ECO MAORIs Kiwi Bank ac 389019048573100 Please help me to sort the nz police out
I decided against trying to use PayPal to receive donations .I decided to copy
Thestandards safe way of appealing and receiving donations I set up a Kiwi Bank AC
So he tangata the people of Aoteraoroa New Zealand who support ECO MAORI can use internet banking to make donations and know that there bank accounts are safe after they have made a donation . ECO MAORI will use the donations to SUE the nz police for all the breaches to mine and my Whano Privacy Rights & Human Rights a lot of people can see this has been happening to ECO MAORI when I win my case I will set up a
Charitable Trust and I will pay the money that I used and any extra donations into this Trust account and appeal to anyone else in Aoteraoroa who need help with finance to SUE the nz police for there in justices I will copy bank statements on this site to let he tangata the people know that ECO MAORI has Honest Honorable and transparent intentions to use your hard earned Putea Money. .
Kia Kaha Ka kite ano
Good morning te Am show on 3.
Te plan B of the Flute Master starts today YEA. The Warriors will be fine don’t worry. Any extra educational study for the mokos is good they get to make new friends and pick up new Ideas Jobs and Wozniak did not make that personal computer by them selves they were students and came up with the idea in a group of friends they could not get axis to a computer so they decided to build their own computer to buy one was to expense then they came up with the idea of making and selling personal computers enough said.
Global warming is hear all OUR Pacific cousins need to come up with a better design for there dwelling it doesn’t have to be expensive just good design test to survive the weather that they are going to receive. I say a prefabricated flat packed design using the new laminated wood technology and the new small smart house design is what is need.Kia kaha Ka kite ano
Am show Phil Twyford it is not acceptable that the state employees spy on KIWIs?????????.
As you can see I Back the Labour Party lead Government but I will give a honest opinion on anyones views that don’t serve the 99.9 % te tangata the people equally and honestly and fairly.
Ka pai Ka kite ano
Am show many Thanks to Pita for getting OUR History of Aotearoa changing social climate in the 18th century for Maori and Aotearoa new cultures of people .
I use this because I don’t like to promote War even though there was a lot of that going on. At least some of our Tepuna could see the big picture and plan for a better future for there MOKOS. If they didn’t get the big picture we would be like a lot of minority indigenous cultures around Papatuanukue the world that are just existing Kia kaha Ka kite ano. P.S we are only on Papatuanukue mother earth for a very short period of time isn’t it logical to leave her in best condition we can for All OUR Mokos
Valerie Adams you opperstion are just trying to get under your skin.
There tactics are to put you off your A game ignore them and know this you are a better person than them you would never stoop to those levels of using imtimadation to Win Kia kaha Ka kite ano
Catherine Ryan on Nine to noon yesterday interviewed Stanley Johnson, father of The UKs worse Foreign Secretary. Papa previously has said he sons switch from Remain to Leave would do wonders for his career!!!!
Ryan was at her fawning worse. I couldn’t take more that five minutes of it.
Catherine Ryan is a right winger parachuted in by National last year and I cant believe that RNZ Minister of Broadcasting hasn’t gotten rid of her yet.
Wake up Clare Curran or find another job yourself if you cant help make RNZ more “balanced and un-baised” still riddled with right wingers..
Today provides an interesting juxtaposition of political stances – and responses – that goes a long way to explain Trumpism and the whole appeal to MAGA.
In Chile, warmly applauded by the entire NZ elite and establishment media, a liberal democratic Labour government will sign the ultra-intrusive “free trade” agreement the (CP)TPPA.
In Washington, to the outraged uniform horror of the entire US elite (including the liberal democrat main opposition) and establishment media (including the likes of Stephen Colbert), the populist right wing US president will put in place tariffs to protect the US metals industry and the 200,000 odd workers (all members of the remnant US working class) who remain working therein.
Now, the Liberal-democratic NZ Labour led coalition government will get away with signing the (CP)TPPA because neoliberalism is yet to be repudiated by the vast majority of the professional middle class. Unlike Europe and the USA, which were seriously affected by the GFC and devastated the following decade plus long great recession NZ barely noticed the collapse of neoliberalism. Our primary centre-left party has escaped the fate of it’s third way colleagues in Europe simply because the economic collapse that laid the path for the collapse of the centre-left, third way liberal democratic parties in Europe never happened here.
But in the USA, and Europe it is the populists of the right who have (or at least pretended to have) picked up the cudgels on behalf of the workers and led the attack on the neoliberal establishment. The very serious people of the centre left, the establishment media, the professional and technocratic elites all still love neoliberalism. And the US and European centre-left who threw in it’s lot with neoliberalism in the 1990s, with the exception of the UK Labour party which saw the danger and elected Jeremy Corbyn (in the face of hysterical and fanatical opposition from the liberal-democrats of the nominal centre) to cleanse the party of it’s Blairist past, have been utterly routed by the hard right in the last 20 years.
So yeah – one of the main reasons Trump won was he said he was prepared to erect tariffs to protect the US working class, something that is still utter anathema to the nominal left wing parties of the US and European and NZ centre-left.
It sounds like you have a zinger in the breech for the typical answer to that question Ad. Which is of course ‘If it’s tougher for international competitors to get their product into the domestic US market, prices and working conditions for the domestic suppliers will rise.’…I feel like I’ve just pitched the obvious answer on an episode of QI and the klaxon is about to sound off.
Nope, just seeking something substantial beyond the rhetorical arm waving.
No one – not workers, not consumers, not small states like ours – will win in a likely trade war. But now that the rock is thrown in the pool, we are about to get a reminder that we are a small boat on a very tall sea.
Yes, it was a great everyman response from Europe. “Ok you want to play that game, looks like Bourbon, Levis and Harleys just took a price hike over here.’
Dumbing it right down to a base level seems to be a prerequisite for getting a message into Trump’s head.
I don’t like Donald Trump. I think his tariffs on steel is a reaction against Chinese steel coming in, and a sop thrown out to his voters, that won’t cost him personally. And if he discovers it does, he won’t hesitate in removing them.
But I don’t disagree with a country putting tariffs on – if that is what they want to do. They will have to deal with the knock on effect, whatever it may be.
This constant demand for unfettered access to lower and lower priced materials and goods, does have an effect, in multiple nations, on workers and environment. And we should be, if we were truly ethical consumers, aware of that when we are looking to purchase and transport goods across the world, just because they are lower in price.
“How does erecting tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports protect the working class?”
It protects a few un-compeditive industrialists in the US.
FIFY
Companies can profitably produce aluminium and steel in New Zealand, at competitive prices and quality with New Zealand costs and tariff protection, or lack of. Why can’t companies in USA do the same with what should be lower costs from a larger and closer market?
“Companies can profitably produce aluminium and steel in New Zealand, at competitive prices…”
Things have changed a bit recently.
“in the past most most steel from China was unprocessed but now manufactured steel beams were being imported into New Zealand and local companies were struggling to compete on price.”
20% cheaper for fabricated steel all comes to nothing, or worse if the steel either doesn’t fit, or is to the wrong spec. Think you’ll find that trade has sort of dried up now, or only on the biggest jobs. And we’re talking fabricated steel here, there’s always been an imported component in the heavy fabrication industry, previously from UK, Japan and Aussie, now from China and Korea, and going a bit further down the market than previously.
Ad is playing his clown game again. He knows very well that no one will win in a trade war. Trump is and always has been about himself and gaining popularity, even if he has to place one citizen against another to gain this. Major political figures throughout history have used this tactic to gain notoriety and support by brain-washing fellow citizens.
For a start it might mean that steel and aluminum workers in the states wont have to compete with workers in countries where they are paid $3 an hour? If developers in the US face a level playing field price wise they are likely to purchase from US companies (quicker delivery, possibly better quality) rather than foreign ones so better for working class jobs in the US?
“Now, the Liberal-democratic NZ Labour led coalition government will get away with signing the (CP)TPPA because neoliberalism is yet to be repudiated by the vast majority of the professional middle class.”
I think the middle class are against TPPA – 11 and all the polls show it, but times are a changing, people have not been listened to in this country for years now, so they give up protesting and signing petitions, because they have already done that for years, instead many remove themselves from media and political parties and this allows the conservatives to thrive.
Similar to Tony Blair in UK Labour, people marched in their millions against the illegal invasion of Iraq, but were not listened to and were told plenty of lies, officials spoke out and one even lost their life over it.
But the legacy for the UK Labour Party is that people stop believing in the party and therefore a decade of conservatives come into force. (Similar to Rogernomics in NZ which has seriously eroded the Labour brand) which now struggles.
Similar to the democrats in the USA. People who live in the country expect a bit more focus and care from a centre left government! If they fail, they stop voting.
Jacinda looked like change, but sadly it has not happened the Labour Party is very set in it’s ways and refuses to listen.
Parker can not even hold an electoral seat, that is how unpopular the guy is, (he’s like the Nick Smith of the National party, but at least Nick can win a seat) but Labour give him free reign and a high list position to do something they must know is wrong. (It’s now predicted to cost MORE than it earns in compliance alone).
There is dozens of free trade agreements out there, it’s not like this is the only one!
But no, they have to go for the dog! Too lazy to remove conditions and put in climate change, proper land and asset restrictions to foreigners (at least put in no more than 50% foreign owned), or environmental protection. Nope nothing as usual – easier to lie, than actually do their jobs and think the public will lap it up. Nope. D- FAIL for Labour and NZ First.
Stuart Nash Napier MP and Minister of Police, has just made labour look very foolish up in Napier by saying “reopening of the Wairoa to Gisborne rail would be a “hard ask:”.
So just two years ago 2016; he was in the press here aggressively fighting against the National Government saying it must be restored as” it is a vital link to our safety and prosperity!!!!!!
So Stuart Nash has pissed many off today with his “flip-flops” and this may be why they will loose the next election also because of broken promises they made – the bloody idiots they are.
Wake up labour before we are all doomed.!!!!!!
Labour are now setting us up to all suffer massive damages and deaths from radical climate changes now happening.
The MoT Fuels and Energy Management group report shows how fuel-efficient and low-pollution rail transport really is. # 363.73926 RAI # 4037.
The report confirmed that rail freight per tonne per kilometre travelled had extremely low NOx levels compared with trucking’s freight per tonne per km higher levels (four times) of all harmful pollution emissions.
Quote from page 34 of “Impacts of Rail Transport on Local Air Quality” report: 5.5: Locomotive Emissions; Opportunities for Reduction.
“Based on these inventory results, there does not appear to be a specific need to target the emissions from the rail sector in managing local air quality.
The only emission of any significance from locomotives is of NOx but the output relative to other combustion sources is still minimal in terms of total activity measures.”
Why the Government needs to support rail for public urban residential health & safety:
-Evidence of much higher diesel air emissions emerging, thanks to the Volkswagen diesel scandal.
-Doubts are emerging about our urban air quality, public health and safety and emissions of truck freight 24/7 through our urban residential zones as New Zealand has set no standards.
-Since the VW diesel scandal, similar diesel truck emissions cheating was uncovered.
-No safeguards for communities near truck routes.
-We need the protection of public health agencies along with MoT oversight.
Government, please heed our call for the reinstatement of provincial rail services, to protect the health and well-being of all our regional communities, as overseas governments are doing.
“instead many remove themselves from media and political parties and this allows the conservatives to thrive. ”
Hang on a sec there! I think you’ll find that conservatives on the whole wouldn’t be supportive of the TPP. Don’t confuse conservative and right wing, the working class are mostly conservative and they are why the Labour Party was created.
Even if the owner had Landlord Insurance cover for the property a pay-out would be unlikely. All policies require regular property inspections usually with a frequency of every 3 months. The first question the insurer would ask is: “Please provide us with the property inspection reports.” The tenants have been in there for years, I suspect zero property inspections.
The key to being a good landlord is either appointing a quality property manager or doing all they would yourself. The most important work is done before the keys are handed over. There are many ways to check what sort of experience an owner or property manager can anticipate. Every prospective tenant does the best they can to appear to be a great tenant. The most important task a property manager/landlord has is sorting the illusion from the fact.
I suspect this owner decided that the 8% of the rent that a ‘Give a damn’ property manager would charge was better off in his/her pocket. How wrong they were.
You have way too much faith in property managers David Mac! They are not even regulated! Know someone who this happened to (not quite so much a bad state) but it was managed by a so called reputable property management firm for an elderly guy, and still happened. If people are evicted, or people get ‘friends in’ living there who are scum bags this happens more than you might think.
Nowadays the tenants are supposed to have insurance too.
I thought I’d post it and see what renter’s thought of it and how to solve the problem.
My guess is, that will be another Landlord who calls it a day adding to the shortage in Christchurch.
Should the renters be responsible for the mess, (made to clean it up as part of a sentence from courts for example, does anyone think the tenants are ruining it for other people renting, increasing the insurance premiums (many insurance policies don’t pay the full cost anyway or refuse to pay out , if it was intentional damage) which increases rents?)
Also we have an underclass living in NZ, what are the solutions? These people still need somewhere to live and apparently 2 delinquent children in the mix!
“An advocate for the homeowner, who also did not want to be named, said the children who lived there were responsible for smashing more than 100 windows in the area, stealing a cash register, shoplifting from nearby shops, vandalism, harassing elderly people, assault and setting fires.
He believed the police and Oranga Tamariki – which is working with the family – were doing what they could”.
I have the utmost faith in some property managers savenz. Yes, they are not regulated beyond the tenancy tribunal dragging them over the coals when they get it wrong and a tenant takes them to task.
Generally they are paid poorly, hence the relatively recent application of ‘Letting Fees’. If working for one of the popular franchises the income they generate for the office is generally split 50/50 and to get anywhere near a reasonable income requires managing more properties than they can effectively manage.
Appointing a quality property manager requires similar efforts as appointing a decent tenant. I’d look at trademe history and ask for the names and numbers of the last 5 properties they let and ring those owners for a reference. A private property manager is often a good place to start, 100% of the income they generate is theirs and the buck stops with them, not some faceless corporate Ray White identity.
Due to the slack management of that property, the people responsible for the damage/mess will probably walk away scotfree. The legal recourse is with the person named on the legally binding tenancy agreement (If there was one)
Yes, how do we house people capable of living like that, a tough question. A probationary period in a bullet-proof metal container house with perspex windows, stainless steel toilet/sink etc is a possible solution.
I think you are looking at it a bit one sided David Mac, the landlord/property manager evicted them and presumably gave them the correct amount of notice by law and they trashed the place in the 40 days or so they had left. What more could the landlord or a property manager have legally done?
The problem does not go away because it sounds like the 4 people who used to be housed there (including 2 children) now need to find a new place and will they do the same to the next place and what is to stop them?
No doubt they would do the same whether state or privately owned but the sad thing is that it will probably take weeks or months or in the case of P years and there is no longer a rental available for some other tenant.
What happens to the People like these who do have tenancy orders against them and in this case it looks like their own fault, nobody will rent to them and so where do they go?
On the plus side, apparently either Natz or Labour have invested ACC money in prisons…. what an irony when a government does this..
The perspex solution will cost the taxpayer approx $100,000 each per year, so at a cost of $400,000 per annum for the whole family – and the likely result is that they will go on to do much greater damage for society when released.
That house did not go from ‘well looked after rental’ to the state it is in now in 40 days. Foliage growing up through the rubbish, faded print on the cartons taped over windows etc. I’m confident periodic property inspections were not done and acted upon, for this, the owner is to blame.
Yes, what to do with people that defecate on the carpets throughout their home etc?
I’m not suggesting they be jailed, I’m suggesting they be provided with bullet proof state housing for a probationary period. Prove they are capable of being trustworthy tenants before being offered regular state housing.
Any capable property manager or landlord would not be letting to the culprits for quite some time. Taxpayers must house them. I’m suggesting they earn the right to again be trusted with a conventional half million dollar asset. If not, they stay in the housing that can be hosed out.
So are you saying new state housing with ‘wash proof’, fire proof and smashproof glass be added for the worst tenants, with cleaners, glaziers, pest control and gardeners going around weekly to clean up the damage, until they ‘earn the right’ to be trusted again.
But is that not prioritising the worst tenants over the more deserving state tenants?
And what about their neighbours, do they put up with the 100 broken windows in their community and thefts and fires from the kids and have their lives made hell and their community turn to shit, until people learn how to behave.
I’m just wondering because in my view a lot of things going on, such as TPPA-11 are going to make this type of underclass more common.
The reason so many are turning to P (and in my view it’s probably more likely the culprit than the landlord did not do inspections which does not turn a place into a pigsty with 4 tonnes of rubbish, and delinquent kids) is because it’s a cheap high, and makes people forget all their problems and feel a million dollars for a time.
If you struggle to work, or you do work full time on minimum wages but can’t afford the cost of living, plus could lose your job/hours at any time, then drugs start looking more attractive and drug dealers seem to have such good direct marketing and well run businesses too. No taxes!
The P thing in rentals was a beat-up. People tooting on a few pipes does not render a house inhabitable. It made Mike Sabin a millionaire via his propaganda machine Methcon and gave meth testers a platform to establish businesses peddling BS.
I suggest temporary perspex windows for those that who have proven that they can’t be trusted with glass windows.
If the occupants choose to smash windows and set fires around their neighbourhoods, this has nothing to do with where they live and they should be arrested and charged accordingly. They’re robbing local dairys and reeking havoc because they haven’t got anything better to do and grew up with parents that didn’t give a damn.
The TPPA is not generating P addicts, ask most of them their thoughts re: the TPPA and they’d respond ‘What’s that?’
People are addicted to P for the same reasons alcoholics can’t put the bottle down, they are seeking an escape. Canning the TPPA is not going to see these people become overnight contributing members of their society.
P isn’t cheap, that’s why addicts rack up rent arrears and disappear into the night when responsibility comes knocking.
If a landlord suspects P for example under law you are not allowed to do any monitoring without tenants permission and you are supposed to do a P check between tenancies which will cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Most agencies don’t do it though, because of course most of the houses will show P at some level (because the war on P was never won, surprise, surprise) and then they can’t rent it.
I know two tenants (one upmarket house, one downmarket house so it’s right across the board) who have had to move out or lost a rental when P levels were found in the property, which is adding to the shortage.
The P levels is a scam anyway by the sound of it because money has been shown to have more P on it that the average house because the levels were set too low for the amount of P users we seem to have handling the NZ currency.
I have talked to my property manager and agents about the P issue. They say that there’s not much of a problem with P in my area.
They also said their agents did training on tell tale signs of P. They said the media beat up the issue too much, that it was also stirred up by the same companies that did testing also doing the clean up. Basically, they seemed sympathetic to tenants, and thought the regulations were still too vague.
The property managers who do inspection of the unit I live in seem fair people. The property is in a good state, and any minor maintenance is attended to quickly.
The policies of the top management of the real estate chain are more into being authoritarian.
Cooking P in a house is a whole different matter and there are many ways of determining if that is going on.
If you think your neighbours are cooking the things to look out for are things like: When you wonder, ‘Why on earth are those people always going outside to smoke, they don’t seem the types to be concerned about such a thing.’
Fan shaped dead patches in the lawn where containers of chemicals have been tossed out.
Frequent short term visitors at all hours of the night.
Rich pricks do deserve the consequences of the type of society that now exists.
In neoliberal parlance, there are no free lunches…the cost of the destruction of social cohesion is what this represents more than any alternative explanations.
No they didn’t, crap parents did. It starts the day a child starts school and doesn’t have a clue what the alphabet is and those about them have been read a 1000 books before their first day.
We are a family that has books all around the house, and my last child is severely dyslexic. Won’t sit down and listen to books for too long, and visibly struggles to read, despite encouragement from all family members and time spent on attempting to master the basics. He has exceptional 3D awareness, and is very practical and forward thinking in terms of tasks and activities.
I picked up a hitchiker a couple of days ago, who was looking to attend a job interview to pick pumpkins. I ended up driving him there, and chatting on the way. He was twenty, and had been working in various jobs since he was sixteen. He said he’d just had his car impounded, ‘Speeding?’ I asked. “No, driving without a licence, but I’m a good driver”. It transpired that he was also severely dyslexic, and just the idea of opening the road code book was completely out of his comfort zone. And I thought about how this young man was completely unsupported in his schooling years, and how unaware he was of the assistance that was available to him to help with the literacy requirements of adult life.
If you think that all children that have difficulty with academics are there because the family don’t value education, that idea needs to be revisited.
People have a lot to offer, who have difficulty with academic work, and we currently have designed our workplaces, apprenticeships and practical trades to exclude them. It’s not good enough.
Hi Molly, yes there are exceptions to the rule and I think you’re splitting hairs in a bid to discredit my thoughts with such an exception or two.
It’s been my experience that those that are dyslexic possess what it takes to be astounding in other areas.
You have obviously latched onto this aspect with your son and his natural gift for 3D awareness. I’m sure you are developing your son’s gift and steering him in that direction. It’s what parents that give a damn do. Crap parents enlist the child to a lifetime of feeling handicapped and prepare him for a lifetime of offering excuses. A lifelong victim.
With your help, attitude and support, your boy will learn to turn a blind eye to his shortcomings and flourish.
“your boy will learn to turn a blind eye to his shortcomings”
I don’t think it is a shortcoming. It is a challenge. In the same way that many academic children may have challenges understanding how non-academic children do not have the same thinking processes. Or how explaining to a self-declared rational person, that excluding the emotional responses in people is irrational in itself.
And, I’m not just concerned about my son. I want an education system that meets the requirements of all our students, particularly those that struggle with reading challenges. Because they often have a lot to offer in other ways, but we don’t value those in our education system or allow for delays in reaching literacy milestones.
We then ignore other gifts, and concentrate on reading/writing, and while they may achieve competence at a basic level, we may have effectively taken out any joy in reading for a long period – if not for life. Our apprenticeships are now offered to those who get achievement credits, not unit standards. Knocking our practical students out of practical professions.
My point is really, these general statements don’t hold up well in reality. And can often lead to discrimination, where understanding will be more productive.
Short of a teacher for every child a near free education system has to be close to a ‘one size fits all’ curriculum. Teachers are not social workers, nor should they be.
The diversity you speak of needs to come from parents, the most important component in any child’s education.
Crap and lazy parents are quick to trot out ‘the school has failed my child’. A position too often discredited with the question ‘What is the problem and what are you doing about it?’
I know you’d be all over your situation Molly, you don’t need to be shown how to suck eggs, too many do.
“Short of a teacher for every child a near free education system has to be close to a ‘one size fits all’ curriculum. Teachers are not social workers, nor should they be.”
Why not demand an education system that is able to provide? Or alternatively, if you are obsessed with the one system, create one for the students with difficulties – after all, the others will be able to learn ‘with just a little help from their parents’.
And no, teachers don’t need to be social workers. They are already educators, and they only can be great educators if they educate all that come before them.
“Crap and lazy parents are quick to trot out ‘the school has failed my child’. “
And sometimes they are wrong, but sometimes they are right. The school is limited by resources and direction from the MoE. We need to invest in education for it to deliver.
David Mac
You don’t realise that you have contradicted your argument within your own comment. Basically you say that people pass on their learned approach to anything including education. So that parents who themselves have never learned to read, or ever read for imagination rather than to get a driving licence or read supermarket labels, have children who suffer the same disadvantage. And those with superior reading skills, or who know the importance of reading, books, ideas and imagination, pass those skills on.
They both are following the same pattern, so don’t blame the unlearned ones.
Don’t dump on the poor and unknowing. They aren’t very articulate probably to explain how they have been brought up. They may have had little engagement with others who have had no books in the home, whose parents haven’t even read newspapers, they have lacked the advantages of interest, encouragement to read.
ou can blame television if you want to ‘blame’ any factor in life. It encourages passive minds that only know the pictures and advertising gimmick characters that dominate children’s television. Instead things that spring from real experiences would stimulate learning with lots of interchange with parents, reading at bedtime and ‘what if’ imaginative thoughts and creative writing, drawing etc.
Also the obsession with teaching computer use in schools is going to limit their personal growth, and the likelihood that they will be used to having and using pencil, pen and paper to put down ideas, draw pictures as a habit
will be absent.
An understanding of the alphabet, sentence structure etc is not what really matters. It’s the lubrication and igniting of the child’s imagination that does the business.
David Mac
Hear hear. And you sound as if you know about these ’empty’ children who may be short on the basics of education and empty of food for fuel. I have a teacher in my family and know a bit about it. A local school provides lunches for everybody, but probably I’m thinking of breakfasts.
We have been sliding down ever since 1984 and nearly everyone has thought problems would only be temporary or instead have looked for individual fault. It’s a systemic fault and it would be better if we all remembered that truth.
The ability of a struggling individual to overcome all barriers has lessened, it can still be done but lately as we know from unstoppable news items it has mushroomed. Thank god we have got rid of National for a while and I hope for a long time.
We have a chance to repair some of the neglect to the services and the neglect that the marginalised people have suffered. And while they have been struggling they have adopted coping mechanisms that they have passed on to their children – most of which will have to be unlearned if they are to be able to hold their heads up in society and get on with a reasonably happy life good for them and for the country. So we have to look out for them a bit longer, and
not just look down on them as no-hopers.
“We have a chance to repair some of the neglect to the services and the neglect that the marginalised people have suffered. And while they have been struggling they have adopted coping mechanisms that they have passed on to their children – most of which will have to be unlearned if they are to be able to hold their heads up in society and get on with a reasonably happy life good for them and for the country. So we have to look out for them a bit longer, and not just look down on them as no-hopers.”
Nicely written.
“The healthy child that hasn’t been read 1000 books before they start school has been set up to fail.”
There are many children who just will not sit down to listen to books. To then dismiss them for this, is to ignore their contribution to family, friends and themselves.
My tendency for pronouncements like this, dropped off considerably after my first child. And thankfully, completely disappeared after the third, who through trial and fire, increased my empathy, reduced my judgement and vastly improved my parenting skills.
David Mac
This is what I said at 6.52pm. which seems to have completely been ignored. I didn’t realise what sort of person you are, prating on about reading to kids at bedtime. You don’t understand people with difficulties and don’t want to.
This is what I said and it is a good point. You don’t realise that you have contradicted your argument within your own comment. Basically you say that people [parents] pass on their learned approach to anything including education. So that parents who themselves have never learned to read, or ever read for imagination rather than to get a driving licence or read supermarket labels, have children who suffer the same disadvantage. And those with superior reading skills, or who know the importance of reading, books, ideas and imagination, pass those skills on.
Hi grey, the parent that has never learned to read and write has double motivation to be sharing books with their child. Dr Seuss’s ‘Sam I Am’ includes just 50 simple words, Cat in the Hat, 250 basic words. If the illiterate parent struggles with that, they need to listen to spoken versions on their phones a few times as their finger follows the words.
Yes, there are exceptions, a blind parent etc. I acknowledge your point but continue to feel that in the vast majority of cases those parents that have the most time available to prepare their children for life are making the worst jobs of doing so.
“Really? Isn’t that how every parent that gives a damn ends their child’s day and gets them off to sleep?”
I had children that enjoyed that. I have also thankfully, had a child that actively hated it. I say thankfully, because the smugness that accompanied my parental advice was completely smashed out of existence.
There are children – both active and non-active – that don’t enjoy being read to. There are households where the parents are not at home when the children are being put to bed, or they themselves are unable to read. If you are able to, and your child enjoys it, the habit of putting a child to bed by reading a story is a lovely experience. But it is not the only way a child is shown love.
I suspect this issue is more to do with drugs than rich pricks.
Also I suspect the landlord is not really a rich prick.
True rich pricks don’t rent out their houses, they can afford to leave them with housekeepers and the like aka Peter Thiel style or import a few family members to live here and get a NZ education and super.
Judging from he botch up census this year (probably by design) where they didn’t want to employ people to actually check that everyone filled it in (how many bothered to fill it out online, I didn’t even know it was on, so that’s one less person who apparently doesn’t live here, then there are the many others who are homeless, without computers, the underclass like the people who trashed the above house, the people who don’t speak English, the illegal immigrants etc etc).
One things for sure, we sure as shit don’t know (or want to know) what the heck is happening in our own country judging by the census, as it’s probably disturbing reading for the neoliberals and economists out there to find out what is really going on and how people really live these days.
“I suspect the landlord is not really a rich prick”
Maybe not a prick. But the rich part is relative. There’s a large number of people who will never be able to afford to buy a house. They would say that if you are a landlord then you own at least two houses. In Auckland that means you’re quite likely a millionaire, which definitely makes you rich in the eyes of someone who has no wealth.
A very suitable topic for a debate. You’ll find that as soon as you start to build an argument you’ll enter into areas that have everything to do with whom you vote for … Your statement can only be and remain true and defended as such in a purely abstract manner, which begs the question: what’s your point?
Hi incognito, not sure I agree. Swing voters doing the best they can to equip their child with the tools to pursuit their dreams don’t change what they’re doing because they voted left last election.
My general point is the lifelong importance of helping our children feel engaged, capable, proud and included from the very start of their social interaction with their peers.
2008-2017
1) Establish a two tier society’- haves and have nots, owners and renters.
2) observe the have nots lose respect for the tier of society they are denied
3) complain when the have nots don’t care about their betters property.
4) vote national
Are you a neutral observer on this Puckish Rogue or part of the cause?
Someone said recently that we don’t seem to be saying much about disabled and welfare. And I thought of the discussions that we have here touching on everything that is happening and needs to happen. And I felt that I should just give a brief cover of all that we seem to want to happen. And much of this is, but not all is in welfare, for the disabled, and others who are vulnerable and particularly needy.
There is interest for sure in welfare, but this blog is not just an advocate for welfare or to recount people’s miseries, we also think about how to stop the misery, how to improve and change, how to get a better system, where the money is going to come from. We try to think around the problems, not just dwell on them and record them for posterity. Because we fear that if we don’t think about change and work out a practical way of achieving it, posterity will show that nothing changed.
For myself I am interested in getting more housing provided by government that is basic, satisfactory standard and affordable. That will help people’s welfare.
And that there is respect for people with difficulties of any sort, disabled particularly instead of this prison commandant type of approach that
an apparently people-hating authoritarian government has instituted and which has become embedded, though still masked under the previous expectation and understanding that we are a caring democracy.
And there are improved health concessions etc
And there is education, I want a type of holistic thing that if there are single parents will bring them to school along with their children, so they are learning together and then there is part-time work for the parent that is suitable, at suitable times and pays something that doesn’t affect their benefit. That would be good for welfare.
And there are employment opportunities for everyone so that they can do at least a few hours at least per week and better themselves so this would be on top of any pension/benefit instead of reducing grants and benefits for each gross dollar, before tax, that people earn.
And there is a stop to secondary employment tax charging and for incremental checking of benefits, perhaps once every six months to check how someone is going.
And letting people make their own beneficial living arrangements so there is no prying and finger pointing about being ‘in a relationship in the nature of marriage’, because of rigid rules. And perhaps paying each person a separate individual tax instead of having married rates which would cut out surveillance
that is destructive to human rights and relationships.
And then looking at transport concessions for single parents etc
Then I would like to see an obligation for all on pensions including old age pension (superannuation) to do some service to the community of a few hours per week.
And it goes on, with each of us. So don’t think we don’t care about the disabled. We are looking at how things can be made better, done better, and why this isn’t happening when it would be right, would serve people better and can be cheaper in the long run, and is affordable if done in the right way. And why there are people at the top being paid huge salaries whose job seems to be to prevent any improvement in conditions.
Anyone who voted for any party apart from the Greens voted for a party that is refusing to lift the SLP. That’s the main benefit that those with long term and permanent disabilities are on. NZ basically says if you have a disability and can’t work you have to live in poverty. That’s the bottom line around everything else. We can be more creative and caring with how we treat people within that system and others, but the reality is still that NZ wants disabled people to live in poverty.
(and no, social housing won’t solve that for many people).
Thank you Weka for stating it how it is and thank you Greywarshark for your comment and useful ideas.
Certainly more money would help immensely, also an overhaul of Winz, (which looks unlikely under this government).
My reason for stating my personal circumstances was to illustrate how many in the disabled community in NZ have to live.
Also I know for a fact that the reality is that many NZ’ers have no idea of the poverty that often accompanies a disability. Poverty which, along with dealing with with Winz, usually exacerbates that disability.
As a once Green Party member 1999- -2002 I have to agree that my view of any other political Party is now becoming jaded as time goes on because all others have actually broken many promises since the last election.
Come 2020 our family will have to re-assess our voting preference currently of labour/NZ First; – so we will keep your advise in our minds till then.
“Zero Carbon Act” needs to consider adaptation alongside mitigation – Local Government NZ
By The Daily Blog / March 8, 2018
I liked Russel Normans suggestion here in this article in TDB today; – criticising the present government policy on our ‘Zero Carbon Act’ Emission policy as he says it needs to be strengthened.
He is very correct as the current policy is setup to be taken over by lobbyists from the right wing big oil interests.
Minister Shane Jones, supporting both the Rotorua region and Minister Twyford’s Kiwibuild plan, and a New Zealand-owned sawmill that happens to be the largest in Australasia.
Yes good – I’m hoping the volume of trees planted exceeds the volume harvested by a sufficient quantity to offset the carbon emissions from the processing.
That may be a bridge too far for Shane though.
A Green Party candidate has a good chance of being the first Green to make it into the United States Congress.
From US Green Party leader Jill Stein:
“Last year Kenneth Mejia, a 27 year-old Green dynamo, for ran for Congress in California’s 34th Congressional District. Kenneth fell less than 400 votes short of 4th place, placing him 7th out of 24 candidates – a remarkable result for a first run, small donor campaign with a shoestring budget.
Now Kenneth is running again in the same district – but this time, he won’t be up against 24 candidates. In fact, as you’re reading this, he is the only candidate registered to run against the incumbent!
Kenneth has a good chance at winning and only needs to place in the top 2 slots to advance in the upcoming primary. This would land him in the final round, where he has a real shot at winning this district hungry for more radical, progressive representation.
Kenneth is an outspoken champion for the causes we believe in, from a Green New Deal to a $15/hour minimum wage, single-payer health care, a welcoming path to citizenship for immigrants, ending mass incarceration, ranked choice voting, ending the wars and much more.”
I fear that you, like Ms Stein, are putting a much to rosy glow on the chap’s chances.
He got 1,276 votes in the Primary. The top two candidates, both Democrats, got 8,156 and 5,504 votes and went on the ballot in the General election.
There were about 20 Democrats in the Primary and their total number of votes was about 26,000. Thus the Green candidate got about 5% of the number the Democratic Party got in total.
If by some miracle, and it really would be a miracle, he got about 6 times as many votes as he did, and got up to second, he would face in the run-off a Democrat who would sweep all the Democrat votes.
He really doesn’t have a chance.
He is about as likely to win as one of the Green Party candidates in our own election who got 5% of the candidate votes in the 2017 New Zealand election getting into first place in the Electorate in 2020 in the next General Election.
Anyone you would be willing to put your money on?
Is there a prospective Green winner in Hunua, Rodney, Tauranga or New Plymouth perhaps?
Nah; TPP11 is still being polished wildly by labour spin but is still another big turd that will perimeate every corner and home in NZ eventually just wait and see.
A re=packing doesn’t change the dead rat formula that it is a cover for now “Just another bus pass for global carpetbaggers.”
This is not a trade deal, it doesn’t even have the word trade in its title.
It’s another step towards a one world government. This will not be a government as we know it, but more a corporate governance model controlled by the 0.01%.
Sure there are a few financial crumbs on the table, to settle the peasants down but the end goal is total control of the masses and the signs of their success are increasing. Data control in the hands of the few, banks too big to fail, governments following the whims of lobby groups, NRA, pharmaceuticals, our liquor and dairy industries here etc.
‘Mr Nash was one of at least six Labour MPs who took part in nationwide marches on Saturday, as was Labour’s trade spokesman, David Parker, who spoke at the Dunedin rally. Others were Phil Twyford, Ruth Dyson, Megan Woods, and Clare Curran, while Jacinda Ardern apologised for her absence.’
No point in dwelling on the past puckered one, but since you have, why didn’t National negotiate a better deal? Too lazy?, incompetent? or just didnt give a shit.
Apart from some clauses that have been suspended until the US comes to its senses and signs up it is of course the same agreement that National negotiated.
Labour is relying on the ignorance of their lumpenproletariat when they lie about what they “changed”.
It’ll probably work of course. Most Labour voters like yourself are pretty thick and are easily fooled.
Why didn’t Labour negotiate a better deal?. “Too lazy?, incompetent? or just didn’t give a shit.”
Hi alwyn. Great to see your balanced and well-rounded comments here. Your mates on Kiwiblog must be missing you. I understand that’s where you like to comment most frequently. Stay positive and have a lovely day.
Fireblade; 100% grateful for that.
Gee thanks for tipping me off Fireblade as I thought Alwyn always put on a face that was meant to be balanced and ‘un- biased” and to be the face of reason,
But all the time he/she was a bloody right wing troll (kiwiblog) so thanks for the enlightenment.
” I understand that’s where you like to comment most frequently”.
Really? I’m afraid that comment is on about the same level of understanding as most of your views.
Wrong, quite wrong.
And did you enjoy the first episode of Clarke’s series Fish of the Day on Prime at 8pm on Weds night, PR? Fabulous travel log on Vanuatu as well as the fishing.
But while Clarke was having an encounter with that whale shark in the Cook Islands yesterday, Jacinda and her other man, The Deputy Prime Minister, were playing dress ups.
Lloyd Burr, Newshub is good for something – wonderful photos of Winston and Jacinda on his Twitter account. LOL.
New Zealand has signed agreements to exclude compulsory investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) between them with five countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
…New Zealand has signed additional side letters with Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Peru and Viet Nam. New Zealand has also signed a side letter to exclude ISDS with Australia, the source of 80% of investment from the CPTPP nations into New Zealand.
…
A further two countries, Canada and Chile, have joined New Zealand in a declaration that they will use investor-state dispute settlement responsibly.
…
The side letters and declaration add to work that had already narrowed the scope for investors to make ISDS claims under the CPTPP. For example, private companies cannot make ISDS claims under the CPTPP relating to investment contracts they have entered into with governments.
…The terms of the side letters vary. Some exclude the use of ISDS between New Zealand and other countries entirely, while other side letters allow for arbitration to proceed only if the relevant Government agrees.
So, no protection against companies re-locating to Canada or another country to launch and ISDS against NZ.
Wait for it. NZ’s much-anticipated side letters curbing investor-state dispute settlement have been signed with Brunei, Malaysia, Peru, Vietnam. Their corporations have made 5 past claims. But no side letter with Canada at 45 claims.
And so easy to just have removed the IDSD clauses altogether! They countries kept them, because they mean to use them and they suspended them, because they mean to un suspend them later on.
But Ghahraman says it’s disappointing the side letters are with “relatively small nations” while the likes of Japan and Chile are “still free to sue our government for access”.
Finally our news media notice that Auckland Transport have gone rogue with their placement of CCTV cameras. I’m not sure how it came about that AT, who don’t answer to the ratepayers whose money they spend, are now in practice a division of the NZ Police. Apparently if the Police ask, Auckland Transport will provide them with CCTV cameras, and guess who pays for them?? We come closer to being a police/surveillance state every day.
@phantom snowflake, sure do, guess what, police don’t seem to be solving the main crimes either, more like being used by government and business to intimidate Earthquake victims or people like Hager and Bradbury and Dotcom.
Auckland transport just spent 11 million on upgrading their premises for managers.
Those well heeled people living in central areas get cycle lanes, 2 carparks for their house, buses, trains and curb upgrades and now they need congestion charges to keep the riff raft out.
What do people in places like Kaukapakapa get, transport wise, unsealed roads, industry raping them like James Hardie, constant road works and detours for all the infrastructure highways, and potential petrol taxes and commuter charges while having no reliable public transport to turn too even if they wanted it.
It’s a tale of two cities (but being forcibly combined within one fucked up city).
Tax payer money now seems all about keeping the .01% safe and secure and the Kiwi bureaucrat enablers living in their bubble.
P.S. My prediction within 10 years, the police force will be ‘added to’ by cheaper foreign police in outsourcing agreements to save money.
Likewise all government contracts. We are on our way already. They start with the easier people to screw over, hospital cooks and cleaners now spotless. Nurses and Doctors being individually bought in from overseas, soon it will be teachers, police etc, then defence .
Then like bulk school funding, they will be encouraged to turn to business to tender for blocks of work and overseas tenders will undercut local workers on mass.
and it’s all to help such a wonderful corporate citizen James Hardie, from Wiki
“James Hardie was one of a number of companies involved in the mining of asbestos, and by the middle of the twentieth century had become the largest manufacturer and distributor of building products, insulation, pipes and brake linings containing it. In Australia, it ran asbestos plants in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Working with the products containing asbestos – including the building material known as “Fibro” – caused people to develop various pleural abnormalities such as asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma.[3]
In December 2001, the company shareholders unanimously voted to restructure and relocate the company in the Netherlands as a parent company. This was part of a strategy to separate the company from the stigma of its asbestos liabilities.[8]”
Council under now ‘unpopular’ renegade “national party member’ ” Mayor Meng Foon has said two years ago that his council (Gisboorne District Council) has no money to support the rail restoration.
But then he goes against many citizens there and orders the destruction of their Council Building, and builds a new one costing a whopping $13 Million!!!!!!!
With hoarders apparently they substitute human emotions onto objects which is why they can’t bear to throw anything out and their houses become full of rubbish and decay but they still can not part with it as it is so important to them.
Likewide neoliberals feel the same way, they substitute human emotions onto physical assets like property or shares and feel that is of superior importance to society which is just full of people who are easily replaceable burdens.
Schools are valuable assets due to the land and buildings that you can sell or build, but the children and teachers in them are liabilities that cost money.
Therefore schools become not about education but about managing assets such as upgrading buildings or selling off land, while they think of new ways to cut costs on education.
Even the investment in rail through the investment fund shows the disease, apparently the new rail investment sounds like it is mostly to ship logs around rather than people. (Because logs are valuable and people are worthless, even thought we have a massive transport problem in this country for people!).
You are right, we have a bunch at the helm who are demented.
Auckland council wasted a billion on IT but can’t afford rail. They have millions for America’s cup and new premise upgrades for all (I think it was about 15 million+ for their own premises upgrades + all the COO’s, increasing costs of lawyers at the teat so incompetent, then telling all the rate payers they can’t afford, sewerage, transport, libraries, mowing berms, closing service centres etc etc… They need to constantly put up rates to pay for all their good ideas.
How about moving all the COO’s and council to cheaper areas for a start! Getting the America’s cup to fund raise their own village!
Cutting wages to under $400k for any COO managers.
Getting rid of the corporate structures that are leaching money constantly!
That old allegation planted by righties mashes together ongoing standard operational expenses with the one-off project to combine systems (which was appalling). Recycling lies undermines opposition.
“P.S. My prediction within 10 years, the police force will be ‘added to’ by cheaper foreign police in outsourcing agreements to save money. ”
Maybe not in 10 years time, but at some stage in the not too distant future we will no doubt have a Trans Pacific Union or Pacific Union police force throughout all of the signed up countries (members of the union)
Maui, we still have over paid doctors, teachers and police officers, there are plenty of savings by the state to be made by a government that prides itself on trickle down theory.
Don’t worry the taxpayers can pay more taxes so we can subsidise the wages so that multinationals like power companies can still turn a dollar. Better still invest in prisons it’s clearly a growth stock like ACC.
It’s much better to invest in prisons for ACC than to pay out claimants for injuries, all their accountants tell us so and we can pay the board members to be on other boards to spread the ideology like a virus.
‘North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has asked US President Donald Trump for talks and Trump has agreed to meet him “by May,” South Korea’s national security adviser said at the White House on Friday (NZ time) after delivering the invitation to the American president.’
‘Kim has also committed to stopping nuclear and missile testing, even during joint military drills in South Korea last month, Chung Eui-yong told reporters in Washington.’
Professor Daniel Schwekendiek from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul has studied the heights of North Korean refugees measured when they crossed the border into South Korea.
He says North Korean men are, on average, between 3 – 8cm (1.2 – 3.1in) shorter than their South Korean counterparts.
A difference is also obvious between North and South Korean children.
“The height gap is approximately 4cm (1.6in) among pre-school boys and 3cm (1.2in) among pre-school girls, and again the South Koreans would be taller.”
Schwekendiek points out that the height difference cannot be attributed to genetics, because the two populations are the same.
The current situation is unfortunately the cumulation of a turbulent history. And very sad and scary for those trapped in the midst of it. But Korea wasn’t the flashest of places for a Korean from 1910 to 1945 either.
I’m hopeful of a resolution, but there’s a lot of vested interests and fears in this one.
Seems to be a “Make Korea great again” theme running here.
Since we now have a pretty good idea how Trump’s vacuous mind operates, I think that hypothesis sounds about right.
Kind of… lets pool our nuclear toys eh? Oh what fun we’re gonna have. We’ll be the two most powerful people in the whole wide world. No-one will dare touch us.
China, Japan and Russia were all brutal occupiers of Korea so I think Graeme is alluding to the possibility of the two Koreas having the nuclear boot on their foot.
‘The election returns show Labour spent $2.58 million on election advertising during the 2017 election campaign while National spent $30,000 less at $2.55 million.’
Damn those big spending Labours types, always with the chequebook out buying elections 😉
Is it true that Shaw received donations from a foreign political party?
That should be a total no-no as a source of party funds I would have thought.
It would be just as bad as the money Trump was supposed to have received from the Russians.
So the donation to Shaw from a foreign political party is true.
Thanks for the confirmation. I wonder if we have laws like the US where you have to register as an agent of a foreign power?
There was one sentence in the article that started of alright but the went astray.
It started
“It had to scrap $114,000 worth of hoardings with little on them”.
It should of course have continued with
“and replace them with Ardern’s hoardings which had even less on them”
Where, oh where did they get the money from?
Surely they wouldn’t have borrowed it and are planning to repay it by raiding the taxpayers’ coffers?
Of course they didn’t borrow it – and stop making insinuations.
Labour was flooded with donations following the change of leadership to Ardern on 1 August. In the first few hours alone, they received over $110,000 and 600 new volunteers.
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Writing on The Spinoff, Danyl Mclauchlan argues that we have a vacuum in our political system, in that there is no longer an anti-establishment party anymore:I think there’s a vacuum in our political system. There are obvious problems with the status quo but no real critics offering reform. It’s a ...
Stuff today has a piece about the government discovering it has been oversubsidising polluters for a decade under the Emissions Trading scheme:The Government is pledging to urgently fix an issue within the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), after it emerged some polluters are likely being over-compensated with taxpayer-funded carbon credits. [...] ...
The Marlborough District Council, tired of public scrutiny, wants to increase the amount it charges for LGOIMA requests:The cost of requesting official information from Marlborough's government agency could almost double after a jump in "fishing expeditions". Charges could be raised from $60 to $100 an hour for information supplied by ...
When Winston Peters was caught money laundering donations and stalking journalists, the Greens were conspicuous by their silence. It was another example of how getting along with their government partners was eroding their values and their own reputation. It was obviously unsustainable, and so now James Shaw has finally spoken ...
I am among the most pro-free speech people I know. I don’t doubt there are others more strident than me, but I’m certainly up there. And my support for freedom of expression isn’t limited to opposition to government-imposed restrictions. It extends to a belief that employers should have limited powers ...
With over 69,000 confirmed cases and 1,600 deaths, here’s your round-up of the latest coronavirus news. New disease and virus have now officially been named On the 11th February, the WHO Director General announced a new name for the disease: COVID-19 which is short for coronavirus disease 2019. The naming ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 9, 2020 through Sat, Feb 15, 2020 Editor's Pick ANALYSIS-Climate change opens up 'frontier' farmland, but at what cost to the planet?Climate change could expand farmland globally by ...
After cross-examination Jones knew he would lose the defamation case he took against film maker Renae Maihi. That’s why he threw in the towel. The weight of evidence was clearly against the old tycoon with the defense presenting fifty articles to confirm Jones’ racist views.Being unable to harass somebody into ...
Sprung! Former NZ First president, Lester Gray, chats with RNZ's Guyon Espiner in the carpark of a Tauranga shopping centre.(Photo supplied anonymously to NZ First and The BFD.)IT’S CLEAR THAT an important aspect of Jacinda Ardern’s political success is her willingness to seek – and take – advice. This ...
Ruth Cunningham, Charlotte Paul, Andrew MoorePublic health responses to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 require us to draw on our common humanity and be explicit about our values. Recognising this will help us make good decisions in difficult situations so that, for example, the need to impose restrictive measures ...
The Helen Clark Foundation has released its report on the housing crisis, and found that house-hoarders are to blame for it:Property investors are to blame for New Zealand's high house prices, a new research paper published by the Helen Clark Foundation says. [...] McArthur said previous attempts to address housing ...
The Abortion Legislation Committee has reported back on the Abortion Legislation Bill and recommended that it be passed with some amendments. Unfortunately, the latter include even more hoops to jump through for those seeking abortions after 20 weeks, including a time-wasting requirement to consult a second doctor. No-one casually seeks ...
Brexit is likely to be a disaster for the UK (how sad, never mind). But now that they're out of the EU, the latter has finaly taken the opportunity to blacklist one of their key tax havens:The Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory, is to be put on an EU ...
I’m not quite sure of what to make of the new figures for COVID-19 (as we must now call the novel coronavirus – though I’m not sure the capitalisation is correct) from Hubei province:Image from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51495484The spike yesterday is a consequence of a using a different way of ...
Bob Jones has dropped his defamation case against Renae Maihi. Good. But at the same time, it perfectly exposes what the case was all about: not protecting Jones' reputation, but punishing someone who had dared to criticise him, and deterring others from doing the same. This rich pompous asshat dragged ...
As I've done for the past few years, I'm curating and presenting The Listening Lounge, the talk programme at Splore. On the morning of Saturday the 22nd at the Living Lounge stage, the korero goes like this.Yes, we're talking about drugs again, not just because I'm professionally interested in drug ...
What Were They Thinking? RNZ's CEO Paul Thompson (left) and Jim Mather, Chairman of the RNZ Board of Governors, attempt to justify the debacle arising out of their attempt to downgrade RNZ Concert to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee at Parliament on Thursday, 13 February 2020.WHAT IS ...
Dame Tariana Turia with former PM John KeyWhat is it about Tariana Turia’s grudge against the Labour Party? Not content with attacking the Government over Whānau Ora funding, which was increased by $80 million in 2019, she has now made it personal by saying that Jacinda Ardern is out of her ...
Back in 2017, right after being elected, Jacinda Ardern promised that there would be no new mines on conservation land. Since then, her government has done nothing to make that happen, and now the policy has been officially "parked" for the election:West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor says the "no new ...
So the guy who advocated for public burning and beheading feels offended because someone called him a racist!Perhaps Bob Jones hasn't heard of the very old saying; Live by the sword, die by the sword?I mean for someone who often writes opinionated nonsense about Maori; this is a ridiculous case ...
The government today announced a major support package aimed at reducing homelessness. A thousand new transitional housing places, more support for people to find homes (or not lose them in the first place), all good stuff. The one problem with it is that they're going to start charging people in ...
Courtroom Drama: There is no off-switch in a courtroom. Neither is it possible to turn the page in disgust. Ill-formed and ill-defended opinions will be exposed ruthlessly and unapologetically. As Shakespeare put it: “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.” Sometimes the ...
As of today, the novel coronavirus spreading in China is called COVID-19. Why does it matter? Around the office, we’ve had several conversations over the past few weeks about how 2019-nCoV needed its own name. First, it was getting annoying calling it by the above designation, and ‘novel coronavirus’ doesn’t ...
by Philip Ferguson Last month B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, reported: “In 2019, Israeli security forces killed 133 Palestinians, including 28 minors. Of the casualties, 104 were killed in the Gaza Strip, 26 in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and three within ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Arms (Firearms Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bill (No 2) (Brett Hudson)Its basicly more "tough on crime" nonsense (its already illegal for unlicensed people to own guns) designed to wedge NZ First against its arsehole base. ...
In 2015 the world agreed to the Paris Agreement to fight climate change. Each country would offer a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) "that it intends to achieve", and "pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving [it]". And every five years, they'd improve on it, ratcheting up ambition until ...
In theory, the emissions trading scheme should reduce emissions. Making polluters pay for permits to pollute lets them save money by reducing pollution, giving them a financial incentive to do the right thing. But right from the start the ETS was broken with a system of free allocation, so polluters ...
Irish voters went to the polls on Saturday in parliamentary elections, and perhaps delivered a political revolution. Since independence, Irish politics has been dominated by two parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Basicly patronage networks with indistinguishable policies, their cleavage isn't ideology, but who killed whose father or grandfather in ...
Once again the Aotearoa Bike Challenge is on us, and once again I’m participating. In principle this is not hard because it does not represent a significant switch in behavior for me. I already bike nearly every day. The Bicycle The fascinating thing about cycling is the realisation that this ...
Lately there has been a great deal of misinformation regarding the origins and purpose of Skeptical Science. As John Cook wrote nearly a decade ago, Skeptical Science is primarily a website that debunks climate misinformation with peer-reviewed science. Despite the ever-worsening impacts from climate change, with record after record being broken in ...
Under Attack: By sacking not only RNZ Concert’s presenters, but also its producers and librarians, and reducing the station to an automated purveyor of classical music in-between parliamentary broadcasts, RNZ’s CEO, Paul Thompson, wasn’t simply announcing an operational shake-up, he was declaring war on one of the most important guardians of ...
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Australian smoke plume sets recordsThe recent wildfires in Australia sent one of ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Finance, Fletcher Tabuteau has welcomed Statistics New Zealand’s latest report as a timely reminder of the value that this Coalition Government brings to every day New Zealanders: “This Coalition Government has meant a ...
Today New Zealand First made a pledge to campaign at the election to fund St John Ambulance the 90 per cent it has asked for. Government funding would allow St. John’s to achieve fully funded status. Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters publicly declared his determination to deliver ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order Newly released Police data shows once again the number of fleeing drivers have continued to skyrocket with a record 512 incidents occurring in December – almost tripling the number of incidents occurring just ten years ago, says New Zealand First Law and ...
While the Provincial Growth Fund has provided $2 million to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia, Regional Economic Minister Shane Jones said he is greatly concerned that there are “issues” in implementing the projects. The Minister said the immediate solution was to pipe water from a bore ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland NZ First is calling on Rio Tinto to accept its responsibilities to the Southland community and enable the immediate removal of the toxic Aluminium Dross from the Mataura Paper Mill site. New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland, Mark Patterson ...
The Coalition Government has announced that a further $500,000 will be given to help residents in Southland and Otago to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. It follows prior government assistance of $200,000 earlier this month where the Southland Mayoral Relief Fund received $100,000 to support communities impacted by ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones was on RNZ’s Morning Report talking about the recent droughts in the Northland region and what the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is doing to alleviate its impact. The PGF recently announced a funding of $2 million for temporary water supplies to Kaikohe and Kaitaia, ...
Speaking to The Country’s Jamie Mackay, New Zealand First MP and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones talks water storage, plant-based meat imitation, and superstar Hollywood director James Cameron. While water storage may have its critics, Minister Jones defended the scheme by saying: “unless we invest and continue to invest” in this ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones is accusing northern iwi leaders of selling out Māori by voting for ideologically-driven court cases rather than practical steps to increase water supply. “I just think that iwi leaders who think that water issues are going to be solved by perpetually fighting in the ...
A dairy owner in St Kilda, Dunedin was delighted to hear that an attempted robbery of his establishment was foiled by a government-funded security system. Sean Lee was delighted at how well the anti-theft smoke system worked. When a knife-wielding man entered the store, the shop assistant immediately pressed a ...
Customs says it stopped more than three tonnes of illegal drugs coming into New Zealand last year. This includes 1,180kg of methamphetamine, 329kg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine precursors, which could have been converted into 246kg of methamphetamine, 739kg and 6469 pills of MDMA or Ecstasy and 60kg of cocaine. Offshore, ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Up to $2 million will be allocated from the Provincial Growth Fund to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia where drought is biting hard, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Drought conditions in Northland have led to ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Law and Order New Zealand First welcomes the deployment of an Eagle Police helicopter in Christchurch in what is a step towards fulfilling its long-standing goal to increase the use of police helicopters for the front line, particularly in addressing the scourge of fleeing drivers. Christchurch leads ...
It may have been the first sitting week of 2020, but our Government is already in full-swing - managing a strong economy, investing in infrastructure, and working to break the cycle of homelessness. Read below for all that, and more... ...
In a heated debate in Parliament, National's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett claimed that “nearly 1600 patched gang members have been added” since the Coalition Government took power. To illustrate her point, she altered a chart used by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to show her government’s progress in housing to instead ...
Speech by the Rt Hon Winston Peters at Parliament’s Opening 2020 "We all need insurance" This year New Zealanders are going to have a clear choice to make That choice is between: Optimism versus pessimism; More progress versus back to the future; Investment versus divestment; Unity versus division. New Zealand ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has slammed the Board of Auckland Airport following the airport's runway closing twice within two weeks due to maintenance. Around 2,000 passengers were affected by last week’s runway closures, according to 1NEWS. Another maintenance closure on January 24 saw two international flights and three domestic flights ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Broadcasting New Zealand First supports the commissioning of a business case to assess the viability of a new public media entity. “A strong media environment is critical for a healthy democracy. New Zealand First is a strong supporter of a diverse, independent media,” New Zealand First broadcasting spokesperson ...
Pounamou and technology industries in the West Coast region are set to receive more than $2 million in Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding. This was announced by the Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau during Waitangi Day commemorations in Hokitika. He said $800,000 would be given to Development West ...
Clayton Mitchell MP, New Zealand First spokesperson for Labour and Industrial Relations Unemployment and wage growth numbers released by Stats NZ today demonstrate a labour market in good shape with unemployment falling to 4.0%, the underutilisation rate falling to an 11 year low, and wage growth at a 10-year high ...
Hon. Ron Mark, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Defence New Zealand First Spokesperson for Defence Ron Mark, welcomes the official opening of Te Rau Aroha, a new museum at Waitangi Treaty Grounds as part of our Coalition Agreement. “It is a great honour to be part of an effective Government ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime MinisterGood morning,Let us start with important acknowledgements.First, this special day, in remembrance of the 28th Maori Battalion, is also to honour all those men and women who have risked their lives in the service of our country.Second, special guest Robert ...
Benefit settings rise in line with wages as of 1 April Main benefits will increase by over 3 percent, instead of 1.66 percent, on 1 April with the Government’s decision to annually adjust benefit rates to increases in the average wage. The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, said ...
Strengthening New Zealand’s political and business ties with India will be the focus of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ and Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker’s visit to India this week. The Ministers are co-leading a high level business delegation to India to support increased people and economic engagement ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio continues to champion for greater Pacific participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers with the announcement of the Toloa Awards, with 8 recipients of the Toloa Community Fund and 13 Toloa Tertiary Scholarships. “The Toloa Programme encourages more Pacific peoples ...
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has extended the date for people to have their say on proposed changes to improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. Submissions were due to close on 2 March 2020 but will now remain open until 9am on Monday 16 March 2020. “I have ...
The endangered toroa/Antipodean albatross has new international protection for its 100,000km annual migration, thanks to collaborative efforts led by New Zealand, Australia and Chile. Today, 130 countries agreed to strictly protect Antipodean albatross at the Conference of Parties on the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild ...
No sales to under-18-year-olds No advertising and sponsorship of vaping products and e-cigarettes No vaping or smokeless tobacco in smokefree areas Regulates vaping product safety comprehensively, - including devices, flavours and ingredients Ensure vaping products are available for those who want to quit smoking Vaping regulation that balances ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little will travel to Berlin tomorrow to represent New Zealand at a high-level summit on nuclear disarmament. This year, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) celebrates 50 years since it entered into force. “New Zealand’s proud record and leadership on nuclear disarmament is unwavering, so it’s important we are present ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit two of New Zealand’s most important Pacific partners, Fiji and Australia, next week. The visit to Fiji will be the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister in four years and comes during the 50th anniversary of Fijian independence and diplomatic relations between our ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little and New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball, have today announced the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the location, and the membership of the Establishment Advisory Group. Colin Carruthers QC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the CCRC for an ...
Māori Development Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Agriculture Minister Hon Damien O’Connor co-announced the first horticultural finalists for the Ahuwhenua Trophy celebrating excellence in the Māori agricultural sector. The three finalists are Ngai Tukairangi Trust from Mt Maunganui, Otama Marere Trust from Tauranga, and Hineora Orchard Te Kaha 15B Ahuwhenua ...
A new kete of resources to strengthen support for students with dyslexia will provide extra tools for the new Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs) as they start in schools, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Minister launched the kete in Wellington this morning, at the first of three induction ...
The Government continues to make progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the First Reading of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill and its referral to the Social Services and Community Select Committee. “Now is the opportunity for landlords, tenants and others who want ...
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Hon James Marape will visit New Zealand from 21-25 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a warm and friendly relationship. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Marape here and strengthening the relationship between our two countries,” ...
Thousands of children have begun receiving a free lunch on every day of the school week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The Government’s free and healthy school lunch programme is under way for 7,000 students at 31 schools in Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti and Bay of Plenty / Waiariki, extending ...
The Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni today announced a new approach that continues to broaden the Government’s social sector focus from a narrow, investment approach to one centred on people and wellbeing. Minister Sepuloni said redefining the previous approach to social investment by combining science, data and lived experience ...
The Government is strengthening the Protected Disclosures Act to provide better protection for whistle blowers, Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures Act is meant to encourage people to speak up about serious wrongdoing in the workplace and protect them from losing their jobs or being ...
Nǐn hǎo (Hello in Mandarin). Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy New Year in Mandarin) Néi Hóu (Hello in Cantonese). Sun Nin Fai Lok (Happy New Year in Cantonese) Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for your invitation to attend this celebration today. I would like to acknowledge ...
Kia ora. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. E ngā mana whenua ki tēnei rohe Taranaki Whānui, Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa – kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi. E ngā mana, e ...
Kia ora. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. E ngā mana whenua ki tēnei rohe Taranaki Whānui, Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa – kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi. E ngā mana, e ngā ...
Tougher penalties for gun crime are a step closer with the passage of firearms reform legislation through another stage in Parliament. The Arms Legislation Bill has tonight passed its Second Reading. “The changes have one objective - to prevent firearms falling into the wrong hands,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. ...
Introduction Mr Speaker We all know why we are here today. It has been a long journey. The journey did not actually begin on 15 March 2019. It began on 30 June 1997. Almost 23 years ago, Justice Sir Thomas Thorp told us what was wrong with our firearms legislation. ...
The Government’s work to put trades and vocational education back on the agenda took another major step forward today with the passing of the Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Bill, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is a watershed day for trades and vocational education. These law changes formalise ...
Speeding up the return of Christchurch regeneration activities to local leadership is behind the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today by Minister Megan Woods. “As we approach nine years since the February 2011 earthquake in Canterbury, and with the transition to local leadership well underway, the time ...
Hundreds of New Zealanders and international visitors will be able to get back out into nature with the Milford Track partially reopening next week, after extensive assessments and repairs, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The popular Great Walk has been closed since 3 February after an extreme ...
Up to 110 new EV chargers nationwide in cities and regions 50 electric vehicles for ride-sharing The Government is helping deliver more infrastructure and options for low emissions transport through new projects, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. Tauranga, Nelson, Levin, New Plymouth and Oamaru are just some ...
New Zealanders are increasingly better off under this Government as wages rise and families have more disposable income, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. Stats NZ reported today that average household disposable incomes after housing costs rose 4.9% in 2019. This was the highest rise in four years and came as ...
All New Zealanders need to have their voices heard at work to ensure we have an inclusive and productive economy. Today we introduce a Bill to do this for workers in the New Zealand screen industry, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “The Screen Industry Workers Bill will ...
The Government has announced further help for the Southland and Otago regions to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. “I’ve approved Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG), making $500,000 available to help with the clean-up in Fiordland, Southland, and the Clutha district in Otago,” Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said. ...
Following the announcement that more than 340 schools will be funded to run events promoting vocational education, the Government has announced it will fund a further 257 events to be run by employers and industry. “These industry-run events will allow more than 30,000 students to connect with more than 2,000 ...
Today the Government is making progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the introduction of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill in Parliament. “This Bill includes a series of reforms to improve the wellbeing of the 609,700 households that live in rented homes, and ...
A Government programme to wipe out pea weevil has achieved a world first, with Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor today announcing the successful eradication of the noxious pest from Wairarapa. This means the nearly four-year ban on pea plants and pea straw was lifted today. Commercial and home gardeners can again grow ...
Southland residents hit by flooding caused by heavy rainfall can now access help finding temporary accommodation with the Government activating the Temporary Accommodation Service, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare announced today. “The Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to help ...
“Is that it?” That’s Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s response to Simon Bridges’ much-hyped economic speech today. “Simon Bridges just gave the most over-hyped and under-delivered speech that I can remember during my time in politics,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s not surprising. Simon Bridges literally said on the radio this morning ...
A trial deployment of the Police Eagle helicopter in Christchurch will test whether the aircraft would make a significant difference to crime prevention and community safety. “The Bell 429 helicopter will be based in Christchurch for five weeks, from 17 February to 20 March,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. “The ...
The Government has kept up the pace of its work to promote New Zealand’s trade interests and diversify our export markets, with visits to Fiji and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker. Building momentum to bring the PACER Plus trade and development agreement ...
The Coalition Government’s investment in a strong border and disrupting transnational organised crime produced record results for stopping drugs in 2019, says Minister of Customs Jenny Salesa. The illegal drugs were seized at the New Zealand border by Customs, and overseas by Customs’ international border partners before the drugs could ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today kicked off construction of a separated cycleway alongside Tamaki Drive. A two-way separated cycleway will be built along the northern side of Tamaki Drive, between the Quay Street Cycleway extension and Ngapipi Road. There will be a separate walking path alongside. Phil Twyford said giving ...
Owner-occupiers of unit and apartments living in earthquake-prone buildings will have certainty about the financial support they’ll be eligible for with the release of criteria for an upcoming assistance scheme, Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa says. The Residential Earthquake-Prone Building Financial Assistance Scheme will help unit owners facing ...
Temporary restrictions on travel from China will remain in place as a precautionary measure to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The restrictions which prevent foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through, mainland China from entering New Zealand have been extended for a further 8 days. This position ...
Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today that Tairāwhiti rangatahi will benefit from an investment made by the Government’s He Poutama Rangatahi (HPR) scheme. The funding will go to the Tautua Village, Kauneke programme and the Matapuna Supported Employment Programme which will fund 120 rangatahi over two years. “Both programmes work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Apart from committing a crime, what do you have to do or say to be stripped of your order of Australia award? Where “a line” should be drawn is the question the Council for the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Stewart, Doctoral Candidate at BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University In the wake of last week’s horrific murder of a woman and her three children in Brisbane at the hands of her estranged partner, Social Services Minister Anne Ruston ...
Politicians who have appeared on Dancing with the Stars over the past 15 years say the publicity could backfire for would-be politician Hannah Tamaki if she puts on her dancing shoes. ...
Marlin’s Dreaming have a new single out ahead of their next, ‘least accessible’ album. Frontman Semisi Maiai sat down to talk about how a bunch of jocks from Dunedin became indie darlings.Semisi Maiai embodies the duality of man. He’s a barista and a basketballer; he’s a jock and an indie ...
Pacific Media Watch A University of Waikato researcher says some of the current colonial representations of climate change in the Pacific are obscuring Pacific voices and failing to recognise the importance of Indigenous knowledge in the fight against the changing climate. Dr Jessica Pasisi’s thesis, Niue Women’s Perspective and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne Bernie Sanders has easily won the Nevada Democratic caucus, cementing his status as front-runner for the Democratic nomination in the US presidential election. With 88% of precincts reporting, Sanders won ...
An announcement that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will be based in Hamilton makes “perfect sense” given the city’s location and strong transport links says Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate. On Friday Justice Minister Andrew Little ...
Steel & Tube has recorded a large half-year loss, in line with forecasts, mostly because of a $37 million write-down in asset values. For the six months ended December the steel manufacturing company made a $36.9m loss. Chief executive Mark Malpass said the company expected an improved second half. "While ...
The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter has slumped to a large loss because of volatile prices and power costs. Pacific Aluminium, controlled by Rio Tinto, made a loss of $313 million for the year ended December compared with the previous year's profit of $207m. However, the underlying loss fell to $46m ...
The Government has extended its ban on travel from China by another eight days until early March, but may provide an exemption for international students, while the Treasury is considering global recession scenarios. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Cabinet decided on Monday afternoon to extend its ban on travel ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Australia’s catastrophic bushfire season has done immense damage to Australia’s tourist industry. Then, just as heavy rain began to bring the situation under control, came the coronavirus outbreak in China – now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Hole, Senior Research Fellow, Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University Recent reports from scientists pursuing a new kind of nuclear fusion technology are encouraging, but we are still some distance away from the “holy grail of clean energy”. The technology developed ...
First the broadcaster was caught up in an online swindle using Facebook – now it’s the other media giant.“Hosking’s Latest Investment”, went the headline on the Google-served advertisement, complete with a photograph of the award-winning broadcaster, placed on a New Zealand news site. “New Zealand’s citizens are already raking in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Steffen, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s announcement on Friday that a Labor government would adopt a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 was a big step in the right direction. But a bit of simple maths reveals ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Gurrieri, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University Under Australia’s harsh sun, we’ve long slapped on sunscreen to protect ourselves from skin damage and cancer. Now the product, once known for protecting skin against harmful UV rays, is becoming part of beauty ...
Get data at the national level, by regional council area, territorial authority / Auckland local board area, statistical area 2 (SA2), and district health board area. Tables contain 2018, 2013, and 2006 Census data. Access data in NZ.Stat Use ...
Northland's biggest trucking operator has accused the Transport Agency of letting an employee wage a personal vendetta against him that's cost him millions of dollars. Stan Semenoff says the employee went after his scalp, but he's defeated the Agency and shown that it had no safety case to begin with. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentPolitical donations scandals John Armstrong (TVNZ): Jacinda Ardern’s refusal to reprimand Winston Peters is nothing short of disgraceful Luke ...
Keep New Zealand Beautiful partners with Waste Management New Zealand to send educational book to New Zealand schools New Zealand not-for-profit organisation, Keep New Zealand Beautiful, has teamed up with Waste Management to distribute an educational storybook ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paxton Loke, Paediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Some children grow out of their food allergies, but researchers don’t exactly know why. Here’s how to work with your allergy specialist if you suspect your child isn’t allergic any more. Read ...
The Māori Party candidate for Waiariki - Rawiri Waititi - believes the younger generation will be the key to the party getting back into Parliament this year. ...
The Sustainable New Zealand Party is struggling to demonstrate it has enough political sustainability to last until the election campaign heats up later this year. Within just a few months media attention has turned from its founding to its foundering. The New Zealand Herald seems not to have caught up ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling You’ve heard of dark matter. You’ve probably heard there’s a fair bit of it out there in space, and that astronomers don’t know for sure what it is. But, strange as dark matter is, there’s an ...
When NZME reports its annual results on Tuesday, attention will focus on its mooted purchase of rival Stuff Ltd and the revenue its paywalled nzherald.co.nz site has brought in ...
After 43 years on the telly, Fair Go knows exactly how to stick up for Kiwi consumers. Tara Ward talks to Sophie Baird, the woman changing New Zealand, one consumer complaint at a time. For over four decades, Fair Go has been our saviour. They’ve defended us when we’ve been ripped ...
ANALYSIS:By Asmiati Malik in Jakarta The Indonesian government plans to evaluate the efficacy of special funds for the West Papua region. These funds have been disbursed to the easternmost region, comprising the two provinces of Papua and West Papua, for nearly two decades. The funds, paid since 2002 to ...
Last week Nick Loosley, founder of food waste and food poverty charity Everybody Eats, was named the 2020 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year. He talked to Alex Braae about how a more sustainable approach to our food system can help feed those in need. There’s a theme of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Skead, Professor, Dean of Law School, University of Western Australia In 2017, a business lecturer posted a photo on LinkedIn showing a completely empty university classroom, 15 minutes after the class had been scheduled to start. This is not an isolated ...
The coronavirus outbreak is set to cost Air New Zealand as much as $75 million, as it moved to cut more flights to lessen the impact. The airline has issued a revised forecast for its full year earnings, cutting its estimate of operating earnings by between $35m to $75m to ...
New Zealand's steps to shield itself from the Covid-19 coronavirus will not save the economy from feeling its effects. Hundreds of millions of dollars is likely to be shaved off the value of the economy for the first quarter, with estimates currently between 0.3 and 0.6 percentage points less than ...
By Evaristo Soares Martins in Dili Early elections cannot be allowed to “become the political culture” in Timor-Leste, says the leader of the opposition Fretilin party, Dr Marí Alkatiri. The former Prime Minister said he wants to see an end to the political impasse, prompted by the collapse of ...
By Sharlyne Eri in Lae A Papua New Guinean man who once resorted to crime to make a living is now running a bicycle repair business. Collin Kunan is a long-time resident of West Taraka, one of Lae’s urban settlements where petty crime is rife because of high unemployment. ...
Jamie’s away with the lads, Claire’s elbow deep in a dead man’s abdomen, and Roger wants to go back to the future. Tara Ward recaps episode two of season five of Outlander.Well, my thirstly little Outlander cherubs, that was something else, wasn’t it? It’s been many a moon since I watched ...
Opposition leader Simon Bridges says a National government will look at amending the law to allow Australians convicted of serious crimes in New Zealand to be deported. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carlo Perrotta, Senior lecturer, Monash University The spread of the coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 is a public health emergency with economic and social ramifications in China and across the world. While the impacts on business are well documented, education is also ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Cullen, Adjunct professor, University of Western Australia The extradition hearing to decide whether to send Julian Assange to the United States to be tried for publishing classified military documents on Wikileaks is expected to finally begin today in London. Assange is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bernadette McSherry, Foundation Director, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne In 2018, the Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, delivered a report about “the saddest case” she had ever seen. A 39-year-old woman with a developmental disorder had been locked in her prison ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick O’Connor, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Among the vast number of native species damaged by the recent bushfire crisis, we must not forget native pollinators. These animals, mainly insects such as native bees, help sustain ecosystems by pollinating native plants. Native ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Skead, Professor, Dean of Law School, University of Western Australia In 2017, a business lecturer posted a photo on LinkedIn showing a completely empty university classroom, 15 minutes after the class had been scheduled to start. This is not an isolated ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil G Sipe, Adjunct Researcher in Transport and Planning, The University of Queensland Over the past decade almost US$200 billion has been invested globally in mobility technology that promises to improve our ability to get around. More than US$33 billion was invested ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dodd, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne In a recent ruling the Australian Press Council has given a signal to gossip magazines it is OK to make up and publish rubbish about people, so long as the ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern anticipates cabinet ministers will decide to extend the ban on foreign travellers arriving from mainland China which is due to expire tonight. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The transformation of the national electricity market has “progressed at a remarkable pace and scale” over the last year as it moves towards renewables, but security is a critical issue, according to the Energy Security ...
The Labour Party has selected Kerrin Leoni as their candidate for the electorate of Waikato. In a confirmation meeting held in Ngaruawahia on 23rd February, Ms Leoni, 39, was nominated unopposed as the electorate candidate, with the electorate covering ...
RNZ Checkpoint last week reported that the rodeo industry has killed two animals during the current rodeo season. Information recently obtained by animal rights organisation SAFE reveals two bulls were killed at ‘Mad Bull’ rodeo events in November and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern anticipates cabinet ministers will decide to extend the ban on foreign travellers arriving from mainland China - which is due to expire tonight. ...
Climate change will be a hot topic in Jacinda Ardern's meeting with the Fijian PM this week, but an elephant in the room for her talk with the Australian PM. ...
In today’s edition: plant-based diets add a new item to the rural-urban tension menu, Genesis plans NZ’s biggest solar farm and a major regulatory push on vaping.The Sunday Star-Timesdevoted its whole cover to a dramatic image under the headline ‘Is meat for the chop?’, while inside a Colmar ...
What’s the economic impact of draining a wetland, or depleting soil health? An economist is looking at the value of some of the mostly unseen ecological services nature performs. A lot of what occupies economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta’s mind is invisible processes. While environmentalists fighting for wetland protection, or ...
Coronavirus has created new economic uncertainties in China and beyond. There is no doubt the short-term impact on New Zealand’s businesses will be severe, but how exactly is difficult to foresee. The outlook for global trade already looks grim compared to our expectations late last year. CNN reported that Maersk, ...
Belinda Muller has managed major Kiwi sports teams in three different codes – netball, rugby and, now, cricket. The only difference, she's found, is the size of their balls. It was supposed to last just three days. A bit of a paperwork at a netball centre, to help out a ...
The Children’s Commissioner responds to a UN committee's decision about the torture of children at Lake Alice. David Williams reports Pressure is building on a police review of their file into Lake Alice psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks. The review was prompted by a landmark decision by the United Nations Committee against ...
ReadingRoom is devoting all week to the best-selling book in New Zealand right now, In The Clearing, the brilliant new thriller by Kiwi author JP Pomare, inspired by creepy Australian cult The Family. Today: The creepy opening chapter.— Amy’s journal — Here are two things I learnt today: 1. ...
Back to university today? Beware the flashy voluntourism brochures promising a chance to save the world, writes AUT lecturer Daniel Crouch.It was my first day as a lecturer, February 2018, and I was feeling pretty nervous as students filed in. Just before the nine o’clock start, a young woman approached ...
The rise of litigation funding in New Zealand puts politicians and business leaders on notice – their actions will now be policed by a powerful new sheriff, writes Chris Lee.In business, as in life, there may be a range of thought processes that quell the temptation to cheat. One would ...
Aucklanders are breaking records for water usage - at the same time as the city breaks records for days without rain. How secure is the city's future water supply if these droughts continue? Auckland's water use has gone through the roof this summer, breaking records of 560 million litres per ...
News broke today that Hannah Tamaki has been cast for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. Emily Writes explains why the religious leader and aspirant politician has no place on the show.In an exceptionally sad display of desperation, MediaWorks appears to have booked Hannah Tamaki, known for her ...
Political parties must, this election year, pledge to press forward with a massive build of “social” homes to tackle New Zealand’s human rights crisis in housing, a move that will also help reduce inequality, Peter Malcolm, spokesperson for the ...
Details of the Government's newly-announced vaping crackdown may keep New Zealanders smoking and paying exorbitant excise taxes, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union. Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, "We welcome the decision not ...
News that the Government is set to regulate vaping is welcomed. However, heavily restricting where most vape flavours can be sold is a step too far and could lead to rising smoking rates, says the Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand (VTANZ). ...
Tala Pasifika is applauding Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa’s Vaping Amendment Bill announcement and hopes that all parties will support the bill as a positive move for Pacific peoples trying to quit smoking. The Smoke-free Environments ...
Rawiri Waititi will stand for the Maori Party in Waiariki at September’s General Election. The 39-year-year old’s candidacy was today confirmed in Rotorua. Waiariki Maori Party Electorate Chair Verna Ohia-Gates said Waititi was an outstanding choice ...
Open Mike 09/03/2018 
Surprisingly enough, one could argue (as I often do) that the day inserted into a leap year is not that we label 29th February, but actually the 24th of February. Here I explain why, briefly. Almost everyone assumes that the day added into February in a leap year is the ...3 hours ago
If you haven’t watched Newsroom’s video showing Oranga Tamariki staff attempting to uplift a newborn baby yet you should do so. Although it's not the worst case as far as interventions go, it’s certainly not a good look for the Government. Because of this controversy there’s been a plethora of ...11 hours ago
Genesis Energy is planning to build the country's biggest PV solar farm:Power generator and retailer Genesis Energy says it is in advanced discussions to build New Zealand's biggest solar farm in northern Waikato. The company, which earlier reported a 15 per cent decline in operating earnings to $167.2 million, said ...12 hours ago
High Risk Call: Insensitive though it may seem to even pose the question: how will the electorate respond to what the Prime Minister’s opponents will undoubtedly characterise as an attack on New Zealanders’ freedom of speech? At more than twelve month’s remove from the terrible events of 15 March 2019, ...14 hours ago
Story of the Week... Opinion of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Climate change leads to more violence against women, girls Rape, domestic violence, forced marriages: A new ...17 hours ago
Last week the Wall Street Journal published an article ‘The Dangerous Denial of Sex by two scientists Colin Wright and Emma Hilton. Write is an evolutionary biologist at Penn State and Hilton is a developmental biologist at the University of Manchester. It is well worth reading the article in full. Here ...2 days ago
I am about to mail my overseas ballot to Florida so that it can be counted in the Democratic primary on March 17. In Florida you have closed as opposed to open primaries, which means that one must declare a party preference in order to vote in a party primary. ...2 days ago
In mid-December the Israeli secret police, the Shin Beit, revealed it had arrested dozens of Palestinian left-wing activists, including members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in the previous few months. Among those arrested was one of the central leaders of the PFLP, Khalida Jarrar. As ...5 days ago
I am among the most pro-free speech people I know. I don’t doubt there are others more strident than me, but I’m certainly up there. And my support for freedom of expression isn’t limited to opposition to government-imposed restrictions. It extends to a belief that employers should have limited powers ...1 week ago
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Finance, Fletcher Tabuteau has welcomed Statistics New Zealand’s latest report as a timely reminder of the value that this Coalition Government brings to every day New Zealanders: “This Coalition Government has meant a ...12 hours ago
We're taking action on child poverty, getting Kiwis into the trades, and more ...2 days ago
Benefit settings rise in line with wages as of 1 April Main benefits will increase by over 3 percent, instead of 1.66 percent, on 1 April with the Government’s decision to annually adjust benefit rates to increases in the average wage. The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, said ...9 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Apart from committing a crime, what do you have to do or say to be stripped of your order of Australia award? Where “a line” should be drawn is the question the Council for the ...51 mins ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is brushing off pressure from National to take a tougher stance on deporting Australian criminals. ...5 hours ago
What weakened the "West" and led to today's restless world? ...5 hours ago
The Government tells Wellington city council they should tread carefully before bucking a national trend on water ...5 hours ago
Marlin’s Dreaming have a new single out ahead of their next, ‘least accessible’ album. Frontman Semisi Maiai sat down to talk about how a bunch of jocks from Dunedin became indie darlings.Semisi Maiai embodies the duality of man. He’s a barista and a basketballer; he’s a jock and an indie ...6 hours ago
Without the feebate scheme - which was mildly ambitious at best - the Government has virtually no policy on cutting transport emissions. ...7 hours ago
An announcement that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will be based in Hamilton makes “perfect sense” given the city’s location and strong transport links says Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate. On Friday Justice Minister Andrew Little ...8 hours ago
Steel & Tube has recorded a large half-year loss, in line with forecasts, mostly because of a $37 million write-down in asset values. For the six months ended December the steel manufacturing company made a $36.9m loss. Chief executive Mark Malpass said the company expected an improved second half. "While ...8 hours ago
The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter has slumped to a large loss because of volatile prices and power costs. Pacific Aluminium, controlled by Rio Tinto, made a loss of $313 million for the year ended December compared with the previous year's profit of $207m. However, the underlying loss fell to $46m ...8 hours ago
The Government has extended its ban on travel from China by another eight days until early March, but may provide an exemption for international students, while the Treasury is considering global recession scenarios. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Cabinet decided on Monday afternoon to extend its ban on travel ...8 hours ago
Immigration staff are stretched thin after the shutdown of their Beijing office and people on work visas could face major delays. ...9 hours ago
Two ministers are heading to India this week for a high-powered visit - but is it too little, too late? ...10 hours ago
Northland's biggest trucking operator has accused the Transport Agency of letting an employee wage a personal vendetta against him that's cost him millions of dollars. Stan Semenoff says the employee went after his scalp, but he's defeated the Agency and shown that it had no safety case to begin with. ...10 hours ago
The Sustainable New Zealand Party is struggling to demonstrate it has enough political sustainability to last until the election campaign heats up later this year. Within just a few months media attention has turned from its founding to its foundering. The New Zealand Herald seems not to have caught up ...11 hours ago
The coronavirus outbreak is set to cost Air New Zealand as much as $75 million, as it moved to cut more flights to lessen the impact. ...12 hours ago
When NZME reports its annual results on Tuesday, attention will focus on its mooted purchase of rival Stuff Ltd and the revenue its paywalled nzherald.co.nz site has brought in ...12 hours ago
The coronavirus outbreak is set to cost Air New Zealand as much as $75 million, as it moved to cut more flights to lessen the impact. The airline has issued a revised forecast for its full year earnings, cutting its estimate of operating earnings by between $35m to $75m to ...14 hours ago
New Zealand's steps to shield itself from the Covid-19 coronavirus will not save the economy from feeling its effects. Hundreds of millions of dollars is likely to be shaved off the value of the economy for the first quarter, with estimates currently between 0.3 and 0.6 percentage points less than ...14 hours ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern anticipates cabinet ministers will decide to extend the ban on foreign travellers arriving from mainland China which is due to expire tonight. ...16 hours ago
The public has sent a clear message to the Reserve Bank that people would not tolerate moves to make New Zealand a cashless society. ...16 hours ago
National won't scrap planned minimum wage hikes - Collins; and Auckland Council struggling to sell construction disruption as good news. ...16 hours ago
What’s the economic impact of draining a wetland, or depleting soil health? An economist is looking at the value of some of the mostly unseen ecological services nature performs. A lot of what occupies economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta’s mind is invisible processes. While environmentalists fighting for wetland protection, or ...19 hours ago
Coronavirus has created new economic uncertainties in China and beyond. There is no doubt the short-term impact on New Zealand’s businesses will be severe, but how exactly is difficult to foresee. The outlook for global trade already looks grim compared to our expectations late last year. CNN reported that Maersk, ...19 hours ago
Belinda Muller has managed major Kiwi sports teams in three different codes – netball, rugby and, now, cricket. The only difference, she's found, is the size of their balls. It was supposed to last just three days. A bit of a paperwork at a netball centre, to help out a ...19 hours ago
The Children’s Commissioner responds to a UN committee's decision about the torture of children at Lake Alice. David Williams reports Pressure is building on a police review of their file into Lake Alice psychiatrist Selwyn Leeks. The review was prompted by a landmark decision by the United Nations Committee against ...19 hours ago
ReadingRoom is devoting all week to the best-selling book in New Zealand right now, In The Clearing, the brilliant new thriller by Kiwi author JP Pomare, inspired by creepy Australian cult The Family. Today: The creepy opening chapter. — Amy’s journal — Here are two things I learnt today: 1. ...19 hours ago
Aucklanders are breaking records for water usage - at the same time as the city breaks records for days without rain. How secure is the city's future water supply if these droughts continue? Auckland's water use has gone through the roof this summer, breaking records of 560 million litres per ...20 hours ago
Nationwide councils have underspent on water infrastructure by billions, Wellington is one of the first to feel the fallout. ...1 day ago
ECO MAORIs Kiwi Bank ac 389019048573100 Please help me to sort the nz police out
I decided against trying to use PayPal to receive donations .I decided to copy
Thestandards safe way of appealing and receiving donations I set up a Kiwi Bank AC
So he tangata the people of Aoteraoroa New Zealand who support ECO MAORI can use internet banking to make donations and know that there bank accounts are safe after they have made a donation . ECO MAORI will use the donations to SUE the nz police for all the breaches to mine and my Whano Privacy Rights & Human Rights a lot of people can see this has been happening to ECO MAORI when I win my case I will set up a
Charitable Trust and I will pay the money that I used and any extra donations into this Trust account and appeal to anyone else in Aoteraoroa who need help with finance to SUE the nz police for there in justices I will copy bank statements on this site to let he tangata the people know that ECO MAORI has Honest Honorable and transparent intentions to use your hard earned Putea Money. .
Kia Kaha Ka kite ano
Good morning te Am show on 3.
Te plan B of the Flute Master starts today YEA. The Warriors will be fine don’t worry. Any extra educational study for the mokos is good they get to make new friends and pick up new Ideas Jobs and Wozniak did not make that personal computer by them selves they were students and came up with the idea in a group of friends they could not get axis to a computer so they decided to build their own computer to buy one was to expense then they came up with the idea of making and selling personal computers enough said.
Global warming is hear all OUR Pacific cousins need to come up with a better design for there dwelling it doesn’t have to be expensive just good design test to survive the weather that they are going to receive. I say a prefabricated flat packed design using the new laminated wood technology and the new small smart house design is what is need.Kia kaha Ka kite ano
Am show Phil Twyford it is not acceptable that the state employees spy on KIWIs?????????.
As you can see I Back the Labour Party lead Government but I will give a honest opinion on anyones views that don’t serve the 99.9 % te tangata the people equally and honestly and fairly.
Ka pai Ka kite ano
Am show many Thanks to Pita for getting OUR History of Aotearoa changing social climate in the 18th century for Maori and Aotearoa new cultures of people .
I use this because I don’t like to promote War even though there was a lot of that going on. At least some of our Tepuna could see the big picture and plan for a better future for there MOKOS. If they didn’t get the big picture we would be like a lot of minority indigenous cultures around Papatuanukue the world that are just existing Kia kaha Ka kite ano. P.S we are only on Papatuanukue mother earth for a very short period of time isn’t it logical to leave her in best condition we can for All OUR Mokos
Valerie Adams you opperstion are just trying to get under your skin.
There tactics are to put you off your A game ignore them and know this you are a better person than them you would never stoop to those levels of using imtimadation to Win Kia kaha Ka kite ano
I will Watch Prime News I say they will be more honourable than the other channels Ka pai Ka kite ano
This was good idea for International Women’s day, posting as the rest of the world is still in International women’s day.
Nice interview with a Hungarian women living in East London, talking life, work and fears of Brexit.
https://libcom.org/blog/series-interviews-working-class-women-west-london-part-1-08032018
Catherine Ryan on Nine to noon yesterday interviewed Stanley Johnson, father of The UKs worse Foreign Secretary. Papa previously has said he sons switch from Remain to Leave would do wonders for his career!!!!
Ryan was at her fawning worse. I couldn’t take more that five minutes of it.
Catherine Ryan is a right winger parachuted in by National last year and I cant believe that RNZ Minister of Broadcasting hasn’t gotten rid of her yet.
Wake up Clare Curran or find another job yourself if you cant help make RNZ more “balanced and un-baised” still riddled with right wingers..
Today provides an interesting juxtaposition of political stances – and responses – that goes a long way to explain Trumpism and the whole appeal to MAGA.
In Chile, warmly applauded by the entire NZ elite and establishment media, a liberal democratic Labour government will sign the ultra-intrusive “free trade” agreement the (CP)TPPA.
In Washington, to the outraged uniform horror of the entire US elite (including the liberal democrat main opposition) and establishment media (including the likes of Stephen Colbert), the populist right wing US president will put in place tariffs to protect the US metals industry and the 200,000 odd workers (all members of the remnant US working class) who remain working therein.
Now, the Liberal-democratic NZ Labour led coalition government will get away with signing the (CP)TPPA because neoliberalism is yet to be repudiated by the vast majority of the professional middle class. Unlike Europe and the USA, which were seriously affected by the GFC and devastated the following decade plus long great recession NZ barely noticed the collapse of neoliberalism. Our primary centre-left party has escaped the fate of it’s third way colleagues in Europe simply because the economic collapse that laid the path for the collapse of the centre-left, third way liberal democratic parties in Europe never happened here.
But in the USA, and Europe it is the populists of the right who have (or at least pretended to have) picked up the cudgels on behalf of the workers and led the attack on the neoliberal establishment. The very serious people of the centre left, the establishment media, the professional and technocratic elites all still love neoliberalism. And the US and European centre-left who threw in it’s lot with neoliberalism in the 1990s, with the exception of the UK Labour party which saw the danger and elected Jeremy Corbyn (in the face of hysterical and fanatical opposition from the liberal-democrats of the nominal centre) to cleanse the party of it’s Blairist past, have been utterly routed by the hard right in the last 20 years.
So yeah – one of the main reasons Trump won was he said he was prepared to erect tariffs to protect the US working class, something that is still utter anathema to the nominal left wing parties of the US and European and NZ centre-left.
How does erecting tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports protect the working class?
The power of Ronald Reagan is strong in this one…
Whenever you’re ready to answer the question.
It sounds like you have a zinger in the breech for the typical answer to that question Ad. Which is of course ‘If it’s tougher for international competitors to get their product into the domestic US market, prices and working conditions for the domestic suppliers will rise.’…I feel like I’ve just pitched the obvious answer on an episode of QI and the klaxon is about to sound off.
Nope, just seeking something substantial beyond the rhetorical arm waving.
No one – not workers, not consumers, not small states like ours – will win in a likely trade war. But now that the rock is thrown in the pool, we are about to get a reminder that we are a small boat on a very tall sea.
Yes, it was a great everyman response from Europe. “Ok you want to play that game, looks like Bourbon, Levis and Harleys just took a price hike over here.’
Dumbing it right down to a base level seems to be a prerequisite for getting a message into Trump’s head.
“How does erecting tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports protect the working class?”
It protects the working class in the US.
Go right ahead and demonstrate that.
I don’t like Donald Trump. I think his tariffs on steel is a reaction against Chinese steel coming in, and a sop thrown out to his voters, that won’t cost him personally. And if he discovers it does, he won’t hesitate in removing them.
But I don’t disagree with a country putting tariffs on – if that is what they want to do. They will have to deal with the knock on effect, whatever it may be.
This constant demand for unfettered access to lower and lower priced materials and goods, does have an effect, in multiple nations, on workers and environment. And we should be, if we were truly ethical consumers, aware of that when we are looking to purchase and transport goods across the world, just because they are lower in price.
Free trade deals are always bad when there isn’t a level playing field.
“How does erecting tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports protect the working class?”
It protects a few un-compeditive industrialists in the US.
FIFY
Companies can profitably produce aluminium and steel in New Zealand, at competitive prices and quality with New Zealand costs and tariff protection, or lack of. Why can’t companies in USA do the same with what should be lower costs from a larger and closer market?
“Companies can profitably produce aluminium and steel in New Zealand, at competitive prices…”
Things have changed a bit recently.
“in the past most most steel from China was unprocessed but now manufactured steel beams were being imported into New Zealand and local companies were struggling to compete on price.”
Quote taken from the following:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/82805464/chinese-steel-imports-blamed-for-img-job-losses
20% cheaper for fabricated steel all comes to nothing, or worse if the steel either doesn’t fit, or is to the wrong spec. Think you’ll find that trade has sort of dried up now, or only on the biggest jobs. And we’re talking fabricated steel here, there’s always been an imported component in the heavy fabrication industry, previously from UK, Japan and Aussie, now from China and Korea, and going a bit further down the market than previously.
Ad is playing his clown game again. He knows very well that no one will win in a trade war. Trump is and always has been about himself and gaining popularity, even if he has to place one citizen against another to gain this. Major political figures throughout history have used this tactic to gain notoriety and support by brain-washing fellow citizens.
For a start it might mean that steel and aluminum workers in the states wont have to compete with workers in countries where they are paid $3 an hour? If developers in the US face a level playing field price wise they are likely to purchase from US companies (quicker delivery, possibly better quality) rather than foreign ones so better for working class jobs in the US?
Disagree Sanctuary
“Now, the Liberal-democratic NZ Labour led coalition government will get away with signing the (CP)TPPA because neoliberalism is yet to be repudiated by the vast majority of the professional middle class.”
I think the middle class are against TPPA – 11 and all the polls show it, but times are a changing, people have not been listened to in this country for years now, so they give up protesting and signing petitions, because they have already done that for years, instead many remove themselves from media and political parties and this allows the conservatives to thrive.
Similar to Tony Blair in UK Labour, people marched in their millions against the illegal invasion of Iraq, but were not listened to and were told plenty of lies, officials spoke out and one even lost their life over it.
But the legacy for the UK Labour Party is that people stop believing in the party and therefore a decade of conservatives come into force. (Similar to Rogernomics in NZ which has seriously eroded the Labour brand) which now struggles.
Similar to the democrats in the USA. People who live in the country expect a bit more focus and care from a centre left government! If they fail, they stop voting.
Jacinda looked like change, but sadly it has not happened the Labour Party is very set in it’s ways and refuses to listen.
Parker can not even hold an electoral seat, that is how unpopular the guy is, (he’s like the Nick Smith of the National party, but at least Nick can win a seat) but Labour give him free reign and a high list position to do something they must know is wrong. (It’s now predicted to cost MORE than it earns in compliance alone).
There is dozens of free trade agreements out there, it’s not like this is the only one!
But no, they have to go for the dog! Too lazy to remove conditions and put in climate change, proper land and asset restrictions to foreigners (at least put in no more than 50% foreign owned), or environmental protection. Nope nothing as usual – easier to lie, than actually do their jobs and think the public will lap it up. Nope. D- FAIL for Labour and NZ First.
1000% savenz.
Spot on there.
Stuart Nash Napier MP and Minister of Police, has just made labour look very foolish up in Napier by saying “reopening of the Wairoa to Gisborne rail would be a “hard ask:”.
So just two years ago 2016; he was in the press here aggressively fighting against the National Government saying it must be restored as” it is a vital link to our safety and prosperity!!!!!!
So Stuart Nash has pissed many off today with his “flip-flops” and this may be why they will loose the next election also because of broken promises they made – the bloody idiots they are.
Wake up labour before we are all doomed.!!!!!!
Labour are now setting us up to all suffer massive damages and deaths from radical climate changes now happening.
The MoT Fuels and Energy Management group report shows how fuel-efficient and low-pollution rail transport really is. # 363.73926 RAI # 4037.
The report confirmed that rail freight per tonne per kilometre travelled had extremely low NOx levels compared with trucking’s freight per tonne per km higher levels (four times) of all harmful pollution emissions.
Quote from page 34 of “Impacts of Rail Transport on Local Air Quality” report: 5.5: Locomotive Emissions; Opportunities for Reduction.
“Based on these inventory results, there does not appear to be a specific need to target the emissions from the rail sector in managing local air quality.
The only emission of any significance from locomotives is of NOx but the output relative to other combustion sources is still minimal in terms of total activity measures.”
Why the Government needs to support rail for public urban residential health & safety:
-Evidence of much higher diesel air emissions emerging, thanks to the Volkswagen diesel scandal.
-Doubts are emerging about our urban air quality, public health and safety and emissions of truck freight 24/7 through our urban residential zones as New Zealand has set no standards.
-Since the VW diesel scandal, similar diesel truck emissions cheating was uncovered.
-No safeguards for communities near truck routes.
-We need the protection of public health agencies along with MoT oversight.
Government, please heed our call for the reinstatement of provincial rail services, to protect the health and well-being of all our regional communities, as overseas governments are doing.
+1 cleangreen
Wake up labour before we are all doomed.!!!!!!
“instead many remove themselves from media and political parties and this allows the conservatives to thrive. ”
Hang on a sec there! I think you’ll find that conservatives on the whole wouldn’t be supportive of the TPP. Don’t confuse conservative and right wing, the working class are mostly conservative and they are why the Labour Party was created.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/101975725/renters-trash-christchurch-property-costing-owner-potentially-hundreds-of-thousands?
I remember reading this and wondering to what extent insurance would cover the damage. Any guesses?
Even if the owner had Landlord Insurance cover for the property a pay-out would be unlikely. All policies require regular property inspections usually with a frequency of every 3 months. The first question the insurer would ask is: “Please provide us with the property inspection reports.” The tenants have been in there for years, I suspect zero property inspections.
The key to being a good landlord is either appointing a quality property manager or doing all they would yourself. The most important work is done before the keys are handed over. There are many ways to check what sort of experience an owner or property manager can anticipate. Every prospective tenant does the best they can to appear to be a great tenant. The most important task a property manager/landlord has is sorting the illusion from the fact.
I suspect this owner decided that the 8% of the rent that a ‘Give a damn’ property manager would charge was better off in his/her pocket. How wrong they were.
You have way too much faith in property managers David Mac! They are not even regulated! Know someone who this happened to (not quite so much a bad state) but it was managed by a so called reputable property management firm for an elderly guy, and still happened. If people are evicted, or people get ‘friends in’ living there who are scum bags this happens more than you might think.
Nowadays the tenants are supposed to have insurance too.
I thought I’d post it and see what renter’s thought of it and how to solve the problem.
My guess is, that will be another Landlord who calls it a day adding to the shortage in Christchurch.
Should the renters be responsible for the mess, (made to clean it up as part of a sentence from courts for example, does anyone think the tenants are ruining it for other people renting, increasing the insurance premiums (many insurance policies don’t pay the full cost anyway or refuse to pay out , if it was intentional damage) which increases rents?)
Also we have an underclass living in NZ, what are the solutions? These people still need somewhere to live and apparently 2 delinquent children in the mix!
“An advocate for the homeowner, who also did not want to be named, said the children who lived there were responsible for smashing more than 100 windows in the area, stealing a cash register, shoplifting from nearby shops, vandalism, harassing elderly people, assault and setting fires.
He believed the police and Oranga Tamariki – which is working with the family – were doing what they could”.
I have the utmost faith in some property managers savenz. Yes, they are not regulated beyond the tenancy tribunal dragging them over the coals when they get it wrong and a tenant takes them to task.
Generally they are paid poorly, hence the relatively recent application of ‘Letting Fees’. If working for one of the popular franchises the income they generate for the office is generally split 50/50 and to get anywhere near a reasonable income requires managing more properties than they can effectively manage.
Appointing a quality property manager requires similar efforts as appointing a decent tenant. I’d look at trademe history and ask for the names and numbers of the last 5 properties they let and ring those owners for a reference. A private property manager is often a good place to start, 100% of the income they generate is theirs and the buck stops with them, not some faceless corporate Ray White identity.
Due to the slack management of that property, the people responsible for the damage/mess will probably walk away scotfree. The legal recourse is with the person named on the legally binding tenancy agreement (If there was one)
Yes, how do we house people capable of living like that, a tough question. A probationary period in a bullet-proof metal container house with perspex windows, stainless steel toilet/sink etc is a possible solution.
I think you are looking at it a bit one sided David Mac, the landlord/property manager evicted them and presumably gave them the correct amount of notice by law and they trashed the place in the 40 days or so they had left. What more could the landlord or a property manager have legally done?
The problem does not go away because it sounds like the 4 people who used to be housed there (including 2 children) now need to find a new place and will they do the same to the next place and what is to stop them?
No doubt they would do the same whether state or privately owned but the sad thing is that it will probably take weeks or months or in the case of P years and there is no longer a rental available for some other tenant.
What happens to the People like these who do have tenancy orders against them and in this case it looks like their own fault, nobody will rent to them and so where do they go?
On the plus side, apparently either Natz or Labour have invested ACC money in prisons…. what an irony when a government does this..
The perspex solution will cost the taxpayer approx $100,000 each per year, so at a cost of $400,000 per annum for the whole family – and the likely result is that they will go on to do much greater damage for society when released.
That house did not go from ‘well looked after rental’ to the state it is in now in 40 days. Foliage growing up through the rubbish, faded print on the cartons taped over windows etc. I’m confident periodic property inspections were not done and acted upon, for this, the owner is to blame.
Yes, what to do with people that defecate on the carpets throughout their home etc?
I’m not suggesting they be jailed, I’m suggesting they be provided with bullet proof state housing for a probationary period. Prove they are capable of being trustworthy tenants before being offered regular state housing.
Any capable property manager or landlord would not be letting to the culprits for quite some time. Taxpayers must house them. I’m suggesting they earn the right to again be trusted with a conventional half million dollar asset. If not, they stay in the housing that can be hosed out.
So are you saying new state housing with ‘wash proof’, fire proof and smashproof glass be added for the worst tenants, with cleaners, glaziers, pest control and gardeners going around weekly to clean up the damage, until they ‘earn the right’ to be trusted again.
But is that not prioritising the worst tenants over the more deserving state tenants?
And what about their neighbours, do they put up with the 100 broken windows in their community and thefts and fires from the kids and have their lives made hell and their community turn to shit, until people learn how to behave.
I’m just wondering because in my view a lot of things going on, such as TPPA-11 are going to make this type of underclass more common.
The reason so many are turning to P (and in my view it’s probably more likely the culprit than the landlord did not do inspections which does not turn a place into a pigsty with 4 tonnes of rubbish, and delinquent kids) is because it’s a cheap high, and makes people forget all their problems and feel a million dollars for a time.
If you struggle to work, or you do work full time on minimum wages but can’t afford the cost of living, plus could lose your job/hours at any time, then drugs start looking more attractive and drug dealers seem to have such good direct marketing and well run businesses too. No taxes!
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/13/making-meth-how-new-zealands-knack-for-p-turned-into-a-homebaked-disaster
Geez mate, you seem so far removed from reality…
The P thing in rentals was a beat-up. People tooting on a few pipes does not render a house inhabitable. It made Mike Sabin a millionaire via his propaganda machine Methcon and gave meth testers a platform to establish businesses peddling BS.
I suggest temporary perspex windows for those that who have proven that they can’t be trusted with glass windows.
If the occupants choose to smash windows and set fires around their neighbourhoods, this has nothing to do with where they live and they should be arrested and charged accordingly. They’re robbing local dairys and reeking havoc because they haven’t got anything better to do and grew up with parents that didn’t give a damn.
The TPPA is not generating P addicts, ask most of them their thoughts re: the TPPA and they’d respond ‘What’s that?’
People are addicted to P for the same reasons alcoholics can’t put the bottle down, they are seeking an escape. Canning the TPPA is not going to see these people become overnight contributing members of their society.
P isn’t cheap, that’s why addicts rack up rent arrears and disappear into the night when responsibility comes knocking.
If a landlord suspects P for example under law you are not allowed to do any monitoring without tenants permission and you are supposed to do a P check between tenancies which will cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Most agencies don’t do it though, because of course most of the houses will show P at some level (because the war on P was never won, surprise, surprise) and then they can’t rent it.
I know two tenants (one upmarket house, one downmarket house so it’s right across the board) who have had to move out or lost a rental when P levels were found in the property, which is adding to the shortage.
The P levels is a scam anyway by the sound of it because money has been shown to have more P on it that the average house because the levels were set too low for the amount of P users we seem to have handling the NZ currency.
I have talked to my property manager and agents about the P issue. They say that there’s not much of a problem with P in my area.
They also said their agents did training on tell tale signs of P. They said the media beat up the issue too much, that it was also stirred up by the same companies that did testing also doing the clean up. Basically, they seemed sympathetic to tenants, and thought the regulations were still too vague.
The property managers who do inspection of the unit I live in seem fair people. The property is in a good state, and any minor maintenance is attended to quickly.
The policies of the top management of the real estate chain are more into being authoritarian.
Hallelujah, yes Carolyn, you’ve nailed it.
Cooking P in a house is a whole different matter and there are many ways of determining if that is going on.
If you think your neighbours are cooking the things to look out for are things like: When you wonder, ‘Why on earth are those people always going outside to smoke, they don’t seem the types to be concerned about such a thing.’
Fan shaped dead patches in the lawn where containers of chemicals have been tossed out.
Frequent short term visitors at all hours of the night.
Rich pricks deserve it for being rich, they should have given the property to the renters as its only fair
Rich pricks do deserve the consequences of the type of society that now exists.
In neoliberal parlance, there are no free lunches…the cost of the destruction of social cohesion is what this represents more than any alternative explanations.
And rich pricks wrought that destruction
No they didn’t, crap parents did. It starts the day a child starts school and doesn’t have a clue what the alphabet is and those about them have been read a 1000 books before their first day.
We are a family that has books all around the house, and my last child is severely dyslexic. Won’t sit down and listen to books for too long, and visibly struggles to read, despite encouragement from all family members and time spent on attempting to master the basics. He has exceptional 3D awareness, and is very practical and forward thinking in terms of tasks and activities.
I picked up a hitchiker a couple of days ago, who was looking to attend a job interview to pick pumpkins. I ended up driving him there, and chatting on the way. He was twenty, and had been working in various jobs since he was sixteen. He said he’d just had his car impounded, ‘Speeding?’ I asked. “No, driving without a licence, but I’m a good driver”. It transpired that he was also severely dyslexic, and just the idea of opening the road code book was completely out of his comfort zone. And I thought about how this young man was completely unsupported in his schooling years, and how unaware he was of the assistance that was available to him to help with the literacy requirements of adult life.
If you think that all children that have difficulty with academics are there because the family don’t value education, that idea needs to be revisited.
People have a lot to offer, who have difficulty with academic work, and we currently have designed our workplaces, apprenticeships and practical trades to exclude them. It’s not good enough.
Hi Molly, yes there are exceptions to the rule and I think you’re splitting hairs in a bid to discredit my thoughts with such an exception or two.
It’s been my experience that those that are dyslexic possess what it takes to be astounding in other areas.
You have obviously latched onto this aspect with your son and his natural gift for 3D awareness. I’m sure you are developing your son’s gift and steering him in that direction. It’s what parents that give a damn do. Crap parents enlist the child to a lifetime of feeling handicapped and prepare him for a lifetime of offering excuses. A lifelong victim.
With your help, attitude and support, your boy will learn to turn a blind eye to his shortcomings and flourish.
“your boy will learn to turn a blind eye to his shortcomings”
I don’t think it is a shortcoming. It is a challenge. In the same way that many academic children may have challenges understanding how non-academic children do not have the same thinking processes. Or how explaining to a self-declared rational person, that excluding the emotional responses in people is irrational in itself.
And, I’m not just concerned about my son. I want an education system that meets the requirements of all our students, particularly those that struggle with reading challenges. Because they often have a lot to offer in other ways, but we don’t value those in our education system or allow for delays in reaching literacy milestones.
We then ignore other gifts, and concentrate on reading/writing, and while they may achieve competence at a basic level, we may have effectively taken out any joy in reading for a long period – if not for life. Our apprenticeships are now offered to those who get achievement credits, not unit standards. Knocking our practical students out of practical professions.
My point is really, these general statements don’t hold up well in reality. And can often lead to discrimination, where understanding will be more productive.
Short of a teacher for every child a near free education system has to be close to a ‘one size fits all’ curriculum. Teachers are not social workers, nor should they be.
The diversity you speak of needs to come from parents, the most important component in any child’s education.
Crap and lazy parents are quick to trot out ‘the school has failed my child’. A position too often discredited with the question ‘What is the problem and what are you doing about it?’
I know you’d be all over your situation Molly, you don’t need to be shown how to suck eggs, too many do.
“Short of a teacher for every child a near free education system has to be close to a ‘one size fits all’ curriculum. Teachers are not social workers, nor should they be.”
Why not demand an education system that is able to provide? Or alternatively, if you are obsessed with the one system, create one for the students with difficulties – after all, the others will be able to learn ‘with just a little help from their parents’.
And no, teachers don’t need to be social workers. They are already educators, and they only can be great educators if they educate all that come before them.
“Crap and lazy parents are quick to trot out ‘the school has failed my child’. “
And sometimes they are wrong, but sometimes they are right. The school is limited by resources and direction from the MoE. We need to invest in education for it to deliver.
David Mac
You don’t realise that you have contradicted your argument within your own comment. Basically you say that people pass on their learned approach to anything including education. So that parents who themselves have never learned to read, or ever read for imagination rather than to get a driving licence or read supermarket labels, have children who suffer the same disadvantage. And those with superior reading skills, or who know the importance of reading, books, ideas and imagination, pass those skills on.
They both are following the same pattern, so don’t blame the unlearned ones.
Don’t dump on the poor and unknowing. They aren’t very articulate probably to explain how they have been brought up. They may have had little engagement with others who have had no books in the home, whose parents haven’t even read newspapers, they have lacked the advantages of interest, encouragement to read.
ou can blame television if you want to ‘blame’ any factor in life. It encourages passive minds that only know the pictures and advertising gimmick characters that dominate children’s television. Instead things that spring from real experiences would stimulate learning with lots of interchange with parents, reading at bedtime and ‘what if’ imaginative thoughts and creative writing, drawing etc.
Also the obsession with teaching computer use in schools is going to limit their personal growth, and the likelihood that they will be used to having and using pencil, pen and paper to put down ideas, draw pictures as a habit
will be absent.
The healthy child that hasn’t been read 1000 books before they start school has been set up to fail.
An understanding of the alphabet, sentence structure etc is not what really matters. It’s the lubrication and igniting of the child’s imagination that does the business.
David Mac
Hear hear. And you sound as if you know about these ’empty’ children who may be short on the basics of education and empty of food for fuel. I have a teacher in my family and know a bit about it. A local school provides lunches for everybody, but probably I’m thinking of breakfasts.
We have been sliding down ever since 1984 and nearly everyone has thought problems would only be temporary or instead have looked for individual fault. It’s a systemic fault and it would be better if we all remembered that truth.
The ability of a struggling individual to overcome all barriers has lessened, it can still be done but lately as we know from unstoppable news items it has mushroomed. Thank god we have got rid of National for a while and I hope for a long time.
We have a chance to repair some of the neglect to the services and the neglect that the marginalised people have suffered. And while they have been struggling they have adopted coping mechanisms that they have passed on to their children – most of which will have to be unlearned if they are to be able to hold their heads up in society and get on with a reasonably happy life good for them and for the country. So we have to look out for them a bit longer, and
not just look down on them as no-hopers.
“We have a chance to repair some of the neglect to the services and the neglect that the marginalised people have suffered. And while they have been struggling they have adopted coping mechanisms that they have passed on to their children – most of which will have to be unlearned if they are to be able to hold their heads up in society and get on with a reasonably happy life good for them and for the country. So we have to look out for them a bit longer, and not just look down on them as no-hopers.”
Nicely written.
“The healthy child that hasn’t been read 1000 books before they start school has been set up to fail.”
There are many children who just will not sit down to listen to books. To then dismiss them for this, is to ignore their contribution to family, friends and themselves.
My tendency for pronouncements like this, dropped off considerably after my first child. And thankfully, completely disappeared after the third, who through trial and fire, increased my empathy, reduced my judgement and vastly improved my parenting skills.
Really? Isn’t that how every parent that gives a damn ends their child’s day and gets them off to sleep?
That’s all it takes, a Dr Seuss or 2 before a hug, chat and lights out.
Of course an active child doesn’t want to take in a book while the birds are singing and the other kids are kicking balls.
David Mac
This is what I said at 6.52pm. which seems to have completely been ignored. I didn’t realise what sort of person you are, prating on about reading to kids at bedtime. You don’t understand people with difficulties and don’t want to.
This is what I said and it is a good point.
You don’t realise that you have contradicted your argument within your own comment. Basically you say that people [parents] pass on their learned approach to anything including education. So that parents who themselves have never learned to read, or ever read for imagination rather than to get a driving licence or read supermarket labels, have children who suffer the same disadvantage. And those with superior reading skills, or who know the importance of reading, books, ideas and imagination, pass those skills on.
Hi grey, the parent that has never learned to read and write has double motivation to be sharing books with their child. Dr Seuss’s ‘Sam I Am’ includes just 50 simple words, Cat in the Hat, 250 basic words. If the illiterate parent struggles with that, they need to listen to spoken versions on their phones a few times as their finger follows the words.
Yes, there are exceptions, a blind parent etc. I acknowledge your point but continue to feel that in the vast majority of cases those parents that have the most time available to prepare their children for life are making the worst jobs of doing so.
“Really? Isn’t that how every parent that gives a damn ends their child’s day and gets them off to sleep?”
I had children that enjoyed that. I have also thankfully, had a child that actively hated it. I say thankfully, because the smugness that accompanied my parental advice was completely smashed out of existence.
There are children – both active and non-active – that don’t enjoy being read to. There are households where the parents are not at home when the children are being put to bed, or they themselves are unable to read. If you are able to, and your child enjoys it, the habit of putting a child to bed by reading a story is a lovely experience. But it is not the only way a child is shown love.
No wonder the right wing is full of amoral types, with sentiment like this.
I suspect this issue is more to do with drugs than rich pricks.
Also I suspect the landlord is not really a rich prick.
True rich pricks don’t rent out their houses, they can afford to leave them with housekeepers and the like aka Peter Thiel style or import a few family members to live here and get a NZ education and super.
Judging from he botch up census this year (probably by design) where they didn’t want to employ people to actually check that everyone filled it in (how many bothered to fill it out online, I didn’t even know it was on, so that’s one less person who apparently doesn’t live here, then there are the many others who are homeless, without computers, the underclass like the people who trashed the above house, the people who don’t speak English, the illegal immigrants etc etc).
One things for sure, we sure as shit don’t know (or want to know) what the heck is happening in our own country judging by the census, as it’s probably disturbing reading for the neoliberals and economists out there to find out what is really going on and how people really live these days.
People are addicted to drugs because they seek an escape. They aren’t escaping rich people. They’re escaping their sober selves.
True, regardless of income level.
“I suspect the landlord is not really a rich prick”
Maybe not a prick. But the rich part is relative. There’s a large number of people who will never be able to afford to buy a house. They would say that if you are a landlord then you own at least two houses. In Auckland that means you’re quite likely a millionaire, which definitely makes you rich in the eyes of someone who has no wealth.
A parent preparing a child for life has nothing to do with who they vote for.
A very suitable topic for a debate. You’ll find that as soon as you start to build an argument you’ll enter into areas that have everything to do with whom you vote for … Your statement can only be and remain true and defended as such in a purely abstract manner, which begs the question: what’s your point?
Hi incognito, not sure I agree. Swing voters doing the best they can to equip their child with the tools to pursuit their dreams don’t change what they’re doing because they voted left last election.
My general point is the lifelong importance of helping our children feel engaged, capable, proud and included from the very start of their social interaction with their peers.
2008-2017
1) Establish a two tier society’- haves and have nots, owners and renters.
2) observe the have nots lose respect for the tier of society they are denied
3) complain when the have nots don’t care about their betters property.
4) vote national
Are you a neutral observer on this Puckish Rogue or part of the cause?
Someone said recently that we don’t seem to be saying much about disabled and welfare. And I thought of the discussions that we have here touching on everything that is happening and needs to happen. And I felt that I should just give a brief cover of all that we seem to want to happen. And much of this is, but not all is in welfare, for the disabled, and others who are vulnerable and particularly needy.
There is interest for sure in welfare, but this blog is not just an advocate for welfare or to recount people’s miseries, we also think about how to stop the misery, how to improve and change, how to get a better system, where the money is going to come from. We try to think around the problems, not just dwell on them and record them for posterity. Because we fear that if we don’t think about change and work out a practical way of achieving it, posterity will show that nothing changed.
For myself I am interested in getting more housing provided by government that is basic, satisfactory standard and affordable. That will help people’s welfare.
And that there is respect for people with difficulties of any sort, disabled particularly instead of this prison commandant type of approach that
an apparently people-hating authoritarian government has instituted and which has become embedded, though still masked under the previous expectation and understanding that we are a caring democracy.
And there are improved health concessions etc
And there is education, I want a type of holistic thing that if there are single parents will bring them to school along with their children, so they are learning together and then there is part-time work for the parent that is suitable, at suitable times and pays something that doesn’t affect their benefit. That would be good for welfare.
And there are employment opportunities for everyone so that they can do at least a few hours at least per week and better themselves so this would be on top of any pension/benefit instead of reducing grants and benefits for each gross dollar, before tax, that people earn.
And there is a stop to secondary employment tax charging and for incremental checking of benefits, perhaps once every six months to check how someone is going.
And letting people make their own beneficial living arrangements so there is no prying and finger pointing about being ‘in a relationship in the nature of marriage’, because of rigid rules. And perhaps paying each person a separate individual tax instead of having married rates which would cut out surveillance
that is destructive to human rights and relationships.
And then looking at transport concessions for single parents etc
Then I would like to see an obligation for all on pensions including old age pension (superannuation) to do some service to the community of a few hours per week.
And it goes on, with each of us. So don’t think we don’t care about the disabled. We are looking at how things can be made better, done better, and why this isn’t happening when it would be right, would serve people better and can be cheaper in the long run, and is affordable if done in the right way. And why there are people at the top being paid huge salaries whose job seems to be to prevent any improvement in conditions.
Anyone who voted for any party apart from the Greens voted for a party that is refusing to lift the SLP. That’s the main benefit that those with long term and permanent disabilities are on. NZ basically says if you have a disability and can’t work you have to live in poverty. That’s the bottom line around everything else. We can be more creative and caring with how we treat people within that system and others, but the reality is still that NZ wants disabled people to live in poverty.
(and no, social housing won’t solve that for many people).
Thank you Weka for stating it how it is and thank you Greywarshark for your comment and useful ideas.
Certainly more money would help immensely, also an overhaul of Winz, (which looks unlikely under this government).
My reason for stating my personal circumstances was to illustrate how many in the disabled community in NZ have to live.
Also I know for a fact that the reality is that many NZ’ers have no idea of the poverty that often accompanies a disability. Poverty which, along with dealing with with Winz, usually exacerbates that disability.
weka,
As a once Green Party member 1999- -2002 I have to agree that my view of any other political Party is now becoming jaded as time goes on because all others have actually broken many promises since the last election.
Come 2020 our family will have to re-assess our voting preference currently of labour/NZ First; – so we will keep your advise in our minds till then.
“Zero Carbon Act” needs to consider adaptation alongside mitigation – Local Government NZ
By The Daily Blog / March 8, 2018
I liked Russel Normans suggestion here in this article in TDB today; – criticising the present government policy on our ‘Zero Carbon Act’ Emission policy as he says it needs to be strengthened.
He is very correct as the current policy is setup to be taken over by lobbyists from the right wing big oil interests.
Minister Shane Jones, supporting both the Rotorua region and Minister Twyford’s Kiwibuild plan, and a New Zealand-owned sawmill that happens to be the largest in Australasia.
Not a bad day’s work.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12008847
Yes, great news. A story like that every week will have the opposition struggling for popular support.
Really good to see.
I really feel Jones has found his niche as Minister of Regional Development and Minister of Forestry.
Bets on how long it takes for the story to be featured item on Kiwiblog? Anyone?
Yes good – I’m hoping the volume of trees planted exceeds the volume harvested by a sufficient quantity to offset the carbon emissions from the processing.
That may be a bridge too far for Shane though.
A Green Party candidate has a good chance of being the first Green to make it into the United States Congress.
From US Green Party leader Jill Stein:
“Last year Kenneth Mejia, a 27 year-old Green dynamo, for ran for Congress in California’s 34th Congressional District. Kenneth fell less than 400 votes short of 4th place, placing him 7th out of 24 candidates – a remarkable result for a first run, small donor campaign with a shoestring budget.
Now Kenneth is running again in the same district – but this time, he won’t be up against 24 candidates. In fact, as you’re reading this, he is the only candidate registered to run against the incumbent!
Kenneth has a good chance at winning and only needs to place in the top 2 slots to advance in the upcoming primary. This would land him in the final round, where he has a real shot at winning this district hungry for more radical, progressive representation.
Kenneth is an outspoken champion for the causes we believe in, from a Green New Deal to a $15/hour minimum wage, single-payer health care, a welcoming path to citizenship for immigrants, ending mass incarceration, ranked choice voting, ending the wars and much more.”
https://www.mejia4congress.com/
+1 esoteric pineapples
I fear that you, like Ms Stein, are putting a much to rosy glow on the chap’s chances.
He got 1,276 votes in the Primary. The top two candidates, both Democrats, got 8,156 and 5,504 votes and went on the ballot in the General election.
There were about 20 Democrats in the Primary and their total number of votes was about 26,000. Thus the Green candidate got about 5% of the number the Democratic Party got in total.
If by some miracle, and it really would be a miracle, he got about 6 times as many votes as he did, and got up to second, he would face in the run-off a Democrat who would sweep all the Democrat votes.
He really doesn’t have a chance.
He is about as likely to win as one of the Green Party candidates in our own election who got 5% of the candidate votes in the 2017 New Zealand election getting into first place in the Electorate in 2020 in the next General Election.
Anyone you would be willing to put your money on?
Is there a prospective Green winner in Hunua, Rodney, Tauranga or New Plymouth perhaps?
So anything interesting happen today?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102120559/a-fair-deal-for-nz-cptpp-signed-by-trade-minister-david-parker
Anything at all?
Puckish Rogue,
Nah; TPP11 is still being polished wildly by labour spin but is still another big turd that will perimeate every corner and home in NZ eventually just wait and see.
A re=packing doesn’t change the dead rat formula that it is a cover for now “Just another bus pass for global carpetbaggers.”
This is not a trade deal, it doesn’t even have the word trade in its title.
It’s another step towards a one world government. This will not be a government as we know it, but more a corporate governance model controlled by the 0.01%.
Sure there are a few financial crumbs on the table, to settle the peasants down but the end goal is total control of the masses and the signs of their success are increasing. Data control in the hands of the few, banks too big to fail, governments following the whims of lobby groups, NRA, pharmaceuticals, our liquor and dairy industries here etc.
Its ok though because its got progressive in the title so its all right
You should call yourself Progressive Rogue because you’re all right 😉
CPTTP is signed. Maybe not ideal, but it’s a much better deal than what the National Party negotiated. Staying relentlessly positive.
Ah the good old days
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11498201
‘Mr Nash was one of at least six Labour MPs who took part in nationwide marches on Saturday, as was Labour’s trade spokesman, David Parker, who spoke at the Dunedin rally. Others were Phil Twyford, Ruth Dyson, Megan Woods, and Clare Curran, while Jacinda Ardern apologised for her absence.’
No point in dwelling on the past puckered one, but since you have, why didn’t National negotiate a better deal? Too lazy?, incompetent? or just didnt give a shit.
Apart from some clauses that have been suspended until the US comes to its senses and signs up it is of course the same agreement that National negotiated.
Labour is relying on the ignorance of their lumpenproletariat when they lie about what they “changed”.
It’ll probably work of course. Most Labour voters like yourself are pretty thick and are easily fooled.
Why didn’t Labour negotiate a better deal?. “Too lazy?, incompetent? or just didn’t give a shit.”
Hi alwyn. Great to see your balanced and well-rounded comments here. Your mates on Kiwiblog must be missing you. I understand that’s where you like to comment most frequently. Stay positive and have a lovely day.
Fireblade; 100% grateful for that.
Gee thanks for tipping me off Fireblade as I thought Alwyn always put on a face that was meant to be balanced and ‘un- biased” and to be the face of reason,
But all the time he/she was a bloody right wing troll (kiwiblog) so thanks for the enlightenment.
” I understand that’s where you like to comment most frequently”.
Really? I’m afraid that comment is on about the same level of understanding as most of your views.
Wrong, quite wrong.
I’m sorry you can’t understand alwyn.
No dwelling indeed and instead of worrying about the TPP heres Clarke and a Whale shark
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12009281
And did you enjoy the first episode of Clarke’s series Fish of the Day on Prime at 8pm on Weds night, PR? Fabulous travel log on Vanuatu as well as the fishing.
But while Clarke was having an encounter with that whale shark in the Cook Islands yesterday, Jacinda and her other man, The Deputy Prime Minister, were playing dress ups.
Lloyd Burr, Newshub is good for something – wonderful photos of Winston and Jacinda on his Twitter account. LOL.
I don’t watch commercial tv so I missed it but by the looks of it Winnie didn’t seem to be enjoying it much
Rubbish!! Look at the next photo. Smiles all round.
Exactly! I want to see them turn up for Question Time in their Cook Island outfits and hats!
Got to have a bit of fun now and then.
And here is info on the ISDS side letters signed by NZ with other countries.
So, no protection against companies re-locating to Canada or another country to launch and ISDS against NZ.
Tweet from Barry Coates
And so easy to just have removed the IDSD clauses altogether! They countries kept them, because they mean to use them and they suspended them, because they mean to un suspend them later on.
savenz,
Labour’s David Parker = “double speech expert”.
It’s not the countries that will be ‘using them’ it’s the corporations. (Whom the politicians are beholden too anyway)
From Stuff today:
We’ll have whale meat on the table before lunch time.
At the end of the day, we all are friends and respect each other’s choices.
Finally our news media notice that Auckland Transport have gone rogue with their placement of CCTV cameras. I’m not sure how it came about that AT, who don’t answer to the ratepayers whose money they spend, are now in practice a division of the NZ Police. Apparently if the Police ask, Auckland Transport will provide them with CCTV cameras, and guess who pays for them?? We come closer to being a police/surveillance state every day.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/101884182/big-brother-is-watching-cctv-numbers-up-40-per-cent-in-auckland
@phantom snowflake, sure do, guess what, police don’t seem to be solving the main crimes either, more like being used by government and business to intimidate Earthquake victims or people like Hager and Bradbury and Dotcom.
Auckland transport just spent 11 million on upgrading their premises for managers.
Those well heeled people living in central areas get cycle lanes, 2 carparks for their house, buses, trains and curb upgrades and now they need congestion charges to keep the riff raft out.
What do people in places like Kaukapakapa get, transport wise, unsealed roads, industry raping them like James Hardie, constant road works and detours for all the infrastructure highways, and potential petrol taxes and commuter charges while having no reliable public transport to turn too even if they wanted it.
It’s a tale of two cities (but being forcibly combined within one fucked up city).
Tax payer money now seems all about keeping the .01% safe and secure and the Kiwi bureaucrat enablers living in their bubble.
P.S. My prediction within 10 years, the police force will be ‘added to’ by cheaper foreign police in outsourcing agreements to save money.
Likewise all government contracts. We are on our way already. They start with the easier people to screw over, hospital cooks and cleaners now spotless. Nurses and Doctors being individually bought in from overseas, soon it will be teachers, police etc, then defence .
Then like bulk school funding, they will be encouraged to turn to business to tender for blocks of work and overseas tenders will undercut local workers on mass.
“What do people in places like Kaukapakapa get?” Dust and a plague of trucks. (Oh and probably some cameras too…)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/nor-west-news/100629196/auckland-family-fear-breathing-and-drinking-proposed-quarrys-silica-dust
and it’s all to help such a wonderful corporate citizen James Hardie, from Wiki
“James Hardie was one of a number of companies involved in the mining of asbestos, and by the middle of the twentieth century had become the largest manufacturer and distributor of building products, insulation, pipes and brake linings containing it. In Australia, it ran asbestos plants in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Working with the products containing asbestos – including the building material known as “Fibro” – caused people to develop various pleural abnormalities such as asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma.[3]
In December 2001, the company shareholders unanimously voted to restructure and relocate the company in the Netherlands as a parent company. This was part of a strategy to separate the company from the stigma of its asbestos liabilities.[8]”
savenz, 100%
Same happend in Gisborne too.
Council under now ‘unpopular’ renegade “national party member’ ” Mayor Meng Foon has said two years ago that his council (Gisboorne District Council) has no money to support the rail restoration.
But then he goes against many citizens there and orders the destruction of their Council Building, and builds a new one costing a whopping $13 Million!!!!!!!
They are demented.
It’s part of the zombie disease.
With hoarders apparently they substitute human emotions onto objects which is why they can’t bear to throw anything out and their houses become full of rubbish and decay but they still can not part with it as it is so important to them.
Likewide neoliberals feel the same way, they substitute human emotions onto physical assets like property or shares and feel that is of superior importance to society which is just full of people who are easily replaceable burdens.
Schools are valuable assets due to the land and buildings that you can sell or build, but the children and teachers in them are liabilities that cost money.
Therefore schools become not about education but about managing assets such as upgrading buildings or selling off land, while they think of new ways to cut costs on education.
Even the investment in rail through the investment fund shows the disease, apparently the new rail investment sounds like it is mostly to ship logs around rather than people. (Because logs are valuable and people are worthless, even thought we have a massive transport problem in this country for people!).
You are right, we have a bunch at the helm who are demented.
Auckland council wasted a billion on IT but can’t afford rail. They have millions for America’s cup and new premise upgrades for all (I think it was about 15 million+ for their own premises upgrades + all the COO’s, increasing costs of lawyers at the teat so incompetent, then telling all the rate payers they can’t afford, sewerage, transport, libraries, mowing berms, closing service centres etc etc… They need to constantly put up rates to pay for all their good ideas.
How about moving all the COO’s and council to cheaper areas for a start! Getting the America’s cup to fund raise their own village!
Cutting wages to under $400k for any COO managers.
Getting rid of the corporate structures that are leaching money constantly!
“Auckland council wasted a billion on IT”.
Please provide any evidence of this.
The wastage in dollar terms is ‘unknown’, Sacha….
What is known are the public records of the dollars spent on IT since formation of the supercity…
The precentage of budget spend which could be termed ‘wasted’, is higher than 50%….
Significantly…
The CFO resigned, in large part because he had lost control…
That old allegation planted by righties mashes together ongoing standard operational expenses with the one-off project to combine systems (which was appalling). Recycling lies undermines opposition.
“P.S. My prediction within 10 years, the police force will be ‘added to’ by cheaper foreign police in outsourcing agreements to save money. ”
Maybe not in 10 years time, but at some stage in the not too distant future we will no doubt have a Trans Pacific Union or Pacific Union police force throughout all of the signed up countries (members of the union)
If you can get Vietnamese teachers and Police at $1 p/h and they don’t complain, why the hell would you pay $70,000 pa? Think of the cost savings!
The tide has hopefully turned on globalism now though save. We don’t have the incomes, jobs or the houses for it.
Maui, we still have over paid doctors, teachers and police officers, there are plenty of savings by the state to be made by a government that prides itself on trickle down theory.
Don’t worry the taxpayers can pay more taxes so we can subsidise the wages so that multinationals like power companies can still turn a dollar. Better still invest in prisons it’s clearly a growth stock like ACC.
It’s much better to invest in prisons for ACC than to pay out claimants for injuries, all their accountants tell us so and we can pay the board members to be on other boards to spread the ideology like a virus.
Can they milk cows?
I think people from China and Philippines have milking covered.
My guess is Canada will go for forestry. They pay them too much in Canada so those jobs are safe, phew Shane Jones.
I guess that leaves Kiwis free to get high on P, trash houses, and wait for their last pay check.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/102131292/trump-says-south-korea-is-to-make-major-statement-on-north-korea
‘North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has asked US President Donald Trump for talks and Trump has agreed to meet him “by May,” South Korea’s national security adviser said at the White House on Friday (NZ time) after delivering the invitation to the American president.’
‘Kim has also committed to stopping nuclear and missile testing, even during joint military drills in South Korea last month, Chung Eui-yong told reporters in Washington.’
Hopefully something positive will come of this
Better hope Trump isn’t a fan of The Interview.
I just hope it isn’t just another “lets throw some aid at North Korea” exercise again
I wonder what Korea’s former colonial powers, Japan, China and Russia, think of the prospect of a united Korea. Maybe with nuclear arms.
Seems to be a “Make Korea great again” theme running here.
Hopefully a united Korea will lead to an end to this:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17774210
Professor Daniel Schwekendiek from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul has studied the heights of North Korean refugees measured when they crossed the border into South Korea.
He says North Korean men are, on average, between 3 – 8cm (1.2 – 3.1in) shorter than their South Korean counterparts.
A difference is also obvious between North and South Korean children.
“The height gap is approximately 4cm (1.6in) among pre-school boys and 3cm (1.2in) among pre-school girls, and again the South Koreans would be taller.”
Schwekendiek points out that the height difference cannot be attributed to genetics, because the two populations are the same.
The current situation is unfortunately the cumulation of a turbulent history. And very sad and scary for those trapped in the midst of it. But Korea wasn’t the flashest of places for a Korean from 1910 to 1945 either.
I’m hopeful of a resolution, but there’s a lot of vested interests and fears in this one.
Seems to be a “Make Korea great again” theme running here.
Since we now have a pretty good idea how Trump’s vacuous mind operates, I think that hypothesis sounds about right.
Kind of… lets pool our nuclear toys eh? Oh what fun we’re gonna have. We’ll be the two most powerful people in the whole wide world. No-one will dare touch us.
China, Japan and Russia were all brutal occupiers of Korea so I think Graeme is alluding to the possibility of the two Koreas having the nuclear boot on their foot.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12009102
‘The election returns show Labour spent $2.58 million on election advertising during the 2017 election campaign while National spent $30,000 less at $2.55 million.’
Damn those big spending Labours types, always with the chequebook out buying elections 😉
yes PR
labour wont agree to the green party bill to declare all details of their lobbyists and donations, so we need to ask now why?
What have they got to hide?
Is it true that Shaw received donations from a foreign political party?
That should be a total no-no as a source of party funds I would have thought.
It would be just as bad as the money Trump was supposed to have received from the Russians.
Alwyn,
I am more interested in what Lobbyists and donors all donated to national every election.
That would be a sizzling read of Global eite and corporations I bet.
So the donation to Shaw from a foreign political party is true.
Thanks for the confirmation. I wonder if we have laws like the US where you have to register as an agent of a foreign power?
Does that include belated license fees for stolen music?
There was one sentence in the article that started of alright but the went astray.
It started
“It had to scrap $114,000 worth of hoardings with little on them”.
It should of course have continued with
“and replace them with Ardern’s hoardings which had even less on them”
Where, oh where did they get the money from?
Surely they wouldn’t have borrowed it and are planning to repay it by raiding the taxpayers’ coffers?
Of course they didn’t borrow it – and stop making insinuations.
Labour was flooded with donations following the change of leadership to Ardern on 1 August. In the first few hours alone, they received over $110,000 and 600 new volunteers.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95350937/Jacinda-Ardern-brings-in-110-000-and-600-new-volunteers-for-Labour
This apparently rose to $250,000 and 1000 volunteers within 24 hours and kept coming.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97077506/new-labour-leader-changed-election-campaign
Political donations tend to flow to the winners, and desert the losers. Looks like the donor class predicted and predicated the outcome.
Weep into your jocks😁
Our Family donated minimum amounts to the labour campaign this election.
They got lots of small donors I heard.