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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Not Mucking Around: With upwards of 800 dead from the virus’s resurgence in the Australian state of Victoria, leniency is not on Premier Daniel Andrews’ agenda. The Victorian Police are cracking down hard on the protesters the Australian press has labelled "Covidiots".IMAGES OF POLICE, some in riot gear, others on ...
Although I had the fortune of being a graduate student of some of the foremost US nuclear strategists of the day (1970s) and later rubbed shoulders with Air Force and Naval officers who were entrusted with parts of the US nuclear arsenal, I seldom get to write or speak about ...
News that Zhenhua Data, an arm of China Zhenhua Electronics Group, a subsidiary of the military-connected China Electronic Information Industry Group (CETC), maintains a list of 800 New Zealanders on a “Overseas Key Information Database” that contains personal information on more than 2.4 million foreign individuals, has caused some consternation ...
Marie BecdelievreJanuary 2020. The number of news article mentioning coronavirus exploded and anxious voices whispered about a global pandemic.Whisper? To me, it was only a whisper. I tend to learn about the world through non-fiction books, conferences, and academic research rather than news and social media, so ...
Barbados is planning to remove the queen as head of state and become a republic in time for the 55th anniversary of its independence in 2021: Barbados has announced its intention to remove the Queen as its head of state and become a republic by November 2021. [...] Reading ...
At the 2017 election, the New Zealand Labour Party promised a Fees Free Policy for tertiary students. Basically, it would make the first year of university education free in 2018, with a second year in 2021, and a third in 2024. It also promised to restore Post-Graduate access to the ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhat is the impact of temperature increases in the tropics? ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons It felt like 100 degrees in my in-laws’ Grass Valley, California, kitchen, but at least the lights were on and for the moment we were safely “distanced” from the Jones Fire. We’d just finished dessert, after pizza and a movie ...
A key part of our electoral funding regime is a requirement for some transparency around donations, on the basis that if we can find out who has bought our politicians (typically after we have voted for them) then everything is alright. There are a lot of problems with that regime ...
On “In Defense of Looting” Matt Taibibi takes an entertaining look at this generation of woke activists and how they compare with Abbie Hoffman the iconic anti-Vietnam war counter-culture figure of the 1960s On Thursday, August 27th, the same day Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination, National Public Radio ...
When Parliament introduced the Emissions Trading Scheme, it was worried that carbon prices might get too high. So it introduced a "fixed price option", allowing polluters to pay the government $25 in the place of surrendering credits. The result was predictable: after we were thrown out of international carbon markets ...
The government will finally be requiring large New Zealand companies to disclose their climate change risks: New Zealand finance companies will be made to report on climate change risk, Climate Change Minister James Shaw has announced. The policy will force around 200 large financial organisations in New Zealand to ...
By Claire Grant, Genomics Aotearoa Communications ManagerCommunity consultation is becoming an increasingly important aspect of research programmes in New Zealand, and with that comes the art of relationship building. Engagement between scientists and user-groups is certainly nothing new. But as stakeholder involvement becomes more of a requirement for science, ...
Rebels In A Wrong Cause: The truly frightening thing about Jami-Lee Ross’s and Billy Te Kahika’s success in persuading thousands of New Zealanders that Covid-19 is just another trick, just another way of stealing away their power, is realising just how many of them once marched at the Left’s side. ...
In a couple of months, the 53rd Parliament will meet in Wellington, and approximately 120 MPs will be sworn in, many of them for the first time.They will all have political goals, some aligning with their party platforms, some not, some complex, and some simple, but they will gain one ...
Media Statement For Immediate Release 10th September 2020 The income and wealth inequality lobby group, “Closing the Gap” thinks the Labour proposal a great start says Peter Malcolm, a spokesperson for the group. But they need to be aware of what many of the rich do and of what do ...
ACT is pushing a "no-nonsense climate change plan". What does it involve? Repealing the Zero Carbon Act and Emissions Trading Scheme, reversing the fossil-fuel exploration ban, and allowing mining on conservation land. In other words, repealing any policy which might actually reduce emissions. Which is the very definition of nonsensical. ...
This blog post is a follow up to my recap of Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Training I recently participated in. One of the exercises we were asked to complete was to write about our respective "Climate Story". This is a slightly updated version to the one I had submitted during ...
New Zealand’s media and online politics often reflect the values of liberal and progressive agendas. According to Liam Hehir, the current proposals to lower the voting age to 16 years – which the media overwhelming supports – is indicative of a wider mismatch with society, which is not good for ...
My wife and I, through a combination of good luck and good management, have managed to retire in comfortable circumstances. We celebrate our good fortune by making relatively small but regular donations to a range of good causes – to rescue services like the rescue helicopters, St John’s Ambulance and ...
Jacques Raubenheimer, University of SydneyIf we don’t analyse statistics for a living, it’s easy to be taken in by misinformation about COVID-19 statistics on social media, especially if we don’t have the right context. For instance, we may cherry pick statistics supporting our viewpoint and ignore statistics showing we ...
Over the weekend, Labour released its welfare policy: an increase in benefit abatement thresholds. And that's it. Faced with clear evidence of ongoing hardship among beneficiaries and a call from its on Welfare Expert Advisory Group to raise core benefits by between 12 percent and 47 percent, Labour's response is ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (Bogota; 09/11/2020) The murder of Javier Ordoñez in the neighbourhood of Villa Luz in Bogotá, Colombia at the hands of two policemen brings to the fore the issue of police violence and its function in society. First of all we should be clear that we are ...
Story of the Week... La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Humans exploiting and destroying nature on unprecedented scale – reportAnimal populations have plunged an average of 68% ...
Gabrielle Po-Ching In November 1918, the cargo and passenger ship Talune travelled to Apia, Samoa from Auckland, carrying a number of passengers who had pneumonic influenza. From these passengers stemmed the biggest pandemic Samoa had ever seen. With around 8,500 deaths, over 20% of the country’s population at the ...
Prof Nick Wilson*, Prof Michael Baker In this blog the arguments for and against shifting all COVID-19 related isolation/quarantine facilities to a single air force base at Ōhakea are considered. The main advantage would be a reduction in the risk of border control failures, which can potentially involve outbreaks ...
So the Greens co-leader James Shaw recently made a mistake. In his role as Associate Finance Minister approving funding for “shovel-ready” projects, he fought hard for a private “Green school” to get funding to expand their buildings and, therefore, their student capacity. There are many problems with what he did: ...
Over the last three years there have been growing calls for the government to provide dental services under the health system – universal free dental care. This is because at the moment there’s an anomaly in which teeth are regarded as different from the rest of the body which means ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 6, 2020 through Sat, Sep 12, 2020Editor's ChoiceWith California ablaze, Newsom blasts Trump administration for failing to fight climate change Trinity River Conservation Camp crew members drown ...
Dear Sir, As we head into the run up to the upcoming election I feel it is my duty to draw your attention to the lack of fun we are currently forced to ensure by the Adern regime. In their efforts to keep the nation’s essential workers, health compromised people, ...
It finally happened: about 13 years after first watching Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” (AIT) in 2007 when it became available in Germany, I recently completed the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training! Participating in this particular training had been on my to-do list for quite some time but it ...
Windows 95 is famous for requiring the shutting down the system by clicking ‘start, like stopping your car by turning the ignition key on. Why are so many interfaces so user-unfriendly? The Covid app to register your entering premises can be so clumsy. Sometimes I have signed in, sat down ...
Is the 2020 election result really the foregone conclusion that the polls and commentators are suggesting? Josh Van Veen suggests otherwise, pointing to some of the shortcomings of opinion polling, which could ready some politicians to say “bugger the pollsters” on election night. In November 1993, opinion polls foretold ...
Back in 2019, six select committees of the UK Parliament established a Citizen's Assembly to investigate how to respond to climate change. The Assembly's deliberations were forced online by the pandemic, but it has finally reported back, and overwhelmingly supports strong action: Taxes that increase as people fly further ...
I am feeling a bit impish today and so for no particular reason I thought I would share this thought, which I first posted over on twitter: “Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heatwaves, street protests, armed vigilante militias, a lethal pandemic and a corrupt authoritarian using the federal government for partisan and ...
Wayne Mapp (Photo: Tsmith.nz via Wikimedia) A former Minister of Defence says the government was too slow to involve the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in New Zealand’s response to Covid-19. But Wayne Mapp, a National MP from 1996-2011 who served as Minister of Defence for three ...
Transport is our second biggest polluter after agriculture, making up 17% of our national emissions. Cars and trucks emit 15 million tons of CO2 every year. So, if we're serious about tackling climate change, we need to eliminate this entirely. Public transport and better urban design will be a key ...
Five things we’ve learnt 1. We know where the virus ultimately came from We know that the virus originally came from bats, and most probably a species of horseshoe bat in South East Asia. However, the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2, which allows the virus to attach to cells and infect ...
The Greens' greatest disappointment while in government this term has been the failure to implement a ban on mining on conservation land. Promised by Jacinda Ardern immediately after gaining power, it had long been assumed that the problem was NZ First (who have a long history of environmental vandalism). But ...
If they get into Parliament, everyone expects the Greens to form a coalition with Labour. But James Shaw has said that that might not be the case, and that they might instead choose to sit on the cross-benches: The Greens are prepared to forego a coalition or confidence and ...
Chantal Denise Pagel, Auckland University of Technology; Mark Orams, Auckland University of Technology, and Michael Lueck, Auckland University of TechnologyThree people were injured last month in separate humpback whale encounters off the Western Australia coast. The incidents happened during snorkelling tours on Ningaloo Reef when swimmers came too close ...
Den Of Thieves: They describe themselves, and the money-making rackets they dignify with the name of church, “Christian”, but these ravening wolves are no such thing. The essence of the Christian faith is the giving of love – not the taking of money. It is about opening oneself to the ...
David Pomeroy, University of Canterbury; Kay-Lee Jones, University of Canterbury; Mahdis Azarmandi, University of Canterbury, and Sara Tolbert, University of CanterburyAcademic streaming in New Zealand schools is still common, but according to recent reports it is also discriminatory and racist. Also known as tracking, setting and ability grouping, streaming ...
A New Holy-Day: Perhaps, by accepting this gift of Matariki from the first arrivals in Aotearoa, we late arrivals, shorn of our ancestors’ outlandish fleeces, can draw strength from the accumulated human wisdom of our adopted home. Perhaps, by celebrating Matariki, we can learn to take ownership of our colonial ...
If there was any doubt left, we can surely call it now. Time and date. End of. Finito. Perhaps you thought you saw a flickering eyelid or a finger move? You were wrong. Labour has given up on tax reform for the foreseeable future. One of the key remaining left/right ...
Will the rich get richer under Labour’s latest tax policy? Based on the analysis in reaction to yesterday’s announcement, the answer would seem to be yes. The consensus from commentators is that inequality and severe economic problems will remain unchanged or even be made worse by Labour’s new policy. Although ...
Labour has released its energy policy, and its basicly business as usual: bring forward the 100% renewable target to 2030, build pumped storage if the business case stacks up, restore the thermal ban and clean car standard (but not the feebate scheme), and spread a bit of money around to ...
What's wrong with Labour? The end of yesterday's RNZ health debate says it all: Do you have private health insurance? Reti: "I do." Hipkins: "Yes, I do." Hipkins is Minister of Health. But it turns out that he won't be waiting in the queue with the rest ...
McKayla HollowayThe helicopter carries a team of four Lakes380 scientists and me; we hug the Gneiss rock walls that tower over Lake Manapouri. It’s arguably one of New Zealand’s most well-known lakes – made famous by the ‘Save Manapouri’ campaign of the 1970s. My chest is drawn back into ...
Rainy-Day Man: Is Labour’s tax policy a disappointment? Of course it is! But it’s the best the Traditional Left is going to get. Why? because Labour’s pollsters are telling them that upwards of 200,000 women over the age of 45 years have shifted their allegiance from National to Labour. (Where else, ...
When we last left our intrepid Drow Rogue, he was sitting in a tavern with his companions, only for a crazy Paladin to burst in, and start screaming about the Naga. It soon turned out that ...
Slight tweak to New Research Articles in NR are categorized by domain, roughly. This introduces the problem of items that don't neatly fit in one slot, or that have significance in more than one discipline (happily becoming more frequent as the powerful multiplier of interdisciplinary cooperation is tapped more frequently). ...
Today AstraZeneca pushed the pause button on its late-stage trials of a COVID-19 vaccine. A clinical trial participant has experienced a serious health event and an investigation is underway to determine the cause. What does it mean? A cautious approach – trials can halt to assess safety data With over ...
Kaya Klop-Toker, University of Newcastle; Alex Callen, University of Newcastle; Andrea Griffin, University of Newcastle; Matt Hayward, University of Newcastle, and Robert Scanlon, University of NewcastleOn an island off the Queensland coast, a battle is brewing over the fate of a small population of goats. The battle positions the ...
Dr Ben Gray* This blog discusses what will be needed to operationalise the End of Life Choice Act in the event that it is approved at referendum. It argues that this will take significant resources. Judging by the experience in Oregon it is likely that this may only benefit ...
Nau mai, haere mai – welcome to our newest addition to Sciblogs: Tuhia ki te rangi. Over the eleven years Sciblogs has been operating, the face of science communication has changed dramatically. Where a decade ago there was a burgeoning number of scientists and other experts looking to stretch their ...
The Green Party has released its Thriving Oceans Plan, which would dramatically increase marine protected areas and ban bottom trawling on seamounts. ...
It was another busy week out on the campaign trail, with Labour focused on jobs, training, and supporting Kiwi workers. As we continue to roll out our five-point plan for recovery, we’re investing in our people, businesses, communities and vital services, so we can keep our economy moving as we ...
Our regions are a vital part of our economic recovery plan. They’re home to innovative and creative businesses, and the backbone of our export economy - which is why Labour will continue to support our regions to grow as together, we rebuild better. ...
National’s ‘alternative budget’ that includes huge cuts to the government’s operating allowance would risk gutting critical public services, and put health, education and nature at dire risk. ...
Data released this week shows that, while New Zealand is not immune to the economic impacts of the global pandemic, our strong health response has meant we’ve been able to get our economy going faster than many other countries. ...
This year’s election is on 17 October - and it’s coming up fast! With one month to go until Election Day, we’ve come up with 17 ways you, your friends and family can get involved in our campaign and help Labour keep New Zealand moving. ...
PREFU has given a good insight into what was required to ensure New Zealanders were largely supported to continue work and remain healthy during COVID-19, but it is clear we need additional revenue raising measures ongoing, Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said today. ...
The Green Party is disappointed with the Labour Party’s decision to reverse their three free years education policy and back down on their commitment to postgraduate student allowances. ...
In the first two years of our term in Government, we gave teachers record pay rises as a way of recognising the lack of adequate adjustments over the previous decade and the significant role they play in the lives of children and young people. We also increased the number of ...
Labour has a proud history of supporting working New Zealanders, whether through the implementation of the 40hr work week or the introduction of the Working for Families package. ...
The Green Party welcome Labour’s commitment to extend the living wage to Government contractors, but will push for Fair Pay Agreements across industries in the next Government so more New Zealanders can earn a dignified income. ...
The Green Party is urging the Government to act on its commitment to te reo Māori, by making it a core subject up to year 10, and including te reo courses in the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships scheme. ...
We're officially back to the campaign for the 2020 General Election. The campaign may look a little different this year, but our candidates are still getting out and about in their communities and spreading the word about how another term of Labour will keep New Zealand moving in the right ...
You might have heard a bit of discussion about Government debt lately, as experts weigh in on the COVID-19 economic recovery. If you’re wondering why it’s such a contested topic, or even if you’re unsure of what Government debt actually is, then read on - we’ve got you covered! ...
The Green Party has released its Farming for the Future Plan, including a $297m fund to support farmers and growers to transition to climate-friendly practices. ...
We believe every New Zealander deserves the chance to make an informed decision on Election Day. We’ve answered some of the most common questions on our 2020 tax policy, including how much money will be raised from our new top tax rate, and how this will be used to control ...
The Green Party says Labour’s energy policy is a step in the right direction, but the Greens would go further and faster to meaningfully tackle the climate crisis. ...
All this tax talk leaving you a bit dazed and confused? Read below to find out more about our progressive tax system and what Labour's policy means for you. ...
We’re committed to managing the Government’s books responsibly and keeping debt under control while supporting our people and our economy through the 1-in-100 year shock caused by COVID-19. ...
The Labour Party has moved towards more progressive income tax, but is not addressing the growing wealth gap and inequality in Aotearoa. Labour’s new revenue policy also doesn’t help pay for the necessary response to the COVID-19 crisis, Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said today. ...
As New Zealanders we are proud of who we are, what we stand for, and the way we weave together different worlds and cultures to create our unique national identity. ...
It is appalling and negligent that landlords are being encouraged to keep their properties cold and damp until after the election, as advised by the NZ Property Investors Federation, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
The Government will provide up to $1.69 million through the One Billion Trees programme to Māori landowners to make their whenua more productive through the planting of forests, both native and exotic, and improve economic and environmental outcomes, Forestry Minister Shane Jones has announced. “Around 1.5 million ha of land ...
People planning to head outdoors now have a resource that lets them know how accessible an area is for people with varying levels of mobility, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The Halberg Foundation, Sensibel, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) have launched Accessibel, a new tool which helps ...
One of the most significant battle sites of the 1860s Land Wars will receive $2.96 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to improve the site and help tell the New Zealand story to visitors, Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. Nanaia Mahuta ...
The journey towards recognising Māori as an official language and taonga has been captured as a web series and launched today during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, announced Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni. “Te reo Māori is a living language, and understanding its significance, and pathways to ...
Today’s better-than-forecast GDP figures show the expected impact of the decision to act quickly to protect New Zealanders from the global COVID-19 pandemic. GDP fell 12.2% in the June quarter from March, reflecting decisions to close New Zealand’s borders and enter Alert Level 4. “This result was better than the ...
The Government is investing $39.7 Million over four years to support the educational needs of Pacific learners and families in the regions hardest hit by COVID-19, with Auckland getting an immediate boost, Associate Minister of Education Jenny Salesa says. “Like all New Zealanders Pacific families want learners to do well ...
New Zealand’s goal of 100,000 kiwi by 2030 is being helped by an extra $19.7 million in funding to accelerate iwi and community efforts to protect kiwi, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced. “$19.7 million of Jobs for Nature funding is being invested in kiwi conservation activities including increased predator ...
Ensuring New Zealanders can get the best deal on their electricity takes a step in the right direction today with the South Island launch of the EnergyMate pilot run by the Electricity Retailers’ Association, says Minister of Energy and Resources, Dr Megan Woods. EnergyMate is an industry-led programme providing coaching ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter announced today that the Government has reached its target of 50 percent on women on state sector board and committees – setting a new record level of women on state sector boards. “This Government is committed to having more women in leadership roles - ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford released today the final Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) 2021 which outlines the planned $48 billion investment in services and infrastructure over the next decade. “The final GPS supports our Government’s five-point plan for economic recovery by confirming our record investments in transport infrastructure ...
Three ambitious and cutting-edge research programmes that will lift New Zealand’s advanced energy technology research capability over seven years, have been supported by Government today, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. The projects will each receive a share of $40.7 million investment from the Strategic Science Investment Fund. ...
The critical area for forensic examination known as Pit Bottom in Stone has been reached in what is a major milestone for the Pike River re-entry project, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little announced. “The infrastructure located in Pit Bottom in Stone is of very significant interest in ...
The Government is working on how New Zealand’s retirement income policies and settings can best support Kiwis in light of the COVID-19 economic recovery, with the help of the Retirement Commissioner’s latest review, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said. “The Retirement Commissioner’s three-yearly review into New Zealand’s retirement ...
A new digital hub and development centre in Murupara will be instrumental in growing the region’s productivity, said Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau at the official opening of two community initiatives today. “I’m pleased to be here celebrating a significant milestone for two projects set to make a ...
PREFU shows economy doing better than forecast Unemployment to peak at 7.8%, down from 9.8% forecast in the Budget Year-to-June accounts show tax revenue, debt and OBEGAL better than forecast Global forecast downgraded as COVID-19 second waves and uncertainty grows Balanced plan to support critical public services, manage debt and ...
The Kāpiti Coast town of Ōtaki will receive $1.4 million in Government funding for two projects providing scores of jobs for locals while improving community facilities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Māoriland Charitable Trust will receive a $900,000 Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) grant to upgrade the ...
The Provincial Growth Fund will provide $11.88 million to fund fencing and waterway projects nationwide that will improve the environment and create jobs in their communities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. “These projects will create more than 100 jobs nationwide with work starting within the next couple ...
As part of the COVID-19 recovery, the Government has strengthened its procurement rules to ensure its annual $42 billion spend creates more jobs, uses more sustainable construction practices and results in better outcomes for Māori and Pasifika, Government Ministers announced today. Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford says the $42 ...
The Government is supporting a major upgrade of Timaru’s iconic Theatre Royal and the construction of a new connected Heritage Facility museum and exhibition space with $11.6 million from the Government’s Infrastructure Fund, Jacinda Ardern announced today. “We heard the call from the community and the council. The Theatre Royal ...
Chrissy Montague (formerly Armstrong), barrister of Auckland has been appointed as a District Court Judge with Family Court jurisdiction to be based in Wellington, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Ms Montague commenced practice in Auckland in 1987 and went into general practice dealing with Wills, Estates, Trusts, Conveyancing, Relationship Property ...
A Proposal to provide for the development and operation of commercial film and video production facilities in areas of Christchurch has been given the go ahead. Hon Poto Williams, Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, has approved the Proposal, which was prepared and submitted by Regenerate Christchurch. Minister Williams ...
As part of the Government’s focus on building closer partnerships with Māori and enhancing the quality of, and access to, Māori medium education, a payment of $8 million will be made to Te Wānanga o Raukawa in partial recognition of its Waitangi Tribunal claim (WAI 2698), Associate Education Minister Kelvin ...
The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced a $19 million investment over four years in an important forest restoration project involving a partnership between the Department of Conservation, iwi/hapū, the Bay of Plenty and Waikato Regional Councils, community conservation groups and organisations such as Forest and Bird across the ...
New Zealand will be the first country in the world to require the financial sector to report on climate risks, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. The changes build on the huge progress this Government has made to tackle the climate crisis. “Today is another step on ...
Economic activity across the Auckland region and the country bounced back to levels experienced under Alert Level 1 following Auckland’s move out of Alert Level 3, analysis in the Treasury’s latest Weekly Economic Update shows. The analysis of economic data since Auckland’s move out of Level 3 shows: Auckland card ...
Takiri mai te ata, ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea, tihei mauriora! Tātou katoa ngā iwi o Aotearoa, tēnā koutou! Tēnā tātou e whakanuia ana i te wiki nei, te wiki o te reo Māori Greeting to you all from Otepoti, Dunedin. This week is the Māori Language week and ...
More mental health and addiction services are available for young New Zealanders in Rotorua and Taupō, Wairarapa, South Canterbury, Dunedin and Southland from next month, Health Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter say. “The Government is serious about making sure New Zealanders struggling with mental health ...
The Manuherekia catchment in Central Otago is the third exemplar catchment to be targeted as part of the Government’s plan to clean up waterways by supporting community-led programmes. Environment Minister David Parker said the Manuherekia catchment is vitally important to the people of Central Otago. “The Manuherekia rises in the ...
The Government has agreed on a preferred design for the new Dunedin Hospital featuring two separate buildings, and has provided funding for the next stages of work. Minister of Health Chris Hipkins says Cabinet has approved in principle the detailed business case for the new hospital, giving people in ...
New Zealanders across the country are set to mark history as part of the Māori Language Week commemorations led by Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori this year. Māori Development Minister, Nanaia Mahuta says the initiative will mark history for all the right reasons including making te reo Māori ...
More than 1000 teachers, support staff and school leaders have graduated from a programme designed to grow their capability to use te reo Māori in their teaching practice, as part of the Government’s plan to integrate te reo Māori into education, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Being trialled ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, says the Toloa Tertiary Scholarships which aims to encourage more Pacific student numbers participating and pursuing STEM-related studies in 2021, are now open. “These tertiary scholarships are administrated by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP), and are part of MPP’s overall Toloa ...
Four Bay of Plenty timber businesses will receive investments totalling nearly $22 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to boost the local economy and create jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Rotorua-based sawmill Red Stag Wood Solutions will receive a $15 million loan to develop an engineered ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand is exploring the viability of working with partners to conduct a search for the black box on the Gulf Livestock 1. “We know how much it would mean to the families of those on the ship to understand more about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has today announced the Government is supporting the creation of new marine infrastructure in northern Te Tairāwhiti on the North Island’s East Coast. The Government has approved in principle an allocation of up to $45 million to support the construction of a marine transport facility at ...
E Epineha. Ka tangi te iwi, ki a koe e ngaro nei i te kitenga kanohi. Kua mokemoke to whānau, to iwi, te motu whanui. Haere ki o matua, tipuna. Haere ki te okiokinga tuturu mo te tangata. Haere i runga i te aroha o ngā reanga kei muri i ...
Catch limits will be increased for 26 fisheries and reduced for three fisheries as part of a regular round of reviews designed to ensure ongoing sustainability of fisheries resources. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash has announced decisions following a review of catch limits and management controls for 29 fish stocks. The ...
The Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson says while it is disappointing the Rugby Championship will not be held in New Zealand, the country will host two Bledisloe Cup games in October and has the capacity in managed isolation facilities to host other international sporting events. “We offered flexible quarantine ...
Up to 350 more people in regional New Zealand will gain a pathway to trades training through a $14 million government investment in apprenticeships, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. The apprenticeships are part of the $40 million Regional Apprenticeship Initiative (RAI) announced in June. The funding comes ...
A Government brokered solution to the parking woes at Christchurch Hospital will deliver more than 1000 new car parks near the Hospital for staff and visitors while also ensuring the completion of the Metro Sports Facility, say Minister for Christchurch Regeneration, Dr Megan Woods. The new parking package is made ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Bradbury, Associate Professor, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW This week, support to unemployed Australians will be dramatically reduced. In April, the new Coronavirus Supplement roughly doubled the level of benefits for unemployed people on the JobSeeker payment and a range of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Wake, Program Manager, Journalism, RMIT University From today, ABC local radio listeners will no longer hear the majestic fanfare theme on local radio at 7:45am, signalling the 15-minute morning news. Although it might seem a smart managerial decision to reduce reporting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Cowie, Adjunct Professor, University of New England Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor is on Tuesday expected tooutline the Morrison government’s first Low Emissions Technology Statement, plotting Australia’s way forward on climate action. It’s likely to include “negative emissions” technologies, which ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alberto Posso, Professor of Economics, RMIT University Closing schools has been one response around the world to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. In Australia, states mandated an end to face-to-face learning for some time during the so-called first wave of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tebeje Molla, Research Fellow, Deakin University For disadvantaged people with disrupted educational trajectories, such as refugees, vocational qualifications can widen access to paid jobs and enhance economic independence. But many still consider vocational education and training (VET) qualifications not as prestigious as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Vredenburg, Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Marketing, Auckland University of Technology So-called brand activism is evolving fast. When Colin Kaepernick first knelt during the US national anthem in 2016, professional football turned its back on him. Now, consumer and sports fan ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Makin, Professor of Economics, Griffith University The financial response of Western governments to the COVID-19 crisis has been gargantuan, with boosts to health expenditure, enhanced JobSeeker-like payments, and JobKeeper-like wage subsidies to keep workers attached to jobs. While a strong response ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Richardson, Adjunct Professor of Journalism, La Trobe University Of all the words written about Rupert Murdoch, “boring” is not one of them. The media mogul has been the object of fascination for six decades, after he followed his father Sir Keith ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s Election Live for September 21, bringing you the latest on election 2020 and other NZ news. The essential campaign dates are here. For all you need to know about the cannabis referendum click here. For the assisted dying referendum click here. Explore the parties’ pledges at Policy. I’m ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Fonterra gets back into the black, National’s economic plan derailed by accounting blunder, and Air NZ boss questions continuing with elimination strategy.To lead off today, one of the most important single numbers for the rural economy. Fonterra has announced a payout ...
Some of the safest parliamentary seats in the country are about to be taken over by newbies. They're sure things, anointed by their parties, waiting for the public's stamp of approval. In the latest in an occasional series, Marc Daalder speaks to public health expert Ayesha Verrall who, fresh off a ...
It was trash talk of a constructive nature during a political debate about the country's waste problem, including a hike in landfill levies hoped to fund better waste infrastructure Politicians put forward their policies for dealing with New Zealand’s growing waste problem in an online debate. Per capita we have ...
Fresh-faced and 14, our new national surfing champion initially struggled under the weight of the title. But with a new mindset, Ava Henderson is looking forward to claiming more crowns, she tells Anna Willcox. In the months after being crowned the New Zealand women’s surf champion, Ava Henderson didn’t like it. ...
National tried to go high-tech in its virtual campaign launch - but it was a far less sophisticated mathematical error which overshadowed Judith Collins, Sam Sachdeva writes As far as political humiliations at Avalon Studios go, Paul Goldsmith didn't quite match the time Rodney Hide dropped his Dancing with the Stars ...
Protecting 30 percent of our oceans by 2030 was one of a raft of marine plans announced by the Green Party Bans of bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf and a dramatic increase in the amount of protected marine areas are part of the Green Party's vision for oceans. Green ...
In this second of a series on the party leaders on the campaign trail, Tim Murphy joins the Greens' Marama Davison on a Sunday street corner in Glen Innes Marama Davidson and her offsider doubled the numbers when they arrived at the third of her four street corner campaign stops in ...
Covid-19 has put sign language in the public eye this year, but the fight to have it recognised as a 'real 'l language continues This week is New Zealand Sign Language Week, to coincide with the International Week of the Deaf and the United Nations International Day of Sign Languages ...
It was trash talk of a constructive nature during a political debate about the country's waste problem, including a hike in landfill levies hoped to fund better waste infrastructure Politicians put forward their policies for dealing with New Zealand’s growing waste problem in an online debate. Per capita we have ...
All week this week we focus on an extraordinary book of essays by Iranian-born Auckland film-maker Ghazaleh Golbakhsh. Today: her tale of a wandering Persian exile The Shah of Grey Lynn walks in front of me, his body long and lean, his head hung low. A shah is similar ...
Misinformation about the effectiveness of the test is swirling, but in fact the PCR is both reliable and critical in taking on the virus, explains Siouxsie Wiles.I’ve been asked by several people in recent days whether there is any truth to a video about the Covid-19 PCR test that is ...
Let’s put tax at the core of this election. Sharing wealth is how we share care and responsibility for this land and all of the people in it, writes Laura O’Connell Rapira.It’s election season in the middle of a pandemic and global economic crisis. These are strange times we find ...
A look at the three elements that make up the TV election debate - the broadcaster, the moderator, and the politician. They come around every three years. Everything from the studio sets and the position of the podiums, to the colour of the ties, is carefully thought out; and then ...
By Keith Jackson The trend is your friend, it is said, and the trend in counting votes for the next president of Bougainville remains firmly with former Bougaiville Revolutionary Army commander Ishmael Toroama, who continues to move ahead of the field. With the elimination of the 14th presidential candidate late ...
A Government plan to charge people for emergency housing like motels was derailed by Covid-19, but will now come into effect two days after the election. ...
Thank you for your kind welcome. I am so proud to lead this great National Party in our first-ever virtual campaign launch. It is a bittersweet day. We should all be here together. But we all know why we aren’t. The rhetoric never matches the ...
Judith Collins’ hopes of kicking the National 2020 campaign into gear were stalled by an embarrassing accounting error, writes Justin Giovannetti from the Hutt Valley.Today was the day the National Party’s election campaign was finally going to start rolling with momentum after a belated campaign launch. Instead, festivities were overshadowed ...
It’s been revealed that an upcoming novel by the Harry Potter author features a crossdressing serial killer. In the last several years Joanne “JK” Rowling has doubled, tripled, and as of last week, quadrupled down on her bigotry towards transgender people, both in her public statements and in her popular fiction. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kcasey McLoughlin, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Newcastle Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death has generated an outpouring of grief around the globe. Part of this grief reflects her unparalleled status as a feminist icon and pioneer for women in the legal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jared Mondschein, Senior Fellow & Senior Advisor, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney As the two sides in US politics begin jockeying for position following the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the similarities to the 2016 presidential election are ...
The National Party has acknowledged it made a $4 billion error in its fiscal plan promising tax cuts to kick start the economy, after the anomaly was highlighted by Labour. ...
RNZ article today featured 'Truck crashes leave Auckland Harbour Bridge hobbled' clearly shows the massive cost of damages many of our highways drains, bridges and road surfaces by overuse of freight trucks all over NZ as the National Party recklessly ...
Kiwi politicians will face their toughest audience yet when they enter ‘a virtual hotseat’ hosted by a panel of the nation’s young people. Presented by Save the Children New Zealand and GirlGuiding New Zealand, the ‘Virtual Hotseat’ will ...
Today the Green Party announced their “Thriving Oceans Plan” to highlight their Ocean policies to build a thriving ocean. Every single life on our planet is dependent on the ocean. It’s one of the world’s greatest resources. It produces food and ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says that if Labour had done what it had promised and introduce an independent election policy costing office, the current confusion over National’s numbers would never have happened. Union Spokesman, Jordan Williams, says: “The ...
Child abuse advocacy group, Child Matters, is frustrated that calls to make Police vetting and child protection training mandatory for everyone who works with children have gone unheard Child Matters Chief Executive, Jane Searle, says while changes ...
Greenpeace is applauding the Greens marine policy, released today, saying it sets a strong vision for healthy and thriving oceans. Jessica Desmond, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa, says she’s pleased to see the Greens take a big picture ...
Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au. I am the sea. The sea is me. Kia ora koutou katoa. Our moana is a taonga. Take care of our oceans and the oceans will take care of us. They are the lifeblood of our planet. A home to thousands ...
Greens to protect Aotearoa’s oceans with marine sanctuaries, bottom trawling and set-netting restrictions, and action against plastic The Green Party has released its Thriving Oceans Plan, which would dramatically increase marine protected areas ...
The Green Party will end bottom impact trawling, dredging, and Danish seining in the Hauraki Gulf, as part of its Thriving Oceans Plan. Green Party Co-leader and Tamaki Makaurau candidate Marama Davidson said today: “So many New Zealanders love ...
A basic error has left a $4 billion gap in National’s economic plan, Labour Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson says. “If National can’t even do the basics required on their own policy costings, they cannot be trusted to run the country. Making mistakes ...
For her Loading Docs short Going Home, film-maker Ashley Williams paid tribute to her late uncle Clive by learning to fly.Some people say I was brave to fly. I tell them my Uncle Clive was the one who had courage.He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer at the age of ...
As if the UK doesn’t have enough trouble negotiating Brexit with the European Union, it has now entered the US presidential election campaign. Democrat candidate Joe Biden says there will be “no US-UK free trade agreement” if London tampers with the exit arrangements over Northern Ireland. House speaker Democrat Nancy ...
After the second lockdown came to Auckland, Nick Atkinson dusted off and spruced up his bicycle, touring from Pukekohe to Otorohanga.Two bikes slowly rusted in the back yard. One seized up completely, the other possibly salvageable. The traffic had dried up for periods this year and many Aucklanders took to ...
Charges have been laid over historic offending at Dilworth, but former students say it could be just the beginning, writes the NZ Herald’s Isaac Davison in this Herald Premium article.Two years ago, a former Dilworth School student approached the school with a warning.The old boy – a victim of alleged ...
“Early results from ACT’s Debt Destroyer suggest most New Zealanders are more fiscally responsible than Grant Robertson and want to reduce Government spending,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “ACT launched the Debt Destroyer last week, an interactive ...
New Zealand's semi-official poet laureate Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. Today: Billy Te KahikaConnecting the dots Good evening all! I hope you don’t easily scare. For what I will tell you will pin back your ears. I’m Billy T K (Junior), servant of truth. I’m all about ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s Election Live for September 20, bringing you the latest on election 2020 and other NZ news. The essential campaign dates are here. For all you need to know about the cannabis referendum click here. For the assisted dying referendum click here. Explore the parties’ pledges at Policy. 7.15am: National ...
In the second of a weekly election diary, National's Hutt South MP Chris Bishop enjoys the culinary delights of the south and prepares for the party's fiscal plan launch. Labour MP Deborah Russell will also contribute each week. Trite but true: it’s been a funny old election campaign. Level 2 for ...
As the Māori Party prompts debate around whether New Zealand should be officially named Aotearoa, Professor Kerry Howe examines our common usage and understanding of the term Should the name New Zealand be replaced by, or co-exist with Aotearoa? For Aotearoa, is it widely assumed, is the original ‘indigenous name’ for ...
Over the last few months, Linda Burgess has cheered herself up by watching food television. And saying fuck.For fuck’s SAKE! I say as my husband grates the broccoli. And I think, when did fuck become tame like – well, like for god’s, or even for goodness, sake? I listen to ...
Esther Ng is the most successful New Zealand designer you’ve never heard of. Her label, Prix, has been seen on celebrities like Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner, she has over 150,000 Instagram followers and she’s currently working from her bedroom.On any regular weekday you’d likely find Esther Ng playing games ...
“Labour’s ‘Let’s Get Wellington Moving’ project has so far been a failure. Nothing has been delivered, the funding for the programme is still unclear, and Wellington is drifting while congestion continues to choke the region,” National Spokesperson ...
Winston Peters must have been confused this morning when he made the bizarre claim that tax cuts are a ‘bribe’ and, ironically, criticised another party for promising to scrap his provincial vote fund in the next breath. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman ...
Eamonn Marra has been trying to get help for his mental health problems for two years. It shouldn’t take hitting absolute rock bottom for him to receive it.Content warning: This story contains discussion of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts. Every time mental health is back in the news it comes ...
By RNZ News New Zealand today reported one new community case of covid-19 – the first in five days. There was no media conference today. In a statement, the Health Ministry said the source of the community case was still being investigated. Auckland Regional Public Health Service has identified all ...
Analysis by Dr Paul G Buchanan – 36th Parallel Assessments. News that Zhenhua Data, an arm of China Zhenhua Electronics Group, a subsidiary of the military-connected China Electronic Information Industry Group (CETC), maintains a list of 800 New Zealanders on a “Overseas Key Information Database” that contains personal information on ...
The Green Party’s plan to support community gardens and composting would help promote a stronger understanding of sustainable ecosystems and food production in places like Nelson. “One of our priorities in the next Government is to support ...
Greenpeace is calling the National Party’s newly announced energy policy blatant climate denial and an affront to all the people and communities already suffering the impacts of climate change. It has been reported that the National Party will ...
The Public Service Association says industrial relations policies announced by Labour today will, if implemented by a Labour-led government, make New Zealand a fairer and better place to live. "Under the Labour-led government of the past three ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa is welcoming Labour's announcement today that it would double minimum sick leave entitlements to 10 days per year if returned to Government. President Liam Rutherford says inadequate sick leave is an issue across the education sector, ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa says Kōhanga Reo kaiako can’t afford to be left out in the cold when pay and funding gaps in ECE are addressed. This week Labour joined the Green Party in including pay parity for early childhood teachers in their election pledges. ...
17 registered political parties and 677 candidates will be contesting the 2020 General Election Nominations have now closed and the Electoral Commission has released the electorate and party list candidates for 2020 online at vote.nz . Advance voting ...
Recently I was invited by a friend to watch a three hour YouTube discussion between Joe Rogan of the Joe Rogan Experience and Johann Hari on the topic of drug law reform. I thought it would be very relevant on our referendum issue coming up. After watching ...
The charity running the Māngere Markets makes close to half a million a year from a business centred on a publicly owned carpark, but distributes less than a third of its income in grants. That’s left some locals wondering whether the trust could be doing more to support the community, ...
A new poll shows Green MP Chloe Swarbrick is coming third in the contest for the Auckland Central seat, which could be crucial in ensuring her party stays in Parliament. ...
The Government has made another pitch for the Maori vote (presumably with borrowed money) by dipping into the One Billion Trees trough. It has proclaimed it is backing Maori landowners with this contribution to their wellbeing (and the environment’s) and it is fair to suppose it would appreciate the landowners ...
Open Mike 07/09/2017 
In the absence of national public opinion polls, we have had to make do in recent weeks with other guides to voter intentions. Those guides, such as the Auckland Central poll, the incidence of google enquiries and the responses to Vote Compass questions, have suggested, not unexpectedly, that Labour is ...33 mins ago
Crusher Collins - National Party leaderWe all know that the National Party is desperate to gain some traction during this election campaign and have been throwing pretty much everything at the Labour Party in order to try and undermine Jacinda Ardern and what the Coalition Government has achieved. But unfortunately ...2 hours ago
Much of the commentariat’s reporting of the most recent GDP figure was misleading and unhelpful. The prize for the stupidest remark about the GDP figure for second quarter 2020 (2020Q2) released on Thursday (17 Sept) goes to Judith Collins, whose response to Grant Robertson’s comments indicated she did not ...14 hours ago
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A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 13, 2020 through Sat, Sep 19, 2020 Editor's Choice Get to Net-Zero by Mid-Century? Even Some Global Oil and Gas Giants Think it Can Be Done A report by a ...1 day ago
With the National Party this week announcing a new policy of tax cuts to spice up the election campagin. MyThinks went along to the launch and afterwards we spoke to the party’s finance spokesperson Paul “Golden Touch” Goldsmith. MT: Thanks for speaking to us Mr Goldsmith. PG: No. Thank you. ...2 days ago
Always to islanders danger Is what comes over the seas ‘Landfall in Unknown Seas’ (Allen Curnow)Six economic issues external to New Zealand, which will greatly impact upon us. 1. The Diminishing Global Dominance of the US. Since 1941 America has dominated the world economically and politically. Probably it could ...3 days ago
By Geoffrey Miller New Zealand should continue to champion human rights in Belarus amidst an ongoing crackdown on protests by the country’s regime, former Prime Minister Helen Clark says. Protests in the country often referred to as ‘Europe’s last dictatorship’ erupted after the country’s disputed presidential elections on August 9 ...3 days ago
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Tax Justice UK, September 2020 Serious tax reform is on the political agenda for the first time in decades due to the coronavirus crisis. As this debate hots up it is important to understand what people think about public spending, wealth and tax. Tax Justice UK, along with Survation and ...3 days ago
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On “In Defense of Looting” Matt Taibibi takes an entertaining look at this generation of woke activists and how they compare with Abbie Hoffman the iconic anti-Vietnam war counter-culture figure of the 1960s On Thursday, August 27th, the same day Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination, National Public Radio ...6 days ago
In a couple of months, the 53rd Parliament will meet in Wellington, and approximately 120 MPs will be sworn in, many of them for the first time.They will all have political goals, some aligning with their party platforms, some not, some complex, and some simple, but they will gain one ...6 days ago
So the Greens co-leader James Shaw recently made a mistake. In his role as Associate Finance Minister approving funding for “shovel-ready” projects, he fought hard for a private “Green school” to get funding to expand their buildings and, therefore, their student capacity. There are many problems with what he did: ...1 week ago-1f82146fa0d95608c5d921931b8dd46e7f0c9b1b/537110292.jpg?format=1500w)
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If there was any doubt left, we can surely call it now. Time and date. End of. Finito. Perhaps you thought you saw a flickering eyelid or a finger move? You were wrong. Labour has given up on tax reform for the foreseeable future. One of the key remaining left/right ...1 week ago
When we last left our intrepid Drow Rogue, he was sitting in a tavern with his companions, only for a crazy Paladin to burst in, and start screaming about the Naga. It soon turned out that ... 2 weeks ago
The Green Party has released its Thriving Oceans Plan, which would dramatically increase marine protected areas and ban bottom trawling on seamounts. ...22 hours ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Steller, PhD Student, UNSW The recent discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus is exciting, as it may serve as a potential sign of life (among other possible explanations). The researchers, who published their findings in Nature Astronomy, couldn’t really ...1 hour ago
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Fonterra aims to remain nimble in uncertain times, plus Tourism Holdings' profit after Government support ...3 hours ago
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National tried to go high-tech in its virtual campaign launch - but it was a far less sophisticated mathematical error which overshadowed Judith Collins, Sam Sachdeva writes As far as political humiliations at Avalon Studios go, Paul Goldsmith didn't quite match the time Rodney Hide dropped his Dancing with the Stars ...3 hours ago
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In the second of a weekly election diary, National's Hutt South MP Chris Bishop enjoys the culinary delights of the south and prepares for the party's fiscal plan launch. Labour MP Deborah Russell will also contribute each week. Trite but true: it’s been a funny old election campaign. Level 2 for ...1 day ago
As the Māori Party prompts debate around whether New Zealand should be officially named Aotearoa, Professor Kerry Howe examines our common usage and understanding of the term Should the name New Zealand be replaced by, or co-exist with Aotearoa? For Aotearoa, is it widely assumed, is the original ‘indigenous name’ for ...1 day ago
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