Flynn and Russian nukes in the middle east (what could possibly go wrong?). Bits and pieces of this story have been floating around for a while, but apparently Mueller has been asking for it to be kept quiet. But apparently it’s now ok for those in the know to talk about it.
Watched a doco with Miss 13 last night, highly recommended viewing.
The Age of Consequences
THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES investigates the impacts of climate change on increased resource scarcity, migration, and conflict through the lens of US national security and global stability. Through unflinching case-study analysis, distinguished admirals, generals and military veterans take us beyond the headlines of the conflict in Syria, the social unrest of the Arab Spring, the rise of radicalized groups like ISIS, border walls, and the European refugee crisis – and lay bare how climate change interacts with other socio-political factors to exacerbate societal tensions and spark conflict.
By this time, Flynn and everyone else in the country was aware that Russia had interfered in the election
Should read
By this time, Flynn and everyone else in the country was aware that the democrats were accusing Russia of interfering in the election.
And the statement of Russian government interference further on in the piece is also false. These things now get stated as fact in some quaters though still no proof. Just endless innuendo.
…September 2015, when an agent from the FBI’s Washington Field Office notified the Democratic National Committee that Russian hackers had compromised at least one DNC computer.
So your failed attempt at revision should read:
By this time, Flynn and everyone else in the country was aware that the democratsFBI were accusing Russia of interfering in the election.
Yes. Definately murky. And we all pick through whatever evidence we caan find and make our own judgements. To my mind the USA created Trump and must own him if they want to avoid repeating him. I have read a lot about this as have many people. I admit that these are only my views but I see no evidence of any Russian plot. The things that Flynn was doing were obviously not good but the whole story above hinges on the conjecture of a Russian plot as fact
Nicely said, to paraphrase one commentator, every Russia allegation is a dud, a dud that reappears every couple of weeks and sends the Id-libs (Idiot liberals) into a frenzy over their ‘shining democracy’ being controlled by a foreign power – Russia, russia, russia.
The IP addresses supplied by DHS are globally distributed with most being in the USA. Russia is second.
The malware that the sample supplied by the DHS came from was an administrative tool used by hackers to upload and download files to and from infected sites. It was an old version of a Ukrainian malware freely available on the internet.
There is nothing that points to Russia any more than any other country.
Phishing attacks are a constant and the presence of them doesnt indicate espionage. It is almost always a fishing expedition for material gain as the name implies.
Not every great quarterback has the moral stature of Colin Kaepernick….
Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon used to grab his assistant’s crotch without her consent, mandated that she sleep in his bed during business trips, and drugged her drink during a business trip in Mexico “because he thought she was not ‘having fun,’” according to a lawsuit filed this week by the former assistant in a California court. ….
The woman, 32-year-old Wendy Haskell, was hired as the 61-year-old Moon’s executive assistant in July. She says in the lawsuit that “Moon had a dark and twisted side that commanded far more than just executive assistant services from his newly hired employee.”
…..
Three days later, Haskell reported Moon’s behavior—the dress code, sleeping arrangements, touching, and unwanted sexual advances—to the company’s CEO, David Melzer, according to the lawsuit. Meltzer told her to go with Moon on an upcoming trip to Cabo as planned. The lawsuit describes the trip as little more than pretext for Moon to harass women…. https://deadspin.com/lawsuit-warren-moon-grabbed-drugged-and-threatened-h-1821065543
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
You can collect all the Gropers….
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden; No. 8 Rolf Harris; No. 9 Harold Bloom; No. 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; No. 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; No.12 Prince Harry; No. 13 Bill Clinton; No.14 Judge Roy Moore; No. 15 Matt Lauer; No. 16 Richard Branson
Toxic algae in Lake Taupo leads to the cancellation of the swim leg in tomorrow’s Ironman. To be clear, by tourists I mean NZ and overseas and recreational visitors not taking the cleaning of boats and shoes seriously.
i would assume that the boats on lake Taupo belong to New Zealanders. I don’t think we can really blame ‘tourists’ – i.e. foreign tourists for the lack of properly cleaned boats.
We have just received an ‘urgent’ warning in regards to the toxic algea in Lake Taupo.
our little spot by the lake are a few houses, many boat sheds, and if it is found here on our side Lake Maraetai it will affect our water supply and the income for literally most of the residence here that scrape by making a living out of ‘tourists’ – mainly NZ’lers and their boats, Jetskis, Canoes, and such.
We need to do some house cleaning and some soul searching as to how we want to manage our resources.
Exactly Sabine. This is a problem caused by locals with some oddballs trying to blame tourists. The same thing happens with vehicle accidents that are 96% caused by locals.
We would be lost without the billions the tourist industry is bringing in. We must learn to live with and mitigate any adverse effects starting with an extensive network of toilets and tables at every roadside stop.
I understand that, but really the boaties are locals or townies that come for the weekend, freedom camp, hoon up and down the river/lake and go home again.
I have yet to see someone staying by the lake cleaning the boats before leaving.
So one must assume that it is done at home, and well if they don’t use bleach or something similar i can’t see how they could kill the algae.
Also there is the issue with the overuse of the surrounding lands by the dairy industry. I mean i can see the cows on the other side of the lake. there used to be trees there, now there is millions of cows. It simply can’t be good.
this area here is fucked without that bit of tourism, to have an Ironman without the swimming leg one day before the event happens to me only means one thing, a. the water quality is not monitored, b. there are not enough people to monitor our waterways and lakes, c. she’ll be right, d. oops we fucked up.
Shameful, embarrassing and if i were a competitor from oversees having forked out huge costs to get here i would not be amused.
We need to get a grip and start monitoring the impact of tourism and farming on our land. Lest we all want to start boiling our water before use.
“What do I do if my water supply comes from a stream, river
or lake affected by cyanobacteria?
Check your intake (and also upstream) for the presence of cyanobacteria algae
and contact your local council or a Health Protection Officer at Toi Te Ora –
Public Health if you think your water supply may be affected. In rivers affected
by cyanobacterial mats, it is important to keep you intake grates free of the
mats by cleaning them frequently (making sure you don not touch the mats).
Normal household filtration or disinfection systems (e.g. the adding of
household chlorine based disinfectants) do not effectively remove
cyanobacterial toxins. Boiling the water is not recommended as boiling will
cause the cyanobacteria cells to break open and will actually increase the
available toxin concentration. So if your water may be affected, to ensure
safety, close off your intake and find an alternative water supply. In the longer
term you should look for an alternative source for your water supply.”
“…the sea surface temperature in the Tasman Sea and around New Zealand is between 2degC and more than 6degC above the November average. It is a sign the warm weather could continue until February next year.”
maybe ‘users’ is a better word then ‘tourists’. tourists is synonym with foreigners etc. Users is simply everyone who uses the lake, its shores and its surrounding areas.
“Tourists, as I stringly alluded to in my comment, are all visitors to the lake.
It is another example of people viewing nature as a doormat not a living breathing system impacted by each and every one of our trespasses.”
It is a combination of factors that lead to a toxic algal bloom…the least of which is probably tourism….unless tourism adds considerably to the nutrients entering the waterway.
ttps://www.ttophs.govt.nz/vdb/document/43
“Cyanobacteria (commonly known as “blue-green algae”) are among the oldest
and most primitive forms of life. They are found in fresh water lakes and rivers
throughout the world, usually in low concentrations, and are not visible without
the use of a microscope. However, when conditions are favourable,
cyanobacteria cells can multiply and form cyanobacteria blooms or
cyanobacterial mats. These may also accumulate to form surface scums in
shallow inlets and bays and along the shoreline of lakes and rivers.
Favourable conditions for cyanobacteria blooms include the right combination of
warm temperatures, sunlight, and low (or stable) river flows, or calm lake
conditions. Cyanobacteria blooms are a natural phenomenon but human
activities, such as taking water from rivers or adding nutrients to waterways, can
increase the risk of blooms occurring. In particular, high levels of nutrients such
as phosphorus and nitrogen increase the risk of blooms occurring. These
nutrients may reach waterways from sources such as fertiliser use, livestock,
and sewage leakage or discharge in lake and river catchment areas. “
Imagine having a living, breathing doormat!
Cool!
You’d wanna look after it, aye!
Give it water and nourishment. Keep it alive and thriving – happy even!
The latest 2 fines I have received were a setup I disputed one I emailed my dispute I was not speeding they took the officer word against mine . I could not be bothered taking it to court Here it is global warming our biggest lake has Toxic algae bloom how long has this been known for national cover up. I say we start industrial scale worm farms and spread worm casting on our farms instead of the chemical that we are using to cheat mother nature. The big company will say you can do that yea right. To our new coalition government if the adviser say you cannot do something well you make the law so change it so you can achieve what you set out to do and background check your adviser as they mite have a conflict of interest in national supporter. You people on breakfast are showing your good Kiwi humour Ka pai
@eco Maori +1 “I say we start industrial scale worm farms and spread worm casting on our farms instead of the chemical that we are using to cheat mother nature.”
Gisborne man Gisborne man you have shit on Gisborne for to long time to retire I no you are intimate with some one that’s related to me and I no that you are trying to set it up for me to come to Gisborne were you have all the power to falsely arrest me. I told you don’t underestimate ECO MAORI. When I was in that computer repair and met Preble I got that chill down my spine thanks to my tipuna for that gift as well as my excellent sense of smell on Wednesday when I was driving back to the farm over the kaimais I noticed a Toyota and as always I keep a guard up it was good insight because one car pulled up in the middle of the road to turn right who does that well the Toyota jammed on there brakes right next to the blue car for no reason I had to break hard tyres squealing to stop ramming up the ass of the Toyota rad 4 and when they seen that I stopped about 3 feet from them the Toyota took off in a hurry suspect A. Many thanks to my tipuna for these skills. Back to the computer shop it was not about Richard preble he was the decoy what shit have they got on preble on the way to the computer shop I seen Gisborne man he was trying to look like a shopper standing in a shop doorway looking at the sky fool and he came in the computer shop and I got that feeling
I shook preble hand an said Mr preble you no who eco Maori is he grinned and said yes and after 1 minutes he went into the back of the shop. You see this was Gisborne man trying to prove on camera that I could not id him I have another way of proving who you are. When I drag your ass over those hot coals of a courthouse for my breach of the waitangi treaty I will let you no how I can do this you told everyone I was a dum idiot well sorry you are the idiot I no that my neo liberal neighbour idolise you an you have imposed your religious races view on the justice systems of New Zealand for to long and I am going to stop you dick head
I no you are m8 with Rickard and are from the same mold of fascist elitist ass holes you will see everyone abandoned you fool Ana to kai
Better thoughts how many lady judges do we have we need equality it that profession to. I new people were going to try and slow down the changes you want to make our society to make more humane and equal. You will get there just relax and surround yourself with a good team you can trust like in the art of war you are doing a excellent job of prime minister there will be a lot of people trying to tell you can’t do what you want tell them whose BOSS. What I do when I got a problem is. I will go under it over though it over it around I won’t stop till I solve the problem. Many thanks for your hard work for the better of our country. Ka pai
“Natural resources have been pushed to “critical boundaries” by the economy’s reliance on exporting raw materials, and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is “not fit for purpose”, the documents say”
Controversy looms as the Government considers universal treatment of drinking water through measures such as chlorination.
The recommended move stems from a report revealing that up to 100,000 Kiwis are getting sick every year from drinking tap water.
While Auckland and Wellington residents are drinking safe water, 20 per cent of the country – over 700,000 New Zealanders and countless more tourists – are at risk of drinking potentially unsafe water.
When 100,000 people are getting sick every year from drinking water out of the tap then we have to stop the delusional practice of continuing with untreated water. There’s a massive cost involved that includes possible death (three died in Havelock North because of poor water) and, of course, the added cost of millions more plastic bottles.
The more the cost of goods go up, the more people tend to resort to theft. Yet, the more people shoplift, the more the costs of goods increase as the cost of theft is largely passed on.
I get a escort were ever I go I wonder how the justice department can justify the amount of money they are pouring into eco Maori when resources are badly required for other people wellbeing. I meet Richard preble this morning I told him I was eco Maori and asked if he new that name he agreed had a smile a went to the back of the computer shop and shut the door there were cameras on to another character check out from the popo
Must have a fantasy that I would be a idiot and abuse him what a bunch of dicks I don’t believe in coincidence. Kia kaha
So the trains drivers are on strike, and auckland has not fallen apart.
The usual bullshit from the granny and the hard right in this country about it being a disaster, have been proven wrong once again. When will they learn?
But our media being the panderers of the corporate agenda once again not publishing the concern of the workers in this situation . It’s all about the disruption.
One man operation refers to the people actually moving the train – the driver and/or engineer. It doesn’t count people internal to the train e.g. conductors or ticket collectors; or on the platform e.g. the Japanese shovers.
I haven’t been around Auckland trains for about 15 years but from what I remember platforms and trains weren’t set up to allow for one person to manage the driving and ticketing of an entire train – let alone managing people with accessibilty issues e.g. wheel chairs, push chairs, or people with luggage, bikes etc.
We really need a corporate manslaughter law that deals with willful negligence.
“So the trains drivers are on strike, and auckland has not fallen apart”.
I can take another view of that.
The enormous expenditure by rate-payers and tax-payers on suburban rail is totally wasted. We simply don’t need it.
The same thing happened in Wellington few weeks ago. Traffic flowed as freely as ever.
Why are we bothering to spend billions of dollars on Auckland suburban rail when it is simply not required? Wouldn’t it be much better to spend the money on treating the water supply for the rest of the country?
Or simply give it back to the tax-payers who are, I am sure, find something better to do with it?
I wonder if Genter uses public transport now? Or is a Ministerial Beemer now totally necessary to her life?
Sheesh alwyn you are a joke. I’ve said it before your an ideological hack for a discredited ideology.
Your lot are wreckers, you just can’t help yourself can you?
You want to save the tax payer, get rid of the super city, get rid of the military and get rid of the spy bases. That will save the tax and rate payer way more money, rather than your stupid idea, you ideological hack.
I see little advantage from the “super city”.
Actually I would class Auckland as being a small city by world standards. It just happens to be bigger than any other in this tiny country.
“get rid of the military and get rid of the spy bases”.
Possibly. What would Ron Mark do for a crust though if he didn’t have the opportunity to lord it over his former superiors?
The military do have a role in disaster relief of course. The Veronica, a Royal Navy ship, happened to be in Napier at the time of it’s earthquake and provided enormous assistance. There are people still around who remember it with gratitude I gather.
Apart from that though I think Bob Jones had it about right in 1984 when he headed the New Zealand Party in the election.
He wanted a budget for the armed forces of 20 cents or something similar.
It only need to be enough to ring up any invading forces and say “We surrender”. That was a bit radical for the other party members but they still wanted a massive cutback in defence expenditure.
Have a look at section 1.2 “Early days” here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Party
You sound as if you would have been an ardent supporter.
Would you have been a member?
Now, now. Just calm down and take another Valium tablet.
Me, a tired ideological hack?
I would have said that was a very good description of youself?
Why do you insist that the ancient, 19th century trams are the way to go and refuse to accept we are now in the 21st century?
Don’t continue to be so small minded. Let you mind expand to accept the new technology.
In the Auckland region, a large percentage of the train passengers after 9am are Gold Card people. Old people. Thousands of them. Hundreds of thousands. People just like you.
Sucking up that 50% plus ticket price of subsidy every journey.
None of that massive subsidy is reflected in the billions it took in CAPEX to electrify the lines and build the stations.
Those old people sucking up the train carriage air conditioning are subsidised up to their eyeballs.
But then, so is every car driver as well.
And to give you a quick hint: with no trains running today, every motorway was at standstill here.
Hey Alwyn, it’s not often I wish my particular condition on others, but there are a few of you out there who would be very deserving of waking up tomorrow with an illness that sees your driver’s licence confiscated.
That’s usually the only way to make the anti-public transport zealots appreciate just how useful trains and buses are. And just how completely stranded you are when there aren’t any around.
You are presumably eligible for a 50% subsidy on a taxi? http://www.transport.govt.nz/land/the-total-mobility-scheme/
I would quite happily increase the rate of the subsidy although I wouldn’t make it free.
On the other hand it won’t be needed in a few years. The current public transport options of buses and trains will, like the private motor vehicle itself, become totally obsolete.
Autonomous vehicles will take over very much sooner than you may imagine.
Then you won’t be any different to anyone else, will you?
Please hope we haven’t spent too many billions on trams, the nineteenth century technology so beloved by Luddites.
The enormous expenditure by rate-payers and tax-payers on suburban rail is totally wasted. We simply don’t need it.
You have absolutely NFI of how traffic on networks flow do you? Have NFI of why people using cars produces far more gridlock and shifts less people than public transport.
Yeah, we public transport, especially the trains. What we need is to get rid of the cars because they’re the cause of several problems that we simply can no longer afford.
Why are we bothering to spend billions of dollars on Auckland suburban rail when it is simply not required?
Actually, the billions have been spent on roads and we’ve still got gridlock.
Wouldn’t it be much better to spend the money on treating the water supply for the rest of the country?
What’s treating water going to do if we’re still poisoning the people and the environment with excessive car use?
Or simply give it back to the tax-payers who are, I am sure, find something better to do with it?
We keep hearing this BS from the RWNJs. Then we’ll hear from them how beneficiaries need to have the benefits curtailed so that they can only spend their money on what we allow them to.
The massive cognitive overload of holding such contrary positions is probably what makes NJs.
Oh, and all the tax cuts have resulted in worse services that cost us more.
I wonder if Genter uses public transport now? Or is a Ministerial Beemer now totally necessary to her life?
And there we have the normal ad hominem’s that we expect from the gutter crawlers of the right-wing.
I haven’t been on the Auckland trains for about 15 years but if there are only train drivers then teachers need to be around to supervise their students using the trains.
I was on a train when a whole lot of boys came racing on and piled on to one on the long seats, scaring the life out of lady who looked like she had been in a car crash recently (sling, neck brace and broken nose). When the conductor asked for money for their tickets they would pretend to drop it in his hand but let it drop on the floor and the poor conductor had to scrabble under the seats to find it. The boys were complete and utter shits.
Then you’e hear on the radio about some mother moaning because her son got kicked off the train for bad behaviour and how terrible it was that he was put off far from home. From the behaviour I saw the kids would have to be a threat to life and limb before any action was taken.
(Perhaps there were girl who were terrible too but I only saw these boys.)
Meanwhile, our Labour-led government’s Minister of Revenue Stuart Nash has just introduced into Parliament the Taxation (Neutralisation Base Erosion and Profit Sharing) Bill has measures aimed at preventing multinationals from achieving a tax advantage through:
• artificially high interest rates on loans from related parties to shift profits out of New Zealand
• hybrid mismatch arrangements that exploit differences between countries’ tax rules
• artificial arrangements to avoid having a taxable presence in New Zealand; and
• related-party transactions to shift profits to offshore group members.
Nash is going to keep on this, because there is a massive industry by multinationals in tax planning. Apple tried to shift its liabilities over to New Jersey, and with the U.S. slashing its corporate rate down to 20%, we can expect to see more relocations that damage small economies.
First Reading of this bill is on Tuesday 12 December. Keen to see how the Opposition oppose this one.
This could be as dangerous as hell for New Zealand.
There is a major problem with tax avoidance by multi-nationals. However the only way to fix it is with multinational action.
Suppose we just determine what we regard is an “equitable” tax regime for a company whose main source of revenue is the sale of their IP, such as Apple. They transfer it to New Zealand and then sell it on at essentially the transfer price. How are we going to be able to demand that it be done at some other price? About 8 years ago I understand Apple had only a single employee in New Zealand. He was only here because they hadn’t yet managed to get him a Green Card. They really didn’t do any business here at all that created taxable income here.
Suppose that China decides that their setting the transfer price is a great idea. Suppose they say they will set the transfer price for the milk we ship to China and sell there.
Then what are you going to do if they set the transfer price at ZERO and say that all the sales made in China are pure profit?
Then they tax it at 30% and demand $5 billion a year as taxes?
The tax treatment of multinationals has got to be done by a consensus of all nations, or at least all the ones who trade or we will get robbed blind.
I really don’t have the time to spell this out fully but just think about this brief item. It may be politically desirable to claim we are bashing the rich foreigners but it is far more complicated than people like Nash seem to understand.
There are a total of 4 sentences in this comment.
The first two, within the quote, are accurate and pertinent.
The third comes out of your imagination. I never said anything of the sort.
The fourth is just a load of drivel. I pay all the taxes I owe and in fact make no attempt to minimise them.
You cannot answer the points I am making so you simply abuse the messenger.
The third is what you were actually saying in the quoted text and the rest of your rant. I can only assume that you don’t want things to change, that the problem is fixed, because you’re benefiting from the present broken system.
Apple doesn’t transfer their IP to NZ so not a valid argument but it does raise the question of why they’re getting a tax write off for it.
They really didn’t do any business here at all that created taxable income here.
Then why do they have an office here with millions of dollars of sales?
Suppose that China decides that their setting the transfer price is a great idea. Suppose they say they will set the transfer price for the milk we ship to China and sell there.
That would actually be free-trade.
Still, the big question is: Why do we even allow transfer pricing?
It’s obviously being abused by multi-national corps so that they can avoid paying taxes.
The tax treatment of multinationals has got to be done by a consensus of all nations, or at least all the ones who trade or we will get robbed blind.
That’s what the FTAs and the WTO are for but they’re not working as we keep finding out when we get screwed by other nations ignoring the FTAs that they have with us.
“I can only assume that you don’t want things to change”.
Rubbish. It is, as I have stated a major problem. However we can’t just fix it by making unilateral declarations of what a transfer price should be.
The problem has to be fixed by all nations agreeing on the rules.
It is a multinational problem and it needs multinational agreement on the rules.
“Then why do they have an office here with millions of dollars of sales”.
All they really do here is deliver overseas built and programmed computers, and phones and so on, to sales outlets.
There argument is that they make no profit here. There may be profits made in New Zealand but they are made by their dealers and any tax that may be due on those profits is paid here.
There is, of course a 15% tax paid on the whole price of the goods sold. That is the GST.
“Why do we even allow transfer pricing”.
I don’t understand what you really mean. Are you suggesting, as you seem to be, that no deduction should be allowed on the sales price of an item for the cost to build the item in another country?
If that is what you want you are simply arguing that there should be no trade at all between countries. That may be what you want but I would like to get, and pay a fair price for, things that are made in another country.
“That’s what the FTAs and the WTO are for”.
Yes they are, and the are working. Slowly but working out in the end.
You do realise, I hope, that the row between the EU and Apple is really the EU ordering Ireland, supposedly a Sovereign Nation, to charge taxes at the rate the EU orders them to do. Ireland is on Apple’s side in this squabble.
I don’t hold any particular brief for Apple by the way. They want, like many businesses and people, to pay as little tax as possible.
The solution is not something that one country, particularly a small one like NZ can fix on its own. We need multinational agreements that can enable us to work out where value has been added, where profits have been made and where taxes are due.
We aren’t going to be able to do that on our own
Here a thought how many brown judges do we have at a guess not many if any. My Mama would not even let me call the person who took me to the post office
by her real title and a few years ago she asked me to call her that my reply was this is the name mama told me to call you enough said these people think by swarming me they will break me mentally YEA RIGHT Kai kaha
Government without any purpose, no interest, no clues, don’t want improvements or planning for them, wait and see, what have the wealthy ones got up their sleeves. Leave everything to them, keep our hands out for the money – follow the old joke about the big lottery winner who responds to the question of what to do with the begging letters with ‘Keep sending them out as usual’. Milk the suckers and look out for enrichment opportunities for oneself and club. Life in NZ under National Party.
The latest Census Bureau data indicates that small businesses are responsible for 90 percent of all net new jobs. A report from the Kauffman Foundation found that small businesses have created virtually 100 percent of all net new jobs since 1980. Small businesses employ more than half the private sector workforce, are responsible for half of GDP and account for 90 percent of all U.S. exports.
It is undeniable that small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. To think about closing the only agency in the country that helps small businesses is unconscionable. Clearly Republicans like Senator Burr, his supporters and groups such as the CATO Institute are directed like puppets by the defense and aerospace industry.
Seems a good idea to turn around and help get new enterprises going, and give tax advantages to ones that can grow enough to hire a young person, or an older one who has to find a job till retirement.
Lloyd Burr gets mentioned for devoting attention to Judith Collins.
June 2017 Burr is having a go at Winston Peters. But also how his confidential data slipped out and the chain that passed it on.
In August Winston wasn’t being transparent.
He had a go at National and English’s big promise of getting children out of poverty. Multiple 50,000s being referred to.
Then he made a point that National had lied about Labour’s tax intentions. Labour should have been outspoken from the first calling this out and the lack might lose the election.
Then the post election discussions were good for some pondering and opinion.
NZ First and the Greens
Then he talked up a group of pollies after a meeting trying to avoid nosy reporter\in October.
Nov 2017 Burr is apparently named in Winston’s foray against journalists.
He is casting round for something to get his hooks into I guess.
I’ve heard anecdotally he’s not liked by parliamentary staff for being a blustering, self-important show pony. Looks to me like he’s just another young hack wanting a few exposes in the belief this will make his career, but hasn’t yet learned the finer points of using trust to get good dialogue with MPs, ministers, and senior civil servants.
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
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 sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
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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 ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Flynn and Russian nukes in the middle east (what could possibly go wrong?). Bits and pieces of this story have been floating around for a while, but apparently Mueller has been asking for it to be kept quiet. But apparently it’s now ok for those in the know to talk about it.
https://www.salon.com/2017/12/07/mike-flynn-and-the-russians-was-he-reckless-greedy-or-hopelessly-corrupt/
Watched a doco with Miss 13 last night, highly recommended viewing.
The Age of Consequences
THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES investigates the impacts of climate change on increased resource scarcity, migration, and conflict through the lens of US national security and global stability. Through unflinching case-study analysis, distinguished admirals, generals and military veterans take us beyond the headlines of the conflict in Syria, the social unrest of the Arab Spring, the rise of radicalized groups like ISIS, border walls, and the European refugee crisis – and lay bare how climate change interacts with other socio-political factors to exacerbate societal tensions and spark conflict.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltjua10RFy4
From the article
By this time, Flynn and everyone else in the country was aware that Russia had interfered in the election
Should read
By this time, Flynn and everyone else in the country was aware that the democrats were accusing Russia of interfering in the election.
And the statement of Russian government interference further on in the piece is also false. These things now get stated as fact in some quaters though still no proof. Just endless innuendo.
Do you believe the lies you repeat?
So your failed attempt at revision should read:
By this time, Flynn and everyone else in the country was aware that the
democratsFBI were accusing Russia of interfering in the election.Try harder.
Glad to see you are using the word accusing. This is entirely my point
No, your point is to claim that the accusation is “false”. So you are behaving in exactly the same way as those who claim it is true.
When you are accused of something you are innocent until proved guilty. So yes. I assume innocence.
That is the legal premise for sure. The broader context is murkened when people may misuse power to block the truth or pervert investigations.
Hopefully we can all agree it is a very murky situation.
Yes. Definately murky. And we all pick through whatever evidence we caan find and make our own judgements. To my mind the USA created Trump and must own him if they want to avoid repeating him. I have read a lot about this as have many people. I admit that these are only my views but I see no evidence of any Russian plot. The things that Flynn was doing were obviously not good but the whole story above hinges on the conjecture of a Russian plot as fact
If you did see the evidence that Secureworks et al have reported, would you be capable of understanding it?
Whereas this is not a criminal trial and never will be.
Nicely said, to paraphrase one commentator, every Russia allegation is a dud, a dud that reappears every couple of weeks and sends the Id-libs (Idiot liberals) into a frenzy over their ‘shining democracy’ being controlled by a foreign power – Russia, russia, russia.
I’d like to see your evidence that Secureworks are idiot liberals.
Take your time.
I prefer the wordfence analysis.
The IP addresses supplied by DHS are globally distributed with most being in the USA. Russia is second.
The malware that the sample supplied by the DHS came from was an administrative tool used by hackers to upload and download files to and from infected sites. It was an old version of a Ukrainian malware freely available on the internet.
There is nothing that points to Russia any more than any other country.
Phishing attacks are a constant and the presence of them doesnt indicate espionage. It is almost always a fishing expedition for material gain as the name implies.
https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2016/12/russia-malware-ip-hack/
For faqs on the analysis
https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2017/01/election-hack-faq/#proof
Dud may be optimistic – putin must be pissing himself – his hands are never dirty now so much sanitiser available.
GROPERS
No. 17: Warren Moon
Not every great quarterback has the moral stature of Colin Kaepernick….
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/23/sports/pro-football-jury-rapidly-acquits-moon-of-spousal-abuse-charges.html
http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/09/nfl-legend-rips-colin-kaepernick-for-suing-the-nfl/
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
You can collect all the Gropers….
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden; No. 8 Rolf Harris; No. 9 Harold Bloom; No. 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; No. 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; No.12 Prince Harry; No. 13 Bill Clinton; No.14 Judge Roy Moore; No. 15 Matt Lauer; No. 16 Richard Branson
The rising cost of tourism includes…
Toxic algae in Lake Taupo leads to the cancellation of the swim leg in tomorrow’s Ironman. To be clear, by tourists I mean NZ and overseas and recreational visitors not taking the cleaning of boats and shoes seriously.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11955663
More likely to be nutrient inputs to the lake (i.e land use) , rather than introduction of specific algae on a tourist.
i would assume that the boats on lake Taupo belong to New Zealanders. I don’t think we can really blame ‘tourists’ – i.e. foreign tourists for the lack of properly cleaned boats.
We have just received an ‘urgent’ warning in regards to the toxic algea in Lake Taupo.
our little spot by the lake are a few houses, many boat sheds, and if it is found here on our side Lake Maraetai it will affect our water supply and the income for literally most of the residence here that scrape by making a living out of ‘tourists’ – mainly NZ’lers and their boats, Jetskis, Canoes, and such.
We need to do some house cleaning and some soul searching as to how we want to manage our resources.
Exactly Sabine. This is a problem caused by locals with some oddballs trying to blame tourists. The same thing happens with vehicle accidents that are 96% caused by locals.
We would be lost without the billions the tourist industry is bringing in. We must learn to live with and mitigate any adverse effects starting with an extensive network of toilets and tables at every roadside stop.
To be clear, by tourists I mean NZ and overseas and recreational visitors not taking the cleaning of boats and shoes seriously.
I understand that, but really the boaties are locals or townies that come for the weekend, freedom camp, hoon up and down the river/lake and go home again.
I have yet to see someone staying by the lake cleaning the boats before leaving.
So one must assume that it is done at home, and well if they don’t use bleach or something similar i can’t see how they could kill the algae.
Also there is the issue with the overuse of the surrounding lands by the dairy industry. I mean i can see the cows on the other side of the lake. there used to be trees there, now there is millions of cows. It simply can’t be good.
this area here is fucked without that bit of tourism, to have an Ironman without the swimming leg one day before the event happens to me only means one thing, a. the water quality is not monitored, b. there are not enough people to monitor our waterways and lakes, c. she’ll be right, d. oops we fucked up.
Shameful, embarrassing and if i were a competitor from oversees having forked out huge costs to get here i would not be amused.
We need to get a grip and start monitoring the impact of tourism and farming on our land. Lest we all want to start boiling our water before use.
Perhaps you mean’t “the rising cost to tourism” tracey?
Folk flock to places like Taupo to take a dip in the 100% Pure waters…yet if they can’t swim…
This report …. https://www.ttophs.govt.nz/vdb/document/43 gives good overall information…including the rather disturbing..
“What do I do if my water supply comes from a stream, river
or lake affected by cyanobacteria?
Check your intake (and also upstream) for the presence of cyanobacteria algae
and contact your local council or a Health Protection Officer at Toi Te Ora –
Public Health if you think your water supply may be affected. In rivers affected
by cyanobacterial mats, it is important to keep you intake grates free of the
mats by cleaning them frequently (making sure you don not touch the mats).
Normal household filtration or disinfection systems (e.g. the adding of
household chlorine based disinfectants) do not effectively remove
cyanobacterial toxins. Boiling the water is not recommended as boiling will
cause the cyanobacteria cells to break open and will actually increase the
available toxin concentration. So if your water may be affected, to ensure
safety, close off your intake and find an alternative water supply. In the longer
term you should look for an alternative source for your water supply.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11951429
Dairy NZ criticises “UK environmental entrepreneur publicly likened the country to “a beautiful person with cancer”.”
As well as increased nutrients…the most likely factor exacerbating algal bloom is this wee thing..
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=11953368
“…the sea surface temperature in the Tasman Sea and around New Zealand is between 2degC and more than 6degC above the November average. It is a sign the warm weather could continue until February next year.”
Those are frighteningly high temperatures…
Sounds lovely me nutrients from farms, not tourists.
Farmers to blame for Kauri Dieback too Ed?
Tourists, as I stringly alluded to in my comment, are all visitors to the lake.
It is another example of people viewing nature as a doormat not a living breathing system impacted by each and every one of our trespasses.
maybe ‘users’ is a better word then ‘tourists’. tourists is synonym with foreigners etc. Users is simply everyone who uses the lake, its shores and its surrounding areas.
Internal tourism
“Tourists, as I stringly alluded to in my comment, are all visitors to the lake.
It is another example of people viewing nature as a doormat not a living breathing system impacted by each and every one of our trespasses.”
It is a combination of factors that lead to a toxic algal bloom…the least of which is probably tourism….unless tourism adds considerably to the nutrients entering the waterway.
ttps://www.ttophs.govt.nz/vdb/document/43
“Cyanobacteria (commonly known as “blue-green algae”) are among the oldest
and most primitive forms of life. They are found in fresh water lakes and rivers
throughout the world, usually in low concentrations, and are not visible without
the use of a microscope. However, when conditions are favourable,
cyanobacteria cells can multiply and form cyanobacteria blooms or
cyanobacterial mats. These may also accumulate to form surface scums in
shallow inlets and bays and along the shoreline of lakes and rivers.
Favourable conditions for cyanobacteria blooms include the right combination of
warm temperatures, sunlight, and low (or stable) river flows, or calm lake
conditions. Cyanobacteria blooms are a natural phenomenon but human
activities, such as taking water from rivers or adding nutrients to waterways, can
increase the risk of blooms occurring. In particular, high levels of nutrients such
as phosphorus and nitrogen increase the risk of blooms occurring. These
nutrients may reach waterways from sources such as fertiliser use, livestock,
and sewage leakage or discharge in lake and river catchment areas. “
“as I stringly alluded to”
Cool!
Imagine having a living, breathing doormat!
Cool!
You’d wanna look after it, aye!
Give it water and nourishment. Keep it alive and thriving – happy even!
Sound like farming’s ‘externalities.’
The latest 2 fines I have received were a setup I disputed one I emailed my dispute I was not speeding they took the officer word against mine . I could not be bothered taking it to court Here it is global warming our biggest lake has Toxic algae bloom how long has this been known for national cover up. I say we start industrial scale worm farms and spread worm casting on our farms instead of the chemical that we are using to cheat mother nature. The big company will say you can do that yea right. To our new coalition government if the adviser say you cannot do something well you make the law so change it so you can achieve what you set out to do and background check your adviser as they mite have a conflict of interest in national supporter. You people on breakfast are showing your good Kiwi humour Ka pai
@eco Maori +1 “I say we start industrial scale worm farms and spread worm casting on our farms instead of the chemical that we are using to cheat mother nature.”
“industrial scale” – let’s pause for a moment, shall we?
Gisborne man Gisborne man you have shit on Gisborne for to long time to retire I no you are intimate with some one that’s related to me and I no that you are trying to set it up for me to come to Gisborne were you have all the power to falsely arrest me. I told you don’t underestimate ECO MAORI. When I was in that computer repair and met Preble I got that chill down my spine thanks to my tipuna for that gift as well as my excellent sense of smell on Wednesday when I was driving back to the farm over the kaimais I noticed a Toyota and as always I keep a guard up it was good insight because one car pulled up in the middle of the road to turn right who does that well the Toyota jammed on there brakes right next to the blue car for no reason I had to break hard tyres squealing to stop ramming up the ass of the Toyota rad 4 and when they seen that I stopped about 3 feet from them the Toyota took off in a hurry suspect A. Many thanks to my tipuna for these skills. Back to the computer shop it was not about Richard preble he was the decoy what shit have they got on preble on the way to the computer shop I seen Gisborne man he was trying to look like a shopper standing in a shop doorway looking at the sky fool and he came in the computer shop and I got that feeling
I shook preble hand an said Mr preble you no who eco Maori is he grinned and said yes and after 1 minutes he went into the back of the shop. You see this was Gisborne man trying to prove on camera that I could not id him I have another way of proving who you are. When I drag your ass over those hot coals of a courthouse for my breach of the waitangi treaty I will let you no how I can do this you told everyone I was a dum idiot well sorry you are the idiot I no that my neo liberal neighbour idolise you an you have imposed your religious races view on the justice systems of New Zealand for to long and I am going to stop you dick head
I no you are m8 with Rickard and are from the same mold of fascist elitist ass holes you will see everyone abandoned you fool Ana to kai
How’s the glider Gisborne man well you are going to have some time to play with that toy now. Kia kaha
Better thoughts how many lady judges do we have we need equality it that profession to. I new people were going to try and slow down the changes you want to make our society to make more humane and equal. You will get there just relax and surround yourself with a good team you can trust like in the art of war you are doing a excellent job of prime minister there will be a lot of people trying to tell you can’t do what you want tell them whose BOSS. What I do when I got a problem is. I will go under it over though it over it around I won’t stop till I solve the problem. Many thanks for your hard work for the better of our country. Ka pai
You have to be vigilant on your people to have a gard up at all times and this culture will save you a lot of grief.
Ka pai
Seek help before you do something stupid.
More fake concern. You and James are the amateur psychologist double act tonight!
“Natural resources have been pushed to “critical boundaries” by the economy’s reliance on exporting raw materials, and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is “not fit for purpose”, the documents say”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/99635380/Environment-Ministry-rubbishes-clean-green-image-pokes-holes-in-attempts-to-address-emissions
Inquiry slams Ministry of Health, local councils for systemic failure on water standards
When 100,000 people are getting sick every year from drinking water out of the tap then we have to stop the delusional practice of continuing with untreated water. There’s a massive cost involved that includes possible death (three died in Havelock North because of poor water) and, of course, the added cost of millions more plastic bottles.
So we’re destine to get the treated stuff as our pure water is bottled and sent offshore?
That seems to be the case although, that stuff being bottled doesn’t appear to be the pure stuff any more either.
The vicious circle
The more the cost of goods go up, the more people tend to resort to theft. Yet, the more people shoplift, the more the costs of goods increase as the cost of theft is largely passed on.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/retail-crime-costing-industry-1-billion-year-new-report-finds
I get a escort were ever I go I wonder how the justice department can justify the amount of money they are pouring into eco Maori when resources are badly required for other people wellbeing. I meet Richard preble this morning I told him I was eco Maori and asked if he new that name he agreed had a smile a went to the back of the computer shop and shut the door there were cameras on to another character check out from the popo
Must have a fantasy that I would be a idiot and abuse him what a bunch of dicks I don’t believe in coincidence. Kia kaha
Eco Maori,
I say this with respect and genuine concern. You have written a number of post where you discuss people following you everywhere, or an ‘escort’.
Im not saying that this isnt the case, but would suggest perhaps having a word in the ear of some whanau or other people who you trust.
I know if I had someone I loved feeling like this all the time, I would do what I could to help them, regardless of what that help needed to be.
For the others in here – Im well aware of your views of me and my comments – but perhaps we can leave that for a separate thread this time huh?
Fish
Good answer. This guy James drips fake concern despite what he claims.
So the trains drivers are on strike, and auckland has not fallen apart.
The usual bullshit from the granny and the hard right in this country about it being a disaster, have been proven wrong once again. When will they learn?
But our media being the panderers of the corporate agenda once again not publishing the concern of the workers in this situation . It’s all about the disruption.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/99656790/auckland-train-strike-traffic-flowing-well-ahead-of-peak-rushhour-traffic
SO!!
If you missed it, here is why they are striking
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/345589/auckland-rail-workers-to-strike-over-driver-only-trains
The union needs to get with the times, this is how many trains operate around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-man_operation
Look another Tory telling workers to put up and shut up – who would have guessed.
One man operation refers to the people actually moving the train – the driver and/or engineer. It doesn’t count people internal to the train e.g. conductors or ticket collectors; or on the platform e.g. the Japanese shovers.
I haven’t been around Auckland trains for about 15 years but from what I remember platforms and trains weren’t set up to allow for one person to manage the driving and ticketing of an entire train – let alone managing people with accessibilty issues e.g. wheel chairs, push chairs, or people with luggage, bikes etc.
We really need a corporate manslaughter law that deals with willful negligence.
Yes because having unsafe trains moving tens of thousands of people every day is such a good idea….
/sarc
“So the trains drivers are on strike, and auckland has not fallen apart”.
I can take another view of that.
The enormous expenditure by rate-payers and tax-payers on suburban rail is totally wasted. We simply don’t need it.
The same thing happened in Wellington few weeks ago. Traffic flowed as freely as ever.
Why are we bothering to spend billions of dollars on Auckland suburban rail when it is simply not required? Wouldn’t it be much better to spend the money on treating the water supply for the rest of the country?
Or simply give it back to the tax-payers who are, I am sure, find something better to do with it?
I wonder if Genter uses public transport now? Or is a Ministerial Beemer now totally necessary to her life?
Sheesh alwyn you are a joke. I’ve said it before your an ideological hack for a discredited ideology.
Your lot are wreckers, you just can’t help yourself can you?
You want to save the tax payer, get rid of the super city, get rid of the military and get rid of the spy bases. That will save the tax and rate payer way more money, rather than your stupid idea, you ideological hack.
I see little advantage from the “super city”.
Actually I would class Auckland as being a small city by world standards. It just happens to be bigger than any other in this tiny country.
“get rid of the military and get rid of the spy bases”.
Possibly. What would Ron Mark do for a crust though if he didn’t have the opportunity to lord it over his former superiors?
The military do have a role in disaster relief of course. The Veronica, a Royal Navy ship, happened to be in Napier at the time of it’s earthquake and provided enormous assistance. There are people still around who remember it with gratitude I gather.
Apart from that though I think Bob Jones had it about right in 1984 when he headed the New Zealand Party in the election.
He wanted a budget for the armed forces of 20 cents or something similar.
It only need to be enough to ring up any invading forces and say “We surrender”. That was a bit radical for the other party members but they still wanted a massive cutback in defence expenditure.
Have a look at section 1.2 “Early days” here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Party
You sound as if you would have been an ardent supporter.
Would you have been a member?
I’ve been more than honest about the way I see the world, and people like you and north are just stuck thinking is such small ways.
Have you even tried not to think like a tired ideological hack alwyn? Have you ever given another worldview a go?
I know, too hard basket. But, worth a crack nigel… (seeing as we going all 80’s)
Now, now. Just calm down and take another Valium tablet.
Me, a tired ideological hack?
I would have said that was a very good description of youself?
Why do you insist that the ancient, 19th century trams are the way to go and refuse to accept we are now in the 21st century?
Don’t continue to be so small minded. Let you mind expand to accept the new technology.
In the Auckland region, a large percentage of the train passengers after 9am are Gold Card people. Old people. Thousands of them. Hundreds of thousands. People just like you.
Sucking up that 50% plus ticket price of subsidy every journey.
None of that massive subsidy is reflected in the billions it took in CAPEX to electrify the lines and build the stations.
Those old people sucking up the train carriage air conditioning are subsidised up to their eyeballs.
But then, so is every car driver as well.
And to give you a quick hint: with no trains running today, every motorway was at standstill here.
“every motorway was at standstill here.”
Really? Did you look at the first link Adam posted in his original comment?
I’ll put the link in again to save you the trouble of going back in the comment stream to find it. Just look at the first photograph in the article. I claims to be at 8.30am.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/99656790/auckland-train-strike-traffic-flowing-well-ahead-of-peak-rushhour-traffic
Is that really showing a motorway at a standstill?
Why should I believe you rather than Adam and that photograph?
Hey Alwyn, it’s not often I wish my particular condition on others, but there are a few of you out there who would be very deserving of waking up tomorrow with an illness that sees your driver’s licence confiscated.
That’s usually the only way to make the anti-public transport zealots appreciate just how useful trains and buses are. And just how completely stranded you are when there aren’t any around.
You are presumably eligible for a 50% subsidy on a taxi?
http://www.transport.govt.nz/land/the-total-mobility-scheme/
I would quite happily increase the rate of the subsidy although I wouldn’t make it free.
On the other hand it won’t be needed in a few years. The current public transport options of buses and trains will, like the private motor vehicle itself, become totally obsolete.
Autonomous vehicles will take over very much sooner than you may imagine.
Then you won’t be any different to anyone else, will you?
Please hope we haven’t spent too many billions on trams, the nineteenth century technology so beloved by Luddites.
The main congestion saving for passenger rail is in town because that’s where the traffic converges.
You have absolutely NFI of how traffic on networks flow do you? Have NFI of why people using cars produces far more gridlock and shifts less people than public transport.
Yeah, we public transport, especially the trains. What we need is to get rid of the cars because they’re the cause of several problems that we simply can no longer afford.
Actually, the billions have been spent on roads and we’ve still got gridlock.
What’s treating water going to do if we’re still poisoning the people and the environment with excessive car use?
We keep hearing this BS from the RWNJs. Then we’ll hear from them how beneficiaries need to have the benefits curtailed so that they can only spend their money on what we allow them to.
The massive cognitive overload of holding such contrary positions is probably what makes NJs.
Oh, and all the tax cuts have resulted in worse services that cost us more.
And there we have the normal ad hominem’s that we expect from the gutter crawlers of the right-wing.
I haven’t been on the Auckland trains for about 15 years but if there are only train drivers then teachers need to be around to supervise their students using the trains.
I was on a train when a whole lot of boys came racing on and piled on to one on the long seats, scaring the life out of lady who looked like she had been in a car crash recently (sling, neck brace and broken nose). When the conductor asked for money for their tickets they would pretend to drop it in his hand but let it drop on the floor and the poor conductor had to scrabble under the seats to find it. The boys were complete and utter shits.
Then you’e hear on the radio about some mother moaning because her son got kicked off the train for bad behaviour and how terrible it was that he was put off far from home. From the behaviour I saw the kids would have to be a threat to life and limb before any action was taken.
(Perhaps there were girl who were terrible too but I only saw these boys.)
Isn’t one of their roles to protect us?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018624654/nzdf-kept-quiet-on-contamination-for-months
Protect the rich, more like – not us.
Ireland is starting to get the $14billion plus that it is owed from Apple:
http://fortune.com/2017/12/04/apple-to-pay-ireland-billions-in-back-taxes/
Meanwhile, our Labour-led government’s Minister of Revenue Stuart Nash has just introduced into Parliament the Taxation (Neutralisation Base Erosion and Profit Sharing) Bill has measures aimed at preventing multinationals from achieving a tax advantage through:
• artificially high interest rates on loans from related parties to shift profits out of New Zealand
• hybrid mismatch arrangements that exploit differences between countries’ tax rules
• artificial arrangements to avoid having a taxable presence in New Zealand; and
• related-party transactions to shift profits to offshore group members.
Nash is going to keep on this, because there is a massive industry by multinationals in tax planning. Apple tried to shift its liabilities over to New Jersey, and with the U.S. slashing its corporate rate down to 20%, we can expect to see more relocations that damage small economies.
First Reading of this bill is on Tuesday 12 December. Keen to see how the Opposition oppose this one.
This could be as dangerous as hell for New Zealand.
There is a major problem with tax avoidance by multi-nationals. However the only way to fix it is with multinational action.
Suppose we just determine what we regard is an “equitable” tax regime for a company whose main source of revenue is the sale of their IP, such as Apple. They transfer it to New Zealand and then sell it on at essentially the transfer price. How are we going to be able to demand that it be done at some other price? About 8 years ago I understand Apple had only a single employee in New Zealand. He was only here because they hadn’t yet managed to get him a Green Card. They really didn’t do any business here at all that created taxable income here.
Suppose that China decides that their setting the transfer price is a great idea. Suppose they say they will set the transfer price for the milk we ship to China and sell there.
Then what are you going to do if they set the transfer price at ZERO and say that all the sales made in China are pure profit?
Then they tax it at 30% and demand $5 billion a year as taxes?
The tax treatment of multinationals has got to be done by a consensus of all nations, or at least all the ones who trade or we will get robbed blind.
I really don’t have the time to spell this out fully but just think about this brief item. It may be politically desirable to claim we are bashing the rich foreigners but it is far more complicated than people like Nash seem to understand.
Typical RWNJ: It’s too haaaard and so we shouldn’t do anything.
I take it you’re one of the ones using dodgy tax systems to ‘minimise’ your taxes.
There are a total of 4 sentences in this comment.
The first two, within the quote, are accurate and pertinent.
The third comes out of your imagination. I never said anything of the sort.
The fourth is just a load of drivel. I pay all the taxes I owe and in fact make no attempt to minimise them.
You cannot answer the points I am making so you simply abuse the messenger.
The third is what you were actually saying in the quoted text and the rest of your rant. I can only assume that you don’t want things to change, that the problem is fixed, because you’re benefiting from the present broken system.
Apple doesn’t transfer their IP to NZ so not a valid argument but it does raise the question of why they’re getting a tax write off for it.
Then why do they have an office here with millions of dollars of sales?
That would actually be free-trade.
Still, the big question is: Why do we even allow transfer pricing?
It’s obviously being abused by multi-national corps so that they can avoid paying taxes.
That’s what the FTAs and the WTO are for but they’re not working as we keep finding out when we get screwed by other nations ignoring the FTAs that they have with us.
“I can only assume that you don’t want things to change”.
Rubbish. It is, as I have stated a major problem. However we can’t just fix it by making unilateral declarations of what a transfer price should be.
The problem has to be fixed by all nations agreeing on the rules.
It is a multinational problem and it needs multinational agreement on the rules.
“Then why do they have an office here with millions of dollars of sales”.
All they really do here is deliver overseas built and programmed computers, and phones and so on, to sales outlets.
There argument is that they make no profit here. There may be profits made in New Zealand but they are made by their dealers and any tax that may be due on those profits is paid here.
There is, of course a 15% tax paid on the whole price of the goods sold. That is the GST.
“Why do we even allow transfer pricing”.
I don’t understand what you really mean. Are you suggesting, as you seem to be, that no deduction should be allowed on the sales price of an item for the cost to build the item in another country?
If that is what you want you are simply arguing that there should be no trade at all between countries. That may be what you want but I would like to get, and pay a fair price for, things that are made in another country.
“That’s what the FTAs and the WTO are for”.
Yes they are, and the are working. Slowly but working out in the end.
You do realise, I hope, that the row between the EU and Apple is really the EU ordering Ireland, supposedly a Sovereign Nation, to charge taxes at the rate the EU orders them to do. Ireland is on Apple’s side in this squabble.
I don’t hold any particular brief for Apple by the way. They want, like many businesses and people, to pay as little tax as possible.
The solution is not something that one country, particularly a small one like NZ can fix on its own. We need multinational agreements that can enable us to work out where value has been added, where profits have been made and where taxes are due.
We aren’t going to be able to do that on our own
Here a thought how many brown judges do we have at a guess not many if any. My Mama would not even let me call the person who took me to the post office
by her real title and a few years ago she asked me to call her that my reply was this is the name mama told me to call you enough said these people think by swarming me they will break me mentally YEA RIGHT Kai kaha
Government without any purpose, no interest, no clues, don’t want improvements or planning for them, wait and see, what have the wealthy ones got up their sleeves. Leave everything to them, keep our hands out for the money – follow the old joke about the big lottery winner who responds to the question of what to do with the begging letters with ‘Keep sending them out as usual’. Milk the suckers and look out for enrichment opportunities for oneself and club. Life in NZ under National Party.
We have been following the USA and this piece from there from 2011 bemoans that over there they don’t give a stuff about an active economy that fires on all cylinders either.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lloyd-chapman/small-business-administration_b_932007.html
The latest Census Bureau data indicates that small businesses are responsible for 90 percent of all net new jobs. A report from the Kauffman Foundation found that small businesses have created virtually 100 percent of all net new jobs since 1980. Small businesses employ more than half the private sector workforce, are responsible for half of GDP and account for 90 percent of all U.S. exports.
It is undeniable that small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. To think about closing the only agency in the country that helps small businesses is unconscionable. Clearly Republicans like Senator Burr, his supporters and groups such as the CATO Institute are directed like puppets by the defense and aerospace industry.
Seems a good idea to turn around and help get new enterprises going, and give tax advantages to ones that can grow enough to hire a young person, or an older one who has to find a job till retirement.
Looking at Lloyd Burr on google –
Radiolive background TV3
The MMP Review of 2012 which provoked criticism of Judith Collins.
http://www.elections.org.nz/events/past-events-0/2012-mmp-review/results-mmp-review
Bryce Edwards from 2013 which would have a para if NBR wasn’t so anally retentive.
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-politics-daily-collins-fights-back-ck-140401
Lloyd Burr gets mentioned for devoting attention to Judith Collins.
June 2017 Burr is having a go at Winston Peters. But also how his confidential data slipped out and the chain that passed it on.
In August Winston wasn’t being transparent.
He had a go at National and English’s big promise of getting children out of poverty. Multiple 50,000s being referred to.
Then he made a point that National had lied about Labour’s tax intentions. Labour should have been outspoken from the first calling this out and the lack might lose the election.
Then the post election discussions were good for some pondering and opinion.
NZ First and the Greens
Then he talked up a group of pollies after a meeting trying to avoid nosy reporter\in October.
Nov 2017 Burr is apparently named in Winston’s foray against journalists.
He is casting round for something to get his hooks into I guess.
I’ve heard anecdotally he’s not liked by parliamentary staff for being a blustering, self-important show pony. Looks to me like he’s just another young hack wanting a few exposes in the belief this will make his career, but hasn’t yet learned the finer points of using trust to get good dialogue with MPs, ministers, and senior civil servants.