How can people who are so adamant that "bloody Labour" and useless "Jacinta who is mucking everything up" and yet don't know the difference between the EU and the Commowealth when the next discussion point is Brexit be allowed to have a vote?
One just has to hope that these ignorants are spread evenly across the political spectrum… so their influence is nil….
Talkback suits the Right better with their adamant rather than us with our buts and why-fors. Whatever silly-arse prejudice you have mate it's right. Only the hosts being brought up in social-democracy holds it back.
I've been following the Brexit shenanigans and ensuing parliamentary farce on a couple of UK stations, LBC and BBC 5 Live. The differences between them and our so-called news radio is like night and day. Ignoring a couple of the more hoskinesque hosts , the nuanced and informative analysis and commentary from hosts, commentators and expert guests is first rate. And they must have rather good vetting systems to weed out the ranting, partisan, single-issue loons because most of their talk-back callers come across as reasonable, well informed, and worthwhile the time spent listening.
The way who have handled it? The Labour Party? In what sense was their handling of it a joke? Neither of us has significant knowledge of how it was handled, so ignorance-based reckons about the quality of the handling could themselves only take the form of jokes, surely?
As an abstract hypothetical, though: when allegations of workplace harrassment and bullying are made against an individual and an investigation finds that the allegations are unsupported, ie it comes down to he says/she says, how would you handle those allegations in a way that treated all parties fairly, respected their privacy, achieved a result satisfactory to all parties and also couldn't be used as propaganda against you by your enemies? Do take your time.
Vance mentions in passing Parliaments inquiry into Bullying etc?
The Journalists have never revisited the shock conclusion that some Journalists around parliament are part of the problem
"A significant number of respondents – not all of them Members – commented on what they perceived as inappropriate behaviour by members of the Press Gallery or media more generally."
and a quote:
““Gallery behaviour is unacceptable… they come in there perfectly nice people and then adopt this persona of the classic bully. You can watch it happen.”
Code of Omerta means people like Vance wont touch that aspect
"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Labour Party President Nigel Haworth have delivered an apologetic press conference, admitting major failings by the party. Ms Ardern said the burden of care and responsibility for those allegedly sexually assualted at a summer camp should not have been left to members of Young Labour. "We handled this very, very badly as a party," Ms Ardern said."
"The party is also facing criticism for the presence of alcohol at the event. Young people attended the event with parental consent, but on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Ardern was unable to say whether those consent forms mentioned alcohol. Labour MP Liz Craig was at the event that night. On Wednesday afternoon, she deleted a photo from her Facebook page which showed her seated at a table with a group of young adults who were drinking alcohol."
There's more, but that's enough. I don't like labelling Labour's handling of this 'a joke'; it rather minimises the damage. Incompetent, inept, useless…these are far better descriptors.
Nigel Haworth has not done Jacinda any favours the way he has handled it. If true that he banned complainants from buildings, why was the accused not banned or stood down why investigation going on? Andrea Vance and Alison Mau seem to have really turned on Labour this weekend.
As an abstract hypothetical: when allegations of workplace harrassment and bullying are made against an individual and an investigation finds that the allegations are unsupported, ie it comes down to he says/she says, how would you handle those allegations in a way that treated all parties fairly, respected their privacy, achieved a result satisfactory to all parties and also couldn't be used as propaganda against you by your enemies? Do take your time.
The accused should have been stood down while investigation underway, not just the accusers being banned from the building. I think this may cost Nigel Haworth his job. The last one cost Andrew Kirton his job.
The Spinoff piece under discussion in today's thread suggests there was no investigation, or at least nothing you could reasonably call an investigation. Like you, I don't see how Kirton could keep his job and still expect anyone to vote Labour – same with the others involved.
I had to reread the story carefully as from the "heading" it seemed as though the story was in regard to the recent case due to be sentenced later in the year – the word "young" gave, to me, every impression of that. What it is referring to is another completely separate matter that has an element of "employment" attached to it and no charges, as yet, which has a bearing that needs to be sorted but the inference unless studied and read carefully implies something else.
Thanks for the clarification Rapaunzel. It wasn't at all clear from that article what case was being referred to:
He [Mallard] said: "The first point that I want to make is that I have repeatedly, through [Parliamentary Service's] general manager [Rafael Gonzalez-Montero], the relevant office and people who have raised the matter with me that I think either a Police complaint (if an offence is alleged to have occurred) or a complaint relating to employment if people feel unsafe, should be made.
The seven complainants have still not laid any complaints with either the police or Parliamentary Services.
I'm not suggesting nothing happened, but I’m starting to smell a big rat over this case.
🙂 It didn;t help that the paper was drenched but the heading led me, and I guess others, up the garden path until I re-read it. No one is suggesting anything did not happen but there are cases that were supposedly being looked at that the public had heard no more of within the National Party that were not disimmilar.
Why can't NZ media stick to the facts and the fact is as you say there are no charges and employment matters have to be handled very carefully for all involved. Allowing media to be judge and jury of what happened, how it "should be handled" and where the "blame" lies is unacceptable. This sort of conjecture and getting to the heart of who, how many people and exactly what needs to be done does nothing to educate on and improve workplace relationships.
... there are cases that were supposedly being looked at that the public had heard no more of within the National Party that were not disimilar.
There was a serious case earlier this year involving a Young Nat (male) and a Young Nat event. It was reported through the MSM and then… nothing. It was suspected at the time the complainant was 'bought off'.
"In line with our health and safety policies, we acted quickly to offer any support and advice to the person who raised the issue, and this information was passed on to the alleged victim.
"As this is now a matter for the police, we can't comment any further."
And that, as far as I know, was the last we heard of the matter so I am assuming the complainant withdrew her complaint. Did she do it of her own accord or was she coerced? Did any journos bother to check out what happened? The answer appears to be… no.
It would seem there's a big difference how these cases get reported depending on which party the complainant/complainants belong to eh?
Anne, the reason your comments are held in in Auto-Moderation is a minor typo in your user name, which I have corrected a number of times now. The system ‘thinks’ that you’re a new user and this needs to be manually approved.
That was from about 3 weeks ago , Bennett went full out on it, it was covered by the media as she arranged.
Now Vance who moved out of the Press gallery into management has a slow Sunday scandal day hole to fill ? . Has she been chatting to Bennett who wanted to recycle old news
Their new weekly columnist , the taxpayer funded opinion piece by Seymours staffer seems to disappeared
Well Stuff can get stuf't on a Sunday I'm cancelling my paper and will say exactly why, the same should apply to talkback advertisers such as "magic" radio with its Too Cheap Cars donations. After the $400+k fine for cheating clients only "trmagic's" terminally dim listeners would be an option as clientele anyway.
After the Revolutionary War, many of the white people who were loyal to Britain moved to the Bahamas, which was largely empty. A lot of those people brought their enslaved Africans with them.
But harsh conditions made many of the white people leave. Then, in 1807, Britain abolished the slave trade. Many of those freed Africans who were liberated on the open seas went to the Bahamas as free people.
When the US basically bought Florida from Spain, thousands of enslaved Africans and Black Seminoles said “fuck this” and escaped to the Bahamas.
So many ran to freedom that the US government had to build a lighthouse in Cape Florida in 1825.
In 1834, Britain freed all the slaves in its territories and shit really got crazy.
So there are significant numbers of Tory MPs with the integrity and spine prepared to stand up to Boorish and say what they think, in full knowledge the likely price is the end of their political career. That really highlights what a bunch of jellyfish the Repugs are in their craven capitulation to Kim Jong Orange.
A teacher on an individual contract has complained to the Human Rights Commission about payments union members will get after the settling of a protracted pay wrangle.
And he claims non-union teachers have been kept in the dark that they can negotiate their own employment agreements.
Hastings Boys' High head of music Justin Lindsay claims that the Ministry of Education has discriminated on the basis of political opinion in their new Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement (STCA) 2019-2022.
I googled him. Looks like he took care to sanitise his online foot print before speaking out. The only thing he shows is that he was employed in the ESOL and tech sector in Japan for a number of years,
"And he claims non-union teachers have been kept in the dark "? Really? And he also claims to be a teacher? I have seen that name before with similar "complaints" but no mention of how many people he represents. How is it that one individual's statement is passed by media as being either a wide-spread issue or movement?
Which is why NZ seriously needs some sort of public service information outlet, either a whole channel or something. While I suppose that was clear to me right from the messing with contract thing in the 1990s, more towards the end of that period I gather their are people who don't appear to "know" these things – he does is, spreading misinformation is his intent.
There are lots of basic things beginning with how to register and vote, what "free" medical options families might have, how not to pay insurance unless you know you have met criteria and are fully covered for what you think you've paid for, what are your employment "rights" and obligations are – so as not to jeopardize your employment, along with reliable borrowing or budgeting advice etc. The information is there but it needs to be more readily available and visible and repeated till it sinks in. During the 2014 election I heard from several young people that their employers or other told them "if you don't vote this way you will have no job". They believed it and spread that idea around. If basic information about "rights' was more common and normalised people might start thinking for themselves and/or seeking out the facts when they need them.
There's a Parliament TV channel that has a lot of downtime – even given repeats of QT etc. (and that's just for starters). It could actually be used for educational purposes at various times – providing 'civics'/'social studies', the citizens' rights when dealing with government agencies, the Treaty, BOR et al
No end of things – took my grandson to the medical centre last holidays and they had a number of items running, how many other groups have items of interest, probably local councils and voluntary groups.
Besides that what groups are active in an area may be an incentive to make people more active which is the first step in the right direction to give mental stimulation, company and activities to turn back the tide of health issues putting pressure on services.
Yes, that is indeed the kind of thing that happens when technologists use simple sloppy techniques that are more or less how bacteria have been getting their genes into other organisms without any human intervention since forever. Like happened with sweet potato.
Rudd is just a careerist first and foremost looking out for herself. She makes Paula Bennett seem like Mary Poppins… the Windrush scandal wa swhen she was in charge….. she smells blood in the water for Johnson and wants to be part of the next cabinet and the next cabinet
This is the person she is :
"Rudd first denied there were targets for the removal of immigrants. Later, she maintained that she had not known of targets. Later still, The Guardian published leaked evidence that Rudd had known about targets: "
Wikipedia. That resulted in one of her many resignations
She should really be going to the Great Tory Boneyard in the Sky… but is likely to reappear somwhow.
Fox News opinion host Laura Ingraham’s earnest efforts to troll liberals reached a new, if not bizarre, level Friday as she attempted to drink a steak stuffed with incandescent light bulbs through a plastic straw.
“Well, it’s a meal that will trigger all the right … I meant all the left people,” she said to kick off the “Ingraham Angle” segment.
Meanwhile, let's remind ourselves of Article 2 Section 1 Clause 7 of the Constitution:
The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Money from any government source finding it's way into a federal official's pocket from any source other than salary is a direct violation of the constitution, and should be cause for immediate impeachment. But Repugs just don't care, it's not like adults were indulging in any consensual private pleasure or anything like that. (Although grossly inappropriate due to the power imbalance involved)
Thats a beat up about USAF flight stop overs in Prestwick Scotland. Its not really Glasgow which has its own airport close to the city.
They reason they stop. because planes fly 'Great Circle' arcs between origin and destination as much as possible. Prestwick is on the direct route for stop overs between Middle east and US military bases. Plus its less crowded airspace- which causes delays- than military airports in Southern England.
We can see similar occurrences for USAF flights to Antarctica, they stop to refuel at Christchurch, change crew etc .
This Trump Hotel/ Golf club is just outside Prestwick, maybe they offer a cut price deal for all these sort of cargo airlines for crew stop overs.
The idea that they are stopping there so they can stay at that hotel doesnt follow.
Cant see Prestwick 'supporting Bombing raids on Syria'
A loaded Bomber definitely wont be landing at a public airport…. they need facilities that can handle live bombs.
Like I said its a beatup about an insignificant thing, not that Trump hasnt loaded up his other hotels and golf clubs with official government events.
this is more important
n three Saturday evening tweets, Donald Trump claims that leaders of the Taliban, as well as Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, were secretly scheduled to land on U.S. soil “tonight.” Trump claimed that, “unbeknownst to almost everyone,” he had separate meetings scheduled with each at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
Trump then claimed that he bailed on the peace talks after the Taliban took credit for a deadly car bombing in Kabul on Thursday, which killed 12 people, including an American soldier.
A Camp David peace deal with the Taliban ?
What could go wrong. Even NZ has the Taliban on its Terrorist List of proscibed groups.
Like I said its a beatup about an insignificant thing
I don't think I would be saying that. There are questions being asked on both sides of the Atlantic. And yes! Trump is benefiting from this cozy arrangement.
Scottish Government-owned Prestwick Airport paid £9m by Trump administration
Meanwhile – Trump Turnberry lost $4.5 mill in 2017 and with the help of taxpayer $$$, it made $3 mill in 2018. Furthermore Prestwick offered free rounds of golf at Turnberry to visiting US military and civilian air crews. So a fairly clear example of further contravention of the emoluments clause of the Constitution.
Wow! That is some thread Joe. Meanwhile Jerry Nadler is preparing for action this week:
House Judiciary panel preparing vote to define Trump impeachment probe
…
The panel could vote as early as Wednesday on a resolution to spell out the parameters of its investigation. The precise language is still being hammered out inside the committee and with House leaders. A draft of the resolution is expected to be release Monday morning.
Nadler has already sort clarification from the Pentagon on this very matter with a flat refusal to comply. Things could get very interesting this week.
Yes, I do vote. If it makes you feel better, I'm registered in the California 51st District, so the only time my vote might make the slightest difference is in the Dem primary for the House and Senate. But the House Rep is Juan Vargas who is well-liked, so it's unlikely he'll get a serious challenger, and CA doesn't have a senator up for election in 2020.
I'm also capable of correctly spelling Christchurch.
Meanwhile, you got anything to say about the situation whereby this is the first president ever* to own and operate businesses that sell services to the federal government, in direct contravention of one of the first clauses of the constitution? And where that business has massively increased since he took office with the one branch of government he has the most direct control over, being the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces?
*I s’pose it’s possible Washington’s distillery sold whiskey to the Feds, but I’ve never seen any claim that that actually happened.
He never had "his shit" to lose. All he ever had was a big stack of dodgy dollars, an overactive middle finger that excited the deplorables, and a massive streak of nasty vindictiveness sufficient to cow into submission or at least silence anyone that voluntarily got close to him.
Went to the one in Dunedin a few weeks ago – pretty good I thought. Didn't see much of that on the menu lol
A couple of things stood out – the "express" lunch, with a 35 minute delivery time. Seafood joint near my work has a 15 minute promise today. Sign of the time crunch these days.
Also: why did they put little plastic cow silhouettes in the steaks?! I remembered them as kids as soon as I saw them. What the actual fuck? At least plastic straws were useful!
lol so they were a little plastic token to tell you what the chef thinks you got, rather than just leaving it for you to assume that what you get is what you ordered?
I was a kitchen hand at cobbyco in welly – they really loved burning the bottom of the pots big time – I was also a vege so never ate there just cleaned the filthy meat pots – ahh now that took elbow grease to move that grease.
Along with canned beans and Irish stew, they were a staple on the surf trips of my youth. Easily heated and eaten with white whole loaf bread and washed down with beer or milk, they were pretty damned good.
The film reviews on RadioNZ – one is of Apollo 11 and the question was raise- was this the event when the USA was really great?
I think actually it was when The New Deal was brought in in USA and also being behind the Marshall Plan that got Europe out of its WW2 hell-hole of poverty of the countries, infrastructure and systems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
Yep, USA was great once. As you say, Marshall Plan etc. Really though, US still is, in general. Most disaster aide in the world today is via US military.
Sadly, the invasion of Iraq pretty much undermined a great country. And as for Vietnam,……. but I guess that is the superpower complex.
What I like about the USA is that it sets itself pretty spectacular ideals. Usually it fails dismally at achieving those ideals (most of the writers of those "self evident" truths about freedom were slaveholders, for example), but sometimes (UN, New Deal, Civil Rights Act, Apollo) it approaches them. And that's pretty spectacular.
But so are their failures (KKK, Vietnam, CIA mcfuckery).
And the thousands if not millions of people who worked together to have 12 people walk on the moon. Awesome not just that they did it, but as an example of what we can do with a united focus.
The White House is considering a plan that would have the government directly purchase uranium from U.S. producers as it contemplates ways to revive the flagging domestic mining industry.
A group set up by President Donald Trump to study the issue is considering a request by the nuclear industry to use the Defense Production Act, a 68-year-old Cold War-era statute once invoked by President Harry Truman to help the steel industry. The plan calls for requiring the government to buy American uranium to replenish their stockpiles and for other purposes, Paul Goranson, chief operating officer for Energy Fuels Inc., said in an interview.
The Greens used to claim to be doing politics differently.
The censoring of an article by veteran Green Jill Abigail suggest the Green leadership have opted for censorship and control freakery. Here is they article they took exception to and banned:
Your marxist analysis is notably lacking if you genuinely believe that biological sex as a binary model of human physiology holds any water in modern medical science. In order to properly analyse reality, you first have to understand it; a task that is apparently too difficult for your ilk who are clearly stuck in centuries-old thought about sex that has long since been updated and replaced.
Your quack theories about trans people being a threat are founded on bad science, education comes before activism, please step up.
Your marxist analysis is notably lacking if you genuinely believe that biological sex as a binary model of human physiology holds any water in modern medical science.
Good luck convincing any actual biologists that sexual reproduction doesn't involve two sexes.
Trans people exist, modern medical science understands this, many societies understand this. Unfortunately they are a marginalised, stigmatised minority and articles that present trans-women as a threat in "women-only spaces" are factually wrong and exclusionary. Trans-women are women.
What pre-occupation? You posted a quote saying biological sex isn't binary, and I replied to the effect that biologists would be surprised to hear there are more than two sexes. That's not a "pre-occupation," it's a "reply."
Trans people exist…
No-one, least of all Jill Abigail, is disputing that.
Unfortunately they are a marginalised, stigmatised minority…
Ditto.
Trans-women are women.
However, that's simply untrue for any functional definition of "woman." The fact that "trans-woman" has the prefix "trans" should be a bit of a giveaway about that.
In the complete quote I posted it says sex isn't a binary in human physiology and this is well-known in modern medical science. This has nothing to do with reproduction, nothing to do with biologists so your "reply" was at best a distraction from the topic at hand.
Please provide what you consider to be the 'functional definition of "woman"'.
In the complete quote I posted it says sex isn't a binary in human physiology and this is well-known in modern medical science. This has nothing to do with reproduction…
I've tried parsing the claim that sex has nothing to do with reproduction multiple times, but no matter how I come at it the claim still makes no sense. The term "sex" refers to reproduction, and the term "sex differences" exists exactly because they are differences in the respective reproductive systems (or caused by the reproductive systems.
In my previous experience, references to sex supposedly not being binary are usually based on the existence of intersex people. However, the fact that sexual reproduction isn't 100% perfect and birth defects of the reproductive system can occur the same as they can for any other parts of the body was well-known to ancient medical science, let alone modern. That doesn't alter the fact that sexually-reproducing species have two sexes. Humans are no different in that respect.
Please provide what you consider to be the 'functional definition of "woman"'.
"A" functional definition, not "the." We have dictionaries for that, and the definition is usually "adult female human," or a variation on it. Drop "female" from the definition and it's just a synonym for "person," which would render it non-functional.
The obsession with reproduction as the important part for the definition of sex and gender excludes everyone who is unable to naturally conceive. Are all those infertile cis-gendered people also to be excluded from this gender binary? If not, why not?
Some females were assigned male at birth, it’s not a complicated thing, we agreed this above, it’s in dictionaries. However your example of a functional definition excludes trans-women because evidently you don’t actually consider them to be female. Why would this be?
… reproduction as the important part for the definition of sex and gender excludes everyone who is unable to naturally conceive.
Sex, not gender – gender's a social construct, nothing to do with physiology. And no the definitions of man and woman don't exclude people unable to conceive – the dictionary doesn't qualify the term "female" with "NB: female reproductive system in question must be proven to function correctly", for fairly obvious reasons.
Some females were assigned male at birth, it’s not a complicated thing, we agreed this above, it’s in dictionaries.
We did. However, we're talking about trans-women, not intersex people. The proportion of trans women who are intersex would be tiny.
…your example of a functional definition excludes trans-women because evidently you don’t actually consider them to be female. Why would this be?
First and foremost, because they're not female. I found that a pretty compelling reason.
Trans-women were assigned male at conception, by physical reality. If they'd rather live as a woman, all good by me and let's make that as straightforward for them as possible, but there isn't any way for them to become female – which leads to debates like the one Jill Abigail was contributing to (or trying to, at least).
So you say trans-women are not female, pray tell, what do you determine them to be?
Male/female is a matter of sex, not gender. We can fuck with gender every which way we feel like because it's a social construct, but so far no-one's come up with the technology for a person to change their sex.
A bit circular, and well removed from your original comment about reproduction requiring two sexes.
Fair cop, that was a silly answer, but it was a silly question. The answer was also not unrelated from my original comment, because male and female refer to the two sexes. The question of why I'd consider someone with a male body not to be female is self-answering.
Tauranga a ghost town at 5pm, Monday. Lots of vacant prime commercial real estate. Anyone who thinks we will keep seeing prices rise is dreaming & it will get worse despite the GST about to be charged on imported goods.
30 odd units vacant (!) on just two roads.
Check it out what mainstream news won’t be telling you.
The Tauranga auction spy reports that this week out of the 11 residential auctions he attended 8 did not get a single bid.
pretty much any town in nz is suffering from this lack of commercial tenants. Reason one: Leases in Tauranga, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Putaruru, Taupo etc are all the same, namely as in AKL. Meaninch 15-25 grand a year ex gst, ex rates, ex building insurance, ex ex ex ex ex ex
and so as long as that is addressed ( and we have the same issue with residential) people don't rent/lease. Simple as that.
Prices will raise, but it ain't the locals buying. And for those that can't sell, fear not, just write of your loss if you can't find a tenant to pay your exuberant rent / lease demands. The government will look after you 🙂
That is the biggest single failing of the current lot running the show in wellington, they could have closed loopholes that allow property owners to keep buildings, dwelling, residential/commercial spaces empty as they still make money of it. They could have regulated rent demands, they could have regulated air bnb, they could have should have but sadly have done fuck all.
With the soaring cost of housing, power, rates, insurance and food it's no wonder people can't afford to go shopping, thus bars and restaurants are struggling and shops are sitting vacant.
The one thing that is growing is queues at the local food bank.
wow – just noticed this – I hope it gets better I really do
Authorities are labelling Queensland's bushfire emergency as historic, as crews continue to battle dozens of blazes.
…"It is an historic event. [We've] never seen this before in recorded history – fire weather has never been as severe, this early in Spring," Inspector Sturgess said.
"So this is an omen, if you will, a warning of the fire season that we're likely to see ahead in the south-eastern parts of the state, the driest parts of the state, where most of our population is."
Acting Queensland Premier Jackie Trad said the severe conditions could be attributed to climate change.
"There is no doubt that with an increasing temperature with climate change, then what the scientists tell us is that events such as these will be more frequent and they will be much more ferocious."
The East Coast Fire Season, has started about 2mths early than normal. In some parts of the east coast it’s so extreme that some towns have next to no water or are likely to run out water in the coming months and as a result of a lack of water the fire crews have to resort to dry fire fighting techniques which is not a effective, but that’s what they do given the circumstances especially around the Tenterfield area in Northern NSW.
I had drinks with my Bushfire Brigade on Thursday here at Dundee NT, where the talk got around the water supply? The local plumber who also supplies water as everyone is on Tank water or they shallow bores are running out of water and it get worse. The local plumber has had to cut back in the water cart business, so he doesn’t run old of water and the community open water supply has run dry. Due to selfish members of the Dundee community have been using our bushfires outlet which feeds out of the bottom tank and at times has stuffed up the bore feeding the water tank. Where as the community outlet is half way up the tank and it’s going to a point if we have fire we may not have water and this water supply supports people out to a radius of 20-30 km’s.
Some communities in the Darwin Rural Area are about run out of water or they have been trucking in water since Xmas and the scary thing is we are expecting to this fire season to extend out to December and water to be very scarce until the Wet Season breaks if it comes at all?
Its getting despite in a lot of places throughout Australia if this current droughts doesn’t break IRT water, food production and whole communities etc.
For various reasons, agriculture in much of Australia will be near impossible in a few decades.
Drought, salinity inclusions into artesian water, air borne erosion of soil, (Dust bowl affect) warmer temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and more frequent storms are already having a serious impact.
Yesterday I watched ABC’s Landline as I do most Sunday’s and this weeks episode was entire on Climate Change. There was some interesting stuff from a whole range of people including a former GG who has a special forces background and who also supported the Maj Les Hiddins aka The Bush Tucker Man at a time when the Army thought Les was a bit of a crackpot. Who has an interest in soil carbon capture and he words about CC are the same POV as mine.
The follow links were on yesterday’s Landline and this is the link for Landline as they will do more episodes on CC in the future. https://www.abc.net.au/landline/
Last years Drought summit held in Canberra before the Federal election, raised the possibility that retiring land has to be now considered as a result of CC in the more marginal areas of Australia. But the sticking point was how to give those Farmers some dignity without the banks etc including Government leaving them penny less as most of the farmers wealth is tired up in land etc, management of the land once its retired from farming and those a effected communities that service the farming sector.
The old man comes from Broken Hill and to see the massive fish kill at the Menindee Lakes almost brought him to tears as the lake system was meant to hold water during the Drought's and hold water for the fish etc. But somewhere along the line some smart ass lobbied the State government to use all that water for farming/ horticulture, instead of it sitting there when the next drought comes along.
Here's a couple of more interesting links and both them I've had some experience in especially from a military planning/ military research side of things at unit level and group level before I was medical discharge.
Aron looks like a national supporter I seen his nihor showing.
Sam the number one cause of suicide is no money. I have seen for my self how professionals lawyers advises accounts and foresters have ripped off people close to me THAT'S CAPTILSIM take all you can from innocent people with their silver TONGUES.
You should have taken the complaints to the police Paula milking it.
BULLSHIT there are deaths from dairydack for years how do we know that you are telling the TRUTH about the numbers and dates. People were making money off the sale of stuff that could kill people this is national mess you are trying to blame others Paul It would never have been a issue if it was stamped out straight away not sold in shops.
There you go America needs to change laws to make tech companies responsible for the content on their platform.
Eric their you go Jacinda is speaking about the haters get exposure on big tech companies sites that will help to highlight the problem and motivate them to take the videos down. It's will be hard when you have old Politicians employed on the big tech companies LOBBYING branches.
I read that colonel sanders was a white supremist I get a sore face when people quote him.
The Coalition Government new approach ZERO lives lost to suicide every life matters is awesome.
Some people are so cruel how can they do that to a human or even a animal those idiots who torchered that poor Wahine WTF.
There he goes again barking up the wrong tree bridges doe not think very well of course we care about the haters who harm inenecint tangata using the Internet to gain support it must be stop.
Let's hope Otago get a good growing season this year. Im hopeing for some wind from Tawhirimate to get my wind turbine turning I had to design if for strong Tawhirimate as things get blown over were we are.
Mike that's gives Eco Maori A sore face all the Tangata and Tamariki wanting to learn Te Reo it is every one in Aotearoa taonga Ka pai.
I have congratulations for our government move to a goal of zero lives lost to suicide . I agree with Mike suicide is a New Zealand problem
It awesome that Te puni korokiri is tau toko Te tangata with building whare on their own whenua that is what Te puni Korokiri did back in the days of old.
Maori tourism is getting links to boost their business and putea Ka pai
Toronto film Festival Tika Waititi Jojo rabbit will show Maori wit and humour awesome.
Turangi A Kiwa celebrating Te Reo Maori Language week kia kaha Whanau. Tawhirimate was celebrating Te Reo Maori Language week to. Pouho Rawiri Marae
Maunatu taonga their tamariki Ka pai I taonga my tamariki so does Ngāti Porou.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
How can people who are so adamant that "bloody Labour" and useless "Jacinta who is mucking everything up" and yet don't know the difference between the EU and the Commowealth when the next discussion point is Brexit be allowed to have a vote?
One just has to hope that these ignorants are spread evenly across the political spectrum… so their influence is nil….
Frankly I think that talk back radio is a great weapon of the right –
These sort of lies and drivel are the harvest of the echo chamber known as talk back radio.
Just as the National party has the 'Cabinet Club' ,
Im sure they have a 'Talk Back Club…on call to flood the phone lines.
Talkback suits the Right better with their adamant rather than us with our buts and why-fors. Whatever silly-arse prejudice you have mate it's right. Only the hosts being brought up in social-democracy holds it back.
Yes Barfly. That is true here in Australia as well. Mike Hoskins is another Alan Jones type.
I've been following the Brexit shenanigans and ensuing parliamentary farce on a couple of UK stations, LBC and BBC 5 Live. The differences between them and our so-called news radio is like night and day. Ignoring a couple of the more hoskinesque hosts , the nuanced and informative analysis and commentary from hosts, commentators and expert guests is first rate. And they must have rather good vetting systems to weed out the ranting, partisan, single-issue loons because most of their talk-back callers come across as reasonable, well informed, and worthwhile the time spent listening.
VTO – They used to call it 'brainwashing'.keep saying it so many times until a lie becomes the truth.
Propaganda… Repeat ad nauseam.
Ignore facts and science, just repeat repeat, until it is imprinted.
A tactic as old as politics, and just remember "Who pays the Piper to play the song on repeat?"
The answer is, "Follow the big money"
This is getting beyond a joke now.https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115592299/young-labour-abuse-victims-barred-from-parliament-offices.
It was a joke up until now?
The way they have handled it has been a joke yes.
The way who have handled it? The Labour Party? In what sense was their handling of it a joke? Neither of us has significant knowledge of how it was handled, so ignorance-based reckons about the quality of the handling could themselves only take the form of jokes, surely?
As an abstract hypothetical, though: when allegations of workplace harrassment and bullying are made against an individual and an investigation finds that the allegations are unsupported, ie it comes down to he says/she says, how would you handle those allegations in a way that treated all parties fairly, respected their privacy, achieved a result satisfactory to all parties and also couldn't be used as propaganda against you by your enemies? Do take your time.
Vance mentions in passing Parliaments inquiry into Bullying etc?
The Journalists have never revisited the shock conclusion that some Journalists around parliament are part of the problem
"A significant number of respondents – not all of them Members – commented on what they perceived as inappropriate behaviour by members of the Press Gallery or media more generally."
https://www.parliament.nz/media/5739/independent-external-review-into-bullying-and-harassment-in-the-new-zealand-parliamentary-workplace-final-report.pdf
and a quote:
““Gallery behaviour is unacceptable… they come in there perfectly nice people and then adopt this persona of the classic bully. You can watch it happen.”
Code of Omerta means people like Vance wont touch that aspect
"In what sense was their handling of it a joke?"
"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Labour Party President Nigel Haworth have delivered an apologetic press conference, admitting major failings by the party. Ms Ardern said the burden of care and responsibility for those allegedly sexually assualted at a summer camp should not have been left to members of Young Labour. "We handled this very, very badly as a party," Ms Ardern said."
"The party is also facing criticism for the presence of alcohol at the event. Young people attended the event with parental consent, but on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Ardern was unable to say whether those consent forms mentioned alcohol. Labour MP Liz Craig was at the event that night. On Wednesday afternoon, she deleted a photo from her Facebook page which showed her seated at a table with a group of young adults who were drinking alcohol."
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/03/labour-accused-of-dropping-the-ball-on-young-labour-sexual-assault-claims.html
"The Prime Minister, parents of the victims, and police were not notified about alleged sexual misconduct at a Young Labour summer camp last month."
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/03/labour-didn-t-tell-police-parents-or-pm-about-sexual-assault-claims.html
There's more, but that's enough. I don't like labelling Labour's handling of this 'a joke'; it rather minimises the damage. Incompetent, inept, useless…these are far better descriptors.
Nigel Haworth has not done Jacinda any favours the way he has handled it. If true that he banned complainants from buildings, why was the accused not banned or stood down why investigation going on? Andrea Vance and Alison Mau seem to have really turned on Labour this weekend.
As an abstract hypothetical: when allegations of workplace harrassment and bullying are made against an individual and an investigation finds that the allegations are unsupported, ie it comes down to he says/she says, how would you handle those allegations in a way that treated all parties fairly, respected their privacy, achieved a result satisfactory to all parties and also couldn't be used as propaganda against you by your enemies? Do take your time.
The accused should have been stood down while investigation underway, not just the accusers being banned from the building. I think this may cost Nigel Haworth his job. The last one cost Andrew Kirton his job.
The Spinoff piece under discussion in today's thread suggests there was no investigation, or at least nothing you could reasonably call an investigation. Like you, I don't see how Kirton could keep his job and still expect anyone to vote Labour – same with the others involved.
Picking on a turn of phrase psycho?
I had to reread the story carefully as from the "heading" it seemed as though the story was in regard to the recent case due to be sentenced later in the year – the word "young" gave, to me, every impression of that. What it is referring to is another completely separate matter that has an element of "employment" attached to it and no charges, as yet, which has a bearing that needs to be sorted but the inference unless studied and read carefully implies something else.
Thanks for the clarification Rapaunzel. It wasn't at all clear from that article what case was being referred to:
The seven complainants have still not laid any complaints with either the police or Parliamentary Services.
I'm not suggesting nothing happened, but I’m starting to smell a big rat over this case.
🙂 It didn;t help that the paper was drenched but the heading led me, and I guess others, up the garden path until I re-read it. No one is suggesting anything did not happen but there are cases that were supposedly being looked at that the public had heard no more of within the National Party that were not disimmilar.
Why can't NZ media stick to the facts and the fact is as you say there are no charges and employment matters have to be handled very carefully for all involved. Allowing media to be judge and jury of what happened, how it "should be handled" and where the "blame" lies is unacceptable. This sort of conjecture and getting to the heart of who, how many people and exactly what needs to be done does nothing to educate on and improve workplace relationships.
... there are cases that were supposedly being looked at that the public had heard no more of within the National Party that were not disimilar.
There was a serious case earlier this year involving a Young Nat (male) and a Young Nat event. It was reported through the MSM and then… nothing. It was suspected at the time the complainant was 'bought off'.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12166768
Nov 2018.
Simon Bridges said:
"In line with our health and safety policies, we acted quickly to offer any support and advice to the person who raised the issue, and this information was passed on to the alleged victim.
"As this is now a matter for the police, we can't comment any further."
And that, as far as I know, was the last we heard of the matter so I am assuming the complainant withdrew her complaint. Did she do it of her own accord or was she coerced? Did any journos bother to check out what happened? The answer appears to be… no.
It would seem there's a big difference how these cases get reported depending on which party the complainant/complainants belong to eh?
If any thing serious happened, surely, at least one complainant must report it to the police (or Parliamentary services?).
The Nat one was reported to police.
Not parliamentary services for that one, as it was in Auckland bar and a apartment. No Parliamentary Services employees from the outline of the event
Anne, the reason your comments are held in in Auto-Moderation is a minor typo in your user name, which I have corrected a number of times now. The system ‘thinks’ that you’re a new user and this needs to be manually approved.
Thank-you Incognito. I picked it up after sending the comment. 😳
That was from about 3 weeks ago , Bennett went full out on it, it was covered by the media as she arranged.
Now Vance who moved out of the Press gallery into management has a slow Sunday scandal day hole to fill ? . Has she been chatting to Bennett who wanted to recycle old news
Their new weekly columnist , the taxpayer funded opinion piece by Seymours staffer seems to disappeared
Well Stuff can get stuf't on a Sunday I'm cancelling my paper and will say exactly why, the same should apply to talkback advertisers such as "magic" radio with its Too Cheap Cars donations. After the $400+k fine for cheating clients only "trmagic's" terminally dim listeners would be an option as clientele anyway.
Marvelous!
https://twitter.com/michaelharriot/status/1170202643672776704
After the Revolutionary War, many of the white people who were loyal to Britain moved to the Bahamas, which was largely empty. A lot of those people brought their enslaved Africans with them.
But harsh conditions made many of the white people leave. Then, in 1807, Britain abolished the slave trade. Many of those freed Africans who were liberated on the open seas went to the Bahamas as free people.
When the US basically bought Florida from Spain, thousands of enslaved Africans and Black Seminoles said “fuck this” and escaped to the Bahamas.
So many ran to freedom that the US government had to build a lighthouse in Cape Florida in 1825.
In 1834, Britain freed all the slaves in its territories and shit really got crazy.
[…]
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1170202643672776704.html
It usually raises a red flag for me when some one claims a country was 'largely empty'
Its part of the White Settlers shtick about South Africa too.
The large existing population of the Bahamas was removed by the Spanish for the slave trade at the start of Colonisation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Bahamas
Amber Rudd has resigned from the BJ Cabinet and the Tory whip.
1. BJ is only pretending to seek a deal.
2. the removal of the 21 MP’s.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49623737
So there are significant numbers of Tory MPs with the integrity and spine prepared to stand up to Boorish and say what they think, in full knowledge the likely price is the end of their political career. That really highlights what a bunch of jellyfish the Repugs are in their craven capitulation to Kim Jong Orange.
Quoted for Truth
Turns out the bludger is stupid, too.
A teacher on an individual contract has complained to the Human Rights Commission about payments union members will get after the settling of a protracted pay wrangle.
And he claims non-union teachers have been kept in the dark that they can negotiate their own employment agreements.
Hastings Boys' High head of music Justin Lindsay claims that the Ministry of Education has discriminated on the basis of political opinion in their new Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement (STCA) 2019-2022.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12265580&ref=clavis
I googled him. Looks like he took care to sanitise his online foot print before speaking out. The only thing he shows is that he was employed in the ESOL and tech sector in Japan for a number of years,
"And he claims non-union teachers have been kept in the dark "? Really? And he also claims to be a teacher? I have seen that name before with similar "complaints" but no mention of how many people he represents. How is it that one individual's statement is passed by media as being either a wide-spread issue or movement?
He would have signed this – which is a template
https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/School/Individual-Employment-Agreements/Secondary-Teachers-IEA-2019.pdf
perhaps he should appoint /pay for his own advocate to get better terms than the Union members.
Funny these sort of stories dont sit for long in the NZME 'pending publishing' queue.
Which is why NZ seriously needs some sort of public service information outlet, either a whole channel or something. While I suppose that was clear to me right from the messing with contract thing in the 1990s, more towards the end of that period I gather their are people who don't appear to "know" these things – he does is, spreading misinformation is his intent.
There are lots of basic things beginning with how to register and vote, what "free" medical options families might have, how not to pay insurance unless you know you have met criteria and are fully covered for what you think you've paid for, what are your employment "rights" and obligations are – so as not to jeopardize your employment, along with reliable borrowing or budgeting advice etc. The information is there but it needs to be more readily available and visible and repeated till it sinks in. During the 2014 election I heard from several young people that their employers or other told them "if you don't vote this way you will have no job". They believed it and spread that idea around. If basic information about "rights' was more common and normalised people might start thinking for themselves and/or seeking out the facts when they need them.
There's a Parliament TV channel that has a lot of downtime – even given repeats of QT etc. (and that's just for starters). It could actually be used for educational purposes at various times – providing 'civics'/'social studies', the citizens' rights when dealing with government agencies, the Treaty, BOR et al
No end of things – took my grandson to the medical centre last holidays and they had a number of items running, how many other groups have items of interest, probably local councils and voluntary groups.
Besides that what groups are active in an area may be an incentive to make people more active which is the first step in the right direction to give mental stimulation, company and activities to turn back the tide of health issues putting pressure on services.
Cross contamination (Bacteria) in gene editing experiment.
https://twitter.com/techreview/status/1169921428969480192
Yes, that is indeed the kind of thing that happens when technologists use simple sloppy techniques that are more or less how bacteria have been getting their genes into other organisms without any human intervention since forever. Like happened with sweet potato.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150421084204.htm
Genetic transfer has been ongoing in the nature,with subsequent trial and success,over very looooooong time periods.
Mitichondria being a good example.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrion
Brexit is my addiction, (I watch it like I used to watch Babylon 5.) Fascinating – what's next.
I like the photo of Boorish that has been captured.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/more-turmoil-boris-johnson-he-loses-another-cabinet-member-over-brexit-fiasco
BBC one good too. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49618242
Amber Rudd not a dead insect encapsulated in gum. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49623737
Rudd is just a careerist first and foremost looking out for herself. She makes Paula Bennett seem like Mary Poppins… the Windrush scandal wa swhen she was in charge….. she smells blood in the water for Johnson and wants to be part of the next cabinet and the next cabinet
This is the person she is :
"Rudd first denied there were targets for the removal of immigrants. Later, she maintained that she had not known of targets. Later still, The Guardian published leaked evidence that Rudd had known about targets: "
Wikipedia. That resulted in one of her many resignations
She should really be going to the Great Tory Boneyard in the Sky… but is likely to reappear somwhow.
If that's true dookydooky, then blobbyjobby should be worried shouldn't he.
If you watch nothing else – watch the first first 2.15 find out if your a socialist or just some sort of wannabe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEoRykwvoj4&ab_channel=RTAmerica
Haven't watched it but a muscly govt is vital now to face climate change.
Cleek's law done wrong.
https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1170172075094487041
Fox News opinion host Laura Ingraham’s earnest efforts to troll liberals reached a new, if not bizarre, level Friday as she attempted to drink a steak stuffed with incandescent light bulbs through a plastic straw.
“Well, it’s a meal that will trigger all the right … I meant all the left people,” she said to kick off the “Ingraham Angle” segment.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/laura-ingraham-tries-to-drink-light-bulb-steak-to-trigger-liberals_n_5d73c962e4b0fde50c2740cd?
she is so thick – thin lipped zombie who need 'braaaaaaaaaiiinnnnnnnnss'
Dementia Don is clearly contagious.
She really does suck.
The grift continues …
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/09/house-investigation-air-force-crew-trump-turnberry-resort-scotland.html
Meanwhile, let's remind ourselves of Article 2 Section 1 Clause 7 of the Constitution:
The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Money from any government source finding it's way into a federal official's pocket from any source other than salary is a direct violation of the constitution, and should be cause for immediate impeachment. But Repugs just don't care, it's not like adults were indulging in any consensual private pleasure or anything like that. (Although grossly inappropriate due to the power imbalance involved)
Thats a beat up about USAF flight stop overs in Prestwick Scotland. Its not really Glasgow which has its own airport close to the city.
They reason they stop. because planes fly 'Great Circle' arcs between origin and destination as much as possible. Prestwick is on the direct route for stop overs between Middle east and US military bases. Plus its less crowded airspace- which causes delays- than military airports in Southern England.
We can see similar occurrences for USAF flights to Antarctica, they stop to refuel at Christchurch, change crew etc .
This Trump Hotel/ Golf club is just outside Prestwick, maybe they offer a cut price deal for all these sort of cargo airlines for crew stop overs.
The idea that they are stopping there so they can stay at that hotel doesnt follow.
Ah – huh …
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/07/scottish-government-criticised-over-us-military-use-of-airport
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1884091
Cant see Prestwick 'supporting Bombing raids on Syria'
A loaded Bomber definitely wont be landing at a public airport…. they need facilities that can handle live bombs.
Like I said its a beatup about an insignificant thing, not that Trump hasnt loaded up his other hotels and golf clubs with official government events.
this is more important
n three Saturday evening tweets, Donald Trump claims that leaders of the Taliban, as well as Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, were secretly scheduled to land on U.S. soil “tonight.” Trump claimed that, “unbeknownst to almost everyone,” he had separate meetings scheduled with each at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
Trump then claimed that he bailed on the peace talks after the Taliban took credit for a deadly car bombing in Kabul on Thursday, which killed 12 people, including an American soldier.
A Camp David peace deal with the Taliban ?
What could go wrong. Even NZ has the Taliban on its Terrorist List of proscibed groups.
I don't think I would be saying that. There are questions being asked on both sides of the Atlantic. And yes! Trump is benefiting from this cozy arrangement.
Meanwhile – Trump Turnberry lost $4.5 mill in 2017 and with the help of taxpayer $$$, it made $3 mill in 2018. Furthermore Prestwick offered free rounds of golf at Turnberry to visiting US military and civilian air crews. So a fairly clear example of further contravention of the emoluments clause of the Constitution.
Nothing quite like an official partnership.
https://twitter.com/MartynMcL/status/1170151675132297216
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1170137677095669766.html
Wow! That is some thread Joe. Meanwhile Jerry Nadler is preparing for action this week:
Nadler has already sort clarification from the Pentagon on this very matter with a flat refusal to comply. Things could get very interesting this week.
More crazy conspiracy theories.
And of course, man never landed on the moon, the ChCh mosque massacre was all Mossads doing, and my chips tonight are soggy because of Brexit.
Unbelievable. And you are allowed to vote? I despair at times like this.
Yes, I do vote. If it makes you feel better, I'm registered in the California 51st District, so the only time my vote might make the slightest difference is in the Dem primary for the House and Senate. But the House Rep is Juan Vargas who is well-liked, so it's unlikely he'll get a serious challenger, and CA doesn't have a senator up for election in 2020.
I'm also capable of correctly spelling Christchurch.
Meanwhile, you got anything to say about the situation whereby this is the first president ever* to own and operate businesses that sell services to the federal government, in direct contravention of one of the first clauses of the constitution? And where that business has massively increased since he took office with the one branch of government he has the most direct control over, being the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces?
*I s’pose it’s possible Washington’s distillery sold whiskey to the Feds, but I’ve never seen any claim that that actually happened.
And now the dayglo swampzilla is trying to force automakers to pollute more …
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/antitrust-investigation-ford-bmw-justice-department_n_5d728876e4b03aabe35bbd99
Meanwhile…
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/trump-aides-worried-about-mental-state-alabama-hurricane-dorian-2019-9?
He never had "his shit" to lose. All he ever had was a big stack of dodgy dollars, an overactive middle finger that excited the deplorables, and a massive streak of nasty vindictiveness sufficient to cow into submission or at least silence anyone that voluntarily got close to him.
Well yeah I totally agree.
"Sharpiegate" is just another episode in the total clusterfuck of daily shock and horror that is now everyday American politics.
this is effin' hilarious..
a cobb & co training vid from the 80's..
i've never been to a cobb & co..
but for those of you who used to..?…and liked it..?
my god – you used to eat some crap..
(the vid is 12 and a half mins long..but i urge you to watch all of it..
the dessert for two – at the end – is well worth the wait/journey..(it comes with an umbrella..(!)..didn’tyaknow..?..)
https://thespinoff.co.nz/food/14-08-2017/a-play-by-play-of-a-32-year-old-cobb-co-staff-training-video/
i laughed like a drain thru much of it..
the re-heated tinned-mushrooms – the ubiquitous orange-slice..
the foul muck they called sauces – the piped cream..
it just keeps giving and giving…heh..!
Cobbnco was great philly… ngnghchn…
Mmmmmm …. crumbed schnitzel … stuffed with ham and cheese …
Ah, the eighties.
Went to the one in Dunedin a few weeks ago – pretty good I thought. Didn't see much of that on the menu lol
A couple of things stood out – the "express" lunch, with a 35 minute delivery time. Seafood joint near my work has a 15 minute promise today. Sign of the time crunch these days.
Also: why did they put little plastic cow silhouettes in the steaks?! I remembered them as kids as soon as I saw them. What the actual fuck? At least plastic straws were useful!
I'm pretty sure the coloured cows were to indicate the 'doneness' of steak.
lol so they were a little plastic token to tell you what the chef thinks you got, rather than just leaving it for you to assume that what you get is what you ordered?
It was more for the one between the chef and the diner – the wait staff.
So they knew what to announce they had when they got to the table.
Don't be so awful Phil. It was farken sofusticaydid and pretty much the start of it all. Lil ole NuZull had come of age.
..heh..!
and i have just remembered i have been to one..on north shore..just a few yrs ago..
i think it was one..
it was an auntie-do..
and my vegan cousin and i wandered past the offerings..(twice..)
and neither i nor she could bring ourselves to try anything…
the aunties were all tucking in tho'…
no accounting for taste..i'spose
I was a kitchen hand at cobbyco in welly – they really loved burning the bottom of the pots big time – I was also a vege so never ate there just cleaned the filthy meat pots – ahh now that took elbow grease to move that grease.
Thanks for the link, it was a hoot.
chrs..!
i can't get those tinned mushrooms out of my mind..
they must have been vile/puke-inducing..
Along with canned beans and Irish stew, they were a staple on the surf trips of my youth. Easily heated and eaten with white whole loaf bread and washed down with beer or milk, they were pretty damned good.
OMG — I havent been to Cobb and Co since 2000.
The film reviews on RadioNZ – one is of Apollo 11 and the question was raise- was this the event when the USA was really great?
I think actually it was when The New Deal was brought in in USA and also being behind the Marshall Plan that got Europe out of its WW2 hell-hole of poverty of the countries, infrastructure and systems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan#Change_in_American_ideology
Incidentally I came across this good article from The Atlantic on Election voting – USA and Germany.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/why-germany-s-politics-are-much-saner-cheaper-and-nicer-than-ours/280081/
Yep, USA was great once. As you say, Marshall Plan etc. Really though, US still is, in general. Most disaster aide in the world today is via US military.
Sadly, the invasion of Iraq pretty much undermined a great country. And as for Vietnam,……. but I guess that is the superpower complex.
What I like about the USA is that it sets itself pretty spectacular ideals. Usually it fails dismally at achieving those ideals (most of the writers of those "self evident" truths about freedom were slaveholders, for example), but sometimes (UN, New Deal, Civil Rights Act, Apollo) it approaches them. And that's pretty spectacular.
But so are their failures (KKK, Vietnam, CIA mcfuckery).
Nothing much I like about America after '45. Took over the world, became an empire.
The War on Poverty was a good attempt.
The tech is nice.
And the thousands if not millions of people who worked together to have 12 people walk on the moon. Awesome not just that they did it, but as an example of what we can do with a united focus.
BJ’s cunning plan?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12265853
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/07/tories-extend-lead-over-labour-to-10-despite-chaotic-week
More corporate welfare.
The White House is considering a plan that would have the government directly purchase uranium from U.S. producers as it contemplates ways to revive the flagging domestic mining industry.
A group set up by President Donald Trump to study the issue is considering a request by the nuclear industry to use the Defense Production Act, a 68-year-old Cold War-era statute once invoked by President Harry Truman to help the steel industry. The plan calls for requiring the government to buy American uranium to replenish their stockpiles and for other purposes, Paul Goranson, chief operating officer for Energy Fuels Inc., said in an interview.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-06/white-house-considering-direct-purchases-of-u-s-mined-uranium
The Greens used to claim to be doing politics differently.
The censoring of an article by veteran Green Jill Abigail suggest the Green leadership have opted for censorship and control freakery. Here is they article they took exception to and banned:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2019/09/03/21871/
Damned if they do, damned if they don't.
They had to pick a side: TERF-positive or trans-positive. Either position was going to piss people off.
Seraphir
Your marxist analysis is notably lacking if you genuinely believe that biological sex as a binary model of human physiology holds any water in modern medical science.
Good luck convincing any actual biologists that sexual reproduction doesn't involve two sexes.
Why the preoccupation on sexual reproduction?
Trans people exist, modern medical science understands this, many societies understand this. Unfortunately they are a marginalised, stigmatised minority and articles that present trans-women as a threat in "women-only spaces" are factually wrong and exclusionary. Trans-women are women.
Why the preoccupation on sexual reproduction?
What pre-occupation? You posted a quote saying biological sex isn't binary, and I replied to the effect that biologists would be surprised to hear there are more than two sexes. That's not a "pre-occupation," it's a "reply."
Trans people exist…
No-one, least of all Jill Abigail, is disputing that.
Unfortunately they are a marginalised, stigmatised minority…
Ditto.
Trans-women are women.
However, that's simply untrue for any functional definition of "woman." The fact that "trans-woman" has the prefix "trans" should be a bit of a giveaway about that.
In the complete quote I posted it says sex isn't a binary in human physiology and this is well-known in modern medical science. This has nothing to do with reproduction, nothing to do with biologists so your "reply" was at best a distraction from the topic at hand.
Please provide what you consider to be the 'functional definition of "woman"'.
In the complete quote I posted it says sex isn't a binary in human physiology and this is well-known in modern medical science. This has nothing to do with reproduction…
I've tried parsing the claim that sex has nothing to do with reproduction multiple times, but no matter how I come at it the claim still makes no sense. The term "sex" refers to reproduction, and the term "sex differences" exists exactly because they are differences in the respective reproductive systems (or caused by the reproductive systems.
In my previous experience, references to sex supposedly not being binary are usually based on the existence of intersex people. However, the fact that sexual reproduction isn't 100% perfect and birth defects of the reproductive system can occur the same as they can for any other parts of the body was well-known to ancient medical science, let alone modern. That doesn't alter the fact that sexually-reproducing species have two sexes. Humans are no different in that respect.
Please provide what you consider to be the 'functional definition of "woman"'.
"A" functional definition, not "the." We have dictionaries for that, and the definition is usually "adult female human," or a variation on it. Drop "female" from the definition and it's just a synonym for "person," which would render it non-functional.
The obsession with reproduction as the important part for the definition of sex and gender excludes everyone who is unable to naturally conceive. Are all those infertile cis-gendered people also to be excluded from this gender binary? If not, why not?
Some females were assigned male at birth, it’s not a complicated thing, we agreed this above, it’s in dictionaries. However your example of a functional definition excludes trans-women because evidently you don’t actually consider them to be female. Why would this be?
… reproduction as the important part for the definition of sex and gender excludes everyone who is unable to naturally conceive.
Sex, not gender – gender's a social construct, nothing to do with physiology. And no the definitions of man and woman don't exclude people unable to conceive – the dictionary doesn't qualify the term "female" with "NB: female reproductive system in question must be proven to function correctly", for fairly obvious reasons.
Some females were assigned male at birth, it’s not a complicated thing, we agreed this above, it’s in dictionaries.
We did. However, we're talking about trans-women, not intersex people. The proportion of trans women who are intersex would be tiny.
…your example of a functional definition excludes trans-women because evidently you don’t actually consider them to be female. Why would this be?
First and foremost, because they're not female. I found that a pretty compelling reason.
The dictionary definitions of man and woman don't exclude trans people either, but you seem to think it does
Trans-women were assigned male at birth. That is the definition of a trans-women. Intersexuality isn't relevant here.
So you say trans-women are not female, pray tell, what do you determine them to be?
A bit circular, and well removed from your original comment about reproduction requiring two sexes.
Trans-women were assigned male at birth.
Trans-women were assigned male at conception, by physical reality. If they'd rather live as a woman, all good by me and let's make that as straightforward for them as possible, but there isn't any way for them to become female – which leads to debates like the one Jill Abigail was contributing to (or trying to, at least).
So you say trans-women are not female, pray tell, what do you determine them to be?
Male/female is a matter of sex, not gender. We can fuck with gender every which way we feel like because it's a social construct, but so far no-one's come up with the technology for a person to change their sex.
A bit circular, and well removed from your original comment about reproduction requiring two sexes.
Fair cop, that was a silly answer, but it was a silly question. The answer was also not unrelated from my original comment, because male and female refer to the two sexes. The question of why I'd consider someone with a male body not to be female is self-answering.
um…
You do get that if I have surgery to make me look younger, it hasn't actually made me younger, right?
Luckily sex change surgery merely involves changing organs, rather than resisting the inexorable progression of the universe.
The Greens used to claim to be doing politics differently.
"Used to?" Can you point to the times any mainstream party's had a shitfight over whether it's going to back trans activists or feminists?
i don't think many saw that coming…
"No previous extensions of human rights for new groups have involved taking away the rights of others needing protection."
Really succinct quote.
I'm sure a lot of white folks said that when blacks were suddenly allowed in all sorts of places.
not in the opinion of the author
Hell, they still do. All that "replacement" bullshit.
Upon reading that link it occurred to me that Maggie Thatchers work continues by proxy….or perhaps she was prescient.
Tauranga a ghost town at 5pm, Monday. Lots of vacant prime commercial real estate. Anyone who thinks we will keep seeing prices rise is dreaming & it will get worse despite the GST about to be charged on imported goods.
30 odd units vacant (!) on just two roads.
Check it out what mainstream news won’t be telling you.
The Tauranga auction spy reports that this week out of the 11 residential auctions he attended 8 did not get a single bid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnW9uxGRyAY
pretty much any town in nz is suffering from this lack of commercial tenants. Reason one: Leases in Tauranga, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Putaruru, Taupo etc are all the same, namely as in AKL. Meaninch 15-25 grand a year ex gst, ex rates, ex building insurance, ex ex ex ex ex ex
and so as long as that is addressed ( and we have the same issue with residential) people don't rent/lease. Simple as that.
Prices will raise, but it ain't the locals buying. And for those that can't sell, fear not, just write of your loss if you can't find a tenant to pay your exuberant rent / lease demands. The government will look after you 🙂
That is the biggest single failing of the current lot running the show in wellington, they could have closed loopholes that allow property owners to keep buildings, dwelling, residential/commercial spaces empty as they still make money of it. They could have regulated rent demands, they could have regulated air bnb, they could have should have but sadly have done fuck all.
Indeed, A.
With the soaring cost of housing, power, rates, insurance and food it's no wonder people can't afford to go shopping, thus bars and restaurants are struggling and shops are sitting vacant.
The one thing that is growing is queues at the local food bank.
'Murica
https://twitter.com/QasimRashid/status/1170492651638054914
wow – just noticed this – I hope it gets better I really do
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08-09-2019/#comment-1653159
Hi Everyone,
The East Coast Fire Season, has started about 2mths early than normal. In some parts of the east coast it’s so extreme that some towns have next to no water or are likely to run out water in the coming months and as a result of a lack of water the fire crews have to resort to dry fire fighting techniques which is not a effective, but that’s what they do given the circumstances especially around the Tenterfield area in Northern NSW.
I had drinks with my Bushfire Brigade on Thursday here at Dundee NT, where the talk got around the water supply? The local plumber who also supplies water as everyone is on Tank water or they shallow bores are running out of water and it get worse. The local plumber has had to cut back in the water cart business, so he doesn’t run old of water and the community open water supply has run dry. Due to selfish members of the Dundee community have been using our bushfires outlet which feeds out of the bottom tank and at times has stuffed up the bore feeding the water tank. Where as the community outlet is half way up the tank and it’s going to a point if we have fire we may not have water and this water supply supports people out to a radius of 20-30 km’s.
Some communities in the Darwin Rural Area are about run out of water or they have been trucking in water since Xmas and the scary thing is we are expecting to this fire season to extend out to December and water to be very scarce until the Wet Season breaks if it comes at all?
Its getting despite in a lot of places throughout Australia if this current droughts doesn’t break IRT water, food production and whole communities etc.
For various reasons, agriculture in much of Australia will be near impossible in a few decades.
Drought, salinity inclusions into artesian water, air borne erosion of soil, (Dust bowl affect) warmer temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and more frequent storms are already having a serious impact.
We may be feeding 15 million Australians, yet.
Yesterday I watched ABC’s Landline as I do most Sunday’s and this weeks episode was entire on Climate Change. There was some interesting stuff from a whole range of people including a former GG who has a special forces background and who also supported the Maj Les Hiddins aka The Bush Tucker Man at a time when the Army thought Les was a bit of a crackpot. Who has an interest in soil carbon capture and he words about CC are the same POV as mine.
The follow links were on yesterday’s Landline and this is the link for Landline as they will do more episodes on CC in the future. https://www.abc.net.au/landline/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/family-farms:-new-generation-changing-conventional/11490438
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/corporate-farming:-big-business-investment-in/11490444
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/chicken-free-chicken:-meat-less-meat-substitutes/11490424
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/future-in-cloud:-technology-solving-everyday/11490454
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/future-soil:-excess-carbon-regenerating-soils/11490464
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/climate-chaos:-adapting-to-changing-climate/11490434
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-08/dollars-from-dirt-the-farmer-making-money-from-healthy-soil/11486346
Last years Drought summit held in Canberra before the Federal election, raised the possibility that retiring land has to be now considered as a result of CC in the more marginal areas of Australia. But the sticking point was how to give those Farmers some dignity without the banks etc including Government leaving them penny less as most of the farmers wealth is tired up in land etc, management of the land once its retired from farming and those a effected communities that service the farming sector.
Interesting links. Ta.
One of my old friends in Oz, was one of the scientists in charge of Victoria's soil salinity project.
Limited water, and artesian wells drawing salt water into farmland, was already a problem several decades ago.
The old man comes from Broken Hill and to see the massive fish kill at the Menindee Lakes almost brought him to tears as the lake system was meant to hold water during the Drought's and hold water for the fish etc. But somewhere along the line some smart ass lobbied the State government to use all that water for farming/ horticulture, instead of it sitting there when the next drought comes along.
Here's a couple of more interesting links and both them I've had some experience in especially from a military planning/ military research side of things at unit level and group level before I was medical discharge.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/government-appears-unprepared-for-climate-change/11492886
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/fighting-fires-becoming-impossible-task/11497588
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Aron looks like a national supporter I seen his nihor showing.
Sam the number one cause of suicide is no money. I have seen for my self how professionals lawyers advises accounts and foresters have ripped off people close to me THAT'S CAPTILSIM take all you can from innocent people with their silver TONGUES.
You should have taken the complaints to the police Paula milking it.
BULLSHIT there are deaths from dairydack for years how do we know that you are telling the TRUTH about the numbers and dates. People were making money off the sale of stuff that could kill people this is national mess you are trying to blame others Paul It would never have been a issue if it was stamped out straight away not sold in shops.
There you go America needs to change laws to make tech companies responsible for the content on their platform.
Eric their you go Jacinda is speaking about the haters get exposure on big tech companies sites that will help to highlight the problem and motivate them to take the videos down. It's will be hard when you have old Politicians employed on the big tech companies LOBBYING branches.
I read that colonel sanders was a white supremist I get a sore face when people quote him.
Ka kite Ano
No there is just a small amount of real criminal in New Zealand Mark 2%
Kia Ora Newshub
The Coalition Government new approach ZERO lives lost to suicide every life matters is awesome.
Some people are so cruel how can they do that to a human or even a animal those idiots who torchered that poor Wahine WTF.
There he goes again barking up the wrong tree bridges doe not think very well of course we care about the haters who harm inenecint tangata using the Internet to gain support it must be stop.
Let's hope Otago get a good growing season this year. Im hopeing for some wind from Tawhirimate to get my wind turbine turning I had to design if for strong Tawhirimate as things get blown over were we are.
Mike that's gives Eco Maori A sore face all the Tangata and Tamariki wanting to learn Te Reo it is every one in Aotearoa taonga Ka pai.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
I have congratulations for our government move to a goal of zero lives lost to suicide . I agree with Mike suicide is a New Zealand problem
It awesome that Te puni korokiri is tau toko Te tangata with building whare on their own whenua that is what Te puni Korokiri did back in the days of old.
Maori tourism is getting links to boost their business and putea Ka pai
Toronto film Festival Tika Waititi Jojo rabbit will show Maori wit and humour awesome.
Turangi A Kiwa celebrating Te Reo Maori Language week kia kaha Whanau. Tawhirimate was celebrating Te Reo Maori Language week to. Pouho Rawiri Marae
Maunatu taonga their tamariki Ka pai I taonga my tamariki so does Ngāti Porou.
Ka kite Ano