homoeopathy?
Only one has any credibility.
Can you read my mind as to which one?
lol
[The baiting and flaming ends now. You got away with it last night – you’re not doing it again. Speak to the post or don’t comment at all] – Bill
Sure, what ever you say, ref.
You’re so full of shit, your chin’s stained brown.
Boy I’m getting sick of this “hate in” between te reo putake and Colonial Viper.
Agree to disagree already.
So Colonial Viper is a late comer to the realisation that labour is, what it is.
Here is another take on them
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/07/07/exclusive-the-nz-labour-party-can-no-longer-avoid-the-elephant-in-the-room/
You’re not the only one sick and tired of the shit Adam.
When I’ve got people in the real world – people who know neither CV nor trp – telling me they’re way fucking over reading threads that suddenly morph into something that might have come from the ‘trade-me’ message boards or similar…
There’s an easy solution, Bill. Return the standard to its original purpose, which was, as I recall, to be an intelligent, articulate voice from the movement. This place is still broken.
The recurring message I get from anyone who brings any current state of ‘the standard’ up in conversation (not an entirely uncommon occurrence) is that it’s a far lesser place than it once was principally because of your behaviour trp.
Oh, bollocks. My posts are well read and well commented on. Like it or not, I’m not afraid to call bullshit when I see it, and I’m not going to dicky lick our resident troll. Your mileage may differ. At the moment, we’re drifting into the abyss where right wing conspiracy theories collide with worker hating petit bourgeois snobbery.
Is the Standard a serious left wing blog?
I think your plan to get the standard the way you want it is flawed. It isn’t working and won’t work imo.
Can’t find a reply button on your comment finishing “Is the Standard a serious left wing blog?” Oh what arrogance of you to claim impeccable left-wingism ! Impeccable Labour Partyism is the highest I can put it.
So, wherever this appears let me say this……you seem to have all the fake muscles of an unmitigated bully TRP. And you CV seem never to have recovered from Twyford’s “chinese names” business. Which while your face is brazenly and spittlingly set against it is in some measure significantly true. And now you’re lurching off into fucking Trumpism……call me Mabel and fuck me gently !
You’re both egotistical, control freak pains in the arse and we’re the somewhat bored “scroll down past them” collateral damage to your ‘always gotta be right’ spats. Grow up you fucking children !
Fuck I wish I’d said that north – apart from the twyford stuff ☺- Good stuff mate.
Good to hear lads. The dude abides.
I’m sick of it, too. Having said that, even if I find a lot of CV’s writings since the last election frustratingly one-sided, especially considering the difference in that regard to his earlier contributions, they always seem to me to articulate (and generally substantiate) a point that is passionately held with a view to changing the global political discourse in the long term, and not personally directed. I would be hard pressed to say the same for all others.
The relevance of my post was the hopes and aims of the first labour government, and in particular Peter Fraser. Also that in the early days of the labour movement poetry, and other forms of literature were used to convey messages. Sadly almost dead aspect, when we have society full of literalist.
Here is a book on Peter Fraser if you have the time, http://www.michaelbassett.co.nz/book_tomorrow.htm
well worth the read.
This story just gets worse. This attack on whistle blowers from the Obama administration, feels very much like the Wilson play book is back on the table.
My guess, Clinton will carry on with this type of domestic suppression.
Seems that Chelsea Manning tried to take her own life and her lawyers were not told.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/chelsea-manning-rushed-to-hospital-after-trying-to-take-life-a7122971.html
It pisses me off how Snowden and Manning get utterly crucified by the US for doing their nation a major service while Killary Clinton’s deliberate mishandling of secret information leading to it being stolen by foreign hackers gets zero.
Couldn’t agree more CV, I wrote about that in a previous post about Clinton and how “ordinary people” would be tried for treason and wouldn’t see the light of day ever again but Clinton who enabled her mail to be exposed into the wrong hands is hit with a wet bus ticket. A law for one and a law for the great unwashed. She is tarnished now and ever was/will be with the Clinton Foundation so just like Blair her legacy isn’t looking good and shouldn’t ever be either. Trump may be nuts but he is his own man and although certainly not in a good mind frame to be President he doesn’t have the smell of corruption at a government level about him like she does.
Bernie is the only decent candidate for the job of US President, so they’ve made sure he won’t get it. “They” not being Republicans nor Trump, but the Democratic Party.
Jesus I’m getting really worried about the equanimity, indeed the glee, of some commenters here whose Leftie stuff I’ve long respected, to the prospect of Herr Drumpf smashing Clinton in November. Careful what you wish for darlings. Yes Clinton yuk but Jesus…….arch racist and terminal egoist Drumpf ?
Herr Drumpf was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Racist, cruel capitalist, vile daddy gave him 40 mill’ to start off with. Drumpf ain’t no friend of the working people. In the office of Pres’ the fucking ego-freak, trophy wife toting lunatic could cinder the whole fucking lot of us ! By accident or on a bad hair day. Which, looking down from Heaven I would have to guage as very annoying. On account of its avoidability.
I don’t want the world to go up in smoke because of some (I suspect tiddly little cock) ugly like Drumpf.
More broadly … Hillary’s capacity to hold a grudge and exact revenge on political opponents is reputedly even greater than Nixon’s. She’ll be drawing up a blacklist as we speak.
Can someone please help bring me up to speed with Union etiquette?
So the National Union of Public Employees have agreed a deal with Aviation Security, but E tū and the Public Service Association haven’t and are going to strike. http://www.newshub.co.nz/business/the-offer-airport-security-staff-rejected-2016070612#axzz4Dgx2gZly
So do the National Union of Public Employees now have to join the picket-line with their Union comrades? Or do the now get called Scabs and abused when they turn up to work, like this: http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/wharfies-abusive-demanding–port-2012031213#axzz4Dgx2gZly
well POA say all sorts of things – so an article that is based solely on the claims of POA in that particular dispute isnt that robust
Police reporting only “the good stuff”.
Apparently, at least one senior police officer is under the impression that knowing local police activity is not in the public interest unless it’s a good news story.
This strikes me as being indicative of a fundamental progression towards the “us vs them” policing philosophy that creates a paramilitary police force rather than a community police force. The daily activity blotter is one of those little things that’s essential, if barely noticed, in an open society. Suppressing daily police activities should only occur if the need for confidentiality (e.g. privacy or prejudice of justice concerns) outweighs the public’s right to know.
Local crime is obviously of public interest. We don’t need to know, we have a right to know, and they have an obligation to openly and efficiently report their activity to us, so we can tell if they’re doing their damned job. Stats can be juked, but the local emergency services daily blotter used to give a fair impression of how safe our community was. Removing that because the community might discover the truth that’s inconvenient for the police is an inch away from covering up incompetence and corruption.
Bad call by this police officer.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/81847922/former-mp-john-banks-returns-to-high-court-after-conviction-quashed
Shameful it ever went that far, how could the judge possibly have believed KDC and his wife over John Banks and his wife
Banks is still a crook. No amount of wasted court time will change that.
your taking the piss pucker …………… banks is a nasty little piece of work ……… he thought clint rickards was a great police office ……….. when the cops were acting like his goons when he was auckland mayor ………..
He like the nats is a dishonest money grubber using all sort of scams.
And never forget the trash racism hoax he and his national party whip mate “Hone carter” tried to pull when banks was a radio talk back host.
Banks is trash ………….. just like you puck.
Yeah Banks is, always was, a right wee Mother Theresa……
Your final paragraph PR – “…….how could the judge possibly have believed KDC and his wife over John Banks and his wife ?”
You’re a crashing snob PR !
Not to mention your appalling ignorance of the principle of law that the fact finder determines issues according to the evidence adduced in court. If that weren’t the story you might as well call Rachel Glucina “Chief Justice”. Or the ponytail fetishist “Lord Denning”.
It is of course for the honourable judge but I’d wager there are plenty of people who know stuff about law who would question that the judge owes any apology to anyone.
Must say though, it’s refreshing to see a high public office holder prepared to fashion a sense of honour and decency and have it triumph over personal ego. Cf. the scurvy, effete, increasingly brittle liar Key. And Blair. The morals of both of them missing in action always.
Or did PR mean, ‘…….How could the judge possibly have believed John Banks and his wife over anybody ?’.We all know how straight up Banksy is and always has been.
……or in the authenticity of the mysterious appearance of two previously obscure American business men and their belated but oh so relevant ‘affidavits’ to save Banksy’s bacon. Old boys gotta stick together.$$$$
I stand to be corrected of course but I recall that the LA affidavit writers, Warner Bros guys weren’t they, never ever appeared in a New Zealand court for cross-examination on their affidavits.
Yet the Court of Appeal read those untested affidavits and said “No, fuck that, acquittal !”
I do know a little bit about appellate proceedings and I remain troubled as to how in the name of God a few untested scraps of paper bearing signatures were ever enough to have the appellate court kill the thing dead rather than take the customary step in instances of new evidence of quashing and ordering a retrial. That’s what happens to all the brown boys (except, mercifully, Teina). Still boggles me !
If in fact these guys did appear and were cross-examined on their affidavits I retract it all and Banks truly is a selfless Mother Theresa. Chartered and licensed by God!
Have a look on youtube at the late Christopher Hitchen’s and Penn and Teller’s opinions on Mother Teresa. Your comparison with our Banksy may be more appropriate than you think.