“If a leadership contest happens, it will – yet again – be a proxy battle over Europe, the same issue that has poisoned the Tory party, and with it British political life, for decades.”
“When he [Boris Johnson] was lying his way through the referendum campaign, we knew little about what Brexit Britain would look like. Now we are beginning to know more.
The pound worth less – because of Brexit. Rising prices – because of Brexit.
Our falling standing in the world – because of Brexit.
From the top of the G7 growth league to the bottom – because of Brexit.
The investors making plans to move – because of Brexit.
EU workers leaving our NHS and our schools and universities, not welcome – because of Brexit.
Fruit unpicked in East Anglia – because of Brexit.
The Irish border question unresolved and imperiling stability and peace there – because of Brexit. The rights of millions uncertain – because of Brexit.
The most complex negotiations imaginable in the hands of a cabinet incapable of meeting for five minutes without splurging their differences through the media to the other side of the negotiating table. ”
A foreign secretary driven by ego alone; a Prime Minister too weak to deal with it.”
Alastair Campbell in the NewEuropean.
He doesn’t miss and hit the wall.
The support Boris Johnson has is from the English Nationalist fans.
Here is Fintan O’Toole’s insight to this movement.
“The problem with English nationalism is not that it exists but that it is incoherent, inarticulate and immature. This underground torrent has always been there, but it was buried for centuries beneath two powerful constructs: the British Empire and the United Kingdom. With the empire gone and the union under strain from rival nationalist movements in Scotland and Northern Ireland, English nationalism has flooded to the surface with great destructive force.”
And some more reality.
As Fran O’Sullivan says, big business isn’t scared of a NZ First/ Labour government.
Notice how she observes a Lab/Green government would have scared the corporates…
‘But it is important not to become hysterical over the eventual deals. Business will adjust – as it always does – and get on with things. If policies are perceived as detrimental to various interests, there is always the ability to lobby Government to modify them.
Importantly, if Labour and the Greens had emerged with more than 50 per cent of the vote at the election, there would have been substantial change to a number of settings – among them immigration, environmental rules, the Reserve Bank Act and taxation.
Although National had to swallow some dead rats when Jim Bolger and Peters formed the first coalition Government, the former National Prime Minister said recently that it was workable.’
We need to be vigilant that the national folks will do anything to keep in power and it is not above the possibility that they would falsify the votes here at all, because when we asked the Electoral Commission in 2016 if the voter can recheck to ‘verify’ if their paper vote was accurately recorded the Commission said no way can anyone under the “Electoral Act” see any result of the voter due to “Privacy Laws” so no-one would ever be able to find out if their vote was tampered with????
and comment above.
If you go through media reports over the past few years, there are countless examples – and that’s aside from those (probably the vast majority of instances) that go unreported.
Check out Dr Christina Stringer’s report too on exploitation, or engage with some of the various bodies doing their best to provide support (such as Immigrant Workers Association).
How America was poisoned – from Trump. Bannon, and Mercer’s Cambridge Analytica, all the way down to the Charlottesville goons and their tiki torches.
. These documents chart the Breitbart alt-right universe. They reveal how the website — and, in particular, Yiannopoulos — links the Mercer family, the billionaires who fund Breitbart, to underpaid trolls who fill it with provocative content, and to extremists striving to create a white ethnostate.
They capture what Bannon calls his “killing machine” in action, as it dredges up the resentments of people around the world, sifts through these grievances for ideas and content, and propels them from the unsavory parts of the internet up to TrumpWorld, collecting advertisers’ checks all along the way.
Was reading the right wing blog yesterday, wondering how they are feeling about today. Gosh they are a nasty, negative bunch over there, so vile, the spinners of propaganda and the pushers of put downs.
Needless to say they aren’t as excited today about the special votes as those on TS are.
I wonder how Maureen Pugh is feeling today? Rock on 2pm
I just had a look at KB out of curiosity. Weird and warped and inarticulate. Would not like to personally be a friend or neighbour of any of them. They made Wayne seem almost reasonable.
An ego driven pissing competition of nastiness and greed, selfishness preventing the sharing and supporting of differing ideas for the good of all, infested with bully boys the back bone of the national party movement.
No matter the results it’s an exciting time for NZ, makes me wonder why the KB participants are all bitching hard out.
‘Cinny skips off and carries on being excited, 3hrs to go, just 3 hrs to go’ 😀
Wow!
“Details have emerged of yesterday’s preliminary coalition meeting between National and New Zealand First, with confirmed reports that Winston Peters did not utter a word during the thirty minute meeting, to which he arrived late.”
We are often told about how hard the wealthy in NZ work for their money. Funnily enough, bankers, CEO’s, financiers do not make the top 4 hardest (overworked) working kiwis…
Interesting comments under that article – seems like everyone’s working their guts out. May be it’s like when I used to ask a room full of people to put their hand up if they considered themselves a better than average driver. What rough percentage of hands went up?
I’ve noticed a lot (like most) of people who are stuck on the hamster wheel. Going harder and harder but going nowhere.
Sustainability will become a factor very soon for a lot. You can’t keep this low wage / long hour stuff up for ever, something quite small will tip you over.
Thanks if someone released my comments. Don’t know what has happened being a non-tech idiot but my identicon or whatever has now changed … No problem but cannot work it out as I did not re-enter my name or email etc.
Will be changing my email in the near future as it is currently an old Vodaphone one soon to become redundant but will cross that bridge another day.
I have a feeling your comments are going via the spam filter. It happens randomly to some people, or it becomes a habitual thing for some others who have TS logins they’re not using. I’ll keep an eye out and see what’s happening with your comments.
Had a login years ago but rarely used it and no idea of password! Since we are on it at the moment, will send a test using my new gmail address and see if we can get that to work as no point in reactivating login for the email address that needs to go in the bin anyway.
Some people who have had logins in the past, if they use the same details in the comment fields will start getting caught in moderation. I don’t know what triggers this.
Yes, the simplest option is to change your email address in the comment field. Doesn’t work all the time, but it does for some. You can make up an email address too, doesn’t need to be real.
Not sure as raced out to get back home before special results, but from the time seems to have been quicker. Will stick with new email as per this reply and check.
Thanks Weka. Sent an earlier reply to my own test to say comments now up but different identicon. Also said will be changing my email as exisitn one is a soon to be redundant Vodaphone one, and already have another legit gmail one anyway. If problems continue etc, can change to the gmail email and see if problems disappear.
“Don Richards and Sue Hamill, describe a “surprising and somewhat disappointing” exchange of views with Sir Michael Cullen at an election meeting in Whakatane on Friday, 15 September:
” Sir Michael, the former Labour Finance Minister during the Helen Clark-led government was with Grant Robertson, the Labour Party’s current Finance spokesperson and Kiri Allan, our local Labour Party candidate.
I asked Grant Robertson if he was aware of what was happening in Japan with the Central Bank buying up a significant portion of their national debt. Inflation in Japan was close to zero and the real economy was thriving. Had he considered instructing the Reserve Bank to do the same, thereby saving taxpayers money for social and infrastructure projects?
Grant asked Sir Michael to answer the question and he said that Japan had been experiencing negative growth for some time and so the two economies were not similar. I reminded Sir Michael that the Japanese economy was now thriving and the Central Bank was still buying up their national debt. I was told that a Labour government would not be doing that.
Sue then asked Grant Robertson if he had thought about doing what the first Labour Government did in the 1930s, using the Reserve Bank’s balance sheet to fund the building of housing and infrastructure? The question received a few claps from the audience.
Sir Michael once again fielded the question. He said that we had to be fiscally responsible otherwise we could end up with an economy like Germany after World War One, Venezuela or Zimbabwe. Sue carried on with a second question stating that as private banks create most of the money in the economy, why not let the Reserve Bank do it as well. Sir Michael responded by saying the banks do not create money.
The meeting finished with an invitation to meet at a local café for a chat. We went home and printed off the Bank of England’s article and the IMF’s discussion paper that stated categorically that banks create money in the act of lending. Sue went back to the café and had a further conversation with Sir Michael. He dismissed the Bank of England paper as not relevant and that it did not mean that banks created money. He also dismissed the IMF paper saying that banks lend out people’s savings.
It was a frustrating experience and if Sir Michael has the ear of Grant Robertson, as he appears to have, then no difference will be made to the way our money is created, should the Labour Party come to power.””
Doesn’t all this make the Nats more vulnerable overall – with 41 constituency seats
to Labour’s 29 are they not more likely to lose seats during the next term to say scandal or resignation than Labour thereby being the more unstable partner
The PM will be the leader of whichever party/bloc NZF gives backing to, in terms of confidence and supply (or even just confidence – a possibility, but an uncomfortable one).
He is not my favourite either. One of his very recent pieces riled me no end but (luckily) it did not get one mention here on TS AFAIK and I didn’t need to let rip … Shame though because I really felt like it!
Afraid to say this latest Trots spray has already been mentioned in this very OM at 18 above.
Not my best response but the response was triggered by seeing it posted at 2.00pm while awaiting the special vote results. Fear that Cullen is going to be Finance Minister? Really ???????
Perhaps we could invite Paul Keating to nip across and lend a hand.
Poor old Labour: doesn’t matter who’s at the top. It’s a patriarchal middle class construct. People who get all wussie at the thought of decent unions and have to hide the facts from the sweet innocent voting public.
by Daphna Whitmore Twitter and Facebook shutting down Trump’s accounts after his supporters stormed Capitol Hill is old news now but the debates continue over whether the actions against Trump are a good thing or not. Those in favour of banning Trump say Twitter and Facebook are private companies and ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Democrats now control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives for the first time in a decade, albeit with razor thin Congressional majorities. The last time, in the 111th Congress (2009-2011), House Democrats passed a carbon cap and trade bill, but it died ...
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Orla is a gender critical Marxist in Ireland. She gave a presentation on 15 January 2021 on the connection between postmodern/transgender identity politics and the current attacks on democratic and free speech rights. Orla has been active previously in the Irish Socialist Workers Party and the People Before Profit electoral ...
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Sarah L Caddy, University of CambridgeVaccines are a marvel of medicine. Few interventions can claim to have saved as many lives. But it may surprise you to know that not all vaccines provide the same level of protection. Some vaccines stop you getting symptomatic disease, but others stop you ...
Back in 2016, the Portuguese government announced plans to stop burning coal by 2030. But progress has come much quicker, and they're now scheduled to close their last coal plant by the end of this year: The Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline at midnight yesterday evening (14 ...
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: As anybody with the intestinal fortitude to brave the commentary threads of local news-sites, large and small, will attest, the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding. IT’S SO DIFFICULT to resist the temptation to be smug. From the distant perspective of New Zealand, ...
RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the ...
As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
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TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
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Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
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Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
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An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
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With criticism from National piling on over the property market, the prime minister has detailed when the government will make housing announcements. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Lecturer, General Dentist & PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Baby teeth, or milk teeth, act like lighthouses to guide the adult ones to their correct destination. A baby tooth will become wobbly and fall out because the adult tooth ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he’s joined by Simon Coley, co-founder of All Good and Karma Drinks.Bananas are one of the ...
Tackling topics such as rugby and body image, Stuff’s latest podcast shines a much-needed light on Aotearoa’s complex relationship with masculinity, writes Trevor McKewen, author of the book Real Men Wear Black.I wasn’t sure what to think when two episodes of the new local podcast He’ll Be Right landed in ...
The Rainforest Alliance reveals that 68%* of Kiwis say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them more conscious about environmental and social sustainability issues. Seventy two percent* state that they have been trying to make more sustainable purchasing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, has raised concerns that Australia’s proposed News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code could fundamentally break the internet as we know it. His concerns ...
ANALYSIS:By Scott Lucas, University of Birmingham Politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path Two weeks after the storming of the US Capitol by the followers of his predecessor, in the middle of an out-of-control pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Cantrell, Lecturer, Creative Writing & English Literature, University of Southern Queensland Described as “the world’s greatest storyteller”, Roald Dahl is frequently ranked as the best children’s author of all time by teachers, authors and librarians. However, the new film adaptation of ...
Peak housing body, Community Housing Aotearoa (CHA) welcomes the updated Public Housing Plan announced today by Minister Woods, and the commitment by this Government to fix New Zealand’s housing crisis. The 8,000 additional homes are a significant ...
Having recently walked much of the South Island stretch of Te Araroa, Kirsten O’Regan reflects on the magnificent landscapes and interesting characters she encountered along the way.On our 36th day of walking, we climb through the fire-blackened hills above Ohau, stopping to examine heat-disfigured trail markers. Fresh green shoots have ...
Miss Torta in central Auckland is putting the spotlight on a snack that’s commonplace in Mexico, but until now relatively unknown in New Zealand.You’ve heard of a torta, but what is it, exactly? Well, depending on the cuisine it can mean a flatbread, cake, tart, sweet pie, savoury pie or ...
Two of three ministerial statements from the Beehive have been released in the name of the PM over the past two days. The more important, insofar as it involves political action that will affect the wellbeing of significant numbers of Kiwis, was the release of the government’s Public Housing Plan ...
Jacinda Ardern has reminded Labour MPs "ongoing vigilance" will be required in 2021 to avoid another Covid outbreak, admitting she held her breath over the summer break. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Pinged $65 for overstaying 10 minutes in a parking block? Put away your hard-earned cash and read this first.Hopefully, by now, I’ve already established myself at The Spinoff as the resident tightarse, determined to avoid all unfair and unnecessary punishments (see: oversize baggage charges). Today, I’m focusing my attention on ...
Nuclear weapons states and their allies risk reputational ruin if they flout a new UN Treaty, Carolina Panico argues The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into force this month, on January 22, 2021, turning nuclear weapons into illegal objects. It is an achievement that ...
How does one turn into a rabid extremist over the description of a children’s bike? Emily Writes looks at Facebook comments so you don’t have to.You’ve been there, I know it. You’re scrolling along, trying to avoid QAnon conspiracy theories and Trump apocalypse memes when a story catches your eye. ...
Joe Biden is now the President of the United States and many people across America and throughout the world will consequently be breathing more easily. But while the erratic, unpredictable and irresponsible years of the Trump Presidency may be over, ...
Tough border testing for New Zealand honey imports to Japan is re-igniting the conversation about the use of the weed killer glypohsate in New Zealand. ...
The Taxpayers Union should be aware of the law and of the history of ACC. The ACC is a legal system introduced in 1974 to replace the common law right of accident victims to sue for damages for personal injury sustained as a result of negligence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Terrorism, political extremism, Donald Trump, social media and the phenomenon of “cancel culture” are confronting journalists with a range of agonising free-speech dilemmas to which there are no easy answers. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney You’ve just come from your monthly GP appointment with a new script for your ongoing medical condition. But your local pharmacy is out of stock of your usual medicine. Your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna D’Alessandro, Professor & ARC Future Fellow, University of Sydney On Wednesday this week, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was measured at at 415 parts per million (ppm). The level is the highest in human history, and is growing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington It might be summer in New Zealand but we’re in for some wild weather this week with forecasts of heavy wind and rain, and a plunge in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Despite many young Australians having a deep interest in political issues, most teenagers have a limited understanding about their nation’s democratic system. Results from the 2019 National Assessment Program – Civics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University Last week, the McIver’s Ladies Baths in Sydney came under fire for their (since removed) policy stating “only transgender women who’ve undergone a gender reassignment surgery are allowed entry”. The policy was ...
There are good grounds for optimism after the guardrails of American democracy held firm through to Joe Biden's inauguration today as President, writes Stephen Hoadley Pessimism abounds about the perilous condition of American democracy. Commentators and headline writers proffer memes such as ‘broken and divided nation’, ‘the threat from within’. ...
*This article was originally appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. Donald Trump will forever be remembered as the president who was impeached twice - and for his rhetoric that struck a chord so deep in America that it will take years to dissipate. Donald Trump leaves Washington with the lowest approval ...
A new plan shows how and where the Government will build 8,000 new state housing places it funded in Budget 2020, Marc Daalder reports Jacinda Ardern has kicked off the political year with a major announcement, promising hundreds of new state housing places in regional centres across the country. With ...
This is the full transcript of President Joe Biden's speech after being sworn in at his inauguration this morning in Washington DC Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, and my distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, this is America's day. This ...
Analysis: President Donald Trump has left the White House, and his deputy chief of staff confirms he is withdrawing his candidacy to lead the OECD. New Zealander Christopher Liddell withdrew his nomination to be Secretary-General of the powerful 37-member OECD and was one of the last members of the Trump Administration to depart ...
Kate Wills is facing stage four cancer with the same fierce approach she takes into her ocean swimming - never say can't. Even on the mornings Kate Wills feels wretched from her fortnightly chemotherapy treatment, she drags herself up at 5am and goes swimming. “I have to. It’s my job – to ...
Some costs associated with meetings speak for themselves, others are less conspicuous. Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper lays those costs out, making suggestions on where we can rein them in. Meetings – when last did we count the costs? And so it’s back to work and one of the ...
Andrew Paul Wood assesses the best-selling picture book by Grahame Sydney It's no great secret the commercially very successful Grahame Sydney has a long-standing beef that his work doesn’t receive more critical and institutional approval. I sympathise about the lack of critical attention, but I can understand why. The Discourse™ ...
This story was produced in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and Columbia Journalism Investigations. It was originally published by Public Integrity, Mother Jones, The Arizona Republic and Orlando Sentinel. It is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the ...
Analysis: It has been easy to ignore anyone daring to criticise or even question any aspect of the government’s Covid-19 response. Their voices have rarely been heard, and when they have been raised they have been quickly and decisively howled down by the favoured coterie of academics. ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US presidential inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated through Wednesday and Thursday. The inauguration ceremony begins at 5.15am Thursday, NZ time, and Joe Biden takes the oath of office around 6am. 7.25am: And what about Trump?In the early hours of this morning, NZ ...
In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. Last month we quizzed Wellingtonians. Today, we ask NZ drivers how they’ve found a holiday period without international tourists, and what they get up to while they’re on the road.Across Aotearoa roads ...
Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatist policies have garnered backlash from the international Muslim community. Now, a global coalition has complained to the UN. ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they go on an odyssey of women’s rage, and find out how we can channel our anger into good. First published September 15, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by ...
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement Camposano has declared in response to the termination of a long-standing accord preventing military incursion on campus. In a Facebook post, Camposano said the academic ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guinea’s mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? — Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children — Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 — were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the world’s population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is “bullshit.” Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. It’s a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. “New Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology “The lie outlasts the liar,” writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the “post-truth” era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
That’s what seems to commonly be attempted here, like now, with OAB leading the dishonesty and divisiveness.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Right party, right place, right time ..
https://fabiusmaximus.com/2017/10/05/when-the-ai-jobs-extinction-will-arrive/
I heard this for the first time yesterday ….
Another exceptional talent ….. Giving voice on another deadly problem.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11930260
since when is it ok for nz to harbour a kidnapper.?
What kidnapper??
Sounds like she’s about to be deported so not sure what you mean.
When doing otherwise would be an “intolerable situation” and “cataclysmic”, for the child.
the judge is an arse, if it was the father who ran off the result would be very different
I disagree, sorry. I don’t think he was focussing on the deeds of the parents, but what is currently in the best interests of the child
Mother, father, arse or otherwise, primacy of the child rules.
Everyone ready for Prime Minister Boris Johnson?
“If a leadership contest happens, it will – yet again – be a proxy battle over Europe, the same issue that has poisoned the Tory party, and with it British political life, for decades.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/06/tories-destroying-themselves-hard-brexit
No clearer lesson exists for those countries wishing to further fracture the European Union than the UK today.
“When he [Boris Johnson] was lying his way through the referendum campaign, we knew little about what Brexit Britain would look like. Now we are beginning to know more.
The pound worth less – because of Brexit. Rising prices – because of Brexit.
Our falling standing in the world – because of Brexit.
From the top of the G7 growth league to the bottom – because of Brexit.
The investors making plans to move – because of Brexit.
EU workers leaving our NHS and our schools and universities, not welcome – because of Brexit.
Fruit unpicked in East Anglia – because of Brexit.
The Irish border question unresolved and imperiling stability and peace there – because of Brexit. The rights of millions uncertain – because of Brexit.
The most complex negotiations imaginable in the hands of a cabinet incapable of meeting for five minutes without splurging their differences through the media to the other side of the negotiating table. ”
A foreign secretary driven by ego alone; a Prime Minister too weak to deal with it.”
Alastair Campbell in the NewEuropean.
He doesn’t miss and hit the wall.
Boris according to Pie:
Just brilliant
The support Boris Johnson has is from the English Nationalist fans.
Here is Fintan O’Toole’s insight to this movement.
“The problem with English nationalism is not that it exists but that it is incoherent, inarticulate and immature. This underground torrent has always been there, but it was buried for centuries beneath two powerful constructs: the British Empire and the United Kingdom. With the empire gone and the union under strain from rival nationalist movements in Scotland and Northern Ireland, English nationalism has flooded to the surface with great destructive force.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/britain-ireland-brexit-leo-varadkar.html
‘….But Gandalf lifted up his arms and called once more
in a clear voice. “Stand, Men of the West! Stand and wait!
This is the hour of doom”…….
Welcome to reality.
Low income Wellington families choosing between food and public transport
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/97530715/low-income-wellington-families-choosing-between-food-and-public-transport
And some more reality.
As Fran O’Sullivan says, big business isn’t scared of a NZ First/ Labour government.
Notice how she observes a Lab/Green government would have scared the corporates…
‘But it is important not to become hysterical over the eventual deals. Business will adjust – as it always does – and get on with things. If policies are perceived as detrimental to various interests, there is always the ability to lobby Government to modify them.
Importantly, if Labour and the Greens had emerged with more than 50 per cent of the vote at the election, there would have been substantial change to a number of settings – among them immigration, environmental rules, the Reserve Bank Act and taxation.
Although National had to swallow some dead rats when Jim Bolger and Peters formed the first coalition Government, the former National Prime Minister said recently that it was workable.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11930547
though the mood of the boardroom a week or two ago was quite different…
Today is the start of the Labour Greens NZ First Coalition.
Today is the end of the shitty human natz party and those other 2 people era.
I doubt this will be sorted today.
I love the hope Nick,’
We do need a new beginning as civil unrest is bubbling on the surface of the present national swamp now and beginning to overflow.
Relentlessly Positive…. Hehe
OR is this going to be like the misjudgment of how high nats would poll on 23 Sept? And the specials will not be what we hope.
Tracey,
We need to be vigilant that the national folks will do anything to keep in power and it is not above the possibility that they would falsify the votes here at all, because when we asked the Electoral Commission in 2016 if the voter can recheck to ‘verify’ if their paper vote was accurately recorded the Commission said no way can anyone under the “Electoral Act” see any result of the voter due to “Privacy Laws” so no-one would ever be able to find out if their vote was tampered with????
“This is the first time since 1994 that there has been a complete shutdown of the Wellington metro system,” he said.
“In fact, it has taken 15 years for us to get an employer who has angered the workers sufficiently to cause a strike.”
Transdev, a French-headquartered multinational company, took over the contract to run Wellington trains from KiwiRail last year.
Mr Butson argued Transdev had mishandled negotiations and risked bringing New Zealand back to an earlier age of industrial turmoil.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/340965/rail-union-threatens-further-strikes-over-wgtn-deal
Shocking story and immigration will not investigate or prosecute the scam.
Migrant worker describes ‘modern day slavery’ scam
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/339373/migrant-worker-describes-modern-day-slavery-scam
Unfortunately @savenz, the horse bolted a long time ago.
and comment above.
If you go through media reports over the past few years, there are countless examples – and that’s aside from those (probably the vast majority of instances) that go unreported.
Check out Dr Christina Stringer’s report too on exploitation, or engage with some of the various bodies doing their best to provide support (such as Immigrant Workers Association).
Human trafficking ‘definitely a problem’ in NZ
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/335932/human-trafficking-definitely-a-problem-in-nz
National = Human exploitation + trafficking.
How America was poisoned – from Trump. Bannon, and Mercer’s Cambridge Analytica, all the way down to the Charlottesville goons and their tiki torches.
.
These documents chart the Breitbart alt-right universe. They reveal how the website — and, in particular, Yiannopoulos — links the Mercer family, the billionaires who fund Breitbart, to underpaid trolls who fill it with provocative content, and to extremists striving to create a white ethnostate.
They capture what Bannon calls his “killing machine” in action, as it dredges up the resentments of people around the world, sifts through these grievances for ideas and content, and propels them from the unsavory parts of the internet up to TrumpWorld, collecting advertisers’ checks all along the way.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/heres-how-breitbart-and-milo-smuggled-white-nationalism?utm_term=.joB888rmg2#.juo222g9NK
No more sleeps 😀 Roll on 2pm
Was reading the right wing blog yesterday, wondering how they are feeling about today. Gosh they are a nasty, negative bunch over there, so vile, the spinners of propaganda and the pushers of put downs.
Needless to say they aren’t as excited today about the special votes as those on TS are.
I wonder how Maureen Pugh is feeling today? Rock on 2pm
I just had a look at KB out of curiosity. Weird and warped and inarticulate. Would not like to personally be a friend or neighbour of any of them. They made Wayne seem almost reasonable.
KB is toxic.
An ego driven pissing competition of nastiness and greed, selfishness preventing the sharing and supporting of differing ideas for the good of all, infested with bully boys the back bone of the national party movement.
No matter the results it’s an exciting time for NZ, makes me wonder why the KB participants are all bitching hard out.
‘Cinny skips off and carries on being excited, 3hrs to go, just 3 hrs to go’ 😀
I haven’t been there since about 2005.
Pot, kettle, black, me thinks
Not a chance
Gotta love Scotland
Wow!
“Details have emerged of yesterday’s preliminary coalition meeting between National and New Zealand First, with confirmed reports that Winston Peters did not utter a word during the thirty minute meeting, to which he arrived late.”
Gotcha.
http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/winston-peters-said-nothing-in-talks-with-national-just-walked-around-room-with-a-box-cutter/
Jeepers that was dark and funny and dark.
Yeah, the head turned to spray blood…
We are often told about how hard the wealthy in NZ work for their money. Funnily enough, bankers, CEO’s, financiers do not make the top 4 hardest (overworked) working kiwis…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/97613190/what-are-new-zealands-most-overworked-jobs
We need to bring back Penal Rates.
OMG, I’m losing it! For one moment I thought that was Jacinda Ardern in that photo …
Interesting comments under that article – seems like everyone’s working their guts out. May be it’s like when I used to ask a room full of people to put their hand up if they considered themselves a better than average driver. What rough percentage of hands went up?
I’ve noticed a lot (like most) of people who are stuck on the hamster wheel. Going harder and harder but going nowhere.
Sustainability will become a factor very soon for a lot. You can’t keep this low wage / long hour stuff up for ever, something quite small will tip you over.
Test – Is it just me, or are other people experiencing long delays in comments coming up? Have submitted two this morning and neither have come up.
Thanks if someone released my comments. Don’t know what has happened being a non-tech idiot but my identicon or whatever has now changed … No problem but cannot work it out as I did not re-enter my name or email etc.
Will be changing my email in the near future as it is currently an old Vodaphone one soon to become redundant but will cross that bridge another day.
I have a feeling your comments are going via the spam filter. It happens randomly to some people, or it becomes a habitual thing for some others who have TS logins they’re not using. I’ll keep an eye out and see what’s happening with your comments.
just had a look in the back end and it does look like all your comments are going via the moderation filter.
Have you ever had a login at The Standard?
Had a login years ago but rarely used it and no idea of password! Since we are on it at the moment, will send a test using my new gmail address and see if we can get that to work as no point in reactivating login for the email address that needs to go in the bin anyway.
Some people who have had logins in the past, if they use the same details in the comment fields will start getting caught in moderation. I don’t know what triggers this.
Yes, the simplest option is to change your email address in the comment field. Doesn’t work all the time, but it does for some. You can make up an email address too, doesn’t need to be real.
Test, using new email address.
Did that appear straight away?
Not sure as raced out to get back home before special results, but from the time seems to have been quicker. Will stick with new email as per this reply and check.
EDIT – almost instantaneous !!!!!! Many thanks!!!
Thanks Weka. Sent an earlier reply to my own test to say comments now up but different identicon. Also said will be changing my email as exisitn one is a soon to be redundant Vodaphone one, and already have another legit gmail one anyway. If problems continue etc, can change to the gmail email and see if problems disappear.
It doesn’t have to be a valid email address you could just write
veutoviper(at symbol)veutoviper.co.nz
30 minutes to go… just a little bit excited 😀
Ten more minutes…. fizz fizz
Just enough time for a toilet stop!
Lmao !!!! 😀 good call
I fear we will have Michael Cullen as finance minister.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/10/07/adults-in-the-room/
“Don Richards and Sue Hamill, describe a “surprising and somewhat disappointing” exchange of views with Sir Michael Cullen at an election meeting in Whakatane on Friday, 15 September:
” Sir Michael, the former Labour Finance Minister during the Helen Clark-led government was with Grant Robertson, the Labour Party’s current Finance spokesperson and Kiri Allan, our local Labour Party candidate.
I asked Grant Robertson if he was aware of what was happening in Japan with the Central Bank buying up a significant portion of their national debt. Inflation in Japan was close to zero and the real economy was thriving. Had he considered instructing the Reserve Bank to do the same, thereby saving taxpayers money for social and infrastructure projects?
Grant asked Sir Michael to answer the question and he said that Japan had been experiencing negative growth for some time and so the two economies were not similar. I reminded Sir Michael that the Japanese economy was now thriving and the Central Bank was still buying up their national debt. I was told that a Labour government would not be doing that.
Sue then asked Grant Robertson if he had thought about doing what the first Labour Government did in the 1930s, using the Reserve Bank’s balance sheet to fund the building of housing and infrastructure? The question received a few claps from the audience.
Sir Michael once again fielded the question. He said that we had to be fiscally responsible otherwise we could end up with an economy like Germany after World War One, Venezuela or Zimbabwe. Sue carried on with a second question stating that as private banks create most of the money in the economy, why not let the Reserve Bank do it as well. Sir Michael responded by saying the banks do not create money.
The meeting finished with an invitation to meet at a local café for a chat. We went home and printed off the Bank of England’s article and the IMF’s discussion paper that stated categorically that banks create money in the act of lending. Sue went back to the café and had a further conversation with Sir Michael. He dismissed the Bank of England paper as not relevant and that it did not mean that banks created money. He also dismissed the IMF paper saying that banks lend out people’s savings.
It was a frustrating experience and if Sir Michael has the ear of Grant Robertson, as he appears to have, then no difference will be made to the way our money is created, should the Labour Party come to power.””
BS – Cullen cannot be any type of Minister. He did not run for election!
Via Robertson. Seems he’s (Cullen) pulling his strings.
*Sigh*
There’s always one.
Are we getting a new post for the final election results?
should be one up soon.
looking after sick grandson an no time to post we will see a major shift in the way OUR country is run today Kia Kaha
Worth waiting for…
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/341051/live-election17-final-results-are-coming
This is the Electoral Commission’s media release
The Electoral Commission has declared the official results for the 2017 General Election.
Main points:
· The number of seats in Parliament will be 120.
· The National Party has 56 seats compared with 58 on election night.
· The Labour Party has 46 seats compared with 45 on election night.
· The Green Party has 8 seats compared with 7 on election night.
· There are no changes to the number of seats held by New Zealand First and ACT New Zealand which remain at 9 and 1 respectively.
· All electorate candidates leading on election night have been confirmed as winning their seats.
· The total number of votes cast is 2,630,173. 47% of votes were cast in advance.
· The turnout as a percentage of enrolled electors is 79.8% (2014 – 77.9%). This is the highest turnout since 2005 (80.9%).
· The final enrolment rate is 92.4% (2014 – 92.6%).
Yee hah! It’s going to be an intense week!
Just curious do you know what the totals would have been if National didn’t gift Epson to ACT?
YES! YES!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bye bye Maureen Pugh.
You beauty! Go Golriz and Angie you good things!
Doesn’t all this make the Nats more vulnerable overall – with 41 constituency seats
to Labour’s 29 are they not more likely to lose seats during the next term to say scandal or resignation than Labour thereby being the more unstable partner
Wonder what Mr English is saying? Will he resign from his list seat if it becomes NZF/Labour/ Green?
If NZF sits on the cross benches who will be PM?
The PM will be the leader of whichever party/bloc NZF gives backing to, in terms of confidence and supply (or even just confidence – a possibility, but an uncomfortable one).
Imprressive, heartfelt.
Sharp
I see The Trots has had another squirting spray all over Bowelly Road.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/10/adults-in-room_7.html
He can’t help himself, can he? Just has to find something to interpret as badly as possible and have a pre-emptive whine about.
He is not my favourite either. One of his very recent pieces riled me no end but (luckily) it did not get one mention here on TS AFAIK and I didn’t need to let rip … Shame though because I really felt like it!
Afraid to say this latest Trots spray has already been mentioned in this very OM at 18 above.
Not my best response but the response was triggered by seeing it posted at 2.00pm while awaiting the special vote results. Fear that Cullen is going to be Finance Minister? Really ???????
So it was. I guess I just saw Daily Bog and just skimmed straight on past…
Oh dear. Bad. Very bad.
Perhaps we could invite Paul Keating to nip across and lend a hand.
Poor old Labour: doesn’t matter who’s at the top. It’s a patriarchal middle class construct. People who get all wussie at the thought of decent unions and have to hide the facts from the sweet innocent voting public.
Trouble is – there’s nothing better on offer.
Disappointing, Mr Cullen. Very disappointing.
One must admit allowing Cullen (an unelected has been) to take and answer his questions (at an election meeting) does make Grant look like a puppet.