My family before me yes, and I voted Labour (or Greens occaisionally) all my life – until the last election, when I finally got so sick of the infighting, the lack of vision, and the slavish conformity to outdated dogma that I voted for National as a protest.
If you’ve seen that graph that shows Labour support over the last 100 years, you’ll recognize that this is just part of the overall pattern of decline in support.
I’m still waiting for The Left to see the writing on the wall. Let alone start to write the story that will make it relevant to The People again. Hence the stories above Titi. Wake up call anyone?
Translation: unions, human rights, fair pay rates, evidence-based policy.
To be replaced by the mindless shite that Sheep believes very hard.
Edit: I note that “outdated dogma” is an oxymoron: if it’s been outdated (by what?) it was once appropriate to its time and therefore, not dogma. This will sail right over Gobsheep’s head.
Anyone wanting to understand why the Left is bleeding support only need study your collected works here OAB.
Anyone not wanting to understand can parrot the Lefts new narrative of blame. The Voters are Stupid / The Voters are Greedy / The Media is against us / The voters are brainwashed / It’s a conspiracy (many conspiracies actually) / Money is an unfair advantage / etc etc etc.
Anything but take a look in the mirror.
You are happy with the status quo aren’t you. No need to change anything.
It’s 20 years since we moved form FPP to MMP Tls. And you didn’t know? Where have you been hiding? Under a rock in the Sahara Desert?
That’s the height of ignorance you know.
Hi Anne this is from below but it seems pertinent to this discussion
Remind me again how many elections Labour have been in power for since the advent of MMP versus how many National have been in
In case you were wondering of the seven elections held under MMP National have won power in four and Labour have won power in three and since National is likely to regain power in 2017 it’ll be 2020 before Labours back in power
[lprent: You really shouldn’t use spurious stats when I am around. I find it irritating. What you are describing is 2 changes of government each currently of 3 terms, and the one term left over from the government at the time of a change to MMP.
And trolling such simple minded bullshit annoys me even more. I suggest that you discontinue ]
Looks as if at some point (Cunliffe’s “sorry”, I’ll wager) you have just decided to abandon your values.
Mate. I voted Labour in ’84 and ’87, and then I voted for them again in ’90.
If i stuck with them through all those changes in values, I think you can take it as read that a relative featherweight like Cunliffe would hardly tip me off the boat!
The Greenslade piece in ‘The Guardian’ is a bit odd. A lot of the analysis seems reasonable, but a fair chunk of what he’s driving at hinges on this …
Despite strolling to the Oldham by-election victory, the party is generally regarded by the majority of its MPs, political journalists and their editors, as unelectable.
Now, count those people up and how many people are we talking of? Not many.
And then there’s….Corbyn’s new army embodies yet another faction: the idealistic middle classes. Reconciling their views with those who lean towards Ukip is more than a stretch.
Does he not understand that many of those who voted UKIP cast their vote as a protest, and does he also not understand that Labour kind of endorsed voting on an immigration ticket with it’s own stupid fucking ‘tough on immigration’ policy?
Anyway. Labour in Scotland is dead. But Labour in England and Wales is possibly on the cusp of a revival given that Miliband’s changes opened up the party far and a way beyond any opening up that has occurred for the NZ Labour Party.
Add to that that the UK Labour Party is, under Corbyn, seeking to articulate the type of sensibilities that now belong to the SNP in Scotland and, well….we’ll see.
My only real criticism of Corbyn is that he’s stuck fast in a dim and irrelevant ‘one world’ past with regards nationalism. He should have signaled an alliance with the SNP and left the corpse of the Blairite Scottish Labour Party to rot. Civic nationalism in Scotland should have embraced by Labour, afterall, you can’t have internationalism without nationalism, and the smaller a political entity is, the greater chance for better accountability, and then the greater the chance is for the emergence of authentic autonomy – the next step beyond nationalism and nation states, y’know, socialism.;-)
He’s an odd mix ,if you keep in mind that he’s a horrible simple minded prick,I find him honest in that he says it how he sees it.
Interestly he was just pushing Finland’s upcoming ubi trial.
“,I find him honest in that he says it how he sees it.”
I find people who say they do this (call a spade a spade type shite) to be intentionally simplistic and hence deceitful. They hide things with their simplistic nonsense.
Despite assurances (lies) from Key, detainees are signing forms that give away their guaranteed right to appeal when they’re coerced to return home.
And of course not any other media except RNZ is reporting this, because it’s just another big lie in the long list of John Key’s lies and we’re becoming numb/used/indifferent to it.
IHC gets 58 NEW homes and 300 LEASED from private owners. The Sally Army gets 50 NEW homes and 37 EXISTING pensioner flats. And goodness knows where the Chinese Settlers will find their 36 homes, or the other 27 subsidies. So the Govt is subsidising private owners yet again, and in reality there will be at least 158 NEW homes of some sort or other built somewhere, and maybe a few more.
Yes, the story just got buried by Stuff & the Herald. Stuff changed their headline from one about deportees having to sign away their right of appeal to one that now reads: John Key ‘confident’ of deportees’ appeal rights despite Australian form.
Still I expect it’s going to be brief news item on telly tonight and it’s hard to see how Key can avoid being seen as either a liar or a dupe. I just hope whoever reports it take the time to read out the offending sentence.
How will the parliamentary left regain the momentum it had with the public over the Australian deportees?
Government’s reshuffle and the Cabinet decisions this week have tilted the momentum back to Key. Very smart decision for Act’s Seymour to stay out of Cabinet.
I am incredibly surprised that the Opposition parties have not built upon the climate change marches momentum and continued strong stories during the Paris COP 21 negotiations.
Momentum will of course come and go, but it will take more than the occasional stunt out of a helicopter to sustain public attention.
Momentum will gradually build up, Ad. That is better than quick ups and downs.
And hopefully the upward momentum will be retained thru to 2017.
I also note that ShonKey’s popularity has been gradually sliding downwards for quite a while …. it’s still respectable, but maybe more and more people are finally waking up to him !
Let me give you an example of the kinds of successes that this current government will ride from 2016 to 2017:
– Announcement of full funding for City Rail Link, first quarter 2016 (and start of early construction works within a couple of weeks)
– Commence works on National Convention Centre with Sky City, first quarter 2016
– Start of full demolition of Auckland’s downtown shopping centre, second quarter 2016
– Commencement of SH1 Puhoi to Wellsford construction, end second quarter 2016
– Announcement of confirmed timing of Waitemata harbor tunnel crossing, second quarter 2016
– Start of Elliot Street tower (over 40 stories high), second quarter 2016
– Start construction on 5 star hotel on Auckland’s waterfront, second quarter 2016
– Queenstown Convention Centre starts construction, third quarter 2016
– Announcement of Auckland light rail options, third quarter 2016
– Opening of new Waterfront theatre, end 2016
– Start of Ruataniwha Dam construction, third quarter 2016
– Opening of Waterview tunnels for SH16 and SH20, first quarter 2017
– Huge number of civic openings in Christchurch as stages complete, first quarter 2017
– Then you have the 2017 budget tax cuts, which will be substantial
etc
What I am indicating is that this government understands the secret to politics in New Zealand right now is real estate and roading. The momentum that they have built and encouraged through incredibly low Reserve Bank targets will see Auckland, Christchurch, and Queenstown-Lakes take the economic lead as the rest of the economy remains at 2% growth.
The stories that the Opposition break have to be even bigger than this.
That was how good Kelvin’s hit was. The loss of momentum is a serious loss.
These guys are fully geared for a fourth term, and the momentum of the economy is with them.
The CHB Council has all but guaranteed that this dam will go ahead buy buying up water rights to provide drinking water for their constituents… that they currently get for free.
The fact that the Mayor and several councillors will benefit directly from the commencement of this project is probably the worst conflict of interest I have ever seen.
Now we’ll see how good Kelvin Davis is (or if he can be leader) now that he has a real challenge on his hands
Jacinda Ardern is a lightweight dolly bird that couldn’t handle Paula Bennett and Nikki Kay and as such shouldn’t be considered as a viable option for leader of Labour and now Kelvin Davis has a real chance to show what hes got
Yes well a leader that can’t convince an electorate to vote for him either but more importantly I’m looking forward to Davis vs Collins, we’ll see if Davis has what it takes
In case you were wondering of the seven elections held under MMP National have won power in four and Labour have won power in three and since National is likely to regain power in 2017 it’ll be 2020 before Labours back in power
“Our supporters have the same impact when they squabble, bitch and back-stab on so-called ‘left-friendly’ sites like The Standard (a dreadful 21st century bastardisation of a once proud Labour broadsheet)”
I see that USA are being sued under NAFTA because the USA law requiring the labelling of the origin of meat contravenes the agreement.
The United States’ North American trading partners argued that being forced to label where animals were born, raised, and slaughtered placed an undue burden on livestock producers and processors and, as AgriPulse reports, “ultimately persuaded the WTO that the law accorded unfavorable treatment to Canadian and Mexican livestock.”
TPP does not benefit citizens of any country, only giant agrochemical multi nationals who will benefit from relaxed food standards and consumer choice to ram toxic intensive and un proven food with poor animal welfare standards onto unwitting consumers plates.
Very interesting video about how TTIP (and likewise TPP) will destroy small and medium farmers (i.e. like NZ farmers), introduce Genetically modified foods, introduce chlorinated meat washing techniques and USA agricultural intensive farming practises around the world with these ‘free trade’ agreements.
It is not only NZ farms being bought up by agribusiness and foreign investors it is also happening in Europe. Soon as well as being tenants in our own country we will also be able to afford the ‘raw food’ materials of our country as they will be exported using mega supply chains to other countries to be processed.
The video also has a lot of useful statistics like how 70% of the worlds fresh water is used in agribusiness and 52% of emissions are from agribusiness as to get that massive scale petrol is used to ship around the world.
While we like to think NZ is an exporter so TPP will ‘help’ farmers it appears that most mega agribusiness like Montanso and investment companies buying up land for food are most likely to use NZ as a banana republic, and use their own migrant labour, offshore productions and supply chains to export the food cutting out the middle men (Kiwis) and using sophisticated tax laws to pay the minimum of taxes while getting the maximum of corporate welfare.
It is already happening, TPP just means governments will not be able to stop it as they can be sued.
Request: Please do not upset TRP today.
Te Reo Putake is in a very grumpy mood and lashing out at all and sundry. She/He is very very very sensitive to any hint that Robertson and King had a major say in the cabinet selection. TRP is also very very very sensitive to Claire Trevett’s story that King promised her Rongotai seat to Little on condition that he publically humiliate Cunliffe.
te reo putake…
7 December 2015 at 10:40 pm
Chooky, I have a life. I’ve been out, as it happens, and even if I wasn’t, I answer if and when when I fucken well feel like it, not according to your agenda. Bill’s comments are full of shit. The shadow cabinet was chosen by Little as is his right.
I never said what Bill claimed I did, and what he claimed about caucus selecting the shadow cabinet was wrong in fact anyway and the that’s the end of that story.
Bill fucked up out of ignorance. What’s your excuse?
Why do you keep repeating this bullshit, Northsider?
Trevett’s story did not do what you claim yet you keep repeating your lies, and your obsession with Robertson is getting to the pathological stage.
I am not a fan of the way TRP reacts to criticism, but your continuous attempts to enter into long, pointless and ill-informed attacks on Labour in a desperate attempt to get him to respond makes me suspicious of your real motives.
1. Trevett says Annette will surrender Rongotai to Andrew Little. No one disputed this. Trevett has shown she is being fed excellent intelligence throughput this process.
2. All are saying the ABC’s have seen the Cunliffe supporters in the Caucus demoted, relative to Robertson supporter, and Cunliffe himself humiliated.
3. The insulting positiong of Cunliffe had nothing to do with his work rate, ability or behaviour since Little took over.
4. Cunliffe strongly supported Little in the Leadership battle and actually held-off standing down until it was coinfirmed little was elected. So Cunliffe was done to for other reasons that Little was unable to resist.
5. Trevett says there was no room for a “charachter like Cunliffe” . That was code for saying the ABCers wanted Cunliffe fully out this time. Little had no personal or performance related reason to want Cunliffe out.
6. That does mean that the Rongotai seat and Cunliffe were part of the one conversation.
Karen, do not impune my motive. I have not impuned yours. We are all Labour.
Okay Northsider, I’ll take your word that you are not a right wing troll trying to create dissent, but it sure was starting to look like it. And by the way my politics are somewhat to the left of both Labour and the Green Party, but I have supported both electorally and financially .
As to your points:
1. Trevett did not say “Annette will surrender Rongotai to Andrew Little.” She said it was a possibility, which it obviously is. Anybody can see that. Your assumption that Trevett is getting leaked information is based on a misunderstanding of the work of political journalists.
2. A number of Cunliffe supporters have been promoted. This has been pointed out to you before.
3. I was also disappointed with Cunliffe’s demotion, but I do not know what his work rate has been like over recent months compared to others and neither do you.
4. Cunliffe stood down when Little decided to stand, not when Little was elected.
5. I like Cunliffe and supported his leadership, but there is no question he is a decisive figure. I suspect Little has asked for Cunliffe to work with him to see how well he works with others. I know Little wanted caucus members to work together on projects and perhaps Cunliffe found that difficult. I do not know – I am just guessing.
6.Sorry, your conclusion does not follow at all.
+100 CV…from what I have heard Cunliffe is very good to work with and work for…so what the hell is going on?!
…the rank and file Labour members voted for David Cunliffe!…that should be enough to earn him a top place in Cabinet …if the management was good
….and a high place for Mania Mahuta who brought in the Maori seats, when Labour was losing most others ….except for TTT which was won by Kelvin Davis against Hone Harawira
….and we all know Lusk was involved in TTT…he says so himself and there is suggestion of payment of the Maori voters in TTT
….” Duncan Garner also revealed supporters of Labour’s Napier MP Stewart Nash paid Simon Lusk to canvas the option of a new political party, and that Simon Lusk had told him Labour MP Phil Twyford would be his next target.
Simon Lusk also claimed on Story he had been instrumental in unseating Mana Party co-leader Hone Harawira in the last election. Unnamed “businessmen” had paid thousands for that, he said. And in conversation with his co-host last Monday, Duncan Garner said money had been paid to get Maori electors to vote in Te Tai Tokerau.
Was political operative Simon Lusk really paying people on behalf of clients to influence an election? Disappointingly, no more was said about this claim.The following day, Duncan Garner posted a statement from Simon Lusk on the websites of TV3’s Story and Radio Live. In it, Simon Lusk said:
Iwi now have extensive databases of members who they can easily mobilise. Assembling a team of 50 or 100 iwi members to get out the vote is straightforward, legal and effective if it is possible to raise some koha.
He added that “if you’re not paying for votes or offering anything in exchange for a vote, or treating,” it is not against the law. But that statement didn’t answer key questions: How much was paid? By whom? And for what purpose? “…
( Questions need to be asked and answered about what is going on in the Labour Party)
Why do you keep repeating that nonsense Chooky? Why would you believe anything Garner and Lusk (in particular) says? and you’re dreaming re: “new party”
Go and talk with Ngāpuhi, you will find Lusk had nothing to do with Hone losing his seat, it was partnering up with Dotcom that did. I got told Hone lost all credibility when he showed he needed a “white man” (their words) to win.
David Cunliffe is still very much a target by msm, and didn’t he tell John Campbell post election/leadership that he didn’t know if he would be staying on for the 2017 election? Personally I wouldn’t want to see him go, but “IF” he did, I would respect his decision, and you do not know of the talks Cunliffe and Little would have had prior to the reshuffle, which I am sure David Cunliffe was well aware of before the announcement.
That’s just your opinion CV and you have provided no evidence to back up your theories.
You obviously loathe Robertson and you and your small band of supporters are trying desperately to get people to believe your conspiracy theories. To what end I have no idea, but I personally am disappointed that you have decided to undertake this campaign as I used to find your comments on NZ politics worth reading. No longer.
Cheers, Karen, a couple of points well made. I do tend to lash out when people claim I’ve said things I haven’t and it’s a fault, I know. But that and excessive modesty are pretty much my only character defects as far as I can tell 😉
And to te reo putake – people are different, react in different ways, I – personally – find what you have to say refreshing and to the point. So I always read your opinions.
Cheers, Jenny, much appreciated. It’s one of the strengths of the Standard that there are many so many great contributors, yourself included. We have the liveliest, most educated comments of any NZ blog, by quite some distance.
@ E p surveillance started? It has probably been on going the whole time!
What else is the increased 8 million to be spent on, (apart from undermining the political and activist opposition to this corrupt government and their spin doctors)!
Theres a court case coming soon in Dunedin [deleted]
[lprent: I believe that it is also subject to court suppression orders. I’d strongly suggest that if you want to comment here and you don’t think that you can use the name, then you don’t make the detail of the cases obvious either. Otherwise you should state is there is a suppression order and what its limits are. There are multiple levels from simple name suppression through to blanket suppression that will even make mentioning that a suppression order has been made subject to contempt of court. If you can’t state them, then I’m liable, and quite liable to simply kick you off the site for a year or two to make sure I don’t have waste time moderating you.
But really, the courts operational rules on suppression simply don’t work in an online world. I’m forever having to find out about suppression orders to just know what to moderate. It is a bit of a nuisance that the courts run under a stupid secrecy model and don’t supply us with lists of what is and what isn’t suppressed. ]
It turns out Zuckerbergs $45bn ‘donation’ wasn’t a proper gift at all. It has just been “stuffed into a for-profit limited liability company, rather than a foundation, which means that you don’t have to tell everybody exactly what you’re up to, and you’re allowed to make money from poorer people who are making money, do a bit of political lobbying, take some money back, support your very own pet causes, change the world however you fancy and feel just like God: all-powerful and adored.”
‘I was suspicious of the Zuckerbergs’ $45bn donation – and I was right to be”
Michele Hanson
I’ve just been reading about early photographer Nikola Persheid (or Perscheid). He was a good photographer and worked at his studio with many who became as well-known as him on their own. He developed a special camera suitable for portraits that was used internationally. He worked in many different places, after ‘developing’ his trade by being an itinerant photographer. But was not able to make a good living, although his work was high quality and well considered. The competitive self-reliant world can be very hard on individuals who are acting as entrepreneurs breaking into new fields. He came to a sad end. He deserved better.
Wikipedia
Towards the end of the 1920s, Perscheid had severe financial problems. In autumn 1929 he had to sub-rent his apartment to be able to pay his own rent. Shortly afterwards, he suffered a stroke, and was hospitalized in spring of 1930.
While he was at the hospital, his belongings, including his cameras and photographic plates, but also all his furniture were auctioned off to pay his debts. Two weeks after the auction, on 12 May 1930,[6] Perscheid died at the Charité hospital in Berlin.
So he died and I can’t find where he was buried, probably in a pauper’s grave. We need to keep our social welfare so that people of note, who have been of note, or who never achieved a note can be treated fairly and kindly.
lprent
I was browsing on TS and went to scroll up and the blog vanished to a white screen headed Gone and then something about the address had gone with no further addres and to remove all references to it from my computer. I closed down and immediately requested TS again and it came on no trouble.
Also it has been very slow loading at times lately. Just letting you know.
Interesting. That usually indicates that a TCP connection has been forcibly disconnected from the server side. I will have a look at the page load time profile.
Can confirm very slow loading… we’re talking of minutes not seconds. I can also report something similar to gws’s experience – a vanishing TS only to return upon a fresh loading.
If only our opposition could put together real policies and detailed plans that actually say exactly what they will do when they get into power and why.
This should be compulsory reading for the opposition in NZ on how to write up policy and not just on climate change!
(in particular Labour)
i.e. You need to actually have something real, rather than airy fairy words to get people to believe in a party and the words within the policy have to actually make sense and have a detailed action plan.
How serendipitous for the UK government and others going to war against the daesh that ‘The Guardian’ has now obtained blueprints on the planned state building of the self appointed caliphate. Now they can say they are at war with an almost state, which lends a smear of credibility and a veneer of legality to the bombing of, well…let’s face it, it’s just ‘people on the ground’ – men, boys, women, girls, old people, babies….
There is growing support for a day to officially remember the Land Wars, with Labour even opening the door to another public holiday.
The New Zealand Wars were pretty complicated affairs but my pakeha forebears would’ve probably been among, or supported, the European settlers who killed Maori & stole and confiscated their land all around New Zealand. I have the feeling a New Zealand Wars Day would provoke a lot of mutual hostility rather than be treated as a respectful remembrance day.
Grindlebottom – Isn’t it about time that NZers learned what went on during the Land Wars, and why ?
Its not taught in schools as far as I can make out – it wasn’t taught in my day, and it wasn’t taught to my sons – and we’ve had to find out for ourselves.
And it might make some Pakeha realise just why Maori continue to raise grievances which go back decades.
This is a commemmoration whose time has come – but of course ShonKey won’t have a bar of it.
Only because it dovetails in with National’s privatisation ideology.
The treaty settlement process is the biggest privatisation programme in this country’s history, transfering billions of dollars to public assets and cash to tribal elites while single Maori mothers sleep in their cars with their newborn babies.
I agree NZ history including the Land Wars should be taught in our schools Jenny. I’m surprised it still isn’t. I’d rather see that done than establish a New Zealand Land Wars commemoration day. Just maintaining Waitangi Day is a better idea.
I think this is good, if we had a better understanding of the colonisation of this country and its effects I think it would put us a few steps further down the road of a progressive country. It’s an opportunity for compassion from pakeha. These are the most important events that have happened in NZ’s modern history yet they’re largely forgotten, shame on us. We do history so poorly.
The histories of those battles are very interesting in themselves, and if kids and adults knew what took place in their own town or city they might respect those places more, instead of doing stupid shit like building suburbia over them.
The conventional wisdom, taught in textbooks of monetary economics, is that the government creates money, not banks. Furthermore, banks are financial intermediaries: they lend money which they gather as deposits. The reality is that the banks invent the money that they lend. This means that the banks, and not the government, are in control of the money supply in the economy. Bank creation of money acts in ways that are opposite to Keynesian prescriptions, and destabilise the economy.
Time to change the conventional wisdom but the rich won’t like it.
“On November 20, the World Trade Organization (WTO) declared that dolphin-safe labels on cans of tuna are a barrier to trade that place the U.S. in violation of its treaty obligations. The U.S. must stop offering “dolphin-safe” labels or face punitive sanctions from Mexico. Analysts expect the government to cave.
The case is a classic example of what globalization critics have warned of for years: that “free trade” agreements allow foreign corporations to force the repeal of laws that interfere with their profits, thereby gutting protections for consumers, workers and the environment. Observers warn that the soon-to-be implemented Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) contains the exact same provisions, and that more such forced repeals are soon to come.”
Hopefully it’ll be a better rifle then what the guys and girls have now but whether its exactly whats needed only time will tell but its interesting switching from bullpup to conventional layout
Still leaves us open to supply problems when the shit hits the fan which it will, IMO, in the near future. The only solution to which being to make the weapons that our defence forces need in NZ from NZ resources.
In other words, the NZ government should build the factories and do the R&D to produce them here. I guestimate that we could do it with a mere 10,000 people employed most of which would be in R&D.
And, no, I don’t think it should be done by the private sector as I don’t think that the production of weapons should be done for profit at all.
I see that Key now decides who he answers questions to in question time in the House. In today’s session Andrew Little wished to put a question to the “Honourable John Key”. Andrew questioned Carter at the start of the session and wondered why he, listed as question 5 was now listed as putting the question to another Minister. Carter said under the speaker’s rules bla bla bla he was allowed to do this. Andrew then came back with another question to the speaker that he wished to ask the house to make the decision as he particularly wished to ask the PM the question – Carter said to stop wasting his time as it would ultimately come back to he, Carter to make the decision again anyway. When question 5 came up Andrew rose to his feet and said in not so many words to forget it that he was withdrawing the question.
So now Key decides who he wishes to answer to with probably pesky questions. How much more is this government going to be allowed to get away with when sitting in the House? They are not even subtle any more and must think we all are a pack of dumb nuts and can get away with it because we will just lie down and put up with this shit. A revolution anyone???
Interesting.
Probably no great loss though, it’s pretty pointless asking Key anything if you want a genuine answer.
After the dead cat rapists & ‘molesterers’ [sic] fiasco, it occurred to me that the combined opposition should just stop directing questions to the prime minister as he can’t be relied upon to answer without abusiveness.
Who needs to put up with that when they’re just trying to do their job?
Added bonus – being ignored would probably drive the attention seeking Key mad.
You are so right, he is on the back foot always and defensive as well as abusive. A sign of lacking intelligence, where he obviously is berefit of knowledge and so deflects with either dead cats or blatant refusal to answer questions which will put him on the spot. God what an awful man he is. I wonder if other women see him in the same light. We are supposed to have the ability to be intuitive to suss out creeps but still he hangs in there. He didn’t do it for me from the first time he came on the scene and he is getting worse by the day.
Interesting thought ,imagine if they just completely ignored key and directed all their questions at Collins instead.
It would’nt take key long to start jumping up and down like a little boy going what about me.
Young New Zealand women are heading to Iraq and Syria with fears they are joining the droves of Jihadi brides.
Security Intelligence Security director Rebecca Kitteridge revealed on Tuesday the numbers were on the rise and it was a big concern.
Kitteridge was giving evidence to Parliament’s powerful intelligence and security committee, chaired by Prime Minister John Key.
…”It’s something we haven’t seen before.”
…Asked by Key if they were leaving for Iraq and Syria to become “Jihadi brides”, Kitteridge declined to comment.
…The committee was told of 24 hour surveillance on some but a lack of evidence to charge them, despite concerns they were accessing radicalised material and talking about committing attacks.
“A lot of them seem to be people who may have other problems in their life,” Kitteridge said.
“It’s not your average person going out to work and happily married and raising kids… it’s a pattern of people who are kind of disengaged in some way with a productive life.”
Big Kurdish population in NZ. Just saying that perhaps the SIS, like other better funded “intelligence” “organisations”, may not be the best source nor judge of character.
I want to see their workings, because their word ain’t worth shit.
Well, yeah, numbers could’ve gone up from one or two to three. And it reads like anybody travelling back to their homeland is now suspect. But this bit was also interesting.
…The committee was told of 24 hour surveillance on some but a lack of evidence to charge them, despite concerns they were accessing radicalised material and talking about committing attacks.
I’m happy for surveillance to quietly continue OAB.
I want to see their workings, because their word ain’t worth shit.
Yeah, so do I but good luck to us with that. That’d be never no matter who in power.
Yes, I am too. But I would like to point out to Ms Kitteridge that if someone is NOT going out to work and happily married and raising kids… , it doesn’t follow they are therefore NOT an average person.
Run by people who if overseas experience is anything to go by, will prey upon vulnerable members of the community to manufacture cases they can bring to court.
Surveillance isn’t “quiet”, Grindlebottom. It’s all-pervasive. It guards you while you sleep.
Those who sacrifice privacy on the altar of security deserve neither. Where have I heard that before? The key to these issues is trust and cameraderie, not fear and panty-sniffing.
PS: watch the video. The phrase “Jihadi Brides” plopped out of the Right Honourable John Key, Prime Minister’s mouth. Kitteridge didn’t verify it. Funnily enough, the headline implies that the things that plop out of the Prime Minister’s mouth are accurate.
Yeah I know, I did, but that’s our crappy media: you know how they often cite a quote from Key as the headline when it later becomes obvious it was inaccurate or misleading.
That article keeps growing. Every time I look at it the information has increased.
Professor flips out after student yawns loudly in class
If someone yawns during the class you’re teaching, you can laugh it off and say something like “Sorry to wake you up.” Alternatively, there’s the option of going nuclear…
Let me tell you something: my bad side is as bad as my pleasant side is pleasant. All right? Don’t push me that way. I like to keep things informal in here as much as possible, but understand where the difference between informal and impolite is. And I won’t tolerate impolite. If I hear ONE MORE of these overly loud yawns… GET UP AND WALK THE HELL OUT! YAWN OUTSIDE!! STAY OUTA CLASS, WHATEVER IT IS YA NEED TO DO TO GET OVER IT!! I WANNA KNOW WHY TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM DON’T FIND THE NEED TO DO THAT! And you should be asking yourself, ‘Why am I the one loser that has to do that when 220 other people KNOW BETTER?’ Don’t push me to this point again…..”
How much is the military paying Springsteen to play at its “Stand Up for Heroes” event?
It was recently revealed that the reason those tedious yet disturbing military displays before American sports events are not done because the people who own NFL, NBA and MLB franchises are super-patriotic, but because the Pentagon pays them millions of dollars to wave huge flags and have jet-fighters fly over the stadia before the action begins.
Presumably the Obama cultist Bruce Springsteen is receiving a fair whack to play this event….
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
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Grim reading today Comrades!
‘Counter revolution’ in Venezuela…
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-election-idUSKBN0TP03Y20151207
The rise of the Far Right in France…
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/07/frances-governing-socialists-urge-tactical-voting-in-face-of-far-right-surge
The destruction of the British Labour Party….
http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/dec/07/labour-is-falling-apart-but-dont-blame-jeremy-corbyn-for-its-collapse
Are you the one whose family voted Labour for generation upon generation until David Cunnliffe became leader?
My family before me yes, and I voted Labour (or Greens occaisionally) all my life – until the last election, when I finally got so sick of the infighting, the lack of vision, and the slavish conformity to outdated dogma that I voted for National as a protest.
If you’ve seen that graph that shows Labour support over the last 100 years, you’ll recognize that this is just part of the overall pattern of decline in support.
I’m still waiting for The Left to see the writing on the wall. Let alone start to write the story that will make it relevant to The People again. Hence the stories above Titi. Wake up call anyone?
outdated dogma
Translation: unions, human rights, fair pay rates, evidence-based policy.
To be replaced by the mindless shite that Sheep believes very hard.
Edit: I note that “outdated dogma” is an oxymoron: if it’s been outdated (by what?) it was once appropriate to its time and therefore, not dogma. This will sail right over Gobsheep’s head.
Anyone wanting to understand why the Left is bleeding support only need study your collected works here OAB.
Anyone not wanting to understand can parrot the Lefts new narrative of blame. The Voters are Stupid / The Voters are Greedy / The Media is against us / The voters are brainwashed / It’s a conspiracy (many conspiracies actually) / Money is an unfair advantage / etc etc etc.
Anything but take a look in the mirror.
You are happy with the status quo aren’t you. No need to change anything.
I’m the Left, apparently, and yet, curiously, I have never once advanced any of Sheep’s litany of alleged Leftie tropes.
Meanwhile, Labour is up 5% since the last election. Gosh, two examples of utterly false assertions in one Gobsheep! 😆
3 elections on, Labour 31% National 47%.
And you are happy.
I rest my case.
It’s 20 years since we moved form FPP to MMP Tls. And you didn’t know? Where have you been hiding? Under a rock in the Sahara Desert?
That’s the height of ignorance you know.
Hi Anne this is from below but it seems pertinent to this discussion
Remind me again how many elections Labour have been in power for since the advent of MMP versus how many National have been in
In case you were wondering of the seven elections held under MMP National have won power in four and Labour have won power in three and since National is likely to regain power in 2017 it’ll be 2020 before Labours back in power
[lprent: You really shouldn’t use spurious stats when I am around. I find it irritating. What you are describing is 2 changes of government each currently of 3 terms, and the one term left over from the government at the time of a change to MMP.
And trolling such simple minded bullshit annoys me even more. I suggest that you discontinue ]
“Happy.”
Fuck off. Confine your observations to things you have a clue about. Yes, that will leave you with nothing to say.
Looks as if at some point (Cunliffe’s “sorry”, I’ll wager) you have just decided to abandon your values.
Looks as if at some point (Cunliffe’s “sorry”, I’ll wager) you have just decided to abandon your values.
Mate. I voted Labour in ’84 and ’87, and then I voted for them again in ’90.
If i stuck with them through all those changes in values, I think you can take it as read that a relative featherweight like Cunliffe would hardly tip me off the boat!
The Greenslade piece in ‘The Guardian’ is a bit odd. A lot of the analysis seems reasonable, but a fair chunk of what he’s driving at hinges on this …
Despite strolling to the Oldham by-election victory, the party is generally regarded by the majority of its MPs, political journalists and their editors, as unelectable.
Now, count those people up and how many people are we talking of? Not many.
And then there’s….Corbyn’s new army embodies yet another faction: the idealistic middle classes. Reconciling their views with those who lean towards Ukip is more than a stretch.
Does he not understand that many of those who voted UKIP cast their vote as a protest, and does he also not understand that Labour kind of endorsed voting on an immigration ticket with it’s own stupid fucking ‘tough on immigration’ policy?
Anyway. Labour in Scotland is dead. But Labour in England and Wales is possibly on the cusp of a revival given that Miliband’s changes opened up the party far and a way beyond any opening up that has occurred for the NZ Labour Party.
Add to that that the UK Labour Party is, under Corbyn, seeking to articulate the type of sensibilities that now belong to the SNP in Scotland and, well….we’ll see.
My only real criticism of Corbyn is that he’s stuck fast in a dim and irrelevant ‘one world’ past with regards nationalism. He should have signaled an alliance with the SNP and left the corpse of the Blairite Scottish Labour Party to rot. Civic nationalism in Scotland should have embraced by Labour, afterall, you can’t have internationalism without nationalism, and the smaller a political entity is, the greater chance for better accountability, and then the greater the chance is for the emergence of authentic autonomy – the next step beyond nationalism and nation states, y’know, socialism.;-)
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11557358
Audrey pimping for collins as is henry who just gave the horrible women collins free reign to reinvent herself into a honest women.
For the hard right, Collins is the way forward.
Henry is simply a pimp for the corporate criminals running this place.
He’s an odd mix ,if you keep in mind that he’s a horrible simple minded prick,I find him honest in that he says it how he sees it.
Interestly he was just pushing Finland’s upcoming ubi trial.
“,I find him honest in that he says it how he sees it.”
I find people who say they do this (call a spade a spade type shite) to be intentionally simplistic and hence deceitful. They hide things with their simplistic nonsense.
You could be right but I tend to think henry isn’t that bright.
Despite assurances (lies) from Key, detainees are signing forms that give away their guaranteed right to appeal when they’re coerced to return home.
And of course not any other media except RNZ is reporting this, because it’s just another big lie in the long list of John Key’s lies and we’re becoming numb/used/indifferent to it.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/291540/detainees-sign-'unusual'-forms-lawyer
508 extra housing units says the Govt. Yeah right – its the usual smoke and mirrors.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=11557186
IHC gets 58 NEW homes and 300 LEASED from private owners. The Sally Army gets 50 NEW homes and 37 EXISTING pensioner flats. And goodness knows where the Chinese Settlers will find their 36 homes, or the other 27 subsidies. So the Govt is subsidising private owners yet again, and in reality there will be at least 158 NEW homes of some sort or other built somewhere, and maybe a few more.
There is a very much to the point letter here on this subject of Smith’s drivel.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11557058
To amirite – Surely if detainees have signed such documents without legal advice beforehand then said document is invalid ?
and thank goodness for Radio NZ ! At least one MSM outlet keeping track of things
Yes, the story just got buried by Stuff & the Herald. Stuff changed their headline from one about deportees having to sign away their right of appeal to one that now reads:
John Key ‘confident’ of deportees’ appeal rights despite Australian form.
Still I expect it’s going to be brief news item on telly tonight and it’s hard to see how Key can avoid being seen as either a liar or a dupe. I just hope whoever reports it take the time to read out the offending sentence.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/74854431/john-key-confident-of-deportees-appeal-rights-despite-australian-form
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11557630
Also deportees are being charged for the cost of travel back to NZ.
Also deportees are being charged for the cost of travel back to NZ.
How will the parliamentary left regain the momentum it had with the public over the Australian deportees?
Government’s reshuffle and the Cabinet decisions this week have tilted the momentum back to Key. Very smart decision for Act’s Seymour to stay out of Cabinet.
I am incredibly surprised that the Opposition parties have not built upon the climate change marches momentum and continued strong stories during the Paris COP 21 negotiations.
Momentum will of course come and go, but it will take more than the occasional stunt out of a helicopter to sustain public attention.
Momentum will gradually build up, Ad. That is better than quick ups and downs.
And hopefully the upward momentum will be retained thru to 2017.
I also note that ShonKey’s popularity has been gradually sliding downwards for quite a while …. it’s still respectable, but maybe more and more people are finally waking up to him !
I think that’s a little blithe, Jenny.
Let me give you an example of the kinds of successes that this current government will ride from 2016 to 2017:
– Announcement of full funding for City Rail Link, first quarter 2016 (and start of early construction works within a couple of weeks)
– Commence works on National Convention Centre with Sky City, first quarter 2016
– Start of full demolition of Auckland’s downtown shopping centre, second quarter 2016
– Commencement of SH1 Puhoi to Wellsford construction, end second quarter 2016
– Announcement of confirmed timing of Waitemata harbor tunnel crossing, second quarter 2016
– Start of Elliot Street tower (over 40 stories high), second quarter 2016
– Start construction on 5 star hotel on Auckland’s waterfront, second quarter 2016
– Queenstown Convention Centre starts construction, third quarter 2016
– Announcement of Auckland light rail options, third quarter 2016
– Opening of new Waterfront theatre, end 2016
– Start of Ruataniwha Dam construction, third quarter 2016
– Opening of Waterview tunnels for SH16 and SH20, first quarter 2017
– Huge number of civic openings in Christchurch as stages complete, first quarter 2017
– Then you have the 2017 budget tax cuts, which will be substantial
etc
What I am indicating is that this government understands the secret to politics in New Zealand right now is real estate and roading. The momentum that they have built and encouraged through incredibly low Reserve Bank targets will see Auckland, Christchurch, and Queenstown-Lakes take the economic lead as the rest of the economy remains at 2% growth.
The stories that the Opposition break have to be even bigger than this.
That was how good Kelvin’s hit was. The loss of momentum is a serious loss.
These guys are fully geared for a fourth term, and the momentum of the economy is with them.
Do you honestly believe the Christmas island crims episode was a win for Labour?
In terms content it was neutral overall.
In terms of MSM coverage, and underlining Key’s incompetence, huge win.
That’s a useful summary of forthcoming announcements, thanks Ad.
How much of this is residential housing?
That’s another whole list.
“Start of Ruataniwha Dam construction, third quarter 2016”
Pffft. How are those investment partners going?
The CHB Council has all but guaranteed that this dam will go ahead buy buying up water rights to provide drinking water for their constituents… that they currently get for free.
The fact that the Mayor and several councillors will benefit directly from the commencement of this project is probably the worst conflict of interest I have ever seen.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11544383
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11546675
Coming to a space near you from a right wing that equates laying concrete with growth?? Really last century isn’t it.
It ain’t pretty.
Now we’ll see how good Kelvin Davis is (or if he can be leader) now that he has a real challenge on his hands
Jacinda Ardern is a lightweight dolly bird that couldn’t handle Paula Bennett and Nikki Kay and as such shouldn’t be considered as a viable option for leader of Labour and now Kelvin Davis has a real chance to show what hes got
Things have gotten interesting again
Labour has a Leader, Puckish R. This is just another bit of bs-waving by Nats for which you are the mouthpiece.
Yes well a leader that can’t convince an electorate to vote for him either but more importantly I’m looking forward to Davis vs Collins, we’ll see if Davis has what it takes
Collins appointment is to take the heat of Key and have some more drivel for talk back radio so that real issues don’t come up.
Hard to believe they can find someone less honest than Key to make him look better, but they have!
Collins is a patsy to take the heat off other issues – like the Natz destroying our democracy and TPP.
What better distraction than 2nd hand car dealer promoter/Kauri swamp marketer/minister of Police/corrections Collins to distract!
We are starting to make Malaysia look good!
“can’t convince an electorate to vote for him”
1990 just called, it wants its political strategies back.
Remind me again how many elections Labour have been in power for since the advent of MMP versus how many National have been in
Dark ages often lasted for hundreds of years – National malgovernance only feels like a series of dark eternities.
In case you were wondering of the seven elections held under MMP National have won power in four and Labour have won power in three and since National is likely to regain power in 2017 it’ll be 2020 before Labours back in power
But hey you keep on the good fight
NB if Davis had lost to Hone, Hone and Laila would have both got into Parliament.
And the resulting calculation on Labour Party numbers would have meant that Andrew Little would have missed out.
I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether that would have been a good thing or not
@CV
+100
Instead we have Labourites like Nash who advocates “maintaining our principles’ is a ludicrous proposition.”
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/10/31/tdb-guest-blog-project-stuart-nash-the-most-pressing-issue-in-nz-right-now/
Good to think about that also in the context of bought lobbyists for the oil industry.
https://berniesanders.com/people-before-polluters/
Labourites like Nash……
“Our supporters have the same impact when they squabble, bitch and back-stab on so-called ‘left-friendly’ sites like The Standard (a dreadful 21st century bastardisation of a once proud Labour broadsheet)”
Oh dear.
I see that USA are being sued under NAFTA because the USA law requiring the labelling of the origin of meat contravenes the agreement.
+100 Tautoko Mangō Mata
TPP does not benefit citizens of any country, only giant agrochemical multi nationals who will benefit from relaxed food standards and consumer choice to ram toxic intensive and un proven food with poor animal welfare standards onto unwitting consumers plates.
Very interesting video about how TTIP (and likewise TPP) will destroy small and medium farmers (i.e. like NZ farmers), introduce Genetically modified foods, introduce chlorinated meat washing techniques and USA agricultural intensive farming practises around the world with these ‘free trade’ agreements.
It is not only NZ farms being bought up by agribusiness and foreign investors it is also happening in Europe. Soon as well as being tenants in our own country we will also be able to afford the ‘raw food’ materials of our country as they will be exported using mega supply chains to other countries to be processed.
The video also has a lot of useful statistics like how 70% of the worlds fresh water is used in agribusiness and 52% of emissions are from agribusiness as to get that massive scale petrol is used to ship around the world.
While we like to think NZ is an exporter so TPP will ‘help’ farmers it appears that most mega agribusiness like Montanso and investment companies buying up land for food are most likely to use NZ as a banana republic, and use their own migrant labour, offshore productions and supply chains to export the food cutting out the middle men (Kiwis) and using sophisticated tax laws to pay the minimum of taxes while getting the maximum of corporate welfare.
It is already happening, TPP just means governments will not be able to stop it as they can be sued.
https://vimeo.com/143186569
Request: Please do not upset TRP today.
Te Reo Putake is in a very grumpy mood and lashing out at all and sundry. She/He is very very very sensitive to any hint that Robertson and King had a major say in the cabinet selection. TRP is also very very very sensitive to Claire Trevett’s story that King promised her Rongotai seat to Little on condition that he publically humiliate Cunliffe.
te reo putake…
7 December 2015 at 10:40 pm
Chooky, I have a life. I’ve been out, as it happens, and even if I wasn’t, I answer if and when when I fucken well feel like it, not according to your agenda. Bill’s comments are full of shit. The shadow cabinet was chosen by Little as is his right.
I never said what Bill claimed I did, and what he claimed about caucus selecting the shadow cabinet was wrong in fact anyway and the that’s the end of that story.
Bill fucked up out of ignorance. What’s your excuse?
Put it down to being a white middle male
Everyone else blames these factors (race, age, gender) whenever a white middle male does something so may as well join in the fun.
Why do you keep repeating this bullshit, Northsider?
Trevett’s story did not do what you claim yet you keep repeating your lies, and your obsession with Robertson is getting to the pathological stage.
I am not a fan of the way TRP reacts to criticism, but your continuous attempts to enter into long, pointless and ill-informed attacks on Labour in a desperate attempt to get him to respond makes me suspicious of your real motives.
1. Trevett says Annette will surrender Rongotai to Andrew Little. No one disputed this. Trevett has shown she is being fed excellent intelligence throughput this process.
2. All are saying the ABC’s have seen the Cunliffe supporters in the Caucus demoted, relative to Robertson supporter, and Cunliffe himself humiliated.
3. The insulting positiong of Cunliffe had nothing to do with his work rate, ability or behaviour since Little took over.
4. Cunliffe strongly supported Little in the Leadership battle and actually held-off standing down until it was coinfirmed little was elected. So Cunliffe was done to for other reasons that Little was unable to resist.
5. Trevett says there was no room for a “charachter like Cunliffe” . That was code for saying the ABCers wanted Cunliffe fully out this time. Little had no personal or performance related reason to want Cunliffe out.
6. That does mean that the Rongotai seat and Cunliffe were part of the one conversation.
Karen, do not impune my motive. I have not impuned yours. We are all Labour.
Okay Northsider, I’ll take your word that you are not a right wing troll trying to create dissent, but it sure was starting to look like it. And by the way my politics are somewhat to the left of both Labour and the Green Party, but I have supported both electorally and financially .
As to your points:
1. Trevett did not say “Annette will surrender Rongotai to Andrew Little.” She said it was a possibility, which it obviously is. Anybody can see that. Your assumption that Trevett is getting leaked information is based on a misunderstanding of the work of political journalists.
2. A number of Cunliffe supporters have been promoted. This has been pointed out to you before.
3. I was also disappointed with Cunliffe’s demotion, but I do not know what his work rate has been like over recent months compared to others and neither do you.
4. Cunliffe stood down when Little decided to stand, not when Little was elected.
5. I like Cunliffe and supported his leadership, but there is no question he is a decisive figure. I suspect Little has asked for Cunliffe to work with him to see how well he works with others. I know Little wanted caucus members to work together on projects and perhaps Cunliffe found that difficult. I do not know – I am just guessing.
6.Sorry, your conclusion does not follow at all.
The ones who have clearly switched away from Cunliffe to support the ABCs have been promoted.
Cunliffe’s demotion has nothing to do with his work rate, his ability, his experience of his ability to work with others.
It has everything to do with the Robertson crowd and the right wingers in caucus wanting Cunliffe as a future leadership threat permanently gone.
+100 CV…from what I have heard Cunliffe is very good to work with and work for…so what the hell is going on?!
…the rank and file Labour members voted for David Cunliffe!…that should be enough to earn him a top place in Cabinet …if the management was good
….and a high place for Mania Mahuta who brought in the Maori seats, when Labour was losing most others ….except for TTT which was won by Kelvin Davis against Hone Harawira
….and we all know Lusk was involved in TTT…he says so himself and there is suggestion of payment of the Maori voters in TTT
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/201779410/dirty-politics-players-back-in-the-frame
….” Duncan Garner also revealed supporters of Labour’s Napier MP Stewart Nash paid Simon Lusk to canvas the option of a new political party, and that Simon Lusk had told him Labour MP Phil Twyford would be his next target.
Simon Lusk also claimed on Story he had been instrumental in unseating Mana Party co-leader Hone Harawira in the last election. Unnamed “businessmen” had paid thousands for that, he said. And in conversation with his co-host last Monday, Duncan Garner said money had been paid to get Maori electors to vote in Te Tai Tokerau.
Was political operative Simon Lusk really paying people on behalf of clients to influence an election? Disappointingly, no more was said about this claim.The following day, Duncan Garner posted a statement from Simon Lusk on the websites of TV3’s Story and Radio Live. In it, Simon Lusk said:
Iwi now have extensive databases of members who they can easily mobilise. Assembling a team of 50 or 100 iwi members to get out the vote is straightforward, legal and effective if it is possible to raise some koha.
He added that “if you’re not paying for votes or offering anything in exchange for a vote, or treating,” it is not against the law. But that statement didn’t answer key questions: How much was paid? By whom? And for what purpose? “…
( Questions need to be asked and answered about what is going on in the Labour Party)
Why do you keep repeating that nonsense Chooky? Why would you believe anything Garner and Lusk (in particular) says? and you’re dreaming re: “new party”
Go and talk with Ngāpuhi, you will find Lusk had nothing to do with Hone losing his seat, it was partnering up with Dotcom that did. I got told Hone lost all credibility when he showed he needed a “white man” (their words) to win.
David Cunliffe is still very much a target by msm, and didn’t he tell John Campbell post election/leadership that he didn’t know if he would be staying on for the 2017 election? Personally I wouldn’t want to see him go, but “IF” he did, I would respect his decision, and you do not know of the talks Cunliffe and Little would have had prior to the reshuffle, which I am sure David Cunliffe was well aware of before the announcement.
That’s just your opinion CV and you have provided no evidence to back up your theories.
You obviously loathe Robertson and you and your small band of supporters are trying desperately to get people to believe your conspiracy theories. To what end I have no idea, but I personally am disappointed that you have decided to undertake this campaign as I used to find your comments on NZ politics worth reading. No longer.
+100 Karen.
Cheers, Karen, a couple of points well made. I do tend to lash out when people claim I’ve said things I haven’t and it’s a fault, I know. But that and excessive modesty are pretty much my only character defects as far as I can tell 😉
And to te reo putake – people are different, react in different ways, I – personally – find what you have to say refreshing and to the point. So I always read your opinions.
Cheers, Jenny, much appreciated. It’s one of the strengths of the Standard that there are many so many great contributors, yourself included. We have the liveliest, most educated comments of any NZ blog, by quite some distance.
Ah – another Bill. Okay. Back to what I was doing before reading that. 😉
What’s the bet the GCSB has started survelliance of SAFE on the grounds that it is an organisation threatening New Zealand’s economic well-being.
@ E p surveillance started? It has probably been on going the whole time!
What else is the increased 8 million to be spent on, (apart from undermining the political and activist opposition to this corrupt government and their spin doctors)!
Do you see know irony in what you are saying.
The gcsb might learn something about spying from safe.
Theres a court case coming soon in Dunedin [deleted]
[lprent: I believe that it is also subject to court suppression orders. I’d strongly suggest that if you want to comment here and you don’t think that you can use the name, then you don’t make the detail of the cases obvious either. Otherwise you should state is there is a suppression order and what its limits are. There are multiple levels from simple name suppression through to blanket suppression that will even make mentioning that a suppression order has been made subject to contempt of court. If you can’t state them, then I’m liable, and quite liable to simply kick you off the site for a year or two to make sure I don’t have waste time moderating you.
But really, the courts operational rules on suppression simply don’t work in an online world. I’m forever having to find out about suppression orders to just know what to moderate. It is a bit of a nuisance that the courts run under a stupid secrecy model and don’t supply us with lists of what is and what isn’t suppressed. ]
Apologies.
It turns out Zuckerbergs $45bn ‘donation’ wasn’t a proper gift at all. It has just been “stuffed into a for-profit limited liability company, rather than a foundation, which means that you don’t have to tell everybody exactly what you’re up to, and you’re allowed to make money from poorer people who are making money, do a bit of political lobbying, take some money back, support your very own pet causes, change the world however you fancy and feel just like God: all-powerful and adored.”
‘I was suspicious of the Zuckerbergs’ $45bn donation – and I was right to be”
Michele Hanson
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/dec/07/suspicious-zuckerbergs-45bn-donation-facebook-gift
It makes him a great Superpac, if he could be persuaded towards the Democrats.
I’ve just been reading about early photographer Nikola Persheid (or Perscheid). He was a good photographer and worked at his studio with many who became as well-known as him on their own. He developed a special camera suitable for portraits that was used internationally. He worked in many different places, after ‘developing’ his trade by being an itinerant photographer. But was not able to make a good living, although his work was high quality and well considered. The competitive self-reliant world can be very hard on individuals who are acting as entrepreneurs breaking into new fields. He came to a sad end. He deserved better.
Wikipedia
Towards the end of the 1920s, Perscheid had severe financial problems. In autumn 1929 he had to sub-rent his apartment to be able to pay his own rent. Shortly afterwards, he suffered a stroke, and was hospitalized in spring of 1930.
While he was at the hospital, his belongings, including his cameras and photographic plates, but also all his furniture were auctioned off to pay his debts. Two weeks after the auction, on 12 May 1930,[6] Perscheid died at the Charité hospital in Berlin.
So he died and I can’t find where he was buried, probably in a pauper’s grave. We need to keep our social welfare so that people of note, who have been of note, or who never achieved a note can be treated fairly and kindly.
lprent
I was browsing on TS and went to scroll up and the blog vanished to a white screen headed Gone and then something about the address had gone with no further addres and to remove all references to it from my computer. I closed down and immediately requested TS again and it came on no trouble.
Also it has been very slow loading at times lately. Just letting you know.
Interesting. That usually indicates that a TCP connection has been forcibly disconnected from the server side. I will have a look at the page load time profile.
I get the “gone page” when shifting from page to page on occasion. Being a hick I just put it down to rural network stuff.
Can confirm very slow loading… we’re talking of minutes not seconds. I can also report something similar to gws’s experience – a vanishing TS only to return upon a fresh loading.
Ummm. Can’t see much myself. But I’ll have a look when I get home in about an hour. Been having an issue with some stray apache2 processes.
2 six shooters a horse and some chewing tabbacee is how you deal with Apaches
Yes, several times in last couple of days the site wouldn’t open or browser couldn’t find it. But it’s fine today.
Same experience last few days.
Bernie Sanders has released his official plan to fight climate change, and it’s very good:
https://berniesanders.com/people-before-polluters/
This is excellent (Bernie Sanders’ Climate Change Plan). Thanks for the link. A very good reference.
@ michael +100
If only our opposition could put together real policies and detailed plans that actually say exactly what they will do when they get into power and why.
This should be compulsory reading for the opposition in NZ on how to write up policy and not just on climate change!
(in particular Labour)
i.e. You need to actually have something real, rather than airy fairy words to get people to believe in a party and the words within the policy have to actually make sense and have a detailed action plan.
How serendipitous for the UK government and others going to war against the daesh that ‘The Guardian’ has now obtained blueprints on the planned state building of the self appointed caliphate. Now they can say they are at war with an almost state, which lends a smear of credibility and a veneer of legality to the bombing of, well…let’s face it, it’s just ‘people on the ground’ – men, boys, women, girls, old people, babies….
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/07/leaked-isis-document-reveals-plan-building-state-syria
I’m not so sure this is a good idea.
The New Zealand Wars were pretty complicated affairs but my pakeha forebears would’ve probably been among, or supported, the European settlers who killed Maori & stole and confiscated their land all around New Zealand. I have the feeling a New Zealand Wars Day would provoke a lot of mutual hostility rather than be treated as a respectful remembrance day.
Any thoughts anyone?
Grindlebottom – Isn’t it about time that NZers learned what went on during the Land Wars, and why ?
Its not taught in schools as far as I can make out – it wasn’t taught in my day, and it wasn’t taught to my sons – and we’ve had to find out for ourselves.
And it might make some Pakeha realise just why Maori continue to raise grievances which go back decades.
This is a commemmoration whose time has come – but of course ShonKey won’t have a bar of it.
National has done at least as good a job – if not a better job – of settling Treaty grievances in the last few years.
Only because it dovetails in with National’s privatisation ideology.
The treaty settlement process is the biggest privatisation programme in this country’s history, transfering billions of dollars to public assets and cash to tribal elites while single Maori mothers sleep in their cars with their newborn babies.
And dont get me started about conservation land.
I agree NZ history including the Land Wars should be taught in our schools Jenny. I’m surprised it still isn’t. I’d rather see that done than establish a New Zealand Land Wars commemoration day. Just maintaining Waitangi Day is a better idea.
I think this is good, if we had a better understanding of the colonisation of this country and its effects I think it would put us a few steps further down the road of a progressive country. It’s an opportunity for compassion from pakeha. These are the most important events that have happened in NZ’s modern history yet they’re largely forgotten, shame on us. We do history so poorly.
The histories of those battles are very interesting in themselves, and if kids and adults knew what took place in their own town or city they might respect those places more, instead of doing stupid shit like building suburbia over them.
The Swiss referendum on Sovereign Money
Time to change the conventional wisdom but the rich won’t like it.
“On November 20, the World Trade Organization (WTO) declared that dolphin-safe labels on cans of tuna are a barrier to trade that place the U.S. in violation of its treaty obligations. The U.S. must stop offering “dolphin-safe” labels or face punitive sanctions from Mexico. Analysts expect the government to cave.
The case is a classic example of what globalization critics have warned of for years: that “free trade” agreements allow foreign corporations to force the repeal of laws that interfere with their profits, thereby gutting protections for consumers, workers and the environment. Observers warn that the soon-to-be implemented Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) contains the exact same provisions, and that more such forced repeals are soon to come.”
http://investmentwatchblog.com/dolphin-safe-food-labeling-declared-illegal-by-globalist-trade-organization-here-comes-the-global-censorship-of-food-labeling/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11557628
Hopefully it’ll be a better rifle then what the guys and girls have now but whether its exactly whats needed only time will tell but its interesting switching from bullpup to conventional layout
Shows up on Wikipedia as two main users – British Armed Forces and New Zealand Army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Machine_and_Tool_Company
Still leaves us open to supply problems when the shit hits the fan which it will, IMO, in the near future. The only solution to which being to make the weapons that our defence forces need in NZ from NZ resources.
In other words, the NZ government should build the factories and do the R&D to produce them here. I guestimate that we could do it with a mere 10,000 people employed most of which would be in R&D.
And, no, I don’t think it should be done by the private sector as I don’t think that the production of weapons should be done for profit at all.
I see that Key now decides who he answers questions to in question time in the House. In today’s session Andrew Little wished to put a question to the “Honourable John Key”. Andrew questioned Carter at the start of the session and wondered why he, listed as question 5 was now listed as putting the question to another Minister. Carter said under the speaker’s rules bla bla bla he was allowed to do this. Andrew then came back with another question to the speaker that he wished to ask the house to make the decision as he particularly wished to ask the PM the question – Carter said to stop wasting his time as it would ultimately come back to he, Carter to make the decision again anyway. When question 5 came up Andrew rose to his feet and said in not so many words to forget it that he was withdrawing the question.
So now Key decides who he wishes to answer to with probably pesky questions. How much more is this government going to be allowed to get away with when sitting in the House? They are not even subtle any more and must think we all are a pack of dumb nuts and can get away with it because we will just lie down and put up with this shit. A revolution anyone???
Interesting.
Probably no great loss though, it’s pretty pointless asking Key anything if you want a genuine answer.
After the dead cat rapists & ‘molesterers’ [sic] fiasco, it occurred to me that the combined opposition should just stop directing questions to the prime minister as he can’t be relied upon to answer without abusiveness.
Who needs to put up with that when they’re just trying to do their job?
Added bonus – being ignored would probably drive the attention seeking Key mad.
You are so right, he is on the back foot always and defensive as well as abusive. A sign of lacking intelligence, where he obviously is berefit of knowledge and so deflects with either dead cats or blatant refusal to answer questions which will put him on the spot. God what an awful man he is. I wonder if other women see him in the same light. We are supposed to have the ability to be intuitive to suss out creeps but still he hangs in there. He didn’t do it for me from the first time he came on the scene and he is getting worse by the day.
Interesting thought ,imagine if they just completely ignored key and directed all their questions at Collins instead.
It would’nt take key long to start jumping up and down like a little boy going what about me.
Why do terrorists attack public health workers?
San Bernardino mass murderers Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik deliberately targeted public health workers. —News.
Targeting public health workers. These people are beneath contempt, surely. Where could they have got such a fiendish idea?
What kind of monstrous fanatics….
https://theintercept.com/2015/11/06/u-s-journalists-who-instantly-exonerated-their-government-of-the-kunduz-hospital-attack-declaring-it-an-accident/
….would deliberately….
http://www.internationalist.org/fallujarape0412.html
….target hospitals…..
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/08/mounting-evidence-deliberate-attacks-gaza-health-workers-israeli-army/
….and ambulances?
http://www.imemc.org/article/73185
+100 Morrissey – it really is a mystery to many….
Bride of Jihadi: the Reckoning.
Interesting OAB. From the article…
numbers are on the rise
From what to what? To where?
Big Kurdish population in NZ. Just saying that perhaps the SIS, like other better funded “intelligence” “organisations”, may not be the best source nor judge of character.
I want to see their workings, because their word ain’t worth shit.
Well, yeah, numbers could’ve gone up from one or two to three. And it reads like anybody travelling back to their homeland is now suspect. But this bit was also interesting.
…The committee was told of 24 hour surveillance on some but a lack of evidence to charge them, despite concerns they were accessing radicalised material and talking about committing attacks.
I’m happy for surveillance to quietly continue OAB.
I want to see their workings, because their word ain’t worth shit.
Yeah, so do I but good luck to us with that. That’d be never no matter who in power.
I’m happy for surveillance to quietly continue..
Yes, I am too. But I would like to point out to Ms Kitteridge that if someone is NOT going out to work and happily married and raising kids… , it doesn’t follow they are therefore NOT an average person.
“A lot of them seem to be people who may have other problems in their life,” Kitteridge said.
I expect they made “bad choices”, because otherwise people might notice that right wing “economic” policies increase terrorism.
Run by people who if overseas experience is anything to go by, will prey upon vulnerable members of the community to manufacture cases they can bring to court.
Surveillance isn’t “quiet”, Grindlebottom. It’s all-pervasive. It guards you while you sleep.
Those who sacrifice privacy on the altar of security deserve neither. Where have I heard that before? The key to these issues is trust and cameraderie, not fear and panty-sniffing.
PS: watch the video. The phrase “Jihadi Brides” plopped out of the Right Honourable John Key, Prime Minister’s mouth. Kitteridge didn’t verify it. Funnily enough, the headline implies that the things that plop out of the Prime Minister’s mouth are accurate.
Yeah I know, I did, but that’s our crappy media: you know how they often cite a quote from Key as the headline when it later becomes obvious it was inaccurate or misleading.
That article keeps growing. Every time I look at it the information has increased.
It works the same way in any country.
Professor flips out after student yawns loudly in class
If someone yawns during the class you’re teaching, you can laugh it off and say something like “Sorry to wake you up.” Alternatively, there’s the option of going nuclear…
PROFESSOR FLIPS OUT OVER YAWN!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6buiTtvrft4
How much is the military paying Springsteen to play at its “Stand Up for Heroes” event?
It was recently revealed that the reason those tedious yet disturbing military displays before American sports events are not done because the people who own NFL, NBA and MLB franchises are super-patriotic, but because the Pentagon pays them millions of dollars to wave huge flags and have jet-fighters fly over the stadia before the action begins.
Presumably the Obama cultist Bruce Springsteen is receiving a fair whack to play this event….
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6786057/bruce-springsteen-river-album-entirety-live