The Guardian’s live feed on the Occupy Wall Street protests.
One interesting post noted that JP Morgan Chase has just donated US$4.6 million to the NYPD: “The gift was the largest in the history of the foundation and will enable the New York City Police Department to strengthen security in the Big Apple. The money will pay for 1,000 new patrol car laptops, as well as security monitoring software in the NYPD’s main data center.”
Of interest is the media coverage: apparently the MSM were not courted or invited by the protest. One specific reason is that they are in the pay of the people being protested against.
Of more interest is the role of sites such as this one, the blogs and the sites set up specifically to overcome the MSM grip upon our minds. The OWSer sites are multiplying and linking with other sites, for the users this means the MSM can be cut out to get the word out. The real issue now is not that we dont have an alternative to the MSM, it is getting the critical mass to bypass them.
In NZ if we wait for fair treatment from the MSM for our views, or for them to expose Jokey and his blackshirt privatisers for what they are we will be waiting a long time. How do we get critical mass?
How do we get critical mass, convince all you know to get onto Twitter. It seems to me, having been observing #occupywallstreet on it since the day before the action started, that when used as a tool to circumvent the MSM it is unsurpassed. It is a way to aggregate all of what you currently read and spread it exponentially.
Although, the NYPD is not the only recent JP Morgan benefactor, they also just bought 400mill in Twitter shares .
Need to use those networks to build real physical relationships and contacts. We have already seen the authorities shut down websites and even cell phone transmission when it suited them to disrupt protests being planned.
Worth remembering that in many ‘dictatorships’ activists refuse to use things like FB and twitter because the authorities can infiltrate and use the information gained against the movement.
American intelligence agencies have broad and direct connection to everything which passes through GMail and Facebook for instance, access provided by those companies themselves, according to Julian Assange.
I heard on the radio that there is an application called ‘disconnect’ that is a free download which prevents the likes of Facebook snooping on your browsing.
CV, surely the best way to prevent / push against the fascism you’re talking about is to continue to talk and agitate openly, in spite who might be watching. The moment you self edit, they’ve won. The moment you build a critical mass you win.
I agree the connections need to be real and physical as well, but to reach critical mass we need to be able to connect with those we’re unlikely to meet in our normal lives but share convictions and ideals with also.
I agree, and my point was not to self-edit as such, but to be aware of the security monitoring implications and also prepare for the day that TPTB flick the kill switch on those advanced systems that they own and control.
Pen, paper and message runners may seem archaic but they also have strengths and uses as a communications medium in a hostile environment.
And so we need to act now in order to prevent that moment.
I’m about to read a novel, which I believe was popular last year, slow adopter. Hans Fillada, Alone in Berlin, about exactly that, a man who used postcards deposited around Berlin as a way of protesting, disseminating info during Nazi reign, timely!
I often think this, especially when I hear people anxiously talking on comment threads here about what the right think, or would think, or might say, if they hear us say this or that, how they could use it against us etc. I wonder why they give such a big flying fuck about what the right think of us. I’m damn sure the right doesn’t knead its hands worrying about what we think of them. I think this kind of attitude is a big problem for the left.
(However, self-editing abusive, non-inclusive (sexism, racism etc.), hyperbolic, polarised, overly personalised or competitive, egotistical, ungenerous and downright nasty communication is usually a good idea, in any community, imho).
“..but to reach critical mass we need to be able to connect with those we’re unlikely to meet in our normal lives but share convictions and ideals with also.
And filter information through our multiple real world networks. Like most of us here I’m sure, I spread the word about things like the “occupation” movement informally to left-leaning friends and acquaintances, especially those who rely on the mainstream media. The worst part of that is convincing people that things really are happening. When CERA was passed I had endless arguments, and needed to provide copious evidence of the what it meant because most people refused to believe that such a thing could happen without any coverage, and that trained, highly-paid journalists wouldn’t think it worth mentioning. For the most part, people are highly suspicious of information, even from “reliable” sources, that isn’t mainstream-reported, especially if it runs counter to what is.
But e-links are fantastic and so effortless to share. I really appreciate many of the links provided by posters here. A vital part of my learning
which is what is so clever and successful about the OWS movement, they’ve all got camera’s, every bit of it is documented. It’s just then up to us to disseminate it so as to over ride the MSM.
A picture tells a thousand words they say, like video footage of cops waving protesters onto Brooklyn Bridge when the MSM narrative was that they were only arrested because they deviated from the footpath.
I’m all for living out in the open too. I’ve found a lot of activist groups so insular and paranoid that it’s hard for anyone new to get involved. The Rob Gilchrist saga certainly didn’t help.
In NZ if we wait for fair treatment from the MSM for our views, or for them to expose Jokey and his blackshirt privatisers for what they are we will be waiting a long time. How do we get critical mass?
You can bypass the MSM in NZ for a mere $500K to $1M initial investment. You can set up an alternative internet TV news channel with a basic studio, hire a couple of journalists and an anchor, and link it into a satellite broadcast feed as well.
Sign up a deal with Al Jazeera and RT for the international news content part of it and off you go. Broadcast 6 hours from 5pm to 11pm every night.
Here is the OSW newspaper, over 70,000 in print and now collector’s items for sure. You can get your digital copy by clicking a couple of buttons. Citizen media is not a crime. It is our future. http://www.scribd.com/doc/67436424/Occupied-Wsj
Like to see a lot more published about the corrupt decisions behind supershity IT systems…..picking either ARC or AKL city’s SAP and upsizing it would’ve been fine.
Wodney, Ford and his water care IT man Foley, now supershity CIO behind the NACTs rushed and botched grab for assets should be interrogated.
Also there’s some big stuff still underway yet to be costed like another new inventory system……when you already have SAP…WTF !
akl needs to be shown as mike lee states that it’s been taken to the cleaners by these self serving highly paid yes men.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.php?c_id=1&objectid=10757131
Truly bizarre ‘journalism’ here, expects us to believe English is happy. He’s not. He’s lashing out behind the scenes according to my sources. Not a happy chappy at all given that we’re in financial crap and no one has any ideas how to dig us ou.
Somebody should tell him he could be the hero if he exposes John Key for what he is and the role he had in getting the global economy in the chaos it’s in today. Mr. Derivative would be a good nickname for Shonkey.
The next step would be to ditch the reserve banks and reserve act and us starting to print our own money again. Get rid of the foreign banks next and bob’s your uncle. The Icelanders did and it worked miracles for them.
It’s support is at 0.8% which equates to one seat, 5% threshold, Ergo, the only chance they have of getting a seat is to win an electorate and that’s looking less and less likely.
The Herald has an article this morning with the heading ”
King won’t back down on ‘scumbag’ insult to PM”.
Shouldn’t the question have been directed to the PM asking if he regretted performing the Kapa O Pango in Parliament and the headline reporting his response?
Labour speaker Margaret Wilson has banned Herald journalists from Parliament. “It’s a disgrace – the very worst of Hel*ngr*d”, according to all right-wing blogs and parrots. “Save free speech!”.
Of course that was then and this is now, and outrageous is the new nice. So … silence on the right.
Seriously, this is an absurd over-reaction by the Speaker, and whatever we may think of the Herald’s reporting, banning them for doing their job is totally unjustified. An election campaign without reporters? Must be John Key’s wet dream.
pity there is only the one feed from the House now as the editing in the video does not show this moment where Key is reported to have leaned over to Brownlee and made the comment about security, i smell a big fat moment of plausible deniability. I do wonder if the full feed from all cameras is recorded for Security reasons and an Official Info request could release this magic moment thus proving the reported commment to be true.
From your linked article: ..it’s been reported that Mr Key also turned to Gerry Brownlee and said: “And they wonder why I have security.” still no source for this allegation, though it’s been widely reported as fact.
Even if he did go on to say that then, (and I don’t believe he did), it doesn’t change what he had already said and done, and the ‘angry about the bodyguard issue’ explanation still doesn’t stack up for that.
Loving the ‘they’re as bad as each other’ masking technique.
The IRB is fair and an equal opportunity purveyor of high moments of sporting achievement and passion and low moments of injury and punishment and this applies to well-off players and poorer players alike. The thing is that any rule it makes is fair, so imposing large penalties off the field for mouthguard offences is ergo and ipso facto a good and right law.
The IRB is God. There is no other God. Or if a player wants to display alternative religious messages they must be too small for a television camera to pick up.
And the IRB may be right to seek exclusivity on advertising from this direction. There is money to be made from promulgating forms of religion. The IRB knows this and will no doubt seek sponsorship from God or his/her earthly agents soon. That’s an idea that could work for NZ Inc.
Religion as a ‘good” – perhaps NZ can become another holy centre for the world and have people flocking to our sacred sites and to listen to our message of purity in the environment and how to achieve it in person. ‘:???:’ Icon confused! Quite right.
Just reposting a quote from No Right Turn over the Video Surveillance Bill.
There were 438 submissions – and only 6 in favour. So, we have a government of the 1.5%, stomping on the human rights of the rest of us.
This was from the select committee. I’m angry at National for this awful law, but I’m also angry at the Labour types on this blog who didn’t pressure their leadership to listen to people. It wasn’t a compromise that you won. You rolled over. Congrats.
“It wasn’t a compromise that you won. You rolled over. Congrats.”
I simply disagree.
Note that Act and United Future both voted it through the final stages. If Labour had opposed it, National only had to change it enough for Act to agree to vote for it, which could have been less than what Labour was seeking.
In the end, if Labour hadn’t done the deal they did, we may have ended up with a worse law being passed anyway with the edition of Labour looking weak in the media. This way they come off looking powerful while also delivering a better law.
But Act wasn’t particularly interested in the bill, neither was the Maori Party, and United, well, they would have gone with National but that doesn’t make up the numbers. There was a chance to have this law not make it through before the end of the term, I think that chance should have been taken.
Alex I made a submission. I thought the bill was an abomination. The Labour negotiated change was a lot better. There is one dead rat in it, people who had evidence of covert surveillance at their trial cannot appeal the decision relying on the fact that Hamed showed that the power to video was wrong.
This is wrong in principle but way, way better than what was proposed. Few if any may be affected by it.
You can accuse Labour of selling out or of intervening and making the bill considerably better. Such is the life of an opposition party.
Not quite correct, in fact I’d say deliberately wrong.
There were 438 submissions and only 6 in favour of the bill put up by the government.
I don’t suppose you have ever figured out what the purpose of the select committee is? It is to modify legislation. The purpose of almost all submissions is usually to suggest ways in which that should be achieved. So substantive submissions (rather than the rather meaningless postcard ones) usually don’t oppose the bills, the say where it is flawed and what should be done to fix it.
If you wanted a accurate statement for what you want to imply, then you perhaps you should count only the submissions that say that the police should never be able to use video surveillance?
BORED.
there are two things ‘we’ can do to address the balance of fairness in the media.
1. everybody on here start a blog and write what they FEEL. Mention names and make persons responssible. this blog is like two featherweights sparring. They dont hurt each other and nobody watches except the specialists. the average kiwi has no idea what goes on here. A personal blog may not seem like it is making much headway but the search engines and the rss make sure the audience is amplified and talked about especially when the writer is not constrained by the operations of parliamentary process politics.
2. the Labour party needs to spend some money and buy micropulse radio stations and programme them with handmade music. i.e. folk music, blues, pacific islands choral groups etc.
anything that is not rapcrap, or teenage whining gamines.
This blog is by extension an arm of the parliamentary party but things must change or Labour will always be behind the eight ball trying to joust with the tories and their hammerlock on the msm.
[lprent: You were doing so well until this – “This blog is by extension an arm of the parliamentary party…”. You have to know I will react to it.
And no it isn’t. I’m sure that some of the authors apart from Ben have contact with Labour and Green MP’s and various candidates of the left and receive frequent suggestions like I do. After all we’re interested in politics and especially that of the broad left. But like me they will tend to take about as much notice of those as we do of the local concern trolls – not much.
Both make you feel like Pete George’s suggestions. You know that there is a concern for what they can push you to do for them rather than what they can do for for the author, the site, or in most cases people outside their narrow definitions of being important (like most of the public).
Even the known authors generally don’t hear much from MP’s or candidates apart from being on their general mailing lists. I suspect most of the feedback goes the other way with them reading us based on the reactions I sometimes hear (usually after Irish writes…). ]
“This blog is by extension an arm of the parliamentary party but things must change or Labour will always be behind the eight ball trying to joust with the tories and their hammerlock on the msm.”
Alert alert alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 9.1.1
“RICK: That’s all very well! But finally, after years of stagnation, the TV people have woken up to the need for locally-based minority programs! Made by amateurs! And perhaps of interest only to two or three people! It’s important, right? It’s now!”
If this blog is an extension of Labour, please explain why you wimps sold out on the Video Surveillance Bill.
[lprent: We are not and did not.
There is quite a range of views between authors on that subject. I’m almost certainly one of the harshest critics of the police actions in operation 8 and other attacks on activists – especially because of their deliberate collection of evidence in an unlawful manner. The resulting bill was broadly acceptable to me as a stopgap until the S&S bill gets debated fully.
So I’d say that in my opinion and bearing in mind you haven’t actually stated an argument, that you’re displaying the outrage of an a person being a bit of an idiot who probably hasn’t thought through either issue. ]
A fair response, I had assumed NRT was talking about the submissions against the compromise as he was indicting politicians in general, as opposed to National. Apologies for my error.
But I am outraged that the police (and others) can now spy on people with such ease. Yes, I understand that criminals might get off now, but if thats the trade off for defending civil liberties, so be it. And I think Labour would have been better off trying to kick up a fuss and be the opposition, rather than try and accommodate National. There’s a reason people think they are very similar. Labour should be risking being painted as soft on crime by the right, in order to potentially gain the support of the left back. The ‘tough on crime’ types will never vote Labour anyway, no point in trying to get them onside.
Randal says “the Labour party needs to spend some money”, which raises several points:
1) Labour have very little of their own to spend
2) Labours has lost of practioce spending others
Two points. The second of which is foolish, because spending others’ money is cheaper than the National practise of borrowing huge amounts of money and sending the bill to others.
MC does it need to be explained to you that every dollar of Government spending which is not collected in TAXES needs to be BORROWED* from China, Abu Dhabi, Japan, etc and the paid back with INTEREST?
If not just get Bill English to explain it to you, he’s the expert aat Government borrowing.
*Actually we could just print the money we needed ourselves, and not borrow it from foreign bankers.
We can’t and NAct have no intention of making it so that we can. Doing so costs money and that means that they would have to put taxes up and they won’t do that – unless it’s taxes on the less well off like GST.
exactly dave – I agree with your comment and post.
“This is a test case for the response teams and if this turns into more of an environmental danger it will be clear that we have little defence against these events – and they want more drilling for oil and more potential disasters. Sadly we will have to get expert at cleaning up oil spills and we will have to learn how to decontaminate birds and dispose of dead fish and animals, and we will have to learn how to clean oil out of sand and wetlands and of course, the open water. Yes, unless we stop their exploitation we will have to learn many new skills.”
yes, better to stop it before it begins – the new skills we really need to learn are community orientated and the opposite to the current “absurdity of expecting to get away with infinite economic growth on a finite planet,” as the Archdruid has outlined in his most recent post
Can someone tell me again why NZ rugby signed Carter and McCaw for another 4 seasons for probably an obscene amount of coin, when it looks likely that they won’t play any part in winning the wool cup, if indeed NZ win it at all ?
Jerome Kaino is the one player we can’t do without, Ma’a Nonu second and they’ll be fired up no end given the shoddy treatment Samoa got with their draw and refs.
Note that most of the ads that have Carter in them, he isn’t representing the All Blacks, he’s representing himself and therefore gets all the money. Same with Sonny Bill when he did the Rebel Sport ads.
The All Blacks actually have a rule that in any media advertising that contains the All Black brand there must be at least 3 team members involved, as this (apparently) shows that they are a team.
Yeah I am aware of that, but I would be very surprised if they did not get a cut of any personal sponsorships – to be fair I am basing this on the fact that they can stop any player promoting anything that they don’t like or conflicts with one of their current sponsors.
Either way they will bring more money in, because you can guarantee that when Rexona wants Dan Carter to feature in their ads along with Mils etc they have to pay more than they would if they were getting someone like Anthony Boric.
Also finally having players of that stature involved lift the All Blacks brand as a whole increasing the value – without McCaw Carter and Sonny-Bill there would be a lot of sponsors looking elsewhere to spend their money.
Never mind that McCaw can barely make it through this campaign without breaking down and we’re saddled with him for the next four years regardless, in one of the most competitive and demanding positions on the field.
I guess rugby isn’t the winner on the day then, but you’d only have to look at Samoa getting fucked over by that racist welsh cunt siding with them cheating jappie muthafuckas to know that.
If NZ do win the wool cup i’d love to se the Samoan allblacks do the Siva Tau in honour of their motherland.
and lastly fuck the greedy IRB, SANZAR and the NZRU.
The dompost had a tom scott cartoon this morning implying that 3D (dipton double dipper) had inherited the deposit guarantee scheme from Labour but I distinctly heard him [English} say that they [national] had done it themselves on 9-noon on Monday. so the fiasco was all his own work. The msm wont take him on because it meant that he paid off his own [and theirs] mates.
I didn’t think there was any doubt that Labour started the deposit guarantee scheme. National were the ones that resigned SCF though. Arguably that just stopped them going under earlier, but not sure delaying it really accomplished anything.
SCF could have been re-signed on, but any bond holders and depositers should have taken 50% hair cuts on amounts over $250K as a condition of resigning.
That would have stopped the awful self serving speculative activity which occurred.
Yeah that would have probably been the best way but I’m still convinced that basically taking half of the major investors funds would have left the company as a viable going concern.
Pete, there is very deep unease among Green members about a deal with National. Metiria Turei spelt it out when they first made the announcement that they were considering a deal, but it got ignored. There is a very long list of Green demands that would have to be met before any deal, and frankly, many members would leave, possibly destroying the Green party in the process. And at the end of the day, the members have the final say anyway.
I understand that alex – the point I’m making is that if they stand for parliament shouldn’t they accept any democratic process? Saying you will resign (almost straight away) if your party does something you disagree with would seem to make a mockery of the election.
The Green Party is really going to have to work out their approach properly before the election if the alternative is to risk resignations within a month.
This is fascinating; the press crying out about the speaker, Lockwood Smith, banning the herald journalists from Parliament for 10 days because Audrey took a photo of that man trying to throw himself off the balcony into the parliamentary bear pit.
Hilarious the press complaining about freedom of the press when a) they don’t report objectively so take away my freedom to have a fair and objective reporting of what happens in New Zealand and
b) the journalists in the main are owned and controlled by Key and co or the newspaper owners.
Move along ladies and gentleman – nothing in the way of free press in New Zealand – move along; nothing to see here.
Lockwood trying to shut down a bad look for Key and Bennett – Parliament taking away the freedom of New Zealanders to have an objective look at our parliamentary actions and consequences of those actions by Key and Bennett. That is shameful.
The other day I was thinking about the faster than speed of light neutrinos problem
and wonder whether the source and detector were at the same height, then realized
the mountainous location may have altered gravity, but that would not make much
sense since they fire particles through there all the time. But it may turn out that
because the neutrinos are traveling so fast that General Reality plus the location
may have effects… …nice. Unintended consequences thing again, put note in
diary, ever asked to build particle accelerator build near large mountains.
Lprent. Ididnt know how you would react but I do now.
[lprent: I always do to any suggestion that any political party runs this site, and especially a parliamentary wing (technophobia seems to be a primary characteristic of the genre in my unhumble opinion). It is as irritating as hell and leads to to the most boring and futile speculative discussions imaginable to the people who run the site. I always put on the old spiked boots and rake offenders until they understand exactly how irritated I get. This discourages reoffending. ]
Where the hell are these Maritime New Zealand ‘oil spill response experts’ Minister of Transport – Steven Joyce?
“Maritime New Zealand
Organisation governance and structure
Maritime New Zealand is a Crown entity established in 1993 under the name Maritime Safety Authority. It was renamed Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) in July 2005.
Maritime New Zealand is governed by an independent Board appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport.
The five-member Authority directs the overall Maritime New Zealand strategy, and appoints the Director of Maritime New Zealand.
The Director manages the organisation and has independent statutory powers under the Maritime Transport Act 1994.
Maritime New Zealand Statement of Intent: 2011–2014
“3. Marine pollution response
Almost 10 million tonnes of oil is transported around New Zealand’s pristine coastline by oil tankers
every year. Maritime New Zealand operates the Marine Pollution Response Service, whose oil spill
response experts are able to respond to significant oil spills in New Zealand, and overseas if required.
These specialists maintain the National Oil Spill Response Plan and manage the national stockpile of
oil spill response equipment. They also conduct oil spill exercises and training for regional responders.”
Really?
Penny Bright
Independent ‘Public Watchdog’
Candidate for Epsom
Authorities have dismally failed to react properly to the grounding of the 236-metre cargo vessel MV Rena, which struck Astrolabe Reef north of Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty on Wednesday at approx 2.20 AM…
Concern about Corexit 9500 being used in the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill – it’s the same ‘dispersant’ being used NOW in NZ – and it has been banned since 1998 by the UK!
Louisiana oil spill: toxic chemical fear over BP’s clean-up efforts
Officials, scientists and fishermen warn of threat to sealife in the Gulf of Mexico
Peter Beaumont
The Observer, Sunday 16 May 2010
Scientists have raised urgent new concerns over the latest efforts to mitigate the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the oil rig explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon. Latest efforts to limit the environmental damage involve an untried deep-water technique, using a toxic dispersant that they believe may damage ocean life. But the new method has so far only succeeded in ratcheting up the growing controversy surrounding the spill.
…………………
Approval by the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for the pumping of tens of thousands of litres of the chemical Corexit 9500 deep on to the seabed early yesterday comes despite warnings from Louisiana state health officials, scientists and fishermen that the technique is untested and potentially hazardous to marine life and the wider ecosystem. Louisiana officials claim BP and the EPA ignored their concerns about how the chemicals may harm the sea floor.”
BoP faces ecological disaster
Stricken container ship still leaking oil
Despite initial indications that dispersant was effective , further analysis last night confirmed the Corexit 9500 was not dispersing the oil, Mr Service said. ”
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Publications-and-forms/Environmental-protection/OPPRC-Review-February-2011.pdf
10.6 Dispersants and Dispersant Application Systems
MNZ holds a range of dispersants suitable for application to differing oil types, including heavy fuel oil. Arguably, the most effective dispersant for use on heavier oils, including crude oil, is Corexit 9500. New Zealand‘s entire 30,000 litres stock of Corexit 9500 is held at NOSSC Te Atatu. ”
COREXIT 9500 HAS BEEN BANNED IN THE UK SINCE 1998 – BECAUSE IT DID NOT PASS THE ‘ROCKY SHORE TEST’
All products approved after 1 April 1996 have been required to pass both the Sea/Beach and Rocky Shore Toxicity Tests. Any products coming up for renewal that have only passed the Sea/Beach toxicity test in the past are required, before they can be renewed, to pass the Rocky Shore Test also. The following products have been removed from the list of approved products because they did not pass the Rocky Shore Test when submitted for renewal:
•
Chemkleen OSDA JAC (removed from list 21/01/1998)
•
Corexit 9527 (removed from list 30/07/1998)
•
Corexit 9500 (removed from list 30/07/1998).
Existing stocks of these products may still be used away from rocky shorelines in appropriate conditions. Approval should be sought from the relevant licensing authority before any proposed use.”
The stranding of the Containership Rena on Wednesday morning, occurred in clear fine weather which has persisted for 3 days now. This clear weather is due to deteriorate starting tomorrow with a change in wind direction around midday.
It is expected that by the middle of the week it will be too late, high winds will prevent any attempt to unload the fuel oil from the Rena and the likely hood is high that before the next calm period the ship will be broken on the reef.
It appears that the resources that could have taken advantage of the good weather to pump ALL the oil from this ship are near at hand have been sitting idle and unused.
Collapsible rapid response emergency oil barges made to deal with just this sort of emergency are right here in New Zealand. With even more available in Australia. These collapsable oil barges are specifically designed and made to be deployed instantly in just such an emergency.
Sail-World magazine report, that Lancer Industries here in New Zealand manufacture inflatable barges designed specifically to allow oil to be offloaded from ships which have run aground to prevent significant spillage and environmental damage. The barges from Lancer are owned by many maritime authorities around the world including the US Coast Guard.
Able to hold 100 tonnes of oil at a time, they can be delivered in folded up form not much bigger than an office desk. Once filled they can then be towed ashore and after being emptied can be reused.
“Lancer barges are designed to be taken alongside a vessel and have the oil pumped into them directly, before being towed ashore to a shore installation”
‘These barges can also be used in a cleanup operation to skim oil that has already leaked, reducing the need to use dispersant’.
Three days down the track these emergency barges have not been deployed.
Why?
Martime New Zealand own two of these barges.
Sail-World believes that the Martime NZ Lancer barges are located in Te Atatu only a few hours trip by road to Tauranga.
Have these barges been delivered to the scene of the disaster?
If not, why not?
Sail-World also reports that all major governments of the world have agreements in place to fly in such equipment, in the case of an oil spill or pending disaster to offload fuel oil and reduce the extent of any damage.
These additional barges could easily be flown in from Australia if required.
Has our government made this call?
If not, why not?
As well as the two Maritime NZ owned emergency barges, Lancer Industries ltd who are based in the Auckland suburb of Henderson have just made some more of these barges for the US Coastguard with significantly more capacity than the two owned by Maritime NZ.
Why have these barges not been requisitioned as an emergency measure?
These specially designed barges, built for just this sort of scenario, are all owned by private concerns and different authorities.
Why is there no single government authority which in an emergency could commandeer these resources?
Why aren’t these purpose built emergency oil barges already on the scene and being deployed to unload the oil before the weather deteriorates?
Emergency barges are good. But they are useless without tugboats.
Only today, this afternoon in fact, have two large tugs departed from Auckland for Tauranga to deal with the disaster.
Why the delay?
Why were they not dispatched immediately?
Were the commercial operations of the Ports of Auckland given priority over this unfolding disaster?
Who made this decision?
If the weather window closes and the ship is broken on the reef to discharge it’s full load of oil into the ocean. Will anyone be held accountable?
More proof that cutting government is bad for society – and the RWNJs want to cut even more.
Our inability to respond shows just what happens when you plan for when things go wrong. We’ve seen it in Chch, Pike River and now on a reef off of Tauranga.
If i was any sort of conspiracy theorist i’d see a manufactured media shitstorm about an impending eco crisis, replete with dire warnings for wildlife, just by delaying gov’t response to take the heat off the drunken monkey’s throat slitting antics in parliament this week…
…then get that chump Joyce to deny responsibilty for taking charge by saying the gov’t are in no position to take the lead on this issue
…and corexit doesn’t disperse the oil, it sinks it and lets natural tidal/current forces break it up. Out of sight out of mind is what the oil companies want us to see.
‘drunken monkey’s throat slitting antics in parliament this week…
…then get that chump Joyce’
LOL
It’s a bit spooky because I have been increasingly seeing this Key and Joyce twosome going through each other’s fur looking for little crawly things to eat.
I had this same issue with Maurice Williamson and Gerry Brownlee grinning like Cheshire cats, dressed up as Tweedledum and Tweedledee before the last election.
The creepy crawlies of the rightwing are starting to get to me.
I remember seeing this picture of Maurice Williamson grinning from ear to ear thinking he had forced New Zealanders into ID cards with microchipping on the back until Labour forced them to rethink that. People were still angry though that National had forced them to get new drivers’ licences before their 25 year cards had expired. Labour knocked down Williamson’s cost of the licences too.
NAct haven’t changed their spots except to become more rightwing and out to make more money from people while having the nerve to say they weren’t increasing taxes.
At present, increasing cops to give out road fines is their sneaky tax. Then the GST, etc. etc.
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
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ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
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The Guardian’s live feed on the Occupy Wall Street protests.
One interesting post noted that JP Morgan Chase has just donated US$4.6 million to the NYPD: “The gift was the largest in the history of the foundation and will enable the New York City Police Department to strengthen security in the Big Apple. The money will pay for 1,000 new patrol car laptops, as well as security monitoring software in the NYPD’s main data center.”
Ther are some excellent articles on http://www.energybulletin.net.
Of interest is the media coverage: apparently the MSM were not courted or invited by the protest. One specific reason is that they are in the pay of the people being protested against.
Of more interest is the role of sites such as this one, the blogs and the sites set up specifically to overcome the MSM grip upon our minds. The OWSer sites are multiplying and linking with other sites, for the users this means the MSM can be cut out to get the word out. The real issue now is not that we dont have an alternative to the MSM, it is getting the critical mass to bypass them.
In NZ if we wait for fair treatment from the MSM for our views, or for them to expose Jokey and his blackshirt privatisers for what they are we will be waiting a long time. How do we get critical mass?
How do we get critical mass, convince all you know to get onto Twitter. It seems to me, having been observing #occupywallstreet on it since the day before the action started, that when used as a tool to circumvent the MSM it is unsurpassed. It is a way to aggregate all of what you currently read and spread it exponentially.
Although, the NYPD is not the only recent JP Morgan benefactor, they also just bought 400mill in Twitter shares .
Need to use those networks to build real physical relationships and contacts. We have already seen the authorities shut down websites and even cell phone transmission when it suited them to disrupt protests being planned.
Worth remembering that in many ‘dictatorships’ activists refuse to use things like FB and twitter because the authorities can infiltrate and use the information gained against the movement.
American intelligence agencies have broad and direct connection to everything which passes through GMail and Facebook for instance, access provided by those companies themselves, according to Julian Assange.
I heard on the radio that there is an application called ‘disconnect’ that is a free download which prevents the likes of Facebook snooping on your browsing.
Go to Avaaz and sign the petition of support for #occupywallstreet which will be displayed as a massive counter in Zuccotti park.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_world_vs_wall_st/?sbc
CV, surely the best way to prevent / push against the fascism you’re talking about is to continue to talk and agitate openly, in spite who might be watching. The moment you self edit, they’ve won. The moment you build a critical mass you win.
I agree the connections need to be real and physical as well, but to reach critical mass we need to be able to connect with those we’re unlikely to meet in our normal lives but share convictions and ideals with also.
I agree, and my point was not to self-edit as such, but to be aware of the security monitoring implications and also prepare for the day that TPTB flick the kill switch on those advanced systems that they own and control.
Pen, paper and message runners may seem archaic but they also have strengths and uses as a communications medium in a hostile environment.
And so we need to act now in order to prevent that moment.
I’m about to read a novel, which I believe was popular last year, slow adopter. Hans Fillada, Alone in Berlin, about exactly that, a man who used postcards deposited around Berlin as a way of protesting, disseminating info during Nazi reign, timely!
AAMC and CV
The moment you self edit, they’ve won.
I often think this, especially when I hear people anxiously talking on comment threads here about what the right think, or would think, or might say, if they hear us say this or that, how they could use it against us etc. I wonder why they give such a big flying fuck about what the right think of us. I’m damn sure the right doesn’t knead its hands worrying about what we think of them. I think this kind of attitude is a big problem for the left.
(However, self-editing abusive, non-inclusive (sexism, racism etc.), hyperbolic, polarised, overly personalised or competitive, egotistical, ungenerous and downright nasty communication is usually a good idea, in any community, imho).
“..but to reach critical mass we need to be able to connect with those we’re unlikely to meet in our normal lives but share convictions and ideals with also.
And filter information through our multiple real world networks. Like most of us here I’m sure, I spread the word about things like the “occupation” movement informally to left-leaning friends and acquaintances, especially those who rely on the mainstream media. The worst part of that is convincing people that things really are happening. When CERA was passed I had endless arguments, and needed to provide copious evidence of the what it meant because most people refused to believe that such a thing could happen without any coverage, and that trained, highly-paid journalists wouldn’t think it worth mentioning. For the most part, people are highly suspicious of information, even from “reliable” sources, that isn’t mainstream-reported, especially if it runs counter to what is.
But e-links are fantastic and so effortless to share. I really appreciate many of the links provided by posters here. A vital part of my learning
which is what is so clever and successful about the OWS movement, they’ve all got camera’s, every bit of it is documented. It’s just then up to us to disseminate it so as to over ride the MSM.
A picture tells a thousand words they say, like video footage of cops waving protesters onto Brooklyn Bridge when the MSM narrative was that they were only arrested because they deviated from the footpath.
Thanks AAMC, signed.
Sorry, I’m spamming now, but here’s Naomi Klein’s speech at #occupywallstreet, pertinent to all of us!
http://www.thenation.com/article/163844/occupy-wall-street-most-important-thing-world-now
Occupywallstreet press
http://paper.li/occupymanhattan/1317517749
Occupythehood
http://vimeo.com/30146870
I’m all for living out in the open too. I’ve found a lot of activist groups so insular and paranoid that it’s hard for anyone new to get involved. The Rob Gilchrist saga certainly didn’t help.
Doing that now.. 🙂
You can bypass the MSM in NZ for a mere $500K to $1M initial investment. You can set up an alternative internet TV news channel with a basic studio, hire a couple of journalists and an anchor, and link it into a satellite broadcast feed as well.
Sign up a deal with Al Jazeera and RT for the international news content part of it and off you go. Broadcast 6 hours from 5pm to 11pm every night.
Here is the OSW newspaper, over 70,000 in print and now collector’s items for sure. You can get your digital copy by clicking a couple of buttons. Citizen media is not a crime. It is our future.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/67436424/Occupied-Wsj
Podcast from Laurie Penny about watching as the crowed chanted the 1st Amendment as they were prevented from entering Wall St to protest yeaterday.
http://www.theworld.org/2011/10/whats-american-about-the-occupywallstreet-protests/
Makes a mockery of the claim from many lefties/tax-lovers that the rich don’t/wont donate to public service, eh?
Good talk about Marxian economics and the state of the US from Richard Wolff. Richard has also been supporting the Occupy Wall St protest.
http://podcast.lannan.org/2011/09/21/richard-wolff-with-anthony-arnove-conversation-13-september-2011-video/
Like to see a lot more published about the corrupt decisions behind supershity IT systems…..picking either ARC or AKL city’s SAP and upsizing it would’ve been fine.
Wodney, Ford and his water care IT man Foley, now supershity CIO behind the NACTs rushed and botched grab for assets should be interrogated.
Also there’s some big stuff still underway yet to be costed like another new inventory system……when you already have SAP…WTF !
akl needs to be shown as mike lee states that it’s been taken to the cleaners by these self serving highly paid yes men.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.php?c_id=1&objectid=10757131
Truly bizarre ‘journalism’ here, expects us to believe English is happy. He’s not. He’s lashing out behind the scenes according to my sources. Not a happy chappy at all given that we’re in financial crap and no one has any ideas how to dig us ou.
Somebody should tell him he could be the hero if he exposes John Key for what he is and the role he had in getting the global economy in the chaos it’s in today. Mr. Derivative would be a good nickname for Shonkey.
The next step would be to ditch the reserve banks and reserve act and us starting to print our own money again. Get rid of the foreign banks next and bob’s your uncle. The Icelanders did and it worked miracles for them.
Watch for post-election tax rises if the nats return.
English has as good as admitted as much. Money is needed to refill the EQC coffers. But the Nats want to put off the announcement.
Announcing is to National like listening is to Labour, and like continuity is to Act
… and like getting votes is to United Future.
You’re confused about known current with unknown future.
You are confused about United Future’s relevance.
It looks likely UnitedFuture will maintain or increase it’s number of seats.
It looks likely Labour will get less seats.
It looks likely UnitedFuture will be a part of the next Government.
It looks unlikely Labour will be a part of the next Government.
Your point?
It looks likely UnitedFuture will maintain or increase it’s number of seats
Yeah right.
It looks likely UnitedFuture will be a part of the next Government
You should not equate being a poodle with being relevant.
You accusing others of being poodles is kinda funny.
Micky went to the telegraph office, wrote “Woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof” on a form and handed it over at the counter.
The cleark said “You could add one more woof to that for no extra charge”.
Micky replied “But that would make no sense at all”.
Pete you just lost the only possible vote for UF amongst the ranks of readers of the Standard. Well done, keep it up.
Their is a Kronic shortage of political satire in this country aye PG
It’s support is at 0.8% which equates to one seat, 5% threshold, Ergo, the only chance they have of getting a seat is to win an electorate and that’s looking less and less likely.
Does Pete do stand up too?
Right.. hadn’t noticed. English and Key should be hammered over that possibility during the election campaign then.
Link doesn’t work for me.
Use this one: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10757131
The Herald has an article this morning with the heading ”
King won’t back down on ‘scumbag’ insult to PM”.
Shouldn’t the question have been directed to the PM asking if he regretted performing the Kapa O Pango in Parliament and the headline reporting his response?
Cheer up, Micky. There was some good news in the Herald this morning:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10757133
Alternative universe:
Labour speaker Margaret Wilson has banned Herald journalists from Parliament. “It’s a disgrace – the very worst of Hel*ngr*d”, according to all right-wing blogs and parrots. “Save free speech!”.
Of course that was then and this is now, and outrageous is the new nice. So … silence on the right.
Seriously, this is an absurd over-reaction by the Speaker, and whatever we may think of the Herald’s reporting, banning them for doing their job is totally unjustified. An election campaign without reporters? Must be John Key’s wet dream.
Yes, Lockwood has gotten a bit carried away on his little power trip.
But banning Key and National’s biggest cheerleaders from Parliament for 10 days during an election campaign so counterproductive that it’s funny.
Perhaps the Herald can wheel out their ‘democracy under attack’ slogans again.
pity there is only the one feed from the House now as the editing in the video does not show this moment where Key is reported to have leaned over to Brownlee and made the comment about security, i smell a big fat moment of plausible deniability. I do wonder if the full feed from all cameras is recorded for Security reasons and an Official Info request could release this magic moment thus proving the reported commment to be true.
From your linked article:
..it’s been reported that Mr Key also turned to Gerry Brownlee and said: “And they wonder why I have security.” still no source for this allegation, though it’s been widely reported as fact.
Even if he did go on to say that then, (and I don’t believe he did), it doesn’t change what he had already said and done, and the ‘angry about the bodyguard issue’ explanation still doesn’t stack up for that.
Loving the ‘they’re as bad as each other’ masking technique.
Love to see NZ wages drop?
Here’s your blighted future …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/employment/news/article.cfm?c_id=11&objectid=10757038
The IRB is fair and an equal opportunity purveyor of high moments of sporting achievement and passion and low moments of injury and punishment and this applies to well-off players and poorer players alike. The thing is that any rule it makes is fair, so imposing large penalties off the field for mouthguard offences is ergo and ipso facto a good and right law.
The IRB is God. There is no other God. Or if a player wants to display alternative religious messages they must be too small for a television camera to pick up.
And the IRB may be right to seek exclusivity on advertising from this direction. There is money to be made from promulgating forms of religion. The IRB knows this and will no doubt seek sponsorship from God or his/her earthly agents soon. That’s an idea that could work for NZ Inc.
Religion as a ‘good” – perhaps NZ can become another holy centre for the world and have people flocking to our sacred sites and to listen to our message of purity in the environment and how to achieve it in person. ‘:???:’ Icon confused! Quite right.
Just reposting a quote from No Right Turn over the Video Surveillance Bill.
There were 438 submissions – and only 6 in favour. So, we have a government of the 1.5%, stomping on the human rights of the rest of us.
This was from the select committee. I’m angry at National for this awful law, but I’m also angry at the Labour types on this blog who didn’t pressure their leadership to listen to people. It wasn’t a compromise that you won. You rolled over. Congrats.
“It wasn’t a compromise that you won. You rolled over. Congrats.”
I simply disagree.
Note that Act and United Future both voted it through the final stages. If Labour had opposed it, National only had to change it enough for Act to agree to vote for it, which could have been less than what Labour was seeking.
In the end, if Labour hadn’t done the deal they did, we may have ended up with a worse law being passed anyway with the edition of Labour looking weak in the media. This way they come off looking powerful while also delivering a better law.
Politics – the art of the possible.
But Act wasn’t particularly interested in the bill, neither was the Maori Party, and United, well, they would have gone with National but that doesn’t make up the numbers. There was a chance to have this law not make it through before the end of the term, I think that chance should have been taken.
A betting man.
And the consequences of losing the bet and the NATs passing the original, unwatered down bill through? Think of that?
Then National look like ogres, and you can repeal it when they get voted out.
Alex I made a submission. I thought the bill was an abomination. The Labour negotiated change was a lot better. There is one dead rat in it, people who had evidence of covert surveillance at their trial cannot appeal the decision relying on the fact that Hamed showed that the power to video was wrong.
This is wrong in principle but way, way better than what was proposed. Few if any may be affected by it.
You can accuse Labour of selling out or of intervening and making the bill considerably better. Such is the life of an opposition party.
Yeah I made a submission too, can’t get up in arms about something if you aren’t prepared to do anything.
Not quite correct, in fact I’d say deliberately wrong.
There were 438 submissions and only 6 in favour of the bill put up by the government.
I don’t suppose you have ever figured out what the purpose of the select committee is? It is to modify legislation. The purpose of almost all submissions is usually to suggest ways in which that should be achieved. So substantive submissions (rather than the rather meaningless postcard ones) usually don’t oppose the bills, the say where it is flawed and what should be done to fix it.
If you wanted a accurate statement for what you want to imply, then you perhaps you should count only the submissions that say that the police should never be able to use video surveillance?
BORED.
there are two things ‘we’ can do to address the balance of fairness in the media.
1. everybody on here start a blog and write what they FEEL. Mention names and make persons responssible. this blog is like two featherweights sparring. They dont hurt each other and nobody watches except the specialists. the average kiwi has no idea what goes on here. A personal blog may not seem like it is making much headway but the search engines and the rss make sure the audience is amplified and talked about especially when the writer is not constrained by the operations of parliamentary process politics.
2. the Labour party needs to spend some money and buy micropulse radio stations and programme them with handmade music. i.e. folk music, blues, pacific islands choral groups etc.
anything that is not rapcrap, or teenage whining gamines.
This blog is by extension an arm of the parliamentary party but things must change or Labour will always be behind the eight ball trying to joust with the tories and their hammerlock on the msm.
[lprent: You were doing so well until this – “This blog is by extension an arm of the parliamentary party…”. You have to know I will react to it.
And no it isn’t. I’m sure that some of the authors apart from Ben have contact with Labour and Green MP’s and various candidates of the left and receive frequent suggestions like I do. After all we’re interested in politics and especially that of the broad left. But like me they will tend to take about as much notice of those as we do of the local concern trolls – not much.
Both make you feel like Pete George’s suggestions. You know that there is a concern for what they can push you to do for them rather than what they can do for for the author, the site, or in most cases people outside their narrow definitions of being important (like most of the public).
Even the known authors generally don’t hear much from MP’s or candidates apart from being on their general mailing lists. I suspect most of the feedback goes the other way with them reading us based on the reactions I sometimes hear (usually after Irish writes…). ]
“This blog is by extension an arm of the parliamentary party but things must change or Labour will always be behind the eight ball trying to joust with the tories and their hammerlock on the msm.”
Alert alert alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“RICK: That’s all very well! But finally, after years of stagnation, the TV people have woken up to the need for locally-based minority programs! Made by amateurs! And perhaps of interest only to two or three people! It’s important, right? It’s now!”
Please leave The Young Ones and Monty Python alone. They’re not there for Tories to play with.
That’s the left for you. Always appropriating ownership of stuff that isn’t theirs.
Like farmers sucking the ground water dry?
You need to have a chat with Rik Mayall and Alexei Sayle sometime. No appropriation required.
That would undermine democracy lowering the standard again for personal gain
If this blog is an extension of Labour, please explain why you wimps sold out on the Video Surveillance Bill.
[lprent: We are not and did not.
There is quite a range of views between authors on that subject. I’m almost certainly one of the harshest critics of the police actions in operation 8 and other attacks on activists – especially because of their deliberate collection of evidence in an unlawful manner. The resulting bill was broadly acceptable to me as a stopgap until the S&S bill gets debated fully.
So I’d say that in my opinion and bearing in mind you haven’t actually stated an argument, that you’re displaying the outrage of an a person being a bit of an idiot who probably hasn’t thought through either issue. ]
A fair response, I had assumed NRT was talking about the submissions against the compromise as he was indicting politicians in general, as opposed to National. Apologies for my error.
But I am outraged that the police (and others) can now spy on people with such ease. Yes, I understand that criminals might get off now, but if thats the trade off for defending civil liberties, so be it. And I think Labour would have been better off trying to kick up a fuss and be the opposition, rather than try and accommodate National. There’s a reason people think they are very similar. Labour should be risking being painted as soft on crime by the right, in order to potentially gain the support of the left back. The ‘tough on crime’ types will never vote Labour anyway, no point in trying to get them onside.
Randal says “the Labour party needs to spend some money”, which raises several points:
1) Labour have very little of their own to spend
2) Labours has lost of practioce spending others
Two points. The second of which is foolish, because spending others’ money is cheaper than the National practise of borrowing huge amounts of money and sending the bill to others.
nice one
MC does it need to be explained to you that every dollar of Government spending which is not collected in TAXES needs to be BORROWED* from China, Abu Dhabi, Japan, etc and the paid back with INTEREST?
If not just get Bill English to explain it to you, he’s the expert aat Government borrowing.
*Actually we could just print the money we needed ourselves, and not borrow it from foreign bankers.
It would still need to be collected as taxes but at least we’d not have the rort of interest to pay on it.
Taxes are OK, as long as they go back into infrastructure and services provided for the benefit of the people.
What is critical mass??? This has been mentioned on several boards.
It’s now in 756 cities, so I suggest you continue watching, and we’ll see if critical mass is reached….
http://www.occupytogether.org/
Think “tipping point”, but with uranium. Then apply it an analogy for movements for social change.
If one person in a rugby team is upset with the coach that’s a whinger. If four (senior) people in the team are upset, that’s critical mass.
If we can’t handle an oil leak from a wrecked ship, how will we manage the environmental impacts of the rampant oil exploration that National is planning…?
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2011/10/sinking-ship-reveals-flaw-in-energy.html
We can’t and NAct have no intention of making it so that we can. Doing so costs money and that means that they would have to put taxes up and they won’t do that – unless it’s taxes on the less well off like GST.
exactly dave – I agree with your comment and post.
“This is a test case for the response teams and if this turns into more of an environmental danger it will be clear that we have little defence against these events – and they want more drilling for oil and more potential disasters. Sadly we will have to get expert at cleaning up oil spills and we will have to learn how to decontaminate birds and dispose of dead fish and animals, and we will have to learn how to clean oil out of sand and wetlands and of course, the open water. Yes, unless we stop their exploitation we will have to learn many new skills.”
http://mars2earth.blogspot.com/2011/10/oil-off-tauranga.html
All of which the NActs won’t budget for showing their complete misunderstanding of the economy.
yes, better to stop it before it begins – the new skills we really need to learn are community orientated and the opposite to the current “absurdity of expecting to get away with infinite economic growth on a finite planet,” as the Archdruid has outlined in his most recent post
http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/
JMG rocks
The Fourth Estate under attack
Democracy under attack
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5748326/Heralds-Parliament-ban-over-photo-raises-media-ire
It’s disgraceful. As I said up-thread, you can just imagine the reaction if Clark/Wilson had done this.
I hope the Press Gallery unite and stand firm on this.
Can someone tell me again why NZ rugby signed Carter and McCaw for another 4 seasons for probably an obscene amount of coin, when it looks likely that they won’t play any part in winning the wool cup, if indeed NZ win it at all ?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/5748117/McCaw-faces-major-test-surviving-three-finals
Jerome Kaino is the one player we can’t do without, Ma’a Nonu second and they’ll be fired up no end given the shoddy treatment Samoa got with their draw and refs.
And if Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu ever ran for politics he’d blitz Michael Jones or whoever the hell other token nigga Labour or National put up against him.
Because McCaw and Carter bring in a lot more money than the others you mentioned. Just look how many ads have Carter in them
Note that most of the ads that have Carter in them, he isn’t representing the All Blacks, he’s representing himself and therefore gets all the money. Same with Sonny Bill when he did the Rebel Sport ads.
The All Blacks actually have a rule that in any media advertising that contains the All Black brand there must be at least 3 team members involved, as this (apparently) shows that they are a team.
Yeah I am aware of that, but I would be very surprised if they did not get a cut of any personal sponsorships – to be fair I am basing this on the fact that they can stop any player promoting anything that they don’t like or conflicts with one of their current sponsors.
Either way they will bring more money in, because you can guarantee that when Rexona wants Dan Carter to feature in their ads along with Mils etc they have to pay more than they would if they were getting someone like Anthony Boric.
Also finally having players of that stature involved lift the All Blacks brand as a whole increasing the value – without McCaw Carter and Sonny-Bill there would be a lot of sponsors looking elsewhere to spend their money.
oh chur…
Never mind that McCaw can barely make it through this campaign without breaking down and we’re saddled with him for the next four years regardless, in one of the most competitive and demanding positions on the field.
I guess rugby isn’t the winner on the day then, but you’d only have to look at Samoa getting fucked over by that racist welsh cunt siding with them cheating jappie muthafuckas to know that.
If NZ do win the wool cup i’d love to se the Samoan allblacks do the Siva Tau in honour of their motherland.
and lastly fuck the greedy IRB, SANZAR and the NZRU.
Is there any update on Wainuiototo?
Even the Geens with Frog were pushing this. It has all gone quiet. With Labour weekend fast looming and isn’t there an election? Perhaps the time is ripe for this to regain some prominence?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/4509605/Message-to-protect-New-Chums-Beach
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/goff-weighs-in-coromandel-development-3757065
The dompost had a tom scott cartoon this morning implying that 3D (dipton double dipper) had inherited the deposit guarantee scheme from Labour but I distinctly heard him [English} say that they [national] had done it themselves on 9-noon on Monday. so the fiasco was all his own work. The msm wont take him on because it meant that he paid off his own [and theirs] mates.
I didn’t think there was any doubt that Labour started the deposit guarantee scheme. National were the ones that resigned SCF though. Arguably that just stopped them going under earlier, but not sure delaying it really accomplished anything.
SCF could have been re-signed on, but any bond holders and depositers should have taken 50% hair cuts on amounts over $250K as a condition of resigning.
That would have stopped the awful self serving speculative activity which occurred.
Yeah that would have probably been the best way but I’m still convinced that basically taking half of the major investors funds would have left the company as a viable going concern.
Sorry that was meant to say not convinced.
Delahunty on Vote Chat: “I would resign from Parliament if the Greens were to support a National government”.
Wow. She’s putting herself forward for three years or not?
Pete, there is very deep unease among Green members about a deal with National. Metiria Turei spelt it out when they first made the announcement that they were considering a deal, but it got ignored. There is a very long list of Green demands that would have to be met before any deal, and frankly, many members would leave, possibly destroying the Green party in the process. And at the end of the day, the members have the final say anyway.
I understand that alex – the point I’m making is that if they stand for parliament shouldn’t they accept any democratic process? Saying you will resign (almost straight away) if your party does something you disagree with would seem to make a mockery of the election.
The Green Party is really going to have to work out their approach properly before the election if the alternative is to risk resignations within a month.
United future doesn’t have a polcy except to grese up the majority party the same way that would explain the hair style and the brown nose.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10757227
This is fascinating; the press crying out about the speaker, Lockwood Smith, banning the herald journalists from Parliament for 10 days because Audrey took a photo of that man trying to throw himself off the balcony into the parliamentary bear pit.
Hilarious the press complaining about freedom of the press when a) they don’t report objectively so take away my freedom to have a fair and objective reporting of what happens in New Zealand and
b) the journalists in the main are owned and controlled by Key and co or the newspaper owners.
Move along ladies and gentleman – nothing in the way of free press in New Zealand – move along; nothing to see here.
Lockwood trying to shut down a bad look for Key and Bennett – Parliament taking away the freedom of New Zealanders to have an objective look at our parliamentary actions and consequences of those actions by Key and Bennett. That is shameful.
No, I think Lockwood is just sticking to the letter of the standing order and not allowing for the exceptional circumstances of the case.
I think he should have banned them for 1 or 2 days as a point not to take standing orders lightly.
I agree, I think some penalty was warranted but 10 days seems too harsh.
Personally, I’d prefer it if those standing orders were removed.
Where has “Red Alert” gone today ?
Are they no longer bothering to so called “blog” ? Not surprised – getting more useless – go “Staandard”.
The other day I was thinking about the faster than speed of light neutrinos problem
and wonder whether the source and detector were at the same height, then realized
the mountainous location may have altered gravity, but that would not make much
sense since they fire particles through there all the time. But it may turn out that
because the neutrinos are traveling so fast that General Reality plus the location
may have effects… …nice. Unintended consequences thing again, put note in
diary, ever asked to build particle accelerator build near large mountains.
Lprent. Ididnt know how you would react but I do now.
[lprent: I always do to any suggestion that any political party runs this site, and especially a parliamentary wing (technophobia seems to be a primary characteristic of the genre in my unhumble opinion). It is as irritating as hell and leads to to the most boring and futile speculative discussions imaginable to the people who run the site. I always put on the old spiked boots and rake offenders until they understand exactly how irritated I get. This discourages reoffending. ]
Where the hell are these Maritime New Zealand ‘oil spill response experts’ Minister of Transport – Steven Joyce?
“Maritime New Zealand
Organisation governance and structure
Maritime New Zealand is a Crown entity established in 1993 under the name Maritime Safety Authority. It was renamed Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) in July 2005.
Maritime New Zealand is governed by an independent Board appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport.
The five-member Authority directs the overall Maritime New Zealand strategy, and appoints the Director of Maritime New Zealand.
The Director manages the organisation and has independent statutory powers under the Maritime Transport Act 1994.
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/About-us/About-Maritime-New-Zealand.asp
Maritime New Zealand Statement of Intent: 2011–2014
“3. Marine pollution response
Almost 10 million tonnes of oil is transported around New Zealand’s pristine coastline by oil tankers
every year. Maritime New Zealand operates the Marine Pollution Response Service, whose oil spill
response experts are able to respond to significant oil spills in New Zealand, and overseas if required.
These specialists maintain the National Oil Spill Response Plan and manage the national stockpile of
oil spill response equipment. They also conduct oil spill exercises and training for regional responders.”
Really?
Penny Bright
Independent ‘Public Watchdog’
Candidate for Epsom
BOP Oil Spill Response Failure
Authorities have dismally failed to react properly to the grounding of the 236-metre cargo vessel MV Rena, which struck Astrolabe Reef north of Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty on Wednesday at approx 2.20 AM…
Concern about Corexit 9500 being used in the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill – it’s the same ‘dispersant’ being used NOW in NZ – and it has been banned since 1998 by the UK!
FYI.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/16/louisiana-oil-spill-toxic-chemical-bp
Louisiana oil spill: toxic chemical fear over BP’s clean-up efforts
Officials, scientists and fishermen warn of threat to sealife in the Gulf of Mexico
Peter Beaumont
The Observer, Sunday 16 May 2010
Scientists have raised urgent new concerns over the latest efforts to mitigate the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the oil rig explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon. Latest efforts to limit the environmental damage involve an untried deep-water technique, using a toxic dispersant that they believe may damage ocean life. But the new method has so far only succeeded in ratcheting up the growing controversy surrounding the spill.
…………………
Approval by the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for the pumping of tens of thousands of litres of the chemical Corexit 9500 deep on to the seabed early yesterday comes despite warnings from Louisiana state health officials, scientists and fishermen that the technique is untested and potentially hazardous to marine life and the wider ecosystem. Louisiana officials claim BP and the EPA ignored their concerns about how the chemicals may harm the sea floor.”
Corexit 9500 is being used NOW in NZ!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/5745996/BoP-faces-ecological-disaster
BoP faces ecological disaster
Stricken container ship still leaking oil
Despite initial indications that dispersant was effective , further analysis last night confirmed the Corexit 9500 was not dispersing the oil, Mr Service said. ”
http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Publications-and-forms/Environmental-protection/OPPRC-Review-February-2011.pdf
10.6 Dispersants and Dispersant Application Systems
MNZ holds a range of dispersants suitable for application to differing oil types, including heavy fuel oil. Arguably, the most effective dispersant for use on heavier oils, including crude oil, is Corexit 9500. New Zealand‘s entire 30,000 litres stock of Corexit 9500 is held at NOSSC Te Atatu. ”
COREXIT 9500 HAS BEEN BANNED IN THE UK SINCE 1998 – BECAUSE IT DID NOT PASS THE ‘ROCKY SHORE TEST’
http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/protecting/pollution/documents/approval_approved_products.pdf
All products approved after 1 April 1996 have been required to pass both the Sea/Beach and Rocky Shore Toxicity Tests. Any products coming up for renewal that have only passed the Sea/Beach toxicity test in the past are required, before they can be renewed, to pass the Rocky Shore Test also. The following products have been removed from the list of approved products because they did not pass the Rocky Shore Test when submitted for renewal:
•
Chemkleen OSDA JAC (removed from list 21/01/1998)
•
Corexit 9527 (removed from list 30/07/1998)
•
Corexit 9500 (removed from list 30/07/1998).
Existing stocks of these products may still be used away from rocky shorelines in appropriate conditions. Approval should be sought from the relevant licensing authority before any proposed use.”
__________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
Independent ‘Public Watchdog’
Candidate for Epsom
They’ll be like the Mines Inspection body; they’ll have a bloke with a Tinny boat, a 15 hp outboard and a bottle of washing up liquid.
The stranding of the Containership Rena on Wednesday morning, occurred in clear fine weather which has persisted for 3 days now. This clear weather is due to deteriorate starting tomorrow with a change in wind direction around midday.
It is expected that by the middle of the week it will be too late, high winds will prevent any attempt to unload the fuel oil from the Rena and the likely hood is high that before the next calm period the ship will be broken on the reef.
It appears that the resources that could have taken advantage of the good weather to pump ALL the oil from this ship are near at hand have been sitting idle and unused.
Collapsible rapid response emergency oil barges made to deal with just this sort of emergency are right here in New Zealand. With even more available in Australia. These collapsable oil barges are specifically designed and made to be deployed instantly in just such an emergency.
Sail-World magazine report, that Lancer Industries here in New Zealand manufacture inflatable barges designed specifically to allow oil to be offloaded from ships which have run aground to prevent significant spillage and environmental damage. The barges from Lancer are owned by many maritime authorities around the world including the US Coast Guard.
Able to hold 100 tonnes of oil at a time, they can be delivered in folded up form not much bigger than an office desk. Once filled they can then be towed ashore and after being emptied can be reused.
“Lancer barges are designed to be taken alongside a vessel and have the oil pumped into them directly, before being towed ashore to a shore installation”
‘These barges can also be used in a cleanup operation to skim oil that has already leaked, reducing the need to use dispersant’.
Three days down the track these emergency barges have not been deployed.
Why?
Martime New Zealand own two of these barges.
Sail-World believes that the Martime NZ Lancer barges are located in Te Atatu only a few hours trip by road to Tauranga.
Have these barges been delivered to the scene of the disaster?
If not, why not?
Sail-World also reports that all major governments of the world have agreements in place to fly in such equipment, in the case of an oil spill or pending disaster to offload fuel oil and reduce the extent of any damage.
These additional barges could easily be flown in from Australia if required.
Has our government made this call?
If not, why not?
As well as the two Maritime NZ owned emergency barges, Lancer Industries ltd who are based in the Auckland suburb of Henderson have just made some more of these barges for the US Coastguard with significantly more capacity than the two owned by Maritime NZ.
Why have these barges not been requisitioned as an emergency measure?
These specially designed barges, built for just this sort of scenario, are all owned by private concerns and different authorities.
Why is there no single government authority which in an emergency could commandeer these resources?
Why aren’t these purpose built emergency oil barges already on the scene and being deployed to unload the oil before the weather deteriorates?
Emergency barges are good. But they are useless without tugboats.
Only today, this afternoon in fact, have two large tugs departed from Auckland for Tauranga to deal with the disaster.
Why the delay?
Why were they not dispatched immediately?
Were the commercial operations of the Ports of Auckland given priority over this unfolding disaster?
Who made this decision?
If the weather window closes and the ship is broken on the reef to discharge it’s full load of oil into the ocean. Will anyone be held accountable?
More proof that cutting government is bad for society – and the RWNJs want to cut even more.
Our inability to respond shows just what happens when you plan for when things go wrong. We’ve seen it in Chch, Pike River and now on a reef off of Tauranga.
If i was any sort of conspiracy theorist i’d see a manufactured media shitstorm about an impending eco crisis, replete with dire warnings for wildlife, just by delaying gov’t response to take the heat off the drunken monkey’s throat slitting antics in parliament this week…
…then get that chump Joyce to deny responsibilty for taking charge by saying the gov’t are in no position to take the lead on this issue
…and corexit doesn’t disperse the oil, it sinks it and lets natural tidal/current forces break it up. Out of sight out of mind is what the oil companies want us to see.
Pollywog,
‘drunken monkey’s throat slitting antics in parliament this week…
…then get that chump Joyce’
LOL
It’s a bit spooky because I have been increasingly seeing this Key and Joyce twosome going through each other’s fur looking for little crawly things to eat.
I had this same issue with Maurice Williamson and Gerry Brownlee grinning like Cheshire cats, dressed up as Tweedledum and Tweedledee before the last election.
The creepy crawlies of the rightwing are starting to get to me.
I remember seeing this picture of Maurice Williamson grinning from ear to ear thinking he had forced New Zealanders into ID cards with microchipping on the back until Labour forced them to rethink that. People were still angry though that National had forced them to get new drivers’ licences before their 25 year cards had expired. Labour knocked down Williamson’s cost of the licences too.
NAct haven’t changed their spots except to become more rightwing and out to make more money from people while having the nerve to say they weren’t increasing taxes.
At present, increasing cops to give out road fines is their sneaky tax. Then the GST, etc. etc.
I hadn’t noticed this aspect of the Fairfax poll before.
Go Auckland! (Now, that comes hard as I live in Christchurch).