No comments yet. Everyone must be having a lie in. I know people on here are very tribal, but I do find today that both Labour and National are very similar and have both moved towards the centre. IMO it almost makes no difference which is the ruling party.
I don’t think reviewing NZ education curriculum by curriculum is the best approach. For example, a number of NCEA 1 subjects have been dropped but where/when are they now covered, if at all? To me it seems NZ education will continue to muddle through with uncertainty and lack of decisive visionary leadership. ACT is waiting in the wings with Charter Schools, which is no more than a plaster for some and does not address the system as a whole, which is just typical of those liberals.
The age-old problem of using surrogate measures, which in some cases are poor substitutes.
"In my experience in New Zealand, we are very good at coming up with solutions on a local basis. But identification and provision for equitable access of science education to all high-ability students is needed," says Dr. Moeed.
Indeed, local, ad hoc, reductionist, and aimed at symptoms rather than causes seems to be the ‘pragmatic’ approach here in NZ to many ills & evils. Where are our visionary leaders with deep-thinking skills and broad open minds?
That’s a rather unfortunate way of framing, IMO. Sure, they were tied up with political and ideological agendas and vested interests, but they also tried or claimed to address the issue of the long tail in NZ education. Quite a few people were genuinely supportive and work hard with the best of intentions to make a positive difference. To write them off is doing them and the children a huge disfavour and is unfair, IMHO.
I think the idea was for the state schools to wash their hands of the problem kids and they could be dumped in charters presumably just to be trained to read nothing but the Bible.
I rather think it was the other way round, Millsy. Charter schools would take lower decile students, and prove that state schools were failing these students, by making successes of them. They then tried to carefully cherry-pick lower decile students who would succeed anyway, but didn't quite do it right, and had to then quietly get rid of obvious upcoming failures.. They then found it was not so bloody easy to teach then anyway, so very few of the Charter Schools achieved anything like the superiority over the state system that they had claimed.
And where did our “Tomorrow’s Schools” review go ?? And now we have Haque now informing us that there are issues, we’ll sh@$ you are leading the eduction reviews Ffs lead.
we have had this century 4+ terms of a labour led government , that is now a 2nd generation being impacted from inaction and a race to the bottom. But keep on wishing, as every day you wish for action our children are missing out
I did not realise that I was so powerful- And schools already collaborate in not only this local area but other areas where family members teach.
Next time don't make sh^& up by making comments directed at me of something I have never said. But then if it suits your argument be like an Orange man in making things up.
You are on record as opposing any effort to stop schools competing, and bring back the education boards.
I would trust a public servant over a Karen any day in terms of running a school.
[You made a specific assertion about another commenter here. Please back it up with a link(s) or withdraw and apologise, thanks, or cop a ban – Incognito]
[Two weeks off for not backing up your allegations about another commenter or not withdrawing & apologising – Incognito]
Don't go fishing – Where is there any commentary by me that supports your comments ??
I gather you don't have any. There has been recently many occasions where commentators have been ask under threats of time in the corner for making unlinked comments as yours.
Put up then, without resorting to cheep name calling.
Millsy has the wrong end of the stick again. I do not believe that Herodotus is opposed to schools collaborating. Maybe he upset Millsy by arguing against some aspect back when National introduced a superficial policy of that type..
The rot actually starts in Early Childhood Education which was given over to private enterprise with the predictable consequences. If you don't get it right there the rest is built on a very shaky foundation
Well speaking as someone on the bottom of the financial pile there is a lot of difference. Labour's increase to core benefits plus the winter warmth payment and the end of the beneficiary hunting season has been a great help to me.
(meant as a reply to Jester)
But all that shows is that benefits core base should be way higher so that no supplementals – heating allowance, accom benefit, hard ship grants etc- are needed in the first place. And that was categorically ruled out before the second term. So that is it. The sum total of 6 years when all is set and done, a heating payment and a wee bit of an increase that does not hold up with anything. I don't say that it is not a bit better, on a scale of 1 – 10 you are 1 bit better off then you were before.
So this is again an exercise in doing nothing much where it is needed, and with the next government come in the supplementals like the heating allowance can just simply be canned and thus nothing was achieved other then a few drops on a hot stone for a few years.
In the meantime more people homeless, more people unemployed (well women people, people of color, other abled people, white men – as per the stats of the government are doing well), house prices even more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, rents more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, water, electricity and food up.
This is not to diminish that what little was done is to a benefit to you and others on a benefit, that personally is great, but it was no more then a drip on a hot stone.
And thus, there really is no real difference between the Nats and the Labs, and i would venture a guess that the 25 NZD benefit raise (core benefit) under Nat also would have helped a bit in the moment but as with Labours peanuts it changed nothing long term. Too little, in most cases to late, is just that, too little to late.
Apologies for shouting – I was feeling angry at the suggestion that the increases of Labour and National were similar. – Also forgot the reduced Doctor's charges
sometimes it's appropriate to shout I think, although should be used rarely. In this instance, regulars on TS have been repeatedly told that National's benefit raise was for only some beneficiaries. Shouting sometimes gets the message through (or at least gives some sense that it might).
I agree that general use of bold is annoying for moderation.
And not every one on the benefit have equally benefitted from changes under Labour.
The point is not to minimize what changes have been made, my friend is very happy with her heating allowance, her reduced doctors bills etc. But still every few month she is at the office – virtually – so to speak asking for help with some bills because it is not enough.
Same as it was not enough with National.
So my issue is not with 'who is being more generous' with the pennies that are being dispensed but my issue is that both sides are 'stingy beyond believe and need' with the pennies that they dispense.
By comparing two mediocre responses to a huge problem in our society, we are actually not discussing the need that exists, but rather the trickle down responses to it.
there's a problem with saying there is no difference between National and Labour. It's factually incorrect in important ways. And it discourages the underclass from being politically active to effect change.
Both increased rates, to some extend. Both have not done enough. The labour party has campaigned on not doing anything else for beneficiaries and got voted in on this promise among others – those dear cross over fiscal conservatives votes came in handy winning an all out majority..
So yes, in my personal opinion, they are both the same when it comes to increasing the benefits of all beneficiaries to such an extend that it would be at the very lest 480.00 per week (covid relieve for full timer after tax). Missing in action and hiding behind meaningless feel good rethoric.
The need is still there and raising. Both Parties for the longest time have failed. Both parties do nothing more then tinker on the edges – both parties do this to the extend that they need to not upset the people whose vote they want.
As for the underclass……we have 1 million people that don't vote, and not all of them are underclass. And quite a few of the underclass will not vote for Labour or Green or any other left leaning party because conservative / religious/ libertarian etc. I would not consider the 'underclass' a monolithic voting block that will vote reflexively for a so called social leaning party.
So you are happy to tip your cap to the government for reluctantly giving you some chump change For your total deviation and loyalty ?
when should it be determined that much govt handouts are inadequate then address the real issue. Hope you spend the 40 pieces of silver wisely.
Be it housing, poverty, inequality etc Labour only dish out the min, IF THAT🥵
Last winter that chump change was $65 a week maybe that's chump change to you – I found it pretty helpful – I remember well the National government – the threats ,the promises of crackdowns , the continued demonisation of those least able to defend themselves (me included). The only structural change I remember was reducing the maximum length of a Doctor's medical Certificate from 5 years to 2 years – great stuff to increase the level of fear and uncertainty among the long term mentally ill
seriously, you're calling beneficiaries spending what little the government give them a bribe for betrayal? We all know what Labour is doing is not enough, but that's not he fault of beneficiaries who are grateful for the relief.
I will spell this out for you, that I have commented many time before.
If there is a problem fix it, if benefits are not adequate increase them. What this and other governments do is add ons. But NOT addressing the issue directly.
Those in need, after the tokenism are less in need. But has their needs been fully met ? Less Poor is STILL Poor. Those in less Need are still in need 🤬
dude, I'm a politicised long term beneficiary. I know what the state of play is. Reread my comment. Beneficiaries are entitled to feel relieved and even grateful when their income increases, esp those that have been struggling to eat properly, get medical care, look after their kids.
Try this from the Greens commenting on Nationals deficient increases in benefits in 2016 – Same can now be applied to this government. So where are The Greens now and that their government has "Not" ensured that every family got the help they need. But hey, they should be grateful for the little they are given. That will fix this
“If the Government really cared about helping children living in families on the breadline, it would have ensured every child in every family got the help they need. Instead it chose to do the bare minimum,” Ms Logie said.
It's not the Greens' govt. It's a Labour majority govt, and the Greens are once again still largely locked out of having input on welfare. Talk to Labour voters about that, not me.
2. I've long argued against the child poverty approach politically because it separates beneficiaries into deserving and undeserving poor. Children are innocent and should be fed, ill and disabled adults can get fucked. Not that advocates see it like that, but they are buying into dangerous framing that National uses against us.
It is not The Greens Govt – But where is their response now to Labours inadequate increases, and why are so many that were vocal now not so ? As you said TG have been locked out so why not comment ?
As what has been done in increasing benefits does not ensure that every child gets the help… Perhaps they 2 were gifted 30 pieces for their silence or some offices of power? And as Sabine has stated what is the difference ?? or perhaps, The Greens don't benchmark their statements that had been made towards national and apply them now. Just thinking out loud 😉
no, you're just making shit up. So sick of this bullshit too. Been hearing it for decades, and it never pans out. They consistently step up and do what is needed, including holding Labour to account.
The Greens won't go as far as to say Labour's breached the agreement, but Green Party spokesperson for social development Jan Logie said the overhaul promised "should include a well overdue increase to the benefit."
he increased pressure on Labour comes after a dramatic surge in the number of grants issued to low-income New Zealanders for basic needs like food and accommodation.
The welfare figures for July show hardship grants for basic needs like food and accommodation have increased to nearly half-a-million – from 267,244 in June 2017 to 487,539 in June 2019.
The majority of grants were for food, which have increased by 100,000 since the coalition Government was elected. Spending on emergency housing grants has doubled to $66m in the same timeframe.
The Greens say the increase in grants is down to benefits that are too low to meet the cost of living.
The Government indexed benefits to the average wage in Budget 2019, meaning they will increase in line with wages. That'll mean benefits increase by an extra $10 to $17 a week by 2023. The Greens say indexing benefits "does not represent an overhaul of the welfare system."
"It will not result in any more money for almost a year which clearly doesn't reflect the urgency of this situation," Logie said.
Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni told Newshub the indexation is "just a part of the overhaul of the system".
In the meantime Jan Logie and/ or the Green Party is/are still correct in the assessment that the hardship grants are just a window to the obviouis, the main benefits are not high enough, and that is ongoing as per the government owns stats.
A total of 634,207 hardship assistance payments, worth $215,069,392 were granted during the December 2020 quarter.
These figures are higher than the hardship assistance granted during the December 2019 quarter, when there were 573,851 hardship assistance payments worth $165,380,115.
Hardship assistance includes, but is not limited to: Special Needs Grants (SNGs), Benefit Advances (ADVs) and Recoverable Assistance Payments (RAPs). These forms of assistance are designed to help people who have immediate needs. The numbers reported for hardship assistance granted are sums of grants granted within the December quarter (i.e. 1 October to 31 December). Hardship assistance contains all ages data, rather than working-age only (i.e. 18 to 64).
Special Needs Grants:
The number of Special Needs Grants granted was 51,468 higher during the December 2020 quarter when compared with the same period last year.
The value of grants granted increased from $88,815,126 during the December 2019 quarter to $130,770,852 during the December 2020 quarter.
A Special Needs Grant provides non-taxable, one-off recoverable or non-recoverable financial assistance for people to meet immediate needs. A person does not need to be receiving a main benefit to be eligible for a Special Needs
TheGreens are not currently in the position to do much.
Fwiw, this is Labours and only Labours failure. They knew that the benefits were to short, lowly, miserly already when Key replaced Clark, and nothing has changed since. Their failure to stand up to the voting public in Sept /Oct and take some risk in what was a won election from the onset is what makes them mediocre and not much different from the Nats in my opinion. No guts, no glory.
And thus eventually they arrive at the position of 'i have tried nothing and everything failed, what else could i have possibly done'. Well you could have campaigned on raising the benefit levels for all, remove the unemployment benefits from relationship status, and finally admit that children are poor in this country because their parents are poor, or have fallen into poverty. Just a few suggestions.
Comes across as bitter and with an axe to grind. $25 plus $40 pw winter payments (for a 6 month duration) is not insignificant at all.
Prior to increase a base rate of around $202 in the hand.
Add $45 per week.
That's over 20% more in the hand. Also, state house tenants not living in fear of evictions, market rents, P-tests, drug tests, doxing etc as National like to do. So what's Sabine's deal other than grinding an axe. Poor people know there's a clear difference between Labour and National. Sure, Labour could do more. To say they're the same is some fanciful bullshit.
I'd add that with Labour there's the chance of good change, because they're at least facing in the right direction. National were going as fast as they could get away with in NZ down the proto-fascist pathway and beneficiaries were one of the front lines with that. Bill English's big data plans were horrendous. The Bennett Reforms were neoliberal punitive welfare on steroids. Labour have done some shit stuff, National took it to a whole new level. Ardern's Labour look to me like they're not going to do enough (thanks Labour voters), but they're not doing nothing and they're certainly not taking us in the direction that National were.
He he that reminds me of a story. Back in the 80s a friend of mine was on the Ponsonby Community Committee and the subject of street trees came up. My friend suggested planting fruit trees. The response from one woman was that you couldn't do that because the children might eat the fruit! Ponsonby was in the process of being gentrified at the time so was slowly being infested with the 'upwardly mobile'
Yes, i used to live in Grey Lynn when first moving to AKL. And gosh, there were boxes of free fruit out on Williamson Ave from the private houses. Now they mostly have rock gardens and house chartered accountants.
I plant fruit trees with a vengance. Its my great hobby.
Hedgerows could be a green and sappy venous system for the body landscape for all NZ. Insects, birds, fungi and bipedal walkers could flow from place to place, sheltered and fed all the way. Hamlets might form at the intersections and foot-traffic take its rightful place as the preferred form of travel. News might travel by hedgerow rather than wire or fibre, story-tellers in Lincoln green could….hang on! Anyone read Riddley Walker???
The roads in between make for good tracktor roads if they are a shared commodity and also allow for walking/cycling as a form of transport. As someone who used to cycle a lot this is the one thing that i miss, the old tracktor/walking/pilgrimage roads that often times have at least on one side a hedgerow growing.
Hi I'm a time traveler from the 1700s that the hanky to return to . Most of us were dead by 40 and we were ruled by feudal cunts ,take it from me you are much better off now.
It seems that way, Time Traveller, but if I may ask: did your activities in the 17 hundreds bring the natural world to the brink of collapse? It's kind of a pressing issue for us in the 20-20's and it may be that our own children and grandchildren will have far shorter lives even, than yours. All the best with your mission.
To be fair, that rough life expectancy was skewed by a massive infant mortality rate that wasn't the fault of hedgerows. It wasn't exactly unheard of to get to your 70s or 80s even in those days.
My point is RG s dream of the world becoming a small holding utopia, it's a pointless dream that helps not one bit with modern day problems, you can lump the whole power down mob in there to . Imho
It's an intriguing approach – to belittle and dismiss the efforts of one who is trialling alternative solutions to the 'pickle' of modern day problems. All civilisations fail – spaceship Earth simply can't sustain the one we've crafted – we (all) need to make changes.
It's prudent to work on improving societal resilience in order to retain at least some of the privileges that ‘the golden billion‘ enjoy. Imho.
The Public Will Never Go For That! [8 Feb 2021]
Which story do you think most business leaders and citizens have chosen to believe? The one that says there’s still time, that we can “solve” the problem if, if, if only, and that we can get where we need to get by painless baby steps. Starting in five years.
But they [climate scientists] told me there was another reason they didn’t say what they really believed, what they really knew, in public. And that was that they were afraid that a dire message that told people they had to make drastic changes in their own lifestyles, and major sacrifices, now, would simply be unacceptable to their audiences. They would not be invited back. They would be discounted as crazies, alarmists. People would simply not listen. People only want to hear reassurances, comforts, good news. Even if it’s untrue.
Now, to me, that’s defeatism. It indicates a failure to appreciate that throughout history people have been willing to make huge changes to the way they live, if everyone else is willing (perhaps with some cajoling) to do their part, too. And that’s the rub. We have given up believing in the potential for large-scale collective action in the public good. We have given up on each other.
That’s dreadfully understandable. Self-interested corporatists, conservatives and their media use the public will never go for that as a club to beat down any suggestion that large-scale collective action is possible. The public will never go for medicare for all. The public will never agree to make sacrifices to mitigate climate change. The public will never give up their guns, their cars, their vacation flights, to reduce needless deaths, global warming, or the spread of a pandemic.
The problem is, we don’t know that that’s true. Many countries have medicare for all, and have made major sacrifices for the benefit of all their citizens, including, if reluctantly, in New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan and other countries that have beaten CoVid-19 and long ago returned to near-normal lives.
Still, I'm undeterred by your misreading of my views 🙂
"Small holding utopia"?
Nah.
I see adaptation no matter where "you" are, no matter what you're doing.
It's a cultural thing – our present culture is not proving sustainable, so we (all) must change. Sticking to our guns will leave us … stuck to our guns.
String around the neck, gathered at the throat in a decorative piece. Only functional difference is in a bolo tie the string continues on down the chest.
OK then, Peter Dunne wore a bow tie for years, where the string doesn't continue on down the chest.
I'd love to see more and bigger beards in the House. Most people think "patriarchy" when they see a substantial beard, but in fact, cascading beards reflect a growing feminine aspect; it's far more common to see long, curling locks on a the head of a woman than it is a man and the increased sensitivity to breeze, bramble-snagging and tugs by grandchildren help develop a more aware human; think buzz-cut American grunt as compared with fully-tressed 70's hippie from the cast of Hair 🙂
In fact, Mallard has form in this area. Soon after Brash's infamous Orewa speech, the Clark regime made the strategic decision to ease back on its support for Māori. This would apparently make the bigots who comprised Brash's base think twice, and appreciate that Labour was not "too P.C."
Clark could not be seen to lower herself to such dodgy behaviour, so Mallard was given the role of attack dog. One of the most unpleasant things he did was to publicly complain about the length of pōwhiri at parliamentary and other functions.That won him praise from people like Paul Holmes and Sean Plunket, but there is no evidence that the racists abandoned National and rushed to Labour.This disastrous reset in Labour policy culminated in Clark making her contemptuous statements about the Foreshore and Seabed protestors—"I'd rather meet Shrek the Sheep," she intoned, mirthlessly.
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Faith In The Essentials: Fenced-in, almost literally, by motorways. Located, seemingly permanently, at the bottom of politicians’ priority-lists. Heaped with praise for their cultural vibrancy, but not rewarded for it by the presence of white pupils in their public schools, South Aucklanders (like people of colour everywhere) provide their paler ...
Image credit:POLITICAL BLOG I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem very low please check this out. After correcting send me the URL ...
Since the pandemic began, the UK government has restricted protests in an effort to contain the plague. But of course, they're plotting to make these restrictions permanent: Concern over the government’s limitation of the right to protest during lockdown continues to mount after it emerged that the home secretary, ...
Completed reads for February: The Dream of Scipio, by CiceroThe Dragon Masters, by Jack Vance The Dream of Scipio is Pearman’s translation. A very quiet month in the reading department… but a truly excellent one in the writing department. Better yet, this was not merely short stories, but solid ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (Colombia, 18 February 2020) Two soldiers, Jhony Andrés Castillo Ospino and Jesús Alberto Muñoz Segovia, fell into the hands of the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN; National Liberation Army). Their capture produced the usual reactions that they had been kidnapped when in fact they were prisoners ...
As much of the world is still implementing lockdowns, including New Zealand, it is a good time to see how Sweden has fared. After being demonised for a year for having relatively moderate restrictions the Swedish death toll is rather much in line with other years. Sweden followed the standard ...
Under The Influence Of The "Governance" Kool-Aid: The furore surrounding Mayor Andy Foster's "review" of the Wellington City Council's "governance" is but the latest example of the quite conscious delegitimization, and sinister re-framing, of spirited political opposition and debate as irresponsible, immature and “dysfunctional”. It shows how very far from ...
Hello there everybody. I’ve been asked by Mr Thinks to come on his blog today and speak my mind about stuff. The government has a lot to answer for. I was sitting there last week as Auckland came out of it’s latest lockdown and I knew the government was making ...
There are times when tikanga needs to be broken for tikanga to survive.I recently gave a presentation on Māori economic history based on my Not in Narrow Seas. Its most important message was that Māori proved to be a very adaptable people continually evolving as new opportunities arose. The European ...
Some of you may remember our blog post "A conundrum: our continued presence on Facebook" in which we detailed our misgivings about and decision to stick with Facebook for the time being. So these latest developments - reposted from the Cranky Uncle homepage - might come as a bit of surprise! ...
Image credit:Quick Data Lessons: Data Dredging Oh dear – another scientific paper claiming evidence of toxic effects from fluoridation. But a critical look at the paper shows evidence of p-hacking, data dredging and motivated reasoning to derive their conclusions. And it was published in a journal shown to be ...
We've had a housing crisis for the past decade, and successive governments have done nothing to solve it. Why not? Bernard Hickey gets it right when he says its all about protecting the rich: The Government is reluctant to push down house prices fearing they'll loses the support of ...
There’s more of the Obama legacy here and Deporter in Chief: Obama chucks out 2,000,000 and Can Trump really deport more people than Obama? and Obama, gay rights and the killing drones ...
My Department Right Or Wrong: Far from “politicians involving themselves in some Corrections matters” being a bad thing, their involvement – along with that of the Ombudsman – constitutes a necessary check upon the unreasonable and unlawful exercise of authority over prison inmates by prison staff. A Corrections Minister who ...
New Zealand is supposed to have a progressive tax system, which taxes people according to their ability to pay. But it turns out that the rich are cheating: The wealthiest New Zealanders pay just 12 per cent of their total income in tax on average, according to research from ...
Ground truths on warming When we think about rapid climate change of the kind we've accidentally unleashed and the warming of Earth systems inherent in the process, we tend to focus on phenomena in order of their immediate tangibility, their drama. Sea ice loss in the Arctic, atmospheric and ocean ...
by Daphna Whitmore The Department of Corrections has called in the police over a pamphlet that supports protests at Waikeria Prison, saying the material might incite another riot. The group People Against Prisons Aotearoa denies it advocates for riots and has said it “encourages persistent, peaceful protest action such as striking from ...
One theme in the literature dedicated to democratic theory is the notion of a “tyranny of the minority.” This is where the desire to protect the interests of and give voice to electoral minorities leads to a tail wagging the dog syndrome whereby minorities wind up having disproportionate influence in ...
I've just lodged my fourth complaint to the Ombudsman for deemed refusal of an OIA request by police this year. That brings their total to four for four - every request I have sent them has not been answered within the legal timeframe, even when they extend it to give ...
Will the health reforms proposed for the Labour Government make the system better or worse? Health commentator Ian Powell (formerly the Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists) gives his analysis of what change is most necessary, and what should be avoided. The review of the Health ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections An off-course polar vortex meandered toward the Mexican border, bringing with it frigid Arctic air rarely seen as far south as Texas. Frozen equipment rendered power generation systems in the state inoperable, forcing grid operators to begin rolling blackouts to customers then left to fend ...
Just as National once produced a “rock star economy” that Grant Robertson rejected as being only for the rich, the Labour Government has produced an economic “bounce back” that leaves out the poor. Branko Marcetic argues for a rise in benefit levels to give the poor a real bounce back. ...
Virginia has voted to abolish the death penalty: State lawmakers gave final approval on Monday to a bill that will end capital punishment in Virginia, a dramatic turnaround for a state that has executed more people than any other. The legislation repealing the death penalty now heads to the ...
Yesterday a New Zealand Judge issued a formal finding that the Department of Corrections had treated prisoners in a cruel, degrading and inhumane manner, illegally detaining them, using excessive force, denying them basic necessities unless they performed degrading rituals of submission first. Some of the conduct appears to be criminal: ...
The Herald reports that there is a "storm brewing for the Climate Change Commission". The "problem"? Polluters are unhappy with its economic projections saying that action will not be as costly as they have previously claimed: Last week a coalition of over a dozen New Zealand business and industry ...
The Green Party are calling on the Government to assess how the COVID-19 leave support scheme can be better improved, distributed and enforced so that workers can properly take leave when self-isolating. ...
We know that when our rural communities do well, all of New Zealand benefits. Labour is committed to supporting our regions so that, together, we can achieve even more. Here are just some of the ways we’re backing rural communities. ...
Government data today shows that the wealthiest New Zealanders aren’t paying their fair share of tax, whilst everyone else chips in, Green Party spokesperson on Finance Julie Anne Genter said today. ...
The Green Party welcomes the change in the Reserve Bank’s remit to consider the impacts on housing when making financial decisions, but housing affordability shouldn’t be left to the Reserve Bank, Green Party Co-leader and Housing spokesperson Marama Davidson said today. ...
The Green Party welcomes the passing of the Local Electorate Act Māori Wards Amendment Bill which ensures Māori have a say on local issues across Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
New UMR research reveals that 69 percent of New Zealanders agree that the government should increase the amount if income support paid to those on low incomes or not in paid work. ...
The Green Party are celebrating the Labour Government bringing forward the timeline to ban conversion therapy, and will push to ensure any draft bill properly protects all of our Rainbow communities. ...
The Green Party is joining the call for ‘brave policy action’ to address rapidly increasing inequality in New Zealand, which is likely to be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
Green MPs currently in Auckland, Marama Davidson, Chlöe Swarbrick and Golriz Ghahraman, will remain in Auckland for the next 72 hours. Those in Auckland today for Big Gay Out who have flown home will self-isolate for 72 hours. These decisions will be subject to any new information that may arise ...
It’s Pride month, and as we celebrate our LGBTIA+ community, we’re taking the next steps towards a more inclusive Aotearoa. From investing in mental health services to banning harmful conversion therapy, we’re building a New Zealand where everyone can be safe, healthy and happy. ...
Health Minister Andrew Little welcomes the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s assessment that transformation of New Zealand’s approach to mental health and addiction is underway. “This is an important step in the Government’s work to provide better and equitable mental health and wellbeing outcomes for all people in New ...
The Government’s Consumer Travel Reimbursement Scheme has helped return over $352 million of refunds and credits to New Zealanders who had overseas travel cancelled due to COVID-19, Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark says. “Working with the travel sector, we are helping New Zealanders retrieve the money owed to them by ...
An additional 88,000 students in 322 schools and kura across the country have started the school year with a regular lunch on the menu, thanks to the Government’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme. They join 42,000 students already receiving weekday lunches under the scheme, which launched last ...
New Zealand’s economic recovery has again been reflected in the Government’s books, which are in better shape than expected. The Crown accounts for the seven months to the end of January 2021 were better than forecast in the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). The operating balance before gains ...
More than half of New Zealand’s estimated 12,000 border workforce have now received their first vaccinations, as a third batch of vaccines arrive in the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. As of midnight Tuesday, a total of 9,431 people had received their first doses. More than 70 percent ...
The Government is significantly increasing its investment in restoring Central Otago’s waterways while at the same time delivering jobs to the region hard-hit by the economic impact of Covid-19, says Land Information Minister, Damien O’Connor. Mr O’Connor says two new community projects under the Jobs for Nature funding programme will ...
The Government has confirmed details of COVID-19 support for business and workers following the increased alert levels due to a resurgence of the virus over the weekend. Following two new community cases of COVID-19, Auckland moved to Alert Level 3 and the rest of New Zealand moved to Alert Level ...
The Government remains committed to hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 should a decision be made by World Rugby this weekend to postpone this year’s tournament. World Rugby is recommending the event be postponed until next year due to COVID-19, with a final decision to ...
Community and social service support providers have again swung into action to help people and families affected by the current COVID-19 alert levels. “The Government recognises that in many instances social service, community, iwi and Whānau Ora organisations are best placed to provide vital support to the communities impacted by ...
The Government is following through on an election promise to conduct an independent review into PHARMAC, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The Review will focus on two areas: How well PHARMAC performs against its current objectives and whether and how its performance against these ...
Some of the country’s most forward-thinking early-career conservationists are among recipients of a new scholarship aimed at supporting a new generation of biodiversity champions, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. The Department of Conservation (DOC) has awarded one-year postgraduate research scholarships of $15,000 to ten Masters students in the natural ...
I acknowledge our whānau overseas, joining us from Te Whenua Moemoeā, and I wish to pay respects to their elders past, present, and emerging. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you all today. I am very pleased to be part of the conversation on Indigenous business, and part ...
Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today that main benefits will increase by 3.1 percent on 1 April, in line with the rise in the average wage. The Government announced changes to the annual adjustment of main benefits in Budget 2019, indexing main benefit increases to the average ...
A Deed of Settlement has been signed between Ngāti Maru and the Crown settling the iwi’s historical Treaty of Waitangi claims, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little announced today. The Ngāti Maru rohe is centred on the inland Waitara River valley, east to the Whanganui River and its ...
With a suite of Government income support packages available, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni is encouraging people, and businesses, connected to the recent Auckland COVID-19 cases to check the Work and Income website if they’ve been impacted by the need to self-isolate. “If you are required to ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has expressed her condolences at the passing of long-serving former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare. “Our thoughts are with Lady Veronica Somare and family, Prime Minister James Marape and the people of Papua New Guinea during this time of great ...
E te tī, e te tā Tēnei te mihi maioha ki a koutou Ki te whenua e takoto nei Ki te rangi e tū iho nei Ki a tātou e tau nei Tēnā tātou. It’s great to be with you today, along with some of the ministerial housing team; Hon Peeni Henare, the ...
The Government is backing a new project to use drone technology to transform our understanding and protection of the Māui dolphin, Aotearoa’s most endangered dolphin. “The project is just one part of the Government’s plan to save the Māui dolphin. We are committed to protecting this treasure,” Oceans and Fisheries ...
Major water reform has taken a step closer with the appointment of the inaugural board of the Taumata Arowai water services regulator, Hon Nanaia Mahuta says. Former Director General of Health and respected public health specialist Dame Karen Poutasi will chair the inaugural board of Crown agency Taumata Arowai. “Dame ...
The newly completed Hibiscus Coast Bus Station will help people make better transport choices to help ease congestion and benefit the environment, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said today. Michael Wood and Phil Goff officially opened the Hibiscus Coast Bus Station which sits just off the ...
New funding announced by Conservation Minister Kiri Allan today will provide work and help protect the unique values of Northland’s Te Ārai Nature Reserve for future generations. Te Ārai is culturally important to Te Aupōuri as the last resting place of the spirits before they depart to Te Rerenga Wairua. ...
Today the Government has taken a key step to support Pacific people to becoming Community Housing providers, says the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. “This will be great news for Pacific communities with the decision to provide Pacific Financial Capability Grant funding and a tender process to ...
Conservation Minister Kiri Allan is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on a proposed marine mammal sanctuary to address the rapid decline of bottlenose dolphins in Te Pēwhairangi, the Bay of Islands. The proposal, developed jointly with Ngā Hapū o te Pēwhairangi, would protect all marine mammals of the ...
Attorney-General David Parker today announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges. Two of the appointees will take up their roles on 1 April, replacing sitting Judges who have reached retirement age. Kirsten Lummis, lawyer of Auckland has been appointed as a District Court Judge with jury jurisdiction to ...
Government announces list of life-shortening conditions guaranteeing early KiwiSaver access The Government changed the KiwiSaver rules in 2019 so people with life-shortening congenital conditions can withdraw their savings early The four conditions guaranteed early access are – down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Huntington’s disease and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder An alternative ...
The Reserve Bank is now required to consider the impact on housing when making monetary and financial policy decisions, Grant Robertson announced today. Changes have been made to the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s remit requiring it to take into account government policy relating to more sustainable house prices, while working ...
The Labour Government will invest $6 million for 70 additional adult cochlear implants this year to significantly reduce the historical waitlist, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Cochlear implants are life changing for kiwis who suffer from severe hearing loss. As well as improving an individual’s hearing, they open doors to ...
The Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill passed its third reading today and will become law, Minister of Local Government Hon Nanaia Mahuta says. “This is a significant step forward for Māori representation in local government. We know how important it is to have diversity around ...
The Government has added 1,000 more transitional housing places as promised under the Aotearoa New Zealand Homelessness Action Plan (HAP), launched one year ago. Minister of Housing Megan Woods says the milestone supports the Government’s priority to ensure every New Zealander has warm, dry, secure housing. “Transitional housing provides people ...
A second batch of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived safely yesterday at Auckland International Airport, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “This shipment contained about 76,000 doses, and follows our first shipment of 60,000 doses that arrived last week. We expect further shipments of vaccine over the coming weeks,” Chris Hipkins said. ...
The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni has today announced $18 million to support creative spaces. Creative spaces are places in the community where people with mental health needs, disabled people, and those looking for social connection, are welcomed and supported to practice and participate in the arts ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little today welcomed Moriori to Parliament to witness the first reading of the Moriori Claims Settlement Bill. “This bill is the culmination of years of dedication and hard work from all the parties involved. “I am delighted to reach this significant milestone today,” Andrew ...
22,400 fewer children experiencing material hardship 45,400 fewer children in low income households on after-housing costs measure After-housing costs target achieved a year ahead of schedule Government action has seen child poverty reduce against all nine official measures compared to the baseline year, Prime Minister and Minister for Child Poverty ...
It’s time to recognise the outstanding work early learning services, kōhanga reo, schools and kura do to support children and young people to succeed, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins says. The 2021 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards are now open through until April 16. “The past year has reminded us ...
Three new Jobs for Nature projects will help nature thrive in the Bay of Plenty and keep local people in work says Conservation Minister Kiri Allan. “Up to 30 people will be employed in the projects, which are aimed at boosting local conservation efforts, enhancing some of the region’s most ...
The Government has accepted all of the Holidays Act Taskforce’s recommended changes, which will provide certainty to employers and help employees receive their leave entitlements, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood said the Government established the Holidays Act Taskforce to help address challenges with the ...
The Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and faster than expected economic recovery has been acknowledged in today’s credit rating upgrade. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) today raised New Zealand’s local currency credit rating to AAA with a stable outlook. This follows Fitch reaffirming its AA+ rating last ...
Tena koutou e nga Maata Waka Ngai Tuahuriri, Ngai Tahu whanui, Tena koutou. Nau mai whakatau mai ki tenei ra maumahara i te Ru Whenua Apiti hono tatai hono, Te hunga mate ki te hunga mate Apiti hono tatai hono, Te hunga ora ki te hunga ora Tena koutou, Tena ...
The Minister of Justice has reaffirmed the Government’s urgent commitment, as stated in its 2020 Election Manifesto, to ban conversion practices in New Zealand by this time next year. “The Government has work underway to develop policy which will bring legislation to Parliament by the middle of this year and ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Social Development Hon Carmel Sepuloni today launched a new Creative Careers Service, which is expected to support up to 1,000 creatives, across three regions over the next two years. The new service builds on the most successful aspects of the former Pathways to ...
By Ramzy Baroud At a glance, it may appear that the split of Arab political parties in Israel is consistent with a typical pattern of political and ideological divisions which have afflicted the Arab body politic for many years. This time, however, the ...
Discovering that her favourite summer drink is apparently an offence against wine, Charlotte Muru-Lanning sets out to uncover whether it’s actually so awful to serve red wine on the rocks.After many summers spent pouring red wine over ice without much thought, it recently struck me that maybe this combination was, ...
LISTEN: Extra Time examines two big issues in women's sport this week - postponing the Rugby World Cup and the Silver Ferns' battle for the crown that eludes them. Poised at one game a piece, can the Silver Ferns overcome a spirited young Australian Diamonds side and end a nine-year drought without netball's ...
"If Maggie said she was going to bake a cake, Lois always turned up with one that was bigger, more chocolatey and with fancier icing": a shaggy cake story by Shani Naylor. It was 2am. Maggie opened her eyes and lay still in bed. She could hear her husband Ken's ...
The art world is being bombarded with something called ‘non-fungible tokens’. We asked artist and crypto expert Simon Denny to help us explain what they are.At first glimpse, a gif of Nyan Cat is nothing special. It’s a bit cute, a bit nostalgic. So why did one sell for US$450,000? ...
Journalists avoid his calls, editors loathe it when he highlights mistakes. But he reckons he’s not scary at all. Chris Schulz meets RNZ’s Mr Mediawatch, Colin Peacock.Over his summer holidays, Colin Peacock tried to switch off. For much of the previous 12 months, the 52-year-old host of Radio ...
While it has since been deleted and apologised for, an op-ed by former Labour MP Michael Bassett published by the Northland Age and the NZ Herald this week caused an uproar for its racist cherry-picking and false reporting of historical facts. Historian Scott Hamilton sets the record straight.Michael Bassett is ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Deaths, West Europe still not “out of the woods”. Chart by Keith Rankin. Deaths, East Europe remains a major concern. Chart by Keith Rankin. At first glance through our rear-vision mirror, western Europe had a substantial spring outbreak of Covid19, and further outbreaks in spring and ...
A starter’s list for the national Aotearoa museum of the sporting damned. Richard Irvine confronts the demons.The sunGenerally it’s hard to make an argument against the giver of all life, as it provides photosynthesis, vitamin D and enables a wide range of recreational activities. But when it runs rampant around ...
Auckland can breathe a sigh relief knowing at 6am on Sunday the region will move down to Alert Level 2 after another seven long days in lockdown. Government and health officials are now turning their minds to lessons learnt, following a week of mixed messaging, rule-breaking and blame and shame, writes political ...
Three future scenarios after today’s large offshore earthquakes.A trio of serious earthquakes saw parts of Aotearoa shaken, tsunami threats triggered, and tens of thousands of people heading inland after evacuation instructions.Of the magnitude-7-plus events, the first, shortly before 2.30am, was centered off East Cape. Measuring 7.1, it was felt across ...
Analysis - The prime minister came down hard on lockdown rule-breakers but were they clearly told what they had to do? Peter Wilson looks into the reports as another crisis lurks in the background. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Gleeson, Associate professor, La Trobe University News of the blockage of a shipment of 250,000 COVID-19 vaccines from Europe to Australia has caused concern and outrage. The immediate problem will probably be quickly solved through diplomatic channels. Even if it is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Stern, Professor of Geophysics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington The Tonga Kermadec subduction zone stretches between New Zealand and south of Samoa.USGS, CC BY-SA A sequence of three major offshore earthquakes, including a magnitude 8.1 quake near ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Director of the Institute for Governance & Policy Analysis Dr Laine Dare discuss the week in politics. This week the pair discuss some of the 148 recommendations ...
The minister responsible for the country's spy agencies says they can't constantly monitor the internet to identify terror threats and instead rely on the public to raise the alarm. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle Celebrity testimonials abound for pills, potions and creams that purport to make you look younger. This time collagen supplements are in the spotlight, after Jennifer Aniston became the face of one ...
Have the government’s Covid-related messages been getting through to Pacific and non-Pacific ethnic communities in South Auckland? Justin Latif tried to find out.John Pulu is one of the best-known television and radio personalities in New Zealand’s Pacific community. He not only fronts TVNZ’s Tagata Pasifika Saturday morning show, but also hosts ...
James Elliott tries to work out what made Mike Hosking and Brian Tamaki tick everyone off this week. The week started with Aucklanders back under Alert level 3 and Mike Hosking on Alert Level 6. “Mike’s Minute” on NewstalkZB on Monday, which as usual lasted significantly longer than a minute, ...
Fonterra has confirmed what most analysts had been predicting and lifted its 2020/21 forecast farmgate milk price range to $7.30 – $7.90 kg/MS, up from $6.90 – $7.50. This should send a further surge of confidence across NZ’s rural regions, hopefully in a wave strong enough to encourage farmers to ...
A Financial Times leader delivers advice that Finance Minister Grant Robertson should (but probably won’t) consider. Essentially, the advice is to resist the temptation to involve the central bank in the challenge of slowing the rise in house prices. Changing regulation and reforming planning law is a smarter way to ...
The NZ Superannuation Fund has divested from five Israeli banks due to their suspected involvement in illegal settlement construction. Michael Andrew reports.The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, an autonomous crown entity and manager of the multi-billion NZ Super Fund, has divested from five Israeli banks due to their funding of ...
A contestant on the new season of The Bachelor has apologised for ‘controversial’ social media posts comparing mask wearing to ‘slavery’ and for questioning the scientific consensus around Covid-19. Stewart Sowman-Lund reports.Shivani Pragji is – according to her LinkedIn profile – a solicitor working for the Ministry of Business, Innovation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, PhD, Media and Politics, Deakin University A couple of days ago, the musician Grimes sold some animations she made with her brother Mac on a website called Nifty Gateway. Some were one-offs, while others were limited editions of a few ...
Analysis: We are able to send a blaring alert to the phone of every New Zealanders to warn of Covid lockdowns, yet we still struggle to warn them of the danger of a tsunami This coming week, it will be 10 years since Japan was hit by the Tohoku earthquake, one ...
Moa brewery sold in February for $1.9m, leaving behind an unsavoury legacy. Michael Andrew speaks to the new owner about how the brewery plans to move forward, while at the same time returning to its Marlborough roots.Moa Brewing Company’s new owner Stephen Smith has criticised the company’s old marketing strategy, ...
By RNZ News An 8.0 earthquake has struck near the Kermadec Islands, hours after a 7.4 quake near the Kermadecs and a 7.1 off the North Island coast, A 7.4 quake struck near the Kermadec Islands earlier this morning. The islands are 800km to 1000km from New Zealand. National Emergency ...
National Parks are being closed off to allow fallow deer to be bombarded with 1080 poison. The proposal has drawn strong criticism from the Australian hunting public and also New Zealand’s Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust. Laurie Collins, spokesman ...
In the fallout from the Dirty Politics defamation hearing, how can the Food and Grocery Council and its chief continue to deny involvement in attacks on public health academics? Tim Murphy explains its stance. The middleman has 'fessed up. So where does that leave the two prominent players on either side ...
Mike Hosking is a king of breakfast radio, a lover of blazers, and deliverer of opinions via his long-running online video series, Mike’s Minute. José Barbosa absorbed three months’ worth of those opinions in one go, and lived to tell the tale. Just. To be honest, I hadn’t thought about ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Bloomsbury, $25)This 2011 bestseller set during the Trojan War has ...
A new poem from Melbourne-based poet Grace Yee.I have heardthat the price of a pound of gold has gone grey over the last couple of monthsthat the first sovereign lord beheaded his grandsonthat chinese market gardeners in suburbia shipped out after decades of fastingand purificationthat evil-intentioned hooligans penetrated the palace ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dave Parry, Professor of Computer Science, Auckland University of Technology Although international travel restrictions for Australia have been extended to at least June, there may still be potential for a trans-Tasman bubble with New Zealand (and maybe some other countries), according to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Triccas, Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of Sydney The United States’ drug regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said last week COVID vaccines updated for variants won’t need to go through full randomised controlled clinical trials. The booster shots will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Milte, Matthew Flinders Senior Research Fellow, Flinders University The final report from the aged care royal commission this week was damning. Speaking of a system in crisis, it calls for an urgent overhaul. The Morrison government has been facing difficult questions ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David John Eldridge, Professor of Dryland Ecology, UNSW After 200 years of European farming practices, Australian soils are in bad shape – depleted of nutrients and organic matter, including carbon. This is bad news for both soil health and efforts to address ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoe Vaill, PhD Candidate Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology Students are heading off to universities around Australia, whether for the first time or as returning students, with expectations of a year of learning, making friends and enjoyable socialising. For some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Thomas, Vice-Chancellor, Massey University As first-year students flooded onto campuses around the country this week, gripped with uncertainty and curiosity about their new lives, I too returned to university to learn. For the first time since what feels like forever, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW After years of repeatedly missing its inflation target through too timid monetary policy, in the past week the Reserve Bank has decided to get tough. Not only did it hold its closely watched cash rate target ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McNeil, Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney It’s Sydney Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras festival time. LGBTQI people are enjoying what some call “gay or lesbian Christmas”. It’s not quite the same in the era of COVID, ...
A tech expert is warning the government could face multiple stumbling blocks if it makes QR code scanning mandatory - in particular when dealing with tech giants like Apple and Google. ...
*This story first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. A tsunami alert has been issued after a 7.4 earthquake near the Kermadec Islands. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says it expects strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore. It says the threat is from ...
Live coverage of the snap lockdown and the search for a source of the latest infection. Auckland is now at alert level three, NZ at level two. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 7.50am: Two major earthquakes strike; tsunami warning in placeTwo major earthquakes have struck off the coast of New Zealand ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Cabinet to decide on lifting lockdown today, questions raised about the stability of the housing market, and people instinctively respond to tsunami threat after earthquake.A decision will be made today on whether or not Auckland will come out of level ...
The military is showing little sign of backing down, but the coup could have the unintended consequence of unifying Myanmar society in opposition, across significant ethnic divisions. A month ago, citing dubious claims of electoral fraud in the November 2020 election, Myanmar’s military deposed the country’s democratically elected National League for Democracy ...
Rio Olympian Helena Gasson may be one of the oldest Kiwi swimmers still at the top of their game, but she's found a new gear - breaking 20 NZ records in the past 18 months. Even in the year of Covid, with her plans abruptly changed and her training schedule interrupted, Helena ...
A Harvard professor presenting his opinions on alien life as fact when the field at large doesn't agree is misrepresenting science, argues Dr Heloise Stevance For years now Abraham (Avi) Loeb has been a rather passionate advocate for what I call 'The Alien Hypothesis' 一 the idea that extraterrestrial lifeforms are the source of ...
Anna Rawhiti-Connell doesn't want an investment or an asset, but a home. Yet because of last century’s broken promises, she feels like an idiot fish, destined to swim against a current with other idiot fish who think their life savings and lifelong debt will guarantee them a house. We went to some open homes ...
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No comments yet. Everyone must be having a lie in. I know people on here are very tribal, but I do find today that both Labour and National are very similar and have both moved towards the centre. IMO it almost makes no difference which is the ruling party.
Coming from an education background I can see Labour making moves to unravel the mess that National got it into. Long way to go yet tho!
I don’t think reviewing NZ education curriculum by curriculum is the best approach. For example, a number of NCEA 1 subjects have been dropped but where/when are they now covered, if at all? To me it seems NZ education will continue to muddle through with uncertainty and lack of decisive visionary leadership. ACT is waiting in the wings with Charter Schools, which is no more than a plaster for some and does not address the system as a whole, which is just typical of those liberals.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/124148144/new-zealand-failing-to-identify-highachieving-science-students-at-school-research-finds
https://educationhq.com/news/schools-are-failing-to-identify-high-ability-science-students-study-90006/
The age-old problem of using surrogate measures, which in some cases are poor substitutes.
https://phys.org/news/2021-02-schools-high-ability-science-students.html
Indeed, local, ad hoc, reductionist, and aimed at symptoms rather than causes seems to be the ‘pragmatic’ approach here in NZ to many ills & evils. Where are our visionary leaders with deep-thinking skills and broad open minds?
I always thought that Charter Schools were set up as a dumping ground for the bottom 20% of pupils.
That’s a rather unfortunate way of framing, IMO. Sure, they were tied up with political and ideological agendas and vested interests, but they also tried or claimed to address the issue of the long tail in NZ education. Quite a few people were genuinely supportive and work hard with the best of intentions to make a positive difference. To write them off is doing them and the children a huge disfavour and is unfair, IMHO.
I think the idea was for the state schools to wash their hands of the problem kids and they could be dumped in charters presumably just to be trained to read nothing but the Bible.
I believe you’re wrong and misinformed but feel free to find evidence in support. You may want to avoid Bible-bashing, if you can, thanks.
I rather think it was the other way round, Millsy. Charter schools would take lower decile students, and prove that state schools were failing these students, by making successes of them. They then tried to carefully cherry-pick lower decile students who would succeed anyway, but didn't quite do it right, and had to then quietly get rid of obvious upcoming failures.. They then found it was not so bloody easy to teach then anyway, so very few of the Charter Schools achieved anything like the superiority over the state system that they had claimed.
And where did our “Tomorrow’s Schools” review go ?? And now we have Haque now informing us that there are issues, we’ll sh@$ you are leading the eduction reviews Ffs lead.
we have had this century 4+ terms of a labour led government , that is now a 2nd generation being impacted from inaction and a race to the bottom. But keep on wishing, as every day you wish for action our children are missing out
Well people like you were horrified at the idea of schools collaborating and getting proper support so the government backed down.
The wealthier schools like AGC, Rangitoto, etc depend on the poorer schools failing
I did not realise that I was so powerful- And schools already collaborate in not only this local area but other areas where family members teach.
Next time don't make sh^& up by making comments directed at me of something I have never said. But then if it suits your argument be like an Orange man in making things up.
You are on record as opposing any effort to stop schools competing, and bring back the education boards.
I would trust a public servant over a Karen any day in terms of running a school.
[You made a specific assertion about another commenter here. Please back it up with a link(s) or withdraw and apologise, thanks, or cop a ban – Incognito]
[Two weeks off for not backing up your allegations about another commenter or not withdrawing & apologising – Incognito]
Don't go fishing – Where is there any commentary by me that supports your comments ??
I gather you don't have any. There has been recently many occasions where commentators have been ask under threats of time in the corner for making unlinked comments as yours.
Put up then, without resorting to cheep name calling.
a Karen? Please don't bring that politically dodgy term here. Just use a few more words to say what you mean.
See my Moderation note @ 4:30 PM.
Millsy has the wrong end of the stick again. I do not believe that Herodotus is opposed to schools collaborating. Maybe he upset Millsy by arguing against some aspect back when National introduced a superficial policy of that type..
Thanks but it is for millsy to front up or come clean. Let’s see what millsy is made of otherwise millsy will be marching.
See my second Moderation note @ 4:30 PM.
The rot actually starts in Early Childhood Education which was given over to private enterprise with the predictable consequences. If you don't get it right there the rest is built on a very shaky foundation
Well speaking as someone on the bottom of the financial pile there is a lot of difference. Labour's increase to core benefits plus the winter warmth payment and the end of the beneficiary hunting season has been a great help to me.
(meant as a reply to Jester)
But all that shows is that benefits core base should be way higher so that no supplementals – heating allowance, accom benefit, hard ship grants etc- are needed in the first place. And that was categorically ruled out before the second term. So that is it. The sum total of 6 years when all is set and done, a heating payment and a wee bit of an increase that does not hold up with anything. I don't say that it is not a bit better, on a scale of 1 – 10 you are 1 bit better off then you were before.
So this is again an exercise in doing nothing much where it is needed, and with the next government come in the supplementals like the heating allowance can just simply be canned and thus nothing was achieved other then a few drops on a hot stone for a few years.
In the meantime more people homeless, more people unemployed (well women people, people of color, other abled people, white men – as per the stats of the government are doing well), house prices even more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, rents more unaffordable then they were 4 years ago, water, electricity and food up.
This is not to diminish that what little was done is to a benefit to you and others on a benefit, that personally is great, but it was no more then a drip on a hot stone.
And thus, there really is no real difference between the Nats and the Labs, and i would venture a guess that the 25 NZD benefit raise (core benefit) under Nat also would have helped a bit in the moment but as with Labours peanuts it changed nothing long term. Too little, in most cases to late, is just that, too little to late.
The Nats benefit raise WAS ONLY TO SOME BENEFITS not all – Job Seekers and Supported Living GOT NOTHING.
Using capitals is considered shouting on-line and using bold font makes it worse (and might be confused with Moderation here).
Please consider using italics when you want to emphasise something. For example:
FIFY
Apologies for shouting – I was feeling angry at the suggestion that the increases of Labour and National were similar. – Also forgot the reduced Doctor's charges
I totally understand. It is because sometimes it can create ‘bad vibes’.
Hi Barfly, I agree!! There are times when righteous drivel and pro Nat anti Labour is reason to shout.
sometimes it's appropriate to shout I think, although should be used rarely. In this instance, regulars on TS have been repeatedly told that National's benefit raise was for only some beneficiaries. Shouting sometimes gets the message through (or at least gives some sense that it might).
I agree that general use of bold is annoying for moderation.
sad that beneficiaries have to keep yelling about this. Glad the Labour changes have made some difference for you Barfly
And not every one on the benefit have equally benefitted from changes under Labour.
The point is not to minimize what changes have been made, my friend is very happy with her heating allowance, her reduced doctors bills etc. But still every few month she is at the office – virtually – so to speak asking for help with some bills because it is not enough.
Same as it was not enough with National.
So my issue is not with 'who is being more generous' with the pennies that are being dispensed but my issue is that both sides are 'stingy beyond believe and need' with the pennies that they dispense.
By comparing two mediocre responses to a huge problem in our society, we are actually not discussing the need that exists, but rather the trickle down responses to it.
there's a problem with saying there is no difference between National and Labour. It's factually incorrect in important ways. And it discourages the underclass from being politically active to effect change.
Well see i don't think it is factually incorrect.
Both increased rates, to some extend. Both have not done enough. The labour party has campaigned on not doing anything else for beneficiaries and got voted in on this promise among others – those dear cross over fiscal conservatives votes came in handy winning an all out majority..
So yes, in my personal opinion, they are both the same when it comes to increasing the benefits of all beneficiaries to such an extend that it would be at the very lest 480.00 per week (covid relieve for full timer after tax). Missing in action and hiding behind meaningless feel good rethoric.
The need is still there and raising. Both Parties for the longest time have failed. Both parties do nothing more then tinker on the edges – both parties do this to the extend that they need to not upset the people whose vote they want.
As for the underclass……we have 1 million people that don't vote, and not all of them are underclass. And quite a few of the underclass will not vote for Labour or Green or any other left leaning party because conservative / religious/ libertarian etc. I would not consider the 'underclass' a monolithic voting block that will vote reflexively for a so called social leaning party.
So you are happy to tip your cap to the government for reluctantly giving you some chump change For your total deviation and loyalty ?
when should it be determined that much govt handouts are inadequate then address the real issue. Hope you spend the 40 pieces of silver wisely.
Be it housing, poverty, inequality etc Labour only dish out the min, IF THAT🥵
Last winter that chump change was $65 a week maybe that's chump change to you – I found it pretty helpful – I remember well the National government – the threats ,the promises of crackdowns , the continued demonisation of those least able to defend themselves (me included). The only structural change I remember was reducing the maximum length of a Doctor's medical Certificate from 5 years to 2 years – great stuff to increase the level of fear and uncertainty among the long term mentally ill
seriously, you're calling beneficiaries spending what little the government give them a bribe for betrayal? We all know what Labour is doing is not enough, but that's not he fault of beneficiaries who are grateful for the relief.
Yup, it smelled of bad faith but was probably just extremely poorly worded.
the generous interpretation is that he didn't think about what forty pieces of silver means.
the chosen handle suggests otherwise.
Must be because of inflation.
Put my hand up there and own my mistake. 30 not 40 ☹️
I will spell this out for you, that I have commented many time before.
If there is a problem fix it, if benefits are not adequate increase them. What this and other governments do is add ons. But NOT addressing the issue directly.
Those in need, after the tokenism are less in need. But has their needs been fully met ? Less Poor is STILL Poor. Those in less Need are still in need 🤬
+1
dude, I'm a politicised long term beneficiary. I know what the state of play is. Reread my comment. Beneficiaries are entitled to feel relieved and even grateful when their income increases, esp those that have been struggling to eat properly, get medical care, look after their kids.
Try this from the Greens commenting on Nationals deficient increases in benefits in 2016 – Same can now be applied to this government. So where are The Greens now and that their government has "Not" ensured that every family got the help they need. But hey, they should be grateful for the little they are given. That will fix this
“If the Government really cared about helping children living in families on the breadline, it would have ensured every child in every family got the help they need. Instead it chose to do the bare minimum,” Ms Logie said.
https://www.greens.org.nz/half-families-denied-full-benefit-increase
2. I've long argued against the child poverty approach politically because it separates beneficiaries into deserving and undeserving poor. Children are innocent and should be fed, ill and disabled adults can get fucked. Not that advocates see it like that, but they are buying into dangerous framing that National uses against us.
It is not The Greens Govt – But where is their response now to Labours inadequate increases, and why are so many that were vocal now not so ? As you said TG have been locked out so why not comment ?
As what has been done in increasing benefits does not ensure that every child gets the help… Perhaps they 2 were gifted 30 pieces for their silence or some offices of power? And as Sabine has stated what is the difference ?? or perhaps, The Greens don't benchmark their statements that had been made towards national and apply them now. Just thinking out loud 😉
https://www.greens.org.nz/economic_windfall_should_be_funnelled_straight_back_into_communities
no, you're just making shit up. So sick of this bullshit too. Been hearing it for decades, and it never pans out. They consistently step up and do what is needed, including holding Labour to account.
To be fair, they said this in 2019
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/07/greens-call-out-labour-over-failure-to-increase-benefits.html
In the meantime Jan Logie and/ or the Green Party is/are still correct in the assessment that the hardship grants are just a window to the obviouis, the main benefits are not high enough, and that is ongoing as per the government owns stats.
https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/statistics/benefit/2020/benefit-fact-sheets/benefit-fact-sheets-snapshot-december-2020.pdf Page 8
TheGreens are not currently in the position to do much.
Fwiw, this is Labours and only Labours failure. They knew that the benefits were to short, lowly, miserly already when Key replaced Clark, and nothing has changed since. Their failure to stand up to the voting public in Sept /Oct and take some risk in what was a won election from the onset is what makes them mediocre and not much different from the Nats in my opinion. No guts, no glory.
And thus eventually they arrive at the position of 'i have tried nothing and everything failed, what else could i have possibly done'. Well you could have campaigned on raising the benefit levels for all, remove the unemployment benefits from relationship status, and finally admit that children are poor in this country because their parents are poor, or have fallen into poverty. Just a few suggestions.
Ok I accept that Greens have made comments of wanting more.
My comments have migrated away from the main point – Inadequate support.
Comes across as bitter and with an axe to grind. $25 plus $40 pw winter payments (for a 6 month duration) is not insignificant at all.
Prior to increase a base rate of around $202 in the hand.
Add $45 per week.
That's over 20% more in the hand. Also, state house tenants not living in fear of evictions, market rents, P-tests, drug tests, doxing etc as National like to do. So what's Sabine's deal other than grinding an axe. Poor people know there's a clear difference between Labour and National. Sure, Labour could do more. To say they're the same is some fanciful bullshit.
I'd add that with Labour there's the chance of good change, because they're at least facing in the right direction. National were going as fast as they could get away with in NZ down the proto-fascist pathway and beneficiaries were one of the front lines with that. Bill English's big data plans were horrendous. The Bennett Reforms were neoliberal punitive welfare on steroids. Labour have done some shit stuff, National took it to a whole new level. Ardern's Labour look to me like they're not going to do enough (thanks Labour voters), but they're not doing nothing and they're certainly not taking us in the direction that National were.
I couldn’t possibly comment.
Herodotus @ 2.2 "Total deviation?" Devotion? Your biblical reference to coin…. Try some kindness, doesn't cost a bean.
We need hedgerows, now!
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/02/reservoirs-of-life-hedgerows-help-uk-net-zero-2050-aoe
hazelnut and almonds make good hedgerows and they produce food.
He he that reminds me of a story. Back in the 80s a friend of mine was on the Ponsonby Community Committee and the subject of street trees came up. My friend suggested planting fruit trees. The response from one woman was that you couldn't do that because the children might eat the fruit! Ponsonby was in the process of being gentrified at the time so was slowly being infested with the 'upwardly mobile'
Yes, i used to live in Grey Lynn when first moving to AKL. And gosh, there were boxes of free fruit out on Williamson Ave from the private houses. Now they mostly have rock gardens and house chartered accountants.
I plant fruit trees with a vengance. Its my great hobby.
Hedgerows could be a green and sappy venous system for the body landscape for all NZ. Insects, birds, fungi and bipedal walkers could flow from place to place, sheltered and fed all the way. Hamlets might form at the intersections and foot-traffic take its rightful place as the preferred form of travel. News might travel by hedgerow rather than wire or fibre, story-tellers in Lincoln green could….hang on! Anyone read Riddley Walker???
No but it sounds wonderful like Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter?
Best you don't get yourself a copy then 🙂
Beatrix Potter for grown – ups?
The roads in between make for good tracktor roads if they are a shared commodity and also allow for walking/cycling as a form of transport. As someone who used to cycle a lot this is the one thing that i miss, the old tracktor/walking/pilgrimage roads that often times have at least on one side a hedgerow growing.
bustling hedgerows
… and spring cleaning may queens …
Hi I'm a time traveler from the 1700s that the hanky to return to . Most of us were dead by 40 and we were ruled by feudal cunts ,take it from me you are much better off now.
It seems that way, Time Traveller, but if I may ask: did your activities in the 17 hundreds bring the natural world to the brink of collapse? It's kind of a pressing issue for us in the 20-20's and it may be that our own children and grandchildren will have far shorter lives even, than yours. All the best with your mission.
We were well on our way, look forward for your answers not backwards.
Only a small % of people would want a quaint life.
To be fair, that rough life expectancy was skewed by a massive infant mortality rate that wasn't the fault of hedgerows. It wasn't exactly unheard of to get to your 70s or 80s even in those days.
My point is RG s dream of the world becoming a small holding utopia, it's a pointless dream that helps not one bit with modern day problems, you can lump the whole power down mob in there to . Imho
It's an intriguing approach – to belittle and dismiss the efforts of one who is trialling alternative solutions to the 'pickle' of modern day problems. All civilisations fail – spaceship Earth simply can't sustain the one we've crafted – we (all) need to make changes.
It's prudent to work on improving societal resilience in order to retain at least some of the privileges that ‘the golden billion‘ enjoy. Imho.
Harsh, bwaghorn, harsh!
Still, I'm undeterred by your misreading of my views 🙂
"Small holding utopia"?
Nah.
I see adaptation no matter where "you" are, no matter what you're doing.
It's a cultural thing – our present culture is not proving sustainable, so we (all) must change. Sticking to our guns will leave us … stuck to our guns.
Who dobbed-in the leader of Te Path Maori, for not wearing a tie in the House???
Bishop? or someone similarly petty
Could be any (of them) 🙂
Bishop is trying to tie a noose around Mallard’s neck.
Isn't 'colonial noose' a great term for it..
Did Dunne wear neck or bow?
All I can remember is the coiffure.
You’d be ok in Parliament though, you can hide anything underneath that magnificent beard, you could even go unbuttoned
I'd love to see more and bigger beards in the House. Most people think "patriarchy" when they see a substantial beard, but in fact, cascading beards reflect a growing feminine aspect; it's far more common to see long, curling locks on a the head of a woman than it is a man and the increased sensitivity to breeze, bramble-snagging and tugs by grandchildren help develop a more aware human; think buzz-cut American grunt as compared with fully-tressed 70's hippie from the cast of Hair 🙂
Mallard is being a goose. He could easily say it looks like a tie to me.
Hard to tell under that big hat.
yep, seems an odd path for Mallard to have taken, can't make sense of it tbh.
In fact, Mallard has form in this area. Soon after Brash's infamous Orewa speech, the Clark regime made the strategic decision to ease back on its support for Māori. This would apparently make the bigots who comprised Brash's base think twice, and appreciate that Labour was not "too P.C."
Clark could not be seen to lower herself to such dodgy behaviour, so Mallard was given the role of attack dog. One of the most unpleasant things he did was to publicly complain about the length of pōwhiri at parliamentary and other functions. That won him praise from people like Paul Holmes and Sean Plunket, but there is no evidence that the racists abandoned National and rushed to Labour. This disastrous reset in Labour policy culminated in Clark making her contemptuous statements about the Foreshore and Seabed protestors—"I'd rather meet Shrek the Sheep," she intoned, mirthlessly.
Looks like Chris Bishop is not the only person gunning for Mallard.
Barry Soper: Failure to hold Trevor Mallard to account shows Labour's hypocrisy – NZ Herald
No matter how hard they rub off on each other, they’ll never create an original spark, only fricative hot air.
It's pretty clear the man who was making a nuisance of himself and who Mallard outed is a good mate of Soper's.
Barry sees nothing wrong in chasing much younger women and I suspect our man in parliament is cut from the same cloth.
Yep I agree. I have always thought that Soper knows the person very well and is a friend.