Open mike 08/07/2022
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...4 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...6 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
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The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
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The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...7 days ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
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The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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- New intelligence oversight appointments
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- Appointments to the ENZ board
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- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
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- Judicial appointment announced
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- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
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- Building consent processing times improve
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Kiwi …….Iwi
I posted on this yesterday
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-07-2022/#comment-1898935
9.1
Anyone else bothered by this ?
I note ol' Muriel Newman's……involvement. And the Three White Men of Anti 3 Waters (of course theres more than that ! )
Peter Williams, Jim Hopkins (unfunny man ) Garrick Tremain sure encapsulate the Old White Dinosaur meme.
Shame !
Those 3 have a small but vociferous following, and they are nasty misogynists.
Most people are more exercised about the rising covid threats.
They see 3 waters fight back by Farmers and Councils as vested interests.
When the alternatives are spelled out most people will make sensible choices. After all water is a human right, not a resource to be sold off to the highest bidder, as has been the case up 'till now.
We want new pipes and no more blue babies. Farmers have to change, painful though that may be. We have to build our exports in other areas to gradually change to other proteins where possible.
Humans have been overcoming change forever, the speed of change is only a reflection of our prevarication.
It takes Government to mandate necessary change, so the machinery of Government is being attacked by the self interested, who had carefully dismantled all checks and balances, and are screaming as they are re-established.
Central control is necessary, or our country will end up like a self driven car, going too fast in an uncontrolled fashion. We have democratic levers to act as checks and balances, but even they may be swayed by the loud voices and the money.
Pete Williams etal are just eamples of that rump. Those who say an industry is "Too big to fail" need to read some history. We do not have the excuse of ignorance any more, so have to belatedly "bite the bullet" of over water use and climate change effects.
Ex-Federated Farmers president throws hat in ring for Southland District Council Mayoralty.
Standing on an anti-3 Waters, anti-co-governance ticket. No doubt assured of strong farmer support at the polling booth.
What?
Isn't the old idea of sitting a dog on a rural mail box with a blue ribbon around its neck and a name enough? (As my Southland born and bred farmer bro in law would say)
They want a person?
Southland is making/continuing a bit of a name for itself with this hardline, reactionary stuff eg Groundswell.
Though we ignore them at our peril.
It's a name I'm not proud of. This play, by the regressive farmers, speaks volumes to the negative side of conservatism. Loyalty to the "old days" can be admirable; blockheadedness isn't.
'
Big Ups to the editorial staff at Newshub for re-publishing this, opening themselves to charges of having a Left Wing political bias by those on the Right who have a stake in and benefit from increasing inequality in our society.
Even as we speak, pol studs graduates will be writing their phd briefs as to why the worlds 2 oldest democracies are such a mess.
The USA has a federal system, with the Constitution providing, in theory, checks and balances. England has a parliamentary democracy with no written constitution, but hundreds of years of precedence.
Yet how come over the last few years they are both such clusterfucks. Could it be as simple as their electoral system. FPP has delivered such flawed democracies. Yet in both cases there is no real drive for change.
Are we going to see a break up of the United Kingdom, and civil war in the US before meaningful change happens?
Democracy in the UK and the US is fine. The problem is the people drawn to political leadership in each of those countries in recent times.
In the US, voters have swapped a deranged narcissist for a frail and cognitively challenged lame duck.
In the UK, the last election featured two opponents, one a buffoon better suited to stand up comedy, the other labelled a 'f***ing disgrace' by one of his own shadow ministers, and who led his party to it's worst ever defeat.
It never ceases to amaze me that the US, a country of over 300m people, haven't produced a half decent president in yonks.
If we take Montesquieu at his word, the operating principle of late monarchy was honour, which flowed from (or was mediated by) the sovereign.
As the public role of royalty declined, the risks of manifestly dishonourable behaviour, which might once have attracted a royal rebuke, or even merely interrupted the honours gravy train, are no longer sufficient to deter out and out bounders like Johnson and Starmer.
Semibarbaric sovereigns are looking better every day.
O tempora! O mores!
There are many floodgates that have been opened: religious tolerance; easing of sexual repression; dogma replaced by educated thought..
It has struck me for a long time that countries have constantly reverted to their normal style. Russia had its radical communist revolution, but Stalin reverted to being a ruthless old Czar. China too – Mao became a dictatorial old warlord-emperor.
But when you look at the likes of Boris, Trump, dubya Bush and Biden, are we western countries reverting to anything, or just losing the power of rational thought?
I like your reversion thesis, though I'm not sure Mao is a good fit for it – his linguistic reform is more in accord with enlightened rulers like Sejong The young North Korean dynasty may be closer to the archetype – a divinely anointed ruler or god king – though clearly no Confucian exemplar.
Xi seems to be determined to emulate Mao – dooming himself to never surpass him.
It’s not Mao he wants to emulate. It’s the Emperors of old.
The Son of Heaven.
Couple of reports that he's not too well.
https://twitter.com/japantimes/status/1545240553797066752
Reports I've seen saying he died, or vital had flat lined.
It was with a shotgun from behind, at close range.
https://twitter.com/kyodo_english/status/1545242258240569344?t=y-BltHoUIxB9T0ejh4gYnw&s=19
Al Jazeera is reporting he didn't make it.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/8/japan-ex-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-dies
I see Chris Hipkins is hitting the road to talk with frontline police staff across the country. That is very good. A little late and a waste of time in my opinion because most people could tell the minister what is needed NOW. But at least he's making an effort. And it would seem police are starting to harden up a little as this clip shows. This is what I call good policing.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/07/watch-man-arrested-after-allegedly-crashing-into-car-fleeing-into-locals-backyards-in-devonport.html
https://community.scoop.co.nz/2022/07/police-minister-to-visit-every-police-district/
However, this isn't so good from Chris
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-minister-chris-hipkins-claims-national-mp-mark-mitchell-attacked-him-in-an-on-air-clash-over-police-issues/VXCZ5DCKO67NFFQDBIYI2WI6BI/
''Hipkins tweeted later that Mitchell "attacked" him during the interview for talking about increased diversity in police.
"He claimed it's undermining confidence Wow!! National really do seem to have a problem with women at the moment!,"
I have posted about my reservations regarding many women police officers.
[deleted]
That is understandable and I have witnessed that myself.
Now this. This will be a incoming National Party problem. They will need to deliver to regain public and police confidence.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/northland-police-officer-blows-lid-on-alleged-mid-and-far-north-failings/GLZACZV2XWRRW3Z4BB4KTCLWQ4/
Only a fool now believes crime is not out of control in NZ.
[citation without link deleted. I’m also not inclined to let casual racism through based on hearsay, so I deleted the rest of the paragraph as well – weka]
mod note.
Ad?
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=604040107755559&set=a.503077657851805
that must be a relief.