Open mike 08/04/2025

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 8th, 2025 - 17 comments
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17 comments on “Open mike 08/04/2025 ”

  1. bwaghorn 1
    8 April 2025 at 6:27 am

    https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/govt-dreaming-over-massive-pine-planting-plan

    I have know problem with this , except that the thick nats want private companies to profit off public land , the government should plant and own the trees and credits.

    Reply
    • AB 1.1
      8 April 2025 at 9:16 am

      And when all the available land is planted in trees and the country has failed to bring emissions down because the tree planting plan has justified more delay, resistance and inertia, and that delay was also justified by saying that magic tech solutions are just around the corner so all will be well, what then?

      Reply
    • Matiri 1.2
      8 April 2025 at 9:57 am

      Was watching the Black Caps Pakistan ODI game on Saturday and the camera panned to a fully laden log ship leaving the Port of Tauranga. The commentator said "off to China to make toothpicks".

      Sums up the short sightedness of it all.

      Reply
    • Adrian 1.3
      8 April 2025 at 11:43 am

      So they are planning on covering the Molesworth and St James Stations, i.e low grade public land, with pine trees while the Marlborough, Kaikoura and Hurinui Councils are spending millions trying to control wilding pines. We are surrounded by idiots, easily identified though, they are on the TV at 6 every night.

      Reply
  2. Adrian 2
    8 April 2025 at 11:38 am

    According to the chart courtesy of Johnathon Milne of Newsroom and supplied by the World Bank et al, on the Mountain Tui post "NZD falls " , this morning, the US currently spends about 2.2% of GDP on defence, yet Trump is demanding the we in NZ spend 5% , over twice as much as the US. Yet it appears that Luxon and Willis have fallen for it. Hypocrisy and bullshit are their running mates.

    Reply
    • Mikey 2.1
      8 April 2025 at 11:47 am

      Hopefully we'll spend it in the EU.

      Reply
    • alwyn 2.2
      8 April 2025 at 2:43 pm

      I don't know where you are getting your numbers from but I think you should have another look at the data. When I look at the World Bank data it says that the US, in 2023 spent 3.4% of GDP on Military Expenditure and New Zealand spent 1.2%. Where on earth did you look to get you figure of 2.2% for the USA? I would also like to know where the 5% suggested for NZ comes from.

      https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=US-NZ

      Reply
      • Scud 2.2.1
        8 April 2025 at 6:12 pm

        NZ Defence spending 1.2%GDP on is a total misnomer for starters as nearly a 1/3 of the NZDF & MoD Budgets go back to the NZG via Treasures Capital Charges!

        Before it reaches like for example the NZDF Operation Budget or Training & Captial Projects Budgets etc.

        If Treasury actually followed it's advice and the stupid National Govt in the 90's who introduced this Stupidity of this accounting merry go round!

        Then half the problems associated with the current DCP would be already fixed within the NZDF & MoD Budgets!

        Reply
  3. joe90 3
    8 April 2025 at 12:24 pm

    lol the EU cares too much about stopping illegal deforestation (5) and South American is doing too much illegal deforestation. (7)

    //

    United States Trade Representative

    @USTradeRep

    In honor of @POTUS
    'historic trade action, USTR is spotlighting another 10 unfair trade practices faced by American exporters. 1/10: Over 100,000 Chinese-made American flags are sold every month on just one e-commerce platform alone, resulting in $2 million in lost sales for American manufacturers, which ultimately leads to lost job opportunities and business closures. American flags should be Made in America!

    Read the below thread for more.

    […]

    5/10: The EU's Deforestation-free Supply Chain Regulation (EUDR) aims to prohibit imports of seven products—including cattle, cocoa, rubber, and wood—unless exporters meet various burdensome compliance requirements, including due diligence and geolocation data.

    […]

    7/10: Illegal logging and illegal mining in South America, particularly in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, fuel environmental degradation and create unfair competition that harms U.S. businesses committed to responsible sourcing and compliance with environmental laws.

    https://x.com/USTradeRep/status/1909326869058781281

    Reply
  4. Jimmy 4
    8 April 2025 at 1:29 pm

    David Parker has resigned

    Reply
    • Tiger Mountain 4.1
      8 April 2025 at 1:39 pm

      Not looking good for Labour, has Hipkins made another Cap’n’s Call on the massive war spend perhaps…

      Reply
    • newsense 4.2
      8 April 2025 at 1:46 pm

      Must be because he’s an experienced politician trying to develop policy to solve problems.

      Thanks for all your hard work David. It’s a difficult name to have in the Labour Party.

      Just last week Duncan Grieve from the Spinoff and The Fold was saying how much of a relief it was to hear Parker talking about solutions to the problems of the media environment or perhaps it was just his ability to articulate the problem, where few have, not least because of a conflict of interest.

      Don’t become a vacuous shadow Labour. Propose solutions and fight for them. Fucking appalled to see urban sprawl around our market gardens south of Auckland. Don’t make David’s legacy that of a Casssandra. Fight for Labour principles and be a voice for good policy, not just a red jacket on ‘steady as she goes.’

      Reply
    • Drowsy M. Kram 4.4
      8 April 2025 at 1:59 pm

      Labour stalwart and former Cabinet Minister David Parker resigns from Parliament [8 April 2025]
      "I was a serial entrepreneur before coming to Parliament and have been an agent for change while here. I will return to the private sector and continue building a prosperous and egalitarian nation," Parker said.

      Among other things, I'll remember Parker for summarising results from the NZ IRD’s High Wealth Individuals Research Project – go well David.

      IRD report shows wealthy NZers pay much lower tax rates than other earners [26 April 2023]
      “The data, based on full income information from 311 of our wealthiest citizens, shows that the average person in this group pays an effective tax rate of just 8.9% tax on their economic income – that is, income from all sources, including capital gains on investments.

      “In contrast, most New Zealanders pay tax at more than twice that rate. For example, someone earning a salary of $80,000, with no other income, pays 22% tax on that income, excluding GST.

      “The difference is mainly because the very wealthy earn only a small portion of their income from wages and salaries, unlike most New Zealanders.

      Reply

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