Words! Words! I’m so sick of words!
I get words all day through;
First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?
Don’t talk at all! Show me!
Never do I ever want to hear another word.
There isn’t one I haven’t heard.
Don’t wait until wrinkles and lines
Pop out all over my brow,
Show me now!
This TPPA thing has got beyond words – I want some action (peaceful, of course!)
I want to let this f. awful government know that not all New Zealanders can be so blatantly disregarded! I want to march and shout some slogans.
I marched down Riccarton Road on a miserably wet day in September; now I want to do so again!
And I want to do so as much for my own self-respect as anything. I want to be able to look my grandchildren in the eyes when this country had completely gone to the dogs and say – “I fought against the foreign takeover of our country!”
I marched in 1981 and have always had a warm feeling about that – though I admit to being frightened at the time. I have put my name down for the climate change march in November – does that qualify me for Key’s ‘rent-a-crowd’ one third?
This has got beyond words – let’s have some action! Show me how! And when!
Onya Tony. I’m a “rent a crowd” third too. And a Labour and Green voter, so am another third according to Key. Who do we invoice for services provided to promote democracy btw? Cos, you know, in Key’s world, everything is for sale.
FYI. I spoke to a friend who is involved in the organisation around TPP. Like you, I’m keen to get out there again. As far as I know there isn’t anything in the pipeline as yet – BUT, there will be. Thats for sure.
I think it’s possible that organisers are holding off until we have access to the text of all 30 chapters. Once we have that information we plan strategy for activity. Thats just my theory.
Listening to Alistair Thompson on Scoop Politics on Radio Active this morning – he mentioned that without knowing the full content of the deal we are really only shadow boxing. I thought that was good way of looking at at. It’s not until the deal gets tabled in congress that we and the other 11 countries get to know the content, and thats thirty days after.
I think there will be a delay before we hit the streets again.
Don’t hold off organising your own local march though 😀
PS: Do you keep an eye on Action Station? They were involved in co organising the last march. Sing up and receive their email news.
Other than that the rest of the stories seemed to focus on “how hard it for poor Mr Key & the rest of the party to get there and how unpleasant it had all been”.
Left the lasting impression that it was all about me, me ,me… look how tough I had it but zero empathy for the people who have to live their lives there.
and Corin Dann (sp) was almost breathless with his excitement at being in a war zone… reminds me why I prefer Mike McRoberts. The coverage struck me as highlighting that it’s all about
Old neoliberal farts like Fran O’Sullivan and John Key really do seem to believe their own bullshit, in an almost religious fervour. It is like they cannot abide any alternative views. Their minds cannot fathom that there are other ways of structuring society and trade. They are stuck in a time warp.
“In Kunduz, our patients burned in their beds. MSF doctors, nurses and other staff were killed as they worked. Our colleagues had to operate on each other.”
+100 Manuka AOR – would be keen to see further analysis of this on the Standard too.
It seems unfathomable that the USA can just murder (either deliberately or by accident) so many doctors, patients and other staff at the hospital and the international community does nothing. Is this the international and media response – Meh?
Even if the MSM seem reluctant to report it properly with analysis I hope the blogs can look at it.
Look at what the difference when a muslim kills someone in Paris – massive widespread international condemnation and dialogue – funeral with all the international dignitaries invited (and some who were not).
And in a sad irony, Docs without Borders are vocal opponents of the TPP:
” the TPP will still go down in history as the worst trade agreement for access to medicines in developing countries, which will be forced to change their laws to incorporate abusive intellectual property protections for pharmaceutical companies.”
” As the trade agreement now goes back to the national level for countries’ final approval, we urge all governments to carefully consider before they sign on the dotted line whether this is the direction they want to take on access to affordable medicines and the promotion of biomedical innovation. The negative impact of the TPP on public health will be enormous, be felt for years to come, and will not be limited to the current 12 TPP countries, as it is a dangerous blueprint for future agreements.” http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/article/statement-msf-conclusion-tpp-negotiations-atlanta
@Tony Veitch
My initial reaction to the signing was exactly like yours. I have managed to push my anger down to a level where I can do now think more rationally and make better plans to fight this more effectively.
The current situation is this:
1.Only the trade issues have been revealed.
2. The Herald in particular is doing the soft-sell PR job for Groser, Key
3. The ISDS, the selling of land to foreigners and minimal dairy gains are really the only negative issue that are out in the public domain.
4. The fine print fishhooks have yet to be revealed so the arguments surrounding these cannot be had to inform the general public of the negative consequences. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11525498
I think we will need to take to the streets but the events need to be well planned, well publicised, with all groups co-ordinating, similar to the big antimining march in Auckland. It needs to be after the text is released so the negatives are indisputably out there so the public can see that we are not just a pack of angry feral, left wing nutters but have damn good reasons for marching and what’s more, they want to join in because they agree.
In the meantime, we need to educate those around us as more information comes to light, get people involved in planning placards, street theatre, ready for the big marches.
5. Let’s all learn the lyrics of Twisted Sister’s “We’re not Gonna Take It”
Oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
we’ve Got The Right To Choose And
there Ain’t No Way We’ll Lose It
this Is Our Life, This Is Our Song
we’ll Fight The Powers That Be Just
don’t Pick Our Destiny ’cause
you Don’t Know Us, You Don’t Belong
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
oh You’re So Condescending
your Gall Is Never Ending
we Don’t Want Nothin’, Not A Thing From You
your Life Is Trite And Jaded
boring And Confiscated
if That’s Your Best, Your Best Won’t Do
I also think there should be a consumer campaign run too. For example buy no milk products day, buy no meat day, buy nothing day, buy no overseas goods day etc.
Don’t go to Bunnings are get that garden hose etc.
Now that money is the new god and lobbyists are the messengers, when the end consumer fights the money, the lobbyists start listening.
This is what happened in the 90’s with cruelty free animal testing – consumers stopped buying and changed the way the company did business.
As voters democracy might be gone, but as consumers we still have choice and a lot of ability to damage corporations.
@Grumpystilskin – already mostly stopped watching TV. Don’t watch TV news anymore although I have heard early morning news is a lot better than 6pm.
Also another thought, don’t use the phone day.
I’m no economist but not consuming anything for one day (banks also affected) would wipe off millions in the economy I would have thought. A powerful message.
Get onto the US – if the US consumer stopped consuming for one day – the lobbyists would have a heart attack. No TPP.
Telly is rubbish. haven’t watched it for ages. I visually filter out all advertising.
When the I search for a particular product to buy and the google picks that up and bombards me with pop up ads…I do a search for something REALLY obscure.
Thank you TMM – your response, and those of the others, are just what I needed – a boost to my flagging enthusiasm. This fight is far from over!
I shall be emailing all the Green, NZ First and Labour MPs in the Christchurch area, letting them know that support of the TPP will have electoral consequences.
I shall be spreading the word as far as I am able among my friends and family – and yes, also waiting until the nasty aspects of this agreement can no longer be hidden from the public.
But let’s get the people who planned the September marches on board again – make it bigger and more emphatic and really stick it to this (to paraphrase jonkey) goddam awful government!
“But let’s get the people who planned the September marches on board again – make it bigger and more emphatic and really stick it to this (to paraphrase jonkey) goddam awful government!”
Hi Tony. Not sure if you saw my response to you at 1.2. There WILL be action 😀
You’re right, the fight is far from over. There is just a pause for gathering strength and planning the next steps. From what I hear some of the organisers are quite exhausted because they have been involved intensively in the anti TPP movement for three years now.
I don’t know if it will either PR. Our Government’s mind is made up, and Grocer wouldn’t wear the shame of NZ not singing to the deal.
Then again, there is so much that may be revealed in the coming months, that maybe the government may find they have a riot on their hands. Even the placid and sleepy might even go “Huh?”
If Congress does ratify this, meaning we then go ahead, then it becomes a very important point in our history. There has to be a reaction to that.
What will most likely happen in the upcoming months is NZ will see theres more benefits then negatives and eventually everyone will wonder what the big deal was
I opposed it because I don’t buy Wayne Mapp’s notion that secrecy was required to secure negotiating positions. John Key recently admitted that we, and our allies, spy on each other for commercial reasons. Therefore, no one had a secret negotiating position. ALL governments leak information that suits them. Labour did, National does and so on. So WHY the secrecy this time?
Wayne Mapp says dissenters who NEVER supported a FTA can be discounted cos they have always opposed but won’t address the corollary, that someone who NEVER opposes one is equally as questionable ( on his logic).
Kelsey has been very clear that she opposes the opening of the door to erosion of soveriegn decision-making through a closed door tribunal made up of former or current corporate lawyers, with no chance of Appeal.
Fair questions to ask I would have thought.
Key says we won’t be sued. BUT he hasn’t told us what he bases that on. There is plenty of evidence that other governments have been sued. There is NO history of such suing in the FTA’s we are in… but some of the countries we are now climbing into bed with DO have a history of suing under those clauses. THAT is a significant difference.
Labour started this and the people voted them in, National continued it and the people voted them in, its a bugger when democracy doesn’t work exatcly how you want it to work
Are you suggesting the people who voted for National and Labour knew what they would get from a TPP? Or something else?
It’s far too early to say if NZ got a good or bad or something-else deal. As long as only one party has the information and is releasing it selectively no voter is in a position to judge anything.
The majority of NZers understand that the TPPA will be bad for us and that the only winners from it will be the foreign corporations. Key and National know that as well.
Agree that organisation for protest needs to take place after content of the deal is revealed. Then we know exactly what we are dealing with and can formulate a plan for appropriate reaction.
LOLs. At one of the TPP demo’s in Wellington, prior to the last one we all did a sing along to We’re not Gonna Take It. It was the best!
@Pat
To continue from yesterday, it appears nothing is certain on the banning of house sales to overseas purchasers. Labour may well have the option of modifying the OIA (which has been exempted from the TPP) so that it can implement its policy.
From the Herald today:
as always the devil is in the detail , however that link (thanks) suggests to me that there may be room for restricting foreign investment under the provisions of the CURRENT overseas investment act….and dosnt remove the risk of ISDS prosecution should any future government wish to change the act….my take.
@left
Agreed. She didn’t seem very well briefed. Assange had to correct her on facts several times and it sounded like he was thinking “why on earth is she asking this?”.
“..according to the ….mad breathless fanboys of the right wing press, after today’s speech to the Tory party conference Davie Cameron is the new voice of the left. In other news, Hannibal Lector is the new voice of veganism, Ian Paisley is the Vatican spokesman on ecumenicalism, and the BNP are the new UN Commissioners for Refugees.”
Not how Sir David Shearer of IISS lineage, Grant Robertson and David Parker will be advocating in the Caucus. They will be pushing hard for conformity with the fictions “middle ground consensus” .
Sir David and Lady Anuschka will get that cushy ambassador spot from National or Labour: there don’t care which. They are not going to allow bloody left wingers dirty their clean establishment credentials.
If Labour came out and said they’ll support the TPP wholeheartedly, you’d call them right wing neoliberals who are weak.
When they criticise it, and say they won’t be following its regulations – the regulations of an international agreement – and will implement their policies anyway, you call it empty promises and weak.
Within that article is a link to another story about a Whakatane man who starved calves to death.
Read that one only yesterday, and now one today.
Read another two weeks ago about about a farm manager and staff who abused dairy cows, forced extremely lame cows who were in acute pain to walk 2km to an offal pit where they shot them. The farm manager and a farm hand were charged for that and other abuses.
These stories crop up far too frequently in the farming section on stuffed.co.nz
But surely this is just tip of the iceberg stuff, the cases that end in convictions.
After long campaigning, over decades, only now are customers purchasing free range chicken eggs and pork in supermarkets, and not just at health stores and farmers markets as before. They have finally grown aware of the cruelty of factory farming and it is more widely known about.
How long will it be before we can expose the culture of farmed animal abuse, dairy, cattle and sheep, understand the depth of the abuse and remedy the situation?
Why, in an agricultural nation are we so backwards about animal welfare?
Why as a people are we so backward about animal welfare? There is only one way to stop this constant and horrific abuse of animals and that is to go vegan.
I go with the free market argument, too.
Farmers cutting back on feed and help means the remaining staff are underpaid, overworked and in precarious (and often dangerous) employment.
We can’t expect people to care more about animals than the economy cares about people.
Adern is right to say they will continue to legislate regardless, especially in light of how little would be lost, in 15 years time, if it gets ditched. 1% is nothing.
1% is nothing. Just pay it and ditch the piece of shit
For fucks sake 2.7billion aint much different to Bill English’s handout to his mates who invested in South Canterbury Finance at 1.7billion
A few crumbs is all Grosser and co have been fed.Michael that figure of $ 2.7 billion is highly dubious.
As the loss side of the balance sheet is not included.
Biologicals the cost of keeping longer patents will wipe that out by itself as this government has deliberately covered up the %’s that pharmac will be purchasing for now it is small but by 2020 it will be 15% + of purchases by 2030 it could be half of all purchases.
Then their is loss of local purchasing for govts and local bodies.
That could include health boards.
Then the right to sue .
This is a pigs arse of a trade deal pushed by pigheaded pirates.
There is no increase to the patent term of medicines in NZ under this proposed TPP agreement.
Your figures on the percentage of biologicals as a percentage of total spend of pharmaceuticals is incorrect – suggest you have look at PHARMAC’s website where this information is published – regardless as i have said before there is no increase to the patent term of medicines in NZ under this proposed TPP agreement.
Regarding local purchasing for government and councils – this will most likely still go through a tender process with the purchasing body making the decision based on the specifics of the tender.
What would your better half (presuming you have one) think if you got home after years away toiling for a pay rise and came back saying … “yes honey, I did it… 1% rise in 15 years time!… Lets go out and celebrate…”
At this early stage it appears that NZ (read every TTP nation other than the USA) is going to be screwed on various levels
With the agreements and legislation being authored and directed by private company’s and corporations, the likelihood of positive impact for people as a whole, is extremely low.
The likelihood of negative outcomes flowing through by becoming part of this agreement, are immeasurably high
Increased trade is a good outcome, yes I’m pro trade and agree with the former prime minster and current trade minister on the importance of trade to the NZ economy.
What? You consider the 1% gain after 15 years piffle?
I guess you’re right, it is piffle. The entire TPP is piffle.
And this is even more classic piffle … “Increased trade is a good outcome, yes I’m pro trade and agree with the former prime minster and current trade minister on the importance of trade to the NZ economy.”
You run a business that turns over some where between 10 million and a 100 million, so I’m assuming it would be something to do with exports or imports.
I would think the TPPA would have quite an impact on your bottom line if you’e in exports, or is the TPPA of no to relevance to your business?
What would have a bigger impact on our business’s bottom line is a more robust and financially healthy lower income sector…. not pandering to already successful pharmaceutical companies and big tobacco….
ffs, this stuff aint rocket science…. every business in NZ would do better if the base of our society was actually strong. This is where the effort should go – into making the low income demographic wealthier..
.. it builds all the way up doesn’t it BM. Like any foundation.
.. which is why restricting foreign ownership in order to drive down all capital values will help
.. but we ALL know that lowering capital values is like speaking of the devil, such is the religious fervour of the right wing on these matters
… lower the capital values – high capital values are only damaging
Yep I come across them types all the time in real life – they just cannot fathom other ways of going about life and business. They really are bamboozled by it. If it aint about money then they just glaze over….
Commentary on the extent of the gain (1% in 15 years) resulting from the TPP is considered piffle. Do you think we should just bend even further over and not comment on the outcome of the TPP?
Is a 1% economic gain in 15 years piffle?
I think it is.
After all that means at that level of achievement a 10% increase will take 150 years – ha ha, may as well pack the bags and head to the beach …
Not necessarily. In fact, that just proves your position is ideological belief rather than a considered position.
As I say, if there was a truly level field there would be only minimal trade as each country would produce for itself from its own resources. The added costs of trade would prevent trade.
Sigh – Pat I’ve explained the difference between data exclusivity and patent term from a NZ medicines regulatory perspective a number of times, have a look at my previous comments on this using the Standard’s dinky search function.
I know its tiresome having to deal with mere mortals doc but humour me awhile and confirm a point or two for me if you would
– it is your contention that due to the WTO 20 year drug patent period it has no impact on Pharmacs ability to purchase generics whether the data exclusivity period is 5 or 8 years as both fall well within the 20 years (leaving aside evergreening)
– the additional costs to NZ under the TPP will be negligible and essentially for administration
-Pharmaceutical companies need this period to recoup Rand D costs and to provide a return on investment, therefore the drivers are financial
– the advocates for the increased data exclusivity period of 12 years in the TPP negotiation were the pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists
There was an interesting conversation (if short lived when a ban was threatened) on whether retiring CTU president Helen Kelly, who has lung cancer, smoked (she doesn’t as far as I know). I’m a huge admirer of Helen and this post isn’t about her but about the fact that lung cancer sufferers, and to a lesser extent other cancer sufferers are often blamed for their illness (the first quote and link below touch on this subject.)
In fact, one new set of research findings (see second link and quote) has found that in the majority of cases people who get cancer are simply unlucky. This raises an interesting question about how much responsibility we are placing on cancer sufferers for having the disease and why we are doing this. Has the health industry become over-zealous, for instance? Is it a result of society pushing all responsibility on to the individual. Or is it a great conceit we now have the power to control our health when in fact we often don’t.
We have managed to demonise smokers but bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer and we don’t have an easy target for that. If there was a lifestyle that society disapproved of that was known to contribute to bowel cancer, would people who participate in that also be demonised?
“Unlike some cancers, which typically evoke sympathy and concern, lung cancer patients often experience stigma, isolation, and social judgment. In some instances, patients with lung cancer blame themselves and are filled with regret for having failed to take the advice (liberally meted out by doctors, family, friends, and strangers) to quit smoking. Patients who smoked (even those who had long ago quit) find themselves not only battling their disease, but also rebuke and self-recrimination.”
yesterday my partner and were driving home from a funeral. We started talking about stress and so forth. She mentioned that from time to time mention is made of the impact of stress on illness. She mused “Has anyone studied terminal illness suffered by survivors of active duty since WWII? Cos” she continued” “you can’t get much more stressed than being shelled and shot at and freezing etc”.
Jacinda Ardern’s comments are most welcome. It’s good to see Labour committing to policies in the interests of the majority of our citizens.
I’ll take her comments at face value, bravo.
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Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Last year, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security reported on significant problems with the intelligence warrant system. While they were unwilling to declare any warrant "irregular" (meaning unlawful) due to the recent law change, they were also not willing to give the system a clean bill of health. Now, they've ...
The National Party has come out in support of encouraging greater vaccination uptake. But it sure isn’t the way I’d do it. National’s suggested docking the benefits of those on benefit whose kids aren’t keeping up with their vaccinations. Some in National have suggested extending that to payments under Working ...
Feeding The Flames: It is simply not enough to demand an end to “corruption”, or “inequality”, or the overbearing influence of the authorities in Beijing. These are just “lowest common denominator” demands: the sort of slogans that pull people onto the streets. They are not a plan.WHERE’S THE PLAN? Across ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and unemployment has risen to 4.2%. There are 115,000 unemployed - 11,000 fewer than when Labour took office. In that time the minimum wage has gone up by $2 an hour, which shows that the right's fears about increases causing unemployment are simply ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has called for submissions on Andrew Little's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Normally I encourage participation in the democratic process. I am not doing so in this case. Instead, I encourage all of you to boycott this submissions process, and to post ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf tiny concentrations of carbon dioxide can hold enough heat ...
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and within it, one of the fastest sources is elite travel: billionaires flitting around the world in their private jets, spewing excessive pollution into the atmosphere just so they can avoid mixing with us dirty peasants. But in ...
That's what we face if we don't stop climate change, according to a warning from 11,000 scientists:The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists. “We declare clearly and unequivocally ...
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...
This is the third of the synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Unlike the humble cup of coffee and t-shirt that we looked at in ...
Tom MooreTraditionally a food source and cutting tool, freshwater mussels/kākahi are now widely valued as water filters that help clean our waterbodies and maintain ecosystem health throughout Aotearoa. The improvement they provide in water quality can make it easier for other animals to live in streams and rivers, as ...
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…Installation complete: this was nothing ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is back in the House today for its second reading. While this isn't the final stage, its still effectively D-Day for the bill. Because today, at around 5pm, is when we're going to find out if it has a majority, whether National will support it or ...
Winston Peters is in court today, suing a bunch of former Minister and civil servants over their pre-election leak of his superannuation repayment. He's characterised the leak as malicious, and said that it is repugnant that his information was passed on to Ministers to use for political advantage. And he's ...
Murray CoxDo I have to finish my favourite genome? That’s an often-asked question. Geneticists generally strive to produce high-quality genomes that sequence every last gene, making full use of the state-of-the-art technologies coming on stream. Sequencing DNA means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called ...
Transformative Politics: The idea is to turn each recipient into an unwitting accomplice in their own transformation. From interested observer to hyped-up activist, sharing our messages promiscuously with ‘friends’. You’ll be part of an ever-expanding circulatory system, Jennifer, for the ideas that will win us the election.”JENNIFER SKITTERED her chair ...
The boycott is a fundamental tool of protest. By choosing who we buy from, we can send a message, and hopefully change corporate behaviour. Historically, boycotts have been effective, for example over apartheid in South Africa and Israel, in forcing divestment from Myanmar, and in ending bus segregation in the ...
Jan Rivers spoke at the Abortion Legislation Select Committee in favour of the bill, but in opposition to calls from other submitters to exchange the word ‘woman’ for ‘person’ throughout the bill. Jan is a supporter of the feminist group Speak Up For Women and has recently written an excellent ...
I checked my traffic stats:I was intrigued by 'monica29' - who was this very dedicated individual? I clicked on the link, to be greeted with ...Ho, hum.Spreadin' the word, spreadin' the word. Doesn't matter who hears it, as long as it gets out there. ...
There have been three polls since the election was announced, and I will shamelessly steal YouGov / UK Polling Report's Anthony Wells' summary of them:Survation – CON 34%, LAB 26%, LDEM 19%, BREX 12%, GRN 1% Ipsos MORI – CON 41%, LAB 24%, LDEM 20%, BREX 7%, GRN 3% YouGov ...
The following article is translated from Lutte Ouvrière, the weekly newspaper of the organisation usually known by the same name in France. When, for the second time this year, Chilean President Piñera announced an increase in the price of Metro tickets from 800 to 830 pesos, students in the high ...
Today, a worker contacted me asking if she could go to the police over her employer stealing thousands of dollars from her in unpaid wages. The employer also did not pay this worker’s taxes or student loan which amounts to tax fraud. As a workers rights activist, who founded the ...
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, They're Yours: Is there any person more vulnerable than a jilted lover on the rebound? Or, anything more certain than that the charmer, the predator, the glib spinner of lies and promises will seek such broken people out? Yes, of course, he will love every one of ...
Though Jonathan Romain is a fairly high profile Rabbi, writing in several papers and popping up on TV and the radio, this story doesn't seem to have made it to the Guardian yet, so I'll take the unusual step of linking the Stephen Pollard edited Jewish Chronicle:Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain ...
There's an election afoot, and that is when noted opinion formers such as myself get to make wild fools of ourselves by pretending we have the faintest idea what will happen.So, here is my absurdly optimistic prediction:Labour - 285Conservative - 262SNP - 53Lib Dems - 20PC - 5Ireland - 18 ...
Image Credit:Increase Social Media Traffic & Website Traffic I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters met with Korea Racing Authority Chairperson Nak Soon Kim in Seoul today to discuss closer cooperation between the New Zealand and Korean horse racing industries. As part of the visit to the Seoul Racecourse, Mr Peters witnessed ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10 million to establish Otago as the centre of New Zealand’s creative digital industry over the next ten years, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “The initiative will bring us closer to the vision of ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)’s skills and employment programme will help young Otago people into long-term forestry careers, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Te Ara Mahi will invest $63,000 in the 2020 school year to support eight 17 and 18 ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will support local plans to revitalise and stimulate economic development opportunities in Otago, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The four Regional Economic Development Ministers have approved an in-principle investment of $19.9 million towards the region’s ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is pleased to have received the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) report on the Coalition Government’s Mycoplasma bovis eradication efforts, which shows significant progress in the fight against the disease. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, says the report’s findings ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon David Parker, Minister for Trade and Export Growth The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing to support economic growth opportunities for Otago’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Export Minister David Parker announced today. Almost $20 million ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, discussed in Seoul today opportunities to work more closely in the Pacific and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr Peters and Minister Kang confirmed New Zealand and the ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Māori Development The three marae in the historic Parihaka Pa complex in Taranaki have been upgraded to high speed broadband with the support of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Connecting the ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Minister of Defence Ron Mark will today launch the Advancing Pacific Partnerships 2019 Defence Assessment during a speech at Te Papa. The Assessment outlines how Defence will partner with our Pacific Island neighbours and invest in Pacific regional security architecture. The Plan aligns with the Coalition ...
A new Provincial Growth Fund investment could create about 80 new jobs in Gisborne over the next two years, turning a local small business into a “beacon of employment” in the process. Regional Economic Development Parliamentary Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau said the PGF’s Te Ara Mahi funding stream would provide $1.6m ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
The Government welcomes PHARMAC’s decision to fund a vaccine to protect young people from meningococcal disease from 1 December this year. “Meningococcal disease is a serious threat which people at higher risk should be protected from,” says Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter. “The combined pharmaceutical budget was increased by ...
Groups involved with innovative fisheries research projects are encouraged to apply for government support in the latest funding round from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says the SFF Futures funding is designed to be flexible enough to support small or large projects across a ...
The Government has fixed an issue affecting how Immigration New Zealand has processed visa applications for culturally arranged marriages, which will now see a consistent process applied which ensures people with legitimate arranged marriages can visit New Zealand while also preventing any rorting of the system. Earlier this year Immigration ...
The Royal Commission into the Attacks on Christchurch Mosques will report back on 30 April 2020 to give it more time to hear submissions and consider information, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Royal Commission was originally scheduled to report back to Government by 10 December 2019. “There has ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington DC today to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities. Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. ...
The recently crowned Bird of the Year, the hoiho/yellow eyed penguin, is getting a much needed helping hand alongside more than 168 other community conservation projects announced Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage today. 168 community conservation projects throughout New Zealand are benefiting from $8 million in government grants, including $500,000 ...
Controls on assault rifles and semi-automatic firearms are to be broadened to include some types of pistols, under changes to a bill currently making its way through Parliament. Police Minister Stuart Nash has tabled a Supplementary Order Paper to the Arms Legislation Bill, which is currently before a Select Committee ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark will travel to Singapore today to conduct a counterpart visit and to co-chair the third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting with his counterpart, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. “Singapore is one of our most important defence partners in the region, and our ...
Nelson’s Salisbury School is to be rebuilt, creating a modern and suitable learning environment for students at the residential special school, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The school for girls aged 8-15, in Richmond, was earmarked for closure by National until the process ...
The panel undertaking a comprehensive review of the Resource Management Act has identified the main issues to be addressed and options for reform and is calling for feedback to inform its final report. In July the Government announced the comprehensive review of the resource management system, including the RMA - ...
An important safety valve has been added to New Zealand’s criminal justice system with the third reading of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill today. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. “We’ve seen how our justice system can very occasionally get things spectacularly wrong, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...
The New Zealand Government is today sending 21 firefighters to help fight the ongoing catastrophic Australian bushfires. “The fires in Australia are in some of the toughest, most challenging conditions ever,” says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “As of yesterday morning, there were 100 active bushfire-related incidents across Queensland and ...
More frontline support for schools through a new education agency, as part of a redesigned Ministry of Education More support for principals and school boards including through a new centre of leadership and local leadership advisor roles New independent disputes panels for parents and students Management of school property ...
The Government’s reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system is a watershed moment in education and an opportunity to create meaningful change for ākonga Māori and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said today. “Last year through Kōrero Mātauranga | Education Conversation, Māori teachers, parents, ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi ...
Infrastructure Minister is welcoming the first of many updated project pipelines from the newly established New Zealand Infrastructure Commission today. The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, has released an expanded pipeline of major capital projects – another crucial step towards delivering better infrastructure outcomes. “The first iteration of the ...
Tougher gun laws designed to improve public safety through firearms prohibition orders are proposed in a new document released for public input. Police Minister Stuart Nash says firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) would give new powers to Police to ensure high-risk individuals come nowhere near firearms. “We have already prohibited the ...
Andy Coupe has been confirmed as TVNZ’s new Board Chair. “Mr Coupe has strong commercial and capital markets experience and TVNZ has benefited from his technical knowledge of business and finance, as well as his extensive governance experience,” the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Kris Faafoi said. Andy ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today officially opened a separated pathway, following the completion of the Kaiwharawhara Stream bridge, which will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians along Hutt Road. The $6.8m Hutt Road project provides a separated path for cycling and pedestrians, the replacement of informal parking ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of career diplomat Si’alei van Toor as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Russia. “I’m pleased to appoint Ms van Toor to this position. She brings a wealth of experience to the role having previously served as Senior Trade Adviser to the ...
The Treasury’s 2019 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released on Wednesday December 11, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Coalition Government will publish the 2020 Budget Policy Statement at the same time, outlining the priorities for Budget 2020. Further details on arrangements for the release will ...
A new initiative to better support small businesses through hands-on mentoring and advice has been launched by the Minister for Small Business. The first event in the Kiwi Business Boost series of regional workshops and online tools has been launched in Wairoa by Stuart Nash. “The Business Boost initiative combines ...
The latest Quarterly Connectivity Report shows that more and more New Zealanders are moving to Ultra-fast Broadband (UFB), with Rolleston having the highest uptake at 74 per cent, as at the end of September. “This means that nearly three quarters of Rolleston’s households and businesses have moved to ultra-fast services. ...
The passing of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill will help ensure a safe planet for our kids and grandkids, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw said today. The landmark legislation which provides a framework to support New Zealanders to prepare for, and adapt to, the effects ...
The review of Oranga Tamariki practice around the planned uplift of a Hastings baby in May shows significant failings by the Ministry and that the planned and funded changes to shift from a child crisis service to a proper care and protection service need to be accelerated, Children’s Minister Tracey ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has wished students the best of luck for this year’s NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which start tomorrow. Around 140,000 students will have participated in 119 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams by the end of the exam period on 3 December. “I want to ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of Bede Corry as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “The appointment of a senior diplomat to this important role underlines the significance New Zealand places on our relationship with the United Kingdom,” said Mr Peters. “The United ...
An innovative approach to boosting the number of frontline Police has seen 20 new officers graduate from one of the uncommon training wings in Auckland. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of 20 constables today means that 1,765 new Police officers have been deployed since the coalition government took ...
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the 1.2 million hours of community work completed by offenders in the last financial year has helped local communities right across the country. “Community work sentences are a great way for people to pay something positive back to society. There is a massive benefit to ...
"A pathway for Police in leadership with Iwi Māori, to achieve the aspirations of Māori whānau." Police launch of Te Huringa o Te Tai, Pipitea Marae, Thorndon Quay, Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Hello everyone, warm greetings to you all. ...
Working New Zealanders are getting more in their back pockets under the Coalition Government’s economic plan. Stats NZ data today shows average weekly ordinary time earnings are up by $83 since the Government took office. This shows that working New Zealanders are getting higher take-home pay, and that employers are ...
The rules around use of parliamentary TV are set to be liberalised and MPs will no longer have to give permissions for clips of them to be used in political advertising. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When five former fire chiefs held a news conference on Thursday to urge the federal government to take more action on climate change, it was a challenging moment for Scott Morrison. Those who fronted the ...
A powerful New Zealand First figure helped establish a forestry company that then pushed for money from two key funding streams controlled by a New Zealand First Minister. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Farmers square off with Shane Jones at parliament, tax rebates for Chinese propaganda film criticised, and ructions over future shape of public media.Now first of all, I just want to make it clear rednecks isn’t the term I’d use. But it was ...
'Policing' is increasingly falling to private security and citizen-led initiatives. Yet the wages and the training don't match the responsibility. So what can we do? ...
The biggest shakeup in the country’s broadcasting history looks to be looming as the Government gets serious about its options for strengthening public service broadcasting. ...
Support for the Zero Carbon Bill shows our action on climate will have to disrupt the status quo, writes Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton. That will mean new opportunities - and costs. ...
Football Ferns captain Ali Riley is making the most of her opportunity to play for German giants Bayern Munich, harbouring a dream to represent NZ at her fifth World Cup ...
Yesterday, Stuff reported that the 2017 Chinese-made propaganda blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 was partially made in New Zealand. Sam Brooks watched it and – spoiler alert – found it weird as hell.About halfway through Wolf Warrior 2 on Netflix, the unnamed leader of a revolution in an unnamed African country marches up ...
Rather than get distracted by the stadium debate, we need to urgently acknowledge that unlocking this land now for future integration into the CBD is critical for Auckland’s future, aruges Paul Winstanley.Don’t be fooled. This is not just another story about the waterfront stadium. Well, not really. Like the mayor ...
The Period Poverty Solution Petition: The Health and Wellbeing Implications was presented by the Positive Periods campaign team, of which The Period Place is a part of, at a cross-party breakfast, thanks to Louisa Wall MP and Joanne Hayes MP in Parliament ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.This week on the Great Kiwi Bake Off, it’s all about weird biscuits. Savoury biscuits. Mushroomy biscuits. Biscuits about cross fit. Who had the best biscuit art of them all? Why is Trev ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University Australia continues to experience unprecedented destruction from bushfires. Now is the time to harness our technological tools, and find innovative ways to help alleviate the problem, and also prevent future disaster. ...
The KickStart Breakfast programme will tomorrow celebrate 10-years as the only national breakfast programme of its kind in Aotearoa, serving more than 30 million breakfasts since 2009. ...
This is a rare public edition of The Bulletin World Weekly, an exclusive newsletter for The Spinoff Members that gets delivered every Thursday afternoon. Today’s edition focuses on the aftermath of Bolivian president Evo Morales being forced from office. Earlier in the week, the Bolivian president, Evo Morales, was forced out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Tregear, Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Melbourne Review: Platform Papers 61: Criticism, Performance and the Need for Conversation, by Alison Croggon (Currency Press) “Pay no attention to what the critics say”, quipped the composer Jean Sibelius in 1937, because “there has ...
The recent decision to allow massive amounts of Otago’s Lindis River to be extracted for irrigation and intensive farming has been labelled environmental vandalism by a national angling organization. ...
Alex Casey goes on a journey to find out all there is to know about what a “normal” vulva looks like. Spoiler alert: there are many, many versions of normal. The funniest and most embarrassing thing anyone has ever said to me in my whole life happened during my very first ...
A political communications analyst says voters may be overwhelmed by the prospect of two referendums and a general election at the same time next year. ...
Auckland's booming industrial market is paying off for Goodman Property Trust (GMT), with a more than 10-fold increase in gains on the value its portfolio. ...
A review into Corrections' mail system identified multiple "deficiencies" and has recommended the department be given more powers to read, copy, and store letters coming in and out of prison. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Bushfires continue to burn across NSW and Queensland, the death toll has risen, and the damage to properties, wildlife and the environment is devastating. With conditions predicted to worsen over the summer, climate change has ...
New Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale says Christchurch City Council has moved swiftly to address concerns raised by the Chief Ombudsman about the organisation’s official information practices. ...
The Mental Health Foundation strongly opposes the introduction of armed police to Aotearoa New Zealand due to well-founded concerns that guns will disproportionately be used against individuals experiencing mental health crises. ...
The Chief Ombudsman says his latest report into official information practice at local authorities is a wakeup call for all council leaders about the importance of an open and transparent workplace culture-and their accountability for achieving ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Jade Tang-Taylor and Anna Guenther from Cheese Cartel.Cheese Cartel was the outcome of ...
An untimely leak to RNZ brought some clarity to the government’s plans for its media assets – yet left many questions unanswered. Duncan Greive analyses the latest revelations.RNZ’s flagship Morning Report programme today led its prime 7.10am slot with a bombshell about Radio New Zealand itself. Political editor Jane Patterson ...
The 2019 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards are just a few hours away and, believe it, we have reckons. Who will win? Who should win? Sam Brooks is ready for some prognosticating.It’s the biggest night in New Zealand music – the one that’s televised, the one that got (fake) Paula ...
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry welcomes Judge Coral Shaw as its new Chairperson to lead it through the delivery phase of the Inquiry. Inquiry Executive Director Mervin Singham said Judge Shaw brings significant experience to her new ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jill Newby, Associate Professor and MRFF/NHMRC Career Development Fellow, UNSW It’s a busy day at the office and your left eye has been twitching uncontrollably. So, out of curiosity and irritation you Google it. Various benign causes — stress, exhaustion, too much ...
As whitebait season ends, Forest & Bird is calling for action to protect endangered native fish before it’s too late. Four of the fish species in the whitebait catch are in trouble. They are īnanga (at risk - declining), kōaro (at risk - declining), ...
The Prime Minister says doing nothing to address the challenges facing public broadcasting in New Zealand is not an option, after news of a proposal to replace RNZ and TVNZ. ...
A single public broadcaster would be "too powerful" and "bad for democracy", National leader Simon Bridges says, after news of a proposal to replace RNZ and TVNZ; ...
Thursday 14 November 2019 Independent review of prisoner mail management released The independent review into the prisoner mail system has today been released, with Corrections accepting all 13 recommendations and making a number of changes to strengthen ...
TVNZ boss Kevin Kenrick has moved quickly to reassure advertisers after this morning’s leak that the Government is considering setting up a new public service media organisation. ...
In the second part of our parenting series “What They Don’t Tell You”, Catherine Woulfe welcomes the daughter she fought for.The extremely strange thing about a planned c-section is that you get a text from the hospital booking in the birth, like it’s a dentist appointment. Text YES to confirm. Then ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that former Inspector Hurimoana Dennis unlawfully detained an Auckland teenager in 2015, and improperly influenced the outcome of a criminal investigation into his own son in 2014. Inspector Dennis ...
Police acknowledge the two reports released today by the Independent Police Conduct Authority in relation to misconduct by a now former Police officer and the unlawful detention of a young person. ...
A “best of luck” message should be extended to the good people of Tāneatua, who have waited patiently for a new police station. Our experience suggests that if or when they get their new police station, they should check the fine print regarding hours of operation. We make this suggestions ...
After Massey University in Wellington cancelled Feminism 2020 last month, the controversial event has found a new home in the parliament banquet hall. The controversial Feminism 2020 event cancelled last month by Massey University is scheduled to be held instead in the parliamentary banquet hall this Friday night. Billed as “the ...
The Migrant Workers Association says it is wrong to ask immigration officials to treat couples in culturally arranged marriages differently from other partnership cases. ...
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Open mike 08/10/2015 
Open mike is your post.
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In the words of Eliza Dolittle, My Fair Lady:
Words! Words! I’m so sick of words!
I get words all day through;
First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?
Don’t talk at all! Show me!
Never do I ever want to hear another word.
There isn’t one I haven’t heard.
Don’t wait until wrinkles and lines
Pop out all over my brow,
Show me now!
This TPPA thing has got beyond words – I want some action (peaceful, of course!)
I want to let this f. awful government know that not all New Zealanders can be so blatantly disregarded! I want to march and shout some slogans.
I marched down Riccarton Road on a miserably wet day in September; now I want to do so again!
And I want to do so as much for my own self-respect as anything. I want to be able to look my grandchildren in the eyes when this country had completely gone to the dogs and say – “I fought against the foreign takeover of our country!”
I marched in 1981 and have always had a warm feeling about that – though I admit to being frightened at the time. I have put my name down for the climate change march in November – does that qualify me for Key’s ‘rent-a-crowd’ one third?
This has got beyond words – let’s have some action! Show me how! And when!
“…does that qualify me for Key’s ‘rent-a-crowd’ one third?”
….and “misinformed”
….and “politically irrelevant”
What did ‘is nibs say about ‘third term arrogance’?
Onya Tony. I’m a “rent a crowd” third too. And a Labour and Green voter, so am another third according to Key. Who do we invoice for services provided to promote democracy btw? Cos, you know, in Key’s world, everything is for sale.
FYI. I spoke to a friend who is involved in the organisation around TPP. Like you, I’m keen to get out there again. As far as I know there isn’t anything in the pipeline as yet – BUT, there will be. Thats for sure.
I think it’s possible that organisers are holding off until we have access to the text of all 30 chapters. Once we have that information we plan strategy for activity. Thats just my theory.
Listening to Alistair Thompson on Scoop Politics on Radio Active this morning – he mentioned that without knowing the full content of the deal we are really only shadow boxing. I thought that was good way of looking at at. It’s not until the deal gets tabled in congress that we and the other 11 countries get to know the content, and thats thirty days after.
I think there will be a delay before we hit the streets again.
Don’t hold off organising your own local march though 😀
PS: Do you keep an eye on Action Station? They were involved in co organising the last march. Sing up and receive their email news.
according to Groser we all think “the TPP eats babies”. No hysterical rhetoric there then, the deal clearly stands on its own merits.
Did Key really use the words “goddam awful place” ??
what a dick
From yesterday’s stories it sounds like he did.
Other than that the rest of the stories seemed to focus on “how hard it for poor Mr Key & the rest of the party to get there and how unpleasant it had all been”.
Left the lasting impression that it was all about me, me ,me… look how tough I had it but zero empathy for the people who have to live their lives there.
And I bet he said Gaaaad Dayam Arful place and then spit on the ground. GI Johnny, our own Yankey.
TV1 6pm news bulletin lead with the line. I thought it was a bit on the nose for a 6pm broadcast, but I guess we’re not that god faring any more.
bf said that because they were quoting the leader of the nation, they were allowed to say it.
I think the TV1 audience can put up with almost anything if they can embrace Hosking. Just dont mention Hager, Assange et al. Red rag to a bull.
and Corin Dann (sp) was almost breathless with his excitement at being in a war zone… reminds me why I prefer Mike McRoberts. The coverage struck me as highlighting that it’s all about
The PM (as it should be); and
The journalist
In no particular order
Good to see most aren’t buying the pro tpp rhetoric from our media and pointing out the downsides to journo’s..
For example, have a read of the replies to fran o’sullivans article in yesterdays herald.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11524807
Old neoliberal farts like Fran O’Sullivan and John Key really do seem to believe their own bullshit, in an almost religious fervour. It is like they cannot abide any alternative views. Their minds cannot fathom that there are other ways of structuring society and trade. They are stuck in a time warp.
They are well past their use-by date (the 1990’s)
+1 vto
The replies to Fran Osullivan’s adulatory sycophancy are worth reading.No rants – just calm critiques.
Doctors Without Borders are calling for an independent investigation into the hospital airstrike in which a dozen doctors were killed, – 22 people in all, including adult and child patients:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/doctors-borders-calls-independent-probe-deadly-kunduz-hospital/story?id=34310266
“In Kunduz, our patients burned in their beds. MSF doctors, nurses and other staff were killed as they worked. Our colleagues had to operate on each other.”
“Today, we say enough. Even war has rules.”
More on the ever-changing nature of the official story here: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/06/doctors-without-borders-airstrike-afghanistan-us-account-changes-again
+100 Manuka AOR – would be keen to see further analysis of this on the Standard too.
It seems unfathomable that the USA can just murder (either deliberately or by accident) so many doctors, patients and other staff at the hospital and the international community does nothing. Is this the international and media response – Meh?
Even if the MSM seem reluctant to report it properly with analysis I hope the blogs can look at it.
Look at what the difference when a muslim kills someone in Paris – massive widespread international condemnation and dialogue – funeral with all the international dignitaries invited (and some who were not).
What the F is wrong with the world?
And in a sad irony, Docs without Borders are vocal opponents of the TPP:
” the TPP will still go down in history as the worst trade agreement for access to medicines in developing countries, which will be forced to change their laws to incorporate abusive intellectual property protections for pharmaceutical companies.”
” As the trade agreement now goes back to the national level for countries’ final approval, we urge all governments to carefully consider before they sign on the dotted line whether this is the direction they want to take on access to affordable medicines and the promotion of biomedical innovation. The negative impact of the TPP on public health will be enormous, be felt for years to come, and will not be limited to the current 12 TPP countries, as it is a dangerous blueprint for future agreements.”
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/article/statement-msf-conclusion-tpp-negotiations-atlanta
Perhaps the hospital was deliberately targeted due to DWB opposition to TPPA
Key must have been in Iraq when it approved cruise missile transit to Syria.
Does this mean we declare war on Russia ?
Peter Sellers once made a film called ‘The Mouse that Roared’ ..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mouse_That_Roared_(film)
@Tony Veitch
My initial reaction to the signing was exactly like yours. I have managed to push my anger down to a level where I can do now think more rationally and make better plans to fight this more effectively.
The current situation is this:
1.Only the trade issues have been revealed.
2. The Herald in particular is doing the soft-sell PR job for Groser, Key
3. The ISDS, the selling of land to foreigners and minimal dairy gains are really the only negative issue that are out in the public domain.
4. The fine print fishhooks have yet to be revealed so the arguments surrounding these cannot be had to inform the general public of the negative consequences.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11525498
I think we will need to take to the streets but the events need to be well planned, well publicised, with all groups co-ordinating, similar to the big antimining march in Auckland. It needs to be after the text is released so the negatives are indisputably out there so the public can see that we are not just a pack of angry feral, left wing nutters but have damn good reasons for marching and what’s more, they want to join in because they agree.
In the meantime, we need to educate those around us as more information comes to light, get people involved in planning placards, street theatre, ready for the big marches.
5. Let’s all learn the lyrics of Twisted Sister’s “We’re not Gonna Take It”
Oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
we’ve Got The Right To Choose And
there Ain’t No Way We’ll Lose It
this Is Our Life, This Is Our Song
we’ll Fight The Powers That Be Just
don’t Pick Our Destiny ’cause
you Don’t Know Us, You Don’t Belong
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
oh You’re So Condescending
your Gall Is Never Ending
we Don’t Want Nothin’, Not A Thing From You
your Life Is Trite And Jaded
boring And Confiscated
if That’s Your Best, Your Best Won’t Do
oh…………………
oh…………………
we’re Right/yeah
we’re Free/yeah
we’ll Fight/yeah
you’ll See/yeah
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
no Way!
source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/werenotgonnatakeitlyrics.html
+1
I also think there should be a consumer campaign run too. For example buy no milk products day, buy no meat day, buy nothing day, buy no overseas goods day etc.
Don’t go to Bunnings are get that garden hose etc.
Now that money is the new god and lobbyists are the messengers, when the end consumer fights the money, the lobbyists start listening.
This is what happened in the 90’s with cruelty free animal testing – consumers stopped buying and changed the way the company did business.
As voters democracy might be gone, but as consumers we still have choice and a lot of ability to damage corporations.
If Kiwis stop buying stuff for a month (use car less etc) that will scare the pants off the Nats and be great for the environment too.
go places without taking money or plastic with you
it is very refreshing
F R E E D O M ! !
Turn off the TV, that’s your biggest corporate agent.
Seriously, do it. Your desire for new widgets will soon disappear.
+ a billion or so.
+1
Not only that but your tolerance for people shouting at you really declines….
@Grumpystilskin – already mostly stopped watching TV. Don’t watch TV news anymore although I have heard early morning news is a lot better than 6pm.
Also another thought, don’t use the phone day.
I’m no economist but not consuming anything for one day (banks also affected) would wipe off millions in the economy I would have thought. A powerful message.
Get onto the US – if the US consumer stopped consuming for one day – the lobbyists would have a heart attack. No TPP.
I fear it will be an uphill battle to deflect the faithful from their pilgrimages to worship at the alter of the Great God of Shop.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/72592453/shoppers-flock-to-aucklands-new-northwest-mall
Telly is rubbish. haven’t watched it for ages. I visually filter out all advertising.
When the I search for a particular product to buy and the google picks that up and bombards me with pop up ads…I do a search for something REALLY obscure.
Like “buy submarine”.
Try it. Hilarious.
+1
That is the big one. Get rid of the TV and a lot of the worst manipulation goes away.
Thank you TMM – your response, and those of the others, are just what I needed – a boost to my flagging enthusiasm. This fight is far from over!
I shall be emailing all the Green, NZ First and Labour MPs in the Christchurch area, letting them know that support of the TPP will have electoral consequences.
I shall be spreading the word as far as I am able among my friends and family – and yes, also waiting until the nasty aspects of this agreement can no longer be hidden from the public.
But let’s get the people who planned the September marches on board again – make it bigger and more emphatic and really stick it to this (to paraphrase jonkey) goddam awful government!
“But let’s get the people who planned the September marches on board again – make it bigger and more emphatic and really stick it to this (to paraphrase jonkey) goddam awful government!”
Hi Tony. Not sure if you saw my response to you at 1.2. There WILL be action 😀
You’re right, the fight is far from over. There is just a pause for gathering strength and planning the next steps. From what I hear some of the organisers are quite exhausted because they have been involved intensively in the anti TPP movement for three years now.
Well I wish you all good luck, I don’t think you lot will change anything but at least you’re doing something you believe in and thats good
I don’t know if it will either PR. Our Government’s mind is made up, and Grocer wouldn’t wear the shame of NZ not singing to the deal.
Then again, there is so much that may be revealed in the coming months, that maybe the government may find they have a riot on their hands. Even the placid and sleepy might even go “Huh?”
If Congress does ratify this, meaning we then go ahead, then it becomes a very important point in our history. There has to be a reaction to that.
What will most likely happen in the upcoming months is NZ will see theres more benefits then negatives and eventually everyone will wonder what the big deal was
An interesting take from Planet Key.
Yep. Righto PR…………….. 🙄
I opposed it because I don’t buy Wayne Mapp’s notion that secrecy was required to secure negotiating positions. John Key recently admitted that we, and our allies, spy on each other for commercial reasons. Therefore, no one had a secret negotiating position. ALL governments leak information that suits them. Labour did, National does and so on. So WHY the secrecy this time?
Wayne Mapp says dissenters who NEVER supported a FTA can be discounted cos they have always opposed but won’t address the corollary, that someone who NEVER opposes one is equally as questionable ( on his logic).
Kelsey has been very clear that she opposes the opening of the door to erosion of soveriegn decision-making through a closed door tribunal made up of former or current corporate lawyers, with no chance of Appeal.
Fair questions to ask I would have thought.
Key says we won’t be sued. BUT he hasn’t told us what he bases that on. There is plenty of evidence that other governments have been sued. There is NO history of such suing in the FTA’s we are in… but some of the countries we are now climbing into bed with DO have a history of suing under those clauses. THAT is a significant difference.
That’s easy – they didn’t want the people to know by how much they’re being sold out for until after it was done.
Key knows that’s a lie. The ISDS wouldn’t be in there if we weren’t going to be sued.
That can’t possibly happen as there’s essentially no benefits and lots and lots of downsides.
Thanks Rosie – am looking forward to doing something concrete and effective to stop this travesty of democracy going any further.
Labour started this and the people voted them in, National continued it and the people voted them in, its a bugger when democracy doesn’t work exatcly how you want it to work
Pretty sure you wouldn’t know democracy if you fell over it.
Democracy. = All citizens decide..
It is not , when, for example asset thefts, sorry, sales! continue when 80% are opposed
Are you suggesting the people who voted for National and Labour knew what they would get from a TPP? Or something else?
It’s far too early to say if NZ got a good or bad or something-else deal. As long as only one party has the information and is releasing it selectively no voter is in a position to judge anything.
What you describe is not democracy – it’s elected dictatorship.
If we’d gone with what the people wanted we wouldn’t be in the TPPA – we would have dropped out of it years ago:
http://itsourfuture.org.nz/opinion-polls-show-pm-out-of-touch-with-public-on-tppa/
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1212/S00004/poll-shows-most-nzers-want-to-end-secret-tppa-negotiations.htm
poll: Benefit?
The majority of NZers understand that the TPPA will be bad for us and that the only winners from it will be the foreign corporations. Key and National know that as well.
+1 Tautoko Mango Mata.
Agree that organisation for protest needs to take place after content of the deal is revealed. Then we know exactly what we are dealing with and can formulate a plan for appropriate reaction.
LOLs. At one of the TPP demo’s in Wellington, prior to the last one we all did a sing along to We’re not Gonna Take It. It was the best!
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trans-pacific-partnership-charade-by-joseph-e–stiglitz-and-adam-s–hersh-2015-10
@Pat
To continue from yesterday, it appears nothing is certain on the banning of house sales to overseas purchasers. Labour may well have the option of modifying the OIA (which has been exempted from the TPP) so that it can implement its policy.
From the Herald today:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11525498
The list of “things to look out for” from Jacobi and Rosenberg when the fine print comes through are interesting.
as always the devil is in the detail , however that link (thanks) suggests to me that there may be room for restricting foreign investment under the provisions of the CURRENT overseas investment act….and dosnt remove the risk of ISDS prosecution should any future government wish to change the act….my take.
Come on Radio NZ, this is the problem you get when we have an art critic doing serious political journalism, that was rubbish.
No I can not link RNZ Wiki leaks
.
@left
Agreed. She didn’t seem very well briefed. Assange had to correct her on facts several times and it sounded like he was thinking “why on earth is she asking this?”.
Ta….
Twitterback radio without the talkback, don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of Lynn’s work else were on that station. 👿
View at Medium.com
“..according to the ….mad breathless fanboys of the right wing press, after today’s speech to the Tory party conference Davie Cameron is the new voice of the left. In other news, Hannibal Lector is the new voice of veganism, Ian Paisley is the Vatican spokesman on ecumenicalism, and the BNP are the new UN Commissioners for Refugees.”
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com
An entertaining read.
http://campaign.labour.org.nz/our_position_on_the_tpp
Just a reminder on those Labour Party “bottom lines”.
Wyndham….exactly.
So Labour does not support the TPP right?
Yes. That’s how I see it.
Not how Sir David Shearer of IISS lineage, Grant Robertson and David Parker will be advocating in the Caucus. They will be pushing hard for conformity with the fictions “middle ground consensus” .
Sir David and Lady Anuschka will get that cushy ambassador spot from National or Labour: there don’t care which. They are not going to allow bloody left wingers dirty their clean establishment credentials.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/business/72752247/labour-to-carry-on-regardless-of-tppa–ardern
Labour to carry on regardless of TPPA – Ardern
A Labour Government will make laws without regard to the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and if necessary “face the consequences”.
That was the view of Jacinda Ardern, Labour MP and spokesperson for small business, speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event in Rotorua on Tuesday.
“When we’re in Government we’ll continue to legislate as we would and we’ll face the consequences,” she said.
—
Good to hear it in solid, straightforward terms now.
Easy to make promises when you know you don’t have to back them up untill 2020
easy to make promises when no-one else can see the fine print.
Yes PR, always easy to make promises in opposition ?
“These tax cuts will be fiscally neutral…no GST rise…brighter future…higher standards…”
I see what you mean.
PS: found out about Google’s personalised searches yet Stigie? I’d hate to think my charity was going to waste.
PR isideous arrogance Nationals unwritten policy .
What would you prefer?
If Labour came out and said they’ll support the TPP wholeheartedly, you’d call them right wing neoliberals who are weak.
When they criticise it, and say they won’t be following its regulations – the regulations of an international agreement – and will implement their policies anyway, you call it empty promises and weak.
What do you want from the Labour party?
Quoting article:
More lies from the MSM – the TPP negotiations were started something like ten years ago – by Labour.
It was the corporate takeover of the state.
Really sick of reading about sicko’s abusing farmed animals:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/286410/farmer-jailed-for-'horrific-animal-abuse‘
Within that article is a link to another story about a Whakatane man who starved calves to death.
Read that one only yesterday, and now one today.
Read another two weeks ago about about a farm manager and staff who abused dairy cows, forced extremely lame cows who were in acute pain to walk 2km to an offal pit where they shot them. The farm manager and a farm hand were charged for that and other abuses.
These stories crop up far too frequently in the farming section on stuffed.co.nz
But surely this is just tip of the iceberg stuff, the cases that end in convictions.
After long campaigning, over decades, only now are customers purchasing free range chicken eggs and pork in supermarkets, and not just at health stores and farmers markets as before. They have finally grown aware of the cruelty of factory farming and it is more widely known about.
How long will it be before we can expose the culture of farmed animal abuse, dairy, cattle and sheep, understand the depth of the abuse and remedy the situation?
Why, in an agricultural nation are we so backwards about animal welfare?
Because our free-market, low wage culture, requires that we cut corners to save ‘costs’.
Why as a people are we so backward about animal welfare? There is only one way to stop this constant and horrific abuse of animals and that is to go vegan.
I go with the free market argument, too.
Farmers cutting back on feed and help means the remaining staff are underpaid, overworked and in precarious (and often dangerous) employment.
We can’t expect people to care more about animals than the economy cares about people.
Odd. I checked for replies early evening and there weren’t any, yet DTB posted a reply at 3.19.
Now I’ve run out time to get back into this subject.
Good points however, alot that could be expanded on there. Will have to wait for another day.
At least the guy yesterday got 4.5 years in prison.
.
TPP equals 1% economic gain by 2030
.
unbelievably useless
.
Adern is right to say they will continue to legislate regardless, especially in light of how little would be lost, in 15 years time, if it gets ditched. 1% is nothing.
1% is nothing. Just pay it and ditch the piece of shit
For fucks sake 2.7billion aint much different to Bill English’s handout to his mates who invested in South Canterbury Finance at 1.7billion
ha ha ha ha ha ha how fucking useless
A few crumbs is all Grosser and co have been fed.Michael that figure of $ 2.7 billion is highly dubious.
As the loss side of the balance sheet is not included.
Biologicals the cost of keeping longer patents will wipe that out by itself as this government has deliberately covered up the %’s that pharmac will be purchasing for now it is small but by 2020 it will be 15% + of purchases by 2030 it could be half of all purchases.
Then their is loss of local purchasing for govts and local bodies.
That could include health boards.
Then the right to sue .
This is a pigs arse of a trade deal pushed by pigheaded pirates.
There is no increase to the patent term of medicines in NZ under this proposed TPP agreement.
Your figures on the percentage of biologicals as a percentage of total spend of pharmaceuticals is incorrect – suggest you have look at PHARMAC’s website where this information is published – regardless as i have said before there is no increase to the patent term of medicines in NZ under this proposed TPP agreement.
Regarding local purchasing for government and councils – this will most likely still go through a tender process with the purchasing body making the decision based on the specifics of the tender.
Good deal eh doc?
What would your better half (presuming you have one) think if you got home after years away toiling for a pay rise and came back saying … “yes honey, I did it… 1% rise in 15 years time!… Lets go out and celebrate…”
ffs
Some will always support
Some will never support
At this early stage it appears that NZ (read every TTP nation other than the USA) is going to be screwed on various levels
With the agreements and legislation being authored and directed by private company’s and corporations, the likelihood of positive impact for people as a whole, is extremely low.
The likelihood of negative outcomes flowing through by becoming part of this agreement, are immeasurably high
Contracts, words and definitions used as weapons
“Good deal eh doc?”
Increased trade is a good outcome, yes I’m pro trade and agree with the former prime minster and current trade minister on the importance of trade to the NZ economy.
yeah nah that wasn’t the question was it
@VTO the question you asked was irrelevant piffle, I’m avoiding such rubbish so as to avoid massively long pointless threads.
What? You consider the 1% gain after 15 years piffle?
I guess you’re right, it is piffle. The entire TPP is piffle.
And this is even more classic piffle … “Increased trade is a good outcome, yes I’m pro trade and agree with the former prime minster and current trade minister on the importance of trade to the NZ economy.”
Are you an exporter or importer vto?
why?
You run a business that turns over some where between 10 million and a 100 million, so I’m assuming it would be something to do with exports or imports.
I would think the TPPA would have quite an impact on your bottom line if you’e in exports, or is the TPPA of no to relevance to your business?
What would have a bigger impact on our business’s bottom line is a more robust and financially healthy lower income sector…. not pandering to already successful pharmaceutical companies and big tobacco….
ffs, this stuff aint rocket science…. every business in NZ would do better if the base of our society was actually strong. This is where the effort should go – into making the low income demographic wealthier..
.. it builds all the way up doesn’t it BM. Like any foundation.
.. which is why restricting foreign ownership in order to drive down all capital values will help
.. but we ALL know that lowering capital values is like speaking of the devil, such is the religious fervour of the right wing on these matters
… lower the capital values – high capital values are only damaging
vto, BM doesn’t understand that you don’t just want to make more and more money for yourself. His head might explode
Yep I come across them types all the time in real life – they just cannot fathom other ways of going about life and business. They really are bamboozled by it. If it aint about money then they just glaze over….
Wayne’s world
Wayne’s world
good on ya vto for being the type of employer you are. I know a few who operate a similar way. It is possible.
No you must have misread my comment.
I remarked that the question you asked was piffle.
Oooohhh…..
Commentary on the extent of the gain (1% in 15 years) resulting from the TPP is considered piffle. Do you think we should just bend even further over and not comment on the outcome of the TPP?
Is a 1% economic gain in 15 years piffle?
I think it is.
After all that means at that level of achievement a 10% increase will take 150 years – ha ha, may as well pack the bags and head to the beach …
you are off the planet doc
Not necessarily. In fact, that just proves your position is ideological belief rather than a considered position.
As I say, if there was a truly level field there would be only minimal trade as each country would produce for itself from its own resources. The added costs of trade would prevent trade.
would be a little concerned about filling one of your scripts if you consider there is no difference between 5 and 8.
Sigh – Pat I’ve explained the difference between data exclusivity and patent term from a NZ medicines regulatory perspective a number of times, have a look at my previous comments on this using the Standard’s dinky search function.
Yes. You have now proved several times that you have no fucking idea what the TPPA says. Or don’t want us to know, like most of it’s supporters.
🙄 congratulations you have managed to add nothing to the discussion yet again.
I know its tiresome having to deal with mere mortals doc but humour me awhile and confirm a point or two for me if you would
– it is your contention that due to the WTO 20 year drug patent period it has no impact on Pharmacs ability to purchase generics whether the data exclusivity period is 5 or 8 years as both fall well within the 20 years (leaving aside evergreening)
– the additional costs to NZ under the TPP will be negligible and essentially for administration
-Pharmaceutical companies need this period to recoup Rand D costs and to provide a return on investment, therefore the drivers are financial
– the advocates for the increased data exclusivity period of 12 years in the TPP negotiation were the pharmaceutical companies and their lobbyists
would that be a fair summary?
There was an interesting conversation (if short lived when a ban was threatened) on whether retiring CTU president Helen Kelly, who has lung cancer, smoked (she doesn’t as far as I know). I’m a huge admirer of Helen and this post isn’t about her but about the fact that lung cancer sufferers, and to a lesser extent other cancer sufferers are often blamed for their illness (the first quote and link below touch on this subject.)
In fact, one new set of research findings (see second link and quote) has found that in the majority of cases people who get cancer are simply unlucky. This raises an interesting question about how much responsibility we are placing on cancer sufferers for having the disease and why we are doing this. Has the health industry become over-zealous, for instance? Is it a result of society pushing all responsibility on to the individual. Or is it a great conceit we now have the power to control our health when in fact we often don’t.
We have managed to demonise smokers but bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer and we don’t have an easy target for that. If there was a lifestyle that society disapproved of that was known to contribute to bowel cancer, would people who participate in that also be demonised?
“Unlike some cancers, which typically evoke sympathy and concern, lung cancer patients often experience stigma, isolation, and social judgment. In some instances, patients with lung cancer blame themselves and are filled with regret for having failed to take the advice (liberally meted out by doctors, family, friends, and strangers) to quit smoking. Patients who smoked (even those who had long ago quit) find themselves not only battling their disease, but also rebuke and self-recrimination.”
http://www.nypcancerprevention.com/archive_newsletter/issue/10/pro/feature/blame-victim.shtml
“The majority of cancers are the result of bad luck rather than unhealthy lifestyles or inherited genetic faults, scientists have discovered.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11320497/Most-cancers-are-caused-by-bad-luck-not-genes-or-lifestyle-say-scientists.html
Thanks for posting this EP.
I’ve been way, way too angry to respond to Infused’s vile insinuation on the HK tribute thread.
I wanted to stop him/her before it escalated to “Unions cause cancer”
pineapples
yesterday my partner and were driving home from a funeral. We started talking about stress and so forth. She mentioned that from time to time mention is made of the impact of stress on illness. She mused “Has anyone studied terminal illness suffered by survivors of active duty since WWII? Cos” she continued” “you can’t get much more stressed than being shelled and shot at and freezing etc”.
yep – just as we have the deserving and undeserving poor, now it’s going into the deserving and undeserving sick.
Looking for an excuse to ascribe blame/inferiority is the first step towards looking for an excuse to let people die.
Jacinda Ardern’s comments are most welcome. It’s good to see Labour committing to policies in the interests of the majority of our citizens.
I’ll take her comments at face value, bravo.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/business/72752247/labour-to-carry-on-regardless-of-tppa–ardern
Congratulations LP and TS, your very own stalker blog.
http://www.donotlink.com/gxfe
Pretty poor content, we need better critics.
Aren’t they on a ban currently?
Someone did suggest a comment of the day feature recently, who was that?
Edit, it was Pasupial,
Nah, that George person had that niche covered a long time ago. Your link is more wannabe-beige than the authentic variety.
Lasso the operative word on US foreign policy and trade