Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
Four complaints. Someone should be losing their job over this.
“However a 15-year-old girl told 3News last night when she complained in 2011 about being sexually assaulted by two young men when she was 13, the line of questioning centred on the clothes she was wearing and why she had chosen to go out with the group.”
That is straight out of the 80s. I thought we had at least put processes in place so that rape victims got appropriate support when they first approached police and weren’t subjected to that. At the very least now, after an inquiry, ALL police stations in NZ should be required to have a protocol in place that prevents this shit. Women need an outside advocate and they need to be interviewd by police who have training in sexual assault cases including how to not retraumatise victims.
(Assuming I heard this guy on Radio NZ correctly – District Commander Bill Searle?) Nice to know that the difference between formal and informal complaints is entirely arbitrary and a matter that the police themselves decide.
Search warrants that will turn up absolutely nothing. On the assumption those guys aren’t utterly thick, any hard drives etc will have been ‘lost’, ie smashed up and disposed of.
May I suggest that people nominate a particular night of the week for a particular type of meal – as Catholics eat fish on Fridays, perhaps the non-vegetarians here would like to eat pork one night?
one of the girls thinks she was drugged, she had one drink of beer & passed out. their facebook page was full of images of drugs, not just weed but iv drugs! chilling.
Wairarapa, Rewa, Rotorua rape files just put into a filing cabinet. There were some recommendations by the IPCA regarding the Wairarapa and Rotorua files and the Rewa rape files are to be investigated.
Once again another complaint is going to the IPCA regarding miscommunication of a rape file which has caused further distress to the complainant.
Oh fuck! As the self-appointed person in charge of Natzi leaving presents – I never thought of that.
Maybe instead of thinking “what do I wish for” from the point of view of Natzis, I should be thinking in terms of the ‘ephermeral’ (see below)
Good pint Mr Smith!
I’ll take you contributions ‘on board’ (going forward).
Yes yes …. a far better option for the hard-pressed Tex Pay-ya
But then …. I know Pulla is rilly rilly ateched to them spots.
Keep in touch fella – together: we can work it out – in the spirit of ‘ne – go – shay -shun’
We shud talk – my agent will be in tuch
DSAC spokeswoman on Radio NZ seems to be of the persuasion that women and girls failing to negotiate the current fcked up culture of sex and sexuality is ‘sad’ and that education on how better to negotiate it is a solution. Now, maybe it’s just me, but that seems to in in parallel with ‘suggestions’ made by rape culture apologists to the effect that women and girls should behave differently, take more care, dress differently etc.
Nothing about challenging patriarchy – it’s assumptions, values, impacts or how it exhibits and unfolds throughout our culture, society and institutions. Seems that absolutely necessary discussion is off the table. So, there will be a police inquiry…there may be some campaign on saying no…there will be internet bills and….yup, everything will carry on as before
But then, even if she didn’t, just putting across the idea that a 13 year-old has ‘failed’ her sexual education by not understanding the sexual vileness of older teens is a little bit too blamey for a DSAC isn’t it? Why would a young girl submit to a doctor who thinks she’s ‘failed’?
Why isn’t she commenting on how young people are being failed by the belief that they can, with no consequences to themselves, use people… make fun of people… hurt people for self gratification? And yes, why isn’t she commenting on where that belief comes from?
No, I’m not saying she used that term (she may have). My comment is my interpretation of or distillation of her position.
As for DSAC not challenging patriarchy, I’m not actually surprised – I mean, the entire medical profession is extremely patriarchal. All our institutions are to one degree or other.
Way I see it is that it’s so much in plain view as to be rendered invisible. Maybe, to borrow an analogy from one of the links Joe90 provided in the ‘Don’t Wring Your Hands’ thread, it’s as though, having been locked in a red room since birth we are then removed from it and asked to describe the colour ‘red’.
“As for DSAC not challenging patriarchy, I’m not actually surprised – I mean, the entire medical profession is extremely patriarchal. All our institutions are to one degree or other.”
Yes and no. DSAC were set up originally precisely because some doctors (and rape crisis people I think) saw the desperate need to have doctors do post-rape exams who knew what they were doing in being with a rape victim ie protecting them from the prevailing culture which was further traumatising women. I think it also ensured that women doctors were available.
From what I can see, DTB was referring to the age of consent. As such, nothing to do with rape, unless the argument is that the consenting person is unable to consent due entirely to their age and regardless of the law deeming them to be person capable of consent.
I’ve just read the link and I must say I’m concerned that we on the left can’t bring ourselves to condemn underage sex as outlined in the link.
As a grandparent I’m having bug problems coming to terms with what has come out in the media over the last few days from the stupification and rape of teens to the apparent almost indifference of the police and the defence of the gang who did this by the group of girls who were their school friends.
The female friends of the Roast Busters told 3 News that Facebook anarchy is now the norm, so too is drunken “group sex”.
“People send it on Snapchat, who cares […] it’s normal in west Auckland, its normal here […] Not for everybody though it’s just the young ones 13- to 15-year-olds – that’s what they do.”
Am I out of touch with today’s society being outraged that I don’t care what the situation is that I’m appalled and consider it to be rape ?
“He refuted a suggestion there was a “culture of disbelief” of sex victims within the police.
“I think what’s happened here is the police officers have done their very best…”
See that would have a modicum of credibility if he didn’t refute, but instead said somethign like yes there are very real issues here and we need to look at what has failed these young women. We believe police did their best so we need to look at what the problem is.
He doesn’t at this stage have to admit specific culpability or assign blame, but at the very least should be expressing empathy with the victims who have been failed. As it is, it just sounds like butt covering and denial and ignorance in the extreme. Why are these people in charge?
Last night a girl told 3News she complained in 2011 when she just 13-years-old about being sexually assaulted by two young men.
She said the line of questioning centred on the clothes she was wearing and why she had chosen to go out with the group.
Fuck.
Pure Rape Culture this be.
What’s to bet though the relevant authorities will just let this officer off with “training” and wont even bother with establishing much needed fucking training for officers on how to deal with rape victims…
Our taxes paid for this crap. Sheeran shared on Twitter that he played all of the instruments himself on the track, except for the cello. This display of Sheeranian versatility does nothing to improve what is a dire and unlistenable dirge—quite possibly the worst movie song ever….
Mediocrity Watch aims to keep you informed of—or, to quote the epically mediocre Simon Dallow, to be “right across”—the shoddiest, least professional, most insulting journalism and taxpayer-subsidised-sensitive-singer-songwriting from all over the world, but especially New Zealand. It is produced by DeakerWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
Check out these other third-raters….
No.7: Paul Little: [Russell Brand] is “petulant, ungracious and unfunny” and a “cut-rate Chomsky”.
No. 6: David Farrar: “Things were generally very relaxed in this area.”
No. 5: Jordan Williams: ““Capping rents seems like a recipe for disaster.”
No. 4: Prof. Robert Patman: “Hezbollah is totally a creature of the Iranian regime.”
No. 3: Jeremy Wells: “What evidence is there that secondhand smoking does any harm? Where is the evidence? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?”
No. 2: Gavin Gray: “…never been any problems associated with the name King George.”
No. 1: Susie Ferguson: “If, as you say, this has all been done before, why do it all again?”
Thank goodness, for everyones sake police interviews are recorded or videoed. Hopefully the media will focus on transcripts so as not to further divert this from the main issue unnecessarily. To clarify. The victim will be heavily traumatised and her perception of police conduct toward her may not be an entirely fair reflection.
I am not a police apologist by any means.
However if she made the complaint then as soon as they saw the facebook stuff they wld prolly have had enough to issue search warrants on the young mens digital equipment and to interview them.
The assumption seems to remain that the victins word is not enough… hence up to 95% charged get off. That is purely about attitudes to women and an assumption that when it cones to sex their default position is to lie, exaggerate or have post coital remorse… as opposed to an assumption that guys lack self control sexually and see women as chattels.
Amirite and Tracey +100. Its just sickening. Finally after four complaints over the last two years the cops are waking up and doing something about it. Not much. But something at last. And the cops have the powers to (a) take the young men’s digital equipment and strip it right down to find everything they’ve now deleted (b) get that same evidence off Facebook and (c) make a case against those dreadful young trolls.
Possibly preparing representative charges. I have no doubt that Bullshit Castle has been given a swift hard kick to take action, by someone by this point. At least, that’s the hope.
” The Government also introduced legislation yesterday that would cut development contributions, which have soared from an average $3000 a section to $14,000 in the past decade.”
I note the legislation doesnt include an obligation on developers to pass on the saving. They will do it cos its the right thing to do.
Development contributions are/were meant to help pay for all the things additional subdivisions cost a council – more roading, much greatly improved sewerage schemes, more parks for all the extra people, etc etc. More people into any area means more and more services which are paid for via the rates – so cutting development contributions means more costs to the average Joe and Joanna, and less cost to the rich – again !
Exactly JK and next Tracey will be saying it’s the land prices, land is cheap on the outskirts of town lets build there, does she expects the existing rate-payers will be happy paying for the roads, sewer, storm-water, parks, footpaths, street-lighting etc that service these sections.
It’s the sprawl that costs us – more sprawl, most cost. If we want to lower rates and have cheaper living then we need to build upwards and not outwards.
….. and my daughter, just back from living there, tells a similar tale.
There’s another thing a new government should review ….. the ineptitude of our Commerce Commission.
Commerce Commission has been deliberately starved, hamstrung and misdirected by the NATs. So not really their fault. I’m hoping Labour give it real teeth and increased independence, very soon.
I Don’t disagree TL, but they have, over the years, allowed duopoly positions to emerge.
I recall back in 2006, or 2007 some of those ‘bloody academics’ from Vic Uni showing that the structure in the supply chain by the ‘big 2’ meant small producers were being penalised.
The CC should be commended on their recent decisions, but their ideas on what constitutes effective competition are sometimes pretty bloody suspect.
They need ‘guidelines’ obviously. In my mind, there should never be a situation EVER where a NZ public pays a higher price for locally produced goods than does a foreign market.
The NZ public will be expected to pay for whatever cleanup of shit infested waters is necessary whilst paying a premium for dairy products.
These so called ‘free market’ principles really are a scam at times.
I’ve seen NZ salmon sold a damn sight cheaper in Australia ffs! (even taking into account exchange rates and so on).
Building materials …. how’s THAT ffs!
Maybe there needs to be some sort of quota system applied to locally produced goods that must be sold locally – I don’t know but then the CC should be the experts
I recall back in 2006, or 2007 some of those ‘bloody academics’ from Vic Uni showing that the structure in the supply chain by the ‘big 2′ meant small producers were being penalised. The CC should be commended on their recent decisions, but their ideas on what constitutes effective competition are sometimes pretty bloody suspect.
You can’t get effective competition in what amounts to natural monopolies:- Power, telecommunications, supermarkets…
Nothing wrong with farmers markets though.
I’m in two minds about supermarkets. The manner in which that supply chain has been constructed over the past few decades means that they’re now natural monopolies/duopolies I guess.
Fuck em! I usually try to make a point of ONLY buying their loss leader items wherever possible. I wish more did, but for some – they’re now the new Town Hall and flirting venue.
Certainly anything that constitutes a grid type arrangement – roads; rail; electricity, water, sewer reticulation; local loop and national/international backbone.
(I’m a moderate doncha know) 😉
I’ve read various comments, eg on stuff, where poms say that in England it was soo much cheaper to eat at home, because the food was cheap and service in restaurants was a lot more expensive.
Now living in NZ, they don’t see any reason to eat at home, because the food is expensive and service in restaurants is cheap.
There’s a show on BBC Radio 4 called The Food Programme which looks at these kinds of issues. One episode looked at people feeding themselves for 10-15 pounds per week.
Of course, there have beeen corners cut in British food as a result of the heavy price pressure – the horsemeat scandal in particular.
With 50 units of local currency in the UK or Europe, you will be unable to get the shopping home without transport, preferable private. That includes the higher quality stores such as Waitrose and Marks n Spencer.
In NZ, 50 units of currency gets you the basics, which requires little more than a two bags, or a number of bags filled with refined sugar/salt junk products.
The UK, for example has a high number competition in the market, not to mention the 60m+ population base. They also have a wonderful selection of food, which far eclipse the shite we have on offer in the supermarkets here in NZ, which is pitiful in comparision. Should be reasons why people make use of farmers markets etc, move away from the supermarkets here, they are a bad joke!
NZ has two channels , an effective monopoly, and 4.5 million people!
Simple equations involved, but in NZ, we are getting completely ripped off over and above for every life sustaining necessity, food, water, energy, shelter, clothing…
Great lifestyle here though, and how about those AB’s!
+1 !
We’ve been sold the coolaid for far too long.
The examples are endless.
How about “export quality meat”. Doesn’t that imply that we (as the producing country) should be expected to be happy with something less than export quality?
Like err, maybe meat pumped with water, or with additives to ensure redness – all brought to us by people who are on wages that only just let them get by (unless of course they do as much overtime as they able, or maybe even 2 jobs).
Eat, sleep, shit, do the laundry (so those nice little uniforms are spik & span), work….. eat, sleep, shit, etc.
(They don’t know how lucky they are aye!!!! In my day I had to walk 5 miles to school every day and five miles home again and I didn’t complain – besides, that nice Mr Key is looking after them)
Just been in UK/Europe/USA….your points all valid. Lovely places but they don’t have the ABs. And they are too populous for me.
Apart from their subsidised prices..they have one good thing in common …(except for the US) they all seem to have far more tolerant populaces than our standard Kiwi authoritarians dressed up as social liberals (there’s plenty on this site who would claim to be otherwise)….still despite the prices here is home.
I hope to be in charge of leaving presents for departing Natzi MP’s.
Pulla Bent, Judith (Jude to her mates), Soimun and a couple of others will be getting Jack Boots after a formal fitting in Northern Italy where a ‘fact finding musshun’ will have occurred, and both Jude and Pulla – just because of their EXTENSIVE contributions will be getting leopard or tiger skin fatigues fresh from the Philibit Tiger Reserve.
In addition, they’ll all be getting Tiwai menyafekchard ledders mounted on bearings, equipped with flex rope from the Bay of Plenny that enables them to be pulled into an upright position – well away from ground level. There’s an ex-railway workshop in the deep south that’s putting in a tender that’ll hopefully come out cheaper than the Choinoise.
Unfortunately Pulla, Jude and Soimun haven’t yet indicated their departure is imminent – so I’ve got a bit of time before I run out of life.’
I’ve just got one problem so far though. The bloody ‘nargies’ don’t want a bar of it!
They’re still a bit pissed off that a couple of their students who lodged formal complaints about employers ripping them off were ‘deported’.
Never mind tho’ aye – a FTA is in the wind (like FUK!) (at least in terms of the definition of “free”)
We had a visitor from Manchester who was appalled at Australian grocery prices. Someone is making a lot of money out of us all, and it’s not the farmers or growers. Maybe a future government could help establish a producers’ co-op to get food to people at reasonable prices, and without GST. Anyone who didn’t relish the taste of “socialist food” would be welcome to continue with the main supermarket chains.
A pretty transparent interview by Audrey Young. Bad cop English versus Good cop Key the friend of the poor and the downtrodden. What a nice man that Key fellow is.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11152582
And a bit more realism from the same interview from strangely John Armstrong. Specially liked Bill’s view of John:
“He’s endlessly capable of everything, I assure you – catching fish, cooking pasta, making up policy, being friends with the Queen. There is nothing this man can’t do.”
Faint praise anyone?
As sickening as that New Zealand Fox News Herald’s two-part hagiography was, it did highlight the fact that there’s still some considerable niggle between John Key and Blinglish. In the first part, John Key tries, as you point out, to deflect taking responsibility for further excluding first-home buyers from the market. (Yeah, right.) Then, in the second part, Blinglish says . . .
. . . If a pime minister says “this is what we are going to do” , whether I might completely agree is irrelevant, particularly with a successful prime minister. If he says “I want this”, then that is what happens . . .
. . . blatantly and completely undermining John Key’s earlier statement about the LVR. Classic, and another lie to add to John Key’s elephantine list. Thanks Blinglish. Also, good on you for finally realising that your own lie regarding your place of residence is no longer sustainable. I guess you’ve paid off the Karori mortgage now, eh Bill?
That National Party having been presenting a number of their cauacus as “nice people ” recently through the media. While they make Key out to be a good old boy they are attacking Cunliffe making out he cant be trusted.
Well theres that as well as his clarification of what on his CV plus his ability to say one thing to one audience (the unions) then something different to another group (business)
Do you watch all of Paula’s speeches in parliament? For someone as idiotic as you, they must be better than viagra. And that Collins? Be still, my beating heart.
Guess what? When I was fixing bikes, I would talk about right side roller mains to a Triumph owner, and bushes to a BSA guy. I obviously couldn’t be trusted. More than that, when I went snapper fishing, I would talk about pilchards, mullet and squid with my fishing mate, but I was careful not to mention these while trout fishing.
Broadcaster MediaWorks has lost a string of high-profile shows like Homeland, Modern Family and Bones after the company’s new banker owners dumped an output deal with Fox.
Now, if the government would step forward to support our ow artists we could fill the gaps with our own shows.
so..instead of ‘homeland’..how about a drama based on the stresses/pressures/personalities/cliff-hanging/nail-biting happenings in.. say..a shearing gang..?
..oh..!..hang on..!
..and for modern familes..a comedy based around a dysfunctional-family..?
..having laffs/coping in the wake of a major earthquake..?
phillip u so..instead of ‘homeland’..how about a drama based on the stresses/pressures/personalities/cliff-hanging/nail-biting happenings in.. say..a shearing gang or a gang of political bloggers. Drama, emotion, passion. girls with no clothes on. It couldn’t miss.
I’m a fan of Wind in the Willows. A whimsical, kind little tale about friends and community and understanding each other. Toad is a lively character who gets focussed on one interest at a time and when it was motor cars, went round making car horn sounds ‘Poop, Poop’.
Spring has sprung and I must spring into the garden shouting Poop, Poop. So I’ll go and wrestle with the convolvulus bindweed and vow to be responsible in future and never let it take over and get control again.
Well he does fancy KH in a non-committed ‘open’ kinda way, so I guess there’s some sort of binary logic going on there where any sort of sex is OK as long as his partner “fancies” an object.
Logic? Rape culture actually. Which says: if a young woman is attracted to a man then the man has a right to have sex with her. What century are we living in?
Don’t know what Karyn Hay ever saw in this dickhead Andrew Fagan.
He must have forgotten the lyrics he sung :
Don’t walk away from me
I’m not the kind that likes to be put down
Don’t leave me standing here
I’m not kind that likes to be the clown in the rain for the world who must sing
Without you my life’s gonna be forever Tuesday morning
I’m so alone inside I haven’t got the guts to go away……..etc.
Maybe now he could find the guts to say sorry…..or go away, like the rest of that shit Radio Live.
Fagan’s a loudmouth bullshitting wanker at the best of times.
Heard him one night trying to stir up a hornet’s nest by stating as fact that Japanese military got washed up in the North during the war and disappeared into the population.
Then started crapping on about Hone Harawira’s “features” ?
..and then investigated thorium fueled nuclear reactors a little bit more..
..and what can i say..?
..i think as of about 1.45 pm this aft..
..(all things i read being true/up to scratch..
..i too..became a convert to the idea of thorium..
..as a/the(?) fuel for the future..
..now..where to build the first reactor..?
..i reckon northland..
..they need the jobs/economic-fillip this would bring..
..(and quick..!..flog the rest of the power companies off to the mug-elite..!..
..before they hear..
(..those power companies will never be worth this much again..)
..and use some of that money..to build the first thorium-reactor..
..mana/the greens should campaign on this..
(and knock me down with an anti-nuke banner..!..if you told me when i woke up this morn..that i wd end the day a promotor of a branch of the nuke-family..
A man’s house burned to the ground, but that wasn’t his only shock — because two weeks later, he received a bill for almost $20,000 from the private fire department that tried to fight it.
[…]
Highlighted on the back of the subscription, it reads, “Response times will vary.” So with the options for people living here are: buy a yearly subscription, which is around $500 from Rural Metro for a service that is 20 miles away or take their chances and get a huge bill if their home burns. A third option is to form their own fire district. It can take months and ultimately a board will decide if they’ll contract out fire service or form a volunteer department.
[…]
Rural Metro does have payment plans, but says it doesn’t give people the option to let their home burn
Sounds like the perfect plan for all those disengaged from society that lock themselves behind the walls of the ‘gated community’. In their case – I’d make it mandatory. They can have their private security firms, police force, roading contractors, ambulances and most other infrastructure as well.
Who was the person that almost seemed to be arguing that it was too much to expect a 17/18 year old from west Auckland not to commit an assault…….. or did I mis hear ?
Fuck knows. Someone was saying something like that, but they all sounded like drunk middle aged punters at 1/2 hour to last drinks. “Yeah nah yeah yeah listen wait you said blah mate nah listen but wait on mate wait on a minute I was saying nah mate listen”
pfft.
Didn’t think I would ever get some respect for Hooton. Good on him, and good on him for saying fuck you to Willie Jackson’s support of Clint Rickard.
I didn’t hear any of the Radio Live stuff yesterday, but Tamahere and Jackson appear to be saying that brown boys have a hard life and therefore an excuse whereas white boys grow up good and therefore don’t rape. That doesn’t explain why they would be so unsympathetic to the women/girls. Hiding misogyny behind class.
A stopped clock turns out to be right. Doesn’t excuse all of Hooton’s other misogynistic and racist statements that he’s cynically made for money. All it means is that they’re so revolting even Hoots is angry.
Yes that change in tone was very noticeable. Hooton is a hollowman but Jackson and Tamahere are hollow too. I don’t like any of them and that view has been reinforced again.
“He always looked pasty-faced!” The Panel briefly considers the death of Arafat
Radio NZ National, Thursday 7 November 2013
Paul Brennan, Rosemary McLeod, Tim Watkin
Note Tim Watkin’s nervousness, and his skittish laughter, which undermines and trivializes his otherwise intelligent comments…..
PAUL BRENNAN: It’s five minutes to five. All right, this next story. ….[uncomfortable pause]….It appears that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned by radioactive polonium. Traces of the isotope have been found in his bones. What do you think of this? ROSEMARY McLEOD: It’s like a ghastly horror show. TIM WATKIN: Well, the Israelis held him as a virtual prisoner in his compound for the last few years of his life, didn’t they. That explains why he always looked pasty-faced! Ha ha ha ha ha! ROSEMARY McLEOD: Ha ha ha ha ha! It’s what the Russians gave to that chap a few years ago, isn’t it. TIM WATKIN: That’s right. Ha ha ha! ROSEMARY McLEOD: He started off as a very good-looking man, but he wasn’t when they’d finished with him. PAUL BRENNAN:[thoughtfully] Hmmmm. Poisonous stuff, that Polonium 125. ROSEMARY McLEOD: We don’t want it in our coffee! TIM WATKIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! PAUL BRENNAN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Okay, three minutes left, and there’s just time for our last story….
Yes I did, fender, and I agree with you. The reason I posted that snatch of conversation was not to criticise Paul Brennan but to draw attention to the way Tim Watkin was afraid to state a grave truth clearly and unequivocally. His nervous little snicker only served to detract from and undermine what he said. This is understandable: no doubt Tim Watkin has suffered screeching insults in the past after daring to say anything critical of Israel.
It’s still disappointing, however. Tim Watkin is an intelligent, well read and decent person, which makes him a rarity on radio chat shows. He should think about expressing his views clearly and courageously—which means not undercutting them by snickering nervously.
Why? Because it can decades to remediate nutrient pollution, particularly when dealing with slow flowing rivers and more so lakes, where the low over rate of flow + mud increase the residency time for nutrients added by human activity and can be released later by storms/floods. Which leads to flux that invasive species oft thrive with and kick the local ecosystem into a another state with subsequent (usually) negative ecological impacts to ecosystem health and human uses.
*sigh*
We can haz science based government legislation noaw please?…
Instead of limp-wristed bullshit to pander to federated farmers.
Despite all the hissing and roaring about climate change and greenhouse gases in the last decade, fossil fuels are now being burnt at a faster rate than at any other time in human history. With the trend continuing to increase.
I don’t think there is going to be a happy ending.
This is colourfully put – from latest Bowalley Road. That made Sir Roger and his followers the most dangerous cuckoos ever to take up residence in Labour’s nest, and it has taken the best part of 30 years to eradicate their legacy within the party organisation.
Observing the party closely since the departure of Helen Clark in 2008 has been a little like watching Rip Van Winkle rousing himself from twenty long years of slumber.
Hi Murray O http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-081113/#comment-723950
That had some more comments on post Roger from Chris T which registered with me later.
If you go to this link on my comment with quote, under that is link to the item courtesy
of Draco. I think it makes points that are good to reflect on.
With new trailers for Thunderbolts and Captain America 4 out over the last couple of months there’s been a resurgence of “Bucky should have been Cap instead of Sam” opining, with one of the main reasons given being “Bucky was Cap first in the comics!” Sure, he was, it’s true ...
Is it getting better?Or do you feel the same?Will it make it easier on you now?You got someone to blameSongwriters: Paul David Hewson / Adam Clayton / Larry Mullen / Dave EvansIt's polling day from TVNZ. We don’t get many polls these days. Of course, they don’t mean a lot ...
Is it a surprise to learn that the government is happy to see some commercial fishing in a marine reserve?It is not. This is, after all, a government that is happily giving more latitude to the tobacco industry, the gun lobby and ute drivers to put us all in greater ...
On Calvary Street are trellisesWhere bright as blood the roses bloom,And gnomes like pagan fetishesHang their hats on an empty tombWhere two old souls go slowly mad,National Mum and Labour Dad.James K. BaxterBallad of Calvary Street1969JAMES K. BAXTER’S stereotypes, “National Mum” and “Labour Dad”, strike a discordant note in ...
In this episode of the “A view from Afar” podcast Selwyn Manning and I discuss Israel’s expansion of its war in Lebanon as part of a “six front” strategy that it thinks it can win, focusing on the decision-making process … Continue reading → ...
The closure of Karioi Pulp Mill ends generations of family employment, and Health NZ mandates staff to take three weeks’ leave over Christmas. In politics, the government plans to reform anti-money laundering laws, and a report suggests NZ can’t meet climate targets without international support. Meanwhile, protests disrupted Winston Peters’ ...
Correction: Total tax take is around $120B, total revenue is $167B. NZ Super costs $23B. How many successful CEOs can manager Christopher Luxon snark at after running a government airline with a near monopoly on the domestic market?After taking a crack at ANZ Boss Antonia Watson for her support of ...
You might have seen this video, which we received as part of a recent OIA request. It showcases the original light rail plans developed by Auckland Transport between 2014-2017. The video was apparently produced in early 2018 by Auckland Transport, just a few months before the project was ...
At the heart of New Zealand First lies a fundamental tension. And it is all about Winston Peters. He has led the party since its formation in 1993, and he confirmed yesterday that he will be standing again at the next election. He is one year older than Donald Trump, ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 6, 2024 thru Sat, October 12, 2024. Story of the week For the third week in a row our Story of the Week involves hurricanes, most recently Hurricane ...
Let me start with -Yes, I know National, ACT and NZ First are very well funded and supported by friendly platforms, promoters, and our wealthiest - pre and post-election.I also remember when David Seymour personally attacked journalist Benedict Collins, then 'suggested' he would "review" TVNZ and make them pay a ...
Every day, the deficit growsYou spend more than you ownPapa always said to me“Keep a close eye on your authority”You say that you careI was unawareYou say that you careI was unawareSong: Allen Stone.It used to be that when politicians wanted to avoid admitting they knew something, they’d say, “I ...
There is theory, and there is practice. There is the ideal world, and there is the real world.Come with me on a short illustrated tour. This train of thought began last Wednesday evening as I was walking down Queen St.In the great fever of Auckland's 1980s property boom, so very ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is more CO2 ...
Good morning ! Weekend at last ! Here’s some quick updates for the field:1. Three Ministers chose 149 projects for the Fast-Track list. The government’s hand picked advisory team then failed to independently verify ANY information provided by applications. Nor did anyone consider any environmental impacts.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported ...
Take me somewhere newI've already been here once beforeSomewhere unbelievableBefore it starts to blow upTake me somewhere newI've already been here twice beforeLet's get out of hereI'm bored this place is gonna blow upSongwriters: Garret Lee / Jordan Miller / Kylie Miller / Eliza Enman Mcdaniel / Leandra EarlSubstack used ...
Hi,New Zealand auction site TradeMe is still giving conflicting reasons for why it removed the gorgeous painting of Prime Minister Chris Luxon. It took a few days, but Webworm’s story spread to RNZ and the Herald this week. I’ll keep you updated.Today is going to be a very self-involved Webworm ...
Some months ago, the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights, made an appearance over Dunedin: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2024/05/12/seeing-the-aurora-australis/ I even went out to Tunnel Beach to see it. But tonight? Tonight I did not even have to leave my backyard. And not just that. Light pollution from a city notwithstanding, I could see ...
What might the public’s increasing demands for safety and security tell the economist?Criminology and economics are quite different disciplines. Someone from one discipline trespasses on the other with the greatest of caution, something which, I’m afraid, not all economists have. There is a foolish economics literature about the ‘optimal level ...
It is one of the most successful products of our German-language partner website klimafakten.de: a large-format infographic about typical disinformation strategies, not just in terms of climate. The poster has previously been available in eight languages, and now two more have been added. The new translations were produced with partners ...
1. Poor old New Zealand was exposed to all the world with its debt trousers around its ankles in a briefing yesterday by Nicola Willis. Just how huge is our debt?a. 42% of GDPb. 69% of GDPc. 94% of GDPd. 420% of GDP2. How does that compare to a proper ...
Back in August, National sabotaged human rights by appointing terf and genocide supporter Stephen Rainbow as Chief Human Rights Commissioner, and terf and white supremacist Melissa Derby as Race Relations Commissioner. The appointments seemed calculated to undermine public confidence in the Commission, and there were obvious questions about how they ...
The second phase of the inquest into the mosque shooting is currently ongoing, and it is right now examining how the terrorist was able to obtain his firearms license and the guns used to commit the attack. The answer is “Really, really easily”. The 10 year expiration period for firearms ...
Is anyone surprised about NZ’s finances? Yesterday Treasury released its latest financial report. The operating balance deficit was $1.8bn higher than forecast and essentially $3.4 billion worse compared to the prior year.Government revenues were up from solid wage growth in an inflationary environment - albeit business performance was weaker with ...
Uh uh, KātuareheYou ain't readyWe're not flying on the same planeUh, KātuareheYou ain't readyI see you trying it's a damn shame, uhSong by Anna CoddingtonThis morning, I was going to write about some of the stories from the week, but it was all a bit depressing. “The Trickle Down that ...
Government budget problems and public service cuts are putting pressure on communities, with frontline services and media integrity at risk. E tū is sounding the alarm over TVNZ’s cost-cutting; MUNZ challenges KiwiRail layoffs and Unions Wellington succeeded in stopping the sale of Wellington Airport. With this economic uncertainty, grassroots efforts ...
Kia ora and welcome to another weekly roundup of stories that caught our eye about cities and how they work. Feel free to share any links we might have missed, in the comments below. As always, this post is compiled by our largely volunteer team, and your support makes it ...
Open access notablesManifold increase in the spatial extent of heatwaves in the terrestrial Arctic, Rantanen et al., Communications Earth & Environment:It is widely acknowledged that the intensity, frequency and duration of heatwaves are increasing worldwide, including the Arctic. However, less attention has been paid to the land area affected ...
While we were away earlier this year, some men got into our house and took away the big slider door and windows that open onto our upstairs deck. I watched the whole thing happen on the other side of the world on our security camera. I had told the guy who ...
Vox Populi: It is worth noting that if Auckland’s public health services were forced to undergo cutbacks of the same severity as Dunedin’s, and if the city’s Mayor and its daily newspaper were able to call the same percentage of its citizens onto the streets, then the ensuing demonstrations would number ...
One of the risks of National's Muldoonist fast-track law is corruption. If Ministers can effectively approve projects by including them in the law for rubberstamping, then that creates some very obvious incentives for applicants seeking approval and Ministers seeking to line their or their party's pockets. And its a risk ...
“The Government accounts released today show that spending and debt continues to grow under the current Government, but there is no plan to deliver a better economy,” said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “Net Core Crown Debt increased by $20bn last year, with revenue from taxation also rising ...
The Reserve Bank announced yesterday a 0.5% cut to the OCR, which the CTU has called “a recognition of weakness” in a floundering economy. Joint health unions have released a letter sent to Health NZ regarding cuts to digital infrastructure, amidst the news coming out of the 450-page document dump ...
In May, Florida’s Governer Ron DeSantis, who called Florida the place where “woke goes to die”, signed in a law that scrubbed climate change from the state’s thinking.Gone was the concept of climate change - and addressing planet-warming pollution was no longer Florida’s concern. Instead, the state’s priorities would focus ...
I am caught in the change of a tropical rainstormOut there between green and blueAnd it’s telling me that you’re so hard to forgetI'm a traveller just passing throughAsian Paradise by Sharon O'Neill.Note: With the coalition's actions, it can be hard these days to tell if something is satirical or ...
Hello to all. Due to the need to travel to Australia to be with an unwell family member there will not be a Hoon today at 5pm and I will not be posting emails or podcasts until next week at the earliest.Ngā mihi nuiBernard ...
All-new 2023 census data has just been released, giving a great window into: how many New Zealanders there are, who we are, where we work (and how we get there), and who still has landline phones (31% of households!). But it’s also fun* to put things in a historical context. ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsEmily Ogburn, right, hugs her friend Cody Klein after he brought her a meal on October 2, 2024, in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Ogburn's home was spared and she spent the morning of the storm helping and comforting neighbors who had found shelter on ...
Back in April, Teanau Tuiono's member's bill to undo a historic crime and restore citizenship to Samoans stripped of it by Muldoon unexpectedly passed its first reading and was sent to select committee. That committee has now reported back. But while the headline is that it has unanimously recommended that ...
How's this for an uncomfortable truth?The Nazis' industrial killing was new, and the Jewish case is different. But so is every case. And some things are all too similar....…European world expansion, accompanied as it was by shameless defence of extermination, created habits of thought and political precedents that made way ...
Welcome to the August/September 2024 Economic Bulletin. In our monthly feature we provide an analysis of the gender pay gap in New Zealand for 2024. The mean gender pay gap was 8.9%, which is down from 9.8% in 2023. This meant that, on average, women will be “working for free” ...
The scale of delays on our rail network were highlighted by the Herald last week and while it’s bad, it also highlights the huge opportunity for getting our rail network back up to speed. KiwiRail has promised to cut delays on Auckland trains, amid growing concerns about the readiness of ...
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, October 9:The Government has cut $6 million from subsidies for an Auckland social housing provider with three days notice, which will force it to leave houses empty ...
Once I could laugh with everyoneOnce I could see the good in meThe black and the white distinctivelyColouringHolding the world insideNow, all the world is grey to meNobody can seeYou gotta believe it!Songwriter: Brian MayMartyn Bradbury, aka Bomber, a workingman’s flat cap and a beard ripe for socialism. Love him ...
I know it may seem an odd and obvious thing to break a year's worth of radio silence over, but how come the British Conservative Party MPs (and to be fair, the Labour Labour Party, when they have their leadership shenanigans) get to use a different and better way electoral ...
HealthNZ yesterday “dropped” 454 pages of documents relating to its financial performance over the last 18 months. The documents confirm that it has a massive structural deficit, which, without savings, is expected to be $1.4 billion annually beyond the current financial year. But the papers also suggest that Health NZ ...
Hi,It’s been awhile since we’ve done an AMA on Webworm — so let’s do it. Over the next 48 hours, I’ll be milling around in the comments answering any questions you might have. Leave a commentI genuinely look forward to these things as I love the Webworm community so much ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkMuch of my immediate family lives in Asheville and Black Mountain, NC. While everyone is thankfully safe, this disaster struck much closer to home for me than most. There is lots that needs to be done for disaster relief, and I’d encourage folks ...
The past couple of days, an online furore has blown up regarding commentator/scholar Corey Olsen and his claim that there is no Tolkienian canon. The sort of people who delight in getting outraged over such things have been piling onto Olsen, and often doing it in a matter that is ...
Perhaps when the archaeologists come picking their way through the ruins of a civilisation that was so fond of its fossil fuel comforts it wasn't prepared to give up any of them, they will find these two artefacts. Read more ...
Here in Aotearoa, our right-wing, ATLAS-network-backed government is rolling back climate policy and plotting to raise emissions to allow the fossil fuel industry a few more years of profit. And in Canada, their right-wing, ATLAS-network-backed opposition is campaigning on doing the same thing: Mass hunger and malnutrition. A looming ...
UPDATED:August 2024The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (NZCTU) notes with extreme concern the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as well as the continued encroachment of illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. The NZCTU is extremely concerned that there is increasing risk of a broader regional ...
I’m just a bottom feederScum of the earthAnd I’m cursedWith the burden of empathyMy fellow humans matter to meBottom Feeder - Written, Performed and Recorded by Tane Cotton.Bottom Feeder or Fluffernutter, which one are you? Or, more to the point, which do you identify as? It’s not simply a measure ...
Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says he anticipates an increase in people “coming into the Corrections system”. The Corrections Department has applied for fast tracking so it will be able to add more beds at Mt Eden Prison when needed. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six ...
Remember when a guy walked into a mosque and shot everyone inside? He killed 44 people. And he then drove to a second mosque and shot and killed 7 more. He was on his way to a third mosque in Ashburton when he was stopped and arrested by the New ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler On Bluesky, it was pointed out that Asheville, NC was recently listed as a place to go to avoid the climate crisis. link Mother Nature sent a “letter to the editor” indicating that she didn’t agree: ...
On the weekend, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop admitted that not everyone will “like” his fast track wish-list, before adding: “We are a government that does not shy away from those tough decisions.” Hmm. IMO, there’s nothing “tough” about a government using its numbers in Parliament to bulldoze aside the public’s ...
First they came for Newshub, and I said nothing because I didn’t watch TV3. Then they came for One News, and I said nothing because I didn’t pay much attention to them either. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out because all the ...
Something I especially like about you all, you loyal and much-appreciated readers of More Than A Feilding, is that you are so very widely experienced and knowledgeable. Not just saying that. You really are.So I'm mindful as I write today that at least one of you has been captain of an ...
On Friday, Luxon and Reti were at Ormiston Private Hospital to talk up the benefits of private money in public health. [And defend Casey Costello - that’s a given for now by our National Party Ministers - including the medical doctor Shane Reti.]Luxon and Reti said we were going to ...
Hi,If you are unfortunate like me, you will have seen this image over the weekend.Donald Trump returned to the site of his near-assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania — except this time he brought Elon Musk with him. It’s difficult to keep up with Trump’s brain, but he seems to have dropped ...
Last week finally saw the first major release of detailed data from last year’s Census. There are a huge number of stories to be told from this data. Over the next few weeks we’ll be illuminating a few of them – starting today with an initial look at how New ...
The Government finance hand brake that stalled construction momentum in early 2024 remains firmly on. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, October 7:Infrastructure and Housing Minister Chris Bishop ...
Change is coming to America. Next month’s elections are likely to pave the way for an overhaul of US foreign policy– regardless of whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the presidency. Decisions made in Washington will also have a direct impact on Wellington. While the Biden administration started its ...
Those business leaders who were calling last week for some indication of an economic plan from the Government got their answer yesterday. In what amounted to the first substantial pointer to the future rather than the past from a Government Minister, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop set out the reasons for ...
A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 29, 2024 thru Sat, October 5, 2024. Story of the week We're all made of standard human fabric so it's nobody's particular fault but while "other" parts of the world ...
The National Government has sneakily reneged on protecting the Hauraki Gulf, reducing the protected area of the marine park and inviting commercial fishing in the depleted seascape. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the Government’s response to the report into the North Island weather events but urges it to push forward with legislative change this term. ...
The Green Party echoes a call for banks to divest from entities linked to Israel’s illegal settlements in Palestine, and says Crown Financial Institutions should follow suit. ...
Te Whatu Ora’s finances have deteriorated under the National Government, turning a surplus into a deficit, and breaking promises made to New Zealanders to pay for it. ...
The Prime Minister’s decision to back his firearms minister on gun law changes despite multiple warnings shows his political judgement has failed him yet again. ...
Yesterday the government announced the list of 149 projects selected for fast-tracking across Aotearoa. Trans-Tasman Resources’ plan to mine the seabed off the coast of Taranaki was one of these projects. “We are disgusted but not surprised with the government’s decision to fast-track the decimation of our seabed,” said Te ...
At Labour’s insistence, Te Whatu Ora financial documents have been released by the Health Select Committee today showing more cuts are on the way for our health system. ...
Fresh questions have been raised about the conduct of the Firearms Minister after revelations she misled New Zealanders about her role in stopping gun reforms prior to the mosque shootings. ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford still can’t confirm when the Government will deliver the $2 billion worth school upgrades she cut earlier this year. ...
Labour acknowledges the hundreds of workers today losing their jobs as the Winstone Pulp mill closes and what it will mean for their families and community. ...
In Budget '24, the National Government put aside $216 million to pay for a tax cut which mainly benefitted one company: global tobacco giant Philip Morris. Instead of giving hundreds of millions to big tobacco, National could have spent the money sensibly, on New Zealand. ...
Te Whatu Ora’s financials from the last year show the Government has manufactured a financial crisis to justify making cuts that are already affecting patient care. ...
Over 41,000 Palestinian’s have been murdered by Israel in the last 12 months. At the same time, Israel have launched attacks against at least four other countries in the Middle East including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. “You cannot play the aggressor and the victim at the same time,” said ...
Associate health minister Casey Costello has made a fool of the Prime Minister, because the product she’s been fighting to get a tax cut for and he’s been backing her on is now illegal – and he doesn’t seem to know it. ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee’s inquiry into climate adaptation is something that must be built on for an enduring framework to manage climate risk. ...
The Government is taking tertiary education down a worrying path with new reporting finding that fourteen of the country’s sixteen polytechnics couldn’t survive on their own,” Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Dr Deborah Russell says. ...
Today the government announced a $30m cut to Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori- a programme that develops te reo Māori among our kaiako. “This announcement is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. ...
The Government has shown its true intentions for the public service and economy – it’s not to get more public servants back to the office, it’s more job losses. ...
The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure. ...
Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki. It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have ...
Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading. "Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and ...
The one-stop-shop Fast-track Approvals Bill, and the 149 projects listed in the Bill, will help rebuild our struggling economy and kick-start economic growth across the country, Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop says. “Since 2022, New Zealand has battled anaemic levels of economic growth. If we want Kiwi kids to stop ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today announced the appointment of Sir Brian Roche as the next Public Service Commissioner. “I am delighted to appoint Sir Brian to this crucial leadership position,” Mr Luxon says. “Sir Brian is a highly respected New Zealander who has held significant roles across the public and ...
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced the establishment of a Forestry Sector Reference Group to drive better outcomes from the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry. “We are committed to working with the forestry sector to provide greater transparency and engagement on the forestry ETS registry as we work to ...
New Zealand’s fuel resilience is being strengthened to ensure people and goods keep moving and connected to the world in case of disruptions, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says. “Fuel security is a priority for the Coalition Government. We are acutely aware of how important engine fuels are to our ...
The Government will reform New Zealand’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) system to provide significant regulatory relief for businesses, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “Cabinet has approved an AML/CFT reform work programme which will ensure streamlined, workable, and effective regulations for businesses, law enforcement, and ...
Significant reforms are underway in the building and construction portfolio to help enable more affordable homes and a stronger economy, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “If we want to grow the economy, lift incomes, create jobs and build more affordable, quality homes we need a construction sector that ...
Minister Responsible for the GCSB and Minister of Defence Judith Collins will travel to Singapore and Brussels for Singapore International Cyber Week and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting. New Zealand has been invited to attend the NATO meeting alongside representatives from the European Union and the ...
Toitū ngā pōito o te kupenga a Toitehuatahi! A Government commitment to restoring the health and mauri of the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana will enhance the area for generations to come, Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka says. Cabinet recently agreed to pass the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill into law, ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour says the Government has committed to action on overseas investment, where the country’s policy settings are the worst in the developed world and holding back wage growth. “Cabinet has agreed to the principles for reforming our overseas investment law. At the core of these principles ...
The annual East Asia Summit (EAS) held in Laos this week underscored the critical role that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plays in ensuring a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. "My first participation in an EAS has been a valuable opportunity to engage ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says the feedback from the health and safety roadshow will help shape the future of health and safety in New Zealand and grow the economy. “New Zealand’s poorly performing health and safety system could be costing this country billions,” says Ms van ...
The Government has released the independent Advisory Group’s report on the 384 projects which applied to be listed in the Fast-track Approvals Bill, and further detail about the careful management of Ministers’ conflicts of interest, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says. Independent Advisory Group Report The full report has now been ...
The Government Policy Statement (GPS) on electricity clearly sets out the Government’s role in delivering affordable and secure electricity at internationally competitive prices, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity relies on Kiwi households and businesses having access to affordable and secure electricity at internationally competitive prices. ...
The Government has broadly accepted the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care whilst continuing to consider and respond to its recommendations. “It is clear the Crown utterly failed thousands of brave New Zealanders. As a society and as the State we should have done better. ...
The brakes have been put on contractor and consultant spending and growth in the public service workforce, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “Workforce data released today shows spending on contractors and consultants fell by $274 million, or 13 per cent, across the public sector in the year to June 30. ...
The Crown accounts for the 2023/24 year underscore the need for the Government’s ongoing efforts to restore discipline to public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Financial Statements of the Government for the year ended 30 June 2024 were released today. They show net core Crown net debt at ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will chair negotiations on carbon markets at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) alongside Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and Environment, Grace Fu. “Climate change is a global challenge, and it’s important for countries to be enabled to work together and support each other ...
A new confirmation of payments system in the banking sector will make it safer for Kiwis making bank transactions, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “In my open letter to the banks in February, I outlined several of my expectations of the sector, including the introduction of a ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the Government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our ...
The Government has released its long-term vision to strengthen New Zealand’s disaster resilience and emergency management, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “It’s clear from the North Island Severe Weather Events (NISWE) Inquiry, that our emergency management system was not fit-for-purpose,” Mr Mitchell says. “We’ve seen first-hand ...
Today’s cut in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 4.75 per cent is welcome news for families and businesses, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “Lower interest rates will provide much-needed relief for households and businesses, allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned money and increasing the opportunities for businesses ...
Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has asked Sport NZ to review and update its Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport. “The Guiding Principles, published in 2022, were intended to be a helpful guide for sporting bodies grappling with a tricky issue. They are intended ...
The Coalition Government is restoring confidence to the rural sector by pausing the rollout of freshwater farm plans while changes are made to ensure the system is affordable and more practical for farmers and growers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “Freshwater farm plans ...
The latest report from the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and Stats NZ, Our air 2024, reveals that overall air quality in New Zealand is improving, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Statistics Minister Andrew Bayly say. “Air pollution levels have decreased in many parts of the country. New Zealand is ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has announced the appointment of Stuart Horne as New Zealand’s Climate Change Ambassador. “I am pleased to welcome someone of Stuart’s calibre to this important role, given his expertise in foreign policy, trade, and economics, along with strong business connections,” Mr Watts says. “Stuart’s understanding ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello have announced a pilot to increase childhood immunisations, by training the Whānau Āwhina Plunket workforce as vaccinators in locations where vaccine coverage is particularly low. The Government is investing up to $1 million for Health New Zealand to partner ...
The Government is looking at strengthening requirements for building professionals, including penalties, to ensure Kiwis have confidence in their biggest asset, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says “The Government is taking decisive action to make building easier and more affordable. If we want to tackle our chronic undersupply of houses ...
The Government is taking further action to tackle the unacceptable wait times facing people trying to sit their driver licence test by temporarily extending the amount of time people can drive on overseas licences from 12 months to 18 months, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The previous government removed fees for ...
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring New Zealand is a safe and secure place to do business with the launch of new cyber security resources, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Cyber security is crucial for businesses, but it’s often discounted for more immediate business concerns. ...
Investment in Apprenticeship Boost will prioritise critical industries and targeted occupations that are essential to addressing New Zealand’s skills shortages and rebuilding the economy, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston say. “By focusing Apprenticeship Boost on first-year apprentices in targeted occupations, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has announced a funding boost for Palmerston North ED to reduce wait times and improve patient safety and care, as well as new national standards for moving acute patients through hospitals. “Wait times in emergency departments have deteriorated over the past six years and Palmerston ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has announced a funding boost for Palmerston North ED to reduce wait times and improve patient safety and care, as well as new national standards for moving acute patients through hospitals. “Wait times in emergency departments have deteriorated over the past six years and Palmerston ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia! If it’s good for the people, get on with it! A $35 million Government investment will enable the delivery of 100 affordable rental homes in partnership with Waikato-Tainui, Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka says. Investment for the partnership, signed and announced today ...
This week’s inaugural Ethnic Xchange Symposium will explore the role that ethnic communities and businesses can play in rebuilding New Zealand’s economy, Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee says. “One of my top priorities as Minister is unlocking the economic potential of New Zealand’s ethnic businesses,” says Ms Lee. “Ethnic communities ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters are renewing New Zealand’s calls for restraint and de-escalation, on the first anniversary of the 7 October terrorist attacks on Israel. “New Zealand was horrified by the monstrous actions of Hamas against Israel a year ago today,” Mr Luxon says. ...
Kia uru kahikatea te tū. Projects referred for Fast-Track approval will help supercharge the Māori economy and realise the huge potential of Iwi and Māori assets, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. Following robust and independent review, the Government has today announced 149 projects that have significant regional or national ...
The Fast-track Approvals Bill will list 22 renewable electricity projects with a combined capacity of 3 Gigawatts, which will help secure a clean, reliable and affordable supply of electricity across New Zealand, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Government has a goal of doubling New Zealand’s renewable electricity generation. The 22 ...
The Government has enabled fast-track consenting for 29 critical road, rail, and port projects across New Zealand to deliver these priority projects faster and boost economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit, and our Government is working to fix it. Delivering the transport infrastructure Kiwis ...
The 149 projects released today for inclusion in the Government’s one-stop-shop Fast Track Approvals Bill will help rebuild the economy and fix our housing crisis, improve energy security, and address our infrastructure deficit, Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop says. “The 149 projects selected by the Government have significant regional or ...
A new multi-purpose recreation centre will provide a valuable wellbeing hub for residents and visitors to Ruakākā in Northland, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Ruakākā Recreation Centre, officially opened today, includes separate areas for a gymnasium, a community health space and meeting rooms made possible with support of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lizzy Lowe, Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow in Ecology and Entomology, Edith Cowan University If you notice a tiny, strikingly coloured spider performing an elaborate courtship dance, you may have seen your first peacock spider. New species of peacock spider are discovered ...
The coalition would return to government, but both Christophers - Luxon and Hipkins - have lost popularity, according to the latest 1News-Verian poll. ...
The coalition would return to government, but both Christophers - Luxon and Hipkins - have lost popularity, according to the latest 1News-Verian poll. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Powles, Associate Professor of Law and Technology; Director, UWA Tech & Policy Lab, Law School, The University of Western Australia Since 2019, the Australian Department for Industry, Science and Resources has been striving to make the nation a leader in “safe ...
A View from Afar – In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how the state of Israel has gone rogue, attacking United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. At this juncture it is clear this is an intentional attack. ...
Exclusive: New leadership hires at the Human Rights Commission were contrary to recommendations made by the independent panel tasked with leading the process, documents released under the Official Information Act reveal.On a quiet Friday afternoon in August, justice minister Paul Goldsmith announced the appointment of three leadership roles at ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Eldridge, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Swinburne University of Technology Dmitrii Pridannikov/Shutterstock Heat can do amazing things to change your hairstyle. Whether you’re using a curling wand to get ringlets, a flat iron to straighten or a hair dryer to style, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Lecturer In Nutrition & Dietetics, University of the Sunshine Coast Queensland Premier Steven Miles has announced free school lunches if Labor is re-elected at the state’s upcoming election on October 26. The A$1.4 billion policy would cover primary students ...
By New Zealand Parliament failing to adequately address political corruption, Parliament fails to ensure a culture of integrity is led from the top. Human rights will always be better protected in countries that can demonstrate political integrity and transparency. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kellie Toohey, Associate Professor Clinical Exercise Physiology, Southern Cross University Ivan Samkov/Pexels When you think of lung cancer treatment, what comes to mind – chemotherapy, radiation, surgery? While these can be crucial, there’s another powerful tool that’s often overlooked: exercise. Our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sasha Grishin, Adjunct Professor of Art History, Australian National University Installation view of OA_RR, 2016-2017 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia Photo Kate Shanasy Is Reko Rennie Australia’s equivalent of Keith Haring? Both Rennie, a Melbourne-based Aboriginal artist who celebrates ...
Alex Casey returns to a New Zealand classic on its 30th birthday. Just yesterday I walked a track through Christchurch’s Victoria Park and boy was it pleasant. The sunlight beamed through the canopy of trees, providing welcome warm zones in the cool forest air. Everyone grinned goofily as they passed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Newspoll, conducted October 7–11 from a sample of 1,258, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, a one-point gain for the ...
Pete Douglas tunes in for Matt Heath’s first week in his new job on Newstalk ZB. There are two ways to view Newstalk ZB. One is that it is a boomer hellscape, full of ads for retirement care facilities, patronised by a pitchfork-wielding mob desperate to jump on the blower ...
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today, Monday at 12:45pm October 14, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 7:45pm (USEST). In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning I will analyse how the state of ...
WWF-New Zealand’s CEO, Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, says the news is a devastating blow for all those who’ve worked to revive the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana and protect it for future generations. ...
Last week, Robot Rampage hosted its Arena Grand Opening in Auckland. Gabi Lardies was there to check out the fighters.Robots are dangerous. Really dangerous. I did not realise robots were so dangerous until I saw them fight to the death in a bulletproof glass and iron cage. Most of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne Bigzumi/Shutterstock When you hear about “science focused on how dogs can live their best lives with us” it sounds like an imaginary job made up by a child. However, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Nearly a year on from its formation, it’s clear a three-party coalition is not quite the same as the two-party versions New Zealand is accustomed to. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Blackwell, Research Fellow (Indigenous Diplomacy), Australian National University It’s one year since the failed referendum to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution. The vote represents a moment of deep sadness and frustration for many First ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Savage, Associate Professor of Education Policy and the Future of Schooling, The University of Melbourne As Australian students begin the final term of 2024, governments are in the middle of a bitter standoff over public school funding for next year. ...
In Muriwhenua, iwi are working hard to maintain a vital connection to Ninety Mile Beach, Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe. There is a whakataukī where I come from in the Far North: “Ko Herekino tapoko rau, he iwi mākutu”, which roughly translates to “Herekino of a hundred valleys and a tribe skilled in ...
It seems that the cops culture of contempt for rape victims has not changed:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152671
Four complaints. Someone should be losing their job over this.
“However a 15-year-old girl told 3News last night when she complained in 2011 about being sexually assaulted by two young men when she was 13, the line of questioning centred on the clothes she was wearing and why she had chosen to go out with the group.”
That is straight out of the 80s. I thought we had at least put processes in place so that rape victims got appropriate support when they first approached police and weren’t subjected to that. At the very least now, after an inquiry, ALL police stations in NZ should be required to have a protocol in place that prevents this shit. Women need an outside advocate and they need to be interviewd by police who have training in sexual assault cases including how to not retraumatise victims.
Would like to know where DSAC are in all this http://www.dsac.org.nz/
(Assuming I heard this guy on Radio NZ correctly – District Commander Bill Searle?) Nice to know that the difference between formal and informal complaints is entirely arbitrary and a matter that the police themselves decide.
Which utterly destroys their previous argument that their hands were tied by the lack of formal complaints.
Wankers.
What station was the father of the rape group member working in?
4 complaints. Nothing happened.
Now, all of a sudden, they’ve issued search warrants.
Search warrants that will turn up absolutely nothing. On the assumption those guys aren’t utterly thick, any hard drives etc will have been ‘lost’, ie smashed up and disposed of.
Facebook will have copies of the photos and videos that they uploaded.
May I suggest that people nominate a particular night of the week for a particular type of meal – as Catholics eat fish on Fridays, perhaps the non-vegetarians here would like to eat pork one night?
No, sorry, that’s unkind to pigs.
if the cap fits..eh..?
..this is ‘the 17 dumbest things vegetarians have to put up with’..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/vegetarians-dumbest-things_n_4177147.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
phillip ure..
one of the girls thinks she was drugged, she had one drink of beer & passed out. their facebook page was full of images of drugs, not just weed but iv drugs! chilling.
Never fear Collins is having the ‘Independent’ Police Conduct Authority look into it, she is also having carpet and huge broom delivered as well.
Wairarapa, Rewa, Rotorua rape files just put into a filing cabinet. There were some recommendations by the IPCA regarding the Wairarapa and Rotorua files and the Rewa rape files are to be investigated.
Once again another complaint is going to the IPCA regarding miscommunication of a rape file which has caused further distress to the complainant.
It’s going to have to be a big carpet. Which galaxy do you think would provide a comparison?
Oh fuck! As the self-appointed person in charge of Natzi leaving presents – I never thought of that.
Maybe instead of thinking “what do I wish for” from the point of view of Natzis, I should be thinking in terms of the ‘ephermeral’ (see below)
Good pint Mr Smith!
I’ll take you contributions ‘on board’ (going forward).
Yes yes …. a far better option for the hard-pressed Tex Pay-ya
But then …. I know Pulla is rilly rilly ateched to them spots.
Keep in touch fella – together: we can work it out – in the spirit of ‘ne – go – shay -shun’
We shud talk – my agent will be in tuch
“Dust Busters”
DSAC spokeswoman on Radio NZ seems to be of the persuasion that women and girls failing to negotiate the current fcked up culture of sex and sexuality is ‘sad’ and that education on how better to negotiate it is a solution. Now, maybe it’s just me, but that seems to in in parallel with ‘suggestions’ made by rape culture apologists to the effect that women and girls should behave differently, take more care, dress differently etc.
Nothing about challenging patriarchy – it’s assumptions, values, impacts or how it exhibits and unfolds throughout our culture, society and institutions. Seems that absolutely necessary discussion is off the table. So, there will be a police inquiry…there may be some campaign on saying no…there will be internet bills and….yup, everything will carry on as before
Did she use that term … “failing to negotiate”?
But then, even if she didn’t, just putting across the idea that a 13 year-old has ‘failed’ her sexual education by not understanding the sexual vileness of older teens is a little bit too blamey for a DSAC isn’t it? Why would a young girl submit to a doctor who thinks she’s ‘failed’?
Why isn’t she commenting on how young people are being failed by the belief that they can, with no consequences to themselves, use people… make fun of people… hurt people for self gratification? And yes, why isn’t she commenting on where that belief comes from?
No, I’m not saying she used that term (she may have). My comment is my interpretation of or distillation of her position.
As for DSAC not challenging patriarchy, I’m not actually surprised – I mean, the entire medical profession is extremely patriarchal. All our institutions are to one degree or other.
Way I see it is that it’s so much in plain view as to be rendered invisible. Maybe, to borrow an analogy from one of the links Joe90 provided in the ‘Don’t Wring Your Hands’ thread, it’s as though, having been locked in a red room since birth we are then removed from it and asked to describe the colour ‘red’.
Plato and the cave?????
22.3 A prudent [person] sees danger and takes refuge, Yet the simple keep going (touching up the paint) and suffer for it.
“As for DSAC not challenging patriarchy, I’m not actually surprised – I mean, the entire medical profession is extremely patriarchal. All our institutions are to one degree or other.”
Yes and no. DSAC were set up originally precisely because some doctors (and rape crisis people I think) saw the desperate need to have doctors do post-rape exams who knew what they were doing in being with a rape victim ie protecting them from the prevailing culture which was further traumatising women. I think it also ensured that women doctors were available.
But yeah, medicine and the patriarchy.
Aren’t they required by law to have a social worker (as advocate) in on those interviews with a child?
No, it sounds like the police have tried to sweep it under the carpet. IMO, that’s how they managed to lose four complaints.
That and the rape culture we have in NZ backed up by the likes of idiots like yourself.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-31052012/#comment-477832
From what I can see, DTB was referring to the age of consent. As such, nothing to do with rape, unless the argument is that the consenting person is unable to consent due entirely to their age and regardless of the law deeming them to be person capable of consent.
Hi Bill
I’ve just read the link and I must say I’m concerned that we on the left can’t bring ourselves to condemn underage sex as outlined in the link.
As a grandparent I’m having bug problems coming to terms with what has come out in the media over the last few days from the stupification and rape of teens to the apparent almost indifference of the police and the defence of the gang who did this by the group of girls who were their school friends.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Roast-Busters-actions-defended/tabid/423/articleID/320166/Default.aspx#.Unrnu5E5EyE
The female friends of the Roast Busters told 3 News that Facebook anarchy is now the norm, so too is drunken “group sex”.
“People send it on Snapchat, who cares […] it’s normal in west Auckland, its normal here […] Not for everybody though it’s just the young ones 13- to 15-year-olds – that’s what they do.”
Am I out of touch with today’s society being outraged that I don’t care what the situation is that I’m appalled and consider it to be rape ?
Please check your targets in future…
and adjust your sights. Objections may appear larger in the rear-vision mirror. 🙂
“He refuted a suggestion there was a “culture of disbelief” of sex victims within the police.
“I think what’s happened here is the police officers have done their very best…”
See that would have a modicum of credibility if he didn’t refute, but instead said somethign like yes there are very real issues here and we need to look at what has failed these young women. We believe police did their best so we need to look at what the problem is.
He doesn’t at this stage have to admit specific culpability or assign blame, but at the very least should be expressing empathy with the victims who have been failed. As it is, it just sounds like butt covering and denial and ignorance in the extreme. Why are these people in charge?
“refute”
BULLSHIT.
Any fool with a dictionary knows that to refute means to fully disprove. All that scumbag has done is make a denial.
The official bullshit is going to be flying thick and fast around this. Watch for it and be quick to call it for what it is.
Are you taking about the journalist? I don’t carry a dictionary around with me and I took ‘refute’ in this context to mean deny (refuse to accept).
Fuck.
Pure Rape Culture this be.
What’s to bet though the relevant authorities will just let this officer off with “training” and wont even bother with establishing much needed fucking training for officers on how to deal with rape victims…
I really would like someone from the police to tell me what has changed in 20 years in processing a sexual assault?
I SEE DIRE
Mediocrity Watch No. 8: ED SHEERAN
Our taxes paid for this crap. Sheeran shared on Twitter that he played all of the instruments himself on the track, except for the cello. This display of Sheeranian versatility does nothing to improve what is a dire and unlistenable dirge—quite possibly the worst movie song ever….
http://music-mix.ew.com/2013/11/05/ed-sheeran-song-for-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug/
Mediocrity Watch aims to keep you informed of—or, to quote the epically mediocre Simon Dallow, to be “right across”—the shoddiest, least professional, most insulting journalism and taxpayer-subsidised-sensitive-singer-songwriting from all over the world, but especially New Zealand. It is produced by DeakerWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
Check out these other third-raters….
No.7: Paul Little: [Russell Brand] is “petulant, ungracious and unfunny” and a “cut-rate Chomsky”.
No. 6: David Farrar: “Things were generally very relaxed in this area.”
No. 5: Jordan Williams: ““Capping rents seems like a recipe for disaster.”
No. 4: Prof. Robert Patman: “Hezbollah is totally a creature of the Iranian regime.”
No. 3: Jeremy Wells: “What evidence is there that secondhand smoking does any harm? Where is the evidence? WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?”
No. 2: Gavin Gray: “…never been any problems associated with the name King George.”
No. 1: Susie Ferguson: “If, as you say, this has all been done before, why do it all again?”
Thank goodness, for everyones sake police interviews are recorded or videoed. Hopefully the media will focus on transcripts so as not to further divert this from the main issue unnecessarily. To clarify. The victim will be heavily traumatised and her perception of police conduct toward her may not be an entirely fair reflection.
I am not a police apologist by any means.
However if she made the complaint then as soon as they saw the facebook stuff they wld prolly have had enough to issue search warrants on the young mens digital equipment and to interview them.
The assumption seems to remain that the victins word is not enough… hence up to 95% charged get off. That is purely about attitudes to women and an assumption that when it cones to sex their default position is to lie, exaggerate or have post coital remorse… as opposed to an assumption that guys lack self control sexually and see women as chattels.
Amirite and Tracey +100. Its just sickening. Finally after four complaints over the last two years the cops are waking up and doing something about it. Not much. But something at last. And the cops have the powers to (a) take the young men’s digital equipment and strip it right down to find everything they’ve now deleted (b) get that same evidence off Facebook and (c) make a case against those dreadful young trolls.
They’ve started calling the girls ‘ a group’ . Serial rape complainants?
Possibly preparing representative charges. I have no doubt that Bullshit Castle has been given a swift hard kick to take action, by someone by this point. At least, that’s the hope.
Bf made this point this morning that it is the police’s job to gather evidence and do an investigation.
The way they’re behaving is if you don’t provide all necessary evidence up-front to them, they won’t do anything.
+1
I like this guy’s response to misogny in his workplace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqpoeVgr8U&feature=player_embedded
Perhaps someone in our police force could do the same ?
” The Government also introduced legislation yesterday that would cut development contributions, which have soared from an average $3000 a section to $14,000 in the past decade.”
I note the legislation doesnt include an obligation on developers to pass on the saving. They will do it cos its the right thing to do.
buwahahahahahahaha
Development contributions are/were meant to help pay for all the things additional subdivisions cost a council – more roading, much greatly improved sewerage schemes, more parks for all the extra people, etc etc. More people into any area means more and more services which are paid for via the rates – so cutting development contributions means more costs to the average Joe and Joanna, and less cost to the rich – again !
Exactly JK and next Tracey will be saying it’s the land prices, land is cheap on the outskirts of town lets build there, does she expects the existing rate-payers will be happy paying for the roads, sewer, storm-water, parks, footpaths, street-lighting etc that service these sections.
All these people we are forced to live next too! They cost us money, and I have to stand up on the bus. People, that’s the problem.
It’s the sprawl that costs us – more sprawl, most cost. If we want to lower rates and have cheaper living then we need to build upwards and not outwards.
Need to make it clear that building more subdivisions pushes up rates. That will upset National and the land-bankers.
Xox
I can see Ben Uffendal’s headline
” Police need funding increase to pursue teenage sex case”
My employers partner is just off the phone to her daughter in England who has just done her weekly grocery shopping for a grand total of £28
Bacon 90p for 500g
1 Dozen Egg 38p
Feta Cheese 65p
Blue Cheese £1.20
Cucumber 65p
Cheddar Cheese 500g £1.80
…and on it goes.
….. and my daughter, just back from living there, tells a similar tale.
There’s another thing a new government should review ….. the ineptitude of our Commerce Commission.
Commerce Commission has been deliberately starved, hamstrung and misdirected by the NATs. So not really their fault. I’m hoping Labour give it real teeth and increased independence, very soon.
I Don’t disagree TL, but they have, over the years, allowed duopoly positions to emerge.
I recall back in 2006, or 2007 some of those ‘bloody academics’ from Vic Uni showing that the structure in the supply chain by the ‘big 2’ meant small producers were being penalised.
The CC should be commended on their recent decisions, but their ideas on what constitutes effective competition are sometimes pretty bloody suspect.
They need ‘guidelines’ obviously. In my mind, there should never be a situation EVER where a NZ public pays a higher price for locally produced goods than does a foreign market.
The NZ public will be expected to pay for whatever cleanup of shit infested waters is necessary whilst paying a premium for dairy products.
These so called ‘free market’ principles really are a scam at times.
I’ve seen NZ salmon sold a damn sight cheaper in Australia ffs! (even taking into account exchange rates and so on).
Building materials …. how’s THAT ffs!
Maybe there needs to be some sort of quota system applied to locally produced goods that must be sold locally – I don’t know but then the CC should be the experts
You can’t get effective competition in what amounts to natural monopolies:- Power, telecommunications, supermarkets…
Nothing wrong with farmers markets though.
I’m in two minds about supermarkets. The manner in which that supply chain has been constructed over the past few decades means that they’re now natural monopolies/duopolies I guess.
Fuck em! I usually try to make a point of ONLY buying their loss leader items wherever possible. I wish more did, but for some – they’re now the new Town Hall and flirting venue.
Certainly anything that constitutes a grid type arrangement – roads; rail; electricity, water, sewer reticulation; local loop and national/international backbone.
(I’m a moderate doncha know) 😉
I’ve read various comments, eg on stuff, where poms say that in England it was soo much cheaper to eat at home, because the food was cheap and service in restaurants was a lot more expensive.
Now living in NZ, they don’t see any reason to eat at home, because the food is expensive and service in restaurants is cheap.
There’s a show on BBC Radio 4 called The Food Programme which looks at these kinds of issues. One episode looked at people feeding themselves for 10-15 pounds per week.
Of course, there have beeen corners cut in British food as a result of the heavy price pressure – the horsemeat scandal in particular.
With 50 units of local currency in the UK or Europe, you will be unable to get the shopping home without transport, preferable private. That includes the higher quality stores such as Waitrose and Marks n Spencer.
In NZ, 50 units of currency gets you the basics, which requires little more than a two bags, or a number of bags filled with refined sugar/salt junk products.
The UK, for example has a high number competition in the market, not to mention the 60m+ population base. They also have a wonderful selection of food, which far eclipse the shite we have on offer in the supermarkets here in NZ, which is pitiful in comparision. Should be reasons why people make use of farmers markets etc, move away from the supermarkets here, they are a bad joke!
NZ has two channels , an effective monopoly, and 4.5 million people!
Simple equations involved, but in NZ, we are getting completely ripped off over and above for every life sustaining necessity, food, water, energy, shelter, clothing…
Great lifestyle here though, and how about those AB’s!
+1 !
We’ve been sold the coolaid for far too long.
The examples are endless.
How about “export quality meat”. Doesn’t that imply that we (as the producing country) should be expected to be happy with something less than export quality?
Like err, maybe meat pumped with water, or with additives to ensure redness – all brought to us by people who are on wages that only just let them get by (unless of course they do as much overtime as they able, or maybe even 2 jobs).
Eat, sleep, shit, do the laundry (so those nice little uniforms are spik & span), work….. eat, sleep, shit, etc.
(They don’t know how lucky they are aye!!!! In my day I had to walk 5 miles to school every day and five miles home again and I didn’t complain – besides, that nice Mr Key is looking after them)
Just been in UK/Europe/USA….your points all valid. Lovely places but they don’t have the ABs. And they are too populous for me.
Apart from their subsidised prices..they have one good thing in common …(except for the US) they all seem to have far more tolerant populaces than our standard Kiwi authoritarians dressed up as social liberals (there’s plenty on this site who would claim to be otherwise)….still despite the prices here is home.
ae, Nu Zillund is an authoritarian’s jet black cream.
I hope to be in charge of leaving presents for departing Natzi MP’s.
Pulla Bent, Judith (Jude to her mates), Soimun and a couple of others will be getting Jack Boots after a formal fitting in Northern Italy where a ‘fact finding musshun’ will have occurred, and both Jude and Pulla – just because of their EXTENSIVE contributions will be getting leopard or tiger skin fatigues fresh from the Philibit Tiger Reserve.
In addition, they’ll all be getting Tiwai menyafekchard ledders mounted on bearings, equipped with flex rope from the Bay of Plenny that enables them to be pulled into an upright position – well away from ground level. There’s an ex-railway workshop in the deep south that’s putting in a tender that’ll hopefully come out cheaper than the Choinoise.
Unfortunately Pulla, Jude and Soimun haven’t yet indicated their departure is imminent – so I’ve got a bit of time before I run out of life.’
I’ve just got one problem so far though. The bloody ‘nargies’ don’t want a bar of it!
They’re still a bit pissed off that a couple of their students who lodged formal complaints about employers ripping them off were ‘deported’.
Never mind tho’ aye – a FTA is in the wind (like FUK!) (at least in terms of the definition of “free”)
The jobs yours: the image of Jude and Pulla in tiger skin fatigues scares the crap out of me. Nightmare on Queen St..
@ ‘great lifestyles here’..
..and don’t forget ‘nz’s got talent’..!
(..you can think/dream about that while paying yr supermarket-bill..
..it’ll help blunt the pain..a little…)
..phillip ure..
Does VAT apply to food in England?
We had a visitor from Manchester who was appalled at Australian grocery prices. Someone is making a lot of money out of us all, and it’s not the farmers or growers. Maybe a future government could help establish a producers’ co-op to get food to people at reasonable prices, and without GST. Anyone who didn’t relish the taste of “socialist food” would be welcome to continue with the main supermarket chains.
Apparently Key is a nice guy, it is that mean Mr English that does all the mean things
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152668
No exception for first home buyers in LVR? That was Mr English that convinced Mr key to not fight for that.
GST changes? Mr English again!
However Mr Key managed to win a debate on labour law reforms
A pretty transparent interview by Audrey Young. Bad cop English versus Good cop Key the friend of the poor and the downtrodden. What a nice man that Key fellow is.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11152582
And a bit more realism from the same interview from strangely John Armstrong. Specially liked Bill’s view of John:
“He’s endlessly capable of everything, I assure you – catching fish, cooking pasta, making up policy, being friends with the Queen. There is nothing this man can’t do.”
Faint praise anyone?
Gosh, what a Guy, lets sit him atop the pyre.
‘
As sickening as that New Zealand Fox News Herald’s two-part hagiography was, it did highlight the fact that there’s still some considerable niggle between John Key and Blinglish. In the first part, John Key tries, as you point out, to deflect taking responsibility for further excluding first-home buyers from the market. (Yeah, right.) Then, in the second part, Blinglish says . . .
. . . blatantly and completely undermining John Key’s earlier statement about the LVR. Classic, and another lie to add to John Key’s elephantine list. Thanks Blinglish. Also, good on you for finally realising that your own lie regarding your place of residence is no longer sustainable. I guess you’ve paid off the Karori mortgage now, eh Bill?
That National Party having been presenting a number of their cauacus as “nice people ” recently through the media. While they make Key out to be a good old boy they are attacking Cunliffe making out he cant be trusted.
Well the amount of flip flops Cunliffe has done means he cant be trusted
Flip flops? Do you mean the shoes?
‘
Fuckish Rogue is probably referring to Cunliffe’s flip-flops on charter schools and SkyCity.
Well theres that as well as his clarification of what on his CV plus his ability to say one thing to one audience (the unions) then something different to another group (business)
Do you watch all of Paula’s speeches in parliament? For someone as idiotic as you, they must be better than viagra. And that Collins? Be still, my beating heart.
Guess what? When I was fixing bikes, I would talk about right side roller mains to a Triumph owner, and bushes to a BSA guy. I obviously couldn’t be trusted. More than that, when I went snapper fishing, I would talk about pilchards, mullet and squid with my fishing mate, but I was careful not to mention these while trout fishing.
Gunna giv’em a taste of your stinkfist for wearing jandals too are you…
Iha, a perfect circumnavigation across Mer de Noms
This Pukish one is “such an inspiration for the ways that’ll never ever choose to be…..”
Lolz, a small chortle when having a scroll down the Herald online edition this morning, anyone else noticed this little gem,
Scrolling down the page looking at the clickable links there’s a headline for:
Politics Headlines:
Top stories:
And snigger i kid you not, a headline to a pile of clickable links: NZ National Party Headlines,
The official voice of the NZ National Party, the Pravda of the South Pacific, the NZ Herald…
Can’t say as I see this as a problem:
Now, if the government would step forward to support our ow artists we could fill the gaps with our own shows.
so..instead of ‘homeland’..how about a drama based on the stresses/pressures/personalities/cliff-hanging/nail-biting happenings in.. say..a shearing gang..?
..oh..!..hang on..!
..and for modern familes..a comedy based around a dysfunctional-family..?
..having laffs/coping in the wake of a major earthquake..?
..(working title:..’shaky’..?..(geddit..?..geddit..?.)
..and i haven’t ever seen ‘bones’…
..but isn’t it a will/they/won’t they..ever fuck..again..kinda story/saga..(yawn..!..)
..here..we could call that ‘the len and bevan show’..
..eh..?
..(this week..!..that conference in christchurch..!..will they..?..won’t they..?..
..will bevan take that ‘personal-assistance’ further than her job-description mandates..?
..and yes..!..we have body-fluids..!
..follow every sperm-dropping/clean-up moment..!
..on their bonking in sacred maori places tour of new zealand..
..next week:..’the waitangi-pole’..
..phillip ure..
phillip u
so..instead of ‘homeland’..how about a drama based on the stresses/pressures/personalities/cliff-hanging/nail-biting happenings in.. say..a shearing gang or a gang of political bloggers. Drama, emotion, passion. girls with no clothes on. It couldn’t miss.
I’m a fan of Wind in the Willows. A whimsical, kind little tale about friends and community and understanding each other. Toad is a lively character who gets focussed on one interest at a time and when it was motor cars, went round making car horn sounds ‘Poop, Poop’.
Spring has sprung and I must spring into the garden shouting Poop, Poop. So I’ll go and wrestle with the convolvulus bindweed and vow to be responsible in future and never let it take over and get control again.
And it’s off to the gulag for you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/nadezhda-tolokonnikova-siberia_n_4217448.html
Radio station needs help to sort out it’s rampant rape culture.
This time it’s Radio Live’s nighttime DJ, Andrew Fagan:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11152672
Another RadioLive host has come under fire, this time for an interview with a caller who said she was raped as a 14-year-old.
Night-time host Andrew Fagan copped flak after the woman told how she had met a boy she fancied on the way home from school.
At his house, she drank alcohol for the first time and woke up realising she had lost her virginity.
Fagan asked her if it was consensual. “Did you not hear what I just said?” she replied. He replied: “Yes, but you said you fancied him.”
Well he does fancy KH in a non-committed ‘open’ kinda way, so I guess there’s some sort of binary logic going on there where any sort of sex is OK as long as his partner “fancies” an object.
Logic? Rape culture actually. Which says: if a young woman is attracted to a man then the man has a right to have sex with her. What century are we living in?
Don’t know what Karyn Hay ever saw in this dickhead Andrew Fagan.
He must have forgotten the lyrics he sung :
Don’t walk away from me
I’m not the kind that likes to be put down
Don’t leave me standing here
I’m not kind that likes to be the clown in the rain for the world who must sing
Without you my life’s gonna be forever Tuesday morning
I’m so alone inside I haven’t got the guts to go away……..etc.
Maybe now he could find the guts to say sorry…..or go away, like the rest of that shit Radio Live.
Fagan’s a loudmouth bullshitting wanker at the best of times.
Heard him one night trying to stir up a hornet’s nest by stating as fact that Japanese military got washed up in the North during the war and disappeared into the population.
Then started crapping on about Hone Harawira’s “features” ?
Yeah his bullshit ruined Kiwi FM too. He loves his own voice and Karyn constantly needs to reprimand him like he’s a child.
I live in hope.
http://www.industrytap.com/thorium-fueled-automobile-engine-needs-refueling-once-a-century/15649
http://www.slatesenergy.com/cadillac_thorium_laser.htm
well joe..i followed yr link..
..and then investigated thorium fueled nuclear reactors a little bit more..
..and what can i say..?
..i think as of about 1.45 pm this aft..
..(all things i read being true/up to scratch..
..i too..became a convert to the idea of thorium..
..as a/the(?) fuel for the future..
..now..where to build the first reactor..?
..i reckon northland..
..they need the jobs/economic-fillip this would bring..
..(and quick..!..flog the rest of the power companies off to the mug-elite..!..
..before they hear..
(..those power companies will never be worth this much again..)
..and use some of that money..to build the first thorium-reactor..
..mana/the greens should campaign on this..
(and knock me down with an anti-nuke banner..!..if you told me when i woke up this morn..that i wd end the day a promotor of a branch of the nuke-family..
..i’d have said you were certifiable..eh..?..
..but good ideas are like that..eh..?
..they can be very infectious/caught quick….)
..phillip ure..
A few links inside that may interest you phil.
https://sites.google.com/site/rethinkingnuclearpower/aimhigh
edit: although I do think that an awful lot of the discussion going on is pie in the sky stuff
How user pays really works.
A man’s house burned to the ground, but that wasn’t his only shock — because two weeks later, he received a bill for almost $20,000 from the private fire department that tried to fight it.
[…]
Highlighted on the back of the subscription, it reads, “Response times will vary.” So with the options for people living here are: buy a yearly subscription, which is around $500 from Rural Metro for a service that is 20 miles away or take their chances and get a huge bill if their home burns. A third option is to form their own fire district. It can take months and ultimately a board will decide if they’ll contract out fire service or form a volunteer department.
[…]
Rural Metro does have payment plans, but says it doesn’t give people the option to let their home burn
.http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/23888502/2013/11/5/man-gets-20k-bill-from-rural-metro
Sounds like the perfect plan for all those disengaged from society that lock themselves behind the walls of the ‘gated community’. In their case – I’d make it mandatory. They can have their private security firms, police force, roading contractors, ambulances and most other infrastructure as well.
This is going too far
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/11/07/breaking-police-threaten-daily-blog-editor-with-6months-imprisonment-5000-fine-for-parodying-their-roast-buster-rape-inaction/#sthash.vdQx0YFz.dpuf
perfect storm soon? & then this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugsq_ssKh4g hooton storming out of radiolive in disgust with willi & jt!
Never thought I’d be on the same side of the argument as Hooten – but can’t fault him this time.
I think he says at one point that he has daughters, so blah blah.
I’d fault that part of his argument.
Who was the person that almost seemed to be arguing that it was too much to expect a 17/18 year old from west Auckland not to commit an assault…….. or did I mis hear ?
Fuck knows. Someone was saying something like that, but they all sounded like drunk middle aged punters at 1/2 hour to last drinks. “Yeah nah yeah yeah listen wait you said blah mate nah listen but wait on mate wait on a minute I was saying nah mate listen”
pfft.
I didn’t say that on air and you are right it makes no difference – but it does make it a little more personal.
Yeah I was joking really, ‘if I had to quibble, it would be this’ sort of thing. You did good.
+1
Well done pointing out that this isn’t a class issue, Matthew.
Aha, the libertarian left and right unite, I always thought the portraits mirrored! What hope now for rednecks?
“I agree with Matthew”
hmmm so Willie and JT claim Hooton is making middle class judgments and doesn’t understand the working classes.
Reports of rape at elite private schools overseas:
New South Wales
Princeton, US.
The class differences would be in the ability by the authorities to cover it up.
Didn’t think I would ever get some respect for Hooton. Good on him, and good on him for saying fuck you to Willie Jackson’s support of Clint Rickard.
I didn’t hear any of the Radio Live stuff yesterday, but Tamahere and Jackson appear to be saying that brown boys have a hard life and therefore an excuse whereas white boys grow up good and therefore don’t rape. That doesn’t explain why they would be so unsympathetic to the women/girls. Hiding misogyny behind class.
edit: snap karol.
Yes, I also respect Hooten’s stand.Who’d have thought! Thank you to all who are speaking out and writing about this. Very distressing indeed.
Yes, agree, weka. Willie & JT do no service to either Westie males, but are especially MIA with respect to Westie girls and women.
And the fallout continues.
Roast Busters: Companies pull ads from RadioLive
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11153170
A stopped clock turns out to be right. Doesn’t excuse all of Hooton’s other misogynistic and racist statements that he’s cynically made for money. All it means is that they’re so revolting even Hoots is angry.
Completely agree. For a man with such repugnant morals otherwise it was surprising. I’m guessing he’s had some life experience that’s educated him.
The other thing that stands out is the change of tone in Jackson’s voice when he tells Hooton to shut his mouth about Rickards.
Yup, and I’d say the kids sit up and take notice when they hear it.
im probably being a little bit ungenerous but maybe hooton wants to be on the winning side? i mean, who wants to be a rape apologist? (not me!)
Yes that change in tone was very noticeable. Hooton is a hollowman but Jackson and Tamahere are hollow too. I don’t like any of them and that view has been reinforced again.
“All it means is that they’re so revolting even Hoots is angry.”
Exactly, I think I’ll hold off on “Yay Matthew Hooten doesn’t like rape apologists” for now.
Wow. Did anyone see Bomber’s graphic?
http://t.co/IDfkC5V2hR
Ta.
IS got a better lawyer than Bomber perhaps.
Yep sure did
Some one better warn imperator fish.
done
“He always looked pasty-faced!”
The Panel briefly considers the death of Arafat
Radio NZ National, Thursday 7 November 2013
Paul Brennan, Rosemary McLeod, Tim Watkin
Note Tim Watkin’s nervousness, and his skittish laughter, which undermines and trivializes his otherwise intelligent comments…..
PAUL BRENNAN: It’s five minutes to five. All right, this next story. ….[uncomfortable pause]….It appears that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned by radioactive polonium. Traces of the isotope have been found in his bones. What do you think of this?
ROSEMARY McLEOD: It’s like a ghastly horror show.
TIM WATKIN: Well, the Israelis held him as a virtual prisoner in his compound for the last few years of his life, didn’t they. That explains why he always looked pasty-faced! Ha ha ha ha ha!
ROSEMARY McLEOD: Ha ha ha ha ha! It’s what the Russians gave to that chap a few years ago, isn’t it.
TIM WATKIN: That’s right. Ha ha ha!
ROSEMARY McLEOD: He started off as a very good-looking man, but he wasn’t when they’d finished with him.
PAUL BRENNAN: [thoughtfully] Hmmmm. Poisonous stuff, that Polonium 125.
ROSEMARY McLEOD: We don’t want it in our coffee!
TIM WATKIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
PAUL BRENNAN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Okay, three minutes left, and there’s just time for our last story….
i couldn’t listen to brennan..
..this is the email i sent the show yesterday:
“..i am listening from behind the sofa..chewing knuckles..scared..
..i think he is one of the worst people i have ever heard on radio..
..his faux-jollity just sets teeth on edge..
..and he clearly has an intellect that would drown in a petrie-dish..
..w.t.f..!..”
..when he came on again today..
..i just turned him off..
..straightaway..
..phillip ure..
That’s a good summary of the man, Phillip.
Did you hear his comments about the living wage? I think he deserves some credit for supporting people getting paid enough to live on.
Yes I did, fender, and I agree with you. The reason I posted that snatch of conversation was not to criticise Paul Brennan but to draw attention to the way Tim Watkin was afraid to state a grave truth clearly and unequivocally. His nervous little snicker only served to detract from and undermine what he said. This is understandable: no doubt Tim Watkin has suffered screeching insults in the past after daring to say anything critical of Israel.
It’s still disappointing, however. Tim Watkin is an intelligent, well read and decent person, which makes him a rarity on radio chat shows. He should think about expressing his views clearly and courageously—which means not undercutting them by snickering nervously.
Consequences.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/9374848/Yellow-RadioLive-boycott-after-show
Is there a list of advertisers somewhere up on the net. I’ll ring them and take my business elsewhere too –
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/proposed-water-standards-met-criticism-5702371
The Stupid, It Burns.
Why? Because it can decades to remediate nutrient pollution, particularly when dealing with slow flowing rivers and more so lakes, where the low over rate of flow + mud increase the residency time for nutrients added by human activity and can be released later by storms/floods. Which leads to flux that invasive species oft thrive with and kick the local ecosystem into a another state with subsequent (usually) negative ecological impacts to ecosystem health and human uses.
*sigh*
We can haz science based government legislation noaw please?…
Instead of limp-wristed bullshit to pander to federated farmers.
Half of all fossil fuels ever burned have been burned since the election of the forth Labour government.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYQGFCJCYAAitjs.png:large
Indeed.
Despite all the hissing and roaring about climate change and greenhouse gases in the last decade, fossil fuels are now being burnt at a faster rate than at any other time in human history. With the trend continuing to increase.
I don’t think there is going to be a happy ending.
As this website says, nature bats last..
http://guymcpherson.com/
This is colourfully put – from latest Bowalley Road.
That made Sir Roger and his followers the most dangerous cuckoos ever to take up residence in Labour’s nest, and it has taken the best part of 30 years to eradicate their legacy within the party organisation.
Observing the party closely since the departure of Helen Clark in 2008 has been a little like watching Rip Van Winkle rousing himself from twenty long years of slumber.
I think they’re still struggling with waking up. Maybe I should send them some coffee?
There are still cuckoos in the nest.
Hi Murray O
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-081113/#comment-723950
That had some more comments on post Roger from Chris T which registered with me later.
If you go to this link on my comment with quote, under that is link to the item courtesy
of Draco. I think it makes points that are good to reflect on.
http://www.sickchirpse.com/new-zealand-roast-busters/ very biting sarcasm here, no holds barred about ugly nz. “worldwide outrage” according to the huffington post, this has gone total global.