Open mike 08/09/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 8th, 2010 - 37 comments
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37 comments on “Open mike 08/09/2010 ”

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  1. joe bloggs 1
    8 September 2010 at 6:49 am

    Jim Anderton tastelessly deifies Parker, Key for showing leadership following Christchurch disaster

    Is there any truth to the rumours that Jim Anderton used parliament yesterday to praise the efforts of Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker and PM John Key for their leadership during the Christchurch disaster?

    Why yes there is! Tasteless but true!

    Excuse me while I gag. Honestly, does the man have no sense of decorum? What is wrong with people whose first thought after a major disaster is the implications for local politics?

    • The Voice of Reason 1.1
      8 September 2010 at 7:04 am

      And your point, if you have one, is what exactly? There is a world of difference between a local MP diplomatically thanking Parker and Key for fronting and a fawning fuckwit using taxpayer owned tv resources to boost the electoral campaign of one of his mates.

      • joe bloggs 1.1.1
        8 September 2010 at 7:59 am

        There’s more point to my post than there was to MartyG’s on the 6th at 10:26am

        And the point is that the first fawning fuckwit who used taxpayer-owned TV resources to label Parker as Christchurch’s own Guiliani was Bob Harvey on Q+A

        So not only do we have Leftards praising Parker but also claiming that Rightists who do so are only doing so to score political points.

        You overlooked those little gems in your idiotic hysteria.

        • Marty G 1.1.1.1
          8 September 2010 at 8:20 am

          you’ll damage your computer if you keep crying on your keyboard, joe

        • mickysavage 1.1.1.2
          8 September 2010 at 8:31 am

          Joe I am struggling to see your point.

          Anderton acts responsibly and praises Parker. He did the exact opposite that you accuse the Left of doing.

          Bob Harvey could not be accused of being left.

          Marty’s comments are critical but totally appropriate.

          Or do you prefer that issues like this are not debated?

          BTW you could link to the comment.

  2. SjS 2
    8 September 2010 at 8:49 am

    I liked your article on saturday called ‘thank the regulators’

    It seems that Rodney Hide is laying low at the moment. I wonder if anyone in the msm will ask him if he is still idealogically opposed to building standards and the building act? Especially given that it just saved thousands of people’s lives in chch.

    Being a regulator myself, it is somewhat demoralising that the minister that represents our sector feels that most of what we do is a complete waste of time, and refuses to acknowledge the clear evidence that we need regulations to guarantee a safe, healthy and properous living environment.

    It would be nice to see if he still feels that way…

    • ZB 2.1
      8 September 2010 at 12:16 pm

      We have volcanic soils that produce great product, and so we also get earthquakes.

      Of course there is going to be reinvestment in ChCh, and after every earthquake,
      and that comes from taxing the good times.

      We suffer from being on the edge of the world, but this isolation means we
      have no wars, no pollution from neighbors, lower population, and great ecology.
      So we attract many toruists. We invest in our tourism sector to maximize our
      returns. Just as we invest in our population by providing income support when
      individuals, communities, or the general economy have downturns.

      This is not hard to understand, so why has the right been pushing this obnoxious
      tripe for so long. Well because even the left has had to go along with the religion
      of no government, as cheap oil glut flushed into the west after the first oil crisis,
      the governments of the west loosen finance for the economy to take up the
      cheap energy to build build build. We saw less of that growth here but we saw
      some, no government left or right could challenge the system and the right
      took advantage of this and peddle the hardest economic extremism they could
      get away with and media have been in lockstep.

      Now the right are looking forward to higher oil costs, to less finance industry,
      the media cannot peddle the crap anymore, Hide is hiding! And its only going
      to continue, back to a moderate governance where the free market is as dumb
      as it always was and requires proactive moderate government.

      That’s why its so surprising Keys ad hoc approach to governing, as if he
      was hoping the lavish finance of the past three decades was about to return.
      That Key thought it was good politics to set his rockweiler Social Development
      minister off the leash, and wrote up the 90 day, crime levy, and a raft of
      wishful rightwing jerkoff, stupid city, roading.

      The beauty of the collapse of world finance is Key is a dinosaur, the right
      wing extremist is set for extinction, and the great wheel turns into a new era.

  3. Adrian 3
    8 September 2010 at 9:26 am

    Yeah, the Minister of Local Govt is suspiciously queit. That’s worrying. On another point, a letter writer in the Dom on the weekend suggested that any payout for SCF should be in Govt bonds. The best bit of commonsense in a long time.

  4. Lanthanide 4
    8 September 2010 at 9:50 am

    Auckland quake retrospective:
    “A flurry of earthquakes had Aucklanders running into the streets as their houses shook last night”
    http://www.nzresponse.info/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=214&Itemid=99999999

  5. Craig Glen Eden 5
    8 September 2010 at 10:28 am

    I was just wondering, do any of you think that Smile and Wave would have phoned Julia Gillard to congratulate her and Labor on their win. He should have no excuses about knowing or not having her number given she rang him last week re the disaster in Christchurch.

    What a undiplomatic fool he now looks!

    ANTI SPAM WORD : lies : its just all to much!

    If he does not have the number maybe he could ring John and Mary back as they seem really good at getting prime ministers phone numbers!

    • Lanthanide 5.1
      8 September 2010 at 10:30 am

      Not knowing her number was a pathetic excuse, because he already rang her to congratulate her when she rolled Rudd! In fact, Key was one of the first world leaders to do so!

      • Carol 5.1.1
        8 September 2010 at 10:43 am

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4105595/At-last-Key-calls-Australias-new-PM

        Last updated 05:00 08/09/2010
        It took weeks but Prime Minister John Key was finally able to call Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard last night to congratulate her on her election win. …

        Mr Key said he was looking forward to working with Ms Gillard, having already established a relationship with her when she was prime minister in the weeks leading up to the election.

        But he also commiserated with Liberal leader Tony Abbott.

        “As a politician I know what it’s like to be in a tough fight and sometimes it doesn’t go your way, but this was the tightest of margins … in this case Julia’s come through and we will be working closely with her.”

        Mr Key said the National Government had a good relationship with the Australian Labor Party and political stripes were usually parked at the door when it came to trans-Tasman relations. “In reality, it’s our strongest, deepest and most important relationship.”

        Labour leader Phil Goff was also keen to work closely with the Australian Labor Party but said it was a big challenge for Ms Gillard, given her slim majority and reliance on independent MPs.

  6. Rosy 6
    8 September 2010 at 11:11 am

    Richard O’Brien has his residency and I’m pretty happy about that: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10671865

    He’s claimed by many New Zealanders whenever Rocky Horror is in the news so it seems only right that he can come and go as he pleases and retire here if he wants. O’Brien is on record as saying New Zealand’s classless society had given him the start he needed, making him realise anything was possible http://living.scotsman.com/interviews/Interview-Richard-O39Brien-writer-and.5680553.jp (Sept 2009)

    “New Zealand was a beautiful place to grow up,” he says. “Its greatest gift was classlessness. It was an egalitarian meritocracy. Nobody was your social superior and to this day it’s still like that. I think it’s splendid. “When I came to England in 1964, I held this card that said Access All Areas. Nobody could stop me from going anywhere because I wouldn’t recognise their assumption that they were my superior. That was the greatest gift New Zealand gave me.”

    It’ll be interesting to me to see if he feels NZ is still egalitarian. The people I know who want to come here appreciate the more subjective values (environment, classlessness, space etc) rather than requiring economic opportunities. I hate to see current policies not recognising this (especially those from the Ministers of Tourism and Economic Development).

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1
      8 September 2010 at 2:39 pm

      He must have grown up in a NZ different from the one I grew up in.

    • Vicky32 6.2
      8 September 2010 at 5:21 pm

      I don’t get why he needs residency! I had always heard that he was a New Zealander all along! Ah following the link, I see… (I grew up in NZ from an English father, and never experienced the classless society he speaks of – maybe Rotorua where I grew up, was different?)
      Deb

      • Rosy 6.2.1
        9 September 2010 at 11:02 am

        That’s the thing isn’t it? It’s all in the perspective. Here’s a guy born in England, subject to English class and I expect, accent-related discrimination. I think NZ class discrimination was a different beast and on a comparatively reduced scale.

        “Nobody could stop me from going anywhere because I wouldn’t recognise their assumption that they were my superior”

        I’m more likely to challenge assumptions of superiority than defer to them, and I think that is because I’m a NZer, not because I’m particularly assertive. From my years living and working in UK this really is a different way of being… I know other Britons who have lived here will adopt as much of a Kiwi accent (because they then can’t be placed in a class box) as they can when they go back to the UK to do exactly the same.

        So it’s not that discrimination didn’t exist in NZ, (as an English-accented trannie in Hamilton I’m pretty sure he was aware of it) it was based on different assumptions and responses to it were different. I would expect that with geographic separation of the rich and poor that has occurred in NZ over the years our situation will be more similar to the British version now and as someone with egalitarian leanings he will notice this.

        • Vicky32 6.2.1.1
          9 September 2010 at 4:35 pm

          “Here’s a guy born in England, subject to English class and I expect, accent-related discrimination. I think NZ class discrimination was a different beast and on a comparatively reduced scale.”
          Sadly, that’s not so… My sisters and I caught hell for going to a New Zealand school with English accents – so there’s your accent-based discrimination! (My mother was from a social class several notches above what she was when we were kids – and we were never allowed to forget that she had fallen from grace in marrying a working man and an English one at that!) I wish your rosy picture was right, but trust me, there was as much class-based discrimination in NZ in the 1960s and 1970s as there is now! One example that still makes me sad and angry. I never knew until 10 years after I left school, that student allowances existed and that I qualified for one – my teachers had simply assumed that kids in our family would be headed straight for shop or factory work, and so they assumed we wouldn’t want to know. Result is that I had no tertiary study until I was a “mature student”, and now I have student loans to repay. Thanks Mrs P and Mrs Y and all the rest. (None of us worked in shops or factories, you old besoms…)
          Deb 🙁

  7. Pascal's bookie 7
    8 September 2010 at 11:25 am

    This link made my day.

    http://www.teapartybizopp.info/Home.html

    P.S. 30 days from now you can either be a month older, or you could be receiving your first pay check for your efforts of enrolling other subscribers – members to join the TeaPartyBizOpp too help us raise finances to fund conservative organizations to defend our freedom and to help stop liberal tyranny! You better believe the Liberal progressives have an army of individuals that do their bidding on a grassroots level, to help pass their agenda’s, were offering to pay you, to get involved, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Just think about it if every one just did a little we all would do alot, it’s the power of leverage and duplication, that’s why were only asking for each member to give a small annual donation, and then we pay you to go out and convince others to become members and make a small annual donation as well. Take a stand and make a difference and get paid for doing it. Sign up here Join us today and make it your business to fight liberal tyranny! God Bless you, and God bless the U.S.A.

    FTW.

    • nzfp 7.1
      8 September 2010 at 12:53 pm

      Hey PM, have a look at the books on the Banned/Burned book list in some of the more conservative States in the good ole USA here including:

      Too Political:
      Uncle Tom’s Cabin
      All Quiet on the Western Front
      A Farewell to Arms
      The Grapes of Wrath
      For Whom The Bell Tolls
      Animal Farm
      1984
      Doctor Zhivago
      Slaughterhouse Five
      In the Spirit of Crazy Horse

      Too Much Sex:
      Madame Bovary
      Tess of the d’Urbervilles
      Ulysses
      The Sun Also Rises
      Lady Chatterley’s Lover
      Tropic of Cancer
      Lollita
      Peyton Place
      Rabbit, Run
      I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
      Jaws
      Forever
      The Prince of Tides
      Beloved
      How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

      Irreligious
      On the Origin of Species
      The Lord Of The Rings trilogy
      The Last Temptation of Christ
      Bless Me Ultima
      The Harry Potter series

      Socially Offensive
      ]The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
      The Scarlet Letter
      The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
      As I Lay Dying
      Brave New World
      Gone With The Wind
      Of Mice and Men
      Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
      The Catcher in the Rye
      Fahrenheit 451
      To Kill a Mockingbird
      James and the Giant Peach
      Catch-22
      A Clockwork Orange
      One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
      In Cold Blood
      Cujo (Stephen King)
      The Color Purple
      Ordinary People
      A Thousand Acres

      • F.Y 7.1.1
        8 September 2010 at 1:06 pm

        LOL the definiton of most literature is works that are political, socialy offensive and irreligious with too much sex.
        Grapes of Wrath, isn’t political, it outlines human nature. If you pay people less than living wage then overwork them, they starve.
        There is no sex in Sun also Rises, because he can’t get it up. Unless you count the night Brett spends with a Bullfighter – which isn’t described.
        Catch-22 outlines western capitalism in action. How is that offensive?

      • Jim Nald 7.1.2
        8 September 2010 at 2:58 pm

        I’m thinking of names for some new blind trusts.
        Thanks for the suggestions.

      • Vicky32 7.1.3
        8 September 2010 at 5:37 pm

        Origin of Species and Lord of the Rings, irreligious? It is to laugh… Origin of Species is not meant to be religious, neither is LotR… 😀
        Deb

    • Draco T Bastard 7.2
      8 September 2010 at 2:43 pm

      That sounds remarkably like Ponzi/Pyramid Scheme.

  8. Herodotus 8
    8 September 2010 at 12:55 pm

    There are many who throw bricks (Sandals) towards the US, It is nice to see the promp nature of our closer allies in asking if we require and support. Things like the good work the US does do seems to get lost by many.
    http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6690560-new-zealand-turns-down-quake-aid
    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/quake-aftermath-live-updates-3760678
    TVNZ 1:404p.m.

    • nzfp 8.1
      8 September 2010 at 1:36 pm

      Hey Heredotus
      Remember that the US sent 20,000 Marines to Haiti after their Quake. Remember it was the US Military that occupied four airports in Haiti “denying humanitarian flights permission to land” with doctors and relief supplies. Then of course there is the whole “Naomi Kleins Shock Doctrine – Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert”.

      Considering the US response to Haiti – perhaps it is not in our best interest to get help from the US.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        8 September 2010 at 2:51 pm

        My usual response to help from the US is to ask how much is it going to cost.

        • Herodotus 8.1.1.1
          8 September 2010 at 4:24 pm

          Just like those within Canterbury, when you see your neighbour/friend in trouble you offer help. Also remember how indebted the USA economy is so that makes this offer all the more touching. Where are all those rich countries (Esp the communist based & OPEC countries) with there offers.
          And how much is Chinas assistance to Fiji going to increase the tension and costs for the APEC countries?
          Sometimes we all need to view the world with a little less cynicism 😉

  9. Lanthanide 9
    8 September 2010 at 1:37 pm

    Time-lapse map of the earthquake(s), lists more aftershocks than what is available on the geonet site, including some down in the 2-3 range. Unfortunately the animation is a bit jerky.
    http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/

    I definitely haven’t felt all of them. Looking at the whole lot, I’ve felt maybe 30-40% of them?

  12. Armchair Critic 12
    8 September 2010 at 9:47 pm

    Just did the weekly politics quiz at stuff.co.nz
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/stuff-quizzes/4104201/Weekly-politics-quiz
    Strangely, at question 14 the option of “Wellington” is not available as one of the four possible answers. Evidently Option 1 is correct.

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    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
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    4 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    7 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
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    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
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  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago

  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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