Open mike 09/03/2024
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6:00 am, March 9th, 2024 - 36 comments
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- Open Australia versus closed United States
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...8 minutes ago - The fix is in
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...2 hours ago - Intelligence review is strong on workforce issues. Implementation may be harder
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...3 hours ago
- Corruption Tsunami
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...3 hours ago - Sharing security interests, ASEAN’s big three step up cooperation
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...5 hours ago
- Technology can make Team Australia fit for strategic competition
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...8 hours ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Thursday, April 3
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...9 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On The Clash Between Auckland Airport And Air New Zealand
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...17 hours ago - Just what does drive so much of this global, Right-wing populism we all see at present?
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...21 hours ago - Two-part webinar about the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...21 hours ago - Bookshelf: ‘Vampire state: The rise and fall of the Chinese economy’
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...23 hours ago
- Too complacent, too greedy
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...24 hours ago - It’s time to imagine how China would act as regional hegemon
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...1 day ago
- We don’t need the fast track to kill fossil fuels
RNZ has a story this morning about the expansion of solar farms in Aotearoa, driven by today's ground-breaking ceremony at the Tauhei solar farm in Te Aroha: From starting out as a tiny player in the electricity system, solar power generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for ...1 day ago
- How world order changes
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and almost a year before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, US President George H W Bush proclaimed a ‘new world order’. Now, just two months ...1 day ago
- Social Contracts Are Breaking
Warning: Some images may be distressing. Thank you for those who support my work. It means a lot.A shopfront in Australia shows Liberal leader Peter Dutton and mining magnate Gina Rinehart depicted with Nazi imageryUS Government Seeks Death Penalty for Luigi MangioneMangione was publicly walked in front of media in ...1 day ago - Wednesday 2 April
Aged care workers rallying against potential roster changes say Bupa, which runs retirement homes across the country, needs to focus on care instead of money. More than half of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career according to a new survey. Consumers are likely to see a ...1 day ago - The Green’s Identity Bubble Problem.
The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that ...1 day ago - Fabian Fundraiser – Twilight Time
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...1 day ago - That’s Democracy?
The landedAnd the wealthyAnd the piousAnd the healthyAnd the straight onesAnd the pale onesAnd we only mean the male ones!If you're all of the above, then you're ok!As we build a new tomorrow here today!Lyrics Glenn Slater and Allan Menken.Ah, Democracy - can you smell it?It's presently a sulphurous odour, ...1 day ago - Think laterally: government air and shipping services can boost Australian defence
US President Donald Trump’s unconventional methods of conducting international relations will compel the next federal government to reassess whether the United States’ presence in the region and its security assurances provide a reliable basis for ...1 day ago
- Reserve Bank, bank capital etc
Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their ...1 day ago - Luxon’s ‘going for growth’ actually means ‘going for debt reduction’
Long story short: PM Christopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...1 day ago - Luxon’s ‘going for growth’ actually means ‘going for debt reduction’
Long story short: PM Christopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...1 day ago
- Life after D-notices: Australia can learn from Britain’s updated system
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...1 day ago
- Life after D-notices: Australia can learn from Britain’s updated system
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...1 day ago
- Should Auckland demolish Spaghetti Junction?
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...1 day ago - Should Auckland demolish Spaghetti Junction?
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...1 day ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Wednesday, April 2
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’ Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...1 day ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Wednesday, April 2
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’ Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...1 day ago
- Diplomacy is the newest front in the Russia-Ukraine war
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated. Neither side is in a position to achieve its stated objectives through military force. But now there is significant diplomatic activity as well. Ukraine has agreed to ...2 days ago
- The wettest choppiest part
This was my first thought about yesterday's announcement from Winston Peters, ferry-whisperer. Read more ...2 days ago - How to deal with a kangaroo court
In November last year, Te Pāti Māori's Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke spoke for all of us when she led a haka against National's racist Treaty Principles Bill. National and its parliamentary patsies did not like that, so after kicking her out of the house for a day, they sought to drag her ...2 days ago
- AusAID can take USAID’s place in the Pacific islands
One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the ...2 days ago
- The US alliance is precious, but Australia should plan for more self-reliance
If our strategic position was already challenging, it just got worse. Reliability of the US as an ally is in question, amid such actions by the Trump administration as calling for annexation of Canada, threating ...2 days ago
- Monday 1 April
Small businesses will be exempt from complying with some of the requirements of health and safety legislation under new reforms proposed by the Government. The living wage will be increased to $28.95 per hour from September, a $1.15 increase from the current $27.80. A poll has shown large opposition to ...2 days ago
- Not Aprils’ Fools: Government Prioritises Road Cones Over Health & Safety, 6 Nelson Senior...
Summary A group of senior doctors in Nelson have spoken up, specifically stating that hospitals have never been as bad as in the last year.Patients are waiting up to 50 hours and 1 death is directly attributable to the situation: "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be ...2 days ago - The US has many chip vulnerabilities
Although semiconductor chips are ubiquitous nowadays, their production is concentrated in just a few countries, and this has left the US economy and military highly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. While the ...2 days ago
- Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology
Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will compound New ...2 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, April 1
In short in our political economy this morning:Fletcher Building is closing its pre-fabricated house-building factory in Auckland due to a lack of demand, particularly from the Government.Health NZ is sending a crisis management team to Nelson Hospital after a 1News investigation exposed doctors’ fears that nearly 500 patients are overdue ...2 days ago - Looking back to look forward, 10 years after the First Principles Review
Exactly 10 years ago, the then minister for defence, Kevin Andrews, released the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence (FPR). With increasing talk about the rising possibility of major power-conflict, calls for Defence funding to ...2 days ago
- The Government accidentally added us to their group chat
In events eerily similar to what happened in the USA last week, Greater Auckland was recently accidentally added to a group chat between government ministers on the topic of transport. We have no idea how it happened, but luckily we managed to transcribe most of what transpired. We share it ...2 days ago
- Dylan Attempts to Stop a Pig Butchering
Hi,When I look back at my history with Dylan Reeve, it’s pretty unusual. We first met in the pool at Kim Dotcom’s mansion, as helicopters buzzed overhead and secret service agents flung themselves off the side of his house, abseiling to the ground with guns drawn.Kim Dotcom was a German ...2 days ago - Luxon Calls Snap Election!
Come around for teaDance me round and round the kitchenBy the light of my T.VOn the night of the electionAncient stars will fall into the seaAnd the ocean floor sings her sympathySongwriter: Bic Runga.The Prime Minister stared into the camera, hot and flustered despite the predawn chill. He looked sadly ...2 days ago - Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Latest Ferries Scam
Has Winston Peters got a ferries deal for you! (Buyer caution advised.) Unfortunately, the vision that Peters has been busily peddling for the past 24 hours – of several shipyards bidding down the price of us getting smaller, narrower, rail-enabled ferries – looks more like a science fiction fantasy. One ...3 days ago
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First - A ReminderBenjamin Doyle Doesn’t Deserve ThisI’ve been following posts regarding Green MP Benjamin Doyle over the last few days, but didn’t want to amplify the abject nonsense.This morning, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, answered the alt-right’s prayers - guaranteeing amplification of the topic, by going on ...3 days ago - The world can still keep Trump in check
US President Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the checks and balances that have long protected American democracy. As the self-described ‘king’ makes a momentous power grab, much of the world watches anxiously, ...3 days ago
- Febrile elaborate fantasies
They can be the very same words. And yet their meaning can vary very much.You can say I'll kill him about your colleague who accidentally deleted your presentation the day before a big meeting.You can say I'll kill him to — or, for that matter, about — Tony Soprano.They’re the ...3 days ago - National’s ghost ships
Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now ...3 days ago
- Red tape that tears us apart: regulation fragments Indo-Pacific cyber resilience
The fragmentation of cyber regulation in the Indo-Pacific is not just inconvenient; it is a strategic vulnerability. In recent years, governments across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, have moved to reform their regulatory frameworks for cyber ...3 days ago
- Economic Bulletin March 2025
Welcome to the March 2025 Economic Bulletin. The feature article examines what public private partnerships (PPPs) are. PPPs have been a hot topic recently, with the coalition government signalling it wants to use them to deliver infrastructure. However, experience with PPPs, both here and overseas, indicates we should be wary. ...3 days ago
- Politics of Grievances A Tidal Wave
Willis announces more plans of plans for supermarketsYesterday’s much touted supermarket competition announcement by Nicola Willis amounted to her telling us she was issuing a 6 week RFI1 that will solicit advice from supermarket players.In short, it was an announcement of a plan - but better than her Kiwirail Interislander ...3 days ago
- Not much parliamentary scrutiny
This was the post I was planning to write this morning to mark Orr’s final day. That said, if the underlying events – deliberate attempts to mislead Parliament – were Orr’s doing, the post is more about the apparent uselessness of Parliament (specifically the Finance and Expenditure Committee) in holding ...3 days ago
- TSMC’s $100 billion bet: strengthening ties or weakening Taiwan’s leverage?
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC’s plan to build a plant in the United States looks like a move made at the behest of local officials to solidify US support for Taiwan. However, it may eventually lessen ...3 days ago
- SOS – Save our streets!
This is a Guest Post by Transport Planner Bevan Woodward from the charitable trust Movement, which has lodged an application for a judicial review of the Governments Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 Auckland is at grave risk of having its safer speed limits on approx. 1,500 local streets ...3 days ago
- Noise Pollution
We're just talkin' 'bout the futureForget about the pastIt'll always be with usIt's never gonna die, never gonna dieSongwriters: Brian Johnson / Angus Young / Malcolm YoungMorena, all you lovely people, it’s good to be back, and I have news from the heartland. Now brace yourself for this: depending on ...3 days ago - Farewell to Orr
Today is the last day in office for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr. Of course, he hasn’t been in the office since 5 March when, on the eve of his major international conference, his resignation was announced and he stormed off with no (effective) notice and no ...3 days ago
- Bishop fighting hard to free up housing supply
Treasury and Cabinet have finally agreed to a Crown guarantee for a non-Government lending agency for Community Housing Providers (CHPs), which could unlock billions worth of loans and investments by pension funds and banks to build thousands of more affordable social homes. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: Chris Bishop ...3 days ago - 3 percent of GDP for defence is no stretch. We did 2.9 percent in the Cold War
Australia has plenty of room to spend more on defence. History shows that 2.9 percent of GDP is no great burden in ordinary times, so pushing spending to 3.0 percent in dangerous times is very ...3 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, March 31
In short this morning in our political economy:Winston Peters will announce later today whether two new ferries are rail ‘compatible’, requiring time-consuming container shuffling, or the more efficient and expensive rail ‘enabled,’ where wagons can roll straight on and off.Nicola Willis threatened yesterday to break up the supermarket duopoly with ...3 days ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #13
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- Inspired Quill: Anthology Submissions Open
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Prime minister Kevin Rudd released the 2009 defence white paper in May of that year. It is today remembered mostly for what it said about the strategic implications of China’s rise; its plan to double ...5 days ago
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When National introduced its bullshit "Treaty Principles Bill", the public reacted with outrage. Over 300,000 of us - more than 5% of the entire population of Aotearoa - submitted on the bill, crashing parliamentary servers. But now, National's stooge committee has decided to dump two-thirds of those submissions in the ...5 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Saturday, March 29
In short this morning in our political economy:Voters want the Government to retain the living wage for cleaners, a poll shows.The Government’s move to provide a Crown guarantee to banks and the private sector for social housing is described a watershed moment and welcomed by Community Housing Providers.Nicola Willis is ...5 days ago - Updates from Rwanda and the Congo – by Zoom
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How Australia funds development and defence was front of mind before Tuesday’s federal budget. US President Donald Trump’s demands for a dramatic lift in allied military spending and brutal cuts to US foreign assistance meant ...6 days ago
- The imperilled truth and the imperilled Herald
Questions 1. Where and what is this protest?a. Hamilton, angry crowd yelling What kind of food do you call this Seymour?b. Dunedin, angry crowd yelling Still waiting, Simeon, still waitingc. Wellington, angry crowd yelling You’re trashing everything you idiotsd. Istanbul, angry crowd yelling Give us our democracy back, give it ...6 days ago - Northern Australia’s economic revival can support defence readiness
Two blueprints that could redefine the Northern Territory’s economic future were launched last week. The first was a government-led economic strategy and the other an industry-driven economic roadmap. Both highlight that supporting the Northern Territory ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: More subsidies for Tiwai
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- Friday 28 March
Jobs are on the line for back-office staff at the Department of Corrections, as well as at Archives New Zealand and the National Library. A “malicious actor” has accessed and downloaded private information about staff in districts in the lower North Island. Cabinet has agreed to its next steps regarding ...6 days ago
- Release: Thousands of submissions excluded from Treaty Principles Bill report
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...4 hours ago - Release: Uncertainty remains over the impact of tariffs
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...5 hours ago
- Release: Worst February for building consents in over a decade
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...1 day ago
- Release: Labour supports Willie Apiata’s selfless act
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...1 day ago
- Te Pāti Māori MPs Denied Fundamental Rights in Privileges Committee Hearing
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...2 days ago
- Release: Govt health and safety changes put workers at risk
Changes to New Zealand’s health and safety laws will strip back key protections for small businesses and put working Kiwis at greater risk. ...3 days ago
- Release: Kiwis worse off this April thanks to Govt choices
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...3 days ago
- Release: Three more years for Interislander ferries
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...3 days ago
- Release: Myanmar junta must stop the airstrikes
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...3 days ago
- Release: National failing to deliver on supermarkets
National is paying lip service to its promises to bring down the cost of living, failing to make any meaningful change in the grocery sector. ...3 days ago
- Release: Labour backs farmers’ call for better process on GE
Labour shares farmers’ concerns that the Gene Technology Bill is moving too fast. ...1 week ago
- Release: Bar still too high for small mental health providers
Small mental health providers will still be locked out of co-funding from the Mental Health Innovation Fund despite a lower threshold. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for Govt to scrap proposed ECE changes
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...1 week ago - NZ First Introduces Bill That Gives Democracy Back To The People
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...1 week ago - Speech: Navigating the New World (Dis)order in Turbulent Times
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Call for Mandatory Police Body Cameras
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...1 week ago
- Release: Kiwis lose faith in job market
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...1 week ago
- Greens question Govt commitment to environmental protection with RMA reform
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt must tackle meth use crisis
New data shows methamphetamine use is spiralling out of control while the Government sits on its hands. ...1 week ago
- “Make New Zealand First Again”
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt’s continued lack of action on Gaza condemned
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National at sea over Defence jobs
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National standards returning by stealth
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Kiwis still struggling as economy stumbles along
Kiwis aren’t feeling any better off despite figures showing a very slight growth in GDP in the December quarter. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...2 weeks ago
- Another failed ETS auction, another indictment on the Govt’s climate credibility
The ETS auction’s failure today is yet another clear sign that the Government is failing us all on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Luxon quick to give away principled position on nukes
Christopher Luxon seems to have thrown New Zealand’s principled anti-nuclear advocacy under a bus. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must act on Israel’s slaughter of children
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Still no certainty for disability communities
One year on from the Government’s abrupt and callous changes to disability funding, the community still has no idea what the future holds. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party backs volunteer firefighters in their call for ACC recognition
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...2 weeks ago
- Stand Up for Palestine: A Call to Action Against Israels Treacherous Attack
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...2 weeks ago
- MP Views: Living Strong, The Economy, Servicing Our Nation, The Golden Egg, and 4 Year Terms
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...2 weeks ago
- Shane Jones has no shame
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National botches health funding numbers
Health Minister Simeon Brown’s claim that the Government has put $16.68 billion into the health system over three years is wrong. ...3 weeks ago
- Government tramples on the rights of disabled migrant children
The Green Party is condemning the Government’s move to tighten access to visas for disabled children. ...3 weeks ago
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Surely the time is right for a workers co-op/not for profit media beast to be created..?
We have the available talent…
The old paradigm is broken..
Time/opportunity to create a new one…
Geez the health targets look really good don't they.
BUT are there any indications about time scale AND HOW?
"Look good" are the operative words.
Everything the NACTZ government does is designed to look good, because their conspiracy theory prop supporters and the shallow MSM lack the intelligence and foresight to delve further from the surface.
I've said it many time before – National are full of s…..t. They were formed not to do things but oppose things. I can't see how opposing things in itself makes a credible government.
The cancer plan implies that previously nobody cared about the failures, yet everyone in the Health sector cared muchly but lacked the resources to act quickly. Wonder where the new Government will get the expert people from to enact their bold plan?
I can't see how opposing things in itself makes a credible government.
It doesn't. Which is one reason Labour came such a cropper last October, defining themselves in effect as opponents of the party that opposes things.
The cancer target is bullshit as far as I can tell.
I haven't read the detail, but it seems focused on after diagnosis care instead of pre diagnosis screening.
These are two seperate issues, and it's been my personal experience that if there is a chance of cancer being present after a possible detection the entire intervention process kicks in pretty quickly once your referral has been accepted.
However, the time from visiting a GP to actually being screened is very slow.
So, from my perspective, it seems like an easy target to reach and then be able to turn around and claim a political point scored. Bit like taking the credit for roads opening that were started under the last government, or claiming to have facilitated cell phone coverage that was also started under the previous government which is what my local MP here in Whanganui seems to be doing..
Young students are having their say, re: Aukus
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2403/S00076/students-and-activists-protest-us-diplomats-victoria-university-lecture.htm
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2403/S00083/us-diplomat-leaves-15-minutes-into-her-victoria-university-lecture-after-peaceful-protests-by-students-and-activists.htm
I do wonder if the Centre for Strategic Studies , who invited this US diplomat will also be inviting the equivalent from say , China, or the Solomon Islands, or India?.So the students can have a balanced view
How many of those involved were students?
Having their say by silencing someone else – a bit like at Albert Park?
A balanced view would require the silencing of everyone invited to speak, if that is the precedent.
If you had read my comment under Mike's post , you would see that I regretted that Jenkins could not speak
If you had read the links you would have read exactly what their points were and why they were opposed-minus the yelling, which unfortunately seems to be se rigeur these days, on the left as well as the right
I read what the people who spoke said (not on your links) – but have no evidence that any of them were students, or wanted to hear the invited guest to speak (Mike Smith excepted).
Mike Smith did not claim that those who spoke were students.
Student Justice for Palestine members appear to have been outside the venue protesting.
The links would have shown you among those protesters were student justice for palestine (SJP)
So?
What is your point exactly ? Did you read what the SJP member and PhD candidate at VUW had to say about Aukus and Gaza?
China, a balanced view? You do know that China is an authoritarian dictatorship with a ruler in Xi Jinping who has essentially made himself absolute ruler for life?
Not sure how you could provide balance against that. Maybe the anti AUKUS, anti Israel, anti US, anti anything 'West' protestors could arrange their own event with speakers presenting whatever it is they want presented?
No different from Trump, then!
You seem to have missed the fact that Trump has not been president of the US for the last 3+ years.
Do try to keep up.
Snarky B (imho), but at least you're not "blinded by political ideology"
On TS, a respectful centrist's work is never done – debating those pesky lefties.
Toot toot
So glad that you find yourself so free of other cares, that you can trawl through the TS archives to find these gems.
And glad that you acknowledge that I'm not blinded by political ideology.
Really, with you around as a booster, I have no need to blow my own trumpet.
Glad you appeciate the boost B, and it's really no trouble at all – a simple search of the last two weeks found those revealing (snarky) gems, and more.
Do you understand my reasons for doubting your self-declared "respectful centrist" persona? I would be happy to provide bi-monthly 'boosts', although their quality is up to you – hope my perspective isn't too "difficult to take".
Carry on
No. And I'm finding your obsession with me a bit creepy.
You might want to dial back on the personal interest, and try engaging on the actual topics under discussion.
Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by this answer, but it's disappointing.
I'm interested only in your comments, and how consistent/inconsistent they are with a self-declared "respectful centrist" persona.
Do you understand the purpose and principle of an immune system?
The Standard is a 'left-leaning' blog; imho it’s moderators could be likened to components of a virtual immune system (not their only role, to be sure), as are authors and (in their own small ways) many commenters. Challenges to ‘lefty’ values, views and principles are welcome, but expect an immune response.
I’d rather not flog a dead horse, but you and others here are helping me mature into a B-cell. So, please accept my apologies for poorly constructed/targeted and/or otherwise flawed comments/antibodies – I'm still learning
Not really interested in your self-justification.
'Apologizing' for behaviour that you declare that you intend to continue – is frankly unbelievable.
If your eagle-eyed lens was equally focused on some of the other contributors (some of whom are rather further away from advocating for your Marxist utopia than I am) – you might at least be consistent. But, AFAICS, you reserve your analysis of 'persona' (whatever you mean by that) for me.
You are really starting to come across as borderline obsessive, and creepy.
If you actually have anything to contribute to the debate – that's one thing… But this exchange illustrates that you mostly don't.
Was by way of explanation, not "self-justification", but fair enough.
I intend to continue commenting here, believe it or not. Feels like home.
Just how close are you to advocating for a Marxist uptopia?
One meaning of 'persona'. I'm not the only one who has wondered about the authenticity of personae on TS, notably "The Chairman", who claimed to be "more left than most", while slagging off pesky lefty politicians and policies far more often than not.
Message received ("creepy" x2; "personal interest"; "borderline obsessive") – is it the content of my replies, the tone (I try to avoid 'snarky'), or something else that has led to these evaluations? Please be precise, and I will endeavour to make adjustments.
I've replied to maybe 1 in 8 of your comments in the last month – when someone comments on TS as often as you do (that not a criticism), their comments are bound to receive some critical responses.
Do you mean contributions like this?
"Mostly" – so there's hope?
Sad to see the departure from this life of Rt, Hon. Jonathan Hunt. He was a true gentleman in the old fashioned sense of the word. I had some involvement with his electorate last Century, and with the fine people who supported him in his Electorate Committee.
If he had been born a couple of decades later he may have been able to be more of what he actually was, but he was a good friend to a lot of people. He has been in sad decline over the last few years but he is now released from that struggle.
We will have a gin and tonic (or two) in his memory.
The first Speaker to do away with that silly business of feigned reluctance to take on the role. Good for you, Jon.
A young friend used to wait on him upstairs at the Boulcott Bistro .Very kind, interested in her studies , supportive.Chatted with her in a very personable way , unlike some of the entitled pollies.
Rest in Peace.
I was introduced to Jonathan Hunt at a press/poli party somewhere in the bowels of Bowen House, back in the day. He was gentle, gentlemanly and jovial; I liked him.
Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt probably deserves his own post, but I'll stick down a few moments.
He emerged from being a History, English and Latin teacher at Kelston Boys High School, then went pretty much into being selected as the New Lynn Labour candidate and romped home. Back in that era Kelston was surrounded by vast fields of orchards, and New Lynn was a hive of heavy manufacturing.
He served the people of New Lynn for 10 electoral terms. He turned that LEC into one of the strongest around. Stalwarts like Don and Noreen Clark. That's because he was both kind and effective with people and their issues.
He and his electorate team really knew how to run a fully professional and effective electorate office, going into bat for citizens against so many government departments. A really great electorate MP.
He was probably the best Speaker of the House we've ever had, and was invaluable to enabling Helen Clark and Michael Cullen to get so much reforming legislation through.
In the Cunliffe years he was always on hand to help out with the big fundraisers. I sure always appreciated good discussions about the Holyoake and Kirk years within him at the New Lynn Friendship Club over so many years.
In the early 2000s it was the combination of Jonathan Hunt as MP and Bob Harvey as Mayor that gave west Auckland the highest political recognition and success it's ever had. It's never had a political moment that good since.
I was glad to know him and am very happy that Jonathan Hunt gave pretty much his life to public service to Labour, to New Lynn, and to New Zealand.
Yes, he had a great LEC team. The Clarks, Susanne Sinclair (who went on to be an MP in her own right), Lorraine Wilson and Mike Daly among others. They were all well connected in their communities and very supportive of Jonathan.
I was involved in the meeting that put the new electorates out there together after MMP. Jonathan's team and Phil Goff's team worked really well together to reshuffle the people and assets for the new boundaries.
lol
(yes, this is from the GOP rebuttal to Biden’s SOTU address)
@EmissaryOfNight
·
here you go
https://twitter.com/EmissaryOfNight/status/1765961277443039418
A Gates/Soros big pharma bat mutant who roosts in 5G towers?
/
After 217 Covid Vaccines, Man Had No Side Effects and Robust Immunity
Media accounts of a German man’s extreme vaccination history spurred researchers to analyze his immune responses.
[…]
The man had seemingly never been infected with the coronavirus. He reported no vaccine side effects. And, most interestingly to the researchers, his repertoire of antibodies and immune cells was considerably larger than that of a typical vaccinated person, even if the precision of those immune responses remained effectively unchanged.
The researchers found that even the 217th shot boosted the man’s immune response. And while they were carefully looking for signs of a progressive weakening in his immune reactions over time — an unwelcome type of immune tolerance that sometimes develops during long-term viral infections — they reported seeing no such drop-off in responses.
“This indicates really how robust the immune system’s response is to such repetitive immunization,” Dr. Schober said. “Even 200 vaccinations are not nearly as much of a challenge to the immune system as a chronic infection.”
https://archive.li/hEzhY (nyt)
The half fare for those under 25 becomes half fare only for those on Student Allowance – they get a CSC.
And otherwise where councils subsidise half fares – Christchurch.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/03/09/govt-axes-kids-youth-public-transport-discounts-funding/
In this interview, Seymour is presented with strong evidence on the positive benefits of free school lunches but as he often does when he's losing a particular point, he pivots to say "New Zealand needs a "higher standard of debate".
This is classic Seymour, and what makes him so slippery and convincing to his supporters.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/03/05/no-doubt-free-lunches-programme-has-helped-results-principal/
YES thats true, BUT its Seymour that fails at the debate.
Yes that's the point I clumsily made.