Sheet the bill back to Mallard. Let him pay it off at $500 a week. I am sure he can afford it. It wouldn't be a hardship on his salary.
It would take the wind out of the sails of the Nats, narrative that,' Labour are irresponsible tax and spend wastrels.'
It would make a good example, that there will be no impunity for any future MP who might be tempted to copy Mallard's impulsive hotheaded track record.
That there will be consequences for reckless hotheaded behaviour, might give pause for thought before acting impulsively.
Put the generator onboard and call it a hybrid electric vehicle?
Ford Motor Co is offering a new feature for its 2022 F-150 Lighting and Hybrid trucks called "Power Pro Onboard", which is a 240-volt on board generator that can charge Ford and other brands of electric vehicle, such as the Mach-E, or be used to power a home in the event of a power failure
This too is going to be funny, it kind of reminds of Baghdad after the US invaded as detailed by a young women on this blog here. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
They kind of had like 2 – 4 hours electricity a day.
From below, 38,000 members of Oathkeepers are named including hundreds of current serving and past Police and US military: current Sherriffs, and Chiefs of Police, and serving Army.
From above, 8 formers US Secretaries of Defence and five former Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of the US military set out in a joint letter the principles of civilian control and the peaceful handover of power in their democracy.
Football club Chelsea sacked coach Thomas Tuchelon on Wednesday night six games into the season. Hired in January 2021, Tuchelhad success. He took his team to the FA Cup final and EFL Cup final last season. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in that first season as well as claiming two minor trophies.
His team lost to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League this week.
American owner Todd Boehly seemingly can't tolerate being a loser. A new ownership group spent around NZ$514 to be winners.
Funny that you can splash all the money in the world around but human foibles and performance don't necessarily reach a zenith just on money. And does someone spending NZ$514 million and playing a team which has spent $515 million necessarily win?
I look forward to seeing results with Chelsea not winning. That dimension certainly makes sport entertaining.
Of course the lack of tolerance for losing and the lack of understanding and tolerance of the nature of human performance in sport is germane to our sports debate.
In April, the ECHR in the UK, did what many governments, legislators and policy makers have resisted doing and published guidelines regarding the law and the provision of single sex spaces.
Nineteen LGBT+ groups, including Stonewall, have also called on the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions to strip the EHRC of its A-rating as a human rights body. – Vice (link below)
The most relevant points are:
The Equality Act allows for the provision of separate or single sex services in certain circumstances under ‘exceptions’ relating to sex.
To establish a separate or single-sex service, you must show that you meet at least one of a number of statutory conditions (set out in this section of the guide) and that limiting the service on the basis of sex is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. For example, a legitimate aim could be for reasons of privacy, decency, to prevent trauma or to ensure health and safety. You must then be able to show that your action is a proportionate way of achieving that aim.
A protest against this – commended by allies such as Billy Bragg and applauded as 'art' by others, took place outside the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last Friday afternoon.
Please take time to read the protestors concerns and intentions, before viewing the photos before telling me this is not a display of a combination of sexual paraphilias.
Well it is a sign of alpha w-manliness to mark ones territory and let everyone know that a w-man was here. , and I as otherother / person /people/ folx/ non male/ non penis haver totally would have no issues with this 'w-man' pissing all over the toilets, changing rooms, into the pool, and elsewhere, after all that is what 'w-man' do. Right, pissing on the rights of people not them.
In saying that someone should advise this w-man to his water intake, cause that piss is brown and that can't healthy.
I don't think this is an appropriate sentence for the crimes committed, despite the slur on government.
Can we just acknowledge that certain people have certain patterns of mendacious behaviour, and then discuss the issue of why we agree/disagree with the sentence?
For me, it is the knowledge of the impact of sexual assault on victims, that often isolates them at home for much longer than nine months, that provides dissatisfaction with nine months home detention. Incarceration that doesn't provide a solid attempt to change behaviour is also not the full answer.
Does NZ have any successful programmes running in our Justice and prison systems at the moment?
5 – 10 percent of all humans male – or female (sex based not gender based) are capable of horrendous crimes against other people. They rape, they kill, they torture, and they cause mayhem for others.
95 – 90% of all humans male or female (sex based not gender based) to not cause any harm to anyone but have a good chance of being made a victim by the minority.
Someone who at 16 years old has raped and assaulted 5 young girls (15 years old and girls as in human female child – sex based) should not be given home d. But should be sent to a. prison or b. a mental clinic until they are no longer a risk to society and have paid their debt to those that were given a life time sentence of living with the after math of having been raped.
But feel free to run around pretending/insinuating/stating that ALL men are rapists that should be chemically castrated or surgically castrated should they be found guilty of raping 4 girls aged 15 and assaulting another girl. Heck why don’t you write a nice letter to the nice people who set sentencing and outline your proposal to them. See how that would work out for you and report back to us.
As well as Malay and English. Three main languages there, much of the signage is in Malay, and most of the place names. It is after all a small island at the bottom of the Malaysian peninsula, and only a 1/2 hour drive across the causeway. 🙂
Had a 2 year posting there and learnt a bit of Malay. On a holiday trip back from Penang Island we asked the overland taxi driver at Butterworth to take us to the Cameron Highlands, All was going good but there was much discussion between the taxi drivers who had heard our request and then some hurried transition of our luggage from the initial taxi to another. When I asked what was going on, it was revealed that the first taxi driver thought I had asked to go to Thailand!
It was a ride I shall never forget. It helped to keep my eyes closed for most of the journey. Fortunately Allah was looking out for us and we arrived shaken but not stirred.
The Cameron Highlands has some of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen, and they were everywhere.
Looking more for the stats or data regarding the outcomes, rather than what you linked to.
Searching for statistics, it's easy to find stats on prevalence etc, but not so easy to find programmes with supporting data for perpetrators or victims.
There is no simple answer or we'd already be doing it.
IMHO a large proportion of offending stems from the intergenerational trauma of Maori displacement. And another component is the systemic fallout of predatory capitalism, trapping people in a cycle of deprivation. As well as other factors like mental health, literacy rates, addiction, abuse.
The Nordic model appears to be reasonably effective, but it relies upon a certain type of society, and political will.
Left-wing governments are more likely to mitigate the worst inequality and actually invest in people over profit… so long term, vote Left to reduce crime.
National likes to talk about getting tough but their plans (harsher sentences, more violent cops) are not backed by evidence, they are all just photo ops and tend to backfire.
You are correct in this. Just looking for some form of hard data in terms of how successful this approach is.
And don't be so quick to label people privileged just because they have no interaction with the justice system.
In my closest circle of female friends, none have interacted with the justice department, one was physically abused by both parents, two had their virginity stolen via sexual assault. One when they were a small child.
It'd be great is some of that compassion and understanding on the left remained for those who are not politically identified as vulnerable minorities, who are injured and suffer nonetheless.
Sorry for the implication, I am also privileged to avoid the Courts etc. In the light of the horrific stats against women and girls (and the difficulty of adolescence), little wonder that some are desperate to avoid predators by identifying into another gender.
Here's a meta study from Canada – evaluating the recidivism rate of adolescent sexual offenders who have completed rehabilitation programmes, with those who dropped out, and those who never participated.
Just aware there are many different programmes, and although they are often announced with great fanfare and promise, follow up information and data about attendees, costs, outcomes etc are hard to find.
There has been a follow up article with a response from the crown prosecutor, but even that is low on details regarding which programme the convicted rapist will be expected to attend (if indeed it is a specific sexual assault programme). Perhaps if those details were provided, and were able to be assessed as having a reasonable chance of success, people would be more accepting of the sentence.
Growing anger surrounding the sentence has prompted public protests – planned for this afternoon – in cities across the North Island.
This afternoon, Tauranga's Crown Solicitor Anna Pollett defended the sentence, explaining that a "rehabilitative approach is to protect the community in the long term from re-offending".
"In the circumstances of this prosecution, and in careful consideration of all the available material, the Crown did not oppose a sentence of home detention to balance the need for accountability and deterrence while also maximising the opportunity for intensive rehabilitation of the young person," Pollett said, in a rare statement from a Crown Solicitor.
The sentence, she also mentioned, included numerous conditions to ensure compliance and engagement with the rehabilitation programme.
This includes post-detention conditions and court-imposed judicial monitoring which Pollett said "adds a further layer of scrutiny to ensure compliance with the sentence".
Meyer, who has no criminal history, pleaded not guilty to all charges but was later found guilty.
A psychologist, who saw Meyer 30 times during the prosecution, found he had a medium risk of reoffending, and continues to minimize the effect of his crimes.
I guess that non male human beings that are biological uterus/cervix/fallopian tubes and ovary havers need to understand the value society and our law / order / justice complex has for them vs rapists. Like none. No value, what so ever.
A 16 year old raping 4 girls plus assaulting another one, should in fact be given a reward for his manliness and prowess. Anything else would just be too upsetting for the rapist. s/
That's not sarcasm, Sabine, that's unnecessarily triggering provocation, with no humorous or wry aspect whatsoever. Sarcasm should at least entertain, imo.
It's a wry analysis of the outcome for perpetrators and victims of sexual violence.
It's very difficult and distressing to get convictions.
Sentences of home detention agreed to by the crown prosecutor when as Sabine quotes above:
"A psychologist, who saw Meyer 30 times during the prosecution, found he had a medium risk of reoffending, and continues to minimize the effect of his crimes."
is not an indictment on the whole system, but may be indicative of a perspective that requires investigation. I think it does.
My answer is to the comment above on the Farrar tweet. It is not ment to be nice.
Farrar is Farrar and will do as Farrar did and has done since ever.
But to minimise the damage this young bloke did to the 5 girls in order to schtup a person with whom one disagrees one politically is despicable. Life long damage as i can assure you in no uncertain terms. My rapist is now dead and thanks god for that, and he raped me almost 50 years ago. And the damage is still there and it still hurts. Lifelong sentence for the victim and a nothing for the rapist. Now that is kindness.
And yes, where is the our government? the 'suicide' prevention government? the 'be kind' government when it comes to rape and sexual assault of girls/women? Oh they girls/women (sex based not gender based) are not marginalised and vulnerable enough? Are they even human?
What does it say about the so-called left that it can not ask where the justice is in this ruling. Justice for the girls. Justice for the community. Justice for the families of these girls?
And yes, that dude got exactly that what i wrote. A wee slap on the hand, after all they could not let that dude that has a medium risk of re-offending, and has shown no remorse be locked up for a few years. They are letting him go out again in a few month from his traumatising experience of home D and if he rapes again, oh well who could / would / should have known that, and did he not learn his lesson?
Susie Ferguson has made calling Luxon on his bullshit a national sport. Unfortunately within the key MSM interviewers she is the only one playing at the moment.
"Repeat the Lies Luxon" knows people remember the meme. True or Not!!
(I am glad to see Ad doing some decent posts on the Government and making suggestions. Well done Ad.)
Suzy is great. she cuts to the chase!! She could have said "Where are you getting those figures from? They are wrong"
Now we need to build in a strategy to "call out" distortions and outright Lies.
Plus the Election has started.!!!!!
I have increased my regular donation to Labour by a third. I suggest every supporter give a small amount regularly, as then Labour can plan their campaign.
Say if you will provide a billboard spot, if you can do other tasks. If you don't want Luxon as our next Leader, start the fighting fund and planning.
I have said the exact same thing some time ago. that the warehousing of our poor in motels is nothing more then a hiding of a problem and a huge transfer of government funds to private businesses that run run down motels.
For the weekly cost of housing a desperate family in one of these hovels the government could have literally rented a house of the free market and saved some money.
happy to see this now out in the open. I don't believe much will change, and those that recently have lost their properties rented or owned will themselves find that a run down motel unit is the best they will find for a long long time to come. But then the government pays what ever is asked, don't ask questions, just carry on. Let's keep moving. To where? Who cares.
Sabine the problem is old, in my lifetime I have seen building on the current scale once!! That was in the 70s. The number of houses is not enough, but the changes made mean apartment blocks are able to be built in all centers near transport. The solution is not magic, but did need central government change as Rotorua had 1500 consents over years!! They were mainly top end houses, not social houses.
Your suggestion of build to rent subsidised Government housing is practised in Australian States. Yes I agree that would help, but the government could not join an overheated market and make it worse. Now prices have begun to stabilise they have a chance to buy into a falling market to provide homes from failed airb&b landlords.
I guess we should just vote for the guy that will magically make all these problems disappear. By selling off state housing and ignoring all the people sleeping rough and celebrating a rock star economy and hoping the bottom feeders will just go away.
Or, we could acknowledge that there is a housing shortage and at the same time an unprecedented government response in facilitating 10,000+ new state houses in the last 5 years.
Yes. one house – and these are a tiny fraction bigger then a tiny house has now found someone to live in.
the rest are still empty.
All three houses are up the road from us. The property was knocked down three years ago, stood empty for a bout a year and half and took a year and a half to be build. With that speed in the year 2300 we will have housed all the Motel Citizens of NZ. Drip Drip Drip some water on a hot stone.
Never mind the future climate refugees such as those that have lost their properties in the recent floods up and down the country.
If you want to celebrate these three tiny houses on one section with three carparks and a rug of 'grass' behind the shed (they are about double garage sized houses) then go ahead and consider it success.
Again, i live not far from this success and i know how well they are build (lol) and how big they are – two tiny bedrooms, toilet/shower and a kitchen-living, and these houses will be rented to people with kids.
The only grace these houses have is that schools are in walking distance and hopefully some of the reserve that the Council wants to sell to private developpers for 'low income housing' will be preserved for the future poor to have a bit of an outdoor space, and the next supermarket is about 3 kms walking distance form these properties, if one does not have enough money for a bus. Town is about an hours walk away.
We initially thought that hese properties were for hte retired, and i would actully consider them perfect for that group of people. However pushing 3 – 5 people into a barely 45 sqm 'house' *3 i.e. 12 – 15 people plus a few cars on a section that used to have 1 Kainga Ora house on it will bring its own problems.
I understand the desperation. I watched Auckland during the N years, and now i get to watch Rotorua during the L years, and you know what, it is hard very hard to find a difference.
For what its worth, the whole of downtown Rotorua could be knocked down and rebuild. ITs either abandoned, or not earthquake save, empty shops everywhere. Now that would be something. Re-design the town centre to be pedestrian / cyclist friendly, ground floor shops and above those three floors of apartments. You would not need to re-develop, utilities would already be there, water/sewerage etc all at hand, and you would revive your town centre.
The country needs to re-think housing as a whole. Cost of build, rents, sizes 1 bdrm / studio to 5 bedrm, cheap monthly rents, next to shops, schools, medical centres etc etc etc.
That is not what we are doing. In this case, we build three very small houses on one section to house up to 15+ people in.
In fact it would have been better to build these properties up two stories. And i can see these houses be demolished in a few years to do exactly that.
Are you getting these talking points from talkback radio? I was talking to a mate a couple of days ago who was saying similar stuff about Rotovegas and asking "where is Jacinda?!!11!!"
She's overseas at the moment, so I guess it is time for the Nat's mouthpieces to moan that she isn't visiting their pet projects.
Aesop said that a man is known by the company he keeps.
Now we all know where, and with whom, he stands.
"The meeting was hosted by Unify NZ, a local group that is aligned to a number of anti-mandate/anti-vax groups such as Voices for Freedom and Convoy 2022. The audience, as demonstrated during question time, was a mix of diehard NZ First supporters and right-wing conspiracy theorists."
What is it about free school lunches that triggers right wingers so badly? The NZ Herald has revived its attacks on the school lunch programme. Is it the thought of some little brown kids getting a meal and maybe feeling happy and keen to learn – rather than knowing their place and pulling themselves up by their non-existent bootstraps? Is it the thought of working class parents saving maybe $25 a week per child to spend on other necessities? God knows – but it is a peculiarly intense example of their vileness.
It's not the first time NZ has had a school lunch programme. When I was a kid – admittedly a long time ago – our Mums used to take it in turns to 'do' the school lunches for those kids who regularly came to school with no lunch. We're talking about parents on very low wages who couldn’t afford them. No big deal. It was what you did back in the day. I presume each school had an allocation of money to keep the programme going.
He was second speaker at the Kelston Boys debating team back in the day, and it was always fun to go against the Kelston Girls team.
So Willie was pretty buff from all that First 15 Rugby gym training, and the topic was "That some things are best left to men". Good ground for a boys against the girls afternoon fun contest in the early 1980s.
You can get the tenor of the school by noting that Graham Henry was both Principal and Auckland Rugby Coach at the same time.
We oiled Willie up in coconut oil and he only wore a lavalava for that debate, so he could deliver Second Speaker with a bit of panache. He made his pecs talk to each other.
Sure went down well at the Kelston Girls auditorium.
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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
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. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
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 ...
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 ...
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Mallard leaves us with yet another unnecessary legal bill.
Mallard's legal bill revealed: Cost to taxpayers of trespassing Peters from Parliament (msn.com)
It's very easy to spend money when it is not yours and you have no responsibility for it.
It was certainly a dum move by Mallard. But, one also has to be utterly disgusted at the criminal costs of legal advice.
Sheet the bill back to Mallard. Let him pay it off at $500 a week. I am sure he can afford it. It wouldn't be a hardship on his salary.
It would take the wind out of the sails of the Nats, narrative that,' Labour are irresponsible tax and spend wastrels.'
It would make a good example, that there will be no impunity for any future MP who might be tempted to copy Mallard's impulsive hotheaded track record.
That there will be consequences for reckless hotheaded behaviour, might give pause for thought before acting impulsively.
Zero chance. No Speaker is ever going to set the precedent that the MP is personally liable for actions taken in the role of Speaker.
At least this one is only $23.5k compared with accusing someone falsely of rape and costing $330k!
Sacremento City. Hotter than 46 C ? Fark that is intense. Its all gathering dangerous momentum.
nek minute
https://twitter.com/hugh_mankind/status/1567257731765080070
we need better solutions to the issues facing us.
Put the generator onboard and call it a hybrid electric vehicle?
Ford Motor Co is offering a new feature for its 2022 F-150 Lighting and Hybrid trucks called "Power Pro Onboard", which is a 240-volt on board generator that can charge Ford and other brands of electric vehicle, such as the Mach-E, or be used to power a home in the event of a power failure
http://www.futurecar.com/article-5080-1.html
This too is going to be funny, it kind of reminds of Baghdad after the US invaded as detailed by a young women on this blog here. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
They kind of had like 2 – 4 hours electricity a day.
https://twitter.com/DrEliDavid/status/1567488848116043781
"…“We haven’t lost anything and we won’t lose anything,” said Putin, when asked about the cost of the invasion…"
Thus we hear the eternal and genuine contempt of fascist dictatorships to the value of human life.
Imagine hearing that if you are the mother, father, sibling or wife of one of Russia's dead. 50,000 nothings to Putin.
https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1567486326580150273
From below, 38,000 members of Oathkeepers are named including hundreds of current serving and past Police and US military: current Sherriffs, and Chiefs of Police, and serving Army.
Report finds alleged link between Oath Keepers, public officials (msnbc.com)
From above, 8 formers US Secretaries of Defence and five former Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of the US military set out in a joint letter the principles of civilian control and the peaceful handover of power in their democracy.
To Support and Defend: Principles of Civilian Control and Best Practices of Civil-Military Relations – War on the Rocks
This is far, far deeper than Trump's insurrection though it is certainly that.
This is instability across military and civil society that has rocked the US government institutions to their very core.
Trump has permanently degraded America, but the Deep State is also abetting him.
Hipkins spinning like a top!
Why Hipkins owes a simple apology for claiming women used 'false' info to cross Northland border – Bridge (msn.com)
The world of professional sport:
Football club Chelsea sacked coach Thomas Tuchelon on Wednesday night six games into the season. Hired in January 2021, Tuchelhad success. He took his team to the FA Cup final and EFL Cup final last season. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in that first season as well as claiming two minor trophies.
His team lost to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League this week.
American owner Todd Boehly seemingly can't tolerate being a loser. A new ownership group spent around NZ$514 to be winners.
Funny that you can splash all the money in the world around but human foibles and performance don't necessarily reach a zenith just on money. And does someone spending NZ$514 million and playing a team which has spent $515 million necessarily win?
I look forward to seeing results with Chelsea not winning. That dimension certainly makes sport entertaining.
Of course the lack of tolerance for losing and the lack of understanding and tolerance of the nature of human performance in sport is germane to our sports debate.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/premier-league-chelsea-stun-football-world-after-new-owners-axe-thomas-tuchel/E2CUL2KKFX2DYKTI6VEK7PNOYI/
Couldn’t happen to a better club.
COYS
He had a big blow up with Conte post match the other week earning himself a red card. Perhaps the pressure is too much?
Luxon really has no shame.
From RNZ
“How many students are wagging school?
Earlier this week National Party leader Christopher Luxon told Morning Report 100,000 children were chronically truant.
This is incorrect.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/474365/figures-reveal-how-many-students-are-wagging-school
Just manipulated the numbers. Wonder if he did the same running Air NZ.
In April, the ECHR in the UK, did what many governments, legislators and policy makers have resisted doing and published guidelines regarding the law and the provision of single sex spaces.
The most relevant points are:
A protest against this – commended by allies such as Billy Bragg and applauded as 'art' by others, took place outside the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last Friday afternoon.
Please take time to read the protestors concerns and intentions, before viewing the photos before telling me this is not a display of a combination of sexual paraphilias.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgpj5y/pissed-off-trannies-ehrc-protest
Vice's tweet – and comments:
https://twitter.com/VICE/status/1567226215798276096?s=20&t=dLyCP9bomLnhI1ZEaFoSGw
Nothing more ridiculous than a bunch of blokes in frocks and masks pouring piss on themselves.
Hopefully a demonstration of "peak Trans" and it is all downhill from there.
Well it is a sign of alpha w-manliness to mark ones territory and let everyone know that a w-man was here. , and I as otherother / person /people/ folx/ non male/ non penis haver totally would have no issues with this 'w-man' pissing all over the toilets, changing rooms, into the pool, and elsewhere, after all that is what 'w-man' do. Right, pissing on the rights of people not them.
In saying that someone should advise this w-man to his water intake, cause that piss is brown and that can't healthy.
Farrar is a slimeball, exhibit #86459
https://twitter.com/nz_voter/status/1567606162937516032?s=20&t=gNCuGMcGV7LKfpCXQmY92w
I don't think this is an appropriate sentence for the crimes committed, despite the slur on government.
Can we just acknowledge that certain people have certain patterns of mendacious behaviour, and then discuss the issue of why we agree/disagree with the sentence?
For me, it is the knowledge of the impact of sexual assault on victims, that often isolates them at home for much longer than nine months, that provides dissatisfaction with nine months home detention. Incarceration that doesn't provide a solid attempt to change behaviour is also not the full answer.
Does NZ have any successful programmes running in our Justice and prison systems at the moment?
David Seymour thinks ankle bracelets are the solution
yeah, why not? Honestly, what would you do? What should be done?
Nothing?
Isn't it already being done? I would have thought a sentence of home detention includes an ankle bracelet.
Perhaps chemical castration? Why not surgical castration? Castrate all men in fact; we are rapists inside after all. s/
5 – 10 percent of all humans male – or female (sex based not gender based) are capable of horrendous crimes against other people. They rape, they kill, they torture, and they cause mayhem for others.
95 – 90% of all humans male or female (sex based not gender based) to not cause any harm to anyone but have a good chance of being made a victim by the minority.
Someone who at 16 years old has raped and assaulted 5 young girls (15 years old and girls as in human female child – sex based) should not be given home d. But should be sent to a. prison or b. a mental clinic until they are no longer a risk to society and have paid their debt to those that were given a life time sentence of living with the after math of having been raped.
But feel free to run around pretending/insinuating/stating that ALL men are rapists that should be chemically castrated or surgically castrated should they be found guilty of raping 4 girls aged 15 and assaulting another girl. Heck why don’t you write a nice letter to the nice people who set sentencing and outline your proposal to them. See how that would work out for you and report back to us.
For someone who loves to use sarcasm as a
weapontool you seem unable dealing with it when someone else reciprocates with it.Singapore has a very low crime rate. We should look at what they do different to us.
Speak Chinese?
As well as Malay and English. Three main languages there, much of the signage is in Malay, and most of the place names. It is after all a small island at the bottom of the Malaysian peninsula, and only a 1/2 hour drive across the causeway. 🙂
Had a 2 year posting there and learnt a bit of Malay. On a holiday trip back from Penang Island we asked the overland taxi driver at Butterworth to take us to the Cameron Highlands, All was going good but there was much discussion between the taxi drivers who had heard our request and then some hurried transition of our luggage from the initial taxi to another. When I asked what was going on, it was revealed that the first taxi driver thought I had asked to go to Thailand!
It was a ride I shall never forget. It helped to keep my eyes closed for most of the journey. Fortunately Allah was looking out for us and we arrived shaken but not stirred.
The Cameron Highlands has some of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen, and they were everywhere.
FIFY
Most teens would wear them as a badge of honour. TikTok and Snapchat would be full of it.
Hardly a deterrent, or punishment.
Even Graham Lowe, who you wouldn’t call a bleeding heart wokester, thinks it’s a bad idea.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/09/new-zealand-rugby-league-great-sir-graham-lowe-criticises-act-s-idea-to-put-youth-offenders-who-commit-serious-crimes-in-ankle-bracelets.amp.html
Seymour is not someone I would consider able to provide solutions or considerations of worth on this issue.
In terms of solutions or informative discussion, there's little achieved by pointing out him acting true to character.
Was a facetious response to the question
It is a privilege not to have to interact with the criminal justice system and know nothing about the Corrections programmes
I wasn’t being disingenuous.
Looking more for the stats or data regarding the outcomes, rather than what you linked to.
Searching for statistics, it's easy to find stats on prevalence etc, but not so easy to find programmes with supporting data for perpetrators or victims.
Do you have any links for such?
There is no simple answer or we'd already be doing it.
IMHO a large proportion of offending stems from the intergenerational trauma of Maori displacement. And another component is the systemic fallout of predatory capitalism, trapping people in a cycle of deprivation. As well as other factors like mental health, literacy rates, addiction, abuse.
The Nordic model appears to be reasonably effective, but it relies upon a certain type of society, and political will.
To clarify the second para from above…
Left-wing governments are more likely to mitigate the worst inequality and actually invest in people over profit… so long term, vote Left to reduce crime.
National likes to talk about getting tough but their plans (harsher sentences, more violent cops) are not backed by evidence, they are all just photo ops and tend to backfire.
You are correct in this. Just looking for some form of hard data in terms of how successful this approach is.
And don't be so quick to label people privileged just because they have no interaction with the justice system.
In my closest circle of female friends, none have interacted with the justice department, one was physically abused by both parents, two had their virginity stolen via sexual assault. One when they were a small child.
It'd be great is some of that compassion and understanding on the left remained for those who are not politically identified as vulnerable minorities, who are injured and suffer nonetheless.
Sorry for the implication, I am also privileged to avoid the Courts etc. In the light of the horrific stats against women and girls (and the difficulty of adolescence), little wonder that some are desperate to avoid predators by identifying into another gender.
I agree that it's not easy to find data.
Here's a meta study from Canada – evaluating the recidivism rate of adolescent sexual offenders who have completed rehabilitation programmes, with those who dropped out, and those who never participated.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8548636/
Thanks, Belladonna.
Just aware there are many different programmes, and although they are often announced with great fanfare and promise, follow up information and data about attendees, costs, outcomes etc are hard to find.
There has been a follow up article with a response from the crown prosecutor, but even that is low on details regarding which programme the convicted rapist will be expected to attend (if indeed it is a specific sexual assault programme). Perhaps if those details were provided, and were able to be assessed as having a reasonable chance of success, people would be more accepting of the sentence.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/474427/why-prosecutor-didn-t-seek-prison-term-for-bay-of-plenty-teen-rapist
The question really is where is the government currently in regards to crime, assault, murder, sexual assault, theft, ramraids and so on and so forth.
Keeping non violent offenders out of prison and have them in home detention is laudable and should be used as much as possible. I am all in favor.
But a 16 year old raping 4 girls that is not normal teenage male behavior
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/teenager-jayden-meyer-sentenced-to-nine-months-home-detention-after-raping-four-15-year-old-girls/D6IWSUPAWWA7Q5TBPZ4BRLZRMQ/
I guess that non male human beings that are biological uterus/cervix/fallopian tubes and ovary havers need to understand the value society and our law / order / justice complex has for them vs rapists. Like none. No value, what so ever.
I realise your question is rhetorical but here ya go, some policy: labour.org.nz/justice
Perhaps the Covid lockdowns made everyone a little bit crazy
"Perhaps the Covid lockdowns made everyone a little bit crazy"
roblogic – I'm not sure what point you are making by posting this, in this context.
Can you elaborate?
Responding to Sabine's question about an overall increase in crime
A 16 year old raping 4 girls plus assaulting another one, should in fact be given a reward for his manliness and prowess. Anything else would just be too upsetting for the rapist. s/
That's not sarcasm, Sabine, that's unnecessarily triggering provocation, with no humorous or wry aspect whatsoever. Sarcasm should at least entertain, imo.
It's a wry analysis of the outcome for perpetrators and victims of sexual violence.
It's very difficult and distressing to get convictions.
Sentences of home detention agreed to by the crown prosecutor when as Sabine quotes above:
"A psychologist, who saw Meyer 30 times during the prosecution, found he had a medium risk of reoffending, and continues to minimize the effect of his crimes."
is not an indictment on the whole system, but may be indicative of a perspective that requires investigation. I think it does.
My answer is to the comment above on the Farrar tweet. It is not ment to be nice.
Farrar is Farrar and will do as Farrar did and has done since ever.
But to minimise the damage this young bloke did to the 5 girls in order to schtup a person with whom one disagrees one politically is despicable. Life long damage as i can assure you in no uncertain terms. My rapist is now dead and thanks god for that, and he raped me almost 50 years ago. And the damage is still there and it still hurts. Lifelong sentence for the victim and a nothing for the rapist. Now that is kindness.
And yes, where is the our government? the 'suicide' prevention government? the 'be kind' government when it comes to rape and sexual assault of girls/women? Oh they girls/women (sex based not gender based) are not marginalised and vulnerable enough? Are they even human?
What does it say about the so-called left that it can not ask where the justice is in this ruling. Justice for the girls. Justice for the community. Justice for the families of these girls?
And yes, that dude got exactly that what i wrote. A wee slap on the hand, after all they could not let that dude that has a medium risk of re-offending, and has shown no remorse be locked up for a few years. They are letting him go out again in a few month from his traumatising experience of home D and if he rapes again, oh well who could / would / should have known that, and did he not learn his lesson?
Sorry to hear that happened to you Sabine. You are absolutely right to be concerned about justice for the victims.
Peace
Susie Ferguson is a Taonga, pulling up Luxon in the middle of his Gish gallop
https://twitter.com/rugbyintel/status/1567300971885395968?s=20&t=gNCuGMcGV7LKfpCXQmY92w
Luxon gishes and gallops all over the course. His training is coming along well.
Yeah his punters will be pleased but he's not on Planet Key just yet.
Susie Ferguson has made calling Luxon on his bullshit a national sport. Unfortunately within the key MSM interviewers she is the only one playing at the moment.
"Repeat the Lies Luxon" knows people remember the meme. True or Not!!
(I am glad to see Ad doing some decent posts on the Government and making suggestions. Well done Ad.)
Suzy is great. she cuts to the chase!! She could have said "Where are you getting those figures from? They are wrong"
Now we need to build in a strategy to "call out" distortions and outright Lies.
Plus the Election has started.!!!!!
I have increased my regular donation to Labour by a third. I suggest every supporter give a small amount regularly, as then Labour can plan their campaign.
Say if you will provide a billboard spot, if you can do other tasks. If you don't want Luxon as our next Leader, start the fighting fund and planning.
I have said the exact same thing some time ago. that the warehousing of our poor in motels is nothing more then a hiding of a problem and a huge transfer of government funds to private businesses that run run down motels.
For the weekly cost of housing a desperate family in one of these hovels the government could have literally rented a house of the free market and saved some money.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/lizzie-marvelly-motel-emergency-housing-vulnerable-treated-like-cash-cows-turning-rotorua-into-a-dumping-ground/O2OQEVQQJXF42I7N67PVN53EXA/
happy to see this now out in the open. I don't believe much will change, and those that recently have lost their properties rented or owned will themselves find that a run down motel unit is the best they will find for a long long time to come. But then the government pays what ever is asked, don't ask questions, just carry on. Let's keep moving. To where? Who cares.
Sabine the problem is old, in my lifetime I have seen building on the current scale once!! That was in the 70s. The number of houses is not enough, but the changes made mean apartment blocks are able to be built in all centers near transport. The solution is not magic, but did need central government change as Rotorua had 1500 consents over years!! They were mainly top end houses, not social houses.
Your suggestion of build to rent subsidised Government housing is practised in Australian States. Yes I agree that would help, but the government could not join an overheated market and make it worse. Now prices have begun to stabilise they have a chance to buy into a falling market to provide homes from failed airb&b landlords.
I guess we should just vote for the guy that will magically make all these problems disappear. By selling off state housing and ignoring all the people sleeping rough and celebrating a rock star economy and hoping the bottom feeders will just go away.
Or, we could acknowledge that there is a housing shortage and at the same time an unprecedented government response in facilitating 10,000+ new state houses in the last 5 years.
HUD NZ Housing dashboard
Despite media wailing, the Government is NOT "hiding the problem" FFS.
Minister Woods was in Rotorua just last week.
https://twitter.com/LabourMaoriNZ/status/1564084645238800384?s=20&t=gNCuGMcGV7LKfpCXQmY92w
Yes. one house – and these are a tiny fraction bigger then a tiny house has now found someone to live in.
the rest are still empty.
All three houses are up the road from us. The property was knocked down three years ago, stood empty for a bout a year and half and took a year and a half to be build. With that speed in the year 2300 we will have housed all the Motel Citizens of NZ. Drip Drip Drip some water on a hot stone.
Never mind the future climate refugees such as those that have lost their properties in the recent floods up and down the country.
I find it more productive to turn on the light rather than curse the darkness.
If you want to celebrate these three tiny houses on one section with three carparks and a rug of 'grass' behind the shed (they are about double garage sized houses) then go ahead and consider it success.
Again, i live not far from this success and i know how well they are build (lol) and how big they are – two tiny bedrooms, toilet/shower and a kitchen-living, and these houses will be rented to people with kids.
The only grace these houses have is that schools are in walking distance and hopefully some of the reserve that the Council wants to sell to private developpers for 'low income housing' will be preserved for the future poor to have a bit of an outdoor space, and the next supermarket is about 3 kms walking distance form these properties, if one does not have enough money for a bus. Town is about an hours walk away.
We initially thought that hese properties were for hte retired, and i would actully consider them perfect for that group of people. However pushing 3 – 5 people into a barely 45 sqm 'house' *3 i.e. 12 – 15 people plus a few cars on a section that used to have 1 Kainga Ora house on it will bring its own problems.
I understand the desperation. I watched Auckland during the N years, and now i get to watch Rotorua during the L years, and you know what, it is hard very hard to find a difference.
For what its worth, the whole of downtown Rotorua could be knocked down and rebuild. ITs either abandoned, or not earthquake save, empty shops everywhere. Now that would be something. Re-design the town centre to be pedestrian / cyclist friendly, ground floor shops and above those three floors of apartments. You would not need to re-develop, utilities would already be there, water/sewerage etc all at hand, and you would revive your town centre.
The country needs to re-think housing as a whole. Cost of build, rents, sizes 1 bdrm / studio to 5 bedrm, cheap monthly rents, next to shops, schools, medical centres etc etc etc.
That is not what we are doing. In this case, we build three very small houses on one section to house up to 15+ people in.
In fact it would have been better to build these properties up two stories. And i can see these houses be demolished in a few years to do exactly that.
Kainga Ora is already investing in all these things as well as industry support and community engagement.
https://kaingaora.govt.nz/developments-and-programmes/
Clint Smith gives us more deets on Rotovegas…
https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1566622559465918464?s=20&t=2wCFtarl8sHc5qbigcdLvA
Are you getting these talking points from talkback radio? I was talking to a mate a couple of days ago who was saying similar stuff about Rotovegas and asking "where is Jacinda?!!11!!"
She's overseas at the moment, so I guess it is time for the Nat's mouthpieces to moan that she isn't visiting their pet projects.
I don't think she's overseas….
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-taking-buggy-ride-on-aucklands-44b-city-rail-link/2C6BUNNCFO5X2LZ3QEOIYKBE5U/
Dang, she was off to the UN just a few days ago
The government probably decided to use the motels because of the lockdowns and lack of tourists.
It's past time to move on
Otherwise make it easier for mobile homes to be located on sections (either for children of parents or parents of children).
Aesop said that a man is known by the company he keeps.
Now we all know where, and with whom, he stands.
"The meeting was hosted by Unify NZ, a local group that is aligned to a number of anti-mandate/anti-vax groups such as Voices for Freedom and Convoy 2022. The audience, as demonstrated during question time, was a mix of diehard NZ First supporters and right-wing conspiracy theorists."
https://www.localmatters.co.nz/mahurangi-news/audience-gets-its-moneys-worth-from-peters-rhetoric/?fbclid=IwAR3HRuD_ub_PqVfrvSTFTl20gQp-EmfY8m9NP8suB57NJfuW7xGwtDjqQk8
What is it about free school lunches that triggers right wingers so badly? The NZ Herald has revived its attacks on the school lunch programme. Is it the thought of some little brown kids getting a meal and maybe feeling happy and keen to learn – rather than knowing their place and pulling themselves up by their non-existent bootstraps? Is it the thought of working class parents saving maybe $25 a week per child to spend on other necessities? God knows – but it is a peculiarly intense example of their vileness.
All I saw was some spoilt kids complaining because they don't like kumara, and saying the menu was crap. They are lucky to have a choice.
It's not the first time NZ has had a school lunch programme. When I was a kid – admittedly a long time ago – our Mums used to take it in turns to 'do' the school lunches for those kids who regularly came to school with no lunch. We're talking about parents on very low wages who couldn’t afford them. No big deal. It was what you did back in the day. I presume each school had an allocation of money to keep the programme going.
Shoutout to Willie Lose.
Former rugby international and commentator Willie Los'e dies aged 55 – NZ Herald
He was second speaker at the Kelston Boys debating team back in the day, and it was always fun to go against the Kelston Girls team.
So Willie was pretty buff from all that First 15 Rugby gym training, and the topic was "That some things are best left to men". Good ground for a boys against the girls afternoon fun contest in the early 1980s.
You can get the tenor of the school by noting that Graham Henry was both Principal and Auckland Rugby Coach at the same time.
We oiled Willie up in coconut oil and he only wore a lavalava for that debate, so he could deliver Second Speaker with a bit of panache. He made his pecs talk to each other.
Sure went down well at the Kelston Girls auditorium.