This will be my last post on the Standard (and probably any other blog) for a while at least – not too sure when Ill be able to post again, but it wont be until well into the New Year at least (perhaps when everthing has settled down) — my personal circumstances look set to change in a rather dramatic way, and it is because of that I wont be in a position to contribute to this blog. Its been great chatting to you all, and I have enjoyed reading the thoughts of everyone here, though the right wingers always seem to want to put the boot in all the time.
I think the left is in pretty good shape at the moment, and 2014 will see a Sixth Labour government, that is probably more to the left than Clark’s one was, though how far to the left remains to be seen. It all depends on how the asset sales referendum pans out, and the outcome of the PoA dispute. I see both of these as defining issues in this country — public/collective v individual/private, and security v flexibility.
So, on that note, Farewell, Merry Christmas, Happy new year, and hope to catch up with you all in the New Year some time.
Cheers to you, millsy, hope the change in circ’s is not a negative one and I look forward to being amused, bemused and occasionally confused by you again in the near future!
Does this mean the end of posts from EDDIE on pain of his expulsion from the Labour Party?
For this to happen to a loyal Labour Party member who has done nothing but ably stand up for the party on line, while John Tamihere after continually slanging off Labour in the MSM, is welcomed back as a member and embraced as a long lost prodigal son.
Yes kind Lefty souls, I’m bugging out too, returning at some future date (hopefully not too far away). IB has highlighted some reasons why, and the stuff he is talking about isn’t kidding around. The miserable and ill-conceived pressure they are putting on Cunliffe and his supporters in caucus, well they are now turning that on to ordinary party members as well. Organisations which find themselves in this state, well what more do I need to say.
I shan’t be back for a wee while unless there is good reason 😎
It is probably for the best at present CV. My abject apologies for not having the energy/time to talk to you (work is hectic).
Well, as I’m not a member, I guess I remain free…..
I never care.
Quite frankly the party could do with my skills far more than I need the party. I’ve pretty well withdrawn from party activity over recent years as the environment has become more toxic.
But I’d advise anyone who has used a pseudonym on Red Alert that could compromise them in real life to expect problems. The system operators over there are quite compromised, don’t act responsibly, and have been that way for some time. Quite simply they are not operating in a way that makes it safe to leave comments there unless you have cast-iron anonymity. Treat it like you would Whaleoil’s site.
Which incidentally, is why you don’t see Red Alert on our feed
Actually, it wouldn’t ruin my life to be outed, especially as I am semi-retired. It might be a bit tricky at work, but probably not totally damaging. My preference for a pseudonym is partly because, personally I’m a fairly shy person.
Some people see it as a contradiction, that I can be very talkative and confident in a teaching or discussion context. But socially, I am often the quiet person in a group. I don’t enjoy being the centre of attention.
Tempted as I am to suggest that maybe your father in law has finally snapped and told you to log off and go get a job, I’ll restrict myself to saying I too will miss your contributions, CV. You maintained an excellence balance between quantity and quality in your comments and there will be many a chastened rightie feeling relieved that you are signing off. Hope its not for too long.
ps: I’m looking forward to the inevitable post from PG on your departure over at Yawn NZ. What greater tribute could there be?
Nope. This is an actual problem. There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference. Subsequently it was raised by the same MP in the NZ Council as part of the lobbying to push Tamihere’s membership through.
It fits the same pattern of behaviour as Shane Jones demonstrates. A caucus that does things less by focused strategy and more by stupid intimidation.
I’d advise people to think carefully before putting comments at Red Alert if your identity can in anyway be traced back to you. I guess that is why the comments are dropping like a stone over there.
To be honest I struggle to see why there is a reticence amongst those in the know to name said MP. Should we not all know the character of those that are possibly going to be representing us next term?
(Sorry, I’m not singling you out Lynn, it was just your post I replied to).
It is quite a specific assertion of fact. To make it you’d have to be fairly confident that you have people who are willing to testify to its veracity. In this case that would probably happen.
There is little point naming the person(s) when what is actually required is a change of collective behaviour by caucus in the way that they handle a blogs and their net presence. In particular the malfeasant transfer of information that should be private out of Red Alert and matching it with other information, like comments on this site.
But there is a rather nice effect in not naming the person(s) concerned. It effectively throws the uncertainty about who did the malfeasance back on the whole of caucus – which is actually where the responsibility lies.
And it is probably a whole lot more effective for caucus to deal with their own.
There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference. Subsequently it was raised by the same MP in the NZ Council as part of the lobbying to push Tamihere’s membership through.
You have to be fucking kidding! You’re saying a Labour MP threatened to out Colonial Viper and others because they were writing things the unnamed Labour MP didn’t like… And that the same threat was made to ensure John Tamihere was granted admission by the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party?
Am I missing something here? How exactly is threatening to out Colonial Viper (unless he/she is a Labour party MP which I doubt) going to influence a party decision and why would the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party give a shit?
There is little point naming the person(s) when what is actually required is a change of collective behaviour by caucus in the way that they handle a blogs and their net presence.
Labour has been collectively saying they will out bloggers who are also members of the Labour party if they speak out against the party? I think you have lost it 1prent. That’s ridiculous! Can you actually point to some evidence of this?
It effectively throws the uncertainty about who did the malfeasance back on the whole of caucus – which is actually where the responsibility lies.
I have to disagree there… The responsible person is the one making the threats if that is actually the case?
The problem here is that nothing will be resolved unless you name the person you allege has threatened to out party members and/or bloggers. There’s nothing wrong with saying who this is, because they’re a public person and it will be something they said that’s on the record. Highlight exactly what they said 1Prent and allow the the public to decide.
Seems you have marsman, better go on the run and sleep with one eye open like CV.
This shit STINKS and will really damage the Party once the MSM run with it.
What FOOLS this bunch of Brown Shirts are in conducting a witch hunt. Once Hooten and his ilk put their spin on it I see a new poll showing a low 20% support for Labour very soon.
Don’t stray too far. There’s that old saying “what goes around comes around” and I think there are a few people in the Labour caucus who are going to find out in due course how very true that saying is.
I also think I may know the identity of the person who has turned on you and that person will pay a price for objectionable behaviour…
This is no good CV. I’m sure you have your reasons but this is just not on. If a party can bully it’s members into silence it has no place in a democratic Country.
A damned shame, but highly reflective of the state of affairs with the NZLP currently. I too know the identity of the person involved in this, and there will be future consequences no doubt. Will be interesting to see what happens for me, blogging under my own name, in the future.
Let me say this very clearly: If I wanted a bunch of neanderthal, authoritarian control freaks to govern me I’d vote National.
Seriously, Labour? Targeting and threatening individual party members to silence them?
Anyone on the left who’s been thinking about supporting/voting Labour should be thinking really hard about this. What use are they going to be to us in govt? What good can possibly come from electing them if this is how they respond to criticism when they’re in opposition?
Do you really think this bunch of cunts can be trusted with the full power of the state?
Fuck that. Labour deserve to keep losing if they think this is what democracy looks like.
To be fair to Labour, there is no evidence presented that supports the claim of bullying. A few people are hinting about dark dealings, but nobody’s fronting with the facts. Name and shame, I reckon.
Nah but I’m done with pretending that every. single. one. of these bullshit events is either an isolated incident, part of a teething period, or a mishap unlikely to reoccur, and totally unrelated to a serious cancer embedded in the power structure.
How about you TRP? Are you done with keeping your head up your arse?
What events, felix? All we have is some vague accusations about an unnamed individual MP having a brain fart and possibility unrelated matters concerning a couple of individuals ceasing blogging that are being conflated into the size of a cow. I’m asking for people to put up some evidence to back their claims. The people making the claims are all anonymous, so there should be no comeback on them opening up.
What’s the worst the Labour Party can do to an off-message member anyway? Stop sending the begging letters? Stop asking them to stand on street corners waving signs, or doorknocking, or spending evenings calling for votes? It’s terrifying stuff, indeed.
I’m talking about pretty much everything the Labour leadership has done for the last four years. And at every turn, the refrain is the same: ‘Give them a chance’, and ‘They probably didn’t mean it’, and now your new hilarious one ‘Where’s the evidence that they’re a pack of untrustworthy morons apart from everything they say and do?’
I have no reason to doubt what Irish and Lynn and CV are saying. The Labour leadership, on the other hand…
Thanks for answering the question though, looks like you’re going to need your meals sent up there.
Thanks for clarifying felix. I thought you were talking about the specific events of the day, but apparently you were citing the vibe.
Interesting arse fixation, btw. Are you getting help for it?
You’re in denial, felix. But misinterpreting my position on this matter and the wider question of the leadership of the party over the last four years makes you feel good about yourself, its fine by me. I like to spread a little sunshine everywhere I go.
Apology accepted. For the record, I never denied anything; the whole thrust of my questions was to establish the truth. I now know the facts, via a private source, but I still don’t know why the Standard won’t publish the full story, because it really is appalling behaviour by a half witted bully of an MP.
However, I’m going to assume the lack of detail is to protect the victim/s and leave it at that. But you should know that this incident leaves me very angry indeed and I firmly believe the MP concerned should be de-selected and expelled from the party.
It’s like the marketing department of Hell Pizza. “Oh, what, we gratuitously offended another oppressed group in our quest to look edgy, and it’s blown up in our faces? Oh, that was just one random guy on our team. Honest. A completely different random guy to the random guys we blamed for the last dozen or so gratuitously-offensive fuckups.”
Having once been on the receiving end of bullying behaviour by people in positions of power and/or influence, I know how hard it is to name and shame. These bullies can be in a position to destroy a person’s personal life, career or business and get away with it because others are too scared to stand up to them.
It is up to the Labour leader – or someone else in a very senior position – to swiftly stamp it out.
TRP: There is more than sufficient evidence. At least for me.
The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.
The NZ Council debate is something that I have had several direct and indirect sources on.
And the leakage problems from Red Alert were something that I described (ummm) last year in a post after the rumour started flying around that the outing leakages were coming from here.
I’d have to say that Red Alert would have to now be considered to be a complete and utter failure because some numpties never bothered to learn about net culture.
Ok, did I understand that right – the people who run Red Alert are using things like IPs and email addresses to out commenters using pseudonyms? eg the sysop is passing those details on to caucus or other people high up in the Labour party, and that information is being used to harass or in some way control members?
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them. I don’t know if its an overt strategy or policy of NZ Council, but it’s certainly a policy of about 3-4 core MPs, and there may even be a a rogue one in there who can’t help themselves.
It’s not beyond fixing, but the methods to fix it might be quite challenging.
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them.
Don’t they have better things to do? Like, say, being an effective opposition?
If you have more than enough evidence, why aren’t you posting it? This guilt by accusation stuff is more suited to WO (or, in recent days, NZF). If there is some substance, lets see it. My apologies to all who don’t get where I’m coming from, but if there is bullying, then the bully needs to be named and shamed. If you do not confront the bully, you are enabling the bully.
Dude, that is beyond weak. Put up the evidence, if it exists. I’m starting to think it doesn’t, because I can see no logical reason why it has to be hidden. There is no downside to having the courage of your convictions, Peter. and the last time I looked at the policy of The Standard, making assertions without being able to substantiate them is considered poor form.
Nope, the ball is in your court. You’re the one making the claim, its up to you to back it up. You won’t, or, more likely, you can’t.
And the name on your passport is not ‘Peter’. That may be one of your names, but only Cher, Madonna and God can claim to be recognized on a single name. And the latter can’t even do that, because He doesn’t exist. So yes, your excuses are weak, ‘Peter’, but as you say the name of the MP has been mentioned already, you can show us how not weak you are by confirming it.
Just for the record: my response above was to a comment from ‘Peter’ that he had the evidence, but he wasn’t go to release it and that the the ‘ball was in their court’. He has since chickened out and deleted the statement, replacing it with the ‘religion’ comment instead. So, it appears that Peter is both a semi-anonymous coward and a fantasist.
Hilarious. Most people who’ve hung around the Labour Party know who I am. But for the record, my name is Peter Wilson, I was a former party member, LEC member, Otago University youth branch founder and president, Otago/Southland Labour regional council chairman for three years. I’ve chaired list conferences, fought on four campaign committees, including two as campaign manager in tough tory blue country. I have also worked in paid employment for a number of MPs, including the MP in question today.
If you do not confront the bully, you are enabling the bully.
Don’t mind if I do, TRP. You called Peter a “semi-anonymous coward”, attacking him for being anonymous and inferring that such cast doubt on his credibility. He told you exactly who he is, and that he has the credentials to know what he is talking about.
Peter, you, IB and LP are all credible people as far as I’m concerned. And that makes your inability to back up your claims all the more puzzling.
You pretend to have faith in their credibility while calling them all liars? Sweet. All the people you have named have told you the situation – they are reluctant for a variety of reasons to post what they know publicly.
You might disagree and think there is no legitimate reason for withholding this information, but last time I checked trying to bully people into doing things that make them uncomfortable is a bad thing.
I’ll tell you why I think this is nothing more than fantasy Blue…
The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.
That’s a damn slow grape vine 1prent has got growing there… Wasn’t the conference like three weeks ago?
and that he has the credentials to know what he is talking about.
There’s an unwritten rule in blogging, and moreso in journalism, that you need to be able to verify and back up your claims. That’s the basic difference between good journalism and propaganda.
Without some evidence of these claims, they remain mere speculation and therefore best ignored.
Being that the MSM hasn’t picked up this story either confirms that there’s no actual evidence to base these claims on, being that Labour would likely make a formal complaint to the Press Council if such claims were published in the MSM and were untrue. They don’t have the same opportunity with blogs though because those publication laws don’t apply. However there’s such a thing as good ethical standards with blogs, and I have to agree with Te Reo Putake that such baseless claims are more suitable to WO. Slater might have a large readership, but how much credibility does he actually have? Hint: the answer is not a lot.
Te Reo Putake is correct, IB, LP and PW are all credible commentators… However they do their credibility no favours at all by making claims they cannot back up with evidence. The blogger’s who have posted on such things as if they’re fact are also in danger of losing their credibility. Clearly attempting to damage Labour with unsubstantiated gossip isn’t worth the damage caused to your own standing.
Point missed, blue. There is no reason why the evidence should be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible, even likely, that the evidence does not exist. IB, LP and PW are credible people, hence my amazement at their singular failure to back up their position. It’s not bullying to ask people who are slagging off the Labour Party by claiming bullying to prove it. It’s their claim and at the moment, it looks like total BS.
If, as you say, there are a variety of reasons why their claims cannot be substantiated, they should say so. Peter wasn’t a coward for his anonymity, he was a coward for deleting a comment he wrote, then later regretted. He remains a credible person, in my eyes, just not as credible as he was a few hours ago.
I pulled that last comment on reflection actually, I had already received cease and desist messages privately. I don’t have the time for a legal battle, and I know that the people involved might push it that far. There are other ways of handling it.
Should this actually be what is happening, it would seem to indicate there is much deeper problems flowing through those who masquerade, and so called NZ’ers!
I have to agree with Felix, this stinks, its not isolated, nor is it in anyway in the interests of NZ, or its people!
Why would you be a member anyway? I’ve noticed a change of tone/content of your posts over about the past month or so, and actually wondered if someone else was writing for you…
Just when I thought NZ cricket had the most retarded governance in NZ, Labour appear to have trumped even them with this latest buffoonery.
CV just come back under another handle you did it post loota do it again and keep applying the blowtorch I don’t agree with you most of the time but you are entitled to your opinion – damn their eyes one and all the troughing sacks of shit.
CV just come back under another handle you did it post loota do it again and keep applying the blowtorch I don’t agree with you most of the time but you are entitled to your opinion – damn their eyes one and all the troughing sacks of shit.
Yep. Please do, but take a while first. In fact I’ll give you permission to use as many pseudonyms as you wish.
but I’d suggest a few things to do. You’ll have to shift your writing style between the identities. Your IP’s are quite distinctive, it’d pay to get them changed.
In the meantime there are a few people who just made it to my rather short shit-list for damage to the local net.
Perhaps we show solidarity with CV by including Viper in new pseudonyms.
Clare has him in her sights and Tim Barnett et al will execute on her wishes.
Don’t doubt the seriousness of the behaviour of Curran Hipkins Robertson and Ardern.
They are all graduates of the Parliamentry Party offices.
Controlling from the centre is what they were trained to do.
That is why they found the membership’s behaviour at conference so repugnant.
That is why they have failed to develop RedAlert.
That is why they cannot cope with the Standatd.
That is why they choose Shearer as their Leader.
That is why we are loosing out in electorates associated with them.
That is why we will loose the 2014 election unless we put matters right immediately.
Knives knives everywhere where to hide our friend CV but amongst his friends.
I fictional poem…
I knew a girl called um Clare.
All fat and old and well a haggard wellywood drunk was she.
Played with her raincoat and and her pet duck.
Upto no good, just one of the old hasbeen.
Fly here there and even to pari on a whim.
Tooted jee me lucky.
Well she was nt that bright and um um ahhhh a lot
But at the start it was no I’m not interested in knives and now after years trained by the best of the left poor dear Clare come back for the rest.
Rest in peace cv.
CV, come back alive and well, have enjoyed you over the years. I killed Bored for a different reason (but very similar: got fed up with fighting totalitarians on my own side), his spirit is allowed out of Purgatory for very limited haunting opportunities. Have a superb Christmas.
Isn’t it funny though, only last week people were talking about how bloggers were cowards for not giving their real name and here we have a situation in which a political party is bullying its members into silence and threatening to “out” them in an attempt to stifle dissent. What’s next? You can only vote if you give your name of the party or person you will be voting for?
What it proves is that in order for a democratic society to function it is of the utmost importance to get this dissent out regardless of the manner in which this is done and that includes anonymity.
We vote anonymously because that safeguards us from being manipulated into voting the preferred candidate from the biggest bullies and we should be free to criticize anonymously for the very same reason because that is the only way we can voice our concerns when there are idjits like this “anonimous” MP throwing their weight around trying to bullyi everybody into compliance and I for one hope someone will out the bastard because he has no place in a democratic party
I’d like to think we could get to a place where it’s free to criticize or praise, within reason, without the need for anonymity for fear of repercussions or censure.
Yes, that would be nice but seeing as you don’t use your own name either it seems to me you are realistic enough not to wait until such times come to pass
Recent news in the Guardian, and elsewhere, about how trade union members. left wing bloggers and others who do not have the right political views, in the UK, have been blacklisted and denied employment.
CV leaving us – Nooooooooooooooooooooo. And what is the good reason pray? You can’t desert us making vague comments like that. First Bored and now you. I keep hoping that someone will read and accept some microcosm of what I say so I keep on throwing my pearls before the troops, or should I say rose petals for them to trample on? (My opinion.)
You have been part of a revolt trying to puncture the complacency of centrist Labour, no wonder they find us revolting. The punctured balloon is now rushing round the room making a loud farting noise. Someone needs to be around to blow up a new balloon. Keep some breath for after Christmas and New Year and start the 2013 fun CV.
The “madness” is coming from the other side of the fence.
There are enough democratically inclined MPs in the Labour caucus to put this loopy behaviour to rest once and for all. Please do it? Then members will have little to complain about – including me.
The alleged Labour caucus mole/s need to go away and have a good hard think about freedom of speech and what democracy is.
I have been outspoken regarding wanting Cunliffe to be leader and Shearer to be deputy leader because this is my personal view on the Labour party easily winning the next election. Shearer needs to come out and say that intimidating bloggers is intolerable and to sort out the caucus mole/s.
I have always supported the Labour party on election day and the Labour party needs to learn that they have my loyality even though the leadership issue has not gone as I wanted it to.
It is going to be a bit lonely without CV and Millsy and I miss Vicky32.
I ‘m pretty appalled by this LP caucus leadership behaviour. I will continue to vote Green until Labour become a truly democratic left wing party again. It’s a bit worrying, though, as to what sort of government leadership the Green Party could end up in coalition with.
Indeed, sorry to see you go CV and Millsy – hope you’re back soon. And my sympathies for you in what you seem to appear to be implying you might hypotheically – so to speak – be enduring. Or not.
Why not just adopt a new moniker til the heat is off? I recently switched from using my real name in protest against the criticism of “anonymous bloggers” 😀
Be prepared for some ritualised “jumping in” though – this place is a bit like the Headhunters, after all 😉
This is frankly shit, CV. Not your decision, but being made to feel it’s one you have to make because some people who should be champions of democracy (since they live and die by it) have decided they can’t handle criticism.
There’s plenty we don’t agree on but you’re usually (i.e. when not disagreeing with me :P) a damn fine commenter on this blog and your presence will be missed.
Once legitimacy is lost no matter what tactics are employed whether bureaucratic or violent. For leaders who lose their legitimacy in the eyes of their people it is only a matter of time.
Such desperate tactics are not those of strong leadership, (no matter what the MSM tell us) but of weak leadership.
Kia kaha CV. Ka whawhai tonu matou, Ake Ake Ake
I know that you will heed the words and example of Rewi Maniapoto and continue fighting on the battle ground of your choosing.
More like on the barracades.
Wave the standard fly it high.
Here come all the vipers united and determined.
A collective you will see, a movement of justice of faith of friends and of power.
Once small growing big,
Live long cv and prosper
Quite possibly. I see that Labour Party Mayor Len Brown and his council are still determined to evict the Maritime Union from the Ports of Auckland. This despite the union making massive concessions in wages and conditions.
Oh did they now.
well if we get a oil induced big mother crunch it might be the barricades to get some progress.
Can’t see any of this shower ( labour ) working thru a crisis.
Another angle is that upon the TS it would appear that most um members are agreeing on one main thread – that we need a new direction focused on real and meaningful change and betterment for people that is a holistic systematic approach…a new way.
A new way forward, progress that is linked to green, brown and red ideology. Blue is dead.so
This is our barricade where we have raised the flag and where our voices get heard.
We learn as a group, we debate and comment freely, and in a growing manner we are becoming more heard.
History and recent event have shown that united voices, a movement, can cause change.
So to the barricades I say.
Disclaimer. TS is a blog, has no opinion or motive but solely as a vehicle for individual to express themselves in a legal and considered manner.
But like minded individual historically have shaped events, challenged the status quo and there works deeds and action in a collective manner created a focal point of change.
CV – I am bothered! This is a shocker to me. Your posts have been amongst the most respected ones I read on TS. I know I am not at all easy, and I have my health and other issues too, deservedly at times having been criticised by some.
I am shit worried about what is going on in Labour and the left as such.
Yes, I find it hard to believe what is going on.
Hang in there, same as millsy and others, never give up, as the challenge must be taken on the bloody chin. They are bloody asking for it.
I repeat: It is time for a NEW left party, inclusive enough and robust enough, to take on the challenge from the rotten right of spectrum NatZies. Take a break and think about it, all yours that have politics of fairness and justice at heart. It must be dared and done, we get nowhere with the present lot!
Thanks for your comments the other day. I’m pleased you’re having a better day. Hang in there.
I’m thinking the option may not necessarily a party in the traditional sense but a coalition of independent left wing politicians where each vote is similar to every vote being a conscience vote.
This might allow a much more diverse range of left-wing views in parliament.
I’d be happy to have such left-wing diversity in parliament.
A headline gleaned off of this morning’s National Radio, Starbucks the international coffee chain have agreed to pay more tax in Britain,
The interesting bit here is that Starbucks have ‘agreed’ to pay more tax, what this is really highlighting is that the Neo-Liberal thieves of international business are sharing the bed with the Neo-Liberal weaklings of British politics,(guess who’s on top),
Wouldn’t the proper headline be that Starbucks had had all it’s profits of the past decade seized by the British Government and had been ordered to pay it’s fair share of taxation in the future,(you can bet the same rorts have been, and are, happening here in New Zealand),
Yesterday’s headline from the same place, (Radio NZ), told of a couple of the bigger electronic manufacturers who had been spanked by the European Union for ‘price fixing’ on Cathode Tubes, (apparently the most expensive bit in ya TV or laptop),
The participants in that particular rort have apparently been for the past decade artificially bumping up the price of that particular piece of electronic gear in a little closed shop price fixing scam much the same as the banks were ‘fixing’ the interest rates they charged,
We are all as consumers effected by these multi-national rorts from tax avoidance to price fixing, its you and me that pay for this criminality, this is the true face of so called ‘self regulating’ business be it local or international…
The report I saw on Al Jazeera this morning, identified customer feedback as the reason for the change: meaning, I guess, Starbucks are afraid of losing customers and will pay as little extra tax as they can get away with.
The revelations led to calls for a boycott of the store and protests at its branches, and the company’s Chief Financial Officer Troy Alstead was called to give evidence to a parliamentary committee.
Starbucks repeated on Sunday that it had always complied with British tax laws and blamed its low tax payments on a tough operating environment in the UK.
However, a spokeswoman added in an emailed statement that the public mood had caused the company to reconsider its tax arrangements, which include intercompany royalty and interest payments that reduce the UK unit’s taxable profit.
“We have listened to feedback from our customers and employees, and understand that to maintain and further build public trust we need to do more,” she said.
bad12
Further to that google was implicated. They and other similar coys do not intend to change their payment regime as it is legal. The politicians trying to encourage big business to their shores!
And big business will just fill up their longboats with loot and return to their bases with it. And do what? They have visions like Kubla Khan no doubt – In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Yeah, i am sure that far more than just Google and Starbucks are involved in that particular tax-scam,
Here we have the Neo-liberal apologists doing the hand wringing thing describing tax-avoidance as ‘immoral’ but not illegal so what can they do,
The above was basically the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’s’ response to questions put to Him recently on New Zealand’s estimated 7 billion dollars of annual avoidance and evasion of due taxation which Dunne as Revenue Minister in quite a few Governments has happily overseen,
When faced with such an attitude from Government Ministers anyone suddenly robbred of the power of speech except for the muttered word f**k would have to be forgiven because when you count the numbers we would have NO Government debt problem if those involved in the ‘immoral’ avoidance of taxation were criminalized and made to pay their due taxation….
The commonsense man sure has a lot of people fooled. The electorate think he tries to make commonsense decisions about policy, in fact the commonsense all relates to the question ‘Is this good for P Dunne?’. It’s commonsense to look after No.1, who else will?
Smart trick St Peter.
(you can bet the same rorts have been, and are, happening here in New Zealand),
Considering the fact that NZ has become a tax haven we’ll be one of the countries that all those taxes that the multinational’s aren’t paying are going through.
DTB
Going through. Sounds like diahrroea and that leads to malnutrition because the food doesn’t stay long enough to be absorbed and used by the body. Fast money passing through tax havens has much the same effect on the country I should think.
What effect would such fast money have on our exchange rate? Would it be an advantage to the financial guys here to have a high exchange rate or not I wonder? Would this be one of the reasons why we can never play around with our exchange rate? Presumably if it wasn’t so stable it wouldn’t be so attractive.
The Cullen fund is the most innovative sovereign fund in the world. Why does that not make me feel confident about the fund? Could be because of this for starters:
Neil Williams, Chief Investment Advisor and Head of Strategic Tilting
Neil joined the Guardians in 2008 from UBS Global Asset Management in London where he was Global Head of Asset Allocation and a Managing Director in Global Investment Solutions. Neil was previously Chief Global Strategist, Executive Director for Goldman Sachs International (London).
Use of the words innovate/innovative can be found all over the various sectors these days, and concerningly the public sector, having been taken over by consultants, is using them braordly.
One can take it as finding new ways to steal, rip off and deceive the public, is all those words mean.
The fund will be in serious trouble, like everything else where the words innovate/innovative, can be seen, heard or read!
When people start using the words innovate.innovative in conjunction with finance then I’d expect that company/sovereign fund to be headed for a crash. The innovation in the finance sector was, after all, a major cause of the GFC.
If you are like me and trying to get your head around the TPP scam, the past two episodes of Citizen A have been worth a watch. Bomber has had Jane Kelsey on, as well as other new guests.
The 29th Nov & the 6th Dec episodes have focused solely on the TPP – stream them here
Also, the last issue of Werewolf focuses on the TPP…Gordon Campbell & Co doing their thing (real journalists)
In my own experience, the lack of instinctive democracy among the Labour hierarchy was demonstrated by Jim Anderton’s approach to running the NLP and the Alliance. Jim and a few others seemed far more interested in building a monolithic authoritarian structure than in actually changing anything. The activists found themselves either burned out or making accomodations, and an opportunity was lost. This behaviour is why the only hope I have for Labour is that they will become a junior coalition partner in a Green/Mana government and learn once again why they exist. My fear is that many of those at the centre of things would prefer going into a government of “National Unity” or some other Bonapartist rubbish in order to keep the radicals at bay.
Anything else I might say on this would purely be idle speculation and possibly highly defamatory. I have no knowledge – directly or indirectly – of the case, but I feel the story itself is important to take note of. I would caution against any speculation here.
Piss off. I reckon it could be Bob the Builder, that ex-MP. Or maybe even that ding-dong Simon Bridges. Or what about Winston Peters or isn’t that goofy weatherman MP Brendan Horan from the Mount?
Ffs, I know some secrets too but I couldn’t possibly tell anyone…..
just as well the internet only exists in the ether eh what.
I did not realise that a 12 year old was assaulted and that they have physical injuries and nightmares, I apologise for my comment as I am against physical violence especially when children are harmed.
personally I don’t see the point to your comments.
Either the guy gets done for something serious and we find out in good time, or he’s not found guilty of anything serious and keeps name suppression because there’s no public interest in knowing that he did or didn’t do something that’s not serious in the first place. And by the nature of name suppression, the guy might just be a provincial used car salesman or gp.
Methinks your linking and thinking is a touch premature.
I remember talking to one of my best friends (a Russian jew) about 12 years ago about the fact that I was anti-Zionist but that it didn’t make me an anti-Semite. He immediately dismissed it and lumped me in with the drive-the-Israelis-into-the-sea brigade (which I am increasingly seeing as more of a figment of Israel’s collective imagination than a genuine goal of Arabic people).
I think though that it’s important that people realise that it’s OK to be anti-Zionist and that they shouldn’t feel guilty about speaking out against the Zionist expansionism of the Israeli state. Succinct but articulate article, unlike this post 😉
Weka previously when I asked you if the Greens would continue to ignore Climate Change during the next election as they had in the previous one. After quoting back to me, my original question, here, after a long winded preamble, you gave your answer stating:
……I just don’t think it’s the job or responsibility of the GP to do this at this point. Time for others to step up.
weka
In response to your answer. I asked you another, and even simpler question:
Who?
Jenny
Weka it’s a simple question. Why won’t you answer?
Weka, if, it is not “the job or responsibility of the Green Party to do this at this point.”
Whoops. I think, in the last half hour, I accidentally published a post I am typing up – report on this evening’s demo in Auckland. Sorry if I caused any confusion.
The hereditary peer, who is not a member of the House of Lords, took the chair of Myanmar and spoke into the microphone against UN climate change protocols.
After a short speech, in which he was booed, he was escorted out of the meeting by UN guards.
He is understood to have claimed there is no global warming in the last sixteen years, and therefore the science needs to be reviewed.
This has me worried, Labour must be very confident if it can start removing members willy-nilly…but seriously as much as I enjoy watching the looney left eat itself (and I do) this turn of events is startling.
One of the things I like about this blog is you can (more or less) say what you think as opposed to redalert which, lets face it, is pretty dull
I’m just not sure whether its more Stalinist or 1984ish in what this un-named MP wants
Not wanting to go into crystal ball gazing but if this goes ahead when Labour are in opposition (I don’t think it will because of the publicity) what would be the next logical step when Labour gets back into power?
Targeting all those who support right wing policies?
Targeting all those who don’t support left wing policies? (but dont support right wing policies)
Targeting all those who dont support the Leaders policies?
And once they target those people what will they do then?
Whispering in the bright bright sun labour elites want a quiet capture of the centre area but the rebellious ignorant shrill members are perceived to be upsetting the plan by speaking freely putting up remits and questioning the established structure and it’s power cliques.how dear they say the elites…we know best you bleet bleet and are sheep sheep sheep but pay your dues cause we need the cash cash cash to bribe the dog so we can drink from the trough trough trough.
National has a problem. And it’s time they said it out loud. It can’t be dismissed as a one-off anymore or excused because ‘everyone does it’. No, it cuts deeper than that. National has an ethics problem. Especially when it comes to privacy and using ordinary people as pawns in ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 5 through Sat, July 11, 2020Editor's ChoiceThink Covid-19 Disrupted the Food Chain? Wait and See What Climate Change Will DoThe pandemic has revealed deep flaws in the ...
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Todd Muller - Dishonest National Party leaderIt seems that dishonest Todd Muller is, like many right-wing politicians, entirely morally bankrupt. I mean just look at the National Party’s leaking omni-shambles over the last week or so. They’ve imploded in a spectacular display of backfiring dirty politics, the likes of which ...
MONDAY JULY 13Bodyguard (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). It's the final; if you haven't seen this already on Netflix, get ready, the ending is batshit.Unforgotten (Vibe, Sky 006, 8.30pm). I wonder if Sanjeev Bhasksar's character has got rid of that damn backpack in the third season of this cold case drama? Although, come ...
TUESDAY JULY 14Yorkshire Airport (Prime, 7.30pm). Bloomin’ ’eck, behind the scenes at Leeds Bradford Airport. Apparently, there is plenty of “northern charm”, although reaction in the UK ranged from “brilliant” to “patronising”. It is narrated by Hugh Dennis, whose middle name might be “Arch”.WEDNESDAY JULY 15Queen: Live at Wembley (Prime, ...
Simon Bridges must be the unluckiest person in New Zealand politics. When he was elected as leader of the National party, he also became Leader of the Opposition – a position, he was entitled to assume, that would require him to “oppose”. But the government he set out to oppose ...
This is a re-post from The Guardian by Damian Carrington Spreading rock dust on farmland could suck billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air every year, according to the first detailed global analysis of the technique. The chemical reactions that degrade the rock particles lock the greenhouse gas into ...
Check out Speak Up For Women’s new podcasts: Episode 3 In this episode Speak Up For Women spokeswoman Ani O’Brien (@aniobrien) is joined by Beth Johnson (@beth_nosnhoj) to discuss the proposal from Statistics NZ to change standard data collection policy to “gender by default” rather than sex. They discuss why the ...
During a recent public consultation on the future of Archives New Zealand, a key report was suppressed. The Ombudsman has ruled that the refusal was unjustified. Sadly, the consultation was over by the time of the the decision has been made. However, the law on the use of the ...
National MP - Michael WoodhouseUnbelievable! Michelle Boag also sent National’s Michael Woodhouse confidential emails about COVD-19 patients, and he continued to publicly attack the Government over these very same breaches of privacy.This is the biggest political self-own since the Act Party’s David Garrett admitted in Parliament that he used a ...
Transcript: National Party policy announcement on roads – 8 July, 2020 Muller: Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for coming. Reporter 1: Is Hamish Walker a racist? Muller: Hang on… you haven’t even said good afternoon to me yet. Reporter 1: Good afternoon Mr Muller. Is Hamish Walker a racist? ...
Back in April, I wrote about trials in Iran of a fixed-dose combination of two existing anti-viral drugs used to treat hepatitis C – sofosbuvir and daclatasvir – that could point to an effective treatment for Covid-19 symptoms.At the time, data from those trials was not available outside the hospitals ...
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Anja Mizdrak, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael BakerThe pandemic-related lockdown is possibly the most dramatic public health intervention in NZ history. It helped achieve the elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 virus in NZ. But it was also associated with 548 fewer total ...
Reprehensible: There is much that could be said about Michael Woodhouse, but what would be the point? Any man who willingly involves himself in a situation as reprehensible as the one depicted in the above photograph has already vouchsafed all that decent people need to know about his character. That there have ...
As the debate over assisted dying rages in the run-up to the referendum at the election on September 19, a persistent problem continues to dog the discussions. That is to say, a prominent spokesperson for a particular group takes a strong public stand in opposition without acknowledging that they don’t ...
No Other Suspects? The mainstream news media was willing to print and broadcast harsh Opposition criticism of the Government, even though they knew that the source of the leaked information was a National Party MP. Even though, by pushing the story up towards the top of every news bulletin they were ...
Sacrificial Lamb: If the stories about Mr Taogaga and the unauthorised release of confidential medical data had been deliberately orchestrated by Labour’s political opponents, their deflection of the news media’s attention away from the Prime Minister’s address to the Labour Party Congress could hardly have been more successful.THE LABOUR PARTY ...
The East is Rent: The consequences of unleashing the young against the old; of elevating ideological rigor above reasoned debate; and of setting the present against the past; was a decade of unprecedented social stress and tension, interspersed with explosions of murderous mob violence and tragic material destruction. More than ...
The Green Party of Aotearoa-New Zealand could go from helping Jacinda Ardern run the country, to being turfed out of Parliament altogether in ten weeks. And that could see the end of Labour in government. Without them, Labour would likely have to do what no party has done since the ...
Remember the government's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill? Remember how it was rammed through Parliament, with a four-day submission period and a select committee process that was a democratic fraud? At the time, the government gave the impression that there was an urgent need for this legislation, that a ...
Attack journalist - Tova O'BrienWe all know that much of the mainstream media in New Zealand is terribly biased. They are in effect another branch of the National Party, and can often be even more prejudiced than their right wing bosses.In fact many right wing politicians moonlight as journalists and ...
Former National Party President - Michelle BoagAfter the complete botch job Hamish Walker made of leaking the private details of COVID-19 patients to the mainstream media last week, the best-case scenario for Todd Muller and the National Party would be if the news cycle went quiet about their involvement.But unfortunately ...
One of the challenges of working on illegal wildlife markets, is you don’t really have scope to talk about your research into illegal wildlife markets. There is some stuff though that willbe coming out on Asiatic black bears in China, and before Covid19, I was delving more into rhinos. Which ...
Some are surprised at this sudden brain implosion on the part of both Michelle Boag, former National Party President, and the National Party in general, in exposing the private, confidential details of COVID patients. Others…? Let’s be blunt: not so much. Too many of that Party have long operated with ...
Michelle Boag - Former National Party PresidentWhen Todd Muller decided not to discipline Hamish Walker for his horribly racist press release last week, you had to wonder if his lack of proper leadership had something to do with a shared belief system? After all, the whiteness of the blue “team” ...
On Twitter today, lawyer Felix Geiringer asked a good question: why are MP's exempt from the Privacy Act? The Act imposes its obligations on "agencies", and s8 of the 2020 Act states that this term does not include... a member of Parliament in their official capacity The 1993 Act, ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhat was the climate and sea level like at times ...
So now we know, beyond all doubt. The National party has no interest in joining the “team of five million” in our fight against the pandemic but its priority is to take every opportunity it can to damage the government. The cynicism is breathtaking. It was prepared to leak the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters The massive dust storm that formed over the Sahara Desert in mid-June invaded the southeastern U.S. June 25-28, bringing dangerous levels of air pollution, low visibility, and colorful sunsets. The air pollution event over parts of Texas and the Gulf ...
In 1987, as a British Labour MP, I was elected to the Shadow Cabinet by my colleagues and was asked by the party leader to direct Labour’s campaign in the general election of that year. The election was to take place at the height of Mrs Thatcher’s dominance and we ...
National MP Nicola WillisHousing, which I would argue is a fundamental human right, has long been a problem in New Zealand. Not only do we have some of the most overpriced houses in the entire world, much of the housing stock is substandard and therefore affects not just people’s health ...
If the government has not lined up behind a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum the way some reformers would have liked, one entirely laudable thing it did do was commission some science around the public's choice.That science landed today, in the form of the report from an expert ...
Associate Professor Sara WaltonAt the heart of the discussion on opening up our borders is the dichotomy of health and the economy – both of which are actually intertwined, like many things with our economy, as this epidemic has shown.If we think about our country as a system, ...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Josh Gabbatiss This year will see the largest ever drop globally in both investment and consumer spending on energy as the coronavirus pandemic hits every major sector, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The crisis is accelerating the shutdown of older fossil-fuelled ...
A short opinion piece – Friday 26th June 2020 Whilst our Government has treated many financial victims of the current Covid-19 virus with appropriate generosity, the same cannot be said for those of the two earlier “epidemics” in NZ. The “Covid-84” virus (also called “Rogernomics”) spread systemic greed, with the ...
Everyone deserves a a decent life. We know this is possible with a fairer approach to income support and tax Read the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Poverty Action Plan here ...
After a long break, the government is back inserting secrecy clauses in legislation. This time its the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill (No 3), which in its clause allowing Ministers to exempt purchasers of farm land from the usual rules also allows them to exempt an exemption from the publication requirement: ...
Over the past two years the government has repeatedly delayed a scheme to put cameras on boats to monitor Mew Zealand's pervasively criminal fishing industry. But it turns out that the industry actually wants cameras: Three of the country's biggest seafood companies have broken ranks with the rest of the ...
Louise Delany (public health lawyer)Health and emergency laws have played a critical role in this country’s successful elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog details key aspects of the legislation and comments on issues around testing, payments by incoming travellers for quarantine costs, and mask use. ...
I like Andrew Curry’s succinct and insightful futures blog The Next Wave. His most recent post is about social change. In particular, the decadal-long periods usually required for changes in values. He highlights a 2016 paper by Inglehart and Norris, who examined whether economic insecurity or a “cultural backlash” ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Stop making sense: why it's time to get emotional about climate changeThe science has been settled to the highest degree, so now ...
MONDAY JULY 6Washington (History, Sky 073, 7.30pm). The brilliant Doris Kearns Goodwin is the executive producer of this six-part series about America's first president. It combines interviews with live action and is narrated by Jeff Daniels. It's engaging, said Salon.TUESDAY JULY 7The ABC Murders (Prime, 8.30pm). Sarah Phelps has done incredible things with ...
I think we can all agree that the mainstream media in New Zealand has a very different set of rules for the right wing compared to the left. While Labour and Green Party politicians don’t seem to be able to fart without it becoming a sackable offence, National and Act ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 28 through Sat, July 4, 2020Editor's Choice'2040': A funny, entertaining, upbeat climate documentaryA timely Australian documentary takes a 'solutions' approach, with the filmmaker inspired by visions of ...
Racist National MP Hamish WalkerEven before Todd Muller's coup ousted Simon Bridges by a single vote, it was patently obvious that the National Party promotes and stands for white privilege. In fact they’ve always worked to ensure the discriminatory status quo in New Zealand doesn’t change.So it’s no surprise that ...
Dave HeatleyZero community transmission. Just a handful of active cases, all in quarantine. New Zealand is in an attractive situation, at least compared to much of the world. The situation could be robust and enduring – or it might be fragile, just one border incursion away from a “second ...
Is the consequence of the Simpson Report proposals for restructuring the health system poorer accountability to people? When in doubt, centralise‘ has been a persistent theme in New Zealand public policy throughout our history. The current government is no exception. Here are some examples. - The regional polytechs have been ...
I wrote earlier in the week about the Scientology front organisations Drug Free World and Drug Free Ambassadors and their quite prominent role in anti-cannabis reform "coalition" assembled by Family First and a newloca branch of the American prohibitionist organisation SAM.It turns out Family First aren't the only ones helping ...
Nik GreenMuch of the public debate about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on the extent to which government regulations have restricted personal and business activity.Oxford University Blavatnik School of Government Here in New Zealand, the question of when to change Alert Levels dominated the ...
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Raising The Bar: Would that the Prime Minister and her colleagues would listen as intently to what the people – as opposed to the power elites – are saying as the Greens. Were they so disposed, the popular clamour for a transformational post-Covid reset would be loud in their ears. ...
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A bit like a letter home. I have now been full-time at the University of Melbourne since 2019. Before that, I was 20 years at the University of Otago, Wellington. Indeed, I set up this very Public Health Expert Blog with Nick Wilson ten years ago. Now I am your ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections House Democrats have released a comprehensive report showing how – if they control the White House and both the Senate and the House of Representatives – they might move forward on climate change. Their “Climate Crisis Action Plan,” released June 30 by the ...
A ballot for three Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Electoral (Integrity Repeal) Amendment Bill (David Carter) Harmful Digital Communications (Unauthorised Posting of Intimate Visual Recording) Amendment Bill (Louisa wall) Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (Judith ...
Not Ready: Todd Muller’s lack-lustre and self-contradictory performances offer conclusive proof that a political leader cannot be managed into competence. National’s new boss has Janet Wilson handling his media and Matthew Hooton writing his speeches. Both are highly professional political and public relations specialists, and Muller is lucky to have ...
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It started as a family story, about a step-father who went out one night to break into an embassy in Wadestown, Wellington. John Daniell wanted to understand what his family had been part of when his mother and then step-father work for New Zealand’s Security Intelligence. He wanted to know ...
The Greens have shaken up the election campaign with the announcement of their radical poverty and action plan to reform welfare provision and introduce a new wealth tax for millionaires. It’s a big-thinking, controversial policy and has generated a lot of disagreement over how radical it is, whether it could ...
The Green Party is today unveiling part one of its plan for a fossil-fuel free Aotearoa, including an immediate ban on new industrial coal boilers. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First leader Winston Peters today scoffed at suggestions that a team of six political operatives have been dispatched to New Zealand to assist his campaign. ‘As President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘there they go again.’ ‘The clickbait journos can’t ...
New Zealand First is pleased to announce Jenny Marcroft as the party’s election 2020 candidate for the Auckland Central electorate. Jenny spent years working in Auckland Central, having spent a vast proportion of her broadcasting career there. She says she, "knows the place and knows the people." Ms Marcroft says ...
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...
This week we moved into the second half of 2020 - and our Government delivered another week of big changes and major progress for New Zealanders. Read below for a wrap of the key things moments from the week - from extending paid parental leave, to making major investments in ...
The Green Party has opposed the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Bill which shortcuts normal consenting processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA), reduces public participation and narrows environmental considerations. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development A regional freight hub for the lower North Island will be built just northeast of Palmerston North, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Government is investing $40 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to designate and buy land and design ...
Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson is calling for the introduction of a Guaranteed Minimum Income to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty and prevent more families entering into further debt with the Ministry of Social Development. ...
There has been renewed focus on New Zealand First acting as a handbrake on the Government after our decision to not support Auckland light rail. We are a handbrake for bad ideas, that istrue, but our track record since 2017 has seen New Zealand First constructively also serve as an ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP New Zealand First’s Fair Residency for Superannuation Bill passed its First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill makes a significant change to NZ Super by raising the minimum residency requirement from 10 to 20 years, after age 20. “Currently, a migrant of ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill in the name of Darroch Ball introducing a six-month minimum prison sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its second reading in Parliament. The new offence of "injuring a first responder or corrections officer with ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Deputy Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First welcomes the launch of the new Criminal Cases Review Commission, gifted with the name from Waikato-Tainui - Te Kāhui Tātari Ture, announced in Hamilton today by Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealand First has long believed in and ...
The Green Party is celebrating over $800m in new funding for green projects, which will get people into jobs while solving New Zealand’s long-term challenges. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is appalled that Meridian seems to have been unnecessarily spilling water from its dams to drive up its profits."While New Zealanders have been coming together in some of our darkest hours, we don’t expect power gentailers to waste water and ...
We wrapped up the first half of 2020 with a busy month, taking additional steps to support New Zealanders as we continue with our economic recovery. We rolled out targeted packages to support key industries like tourism and construction, helped create jobs in the environmental and agriculture sectors, and set ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Infrastructure Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has welcomed the appointment of Maurice Davis and his deep infrastructure and construction experience to the board of the Infrastructure Commission. Mr Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto), is the seventh and final appointment to the board led by former Reserve Bank Governor ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand’s click bait journalism is taking a turn for the worse, with yet another example of sensationalist, wilful-misrepresentation of the facts. “New Zealand First has worked constructively with its Coalition partner on hundreds of pieces of legislation and policy, and ...
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Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Rotorua Museum redevelopment and Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest projects will be accelerated thanks to a $2.09 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) boost, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...
Wildlife institutions affected by a loss of visitor revenue during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to receive government support with nearly $15 million of funding available announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Eco-sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and wildlife rescue, hospital and rehabilitation facilities provide crucial support for the recovery ...
The Government is expanding and accelerating frontline mental health and wellbeing services at tertiary education institutes (TEI) to help students manage ongoing stresses related to COVID-19. “The lockdown has been hugely disruptive for students. Many of them have had to relocate and move to online learning, isolating them from their ...
The Minister of Police says a major operation against the Mongrel Mob in Waikato will make a big dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks. “Senior leadership of the Waikato Mongrel Mob has been taken out as a result of Operation Kingsville, which resulted in ...
The Government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on 24 August2020, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly ...
A project to support volunteer efforts to look after streams and rivers is getting a boost thanks to support from DOC’s Community Conservation Fund announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “The government is backing efforts to look after waterways with $199,400 for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust from ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter today announced that funding for the COVID-19 Community Fund for women and girls will be doubled, as the first successful funding applications for the initial $1million were revealed. “Women and girls across the country have suffered because of the effects of COVID-19, and I ...
The Government’s books were better than forecast with a higher GST take as the economy got moving again after lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the 11 months to the end of May indicate the year end results for tax revenue will be stronger than forecast. ...
A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path was unveiled today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The newly-released report - Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector - was developed by the Wool Industry Project Action Group ...
Community efforts to create a Predator Free Whangārei will receive a $6 million boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The new funding, through Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd, will create around 12 jobs while enabling the complete removal of possums over ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that the New Zealand Government is reviewing the settings of its relationship with Hong Kong. “China’s decision to pass a new national security law for Hong Kong has fundamentally changed the environment for international engagement there,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand remains deeply ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced details of a multimillion-dollar investment in Whangārei for infrastructure projects that will help it recover from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created through the $26 million investment from the Government’s rejuvenation package ...
Following a second incident in which a person escaped from a managed isolation facility, security is being enhanced, including more police presence onsite, Minister Megan Woods said. “The actions of some individuals who choose to break the very clear rules to stay within the facilities means that more resourcing is ...
Waste reduction and recycling programmes in Kaipara are set to get a boost with Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announcing a $361,447 grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) Sustainable Kaipara. “The new funding will allow Sustainable Kaipara to partner with local schools, kura, community ...
The Government will support the Southland economy in the wake of multinational mining company Rio Tinto’s decision to follow through with its long signalled closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. “This day has unfortunately been on the cards for some time now, but nevertheless the final decision is a ...
New tools being developed to help boost Aotearoa’s Predator Free 2050 effort were unveiled today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. A new rat poison, a camera with predator recognition software to detect and report predators, a new predator lure and a ...
The Coalition Government has approved the purchase of a fleet of Bushmaster vehicles to replace the New Zealand Army’s armoured Pinzgauers, Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced today. The new fleet of 43 Australian-designed and built Bushmaster NZ5.5 will provide better protection for personnel and improved carrying capacity. “The age ...
The Government’s three prevention frameworks to reduce family violence in Aotearoa were launched this week by Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams. The frameworks were developed in partnership with communities around New Zealand, and build on the work the Government has already begun with its new family violence prevention ...
The Government is pleased to confirm funding for improvements to radiology and surgical services at Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. "The Minister of Finance the Hon Grant Robertson and former Health Minister Dr David Clark approved funding for Hawke's Bay DHB’s redevelopment of their radiology facilities ...
• New funding for four beds at Napier’s Springhill Residential Addiction Centre • A new managed withdrawal home and community service, and peer support before and after residential care at Tairāwhiti DHB • A co-ordinated network of withdrawal management services throughout the South Island • Peer support in Rotorua and ...
Introduction, seafarers and POAL Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be online with you all today. Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that COVID-19 has disrupted the maritime sector on an unprecedented scale. The work of seafarers and the maritime industry is keeping many economies around the world ...
A $13 million investment from Government will create jobs and improve the resilience of the rail connection between Christchurch and the West Coast, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones and Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau say. The funding comes from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2020 for infrastructure projects ...
The Government is investing $761 million to assist local government upgrade under-pressure water services across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The announcement was made at the site of the water bore that was found to be the source of the fatal ...
Recognised Seasonal Employers and migrant seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand will be able to continue working and supporting themselves with more flexible hours and roles, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The time-limited visa changes are: Stranded RSE workers will be able to work part-time (a minimum of 15 hours ...
The Government is making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers, while also ensuring New Zealanders needing work are prioritised, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. We are: Extending temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 ...
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM has been appointed as Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Alternate Environment Court Judge Craig James Thompson as Deputy Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the newly established Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). Environment Minister David Parker today also announced the appointment of Chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook as the ...
Auckland Queen’s Counsel Neil Campbell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Campbell graduated with a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1992. He spent two years with Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Auckland before travelling to the United ...
The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to better enable the development and operation of commercial film and video facilities in Christchurch. The Proposal, developed by Regenerate Christchurch in response to a request from Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section ...
The Government has launched a bold plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade, while protecting the environment and growing jobs. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today released Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential, a 10-year roadmap to unlock greater value ...
A new approach to prevent family harm that encourages greater collaboration across government and community groups is being celebrated at the opening of a new facility in Auckland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today opened the Multi-Disciplinary Family Harm Prevention Hub Te Taanga Manawa in Lambie Road in Manukau. The facility ...
The Government has released a major new report on the options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations while deferring any decision on the issue. “That decision needs to be informed by policy analysis that is still to be completed. As a result it will be up to a ...
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today. “I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti ...
Bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into New Zealand will be managed in the short term to ensure the Government is able to safely place New Zealanders arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility, says Housing Minister Megan Woods. “Last week Air Commodore Darryn Webb and I ...
Grant Robertson has today announced the first major release of funding from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020. “Today we’re setting out how $80 million will be invested, with $54 million of that over the 2020/2021 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite ...
The Government is maintaining current levy rates for the next 2 years, as part of a set of changes to help ease the financial pressures of COVID-19 providing certainty for businesses and New Zealanders, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “New Zealanders and businesses are facing unprecedented financial pressures as a ...
Small businesses are getting greater certainty about access to finance with an extension to the interest-free cashflow loan scheme to the end of the year. The Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has already been extended once, to 24 July. Revenue and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says it will be ...
A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced today. The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara ...
Tena koutou katoa Nga tangata whenua o tenei rohe o Pōneke, tena koutou Nau mai, haere mai ki te hui a tau mo te roopu reipa Ko tatou! Ko to tatou mana! Ko to tatou kaupapa kei te kokiri whakamua Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa Welcome. I ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $1.5 million to ensure QE Health in Rotorua can proceed with its world class health service and save 75 existing jobs, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF funding announced today is in addition to the $8 million ...
A new programme, which sets a firm course for the Building and Construction sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has been announced by the Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. “A significant amount of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from the building and construction sector. If we’re serious ...
The Tahr Foundation has released a short video that shows just what Himalayan tahr mean to Kiwis and why so many people are fighting so hard to maintain them in New Zealand. The video is a powerful reminder of the extent that tahr are now woven into ...
Introduction Thank you very much. Elections in New Zealand – like everywhere - are a very special tradition, because they are driven by you. They’re an opportunity to change your future. If you think about it, the Government doesn’t do much. It ...
“This election and Covid-19 present New Zealanders with an opportunity to change their future and create a fair, modern employment insurance scheme,” says ACT’s Employment Spokesperson, and third-ranked candidate, Nicole McKee. “Covid-19 has ...
“A new approach to mental health and addiction will reduce bureaucracy, improve patient choice, and empower New Zealanders,” says ACT’s Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Brooke van Velden. “Each year, the government spends about $2 billion ...
"Working people have signaled their commitment to do more to address the most pressing issue of our time; climate change. The energy policies that the Green Party have launched today provide a meaningful contribution to addressing climate change," ...
Climate justice organisation 350 Aotearoa welcomes the Greens' plan to transform Aotearoa’s energy system and set Aotearoa on course towards a fossil-fuel free future in which workers are supported into new jobs, and communities have the power ...
The Old Guard, new to Netflix, is a resounding success because it doesn’t focus on what makes these heroes great, it focuses on what makes them human, writes Sam Brooks.The climax of Netflix’s new movie The Old Guard shouldn’t be anything new, but it feels exhilarating. The titular old guard, ...
A new Green Party announcement heralds a fast-exit out of fossil fuels through a massive state housing solar panel installation programme, a ban on new coal boilers, and the shifting of a target for renewable energy Solar panels and batteries would be installed in 30,000 State homes to create a "virtual power plant" if ...
As yet more male-led festival lineups are announced, Shaquille Wasasala, aka halfqueen, writes an open letter to the industry.To those whose career it is booking talent for music festivals, punters, and people who listen to music.As a DJ and artist who exists at many intersections that directly inform my lens ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
Dunedin writer Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. This week: disgraced MP Hamish Walker.Showing promise The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is true, post on Facebook that he had been door knocking in Mataura when he hadn’t. He lied. The MP for Clutha-Southland did, it is ...
It’s one of the most commonly used weedkillers in the world, but pressure to phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate could force us to come up with alternatives quickly. Listen to the full episode of Two Cents Worth below. Subscribe to Two Cents' Worth for free on Apple ...
The Covid-19 crisis has exposed gaps in the funding of early education that we should be bold in responding to, writes Sue Cherrington of Victoria University of Wellington Early childhood education has been in the media a great deal over recent weeks, initially with positive but increasingly with negative news reports. ...
It’s an economic theory that advocates tout as a solution to governments’ debt crises, but critics warn is a recipe for hyperinflation. Either way, modern monetary theory is getting a lot more attention in the era of Covid-19.Two big economic ideas have captured the popular imagination during the Covid-19 pandemic: ...
For one hour a week the supermarket lights are dimmed and the music stops. And it’s a kind of triumph, writes Michelle Langstone.I thought there’d been a power cut. The lights were out at the entrance, so you arrived into a kind of gloom. There was no music, and no ...
It’s no secret that New Zealand’s Covid-19 response was one of the world’s most effective. But to get an idea of how eagerly parts of our economy have rebounded post lockdown, take a look at our electricity demand data.Despite an impending wave of unemployment and looming fiscal challenges down the ...
In the second in the Spnioff’s Last on the list series, Dave King explains what inspired him to stand for the Act Party in Manurewa. At 20th spot on the list, if David Seymour’s party can win around 16% of the party vote, King is parliament bound.It wasn’t that long ...
Basketball is growing massively in popularity around the country, led by thousands of youngsters picking up the game every day. To The Line looks at what it’s like for New Zealand high school kids with hoop dreams.If there’s been a narrative rumbling away in the sports pages, it’s that of ...
Unbelievable. A first-rank world leader picks a needless fight with blameless allies, thus imperiling their unity. But that’s General de Gaulle for you.Impressive work, even by his standards. In 1967, Canada was to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (their Gallipoli – except that they ...
From RNZ Saturday Morning Described by a Guardian reviewer as “superb hate-reading”, writer and columnist Anand Giridharadas‘s latest book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World investigates the hypocrisy of billionaire “do-gooders”. He questions how and why we have become reliant on the philanthropy of the super-rich ...
The Professional Hunting Guides Association is welcoming the High Court decision on DoC’s controversial tahr campaign. The High Court in Wellington was asked on Wednesday by the Tahr Foundation for a judicial review of DoC’s plan to kill thousands ...
With the 2020 general election nearly three months away, a new campaign is asking voters to vote in line with the future. Vote Climate 2020 aims to highlight the opportunity to build momentum behind climate change, ensuring climate justice is a key election ...
“ACT will target the gangs by hitting them where it hurts – their pockets,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour and Firearms Spokesperson Nicole McKee. “New Zealanders deserve to be safe and secure, but violent gangs are a scourge on our ...
Waffles don’t need to be sweet – these cheese and onion numbers make an excellent savoury breakfast with an egg, or an equally tasty dinner with leftover mince.It’s easy to default to sweet breakfasts without thinking. At least that’s the case in our household, as porridge or bircher muesli is ...
The government is revitalising the wool sector, splashing out on freshwater restoration projects, relieving student stress and showing kindness to Muslims by extending the border exception criteria. It is also increasing its support (in announcements from two separate Green Party Ministers) for women and for wildlife institutions. And it is ...
People have called it for it be pulled from the service, but the escapist fantasy of 365 Days is nothing new, writes Alie Benge.To every generation, a bullish alpha-male psychopath is born, and is for someone reason considered a romantic hero. We’ve been through a lot this year, and instead ...
As Aucklanders reluctantly adjust to the inconvenient practice of water conservation, a drought-savvy Northlander shares the tips and temperament needed to get through the dry times.Auckland’s water shortage was recently reported on The Project, and viewers were earnestly exhorted to fill their dishwashers completely before turning them on. My husband ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk A request by the Philippines’ biggest radio and TV network for a new franchise has been rejected by a congressional committee in a vote that will go down in history as a flagrant violation of the country’s constitution, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Paris-based media ...
Hamish Walker's privacy leak debacle dominated the news this week, but it's not the first time a southern MP has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, writes Daisy Hudson. ...
Let’s not allow the focus on big-budget infrastructure projects to detract from the vital role public transport will play in revitalising our cities in a post-Covid world, says Greg Pollock.The recent match between the Blues and the Hurricanes was one of the world’s first major post-lockdown sporting fixtures. It was ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
In the heart of Christchurch is a Designated Character high school. What makes it unique? And should there be more like it? Frank Film visits Hagley College Paddy Grant was a 27-year-old truck driver when he rocked up to Christchurch’s Hagley High School, as it was then known. It was ...
"After he calms down we share the pie and talk about how hard the years since the show have been for him": a short story by Wellington writer Jordan Hamel. Every morning it’s the same. Cling wrap on the toilet seat, a pop up snake in my can of breakfast ...
Childcare centre closures have left families and staff out in the cold. In some cases, they were given just three days’ notice, Laura Walters reports Staff and families of Auckland’s Discoveries Educare branches feel blindsided by the sudden closure of the early childhood education centres. The Ministry of Education has ...
Controversy and the America's Cup go hand-in-hand and the latest edition is no different with Emirates Team New Zealand at the centre of financial mismanagement allegations. Extra Time unpicks the debate and ponders what does the latest Cup drama mean? And should we care? A study has revealed racial bias ...
Over the decades, Mike Fox has witnessed the housing market progressively tilt towards larger, more expensive homes. Without a major overhaul of the current regulatory processes, he says, things will never change.It’s one of the biggest problems our country faces – we cannot produce the affordable housing that’s so desperately ...
So-called dirty deals have been roundly denounced over the years. Hayden Donnell argues that they need to be normalised, and even embraced, in September’s election.Just before the 2011 general election, Patrick Gower was confronted with a political act so stomach-churning, it forced him to abandon his trademark reserve. John Key ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics, University of South Australia Victoria has recorded 288 new COVID-19 cases since yesterday, the largest daily increase we’ve seen so far. This big jump must have the Victorian government and health authorities very concerned, especially since nearly ...
The controversial 101 East episode Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown on 3 July 2020. Video: Al JazeeraPacific Media Watch Newsdesk Malaysian police summoned six Al Jazeera media workers today for questioning relating to an investigation for defamation and violation of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), reports IFJ Asia-Pacific. ...
Analysis - A National MP destroys his career, the government explains how someone with Covid-19 could walk around a supermarket and the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is announced. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Epidemiologist, UNSW Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly today recommended people in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire wear masks when leaving the house: […] If people have symptoms and they need to go for a test, for example, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rochelle Wynne, Director, Western Sydney Nursing & Midwifery Research Centre, Western Sydney University Over the past week, we’ve seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 infections among health-care workers in Victoria. This includes a doctor at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, one ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the return to lockdown in Victoria, National Cabinet setting to slow the flow of Australian’s ...
We prefer our heroes untarnished. And few match the heroism of Winston Churchill. But a recent report in the Times reminds us of the inevitability of human frailty and the consequences of keeping it under wraps.During the second world war, Britain’s greatest single loss of life at sea was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ou Yang, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Donald Trump has ordered US federal agencies to bypass environmental protection laws and fast-track pipeline, highway and other infrastructure projects. Signing the executive order last month, the US president declared regulatory delays would hinder “our ...
SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says "The NZDIA has done the right thing, and we’re glad to see Bertram has been held to account over his actions. He should take this as an opportunity to right his wrongs and show that he takes animal welfare seriously." ...
Takuta Ferris, Te Tai Tonga candidate for the Māori Party, is urging government to place whānau first in the wake of announcements around Tiwai Point. “The declaration that one of the region's major employers the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is closing ...
Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we’re joined by The Spinoff’s managing editor, mall rat and self-confessed food philistine Duncan Greive.On this month’s Dietary Requirements, the gang’s back in the studio, and ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart 1: United States and Australia rising. Chart by Keith Rankin. These charts look at Covid19 incidence in China (the most important first-wave country, with a limited second wave), Italy (the lead second-wave country), and USA and Australia (second-wave countries – drawing their caseload from Europe ...
The Government must listen to the Muslim community to rectify its failure to act in the past, says the Human Rights Commission. The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry was released this week. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Earlier this week, 150 high-profile authors, commentators and scholars signed an open letter in Harper’s magazine ...
You can’t keep a good woman down and Helen Clark is no exception. Her new appointment, as co-chair of a review of how the World Health Organisation handled the coronavirus pandemic, will test her formidable political skills. Sitting with her is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president, who handled the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Connor, Lecturer, James Cook University While many people may enjoy a game of backyard cricket, only a few go on to become elite professional batsmen in Australia. Cricket batting is example of what human skills can achieve. The fastest bowling delivery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Baumgartner, Professor of Fisheries and River Management, Institute for Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University This article is a preview of Flora, Fauna, Fire, a multimedia project launching on Monday July 13. The project tracks the recovery of Australia’s native ...
CEAC review of pre-election National’s “outline plan” just sent to us by Todd Muller 9/7/20 was actually his speech about his plan and was described as ‘an outline’. So in our review of National Party response to A Greener, Smarter Future; climate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Podger, Honorary Professor of Public Policy, Australian National University In Hidden Hand, China scholars Clive Hamilton and Marieke Ohlberg examine the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in Europe and North America in a similar way to how Hamilton dissected the CCP’s influence ...
“I can see why people are fed up, many are wondering how to clothe and feed their kids, or how they are going to pay their rent next week and still others are wondering what has happened to our beautiful Kiwi Way of Life. Well no party in parliament ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Sixty press freedom groups and civil society organisations, journalism institutions, filmmakers, and other supporters have formed a coalition in support of Maria Ressa and independent media in the Philippines, united around the call to #HoldTheLine. Today the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Center for ...
National MP Michael Woodhouse also received Covid-19 patient emails from Michelle Boag, and deleted them when he realised she was implicated in a separate email scandal. National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also ...
The government is extending border exceptions to allow overseas victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks and their support people to attend the shooter's sentencing. ...
Ever wanted to be Iron Man? Sam Brooks prefers Pepper Potts, but he had a great time stepping into the iron suit anyway.The first few moments of Iron Man VR are where it plays its hand, confidently and assuredly. You hold your palms out in front of you, and Iron ...
SAP has released to the public a policy paper, “Helping Kiwis get back to work: How data and technology can drive a bigger, better, faster economic recovery.” ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel.Mermaids When you lose grip and start to drift.The first thing you’re supposed to do issteer into it or steer away? Not all mermaids are royaltysomeone needs to audit the oceanprovide cashflow projectionssome mermaids are actuallymiddle-aged accountants named Stephendreaming of a land-view holiday home. I saw a ...
Want to work for The Spinoff? We’re looking for someone to fill an exciting new role based in our Auckland office. We’re looking for a video and podcast content manager: an experienced writer or sub-editor with a strong understanding of social media to manage our video and podcast content across various channels. ...
National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also received four unsolicited emails. ...
By RNZ News Opposition National list MP Dr Jian Yang has announced his retirement from New Zealand politics and says he will not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. He said politics was “demanding” and he wanted to spend more time with his ...
Open mike 07/12/2012 
National has a problem. And it’s time they said it out loud. It can’t be dismissed as a one-off anymore or excused because ‘everyone does it’. No, it cuts deeper than that. National has an ethics problem. Especially when it comes to privacy and using ordinary people as pawns in ...5 hours ago
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 5 through Sat, July 11, 2020 Editor's Choice Think Covid-19 Disrupted the Food Chain? Wait and See What Climate Change Will Do The pandemic has revealed deep flaws in the ...13 hours ago
The Council of Disobedient Women There is a regular segment in the Speak Up For Women podcasts called “Absolutely Blasted Mad Moment of the Week”. Each podcast the speaker and the host discuss a recent event that is the most insane thing they have seen in the gender critical space ...1 day ago
Todd Muller - Dishonest National Party leaderIt seems that dishonest Todd Muller is, like many right-wing politicians, entirely morally bankrupt. I mean just look at the National Party’s leaking omni-shambles over the last week or so. They’ve imploded in a spectacular display of backfiring dirty politics, the likes of which ...1 day ago
MONDAY JULY 13Bodyguard (TVNZ 1, 8.30pm). It's the final; if you haven't seen this already on Netflix, get ready, the ending is batshit.Unforgotten (Vibe, Sky 006, 8.30pm). I wonder if Sanjeev Bhasksar's character has got rid of that damn backpack in the third season of this cold case drama? Although, come ...1 day ago
Simon Bridges must be the unluckiest person in New Zealand politics. When he was elected as leader of the National party, he also became Leader of the Opposition – a position, he was entitled to assume, that would require him to “oppose”. But the government he set out to oppose ...1 day ago
Check out Speak Up For Women’s new podcasts: Episode 3 In this episode Speak Up For Women spokeswoman Ani O’Brien (@aniobrien) is joined by Beth Johnson (@beth_nosnhoj) to discuss the proposal from Statistics NZ to change standard data collection policy to “gender by default” rather than sex. They discuss why the ...2 days ago
Everyone is paying attention today to the Supreme Court ruling that the President is not above the law and that Trump's tax returns can be given to a New York grand jury investigating him. But the Supreme Court decided another, far more important case yesterday, and effectively restored Native American ...2 days ago
Transcript: National Party policy announcement on roads – 8 July, 2020 Muller: Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for coming. Reporter 1: Is Hamish Walker a racist? Muller: Hang on… you haven’t even said good afternoon to me yet. Reporter 1: Good afternoon Mr Muller. Is Hamish Walker a racist? ...2 days ago
Today’s content Tiwai Point to close Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Government subsidising practically everything plays hardball with Rio Tinto (paywalled) Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Sudden closure of aluminium smelter worst outcome for jobs, consumers and the environment Brian Fallow (Herald): Tiwai closure sad news – and an opportunity for the environment (paywalled) Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Rio ...3 days ago
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Anja Mizdrak, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker The pandemic-related lockdown is possibly the most dramatic public health intervention in NZ history. It helped achieve the elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 virus in NZ. But it was also associated with 548 fewer total ...3 days ago
Reprehensible: There is much that could be said about Michael Woodhouse, but what would be the point? Any man who willingly involves himself in a situation as reprehensible as the one depicted in the above photograph has already vouchsafed all that decent people need to know about his character. That there have ...3 days ago
Some are surprised at this sudden brain implosion on the part of both Michelle Boag, former National Party President, and the National Party in general, in exposing the private, confidential details of COVID patients. Others…? Let’s be blunt: not so much. Too many of that Party have long operated with ...4 days ago
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Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, I have landed in hospital so am not able to do a current update on the NZ blog statistics. Let’s hope I can get back to this in good time. ...1 week ago
The Green Party is today unveiling part one of its plan for a fossil-fuel free Aotearoa, including an immediate ban on new industrial coal boilers. ...10 hours ago
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...5 days ago
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...1 week ago
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...1 day ago
The ACT Party is promising its biggest campaign in 15 years, as it fights for more seats in Parliament after September's election. ...4 hours ago
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The Old Guard, new to Netflix, is a resounding success because it doesn’t focus on what makes these heroes great, it focuses on what makes them human, writes Sam Brooks.The climax of Netflix’s new movie The Old Guard shouldn’t be anything new, but it feels exhilarating. The titular old guard, ...7 hours ago
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This will be my last post on the Standard (and probably any other blog) for a while at least – not too sure when Ill be able to post again, but it wont be until well into the New Year at least (perhaps when everthing has settled down) — my personal circumstances look set to change in a rather dramatic way, and it is because of that I wont be in a position to contribute to this blog. Its been great chatting to you all, and I have enjoyed reading the thoughts of everyone here, though the right wingers always seem to want to put the boot in all the time.
I think the left is in pretty good shape at the moment, and 2014 will see a Sixth Labour government, that is probably more to the left than Clark’s one was, though how far to the left remains to be seen. It all depends on how the asset sales referendum pans out, and the outcome of the PoA dispute. I see both of these as defining issues in this country — public/collective v individual/private, and security v flexibility.
So, on that note, Farewell, Merry Christmas, Happy new year, and hope to catch up with you all in the New Year some time.
Cheers to you, millsy, hope the change in circ’s is not a negative one and I look forward to being amused, bemused and occasionally confused by you again in the near future!
Sorry to see go millsy. Take care. Haere ra.
Eek come back soon Millsy.
Kia kaha millsy
All the best Millsy…What ever the circumstances, you will be well served having has a break from the boards.
Good luck Millsy, hope it all works out well. Having a break is very liberating.
All the best Millsy – I will miss your astute comments.
Merry Christmas Millsy. Hope all goes well.
Ok….
dont bend over for the soap.
just putting it out there.
Kiaora millsy
Look forward to your return. Take care.
Does this mean the end of posts from EDDIE on pain of his expulsion from the Labour Party?
For this to happen to a loyal Labour Party member who has done nothing but ably stand up for the party on line, while John Tamihere after continually slanging off Labour in the MSM, is welcomed back as a member and embraced as a long lost prodigal son.
Yes kind Lefty souls, I’m bugging out too, returning at some future date (hopefully not too far away). IB has highlighted some reasons why, and the stuff he is talking about isn’t kidding around. The miserable and ill-conceived pressure they are putting on Cunliffe and his supporters in caucus, well they are now turning that on to ordinary party members as well. Organisations which find themselves in this state, well what more do I need to say.
I shan’t be back for a wee while unless there is good reason 😎
Good hunting to you all!
Fuck. Sorry to hear that. Take care CV.
Goodness. It’s sounding like a Purge. Well, as I’m not a member, I guess I remain free…..
Take care,CV.
To those considering how to respond to something like a Purge, reflect on this:
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
It is probably for the best at present CV. My abject apologies for not having the energy/time to talk to you (work is hectic).
I never care.
Quite frankly the party could do with my skills far more than I need the party. I’ve pretty well withdrawn from party activity over recent years as the environment has become more toxic.
But I’d advise anyone who has used a pseudonym on Red Alert that could compromise them in real life to expect problems. The system operators over there are quite compromised, don’t act responsibly, and have been that way for some time. Quite simply they are not operating in a way that makes it safe to leave comments there unless you have cast-iron anonymity. Treat it like you would Whaleoil’s site.
Which incidentally, is why you don’t see Red Alert on our feed
Actually, it wouldn’t ruin my life to be outed, especially as I am semi-retired. It might be a bit tricky at work, but probably not totally damaging. My preference for a pseudonym is partly because, personally I’m a fairly shy person.
Some people see it as a contradiction, that I can be very talkative and confident in a teaching or discussion context. But socially, I am often the quiet person in a group. I don’t enjoy being the centre of attention.
Tempted as I am to suggest that maybe your father in law has finally snapped and told you to log off and go get a job, I’ll restrict myself to saying I too will miss your contributions, CV. You maintained an excellence balance between quantity and quality in your comments and there will be many a chastened rightie feeling relieved that you are signing off. Hope its not for too long.
ps: I’m looking forward to the inevitable post from PG on your departure over at Yawn NZ. What greater tribute could there be?
Nope. This is an actual problem. There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference. Subsequently it was raised by the same MP in the NZ Council as part of the lobbying to push Tamihere’s membership through.
It fits the same pattern of behaviour as Shane Jones demonstrates. A caucus that does things less by focused strategy and more by stupid intimidation.
I’d advise people to think carefully before putting comments at Red Alert if your identity can in anyway be traced back to you. I guess that is why the comments are dropping like a stone over there.
It is quite unacceptable net behaviour.
To be honest I struggle to see why there is a reticence amongst those in the know to name said MP. Should we not all know the character of those that are possibly going to be representing us next term?
(Sorry, I’m not singling you out Lynn, it was just your post I replied to).
Figure it through in legal and political terms.
It is quite a specific assertion of fact. To make it you’d have to be fairly confident that you have people who are willing to testify to its veracity. In this case that would probably happen.
There is little point naming the person(s) when what is actually required is a change of collective behaviour by caucus in the way that they handle a blogs and their net presence. In particular the malfeasant transfer of information that should be private out of Red Alert and matching it with other information, like comments on this site.
But there is a rather nice effect in not naming the person(s) concerned. It effectively throws the uncertainty about who did the malfeasance back on the whole of caucus – which is actually where the responsibility lies.
And it is probably a whole lot more effective for caucus to deal with their own.
“And it is probably a whole lot more effective for caucus to deal with their own.”
Yes, because they’re not just a bunch of self interested troughers……………
1Prent
You have to be fucking kidding! You’re saying a Labour MP threatened to out Colonial Viper and others because they were writing things the unnamed Labour MP didn’t like… And that the same threat was made to ensure John Tamihere was granted admission by the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party?
Am I missing something here? How exactly is threatening to out Colonial Viper (unless he/she is a Labour party MP which I doubt) going to influence a party decision and why would the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party give a shit?
Labour has been collectively saying they will out bloggers who are also members of the Labour party if they speak out against the party? I think you have lost it 1prent. That’s ridiculous! Can you actually point to some evidence of this?
I have to disagree there… The responsible person is the one making the threats if that is actually the case?
The problem here is that nothing will be resolved unless you name the person you allege has threatened to out party members and/or bloggers. There’s nothing wrong with saying who this is, because they’re a public person and it will be something they said that’s on the record. Highlight exactly what they said 1Prent and allow the the public to decide.
Sayonara.
What is to stop ‘Colonial Viper’ simply changing his or her name to
‘Post Colonial Viper’ .. or ‘Battlestar Galactica’ ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Madame_Hydra_Viper.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Viper
What? Have I just joined a fa**ist Party?
Sorry to see you go CV. Haere ra.
Seems you have marsman, better go on the run and sleep with one eye open like CV.
This shit STINKS and will really damage the Party once the MSM run with it.
What FOOLS this bunch of Brown Shirts are in conducting a witch hunt. Once Hooten and his ilk put their spin on it I see a new poll showing a low 20% support for Labour very soon.
Hope you can return soon CV, you will be missed.
Hi CV
Don’t stray too far. There’s that old saying “what goes around comes around” and I think there are a few people in the Labour caucus who are going to find out in due course how very true that saying is.
I also think I may know the identity of the person who has turned on you and that person will pay a price for objectionable behaviour…
This is no good CV. I’m sure you have your reasons but this is just not on. If a party can bully it’s members into silence it has no place in a democratic Country.
Double eek. Come back soon CV.
A damned shame, but highly reflective of the state of affairs with the NZLP currently. I too know the identity of the person involved in this, and there will be future consequences no doubt. Will be interesting to see what happens for me, blogging under my own name, in the future.
Kia kaha cv
Let me say this very clearly: If I wanted a bunch of neanderthal, authoritarian control freaks to govern me I’d vote National.
Seriously, Labour? Targeting and threatening individual party members to silence them?
Anyone on the left who’s been thinking about supporting/voting Labour should be thinking really hard about this. What use are they going to be to us in govt? What good can possibly come from electing them if this is how they respond to criticism when they’re in opposition?
Do you really think this bunch of cunts can be trusted with the full power of the state?
Fuck that. Labour deserve to keep losing if they think this is what democracy looks like.
To be fair to Labour, there is no evidence presented that supports the claim of bullying. A few people are hinting about dark dealings, but nobody’s fronting with the facts. Name and shame, I reckon.
I’m about done with “fair to Labour”, sorry.
Are you also done with innocent until proven guilty, felix?
Nah but I’m done with pretending that every. single. one. of these bullshit events is either an isolated incident, part of a teething period, or a mishap unlikely to reoccur, and totally unrelated to a serious cancer embedded in the power structure.
How about you TRP? Are you done with keeping your head up your arse?
What events, felix? All we have is some vague accusations about an unnamed individual MP having a brain fart and possibility unrelated matters concerning a couple of individuals ceasing blogging that are being conflated into the size of a cow. I’m asking for people to put up some evidence to back their claims. The people making the claims are all anonymous, so there should be no comeback on them opening up.
What’s the worst the Labour Party can do to an off-message member anyway? Stop sending the begging letters? Stop asking them to stand on street corners waving signs, or doorknocking, or spending evenings calling for votes? It’s terrifying stuff, indeed.
lol,what events?
I’m talking about pretty much everything the Labour leadership has done for the last four years. And at every turn, the refrain is the same: ‘Give them a chance’, and ‘They probably didn’t mean it’, and now your new hilarious one ‘Where’s the evidence that they’re a pack of untrustworthy morons apart from everything they say and do?’
I have no reason to doubt what Irish and Lynn and CV are saying. The Labour leadership, on the other hand…
Thanks for answering the question though, looks like you’re going to need your meals sent up there.
Thanks for clarifying felix. I thought you were talking about the specific events of the day, but apparently you were citing the vibe.
Interesting arse fixation, btw. Are you getting help for it?
Sure TRP, nothing to see here.
Nothing has happened in the last few days or the last few years that would cause anyone any concern about the Labour party leadership.
Keep telling yourself that mate. I’ll have your usual breakfast sent up right away.
You’re in denial, felix. But misinterpreting my position on this matter and the wider question of the leadership of the party over the last four years makes you feel good about yourself, its fine by me. I like to spread a little sunshine everywhere I go.
Oh good, I was hoping I was misinterpreting you and you hadn’t really spent the whole thread denying the bleeding obvious.
Glad to hear it.
Apology accepted. For the record, I never denied anything; the whole thrust of my questions was to establish the truth. I now know the facts, via a private source, but I still don’t know why the Standard won’t publish the full story, because it really is appalling behaviour by a half witted bully of an MP.
However, I’m going to assume the lack of detail is to protect the victim/s and leave it at that. But you should know that this incident leaves me very angry indeed and I firmly believe the MP concerned should be de-selected and expelled from the party.
I didn’t apologise, but that’s only because I’m not the one who was wrong and kind of a dick about it.
It’s like the marketing department of Hell Pizza. “Oh, what, we gratuitously offended another oppressed group in our quest to look edgy, and it’s blown up in our faces? Oh, that was just one random guy on our team. Honest. A completely different random guy to the random guys we blamed for the last dozen or so gratuitously-offensive fuckups.”
Name and shame, I reckon.
Having once been on the receiving end of bullying behaviour by people in positions of power and/or influence, I know how hard it is to name and shame. These bullies can be in a position to destroy a person’s personal life, career or business and get away with it because others are too scared to stand up to them.
It is up to the Labour leader – or someone else in a very senior position – to swiftly stamp it out.
Ha, I know of what you speak, all too well. The out of court settlement was veeeerrry nice, but damn it was hard.
(and this is making Brian Edwards look a right tosser now.)
Blinded by the obvious are you or are you looking at the rising son.
TRP: There is more than sufficient evidence. At least for me.
The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.
The NZ Council debate is something that I have had several direct and indirect sources on.
And the leakage problems from Red Alert were something that I described (ummm) last year in a post after the rumour started flying around that the outing leakages were coming from here.
I’d have to say that Red Alert would have to now be considered to be a complete and utter failure because some numpties never bothered to learn about net culture.
Ok, did I understand that right – the people who run Red Alert are using things like IPs and email addresses to out commenters using pseudonyms? eg the sysop is passing those details on to caucus or other people high up in the Labour party, and that information is being used to harass or in some way control members?
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them. I don’t know if its an overt strategy or policy of NZ Council, but it’s certainly a policy of about 3-4 core MPs, and there may even be a a rogue one in there who can’t help themselves.
It’s not beyond fixing, but the methods to fix it might be quite challenging.
Nah, it’s more that some MPs are spending a large amount of their time trawling through blogs, and Facebook etc, and then intimidating members based on what they say, particularly if it doesn’t agree with them.
Don’t they have better things to do? Like, say, being an effective opposition?
But I/S, how can they be an effective opposition if people keep pointing out that they’re not being an effective opposition?
The answer is clearly to silence all critics. Then no one will say they’re not an effective opposition, ergo they’ll be the best opposition ever!
There are increasingly effective search engines out there, these days ..
Hi, LP.
If you have more than enough evidence, why aren’t you posting it? This guilt by accusation stuff is more suited to WO (or, in recent days, NZF). If there is some substance, lets see it. My apologies to all who don’t get where I’m coming from, but if there is bullying, then the bully needs to be named and shamed. If you do not confront the bully, you are enabling the bully.
I have the evidence, as do others. It exists, and if the behaviour doesn’t stop, it may just come out.
Dude, that is beyond weak. Put up the evidence, if it exists. I’m starting to think it doesn’t, because I can see no logical reason why it has to be hidden. There is no downside to having the courage of your convictions, Peter. and the last time I looked at the policy of The Standard, making assertions without being able to substantiate them is considered poor form.
You are free to believe whatever you like, that’s one of the privileges of living in a country that values religious freedom.
Nope, the ball is in your court. You’re the one making the claim, its up to you to back it up. You won’t, or, more likely, you can’t.
And the name on your passport is not ‘Peter’. That may be one of your names, but only Cher, Madonna and God can claim to be recognized on a single name. And the latter can’t even do that, because He doesn’t exist. So yes, your excuses are weak, ‘Peter’, but as you say the name of the MP has been mentioned already, you can show us how not weak you are by confirming it.
Just for the record: my response above was to a comment from ‘Peter’ that he had the evidence, but he wasn’t go to release it and that the the ‘ball was in their court’. He has since chickened out and deleted the statement, replacing it with the ‘religion’ comment instead. So, it appears that Peter is both a semi-anonymous coward and a fantasist.
Hilarious. Most people who’ve hung around the Labour Party know who I am. But for the record, my name is Peter Wilson, I was a former party member, LEC member, Otago University youth branch founder and president, Otago/Southland Labour regional council chairman for three years. I’ve chaired list conferences, fought on four campaign committees, including two as campaign manager in tough tory blue country. I have also worked in paid employment for a number of MPs, including the MP in question today.
That should be enough.
Nope, not even close to enough. I wasn’t asking for your name, or bone fides, I was asking for the evidence. Which you still haven’t provided.
Peter, you, IB and LP are all credible people as far as I’m concerned. And that makes your inability to back up your claims all the more puzzling.
Don’t mind if I do, TRP. You called Peter a “semi-anonymous coward”, attacking him for being anonymous and inferring that such cast doubt on his credibility. He told you exactly who he is, and that he has the credentials to know what he is talking about.
You pretend to have faith in their credibility while calling them all liars? Sweet. All the people you have named have told you the situation – they are reluctant for a variety of reasons to post what they know publicly.
You might disagree and think there is no legitimate reason for withholding this information, but last time I checked trying to bully people into doing things that make them uncomfortable is a bad thing.
I’ll tell you why I think this is nothing more than fantasy Blue…
That’s a damn slow grape vine 1prent has got growing there… Wasn’t the conference like three weeks ago?
There’s an unwritten rule in blogging, and moreso in journalism, that you need to be able to verify and back up your claims. That’s the basic difference between good journalism and propaganda.
Without some evidence of these claims, they remain mere speculation and therefore best ignored.
Being that the MSM hasn’t picked up this story either confirms that there’s no actual evidence to base these claims on, being that Labour would likely make a formal complaint to the Press Council if such claims were published in the MSM and were untrue. They don’t have the same opportunity with blogs though because those publication laws don’t apply. However there’s such a thing as good ethical standards with blogs, and I have to agree with Te Reo Putake that such baseless claims are more suitable to WO. Slater might have a large readership, but how much credibility does he actually have? Hint: the answer is not a lot.
Te Reo Putake is correct, IB, LP and PW are all credible commentators… However they do their credibility no favours at all by making claims they cannot back up with evidence. The blogger’s who have posted on such things as if they’re fact are also in danger of losing their credibility. Clearly attempting to damage Labour with unsubstantiated gossip isn’t worth the damage caused to your own standing.
Point missed, blue. There is no reason why the evidence should be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible, even likely, that the evidence does not exist. IB, LP and PW are credible people, hence my amazement at their singular failure to back up their position. It’s not bullying to ask people who are slagging off the Labour Party by claiming bullying to prove it. It’s their claim and at the moment, it looks like total BS.
If, as you say, there are a variety of reasons why their claims cannot be substantiated, they should say so. Peter wasn’t a coward for his anonymity, he was a coward for deleting a comment he wrote, then later regretted. He remains a credible person, in my eyes, just not as credible as he was a few hours ago.
I pulled that last comment on reflection actually, I had already received cease and desist messages privately. I don’t have the time for a legal battle, and I know that the people involved might push it that far. There are other ways of handling it.
Peter, how could you get cease and desist messages when the LP MP’s don’t read The Standard anyway?? 😉
Rhetorical question mate – just joshing 🙂
TRP.
Some things are better not debated publicly.
So a little bird tells me, MS.
A tolleybird?
It isn’t really Labour that has the problem – the party is trying valiantly to update its century old structures. It is the Labour caucus.
So this is how democracy operates does it!
Should this actually be what is happening, it would seem to indicate there is much deeper problems flowing through those who masquerade, and so called NZ’ers!
I have to agree with Felix, this stinks, its not isolated, nor is it in anyway in the interests of NZ, or its people!
CV, I’d love to have a 101 on this subject. Off the record off course!
Something does not add up here…
Why would you be a member anyway? I’ve noticed a change of tone/content of your posts over about the past month or so, and actually wondered if someone else was writing for you…
Yes, I am CV.
Most of the time it is better to fix a structural problem than to have to try and reinvent the structure. The usual problem is to find a fulcrum.
Just when I thought NZ cricket had the most retarded governance in NZ, Labour appear to have trumped even them with this latest buffoonery.
CV just come back under another handle you did it post loota do it again and keep applying the blowtorch I don’t agree with you most of the time but you are entitled to your opinion – damn their eyes one and all the troughing sacks of shit.
Yep. Please do, but take a while first. In fact I’ll give you permission to use as many pseudonyms as you wish.
but I’d suggest a few things to do. You’ll have to shift your writing style between the identities. Your IP’s are quite distinctive, it’d pay to get them changed.
In the meantime there are a few people who just made it to my rather short shit-list for damage to the local net.
I can help with adding gratuitous expletives to future comments in the name of identity-protection.
+1
Perhaps we show solidarity with CV by including Viper in new pseudonyms.
Clare has him in her sights and Tim Barnett et al will execute on her wishes.
Don’t doubt the seriousness of the behaviour of Curran Hipkins Robertson and Ardern.
They are all graduates of the Parliamentry Party offices.
Controlling from the centre is what they were trained to do.
That is why they found the membership’s behaviour at conference so repugnant.
That is why they have failed to develop RedAlert.
That is why they cannot cope with the Standatd.
That is why they choose Shearer as their Leader.
That is why we are loosing out in electorates associated with them.
That is why we will loose the 2014 election unless we put matters right immediately.
Good idea AV. Lets all be vipers for a day 🙂
Good idea but only a day?
I predict a viral video titled “Labour have lost the plot” doing the rounds shortly.
How about a sort of music video from that swing band of eloquent bloggers Colonial Viper, Bored and Marty G. Perhaps some rap or purloined Tom Lehrer.
signing in………..
Me too.
+1
Have a relaxing break, CV. 5pm Fri 7 Dec 2012 and missing you already.
It just astounds me how dumb these MPs have been.
Labour 2012 = Liberal 1912 ?
Knives knives everywhere where to hide our friend CV but amongst his friends.
I fictional poem…
I knew a girl called um Clare.
All fat and old and well a haggard wellywood drunk was she.
Played with her raincoat and and her pet duck.
Upto no good, just one of the old hasbeen.
Fly here there and even to pari on a whim.
Tooted jee me lucky.
Well she was nt that bright and um um ahhhh a lot
But at the start it was no I’m not interested in knives and now after years trained by the best of the left poor dear Clare come back for the rest.
Rest in peace cv.
Colonial Viper
Hopefully your battlestar is simply parked up awaiting new rims.
CV, come back alive and well, have enjoyed you over the years. I killed Bored for a different reason (but very similar: got fed up with fighting totalitarians on my own side), his spirit is allowed out of Purgatory for very limited haunting opportunities. Have a superb Christmas.
Isn’t it funny though, only last week people were talking about how bloggers were cowards for not giving their real name and here we have a situation in which a political party is bullying its members into silence and threatening to “out” them in an attempt to stifle dissent. What’s next? You can only vote if you give your name of the party or person you will be voting for?
What it proves is that in order for a democratic society to function it is of the utmost importance to get this dissent out regardless of the manner in which this is done and that includes anonymity.
We vote anonymously because that safeguards us from being manipulated into voting the preferred candidate from the biggest bullies and we should be free to criticize anonymously for the very same reason because that is the only way we can voice our concerns when there are idjits like this “anonimous” MP throwing their weight around trying to bullyi everybody into compliance and I for one hope someone will out the bastard because he has no place in a democratic party
I’d like to think we could get to a place where it’s free to criticize or praise, within reason, without the need for anonymity for fear of repercussions or censure.
Yes, that would be nice but seeing as you don’t use your own name either it seems to me you are realistic enough not to wait until such times come to pass
Recent news in the Guardian, and elsewhere, about how trade union members. left wing bloggers and others who do not have the right political views, in the UK, have been blacklisted and denied employment.
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread868934/pg1
Maybe we are not anonymous enough.
It common for some employment Agencies here to ask subtle question about unionism etc.
Very sad.
I will miss you.
I too am feeling that chill wind of public outing.
Truly hope you and Millsy come back.
This is just alarming! I hope you are not silenced for too long CV.
CV leaving us – Nooooooooooooooooooooo. And what is the good reason pray? You can’t desert us making vague comments like that. First Bored and now you. I keep hoping that someone will read and accept some microcosm of what I say so I keep on throwing my pearls before the troops, or should I say rose petals for them to trample on? (My opinion.)
You have been part of a revolt trying to puncture the complacency of centrist Labour, no wonder they find us revolting. The punctured balloon is now rushing round the room making a loud farting noise. Someone needs to be around to blow up a new balloon. Keep some breath for after Christmas and New Year and start the 2013 fun CV.
Late to the party, but adding my 2c, hoping you’ll make it back sometime soonish.
Very seldom see eye to eye with CV but his comments are always worth reading, unlike the dead arse policy repeaters often found here.
Kia kaha CV.
Will look into when a particular polly is having her electorate clinic………
I have these wild, radical, ideas about freedom of speech and democracy. Madness, I know but i can’t seem to give them up.
The “madness” is coming from the other side of the fence.
There are enough democratically inclined MPs in the Labour caucus to put this loopy behaviour to rest once and for all. Please do it? Then members will have little to complain about – including me.
Perhap I will accompany you if you wish.
I have my tshirt printed now and a tattoo tut says free CV.
suck. You’ll be missed.
Although my blood pressure might improve 😉
The alleged Labour caucus mole/s need to go away and have a good hard think about freedom of speech and what democracy is.
I have been outspoken regarding wanting Cunliffe to be leader and Shearer to be deputy leader because this is my personal view on the Labour party easily winning the next election. Shearer needs to come out and say that intimidating bloggers is intolerable and to sort out the caucus mole/s.
I have always supported the Labour party on election day and the Labour party needs to learn that they have my loyality even though the leadership issue has not gone as I wanted it to.
It is going to be a bit lonely without CV and Millsy and I miss Vicky32.
I ‘m pretty appalled by this LP caucus leadership behaviour. I will continue to vote Green until Labour become a truly democratic left wing party again. It’s a bit worrying, though, as to what sort of government leadership the Green Party could end up in coalition with.
Indeed, sorry to see you go CV and Millsy – hope you’re back soon. And my sympathies for you in what you seem to appear to be implying you might hypotheically – so to speak – be enduring. Or not.
Good luck, CV.
Oh, and please keep the education on 911 up where you’re going too!
Why not just adopt a new moniker til the heat is off? I recently switched from using my real name in protest against the criticism of “anonymous bloggers” 😀
Be prepared for some ritualised “jumping in” though – this place is a bit like the Headhunters, after all 😉
Will miss you CV. Looking forward to reading your comments again when all this craziness is over. Take care.
This is frankly shit, CV. Not your decision, but being made to feel it’s one you have to make because some people who should be champions of democracy (since they live and die by it) have decided they can’t handle criticism.
There’s plenty we don’t agree on but you’re usually (i.e. when not disagreeing with me :P) a damn fine commenter on this blog and your presence will be missed.
this is the end
beautiful friend
this is the end
my only friend , the end
Once legitimacy is lost no matter what tactics are employed whether bureaucratic or violent. For leaders who lose their legitimacy in the eyes of their people it is only a matter of time.
Such desperate tactics are not those of strong leadership, (no matter what the MSM tell us) but of weak leadership.
Kia kaha CV. Ka whawhai tonu matou, Ake Ake Ake
I know that you will heed the words and example of Rewi Maniapoto and continue fighting on the battle ground of your choosing.
Good luck habibi.
See you on the picket line.
More like on the barracades.
Wave the standard fly it high.
Here come all the vipers united and determined.
A collective you will see, a movement of justice of faith of friends and of power.
Once small growing big,
Live long cv and prosper
Quite possibly. I see that Labour Party Mayor Len Brown and his council are still determined to evict the Maritime Union from the Ports of Auckland. This despite the union making massive concessions in wages and conditions.
Oh did they now.
well if we get a oil induced big mother crunch it might be the barricades to get some progress.
Can’t see any of this shower ( labour ) working thru a crisis.
Another angle is that upon the TS it would appear that most um members are agreeing on one main thread – that we need a new direction focused on real and meaningful change and betterment for people that is a holistic systematic approach…a new way.
A new way forward, progress that is linked to green, brown and red ideology. Blue is dead.so
This is our barricade where we have raised the flag and where our voices get heard.
We learn as a group, we debate and comment freely, and in a growing manner we are becoming more heard.
History and recent event have shown that united voices, a movement, can cause change.
So to the barricades I say.
Disclaimer. TS is a blog, has no opinion or motive but solely as a vehicle for individual to express themselves in a legal and considered manner.
But like minded individual historically have shaped events, challenged the status quo and there works deeds and action in a collective manner created a focal point of change.
.
Sorry to see you go . . . also this.
CV – I am bothered! This is a shocker to me. Your posts have been amongst the most respected ones I read on TS. I know I am not at all easy, and I have my health and other issues too, deservedly at times having been criticised by some.
I am shit worried about what is going on in Labour and the left as such.
Yes, I find it hard to believe what is going on.
Hang in there, same as millsy and others, never give up, as the challenge must be taken on the bloody chin. They are bloody asking for it.
All the best!
I repeat: It is time for a NEW left party, inclusive enough and robust enough, to take on the challenge from the rotten right of spectrum NatZies. Take a break and think about it, all yours that have politics of fairness and justice at heart. It must be dared and done, we get nowhere with the present lot!
Thanks for your comments the other day. I’m pleased you’re having a better day. Hang in there.
I’m thinking the option may not necessarily a party in the traditional sense but a coalition of independent left wing politicians where each vote is similar to every vote being a conscience vote.
This might allow a much more diverse range of left-wing views in parliament.
I’d be happy to have such left-wing diversity in parliament.
Sorry to hear this CV, you & Millsy will be missed, hurry back.
A headline gleaned off of this morning’s National Radio, Starbucks the international coffee chain have agreed to pay more tax in Britain,
The interesting bit here is that Starbucks have ‘agreed’ to pay more tax, what this is really highlighting is that the Neo-Liberal thieves of international business are sharing the bed with the Neo-Liberal weaklings of British politics,(guess who’s on top),
Wouldn’t the proper headline be that Starbucks had had all it’s profits of the past decade seized by the British Government and had been ordered to pay it’s fair share of taxation in the future,(you can bet the same rorts have been, and are, happening here in New Zealand),
Yesterday’s headline from the same place, (Radio NZ), told of a couple of the bigger electronic manufacturers who had been spanked by the European Union for ‘price fixing’ on Cathode Tubes, (apparently the most expensive bit in ya TV or laptop),
The participants in that particular rort have apparently been for the past decade artificially bumping up the price of that particular piece of electronic gear in a little closed shop price fixing scam much the same as the banks were ‘fixing’ the interest rates they charged,
We are all as consumers effected by these multi-national rorts from tax avoidance to price fixing, its you and me that pay for this criminality, this is the true face of so called ‘self regulating’ business be it local or international…
The report I saw on Al Jazeera this morning, identified customer feedback as the reason for the change: meaning, I guess, Starbucks are afraid of losing customers and will pay as little extra tax as they can get away with.
Or, oooops we got caught rorting the British taxman,(and every English person who HAS to pay tax),
Better roll over and pretend contrition and when the heat dies down we can get back to business as usual…
bad12
Further to that google was implicated. They and other similar coys do not intend to change their payment regime as it is legal. The politicians trying to encourage big business to their shores!
And big business will just fill up their longboats with loot and return to their bases with it. And do what? They have visions like Kubla Khan no doubt – In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Yeah, i am sure that far more than just Google and Starbucks are involved in that particular tax-scam,
Here we have the Neo-liberal apologists doing the hand wringing thing describing tax-avoidance as ‘immoral’ but not illegal so what can they do,
The above was basically the ‘Hairdo from Ohariu’s’ response to questions put to Him recently on New Zealand’s estimated 7 billion dollars of annual avoidance and evasion of due taxation which Dunne as Revenue Minister in quite a few Governments has happily overseen,
When faced with such an attitude from Government Ministers anyone suddenly robbred of the power of speech except for the muttered word f**k would have to be forgiven because when you count the numbers we would have NO Government debt problem if those involved in the ‘immoral’ avoidance of taxation were criminalized and made to pay their due taxation….
The commonsense man sure has a lot of people fooled. The electorate think he tries to make commonsense decisions about policy, in fact the commonsense all relates to the question ‘Is this good for P Dunne?’. It’s commonsense to look after No.1, who else will?
Smart trick St Peter.
Considering the fact that NZ has become a tax haven we’ll be one of the countries that all those taxes that the multinational’s aren’t paying are going through.
Don’t start, I am struggling to not vomit already. 😉
DTB
Going through. Sounds like diahrroea and that leads to malnutrition because the food doesn’t stay long enough to be absorbed and used by the body. Fast money passing through tax havens has much the same effect on the country I should think.
What effect would such fast money have on our exchange rate? Would it be an advantage to the financial guys here to have a high exchange rate or not I wonder? Would this be one of the reasons why we can never play around with our exchange rate? Presumably if it wasn’t so stable it wouldn’t be so attractive.
Our currency is one of the most traded in the world and thus one of the most unstable. Does that answer your question?
4th……
The Cullen fund is the most innovative sovereign fund in the world. Why does that not make me feel confident about the fund? Could be because of this for starters:
Neil Williams, Chief Investment Advisor and Head of Strategic Tilting
Neil joined the Guardians in 2008 from UBS Global Asset Management in London where he was Global Head of Asset Allocation and a Managing Director in Global Investment Solutions. Neil was previously Chief Global Strategist, Executive Director for Goldman Sachs International (London).
And perhaps this
Use of the words innovate/innovative can be found all over the various sectors these days, and concerningly the public sector, having been taken over by consultants, is using them braordly.
One can take it as finding new ways to steal, rip off and deceive the public, is all those words mean.
The fund will be in serious trouble, like everything else where the words innovate/innovative, can be seen, heard or read!
When people start using the words innovate.innovative in conjunction with finance then I’d expect that company/sovereign fund to be headed for a crash. The innovation in the finance sector was, after all, a major cause of the GFC.
If you are like me and trying to get your head around the TPP scam, the past two episodes of Citizen A have been worth a watch. Bomber has had Jane Kelsey on, as well as other new guests.
The 29th Nov & the 6th Dec episodes have focused solely on the TPP – stream them here
Also, the last issue of Werewolf focuses on the TPP…Gordon Campbell & Co doing their thing (real journalists)
The garden can be soothing and productive for fevered polly watchers but you should watch your back! No-one but you will do the damage here if you aren’t careful of strenuous exercise.
Some good advice –
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/5011927/Spring-gardening-is-a-dangerous-sport-claim-doctors.html
In my own experience, the lack of instinctive democracy among the Labour hierarchy was demonstrated by Jim Anderton’s approach to running the NLP and the Alliance. Jim and a few others seemed far more interested in building a monolithic authoritarian structure than in actually changing anything. The activists found themselves either burned out or making accomodations, and an opportunity was lost. This behaviour is why the only hope I have for Labour is that they will become a junior coalition partner in a Green/Mana government and learn once again why they exist. My fear is that many of those at the centre of things would prefer going into a government of “National Unity” or some other Bonapartist rubbish in order to keep the radicals at bay.
And themselves in the House they get paid to feel comfortable in, along with their slippers and tots of alcohol or lattes.
Yes, I love that: “Junior partner”, that is how it perhaps rather should be with the lot that sit on their backsides and cushioned chairs now.
Prominent Tauranga man charged with assault.
Anything else I might say on this would purely be idle speculation and possibly highly defamatory. I have no knowledge – directly or indirectly – of the case, but I feel the story itself is important to take note of. I would caution against any speculation here.
Why is it important to take note of if we don’t know who the man is?
Legally, I can’t even drop hints on what my line of thinking is.
Piss off. I reckon it could be Bob the Builder, that ex-MP. Or maybe even that ding-dong Simon Bridges. Or what about Winston Peters or isn’t that goofy weatherman MP Brendan Horan from the Mount?
Ffs, I know some secrets too but I couldn’t possibly tell anyone…..
just as well the internet only exists in the ether eh what.
You missed the GCSB on the list or an alien from planet Key!
I did not realise that a 12 year old was assaulted and that they have physical injuries and nightmares, I apologise for my comment as I am against physical violence especially when children are harmed.
personally I don’t see the point to your comments.
Either the guy gets done for something serious and we find out in good time, or he’s not found guilty of anything serious and keeps name suppression because there’s no public interest in knowing that he did or didn’t do something that’s not serious in the first place. And by the nature of name suppression, the guy might just be a provincial used car salesman or gp.
Methinks your linking and thinking is a touch premature.
Methinks your linking and thinking is a touch premature.
Except that it has been reported on the NZ Herald website which suggests the man is also prominent outside of Tauranga.
Goodness me, Paul Mabey QC representing two prominent Tauranga professionals in one week!
Unless… ?
Well, as the recent slaughter in Gaza drops off the MSM narrative completely, I thought it might be timely to share this link: http://mondoweiss.net/2012/12/its-time-for-the-media-to-talk-about-zionism.html regarding the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.
I remember talking to one of my best friends (a Russian jew) about 12 years ago about the fact that I was anti-Zionist but that it didn’t make me an anti-Semite. He immediately dismissed it and lumped me in with the drive-the-Israelis-into-the-sea brigade (which I am increasingly seeing as more of a figment of Israel’s collective imagination than a genuine goal of Arabic people).
I think though that it’s important that people realise that it’s OK to be anti-Zionist and that they shouldn’t feel guilty about speaking out against the Zionist expansionism of the Israeli state. Succinct but articulate article, unlike this post 😉
Apparently, the sole purpose of capitalism is to make a few people better off while impoverishing everybody else.
Ooooh, look, the GP talking about climate change in a press release. What is the world coming to?
http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/nz-criticised-international-climate-change-talks
Wonders never cease
Weka previously when I asked you if the Greens would continue to ignore Climate Change during the next election as they had in the previous one. After quoting back to me, my original question, here, after a long winded preamble, you gave your answer stating:
In response to your answer. I asked you another, and even simpler question:
Weka it’s a simple question. Why won’t you answer?
Weka, if, it is not “the job or responsibility of the Green Party to do this at this point.”
Whose do you think it is?
Whoops. I think, in the last half hour, I accidentally published a post I am typing up – report on this evening’s demo in Auckland. Sorry if I caused any confusion.
British peer ejected from UN climate talks for denouncing protocol
Guess who.
A Green, Labour and New Zealand First coalition has real potential: http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/the-southland-economic-debate.html
This has me worried, Labour must be very confident if it can start removing members willy-nilly…but seriously as much as I enjoy watching the looney left eat itself (and I do) this turn of events is startling.
One of the things I like about this blog is you can (more or less) say what you think as opposed to redalert which, lets face it, is pretty dull
I’m just not sure whether its more Stalinist or 1984ish in what this un-named MP wants
Mate whole point I think is NO repeats of 84.
bang goes the drum.
Not wanting to go into crystal ball gazing but if this goes ahead when Labour are in opposition (I don’t think it will because of the publicity) what would be the next logical step when Labour gets back into power?
Targeting all those who support right wing policies?
Targeting all those who don’t support left wing policies? (but dont support right wing policies)
Targeting all those who dont support the Leaders policies?
And once they target those people what will they do then?
Whispering in the bright bright sun labour elites want a quiet capture of the centre area but the rebellious ignorant shrill members are perceived to be upsetting the plan by speaking freely putting up remits and questioning the established structure and it’s power cliques.how dear they say the elites…we know best you bleet bleet and are sheep sheep sheep but pay your dues cause we need the cash cash cash to bribe the dog so we can drink from the trough trough trough.