Despite the team of experts putting it straight that Joyce n Billshit have told utter falsehoods re- fiscal hole. The RNZ webpage continues to use a title which still gives the lie oxygen
And in my opinion she’s very soft on Joyce in just calling him intemperate, rather than a liar intent on misleading the public. Going on about the “Havoc Claim” as it’s called in political science…… bullshit! even the political scientist call shit like this what it is – Dirty Politics!!
Oh. Snap. There were no comments on open mike when I started on my comment below on the same OP.
I don’t think she needs to be tougher on Joyce, he is already looking like damaged goods, and Hawyward’s explanation comes across as calm and rational, rather than adding to the Joyce-style hysteria.
Apologies I was of course speaking metaphorically, as it seems he keeps on banging on with his lies. Bit like a child with chocolate covered face adamantly telling mummy he didn’t eat the cake, HONEST!!
Besides, if someone with a penchant for violence were to kick Dildo Joyce in the head, his demonstration of his thickness would mean the kicker more likely to end up with a damaged foot.
Controlling the message via their control over RNZ, wouldn’t hurt labour to attack IMO Joyce and Blinglish have burnt a lot of capital over this.
Frame it as general dishonesty with other examples to depower the numbers meme into more general lying behaviour to get people realising this is what they are, lying deceptive wreckers.
That’s all they know at this stage, it’s called fear mongering, creating doubt in the voters mind.
They really are desperate !! But the sheep will follow sadly
I know in democratic countries you are not supposed to put ex politicians on trial, but I’d happily make an exception for Richard Prebble. What a traitor to the left.
This is a claim that is designed to be so outrageous that it grabs media headlines and temporarily derails opponents, attracting startled media attention in a 24/7 news cycle and confusing voters.
By the time the dust has settled and everyone has read the fine print, it doesn’t matter that the claim didn’t stack up, because from a political strategist’s point of view, the issue was never really about the facts.
The aim was to take the air space from a leading opponent and to sow a seed of doubt in the minds of voters, and hopefully do just enough damage to your opponent that you can sway small but significant margins of voters choosing between parties.
Hayward says this gambit can undermine democracy and turn off potential voters. However, it can, as in the Joyce instance, blow back on the user of the havoc claim, and damage their vote. This happened because Ardern called it out pretty quickly in the leaders debate, and because many economists and mainstream media journalists critiqued the false claim strongly.
Furthermore, Hayward estimates that NZers have become more savvy about political false claims having watched overseas elections, such as in the US.
Well said – my guess is that the Nats want a term in Opposition, hoping that the next Govt will force the Greens and NZF to work together – could be fun
Oh, I expect Joyce will be correct in hind-sight, as the Banking Cartel and International Rating Agencies smash the NZD (floating international lending rate) under a Labour lead Govt.
the dollar will likely fall (but not necessarily crash as it is likely to do under a continuation of the current settings) mainly due to a reigning in of immigration and investment restrictions as stated by Labour….and that will be great for our exporters. The RBNZ has been bemoaning the dollars strength for years and even told Key to put the brakes on immigration to stop the upward pressure…Key of course knew better.
“Prices for flights out of South Florida have skyrocketed as high as more than US$3000 (NZ$4166) per person for domestic flights, which would otherwise cost a fraction of the price during what’s typically one of the slowest times of the year for air travel.”
We see the same response to housing, Christchurch’s earthquake, and so on.
Carolyn_nth
Both those links take me to the same Newsroom post (which I hadn’t seen – so thanks for that). Was there a second piece to which you were trying to link as well?
“Robertson was less clear than Mathers in his initial answer on whether Labour would increase the rate of supported living payments, but when pressed for a ‘yes or no’ answer by moderator Susie Ferguson, said: ‘Yes.'”
Disappointing (and far less convincing) that he had to be “pressed” for an answer.
Moreover, unlike the Greens, Labour didn’t commit to an amount.
We have a chance to choose better, and clearly the Greens are the better choice.
So then the next things it would be nice to know are:
– who would be the Minister for Social Development in a Labour-led government?
– how would they fix the culture at WINZ?
– what relevant experience have they got in effecting cultural change?
– is there budget for it?
> The culture change wouldn’t necessarily need a budget
I don’t want to make this all about money, but I think it is going to cost more, if only because more beneficiaries will get their proper entitlements. But also I think some turnover of personnel will be needed and that is going to come at a cost (golden handshakes, recruitment costs, etc).
> – issue the directives and the staff must follow.
That’s not how life works, you can’t change workplace culture by saying ‘I now direct that everyone behave differently’.
I don’t know what the Nats (and previous Govts did) to stuff up the culture at WINZ so comprehensively but I think it’s going to take a lot of work and time to reverse that. Inspirational leadership will be necessary but not sufficient.
> Carmel Sepuloni is the Social Development go-to for Labour. Seems to be pretty good.
Never been a Minister let alone a Cabinet Minister, never been a senior manager in any form of organisation, never led a culture change project as far as I can see, I have no confidence that she can do the business.
“….never been a senior manager in any form of organisation, never led a culture change project as far as I can see, I have no confidence that she can do the business.”
Anne Tolley, Paula Bennet, Gerry Brownlee…shall I continue?
Right, they lacked management experience when they entered Parliament, they couldn’t fix the culture at WINZ even if they wanted to which they don’t, nor (I fear) can Sepuloni.
Turnover would only be needed in the case of misconduct. And if people end up getting more money, this isn’t a bad thing. If there’s a blowout, it can be handled.
And actually, you can change workplace culture by making reasonable changes to workplace expectations. And if a few folks don’t play along, give them fair opportunity to do their jobs, then go through the disciplinary process.
As for Sepuloni, does CEO of Vaka Tautua count? Google it.
edit: I did it for you
Turnover may only be at the very top. The workers want to be compassionate, most people go into those jobs because of that, not the pay scale. Currently KPI’s encourage meaness. That change will cost nothing.
Everyone currently in a cabinet position had never done it before 2008 and many had not done anything meaningful in this line in their businesses.
Ministers are more akin to a Director than a CEO. And even CEO’s are not in charge of operations as a rule. You are talking about operations. They hire people for this, they do not do it themselves. .
I was subjected to the change from Labour to National management as a ‘Client’. The WINZ staff certainly changed their attitude.
“Bully from the top on down the line” is how the change was applied. That and negative PR about bennies. Some of the better staff left. The new style upset them. Others stayed and thrived with the bullying style.
I was going to have breakfast but getting out of bed seems an insurmountable hurdle. Then I needed to go to the toilet but it’s such a long walk.
So I lay there thinking and then I realised that thinking might mean I have to make an effort to do something.
And then I shat myself, and lay there in my own mess for a while because taking personal responsibility was just too much effort. Then I realised the world is full of people making a difference. Don’t they realise how pointless it is?
Now I need to go to the toilet again. What am I going to do?
[…]
It’s not even as if there’s a clear plan for breakfast, anyway. I mean, I know that there are some eggs, some bacon, some baked beans, and so on in the kitchen. But what about a frying pan?
What if the frying pan needs to be scrubbed? Do people know how much work that will be? Other people think that frying pans should never be clean, but have a patina of cholesterol built up over years. Do we have a clear strategy on this? Why hasn’t frying pan patina been discussed?
Thank you Carolyn,
As a polio victim 1947, I am now needing all the aids. So a fairer way of accessing needs would be great. Some products I need are a heavy burden on the purse.
When I enquired, my Dr”s Nurse offered me a mobility card.
None of my other needs seemed to feature. So clear guidelines? Great
Tolley wants to punish the youth for not having a job. Would it not make better sense to give them free education/training instead. Maybe they haven’t got a job because they have no skills. Without an education or skills they probably have naught to feel good about themselves.
I now understand why the Nats are so anti any kind of free tertiary education, it’s because Joyce pissed around at varsity when it was free for him and he thinks everyone else will do the same.
Cheers for the link Trace about the UK, that was interesting, so Tolleys idea has been tried and failed overseas, a bit like national standards etc, failed borrowed policy
went on about how only 430 people have failed under the new testing scheme they do have less than 1% of course tolley made some shit up on the fly to counter it , also a laywer pointed out that these are the very people that will be pushed into a life of crime if the dole is cut ,
Thanks. Given the low numbers revealled when Key tried this on, you wonder where (or to whom) the $72m would go. My guess is nowhere, just like the incentive to teachers to go to lower deciles was kept quiet but was included in bragging about spending on education.
they just had a couple more fallas on ( some guy from Vend? and a newshub producer ) they demolished it as well , line of the day, ”there’s more drug use in the young nats”
+1 BWaghorn, if the interview comes up online will try and remember to post it laters.
I know of a couple of teenagers with a deadbeat dad and an absent mother, they aren’t working, or training etc. They never had a chance to start with. Their parents are uneducated and due to poverty they don’t see any hope for themselves. They can’t afford further education, and they have no dreams because they feel they have no future. And it’s reasons like that why I’m a massive supporter for free tertiary education. To give EVERYONE a chance no matter their past, background or upbringing.
jobs with good wages is what they need , the government needs to be a job creator, we aren’t all equal in our in how we cope with life . if it takes having 10 guys leaning on shovels to get them out of the house and feel some pride so be it.
couldn’t agree more about the government being a job creator/supplier.
the ripple out benefits are positive from seeing adults in the house, leave every day, to go to work.
i maintain that kiwirail should have (be forced to?) award its recent loco contracts within aotearoa. only 25% more expensive.
unfortunately the benefits would not appear on kiwirails balance sheet, but would be real none the less.
My concern is that there is not the well paid jobs even if the worker has the training and the skills. The world is changing from people being employed to people being self employed, contract workers. I don’t know if that is a good thing, but it’s increasingly difficult to get and keep a job these days.
Part of it, is that now everyone wants experience from young people and are unwilling to train them, NZ employers don’t want to pay for top skills from Kiwis when they are trained, it’s cheap and easy to get rid of people as it’s just a process with little costs involved, so a change in management often means that for no apparent reason (or in the case of Ms Harrison, fraud) they go around culling out their rivals to be seen to be doing something.
One of the many reasons for NZ’s low productivity is that there is an adversarial relationship between employee’s and employee’s that stems from the Rogernomics era. There needs to be a rethink on that as well as a way to create new high paid jobs in sustainable areas not just cars, cows, coal and construction with migrant labour being used to mask our appalling wages and labour laws and a system that is producing unequally educated people (illiterate or over qualified) who can’t find jobs, because many of our industries are based on low or very specific skills, with employers who just can’t be bothered training anyone when has become so easy to replace or look over a local worker for an overseas one in an overseas worker pool of billions. with the NZ taxpayer helpfully subsidising their income with working for families, accomodation benefit, free health and schooling, ACC is it all goes wrong and free super after 10 years. What overseas worker is not going to go for that!
Remember that economically NZ made a decision a few decades ago to have low inflation or no unemployment. It chose low inflation. Accordingly there will always be unemployed under this economy. To bash people you need to be unemployed to meet your low inflation target is beyond cruel.
Sue Bradford is right we need to nurture our youth not herd them around like sheep and penalize them If they get a universal wage and offer them starts in a trade that is way better than bills policy we need to nurture there wairua self worth ect teach them the work culture and let them no and give them a bright future.
TOPS should be in that debate as he deserves it Its Just Bill trying to eliminate competition.
Any employers ripping off there workers should be treated the same as a shop lifter as it is still theft and we need to let these people no that it is theft we should name and shame these employers they are a small % of employers but they are getting away with THEFT. Bryce is a good reporter good to see the likes of him back on our TVs more.
Yes, time to stop fines and start imprisoning bosses who do not have contracts and/or pay less than minimum wage. EG kiwifruit growers recently found over 50% jn that position. No howls from the public or media for personal responsibility and consequences…
Agree eco Maori/kiwi (9). Theft of labour is a serious crime in my book as well and should be treated as such, with harsh penalties dished out to unscrupulous employers!
We know what the Natz’s attitude to it is … ignore the issue completely! Be interesting to find out Labour/Greens/NZF perspective on it is and how they would address labour theft.
I like seeing all the positive news about our culture Maori culture. In my view Maori culture Is all of the people of NZ culture Its is part of what makes NZ culture unique its part of what makes us Kiwis.
Lett’s celebrate our unique Maori culture it makes us unique in our world. All cultures in NZ can be celebrated to.
It could also push young addicts to cold turkey and possibly suicide. I doubt their plan is to provide Oasis type help immediately to anyone taking it up.
Push an addict further into poverty… but then Tolley says MSD do not collect the stats on how many on beneficiaries. A dead beneficiary = efficient economy under Nats?
Joyce on RNZ head-to-head debate, when asked directly could not name an economist or indeed anyone,to support his assertion of the $11billion hole in Labour’s proposed budget.
For the dominant RNZ audience, that will be useful.
He could have named English or Bennett as both have supported him.
I intend asking our local MP at a meet the candidate meeting today, if he supports the Joyce outrageous claim.
So ask yourself, how many people in Auckland, and it has 7 places. They stopped the walk in service, because people were getting into fights. Now they just lock you out via the phone.
i read somewhere the other day that total stock numbers have fallen well below the 1991 level s and the stats above seem to back it.
sheep numbers have plummeted while total cattle has stayed static .
this would say that farming is already below it.s 1991 levels .
”Methane is produced in the guts of ruminant livestock as a result of methanogenic microorganisms (belonging to the Archaea). The composition of the animal feed is a crucial factor in controlling the amounts of methane produced, but a sheep can produce about 30 litres of methane each day and a dairy cow up to about 200.”
lifted from google
we have dropped 20 million sheep in that time which release approx 3.3 million cows worth of gas
interesting…the almost static cattle number is a surprise, though the distribution is still an issue (canty dairy herd e.g.) ….take it those methane numbers quoted are robust?
might be a little on the light side due to the cattle herd changing from beef to dairy
i will stand by the fact that nz has reduced its cattle emissions since 1990 till proved otherwise
since 1990 nz population has increased from 3.3-4.7 million
Allometrics suggest that human respiration is around 251g co2 per day.metabolic respiration from decomposers of human excreta is around 50% of respiration emissions it would be statistically significant.
I’m not so sure about that. Not a farming quibble, more a stats quibble. I wouldn’t call it “static”, even if the line’s nearly horizontal.
Look at the scale of the chart.
The numbers in the actual data tables show about 8.8million cows in 1994, 9.6M in 2002, and 10.3Mil in 2014 (an increase of 7% on 2002).
You’re right about the decline of 20mil-odd sheep, though.
Bob McCoskie is simply lying. Hardly surprising, I have noticed that the fuckwits from the Family Fist are chronic liars – I guess that deliberately lying is just part of their moral code.
Bob McCroskie a fundamentalist Mormon when you look into their church and Women’s Rights.
Sexual abuse .
A horid bunch of Misogynists.
McCrosky clean up your own back yard before you start telling everyone else how to live.
And frankly, she’s right. A woman shouldn’t have to pretend that she’s mentally fragile so that she can get an abortion of the basis of a threat to her mental health. It’s degrading and demeaning of women. I doubt that moving it out of the Crimes Act and into the Health arena would have any effect on the numbers of abortions being performed, but it would be more respectful of the women who require an abortion.
McCoskrie has a masters in economics. As far as I know has done little theological training but sees fit to take an ancient book literally. Ridiculous as you actually can’t take it literally it needs to be interpreted. It says little about abortion except making it clear that a fetus is not the same status as a human being. For instance it recommends the death penalty for murder but not for causing a miscarriage. Exodus 21 22-25. What the Bible is very clear and consistent on is that I we should feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Jesus goes so far as to say that people who don’t do this are going to hell. So I guess that since McCoskrie tends to support right wing parties he is going to he’ll.
“We are now seeing signs of bubbles in more and more parts of the capital market where we wouldn’t have expected them,” he said in Frankfurt, noting property prices in advanced economies had hit record levels.
Making a case for tighter monetary policy a day before ECB governors are expected to unveil plans to reduce money printing due to the stronger economy, he welcomed gradually ending loose monetary policy.
“The central banks must, however, plot a middle way that averts massive losses on the markets,” he cautioned.”
something I hope GR is highly conscious of, especially as we reduce the main driver to our economic growth, immigration at the same time….its going to require one hell of a juggling act.
I think I would need to have a serious disconnect with the reality of life in NZ if I was to believe that less than 1 in every 200 beneficiaries smokes a bit of weed.
Beating people with a bigger stick never improves conditions for anyone. We can’t force people to be the best they can be, it needs to come from within us. We have to want it.
The worst thing we can do is push the disenfranchised further away with Jackboot policies, we’ve watched this approach fail for centuries. The best thing we can do is to get about creating signposted, alluring, climbable pathways to satisfaction and pride….and yep, if the guy is a stoner, forestry or long-haul truck driving is probably not the best path. It appears people are pretty good at working this out for themselves, I think this is what gets us to that suspect less than 1 in 200 has a puff figure.
A long term, sustainable and successful solution to any social problem will invariably have it’s feet planted in love.
Ruth Richardson in 1991 slashed benefits. That was designed to incentivise job seeking ( based on a right wing lie that unemployed do not want to work). Since that time benefits have never recovered. Can we agree it is a failed policy and it is time to try something evidence based?
Secondly, why is ok for white employed people to do drugs? And they do, in great numbers. In my circle it is almost all who vote Nats or Act. The lefties stick with alcohol. That “evidence” is as goid as Tolley’s and Richardson before her and all those in between who did not rectify it.
In addition it waa decided we could have full employment or low inflation. We chose low inflation and now pillory those victims we know cannot get work because of it
In addition it waa decided we could have full employment or low inflation. We chose low inflation and now pillory those victims we know cannot get work because of it
@ tracey (18.2) … no doubt creepy junior is still living off the fat of the land and driving about in his state of the art vehicle, boasting about all his (non) achievements in life, while looking for a photo op, just like Saint Dr Sir daddy!
Are the offspring of former PMs, included in the life time travel perks, or does that only apply to the retired PM and his/her spouse?
I think I would need to have a serious disconnect with the reality of life in NZ if I was to believe that less than 1 in every 200 beneficiaries smokes a bit of weed.
So, I take it that some research into it has come out that you disagree with and you’re falling back on you beliefs that have just been proved wrong?
I don’t need to refer to research Draco, I just go about my day with my eyes and nostrils open. Do you honestly believe that less than 1 in every 200 beneficiaries smokes dope? National average, about 1 in every 12 adults smokes occasionally or more frequently, beneficiary average, 1 in every 225?….I don’t believe it and I think we’re fooling ourselves if we do.
I don’t think it matters beyond determining how best to address the situation and stopping benefit payments or forced rehab will create more problems than are solved.
No, you can assume I don’t accept all research as bona fide. I’m sure you’ve seen research that denies human induced climate change.
Not testing those people that chose not to attend a job interview because drug testing was part of the potential employer’s induction process will of course provide false numbers. I think we’re foolish to accept them as accurate.
I can introduce you to 5 beneficiaries that smoke dope Draco. I don’t know 1200 beneficiaries, I don’t know 100. I suspect most of us could tell a similar story. Cherry picking skewed research does us no favours.
Talking out my arse? Do you honestly believe that less than 1 in 225 beneficiaries smokes weed? It’s not me with 2 sets of vocal chords.
umm d-mac you don’t hang around with beneficiaries all day do you being a employer and working stiff and all so where are your nostrils smelling the weed?
Actually there is real evidence that the poor do less drugs and alcohol than everyone else. I went to a presentation about the growing up in New Zealand study. There were lots of negatives for children from the poorest households. The one positive was they were less likely to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. There mother’s couldn’t afford alchohol
“If Ohio is anything like Florida, which also has a drug-testing program, Schaffer will find that the large majority of welfare recipients are neither drug users nor drug dealers. From 2011 to 2012, just 108 of the 4,086 people who took a drug test failed—a rate of 2.6 percent, compared to a national drug use rate of over 8 percent. The total cost to Florida taxpayers? $45,780.
The most colossal failure of this policy was in Arizona, which passed a drug-testing law in 2009. In 2012, an evaluation of the program had startling results: After three years and 87,000 screenings, only one person had failed the drug test, with huge costs for the state, which saved a few hundred dollars by denying benefits, compared to the hundreds of thousands spent to conduct the tests.’
Well folks I don’t know if I am seeing things or if this is not a position for a slave I have just been reading in my local rag.
“Seeking a Nanny/Cleaner”
“Nanny Cleaner required for full-time position. Nanny/Cleaner will be taking care of child, ages 10 months, 10 years & my Aged Mom. Your responsibilities with the children include: driving children to and from school, taking children to the park, reading to children, playing with children in home. Other duties include light cleaning, some meals & occasional laundry. Nanny is required to have at least a month of experience, as well as CPR. First Aid and French is an asset. Attributes such as sense of humour, caring & responsible are a plus.
Hours are 9am – 7pm Monday to Friday. The wage is $500pw & vacation pay is included.”
I have worked this out as 50 hours a week at $10 per hour. Firstly are we allowed to pay beneath the minimum wage these days. Secondly is including the holiday pay into that $500 legal – and if so that would bring down the hourly rate even further.
I have omitted the person and their contacts but needless I must add – it is a male who is requiring these services. He obviously has no idea what it is like to look after children, plus an aged Mum whom he obviously wants this “slave ” to toilet and keep an eye on and cleaning and laundry.
Good luck with his job advertisement but if this is the calibre of work that Tolley is hoping our young people will be going into – poor hours, poor pay, no holiday pay or sick pay – then she needs to vacate her cabinet seat and retire.
Also I heard this morning that there have been thousands of complaints about the very subject above to advocates etc – complaints ranged from termination without any required reason, no security of tenure etc etc. Brave old NZ – she is in a sad state these days.
At the petrol station, chatting to strangers… ‘wow fuel is getting expensive’, they reply.. ‘it sure is’… so I say ” did you know national have introduced 18 new taxes, including six fuel taxes since they took office”.. they reply, ” really, I didn’t know that”, I say…’this year I’m voting for change”, they respond… “sounds like we need change”…’ yes we do.. have a great day’… ‘thanks love you too’
At the Dr’s…. crowded waiting room, talking to more strangers… ‘wow we can vote next week’… someone responds ‘they’ve been making all sorts of promises lately’.. I respond… “I know, and how about that steven joyce, turns out he took 8 Economic Papers at varisty and failed the lot of them”… someone else says ‘did he really?’… yes I say, and he is looking after the money’… another person says.. ‘that’s a worry’. “It sure is, and he has the cheek to say all the qualified economists are wrong and he is right”…. someone else says… ‘the only hole he has is one in his head”.. … then I was called for my appointment…. ‘have a great day everyone, nice to talk with you all’… ‘you too and nice to talk with you as well” they reply.
It’s up to us to inform everyone, every moment we can if we want change.
Their website also links to two generalised pro-life groups. It is also notable that this ad smearing Labour just happens to come from a special needs advocacy group in the context of a campaign in which National has been receiving bad press for its attitudes towards related issues.
“Later tonight will bring a fresh poll, with TVNZ set to release an update from Colmar Brunton that is already being touted as ‘explosive’. The last one certainly was, putting Labour in front of National for the first time in many years.
That poll was taken between Saturday August 26 and Wednesday August 30. The Reid Research poll published on Sunday, which showed Labour at 39.4 percent and National at 43.3 percent, was taken from August 22 to August 30, so is seen as slightly less up-to-date than the Colmar Brunton poll.” https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/07/46589/election-17days
The U.S. military in Afghanistan apologized Wednesday for distributing leaflets featuring an image “highly offensive” to Muslims.
The leaflets dropped Tuesday night over parts of Parwan province showed the Shahada, the Muslim profession of faith, printed on the image of a dog, an animal viewed by many Muslims as unclean.
Yep. In a panic the Nats have removed their arrogant ‘keep moving forward’ poster from the Auckland City Mission. The Auckland City Mission of course looks after people who the Nats have clearly sent backward while they were moving forward.
The placement and then removal of the poster is symbolic of their blind indifference.
Of further interest is that the church has an agreement with the billboard company that no advertising shall be placed with might cause offence. Clearly the National Party does cause offence. 🙂
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Last week the Wall Street Journal published an article ‘The Dangerous Denial of Sex by two scientists Colin Wright and Emma Hilton. Write is an evolutionary biologist at Penn State and Hilton is a developmental biologist at the University of Manchester. It is well worth reading the article in full. Here ...
I am about to mail my overseas ballot to Florida so that it can be counted in the Democratic primary on March 17. In Florida you have closed as opposed to open primaries, which means that one must declare a party preference in order to vote in a party primary. ...
Winston Peters - Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the NZ First PartyWe all know that politics can be pretty messy at times. Just look at the Dirty Politics saga in New Zealand, the misgovernment of the Australian bushfires or the recent Trump impeachment debacle in the US. In a ...
Last Monday SpaceX launched another clutch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, bringing up to 300 the number of these units intended to bring 5G internet to the whole globe. In this post I present a movie showing how all 300 such satellites will be zipping around our planet over ...
The recent floods in Southland have highlighted the issue of Rio Tinto's illegal toxic waste dump in Mataura. But according to Newsroom, there's an even worse mess in Ruakaka near Whangarei:A Northland property stockpiled one million litres of flammable and toxic chemicals. Almost two years since the situation came to ...
It’s amazing just how many attack ads $100,000 buys you these days. The National Party has really been going to town lately, with their latest Twitter campaign making a number of questionable and blatantly false assertions, one being that poverty has worsened under the Labour led Government.The National Party's claim ...
OMV's exploratory drilling in the Great South Basin has failed to find oil. Good. Firstly, because we can't afford to burn the oil and gas we've already found, so there's just no point looking for more. And secondly, because offshore, deep-water drilling poses a risk of an environmental catastrophe, which ...
The government has announced it will strengthen whistleblower protections. The major change is "allowing people to report serious wrongdoing direct to an external authority if they wish", which fixes one of the big flaws in the Act. At present, whistleblowers must generally make their disclosure direct to the body they ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bruce Lieberman CARLSBAD, CA. – When it comes to paying the electric bill, most people don’t give it a second thought – it’s something that in effect is “baked in.” But across California and several other states, local governments increasingly are ...
Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Spinifex Press, 2013. Part 4 Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the fourth part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna ...
The Democracy Virus: China’s authoritarian political system enables a level of social surveillance and control that liberal democratic societies cannot match. The Chinese Government makes full use of the latest digital technology to both punish – and reward – its citizens. The plans it formulates cannot be challenged, or hindered. Where ...
Another day, another IPCA report on criminal conduct by policy. This time they kicked a child in the head when he was handcuffed:Police chased him and yelled out for him to stop. When he turned to face the police, he threatened them with a hammer. That's when the officers tasered ...
The investigation of two of the five parties in Parliament for fraud around their election donations has pushed the issue of party funding back into the spotlight. And while there are obvious things we can do to tighten up the donations regime - a much lower declaration threshold, realtime disclosure ...
While the south of New Zealand has been struggling with too much rain in recent days, here in the north we are so very short of it (though Saturday’s forecast looks promising). Basically, we have had almost none since Christmas.As someone who relies on rain to wash the car, ...
Former National Party MP Jami-Lee RossIt comes as no surprise that Jami-Lee Ross has been named as one of the defendants in the X2 $100,000 National Party donations case currently before the courts. Click bait journalists who were chaffing at the bit to discredit the former senior whip had already ...
Stand Clear! Winston Peters is encouraging voters to think of RNZ as belonging to “The Media Party”. He wants them to see it as a politically partisan institution with its own, vicious attack-dogs in the electoral fight. If he succeeds, it will be, and probably should be, the end of ...
"You're going to need a longer runway" Gratton et al explore the ongoing effects of upward-creeping temperatures on aviation in Greece in the period since 1955 at a range of airports in that country. For longer runways impacts are measurable but with little impact on operations. For airports with shorter runways, ...
In mid-December the Israeli secret police, the Shin Beit, revealed it had arrested dozens of Palestinian left-wing activists, including members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in the previous few months. Among those arrested was one of the central leaders of the PFLP, Khalida Jarrar. As ...
Former National Party chief whip Jami-Lee Ross is one of the four people charged over National's multiple fraudulent donations. How unsurprising. Meanwhile, just days ago National leader Simon Bridges was trying to pretend the charges were nothing to do with his party. Yeah, right. When your chief whip effectively publicly ...
If you've been watching FYI for a while, you'll have noticed that the police have a bad habit of demanding ID from requesters. They have apparently been repeatedly told to stop doing this by the Ombudsman, but we all know what law enforcement thinks of the law, so thye keep ...
Collateral Damage: For the Green Phoenix to be reborn, the funeral pyre so patiently assembled by its identity politicians over the course of many fractious years – but with growing intensity over the past three – first has to be ignited. The terrible probability, of course, is that, in setting ...
If you follow politics in New Zealand you've likely noticed that the right wing have been going on and on about the Coalition Government failing to reduce poverty. In fact they’ve been incessantly claiming, in the absence of any conclusive data, that poverty has been getting worse.Yesterday, NewstalkZB reported:Mike Hosking: ...
The Herald reported over the weekend that an Auckland business owner is being targeted with asset forfeiture laws over a workplace death:A workplace fatality has seen police use a law usually associated with drugs and organised crime to seize millions of dollars in assets from a business owner because of ...
Just days after talking about how people feel "squeezed" and promising tax and service cuts as a "solution", National is talking about cancelling a rise in the minimum wage if elected: National is considering scrapping the Government's planned minimum wage increase if it wins this year's election, the party's finance ...
Nobody thinks about the next century anymore. That at least is Sci-Fi writer William Gibson’s observation (in this BBC 4 short interview, starting at 1:43:50 ). He calls it “Futures Fatigue”, but isn’t judgemental about it. Gibson notes that in the 20th century speculation about the 21st (and beyond) was common. Now ...
A Labour government desperate for the numbers crawls into bed with Winston Peters. Winston ignores the law and secretly takes money under the table from someone. When it is exposed just months out from an election, he is investigated by the Serious Fraud Office. That's what happened back in 2008. ...
So the Serious Fraud Office has another secret $100,050 National Party donation before the Courts in a major scandal that looks set to quash any chances Simon Bridges had of winning the 2020 election.Yesterday, Newsroom reported:The Serious Fraud Office prosecution of four people over donations to the National Party involves ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Iceberg twice the size of Washington, D.C., breaks off Pine Island glacier in Antarctica Story Highlights: The Pine Island ...
Prof Philippa Howden-ChapmanHousing policy is building up to be the key election issue again. In this blog I reflect on the importance of the role of the New Zealand Government in improving access to affordable housing. I look at what the Government has been doing to increase quality public housing ...
Writing on The Spinoff, Danyl Mclauchlan argues that we have a vacuum in our political system, in that there is no longer an anti-establishment party anymore:I think there’s a vacuum in our political system. There are obvious problems with the status quo but no real critics offering reform. It’s a ...
Stuff today has a piece about the government discovering it has been oversubsidising polluters for a decade under the Emissions Trading scheme:The Government is pledging to urgently fix an issue within the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), after it emerged some polluters are likely being over-compensated with taxpayer-funded carbon credits. [...] ...
The Marlborough District Council, tired of public scrutiny, wants to increase the amount it charges for LGOIMA requests:The cost of requesting official information from Marlborough's government agency could almost double after a jump in "fishing expeditions". Charges could be raised from $60 to $100 an hour for information supplied by ...
When Winston Peters was caught money laundering donations and stalking journalists, the Greens were conspicuous by their silence. It was another example of how getting along with their government partners was eroding their values and their own reputation. It was obviously unsustainable, and so now James Shaw has finally spoken ...
I am among the most pro-free speech people I know. I don’t doubt there are others more strident than me, but I’m certainly up there. And my support for freedom of expression isn’t limited to opposition to government-imposed restrictions. It extends to a belief that employers should have limited powers ...
With over 69,000 confirmed cases and 1,600 deaths, here’s your round-up of the latest coronavirus news. New disease and virus have now officially been named On the 11th February, the WHO Director General announced a new name for the disease: COVID-19 which is short for coronavirus disease 2019. The naming ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 9, 2020 through Sat, Feb 15, 2020 Editor's Pick ANALYSIS-Climate change opens up 'frontier' farmland, but at what cost to the planet?Climate change could expand farmland globally by ...
After cross-examination Jones knew he would lose the defamation case he took against film maker Renae Maihi. That’s why he threw in the towel. The weight of evidence was clearly against the old tycoon with the defense presenting fifty articles to confirm Jones’ racist views.Being unable to harass somebody into ...
Sprung! Former NZ First president, Lester Gray, chats with RNZ's Guyon Espiner in the carpark of a Tauranga shopping centre.(Photo supplied anonymously to NZ First and The BFD.)IT’S CLEAR THAT an important aspect of Jacinda Ardern’s political success is her willingness to seek – and take – advice. This ...
Ruth Cunningham, Charlotte Paul, Andrew MoorePublic health responses to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 require us to draw on our common humanity and be explicit about our values. Recognising this will help us make good decisions in difficult situations so that, for example, the need to impose restrictive measures ...
The Helen Clark Foundation has released its report on the housing crisis, and found that house-hoarders are to blame for it:Property investors are to blame for New Zealand's high house prices, a new research paper published by the Helen Clark Foundation says. [...] McArthur said previous attempts to address housing ...
The Abortion Legislation Committee has reported back on the Abortion Legislation Bill and recommended that it be passed with some amendments. Unfortunately, the latter include even more hoops to jump through for those seeking abortions after 20 weeks, including a time-wasting requirement to consult a second doctor. No-one casually seeks ...
Brexit is likely to be a disaster for the UK (how sad, never mind). But now that they're out of the EU, the latter has finaly taken the opportunity to blacklist one of their key tax havens:The Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory, is to be put on an EU ...
I’m not quite sure of what to make of the new figures for COVID-19 (as we must now call the novel coronavirus – though I’m not sure the capitalisation is correct) from Hubei province:Image from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51495484The spike yesterday is a consequence of a using a different way of ...
Bob Jones has dropped his defamation case against Renae Maihi. Good. But at the same time, it perfectly exposes what the case was all about: not protecting Jones' reputation, but punishing someone who had dared to criticise him, and deterring others from doing the same. This rich pompous asshat dragged ...
As I've done for the past few years, I'm curating and presenting The Listening Lounge, the talk programme at Splore. On the morning of Saturday the 22nd at the Living Lounge stage, the korero goes like this.Yes, we're talking about drugs again, not just because I'm professionally interested in drug ...
What Were They Thinking? RNZ's CEO Paul Thompson (left) and Jim Mather, Chairman of the RNZ Board of Governors, attempt to justify the debacle arising out of their attempt to downgrade RNZ Concert to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee at Parliament on Thursday, 13 February 2020.WHAT IS ...
Dame Tariana Turia with former PM John KeyWhat is it about Tariana Turia’s grudge against the Labour Party? Not content with attacking the Government over Whānau Ora funding, which was increased by $80 million in 2019, she has now made it personal by saying that Jacinda Ardern is out of her ...
Back in 2017, right after being elected, Jacinda Ardern promised that there would be no new mines on conservation land. Since then, her government has done nothing to make that happen, and now the policy has been officially "parked" for the election:West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor says the "no new ...
So the guy who advocated for public burning and beheading feels offended because someone called him a racist!Perhaps Bob Jones hasn't heard of the very old saying; Live by the sword, die by the sword?I mean for someone who often writes opinionated nonsense about Maori; this is a ridiculous case ...
The government today announced a major support package aimed at reducing homelessness. A thousand new transitional housing places, more support for people to find homes (or not lose them in the first place), all good stuff. The one problem with it is that they're going to start charging people in ...
Courtroom Drama: There is no off-switch in a courtroom. Neither is it possible to turn the page in disgust. Ill-formed and ill-defended opinions will be exposed ruthlessly and unapologetically. As Shakespeare put it: “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.” Sometimes the ...
As of today, the novel coronavirus spreading in China is called COVID-19. Why does it matter? Around the office, we’ve had several conversations over the past few weeks about how 2019-nCoV needed its own name. First, it was getting annoying calling it by the above designation, and ‘novel coronavirus’ doesn’t ...
by Philip Ferguson Last month B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, reported: “In 2019, Israeli security forces killed 133 Palestinians, including 28 minors. Of the casualties, 104 were killed in the Gaza Strip, 26 in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and three within ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Arms (Firearms Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bill (No 2) (Brett Hudson)Its basicly more "tough on crime" nonsense (its already illegal for unlicensed people to own guns) designed to wedge NZ First against its arsehole base. ...
Kids learn better with a full stomach. That's why we launched our Lunches in Schools programme, which is already providing free and healthy school lunches to thousands of children so they can focus on what's important - learning. ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland This afternoon to a crowd of over 100 people in Mataura -- Mark Patterson, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland launched a parliamentary petition regarding the aluminium dross issue in Mataura, Southland. The petition asks that the ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Finance, Fletcher Tabuteau has welcomed Statistics New Zealand’s latest report as a timely reminder of the value that this Coalition Government brings to every day New Zealanders: “This Coalition Government has meant a ...
Today New Zealand First made a pledge to campaign at the election to fund St John Ambulance the 90 per cent it has asked for. Government funding would allow St. John’s to achieve fully funded status. Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters publicly declared his determination to deliver ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order Newly released Police data shows once again the number of fleeing drivers have continued to skyrocket with a record 512 incidents occurring in December – almost tripling the number of incidents occurring just ten years ago, says New Zealand First Law and ...
While the Provincial Growth Fund has provided $2 million to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia, Regional Economic Minister Shane Jones said he is greatly concerned that there are “issues” in implementing the projects. The Minister said the immediate solution was to pipe water from a bore ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland NZ First is calling on Rio Tinto to accept its responsibilities to the Southland community and enable the immediate removal of the toxic Aluminium Dross from the Mataura Paper Mill site. New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland, Mark Patterson ...
The Coalition Government has announced that a further $500,000 will be given to help residents in Southland and Otago to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. It follows prior government assistance of $200,000 earlier this month where the Southland Mayoral Relief Fund received $100,000 to support communities impacted by ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones was on RNZ’s Morning Report talking about the recent droughts in the Northland region and what the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is doing to alleviate its impact. The PGF recently announced a funding of $2 million for temporary water supplies to Kaikohe and Kaitaia, ...
Speaking to The Country’s Jamie Mackay, New Zealand First MP and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones talks water storage, plant-based meat imitation, and superstar Hollywood director James Cameron. While water storage may have its critics, Minister Jones defended the scheme by saying: “unless we invest and continue to invest” in this ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones is accusing northern iwi leaders of selling out Māori by voting for ideologically-driven court cases rather than practical steps to increase water supply. “I just think that iwi leaders who think that water issues are going to be solved by perpetually fighting in the ...
A dairy owner in St Kilda, Dunedin was delighted to hear that an attempted robbery of his establishment was foiled by a government-funded security system. Sean Lee was delighted at how well the anti-theft smoke system worked. When a knife-wielding man entered the store, the shop assistant immediately pressed a ...
Customs says it stopped more than three tonnes of illegal drugs coming into New Zealand last year. This includes 1,180kg of methamphetamine, 329kg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine precursors, which could have been converted into 246kg of methamphetamine, 739kg and 6469 pills of MDMA or Ecstasy and 60kg of cocaine. Offshore, ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Up to $2 million will be allocated from the Provincial Growth Fund to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia where drought is biting hard, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Drought conditions in Northland have led to ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Law and Order New Zealand First welcomes the deployment of an Eagle Police helicopter in Christchurch in what is a step towards fulfilling its long-standing goal to increase the use of police helicopters for the front line, particularly in addressing the scourge of fleeing drivers. Christchurch leads ...
It may have been the first sitting week of 2020, but our Government is already in full-swing - managing a strong economy, investing in infrastructure, and working to break the cycle of homelessness. Read below for all that, and more... ...
In a heated debate in Parliament, National's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett claimed that “nearly 1600 patched gang members have been added” since the Coalition Government took power. To illustrate her point, she altered a chart used by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to show her government’s progress in housing to instead ...
Speech by the Rt Hon Winston Peters at Parliament’s Opening 2020 "We all need insurance" This year New Zealanders are going to have a clear choice to make That choice is between: Optimism versus pessimism; More progress versus back to the future; Investment versus divestment; Unity versus division. New Zealand ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has slammed the Board of Auckland Airport following the airport's runway closing twice within two weeks due to maintenance. Around 2,000 passengers were affected by last week’s runway closures, according to 1NEWS. Another maintenance closure on January 24 saw two international flights and three domestic flights ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Broadcasting New Zealand First supports the commissioning of a business case to assess the viability of a new public media entity. “A strong media environment is critical for a healthy democracy. New Zealand First is a strong supporter of a diverse, independent media,” New Zealand First broadcasting spokesperson ...
Pounamou and technology industries in the West Coast region are set to receive more than $2 million in Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding. This was announced by the Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau during Waitangi Day commemorations in Hokitika. He said $800,000 would be given to Development West ...
A new partnership programme between the New Zealand Police and Fiji Police will focus on combatting transnational organised crime and enhancing investigative skills, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on the first day of her visit to Fiji. The programme will see: · New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met today in Suva, and renewed their commitment to continue to strengthen Fiji-New Zealand relations on a foundation of shared values and equal partnership. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the kinship between Fijians and New Zealanders, one that has endured over ...
A $19.9 million investment from the Provincial Growth Fund will help develop essential infrastructure for an industrial hub in the Bay of Plenty town of Kawerau, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “The funding will go to three projects to further develop the Putauaki Trust Industrial Hub, an industrial ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing $8.3 million on a roading package for Mahia that will lead to greater and wider economic benefits for the region and beyond, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced at an event in Mahia today. The $8.3 million announced consists of: $7 ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed new reporting showing the Coalition Government is on track to meet its child poverty targets, with 18,400 children lifted out of poverty as a result of the Families Package. Stats NZ has released the first set of comprehensive child poverty statistics since the Government ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today announced that Bikes in Schools facilities have been rolled out to 20,000 more kiwi kids under this Government. She made the announcement at the opening of a new bike track at Henderson North School in Auckland. “Bikes in Schools facilities give kids ...
Benefit settings rise in line with wages as of 1 April Main benefits will increase by over 3 percent, instead of 1.66 percent, on 1 April with the Government’s decision to annually adjust benefit rates to increases in the average wage. The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, said ...
Strengthening New Zealand’s political and business ties with India will be the focus of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ and Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker’s visit to India this week. The Ministers are co-leading a high level business delegation to India to support increased people and economic engagement ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio continues to champion for greater Pacific participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers with the announcement of the Toloa Awards, with 8 recipients of the Toloa Community Fund and 13 Toloa Tertiary Scholarships. “The Toloa Programme encourages more Pacific peoples ...
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has extended the date for people to have their say on proposed changes to improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. Submissions were due to close on 2 March 2020 but will now remain open until 9am on Monday 16 March 2020. “I have ...
The endangered toroa/Antipodean albatross has new international protection for its 100,000km annual migration, thanks to collaborative efforts led by New Zealand, Australia and Chile. Today, 130 countries agreed to strictly protect Antipodean albatross at the Conference of Parties on the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild ...
No sales to under-18-year-olds No advertising and sponsorship of vaping products and e-cigarettes No vaping or smokeless tobacco in smokefree areas Regulates vaping product safety comprehensively, - including devices, flavours and ingredients Ensure vaping products are available for those who want to quit smoking Vaping regulation that balances ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little will travel to Berlin tomorrow to represent New Zealand at a high-level summit on nuclear disarmament. This year, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) celebrates 50 years since it entered into force. “New Zealand’s proud record and leadership on nuclear disarmament is unwavering, so it’s important we are present ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit two of New Zealand’s most important Pacific partners, Fiji and Australia, next week. The visit to Fiji will be the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister in four years and comes during the 50th anniversary of Fijian independence and diplomatic relations between our ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little and New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball, have today announced the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the location, and the membership of the Establishment Advisory Group. Colin Carruthers QC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the CCRC for an ...
Māori Development Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Agriculture Minister Hon Damien O’Connor co-announced the first horticultural finalists for the Ahuwhenua Trophy celebrating excellence in the Māori agricultural sector. The three finalists are Ngai Tukairangi Trust from Mt Maunganui, Otama Marere Trust from Tauranga, and Hineora Orchard Te Kaha 15B Ahuwhenua ...
A new kete of resources to strengthen support for students with dyslexia will provide extra tools for the new Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs) as they start in schools, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Minister launched the kete in Wellington this morning, at the first of three induction ...
The Government continues to make progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the First Reading of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill and its referral to the Social Services and Community Select Committee. “Now is the opportunity for landlords, tenants and others who want ...
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Hon James Marape will visit New Zealand from 21-25 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a warm and friendly relationship. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Marape here and strengthening the relationship between our two countries,” ...
Thousands of children have begun receiving a free lunch on every day of the school week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The Government’s free and healthy school lunch programme is under way for 7,000 students at 31 schools in Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti and Bay of Plenty / Waiariki, extending ...
The Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni today announced a new approach that continues to broaden the Government’s social sector focus from a narrow, investment approach to one centred on people and wellbeing. Minister Sepuloni said redefining the previous approach to social investment by combining science, data and lived experience ...
The Government is strengthening the Protected Disclosures Act to provide better protection for whistle blowers, Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures Act is meant to encourage people to speak up about serious wrongdoing in the workplace and protect them from losing their jobs or being ...
Nǐn hǎo (Hello in Mandarin). Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy New Year in Mandarin) Néi Hóu (Hello in Cantonese). Sun Nin Fai Lok (Happy New Year in Cantonese) Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for your invitation to attend this celebration today. I would like to acknowledge ...
Kia ora. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. E ngā mana whenua ki tēnei rohe Taranaki Whānui, Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa – kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi. E ngā mana, e ...
Kia ora. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. E ngā mana whenua ki tēnei rohe Taranaki Whānui, Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa – kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi. E ngā mana, e ngā ...
Tougher penalties for gun crime are a step closer with the passage of firearms reform legislation through another stage in Parliament. The Arms Legislation Bill has tonight passed its Second Reading. “The changes have one objective - to prevent firearms falling into the wrong hands,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. ...
Introduction Mr Speaker We all know why we are here today. It has been a long journey. The journey did not actually begin on 15 March 2019. It began on 30 June 1997. Almost 23 years ago, Justice Sir Thomas Thorp told us what was wrong with our firearms legislation. ...
The Government’s work to put trades and vocational education back on the agenda took another major step forward today with the passing of the Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Bill, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is a watershed day for trades and vocational education. These law changes formalise ...
Speeding up the return of Christchurch regeneration activities to local leadership is behind the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today by Minister Megan Woods. “As we approach nine years since the February 2011 earthquake in Canterbury, and with the transition to local leadership well underway, the time ...
Hundreds of New Zealanders and international visitors will be able to get back out into nature with the Milford Track partially reopening next week, after extensive assessments and repairs, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The popular Great Walk has been closed since 3 February after an extreme ...
Up to 110 new EV chargers nationwide in cities and regions 50 electric vehicles for ride-sharing The Government is helping deliver more infrastructure and options for low emissions transport through new projects, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. Tauranga, Nelson, Levin, New Plymouth and Oamaru are just some ...
New Zealanders are increasingly better off under this Government as wages rise and families have more disposable income, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. Stats NZ reported today that average household disposable incomes after housing costs rose 4.9% in 2019. This was the highest rise in four years and came as ...
All New Zealanders need to have their voices heard at work to ensure we have an inclusive and productive economy. Today we introduce a Bill to do this for workers in the New Zealand screen industry, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “The Screen Industry Workers Bill will ...
The Government has announced further help for the Southland and Otago regions to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. “I’ve approved Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG), making $500,000 available to help with the clean-up in Fiordland, Southland, and the Clutha district in Otago,” Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said. ...
Following the announcement that more than 340 schools will be funded to run events promoting vocational education, the Government has announced it will fund a further 257 events to be run by employers and industry. “These industry-run events will allow more than 30,000 students to connect with more than 2,000 ...
Today the Government is making progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the introduction of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill in Parliament. “This Bill includes a series of reforms to improve the wellbeing of the 609,700 households that live in rented homes, and ...
A Government programme to wipe out pea weevil has achieved a world first, with Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor today announcing the successful eradication of the noxious pest from Wairarapa. This means the nearly four-year ban on pea plants and pea straw was lifted today. Commercial and home gardeners can again grow ...
Southland residents hit by flooding caused by heavy rainfall can now access help finding temporary accommodation with the Government activating the Temporary Accommodation Service, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare announced today. “The Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to help ...
“Is that it?” That’s Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s response to Simon Bridges’ much-hyped economic speech today. “Simon Bridges just gave the most over-hyped and under-delivered speech that I can remember during my time in politics,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s not surprising. Simon Bridges literally said on the radio this morning ...
A trial deployment of the Police Eagle helicopter in Christchurch will test whether the aircraft would make a significant difference to crime prevention and community safety. “The Bell 429 helicopter will be based in Christchurch for five weeks, from 17 February to 20 March,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. “The ...
The Grace Millane murder case wasn't a who-dunnit - in fact it was easily solved. But it sparked intense public interest and international media coverage. What were the ingredients that caught the world's attention? A media frenzy descended on the High Court in Auckland last week as a sentence was handed down ...
OPINION:By Murray Horton in Christchurch For as long as the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (Cafca) has existed – more than 45 years now – we have called for the closure of the aluminium smelter, owned by giant transnational corporation, Rio Tinto. There are numerous grounds for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The inquiry into allegations of misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan is examining 55 separate incidents or issues, according to the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force report, tabled Tuesday. These involve “predominantly” allegations ...
Tourism bosses have been invited to join a new advisory group, allowing them to stay in "constant communication" with the government in their response to the coronavirus. ...
Alex Casey delivers her eighth power rankings for The Bachelorette NZ, where a humble avocado changed everything forever. Click here for previous instalments. Glass me with the talking bottle, slice my hand off with a fax machine and send me straight to the Centre De Emergencies, because this was the most ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition government has supported Labor’s motion in the Senate to call for men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt to be stripped of her Order of Australia award over her comments on last week’s horrendous murder-suicide ...
he Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa welcomes the withdrawal of the hugely controversial resolution on anti-semitism from the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. It is a victory for free speech and human rights. PSNA looks forward to working with other organisations ...
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is calling on New Zealand to back his country in pushing Australia to commit more to climate change action. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Fileborn, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Melbourne The downfall of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has come to a head following his conviction for rape in the third degree and a criminal sex act in the first degree. He was acquitted ...
After days of rumours, Mediaworks have removed Hannah Tamaki as a cast member for the 2020 season of Dancing with the Stars. Sam Brooks reflects on the controversy.On Sunday, the NZ Herald gossip column Spy broke the news that Hannah Tamaki – wife of Destiny Church founder Brian and head of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia Queensland Coroner James McDougall has handed down his findings into the tragic deaths of four people on Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride in 2016. He reported a litany of failings ...
Sri Krishnamurthi reflects in this special report on what life is really like trying to live and cope with the effects of a stroke for three years. Those were the most horrifying days of my life. It’s only now that I find the courage to write about my trials ...
Dear Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern (Prime Minister), Hon David Clark (Minister of Health) and Hon Chris Hipkins (Minister of Education) We are students, educators, staff and leaders across the tertiary sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. We have an urgent message ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan N Williams, Associate Director/National Technical Leader-Aboriginal Heritage, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, UNSW The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that without a substantial decrease in our use of fossil fuels, we are on track for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Onno van der Groen, Research Fellow in the school of medical and health sciences, Edith Cowan University You may have heard of binaural beats, an auditory illusion that has been touted as having stress-busing properties, and is the subject of countless hours ...
Over the weekend, a Twitter spat blew up into a full blown controversy when New Zealander Jason Lei Howden blew up his own movie with a bizarre series of tweets.The trailer for Guns Akimbo makes it look like a fun romp, the sort of film your flatmate who keeps all ...
By underfunding investment in the young we've been able to create budget surpluses to be siphoned into the NZ Super Fund at the current rate of nearly $2.5b a year. This has some serious impacts for a lot of families. ...
‘Over the last six months I’ve realised there are always more tears.’ In August, Emily Writes wrote about the tough months following her son’s hospitalisation and diagnosis. This is what’s happened since.Part 1:Ward One: Emily Writes on love and fear and hope at her son’s hospital bedSix months ago I ...
Mercury's first half profit has dropped as weak wholesale conditions and intense competition drove down revenue. The power generator and retailer's net profit dropped 20.2 percent in the six months to December to $83 million, reflecting below average generation and divestment of its smart metering business. Revenue was down 14 ...
He’s been the country’s leading supporter of the strangest films in the world, and now he’s made his first feature film. Sam Brooks talks to Auckland film champ Ant Timpson about his directorial debut, Come to Daddy.My first encounter with industry legend Ant Timpson was from afar, at a 2010 ...
Summerset's annual profit is down with higher wages expected to continue to be a drag on earnings over the coming year. The retirement village operator's net profit fell 18.3 percent to $175.3 million in the year to December, as expenses rose, while the construction of fewer living units contributed to ...
NZME media group has slumped to a large loss after writing down the value of its business as it pursues a merger with its rival Stuff. The company's loss for the year ended December was $165 million, which included a write down of $175m in the value of the business, ...
Whoopee! A pay rise. No – to be precise, a rise in the national super which is paid to some of the team at Point of Order. Super was included in the boost to benefits announced yesterday by Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni. Fair to say, this boost did not ...
Movie Mogul Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of rape. But the problem is much bigger and more insidious than a few bad men, writes Victoria University's Jan Jordan. In May 2017, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor had a conversation with Hollywood actress Rose McGowan that began the downfall of movie ...
Jamela Alindogan reports on journalists in the Philippines protesting and demanding better protection of press freedoms. Video: Al JazeeraBy Neil Joshua N. Servallos in Manila The University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, which has the biggest and oldest journalism school, has released a statement supporting television broadcaster ...
Homeownership has long been touted as the great Kiwi dream, but not everyone’s looking for a permanent fix. Jihee Junn explores the rising phenomenon of renters by choice.Even if I had a hundred grand sitting in the bank for me to spend right now, I’m not sure buying a house ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Parr, Lecturer, Australian Catholic University German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is sometimes dismissed as a malevolent figure, obsessed with the problem of nihilism and the “death of God”. Understandably, these ideas are unsettling: few of us have the courage to confront ...
US politics ain’t for the faint-of-heart. Signs of desperation are emerging in the Democratic Party as Senator Bernie Sanders surges to the lead after three key polls – and party grandees worry whether mainstream United States is ready to elect a “socialist”. Then, Republicans fear the US intelligence agencies, labelled ...
The Opportunities Party (TOP) today proudly announced the first tranche of candidates that will contest the upcoming 2020 New Zealand General Election. After two successive “smile and wave” governments Kiwis can see through the charade. Politics has ...
Media company NZME sees a further modest fall in revenues and earnings - and declares itself the "right owner" for rival Stuff Ltd as it gives more details of its push for political and regulator support. ...
Media company NZME declares itself the "right owner" of Stuff and gives more details of its push for political and regulator support. NZME expects further details of its proposed bid to buy rival Stuff to be made public in "coming weeks" - and any Kiwishare offered to the Government to be ...
The Council of Trade Unions is pleased that the Government is continuing to shine light on the issue of poverty in New Zealand and specifically child poverty with new statistics out today. CTU policy director and economist Andrea Black was at the ...
Forest & Bird is concerned at misinformation circulating regarding a policy statement aimed at protecting New Zealand’s unique biodiversity. The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity is being consulted on by the ...
QUOTE from; Article: NZ Energy and Environment Business Week https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2002/S00150/govt-vehicle-fleet-emissions-heading-in-wrong-direction.htm First published in Energy and Environment on February 13, 2020. “The latest data shows the Government’s attempts to electrify its vehicle fleet and cut its emissions ...
The defendants in the National Party donations case have pleaded not guilty to charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office. The four men entered their pleas today during their first appearance in the Auckland District Court. Yikun Zhang (48), Shijia (Colin) ...
A teenager who was stabbed more than 16 times by her ex-partner has spoken out about her ordeal, and thanked those who ran to her aid. Crystal Tupou was left fighting for her life after her ex-partner stabbed her multiple times in broad daylight on ...
The New Zealand stock exchange has fallen more than 2 percent on the opening, following drops in global stock markets amid coronavirus fears. Overnight the three main indexes in the US have fallen by about 3 percent, while the UK's FTSE 100 share index closed 3.3 percent lower. Yesterday, the ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentForeign affairs and trade Barbara Dreaver (1News): Ardern’s visit to Fiji, Australia a test of New Zealand’s climate change ...
Four men facing Serious Fraud Office charges over donations made to the National Party - including MP Jami-Lee Ross - have pleaded not guilty at their first court appearance. ...
It competes directly for talent with the lavishly subsidised film industry, yet Simon Dasan, creative director of Wellington powerhouse A44, says New Zealand’s game creators are still thriving. There’s an uncanny parallel between New Zealand’s gaming industry and Ashen – the action role-playing game which is one of its most accomplished ...
Low observations of Hector’s dolphin calves, and dolphins much further out to sea than usual in early summer, have raised fears for this endangered species only found in New Zealand waters. The concerning summer comes after another delay in the ...
Bay of Plenty Police have acknowledged the findings of an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into an incident at Tauranga Hospital in March 2018. The IPCA investigated an allegation of excessive use of force by officers transporting ...
By Will Steffen of the Australian National University Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s announcement on Friday that a Labor government in Australia would adopt a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 was a big step in the right direction. But a bit of simple maths reveals the policy is too ...
The Tasman District mayor is vowing to press on with a large irrigation project, despite a 25 percent jump in its cost. When finished in 2022, the Waimea Dam will be 53 metres high and hold 13 billion litres of water - that's more than the contents of 5000 Olympic ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia As the country mourns the horrific murders of Hannah Clarke and her three children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey at the hands of their father, many people are trying ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Varney, Senior Research Dietitian in the Department of Gastroenterology, Monash University The FODMAP diet is used to help manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but it’s becoming more popular. Now bloggers and so-called health gurus have jumped on board, claiming it can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tanya Notley, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media, Western Sydney University Like adults, children use the news to learn about what’s happening in the world. But the circulation of misinformation, such as the recent spread of fake news about COVID-19 (the disease caused ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Kirk, Postdoctoral Fellow, Interdisciplinary Conservation Science Research Group (ICON Science), RMIT University People living in cities far from the unprecedented bushfires this summer may feel they can do little more to help beyond donating to organisations that support affected wildlife. But ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katarina Miljkovic, ARC DECRA fellow, Curtin University We’ve all heard of earthquakes, but what about marsquakes? NASA’s InSight mission has, for the first time, recorded seismic activity coming from Mars’ interior. The observations, recorded in 2019 and published today, will help understand ...
In today’s edition: Coronavirus’ harsh impact on New Zealand’s economy starts to reveal itself; Bridges advocates matching Australia’s deportation policies and the Shelly Bay dispute ratchets up.
As major outbreaks were confirmed in Iran and Italy, the impact of Coronavirus on New Zealand’s economy started to become more clear, ...
ReadingRoom is devoting all week to the best-selling book in New Zealand right now, In The Clearing, the brilliant thriller by Ngāpuhi author JP Pomare. Today: Steve Braunias interviews journalist Chris Johnston, who has written extensively about the creepy cult which inspired Pomare's novel. When I looked ...
While two companies give conflicting accounts of past events, authorities are silent on the sale of a piece of equipment which could be used to process the 830,000 litres of dangerous solvents. The distillation unit essential to process the almost million litres of toxic and flammable solvents abandoned in Ruakaka ...
Laura Robertson once hated running, was overweight, then battled a heart condition. But nothing, it seems, will stop the athletic paramedic lining up in the punishing Ironman. Laura Robertson was a cross country cheat. She hated the race and did anything and everything she could to shorten it. She simply wasn’t a ...
Vivienne Martini, who worked for OT and its predecessor CYFS for 15 years, says the case of the boy badly injured at his home in Flaxmere raises deep issues about the practices at the children’s ministry. This case is about the terrible abuse of a child. But it is also ...
A group discovered to be digging for proof of a giant pre-Māori race in the limestone caves of Waikato have not lost their minds all of a sudden, but are continuing a legacy of religion-based racism in the area, writes Scott Hamilton.Earlier this month, RNZ’s Susan Strongman reported that amateur ...
A long-awaited bill to regulate vaping has been unveiled at parliament. Here’s the skinny.What does the bill do?The bill, which associate health minister Jenny Salesa is calling “the most significant change to New Zealand’s smokefree laws since they were introduced 30 years ago”, will introduce a complete ban on the ...
This month's Treaty settlement with Moriori includes an unusual provision - setting the official record on the people's history straight For more than 100 years, New Zealanders have been fed a myth. The myth goes something like this: that once upon a time, Aotearoa was home to a race of ...
By Vasinatta Yama in Mt Hagen Eight prisoners at the Baisu Correctional Service prison near the Western Highlands provincial capital of Mt Hagen are dead following a massive jail breakout. Western Highlands Acting Provincial Police Commander David Kongui confirmed that two prisoners have surrendered, while an unknown number of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A foreign intelligence service sent a “sleeper” agent to Australia, who provided logistical support for visiting spies, the head of ASIO, Mike Burgess, has revealed, in a speech pledging to intensify the fight against the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Apart from committing a crime, what do you have to do or say to be stripped of your order of Australia award? Where “a line” should be drawn is the question the Council for the ...
Open Mike 07/09/2017 
by the Council of Disobedient Women When Moana Maniapoto recently lamented that Rachel Stewart was no longer writing for the Herald, political commentator Morgan Godfery was quick to brag on Twitter, like a schoolyard bully, how proud he was of “driving Rachel Stewart from the Herald”. What a contrast Morgan ...11 hours ago
You’re probably aware that the Achievement Standards used to assess senior school students’ learning are being reviewed. Science is one of the ‘pilot’ subjects in this process, where a ‘Subject Expert Group’ has developed 4 draft Science standards¹ (a significant step away from the current 30+, and a response to ...12 hours ago
It seems we can’t even get through a week these days without the National Party's leader, Simon Bridges, making some sort of silly announcement about a policy that doesn’t actually exist.Usually concerning Bridges’ gut instinct and the undoing of whatever the Government has recently announced, National’s reactionary opinions and uncosted ...14 hours ago
Oh look! NZ First's secret slush fund was laundering donations from Talley's:One of the country's biggest fishing companies, Talley's, and its managing director donated nearly $27,000 to the New Zealand First Foundation, which has been bankrolling the New Zealand First Party. The foundation received $26,950 from seafood giant Talley's and ...15 hours ago
High Risk Call: Insensitive though it may seem to even pose the question: how will the electorate respond to what the Prime Minister’s opponents will undoubtedly characterise as an attack on New Zealanders’ freedom of speech? At more than twelve month’s remove from the terrible events of 15 March 2019, ...2 days ago
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I am about to mail my overseas ballot to Florida so that it can be counted in the Democratic primary on March 17. In Florida you have closed as opposed to open primaries, which means that one must declare a party preference in order to vote in a party primary. ...4 days ago
In mid-December the Israeli secret police, the Shin Beit, revealed it had arrested dozens of Palestinian left-wing activists, including members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in the previous few months. Among those arrested was one of the central leaders of the PFLP, Khalida Jarrar. As ...6 days ago
I am among the most pro-free speech people I know. I don’t doubt there are others more strident than me, but I’m certainly up there. And my support for freedom of expression isn’t limited to opposition to government-imposed restrictions. It extends to a belief that employers should have limited powers ...1 week ago
Kids learn better with a full stomach. That's why we launched our Lunches in Schools programme, which is already providing free and healthy school lunches to thousands of children so they can focus on what's important - learning. ...17 hours ago
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland This afternoon to a crowd of over 100 people in Mataura -- Mark Patterson, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland launched a parliamentary petition regarding the aluminium dross issue in Mataura, Southland. The petition asks that the ...20 hours ago
A new partnership programme between the New Zealand Police and Fiji Police will focus on combatting transnational organised crime and enhancing investigative skills, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on the first day of her visit to Fiji. The programme will see: · New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research ...11 hours ago
The Grace Millane murder case wasn't a who-dunnit - in fact it was easily solved. But it sparked intense public interest and international media coverage. What were the ingredients that caught the world's attention? A media frenzy descended on the High Court in Auckland last week as a sentence was handed down ...7 mins ago
OPINION: By Murray Horton in Christchurch For as long as the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (Cafca) has existed – more than 45 years now – we have called for the closure of the aluminium smelter, owned by giant transnational corporation, Rio Tinto. There are numerous grounds for ...5 hours ago
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he Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa welcomes the withdrawal of the hugely controversial resolution on anti-semitism from the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. It is a victory for free speech and human rights. PSNA looks forward to working with other organisations ...10 hours ago
By underfunding investment in the young we've been able to create budget surpluses to be siphoned into the NZ Super Fund at the current rate of nearly $2.5b a year. This has some serious impacts for a lot of families. ...13 hours ago
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Movie Mogul Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of rape. But the problem is much bigger and more insidious than a few bad men, writes Victoria University's Jan Jordan. In May 2017, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor had a conversation with Hollywood actress Rose McGowan that began the downfall of movie ...16 hours ago
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Despite the team of experts putting it straight that Joyce n Billshit have told utter falsehoods re- fiscal hole. The RNZ webpage continues to use a title which still gives the lie oxygen
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/election-2017/338839/fiscal-hole-hit-the-havoc-button
And in my opinion she’s very soft on Joyce in just calling him intemperate, rather than a liar intent on misleading the public. Going on about the “Havoc Claim” as it’s called in political science…… bullshit! even the political scientist call shit like this what it is – Dirty Politics!!
Straight out of the Dr. Joseph Goebbels manual:
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
That senile old git Richard Prebble is also making shit up – featured on the Herald site.
Classy. Very classy.
Oh. Snap. There were no comments on open mike when I started on my comment below on the same OP.
I don’t think she needs to be tougher on Joyce, he is already looking like damaged goods, and Hawyward’s explanation comes across as calm and rational, rather than adding to the Joyce-style hysteria.
Nah, Joyce is the type of person that needs a good kicking before he learns stuff right proper in his ed.
Would we be okay with this being said about a female politician?
Just asking, like.
Apologies I was of course speaking metaphorically, as it seems he keeps on banging on with his lies. Bit like a child with chocolate covered face adamantly telling mummy he didn’t eat the cake, HONEST!!
Besides, if someone with a penchant for violence were to kick Dildo Joyce in the head, his demonstration of his thickness would mean the kicker more likely to end up with a damaged foot.
Respect for owning your slip up. We all veer into inappropriate language from time to time, and should always be ready to be pulled up on it.
Controlling the message via their control over RNZ, wouldn’t hurt labour to attack IMO Joyce and Blinglish have burnt a lot of capital over this.
Frame it as general dishonesty with other examples to depower the numbers meme into more general lying behaviour to get people realising this is what they are, lying deceptive wreckers.
That’s all they know at this stage, it’s called fear mongering, creating doubt in the voters mind.
They really are desperate !! But the sheep will follow sadly
I know in democratic countries you are not supposed to put ex politicians on trial, but I’d happily make an exception for Richard Prebble. What a traitor to the left.
Left? What left?
Prebble
Douglas
Caygill
Goff
Dunne
Bassett
Should probably also go non-politician and imprison Fay and Richwhite as well.
Well, I see Prebble has an OP in the NZ Herald, that even the NZH twitter won’t directly link to:
The comments so far to the tweet are by the unimpressed – calling Prebble irrelevant.
Every time I see an op-ed by Prebble I stop reading it after the ‘by Richard Prebble’.
The man who doesnt know the difference between weather and climate. Sadly he is not alone in that.
He’d have plenty of mates if that’s your criteria.
Yes. I read his Advertorial in the Herald this morning. Typical of him. Shameless by the Herald. Not he calls Ardern, Jacinda.
Bronwyn Hayward is a political academic the mainstream media needs to use more for political analysis. Posted on RNZ last night, she explains the way Steven Joyce used the “havoc claim” gambit in his false allegations of an 11 billion dollar hole in the NZLP budget.
Hayward says this gambit can undermine democracy and turn off potential voters. However, it can, as in the Joyce instance, blow back on the user of the havoc claim, and damage their vote. This happened because Ardern called it out pretty quickly in the leaders debate, and because many economists and mainstream media journalists critiqued the false claim strongly.
Furthermore, Hayward estimates that NZers have become more savvy about political false claims having watched overseas elections, such as in the US.
Well said – my guess is that the Nats want a term in Opposition, hoping that the next Govt will force the Greens and NZF to work together – could be fun
Oh, I expect Joyce will be correct in hind-sight, as the Banking Cartel and International Rating Agencies smash the NZD (floating international lending rate) under a Labour lead Govt.
Of course – it’s not as if rating agencies haven’t recognized Bill’s fiscal genius – with downgrades.
the dollar will likely fall (but not necessarily crash as it is likely to do under a continuation of the current settings) mainly due to a reigning in of immigration and investment restrictions as stated by Labour….and that will be great for our exporters. The RBNZ has been bemoaning the dollars strength for years and even told Key to put the brakes on immigration to stop the upward pressure…Key of course knew better.
I imagine the tax shelter ‘industry’ will be feeling a chill too.
Isnt a lower NZD great for exporters and shite for importers and kiwis spending their tax cuts on overseas holidays? Pardon me while I weep
God, I hope so.
Let No Flower of the Spring Pass by Us – Wisdom of Solomon 2:1-24
(Bible quote for the day – but respect for the Bolshevik right to atheism)
Atheism predated Bolshevism by centuries (even millennia depending on your definition of the term):
Knutzen after Ulpian
Capitalist’s response to a crisis:
“Prices for flights out of South Florida have skyrocketed as high as more than US$3000 (NZ$4166) per person for domestic flights, which would otherwise cost a fraction of the price during what’s typically one of the slowest times of the year for air travel.”
We see the same response to housing, Christchurch’s earthquake, and so on.
Where there’s a buck to be made!
Has Trump erected big tents in a safety zone, called them Trump Tents and charging???
To be fair he would only be following the Clinton’s example in Haiti.
From memory I heard stories like that about uber recently as well in another city after another disaster.
air nz put on $50 flights so i and many others could get to ch ch to help with the clean up after the second one i recall
Looks like the Labour Party, in government, would support the Green party policy to re-structure and improve Work and Income.
Turei led the way with great sacrifice to her political career, the Labour Party look to be following.
Good
Another Disability meeting Wagner couldnt be bothered with and Act didnt bother eitber. Speaks volumes.
Carolyn_nth
Both those links take me to the same Newsroom post (which I hadn’t seen – so thanks for that). Was there a second piece to which you were trying to link as well?
Sorry, think I just didn’t format the one link correctly. Just one article.
“Robertson was less clear than Mathers in his initial answer on whether Labour would increase the rate of supported living payments, but when pressed for a ‘yes or no’ answer by moderator Susie Ferguson, said: ‘Yes.'”
Disappointing (and far less convincing) that he had to be “pressed” for an answer.
Moreover, unlike the Greens, Labour didn’t commit to an amount.
We have a chance to choose better, and clearly the Greens are the better choice.
Paigon is my newly discovered word/term of today. Seems appropriate to introduce it here.
This is great, fantastic news.
So then the next things it would be nice to know are:
– who would be the Minister for Social Development in a Labour-led government?
– how would they fix the culture at WINZ?
– what relevant experience have they got in effecting cultural change?
– is there budget for it?
A.
PS I’m not trolling, I honestly want to know what the plan is!
I think most of that is dependent on the size of Labour’s coalition partner and which party it is.
The culture change wouldn’t necessarily need a budget – issue the directives and the staff must follow.
NZ1 would, I suspect, be focussed on the very young and very old, so would maybe have associate ministers in those areas.
Greens have more of a holistic approach, so might be wanting the top slot.
Carmel Sepuloni is the Social Development go-to for Labour. Seems to be pretty good.
> The culture change wouldn’t necessarily need a budget
I don’t want to make this all about money, but I think it is going to cost more, if only because more beneficiaries will get their proper entitlements. But also I think some turnover of personnel will be needed and that is going to come at a cost (golden handshakes, recruitment costs, etc).
> – issue the directives and the staff must follow.
That’s not how life works, you can’t change workplace culture by saying ‘I now direct that everyone behave differently’.
I don’t know what the Nats (and previous Govts did) to stuff up the culture at WINZ so comprehensively but I think it’s going to take a lot of work and time to reverse that. Inspirational leadership will be necessary but not sufficient.
> Carmel Sepuloni is the Social Development go-to for Labour. Seems to be pretty good.
Never been a Minister let alone a Cabinet Minister, never been a senior manager in any form of organisation, never led a culture change project as far as I can see, I have no confidence that she can do the business.
A.
“….never been a senior manager in any form of organisation, never led a culture change project as far as I can see, I have no confidence that she can do the business.”
Anne Tolley, Paula Bennet, Gerry Brownlee…shall I continue?
Right, they lacked management experience when they entered Parliament, they couldn’t fix the culture at WINZ even if they wanted to which they don’t, nor (I fear) can Sepuloni.
A.
If someone else failed to do a job they didn’t want to do, does that mean it is a particularly difficult job?
The Minister isn’t involved in the hands on implementation of a culture change (though are ultimately responsible)….that is the CEOs role.
Turnover would only be needed in the case of misconduct. And if people end up getting more money, this isn’t a bad thing. If there’s a blowout, it can be handled.
And actually, you can change workplace culture by making reasonable changes to workplace expectations. And if a few folks don’t play along, give them fair opportunity to do their jobs, then go through the disciplinary process.
As for Sepuloni, does CEO of Vaka Tautua count? Google it.
edit: I did it for you
> As for Sepuloni, does CEO of Vaka Tautua count?
Hmm yes, that would help
2 1/2 years as CEO, apparently – between terms in parliament.
We shall hope it helps
meh
Seemed to be a fairly weak reservation you had in the first place, which turned out to be complete bunk.
we should be concerned…it would appear that whatever it is that ails Joyce is contagious.
Meet back here in a year or two’s time, by then we’ll know if the problem’s all fixed or not!
dunno about fixed. But I’d expect a significant improvement.
Trump had lots of business and management experience…
Turnover may only be at the very top. The workers want to be compassionate, most people go into those jobs because of that, not the pay scale. Currently KPI’s encourage meaness. That change will cost nothing.
Everyone currently in a cabinet position had never done it before 2008 and many had not done anything meaningful in this line in their businesses.
Ministers are more akin to a Director than a CEO. And even CEO’s are not in charge of operations as a rule. You are talking about operations. They hire people for this, they do not do it themselves. .
I was subjected to the change from Labour to National management as a ‘Client’. The WINZ staff certainly changed their attitude.
“Bully from the top on down the line” is how the change was applied. That and negative PR about bennies. Some of the better staff left. The new style upset them. Others stayed and thrived with the bullying style.
> Some of the better staff left. The new style upset them. Others stayed and thrived with the bullying style.
Interesting. That reinforces for me that there is going to need to be some staff changes
A.
The secret diary of Antoine:
heh.
continued:
Well, I have my doubts but I guess we’ll see when breakfast time comes
It couldhave been turei (if Greens made it back) but Ardern ruled that out and Turei can only return if she wins Te Tai Tonga
Thank you Carolyn,
As a polio victim 1947, I am now needing all the aids. So a fairer way of accessing needs would be great. Some products I need are a heavy burden on the purse.
When I enquired, my Dr”s Nurse offered me a mobility card.
None of my other needs seemed to feature. So clear guidelines? Great
Another 1News Colmar-Brunton tonight…
Tolley wants to punish the youth for not having a job. Would it not make better sense to give them free education/training instead. Maybe they haven’t got a job because they have no skills. Without an education or skills they probably have naught to feel good about themselves.
I now understand why the Nats are so anti any kind of free tertiary education, it’s because Joyce pissed around at varsity when it was free for him and he thinks everyone else will do the same.
We know what will happen. We do not need a crystal ball.
http://metro.co.uk/2012/02/29/government-scraps-benefit-sanctions-from-work-experience-schemes-335905/
Cheers for the link Trace about the UK, that was interesting, so Tolleys idea has been tried and failed overseas, a bit like national standards etc, failed borrowed policy
But it hits the hot buttons of those soft middle white voters…
garner to his credit has just demolished tolleys shiney new policy
If you have time can you say more or post a link. I cannot watch because I refuse to honour Richardson with my eyes and ears.
went on about how only 430 people have failed under the new testing scheme they do have less than 1% of course tolley made some shit up on the fly to counter it , also a laywer pointed out that these are the very people that will be pushed into a life of crime if the dole is cut ,
Thanks. Given the low numbers revealled when Key tried this on, you wonder where (or to whom) the $72m would go. My guess is nowhere, just like the incentive to teachers to go to lower deciles was kept quiet but was included in bragging about spending on education.
they just had a couple more fallas on ( some guy from Vend? and a newshub producer ) they demolished it as well , line of the day, ”there’s more drug use in the young nats”
Love it!
Here’s the link from Garner interviewing Tolley this morning.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/nats-accused-of-going-after-the-brash-trash.html
+1 BWaghorn, if the interview comes up online will try and remember to post it laters.
I know of a couple of teenagers with a deadbeat dad and an absent mother, they aren’t working, or training etc. They never had a chance to start with. Their parents are uneducated and due to poverty they don’t see any hope for themselves. They can’t afford further education, and they have no dreams because they feel they have no future. And it’s reasons like that why I’m a massive supporter for free tertiary education. To give EVERYONE a chance no matter their past, background or upbringing.
Any legitimate job training is welcomed by me. Cut a swathe tgrough heaps of PTEs first.
jobs with good wages is what they need , the government needs to be a job creator, we aren’t all equal in our in how we cope with life . if it takes having 10 guys leaning on shovels to get them out of the house and feel some pride so be it.
couldn’t agree more about the government being a job creator/supplier.
the ripple out benefits are positive from seeing adults in the house, leave every day, to go to work.
i maintain that kiwirail should have (be forced to?) award its recent loco contracts within aotearoa. only 25% more expensive.
unfortunately the benefits would not appear on kiwirails balance sheet, but would be real none the less.
My concern is that there is not the well paid jobs even if the worker has the training and the skills. The world is changing from people being employed to people being self employed, contract workers. I don’t know if that is a good thing, but it’s increasingly difficult to get and keep a job these days.
Part of it, is that now everyone wants experience from young people and are unwilling to train them, NZ employers don’t want to pay for top skills from Kiwis when they are trained, it’s cheap and easy to get rid of people as it’s just a process with little costs involved, so a change in management often means that for no apparent reason (or in the case of Ms Harrison, fraud) they go around culling out their rivals to be seen to be doing something.
One of the many reasons for NZ’s low productivity is that there is an adversarial relationship between employee’s and employee’s that stems from the Rogernomics era. There needs to be a rethink on that as well as a way to create new high paid jobs in sustainable areas not just cars, cows, coal and construction with migrant labour being used to mask our appalling wages and labour laws and a system that is producing unequally educated people (illiterate or over qualified) who can’t find jobs, because many of our industries are based on low or very specific skills, with employers who just can’t be bothered training anyone when has become so easy to replace or look over a local worker for an overseas one in an overseas worker pool of billions. with the NZ taxpayer helpfully subsidising their income with working for families, accomodation benefit, free health and schooling, ACC is it all goes wrong and free super after 10 years. What overseas worker is not going to go for that!
+1
Remember that economically NZ made a decision a few decades ago to have low inflation or no unemployment. It chose low inflation. Accordingly there will always be unemployed under this economy. To bash people you need to be unemployed to meet your low inflation target is beyond cruel.
This article might interest you. It shows what a health relationship between Union and Management can achieve. It is a long read, but a good read.
https://hbr.org/1979/07/quality-of-work-life-learning-from-tarrytown
Thanks Tracey
Sue Bradford is right we need to nurture our youth not herd them around like sheep and penalize them If they get a universal wage and offer them starts in a trade that is way better than bills policy we need to nurture there wairua self worth ect teach them the work culture and let them no and give them a bright future.
TOPS should be in that debate as he deserves it Its Just Bill trying to eliminate competition.
Any employers ripping off there workers should be treated the same as a shop lifter as it is still theft and we need to let these people no that it is theft we should name and shame these employers they are a small % of employers but they are getting away with THEFT. Bryce is a good reporter good to see the likes of him back on our TVs more.
Yes, time to stop fines and start imprisoning bosses who do not have contracts and/or pay less than minimum wage. EG kiwifruit growers recently found over 50% jn that position. No howls from the public or media for personal responsibility and consequences…
Agree eco Maori/kiwi (9). Theft of labour is a serious crime in my book as well and should be treated as such, with harsh penalties dished out to unscrupulous employers!
We know what the Natz’s attitude to it is … ignore the issue completely! Be interesting to find out Labour/Greens/NZF perspective on it is and how they would address labour theft.
I like seeing all the positive news about our culture Maori culture. In my view Maori culture Is all of the people of NZ culture Its is part of what makes NZ culture unique its part of what makes us Kiwis.
Lett’s celebrate our unique Maori culture it makes us unique in our world. All cultures in NZ can be celebrated to.
Susie just did a pretty good job at making Tolley squirm re her latest round of beneficiary bashing. Hopefully audio up in due course.
The Drug Foundation says cracking down on young beneficiaries who use drugs, could push them from cannabis onto methamphetamine because it’s harder to detect.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201857588/beneficiary-drug-crackdown-could-push-users-to-meth
It could also push young addicts to cold turkey and possibly suicide. I doubt their plan is to provide Oasis type help immediately to anyone taking it up.
Push an addict further into poverty… but then Tolley says MSD do not collect the stats on how many on beneficiaries. A dead beneficiary = efficient economy under Nats?
Joyce on RNZ head-to-head debate, when asked directly could not name an economist or indeed anyone,to support his assertion of the $11billion hole in Labour’s proposed budget.
For the dominant RNZ audience, that will be useful.
He could have named English or Bennett as both have supported him.
I intend asking our local MP at a meet the candidate meeting today, if he supports the Joyce outrageous claim.
yep, well done that man!(Robertson) in point blank calling Dildo (Joyce) the liar that he is on RNZ. Video link here
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/338857/video-finance-debate-national-vs-labour
If you need another reason to not vote for national this one should help.
This service is now down to 7 place on a Friday.
https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/dentistry/general-dentist/auckland-dhb-oral-health-service-regional-1/
So ask yourself, how many people in Auckland, and it has 7 places. They stopped the walk in service, because people were getting into fights. Now they just lock you out via the phone.
@Adam – shocking.
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/environment/environmental-reporting-series/environmental-indicators/Home/Land/livestock-numbers
i read somewhere the other day that total stock numbers have fallen well below the 1991 level s and the stats above seem to back it.
sheep numbers have plummeted while total cattle has stayed static .
this would say that farming is already below it.s 1991 levels .
”Methane is produced in the guts of ruminant livestock as a result of methanogenic microorganisms (belonging to the Archaea). The composition of the animal feed is a crucial factor in controlling the amounts of methane produced, but a sheep can produce about 30 litres of methane each day and a dairy cow up to about 200.”
lifted from google
we have dropped 20 million sheep in that time which release approx 3.3 million cows worth of gas
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/environment/environmental-reporting-series/environmental-indicators/Home/Land/livestock-numbers
interesting…the almost static cattle number is a surprise, though the distribution is still an issue (canty dairy herd e.g.) ….take it those methane numbers quoted are robust?
http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/greenhouse-gases/agricultural-greenhouse-gases/methane-emissions
might be a little on the light side due to the cattle herd changing from beef to dairy
i will stand by the fact that nz has reduced its cattle emissions since 1990 till proved otherwise
https://muchadoaboutclimate.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/how-much-methane-does-a-cow-actually-produce/
since 1990 nz population has increased from 3.3-4.7 million
Allometrics suggest that human respiration is around 251g co2 per day.metabolic respiration from decomposers of human excreta is around 50% of respiration emissions it would be statistically significant.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.1330660313/abstract
plus the cars the come etc but that’s another story
I’m not so sure about that. Not a farming quibble, more a stats quibble. I wouldn’t call it “static”, even if the line’s nearly horizontal.
Look at the scale of the chart.
The numbers in the actual data tables show about 8.8million cows in 1994, 9.6M in 2002, and 10.3Mil in 2014 (an increase of 7% on 2002).
You’re right about the decline of 20mil-odd sheep, though.
Testing…
WTF, just saw this on my FB feed.
I don’t remember this policy announcement, can someone please tell me when it was released? /sarc
http://bobmccoskrie.com/?p=20234#sthash.I9f8emZU.dpbs
“Down’s syndrome advocacy group condemn Jacinda Arden’s pledge to introduce abortion up to birth for disabilities “
Bob McCoskie is simply lying. Hardly surprising, I have noticed that the fuckwits from the Family Fist are chronic liars – I guess that deliberately lying is just part of their moral code.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/05/jacinda-ardern-decriminalise-abortion-new-zealand-election
She said that abortion should be decriminalized. A quite different thing.
Yeah, you should read the FB comments to McC. Many are pointing out as usual, he’s making shit up to fit his world view.
I am not surprised.
Bob McCroskie a fundamentalist Mormon when you look into their church and Women’s Rights.
Sexual abuse .
A horid bunch of Misogynists.
McCrosky clean up your own back yard before you start telling everyone else how to live.
And frankly, she’s right. A woman shouldn’t have to pretend that she’s mentally fragile so that she can get an abortion of the basis of a threat to her mental health. It’s degrading and demeaning of women. I doubt that moving it out of the Crimes Act and into the Health arena would have any effect on the numbers of abortions being performed, but it would be more respectful of the women who require an abortion.
And prove that mental illness to 2 different doctors. Imagine you live in a rural area where seeing 1 is hard enough?
McCoskrie has a masters in economics. As far as I know has done little theological training but sees fit to take an ancient book literally. Ridiculous as you actually can’t take it literally it needs to be interpreted. It says little about abortion except making it clear that a fetus is not the same status as a human being. For instance it recommends the death penalty for murder but not for causing a miscarriage. Exodus 21 22-25. What the Bible is very clear and consistent on is that I we should feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Jesus goes so far as to say that people who don’t do this are going to hell. So I guess that since McCoskrie tends to support right wing parties he is going to he’ll.
“We are now seeing signs of bubbles in more and more parts of the capital market where we wouldn’t have expected them,” he said in Frankfurt, noting property prices in advanced economies had hit record levels.
Making a case for tighter monetary policy a day before ECB governors are expected to unveil plans to reduce money printing due to the stronger economy, he welcomed gradually ending loose monetary policy.
“The central banks must, however, plot a middle way that averts massive losses on the markets,” he cautioned.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11918620
something I hope GR is highly conscious of, especially as we reduce the main driver to our economic growth, immigration at the same time….its going to require one hell of a juggling act.
I think I would need to have a serious disconnect with the reality of life in NZ if I was to believe that less than 1 in every 200 beneficiaries smokes a bit of weed.
Beating people with a bigger stick never improves conditions for anyone. We can’t force people to be the best they can be, it needs to come from within us. We have to want it.
The worst thing we can do is push the disenfranchised further away with Jackboot policies, we’ve watched this approach fail for centuries. The best thing we can do is to get about creating signposted, alluring, climbable pathways to satisfaction and pride….and yep, if the guy is a stoner, forestry or long-haul truck driving is probably not the best path. It appears people are pretty good at working this out for themselves, I think this is what gets us to that suspect less than 1 in 200 has a puff figure.
A long term, sustainable and successful solution to any social problem will invariably have it’s feet planted in love.
Ruth Richardson in 1991 slashed benefits. That was designed to incentivise job seeking ( based on a right wing lie that unemployed do not want to work). Since that time benefits have never recovered. Can we agree it is a failed policy and it is time to try something evidence based?
Secondly, why is ok for white employed people to do drugs? And they do, in great numbers. In my circle it is almost all who vote Nats or Act. The lefties stick with alcohol. That “evidence” is as goid as Tolley’s and Richardson before her and all those in between who did not rectify it.
In addition it waa decided we could have full employment or low inflation. We chose low inflation and now pillory those victims we know cannot get work because of it
QFT.
I wonder how Max Key is doing.
@ tracey (18.2) … no doubt creepy junior is still living off the fat of the land and driving about in his state of the art vehicle, boasting about all his (non) achievements in life, while looking for a photo op, just like Saint Dr Sir daddy!
Are the offspring of former PMs, included in the life time travel perks, or does that only apply to the retired PM and his/her spouse?
I bet he can afford illegal drugs. Does it say the same thing about his parents, if he does, that it says about parents of the poor?
So, I take it that some research into it has come out that you disagree with and you’re falling back on you beliefs that have just been proved wrong?
I don’t need to refer to research Draco, I just go about my day with my eyes and nostrils open. Do you honestly believe that less than 1 in every 200 beneficiaries smokes dope? National average, about 1 in every 12 adults smokes occasionally or more frequently, beneficiary average, 1 in every 225?….I don’t believe it and I think we’re fooling ourselves if we do.
I don’t think it matters beyond determining how best to address the situation and stopping benefit payments or forced rehab will create more problems than are solved.
Isn’t it possible they can’t afford it like the white privileged folks born to the wealthy?
No, you actually need to refer to research because otherwise you’re wrong.
As you don’t refer to research we can safely assume that you’re talking out your arse and know absolutely nothing.
No, you can assume I don’t accept all research as bona fide. I’m sure you’ve seen research that denies human induced climate change.
Not testing those people that chose not to attend a job interview because drug testing was part of the potential employer’s induction process will of course provide false numbers. I think we’re foolish to accept them as accurate.
I can introduce you to 5 beneficiaries that smoke dope Draco. I don’t know 1200 beneficiaries, I don’t know 100. I suspect most of us could tell a similar story. Cherry picking skewed research does us no favours.
Talking out my arse? Do you honestly believe that less than 1 in 225 beneficiaries smokes weed? It’s not me with 2 sets of vocal chords.
Tui, right there!
Most definitely. That was another three paragraphs of BS.
You cannot expand you’re anecdote to the entire population.
They can’t afford it, so, yes.
OK we’re going to have to agree to disagree then Draco, I’ll take your anecodal point. I’m in the Far North, much of it isn’t purchased, it’s grown.
But… I’m still calling you out, I bet you know 3 beneficiaries that like a puff, now name another 750 that don’t.
I don’t know any beneficiaries that smoke marijuana or use any other drugs.
And eve if I did it’d still be anecdotal. That’s why we have research – so that we don’t make decisions upon anecdotal BS.
umm d-mac you don’t hang around with beneficiaries all day do you being a employer and working stiff and all so where are your nostrils smelling the weed?
Actually there is real evidence that the poor do less drugs and alcohol than everyone else. I went to a presentation about the growing up in New Zealand study. There were lots of negatives for children from the poorest households. The one positive was they were less likely to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. There mother’s couldn’t afford alchohol
http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-myth-of-welfare-and-drug-use
“If Ohio is anything like Florida, which also has a drug-testing program, Schaffer will find that the large majority of welfare recipients are neither drug users nor drug dealers. From 2011 to 2012, just 108 of the 4,086 people who took a drug test failed—a rate of 2.6 percent, compared to a national drug use rate of over 8 percent. The total cost to Florida taxpayers? $45,780.
The most colossal failure of this policy was in Arizona, which passed a drug-testing law in 2009. In 2012, an evaluation of the program had startling results: After three years and 87,000 screenings, only one person had failed the drug test, with huge costs for the state, which saved a few hundred dollars by denying benefits, compared to the hundreds of thousands spent to conduct the tests.’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-irwin/20-things-poor-people-really-do_b_4533691.html
Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals
Exclusive: Tests show billions of people globally are drinking water contaminated by plastic particles, with 83% of samples found to be polluted
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals
Eww.
Well folks I don’t know if I am seeing things or if this is not a position for a slave I have just been reading in my local rag.
“Seeking a Nanny/Cleaner”
“Nanny Cleaner required for full-time position. Nanny/Cleaner will be taking care of child, ages 10 months, 10 years & my Aged Mom. Your responsibilities with the children include: driving children to and from school, taking children to the park, reading to children, playing with children in home. Other duties include light cleaning, some meals & occasional laundry. Nanny is required to have at least a month of experience, as well as CPR. First Aid and French is an asset. Attributes such as sense of humour, caring & responsible are a plus.
Hours are 9am – 7pm Monday to Friday. The wage is $500pw & vacation pay is included.”
I have worked this out as 50 hours a week at $10 per hour. Firstly are we allowed to pay beneath the minimum wage these days. Secondly is including the holiday pay into that $500 legal – and if so that would bring down the hourly rate even further.
I have omitted the person and their contacts but needless I must add – it is a male who is requiring these services. He obviously has no idea what it is like to look after children, plus an aged Mum whom he obviously wants this “slave ” to toilet and keep an eye on and cleaning and laundry.
Good luck with his job advertisement but if this is the calibre of work that Tolley is hoping our young people will be going into – poor hours, poor pay, no holiday pay or sick pay – then she needs to vacate her cabinet seat and retire.
Also I heard this morning that there have been thousands of complaints about the very subject above to advocates etc – complaints ranged from termination without any required reason, no security of tenure etc etc. Brave old NZ – she is in a sad state these days.
Was it board and lodging provided? If not it is a bit rude to get someone to manage a 10mth old! as well as an aged Mum.
Some immigrant desperate for work will take it.
It should say board included, if it does… but it would be odd to include board for a 5 day a week job. I use “job” loosely.
At the petrol station, chatting to strangers… ‘wow fuel is getting expensive’, they reply.. ‘it sure is’… so I say ” did you know national have introduced 18 new taxes, including six fuel taxes since they took office”.. they reply, ” really, I didn’t know that”, I say…’this year I’m voting for change”, they respond… “sounds like we need change”…’ yes we do.. have a great day’… ‘thanks love you too’
At the Dr’s…. crowded waiting room, talking to more strangers… ‘wow we can vote next week’… someone responds ‘they’ve been making all sorts of promises lately’.. I respond… “I know, and how about that steven joyce, turns out he took 8 Economic Papers at varisty and failed the lot of them”… someone else says ‘did he really?’… yes I say, and he is looking after the money’… another person says.. ‘that’s a worry’. “It sure is, and he has the cheek to say all the qualified economists are wrong and he is right”…. someone else says… ‘the only hole he has is one in his head”.. … then I was called for my appointment…. ‘have a great day everyone, nice to talk with you all’… ‘you too and nice to talk with you as well” they reply.
It’s up to us to inform everyone, every moment we can if we want change.
Good on you Cinny!
Those conversations are worth way more than any social media campaign or brain farts like minister Joyce uttered.
Well done.
the first of the coronal mass ejections from the sept 4 m5 eruptions has arrived,
there is a significant forbush decrease at the southpole neutron monitors
http://www.bartol.udel.edu/~pyle/thespnplot.png
Good chance of auroras in the south tonight despite the moon.
If you are feeling a bit down, or a bit blue, this interview with Maggie Gyllenhaal will perk you right up. Time stamp 10.16sec
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96594496/advocacy-group-impersonates-labour-makes-false-abortion-claims
this lot need locking up , surely this is illegal
Saving Downs make religious lobby groups look rational – doesn’t suprise me that they’d do something this stupid.
Their website also links to two generalised pro-life groups. It is also notable that this ad smearing Labour just happens to come from a special needs advocacy group in the context of a campaign in which National has been receiving bad press for its attitudes towards related issues.
“Later tonight will bring a fresh poll, with TVNZ set to release an update from Colmar Brunton that is already being touted as ‘explosive’. The last one certainly was, putting Labour in front of National for the first time in many years.
That poll was taken between Saturday August 26 and Wednesday August 30. The Reid Research poll published on Sunday, which showed Labour at 39.4 percent and National at 43.3 percent, was taken from August 22 to August 30, so is seen as slightly less up-to-date than the Colmar Brunton poll.”
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/07/46589/election-17days
are the voters abandoning ship?
one lives in hope, but polls fluctuate wildly these days…
and then there are polls
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96597780/a-firsttime-maori-party-mp-may-end-up-being-kingmaker-and-a-minister
I hope the MP get squashed by the electorate. I hope, before voting, they remember whose been propping up national for the last nine years.
Labour doing deals with them will be like bargaining with Dunne or Rimmer for their vote. Yucky.
Kinda interesting that again it’s released on the eve of a debate.
Here’s the link for info on how to watch the debate tonight.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96599625/how-to-watch-the-stuff-election-debate-on-your-telly
EDIT.. Just saw this… “The High Court has been told that Gareth Morgan’s party is on 1.9 per cent in the latest 1 News Colmar Brunton poll due to be released this evening, up nearly 1 per cent.”
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/latest-polling-has-gareth-morgans-top-party-up-1-9-per-cent-but-still-not-enough-eligible-tvnz-leaders-debate
Interesting… some of his supporters were cock-a-hoop earlier this week that they would get well over 6%.
Seymour gets so much coverage for a one-,man party attracting .4% of party vote….
Sixteen years on and they’re as clueless as they ever were.
The U.S. military in Afghanistan apologized Wednesday for distributing leaflets featuring an image “highly offensive” to Muslims.
The leaflets dropped Tuesday night over parts of Parwan province showed the Shahada, the Muslim profession of faith, printed on the image of a dog, an animal viewed by many Muslims as unclean.
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-afghanistan-usmilitary-apology-20170906-story.html
Work and Income contact family living for years in boarding house after media coverage to get them (hopefully) on social housing register.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/338910/ministry-contacts-family-living-in-lodge-for-seven-years
Reactionary government creates a reactionary public service sector.
Labour have a lot of work to to to make things right again.
It can be done but will need the political will.
Haha. National have taken down the billboard on wall of the City Mission.
Yep. In a panic the Nats have removed their arrogant ‘keep moving forward’ poster from the Auckland City Mission. The Auckland City Mission of course looks after people who the Nats have clearly sent backward while they were moving forward.
The placement and then removal of the poster is symbolic of their blind indifference.
Of further interest is that the church has an agreement with the billboard company that no advertising shall be placed with might cause offence. Clearly the National Party does cause offence. 🙂
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/national-billboard-removed-from-city-mission.html
How come Poll results never get leaked?
I bet Wayne Eagleson gets plenty of warning.
They do sometimes tracey. UMR’s polling for the Labour Party has been leaked a bit lately and helped spur the resignation of Andrew Little.
I was thinking of the “independent” polls rather than the party polls.
NZ First uses UMR as well, so they may have leaked it.
one news teaser ad just now said a clear leader has emerged. hold on to your knitting
…but can they govern alone…. do-do-do-do
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96592417/gareth-morgan-taking-tvnz-to-court
this is just plane wrong , hopefully he gets to 3% in the poll