If you ever wanted evidence of the power of the military industrial complex, the influence of the Israeli lobby and the involvement of the Saudis in US politics , here it is.
It is the armaments industries of Iran and Russia that will benefit the most: no one else in the world will be prepared to work around the sanctions now proposed by the US.
Israel already has Iran on its border since it controls Lebanon through Hezbollah, has military bases and strong influence over the government of Syria, and strong influence within the government of Iraq which may increase this weekend through the elections. This is a world now with Iran unconstrained.
Israel is no winner from this.
How Saudia Arabia would benefit when it is trying to get enough money together from oil sales to exit oil entirely – when this decision by Trump will collapse the oil price yet again – is something you will have to explain.
There are no winners in this decision.
There is certainly no Plan B from Trump.
It’s a decision made in his usual spite that he couldn’t stand a deal holding that his predecessor Obama had put in place.
Why would any other state – such as North Korea – go into a binding deal with this President after this action? President Trump kills international deals.
World peace is certainly not a winner in this decision.
President Trump has a faster and better chance of ending the human world than climate change.
It’s a decision made in his usual spite that he couldn’t stand a deal holding that his predecessor Obama had put in place.
That’s exactly what I thought as I listened to the dangerous buffoon pontificating just now.
He lurched between saying in one breath that the action against Iran was because of the desire for nuclear weaponry and then it was their support of terrrorism. Which is it?
And then he said something like that he would not stand for US cities being threatened with nuclear weapons and that the US would not be blackmailed. Isn’t that North Korea he’s talking about, not Iran?
– No UN reform
– Withdraw from Paris climate agreement
– Withdraw from Cuban agreement
– Withdraw from CPTPP
– Withdraw from Iran
It’s a pretty weird world when the United States shrinks from diplomatic leadership so fast that the last rational states of any leadership note still standing are France and Germany.
Trump said there will be “maximum sanctions” on Iran, and sanctions on anyone who doesn’t comply with US sanctions.
Trump is an utter fool. The Europeans won’t withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. They will keep trading with Iran. Will Trump really impose sanctions on the Europeans to try and force them into line? He just might, he is that stupid. If he does try to force the Europeans into line, he’ll fail. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a blowhard laughing stock. Either way, US isolationism in this matter will simply underline the faltering power of the United States to unilaterally influence world affairs.
It is likely the European companies will comply with the US secondary sanctions. They mostly have far more to lose than continue trading with Iran, unless of course Iranian trade is their main business. For instance would Airbus sell Iran any aircraft if they then risked access to the US market.
However, Russian and Chinese companies won’t comply with US secondary sanctions if they are hit by them. China in particular may well impose their own secondary sanctions against US companies if that happens. It seems unlikely that China will by any more Boeing aircraft. Airbus will be the winner.
So the US withdrawal could easily trigger a wider trade war, and the US won’t necessarily be the winner.
Overall the main effect may be to strengthen the appeal of China as a fundamentally more reliable financial and trade partner. It is likely to spur the Chinese push to make the renminbi a global reserve currency.
So the US withdrawal could easily trigger a wider trade war, and the US won’t necessarily be the winner.
I, for one, hope like hell the US loses big time.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but the average American voter needs to be kicked over a steep cliff into oblivion – metaphorically speaking of course. They brought this appalling state of affairs on themselves and millions of innocents around the world will accordingly suffer.
I feel sorry for those who did not vote for Trump but where are they now? It looks like some sort of Civil War is the only solution if the US is going to regain any form of international respect. At the moment it deserves nothing but derision and disrespect and I suspect in the long run that is exactly what it is going to get.
Figure of speech Wayne. I said “some sort of” Civil War. It doesn’t follow it has to end up with one side fighting the other with guns although ummm… this is the US of A. (yes that is a bit naughty)
2 and half years away. Too long. God only knows what damage he will have done by then. 👿
Trying to conjure up an equivalence to National not accepting they lost a MMP election? Won’t work.
The concern re -Trump is that he is unfit to be a leader of anything let alone US President. In short, he’s a screw loose and incredibly ignorant. He also has traits in him that could be likened to Hitler or Mussolini. Of course a large portion of the American population are also a screw loose and incredibly ignorant. That is why they voted for him.
It is time they upgraded their generally poor educational systems then maybe these nut-bars wouldn’t get anywhere near the seats of power in the first place.
“Trying to conjure up an equivalence to National not accepting they lost a MMP election? Won’t work.”
No, I’m pointing out it looks like civil war because the left (in the USA) don’t/can’t/won’t accept Trump won the election
“The concern re -Trump is that he is unfit to be a leader of anything let alone US President.”
Says who? A media that doesn’t want him or the population that didn’t vote for him?
“In short, he’s a screw loose and incredibly ignorant.”
I suspect most of his act is mostly bluster
“He also has traits in him that could be likened to Hitler or Mussolini. Of course a large portion of the American population are also a screw loose and incredibly ignorant. That is why they voted for him.”
Or maybe because he said he’d lower unemployment and unemployment is lowering:
“It is time they upgraded their generally very poor educational standards then maybe these nut cases wouldn’t get anywhere near the seats of power in the first place.”
Thats quite an arrogant statement, right up there with deplorables, and a major reason why Trump won
Yes Trump shows the naked truth of US foreign policy. It has never been about peace, ask the Palestinians. He is a moron but his speech was written for him.
The problem now as ever is Israel emboldened to act and suck the US into furthering their Zionist ambitions.
Agreed. The consequence of secondary sanctions will be that US will wind up with no mates. That’s not really good for anyone except of course the corporate military industrial folks who, I’d wager, will be needing a change of shorts this morning.
This was new Secretary of State Pompeos testimoney last year during his confirmation for CIA director.
“With the information I’ve been provided, I’ve seen no evidence that they are not in compliance today,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
and again
“It was largely described in a 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which said that U.S. spies “judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program.”
That was ‘before Obama’
But the lies have already started
But some U.S. officials fear it will, and they cite a mistake by the White House press office Monday night, which issued a news release saying that Iran “has” a “robust, clandestine nuclear weapons program.”
The White House later corrected the statement on its website, but never sent out a corrected news release — blaming the mistake on a “clerical error.”
There are calls for the Government to bring in an empty home tax with tens of thousands of unused properties around the country and even more struggling to find housing.
In Auckland alone, more than 33,000 houses were registered as unoccupied in 2013 census data – some with residents away but more than two thirds listed as empty…..
……However Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford told Stuff the Government was not considering an empty homes tax.
“The Labour-led government has a comprehensive plan to address the housing shortage including cracking down on offshore speculators and changing rules around negative gearing,” Mr Twyford said.
Maybe occupancy can be added to the LIM Report and be compulsory information to be provided at time of sale (and obtaining a mortgage + insurance, of course).
There are quite a few older motels around that have become full time renters.
Normal Motels are rented on a day by day basis, but were always cheaper if you rented say for 2 weeks or more. If WINZ took a 6 month lease on a motel but provided the tentants it would be cheaper again.
Our PM will do her best, and at least admits there is a problem, growing as NZers return, migrants still come and we are now suffering a building skill shortage caused by short sighted Nat policies regarding education and training.
She has tried to get hidebound bureaucrats to be flexible and kind. And those Ministers concerned should pay close attention, as they will want to keep her confidence, and get the direction started.
NZers are stepping up to the plate, offering help, and those in ministries who have not enacted the memos are finding the public going to a listening ear at their local pollies office.
There will be big changes for those who will/can not change their attitudes.
This Government means to change things… it will be a snowball,,,, slow but gathering strength and speed as more come on board. So some bureaucrats earning over $300 000 need to be sure they are following the new directives.
A house next to me had the same tenants for 7 years and when they left , the house was put up for rent but was empty for about 6 weeks. Some work needed to be done as well.
You would have to know those that are long term “empty”, ie say 3 months or more.
Plus some homes are occupied by owners who have more than one home ( surprisingly common).
My own house was empty for a while when I was renting in another city for work on a 18 month contract .
I know a friend who rents from an elderly lady on the same site, she can be away staying with her family for 6 weeks at a time.
Bridges is doing a marvelous job of making sure NZF will never go with the Nats in the future by attacking Peters on the rise in overseas aid and diplomatic services budget.
(Incidentally, this brings NZ overseas aid to 0.28% of GDP as opposed to a world average of 0.4% and I seem to remember a UN target of 0.7%.)
Peters was scathing in reply to Bridges calling National’s reaction “myopic”.
And not explicitly supporting an electoral deal with Act means Bridges has a ballsy game thinking he can win an outright majority of seats with no coalition partners at all.
He said as much in a recent speech. He said 44% wasnt enough they needed to get more. He then pretended Nats are becoming an environmentally friendly party… but
Opposed end to offshore drilling
Opposes reduction in dairy cows
Opposes fuel tax rises under Labour
Etc
Etc
They are targeting the soft green party vote in wealthy national seats.
It has two purposes, trys to get Greens below 5% ( and become wasted vote, a very hard task though ) and of course adds to their party vote if they switch to national.
The winning double would be to get Greens and NZ First below 5%, say 4.5% each. Thats 9% wasted vote, plus the other groups that dont get above 5% could make the total wasted vote 12%.
44% then looks winnable, and the only strategy that makes sense with ‘no mates’
He says they will be environmental. You want them to be. You want less fucking over of the environment. But they had 9 years of fucking it over, you voted for them last year? And now you feel comforted that they will be more environmental cos Bridges says they will but there is no evidence before and since his statement that they have changed, at all.
By all means vote for them again but do not say it is cos they are being Greener
Like Labour and NZF wanted to bop capitalism on the nose but Robeetson is following the same NL/Cap “rules”
Nope, I don’t vote for National on their environmental policies
“He says they will be environmental.”
Good on them
“You want them to be.”
It’d be nice yeah
“You want less fucking over of the environment.”
Sure, as a generalisation
“But they had 9 years of fucking it over, you voted for them last year?”
They did some things well and some things not so well and yes i did vote for them
“And now you feel comforted that they will be more environmental cos Bridges says they will but there is no evidence before and since his statement that they have changed, at all.”
Thats a rather large jump from I’m for National becoming more environmental to “comforted that they will be more environmental cos Bridges says they will” don’t you think
“By all means vote for them again but do not say it is cos they are being Greener”
I’m not voting for them because they’re Greener
“Like Labour and NZF wanted to bop capitalism on the nose but Robertson is following the same NL/Cap “rules”
I recall it was Labour that bought in Rogernomics and no one from Labour has ever come out and repudiated it yet
Peters will never go with National. He is having far to much fun as the Supremo in the present Government. Once he gets his arse in the PM’s chair on the ninth floor when Ardern goes off they will never get him out of the office.
Can you imagine National allowing the leader of a minor party to threaten members of the Main party like Mahuta and Jackson that they will lose the Ministerial warrants if they don’t do what Peters tells them.
What do you think Helen Clark would have done? Can you imagine her ignoring it and instead telling her local paper what he favourite songs are?
It doesn’t really matter of course. Both the Greens and New Zealand First will be dog tucker after the next election. They certainly won’t be missed.
NZFirst gone for sure but the Greens only need to fool one in twenty voters they’re an environmental party so I reckon they’ll be around for a few more years
Yep, they’ll be around as long as most of NZ is still above water despite rising sea levels and tourists flock to Franz Josef snowfield in winter months only.
He’s threatening them as the deputy prime minister. As such he is perfectly entitled to discipline any ministers as he has seniority over them.
If Michael Cullen had done the same then I doubt Clark would have an issue with it. Likewise, if Bill English had done the same I doubt John Key would have had a problem with.
We live in an MMP political environment now, do try and keep up.
What is with the MSM trying to claim some of the new government policy is all the work of Crusher Collins?
They are trying to position her as responsible for a lot of the work on having online retailers pay GST and looking into the petrol companies pricing policies.
It seems like National’s MSM cronies are trying to rewrite the history of the last 9 years of the National government to look like they actually did some stuff instead of all the delays in implementing stuff and ignoring of recommendations till they are to little too late.
Must have got the polling numbers back showing hitting back at oil companies and offshore retailers paying tax is very popular. So they are doing a #metoo
“MSM trying to claim some of the new government policy is all the work of Crusher Collins?”.
The reason is very simple. The work was done by people in the departments at Collin’s behest. It has simply been picked up by the new lot in the Beehive.
Whether Collins would have progressed the proposals if National had been returned is of course unknown, but irrelevant. The proposals are the work of the last Government however.
Didn’t you notice, and probably complain, about how National took over things being planned by the Clark led Government when they came in?
Actually if you look at what Parliament has been up to nearly everything has been a carryover from the English Administration. Labour simply weren’t ready for the election result they never expected.
Actually if you look at what Parliament has been up to nearly everything has been a carryover from the English Administration.
I know you RWNJs like to rake up the past and especially Roger Douglas at every opportunity but to go back to William Hobson is stretching it a bit, don’t you think, Alwyn?
That is actually rather a funny comment. Quite unlike you I must say.
It is a pity there are a few minor errors but a good first attempt.
If you knew your history you would have realised that Hobson died in 1842 and the first NZ Parliament was not until 1854.
But then you LWNJs never were very careful about the accuracy of your statements.
Following up on the issue at WINZ Central Hamilton.
I have just left their office having spoken with the manager after being challenged by the on site security guards for taking pictures of coned mobility parking.
I am positive (as much as I can be) that they understand there are serious issues and are making appropriate changes.
Spoke to someone a couple of weeks ago who had just wrote a complaint to Porirua Community Link (winz FYI) about not being able to park in the mobility parks.
Heh! I did ask today if there was someone in the Hamilton Central WINZ office with mobility issues….hence the coned mobility park…and was told no…
I know its really difficult sometimes to make the appropriate amount of fuss for fear of retribution, but there seems to be a high tolerance for access activism for the simple reason that so often those who fail to provide access or those who abuse access provisions made for those who need them largely do so out of sheer ignorance.
They simply have never, ever been forced to see things from the point of view of the person with the disability.
Sometimes kicking up a bit of shit is like doing them a favour….
“Today I helped a family member who had to take a Medical Certificate to the Hamilton central WINZ office.
In the past we’ve waited in the queue inside the building. Today we had to wait in a queue of 12 people standing outside on the footpath. One of the three security guards said he had been told to only let one person through the door when someone else left. The footpath cue included a very frail elderly lady and a person with one leg using crutches. It took around 40 minutes waiting on the footpath just to get into the building.
The five parking spaces directly outside were blocked with orange cones. I asked why and was told that only WINZ staff could park there.
The fact that any government department can treat people like this is truly shocking and humiliating.”
Many of us agreed, and for me it seemed ironic that on Friday our PM is exhorting WINZ to be kind to people seeking help, and on the following Monday we hear of shit like this happening.
Not. Good. Enough.
And not going to go unchallenged, not within the reach of my arm.
An email was sent to Sepuloni’s office which was sent on to Brendan Boyle, CEO of MSD. A follow up email from me,
“Thank you .
I am anticipating that this will be rectified today.
Tomorrow I will be onsite taking photographs and speaking with clients
waiting outside…if this is still happening.
I will also be ensuring that the parking spaces in front of the
building are available for client use, especially for those with
mobility issues.
Sincerely,
Rosemary McDonald”
So about 10 am this morning after a successful (yay!! 🙂 ) COF check on my Bus we were parked just up the road from WINZ, Central Hamilton.
There is nothing quite so off putting as a random person taking photographs.
Not of people, as the only person in sight was the security guard, but of five bright orange cones blocking the five ‘visitor only’ parking spaces…including the mobility park.
The security guard politely asked what I was doing and I said ‘photographing the coned carparks.’
This security guard was very quickly joined by another who proceeded to demand who I was and where was I from.
“I am a NZ Citizen doing a follow up to a report from Monday of blocked parking spaces and long waits for WINZ clients outside in the cold.”
“These carparks are for visitors.” said 2nd security guard. “Is that for visiting clients….” “No! Visitors to the office!”.
Fortunately, he could see how circular the discussion could have got so he disappeared inside to get the Manager.
TBH, I was not expecting to speak to management. I had to quickly gather my wits and prepare to do battle.
The battle, such as it was, appeared to have mostly been fought as the manager was polite, attentive, communicative and most importantly apologetic.
She was well aware of the complaints…and the following discussion indicated that there was at least one other complainant. Someone acting as a support person to a client had not been allowed inside with the client when they were finally allowed inside.
The manager was emphatically in agreement that this was a major departure from expected treatment of clients. The security guard was perhaps a little over zealous.
Thanks to Fireblade’s detailed description I was able to mention the amputee and the elderly lady (“Both of whom could have benefited greatly from the blocked mobility park.”) and the security guards only allowing some inside after someone had left. Cones were being moved as I left.
It transpires that about four weeks ago WINZ Hamilton Central had to leave their usual premises on Victoria St because of a leak in the roof. This building on Anglesea St was clearly not fit for purpose. Largely because of floor space.
I was taken inside to see for myself and I could see the problem. Better premises are being sought but in the meantime they are going to try to make the available space work better for clients.
Allowing too many people inside would cause privacy issues for the client speaking with the reception staff. Point taken, but the available space could be better utilised. A couple of the computer terminals for client use could go, and the reception desk moved back to allow more room inside for waiting clients.
A crew is coming to the office after 5pm tonight to do this.
I said I didn’t understand why, if clients attend the office by appointment only, would there have been so many people waiting? She agreed, and said that Monday was a particularly busy day. ” A lot if foot traffic.” was how she described it, so maybe some did not have appointments or had made appointments at short notice.
I asked about availability of toilets for clients and was told there is one available. I suggested that it would perhaps be more dignified if the toilets were sign posted and clients did not have to ask to use them. I also suggested (while I had a receptive ear ;-)) that there was a water cooler available and perhaps an area for children to play.
Without climbing high on my soap box with my megaphone,I hope I conveyed to the manager just how terribly disappointed I was hearing about this unacceptable treatment of WINZ clients within days of the PM heralding a culture change.
I mentioned Ashburton, and how I understood the Workplace Health and Safety issues, risk assessment and the like….but I also (drawing on the comments of others here the other day…take this as recognition :-)) pointed out that ‘security guards not much use against an armed person’, and it’d ‘be easier to wait outside at 5 pm if one wanted to harm WINZ staff’, and seriously…considering the ‘toxic culture that has built up around WINZ over the past decade its a miracle there has been only the one tragic incident’. There was more, but hopefully you’ll get the drift.
I think I have a fairly good BS detector, especially konohi ki kanohi, and I believe this manager was genuinely sorry that this happened. I got the decided impression that there is going to be change…please, gods…and if the attitude of this particular manager is indicative of anything then serious thought is going to be put into improving not only the physical environment but also the culture.
or, I was beguiled, hood winked, a victim of a charm offensive….
“Did TS go down for anyone else from about 11.30 to 12 this morning?” Yes.
Happens often for me…feel your pain at losing your work. Funny thing happened the other day as i was compiling an OIA request on this laptop. As I hit ‘send’ poof! gone! I found myself with an error message and when relogged into gmail all was lost as I had not saved the draft. Repeatedly kicked myself as this is not the first time this has happened. Half an hour later I happened to be checking something on my cheapy android phone when I noticed an extra item in the gmail…there it was…my draft OIA request! I will never, ever get the tech…
With all the amazing things this government was promising to accomplish by now I would have thought there would be more posts celebrating the wins of this government?
Why no post about light rail from south west to north west?
I’d be surprised if most politicians didn’t as like him or loathe him (I stooped supporting him a whiles back) he does get some dirt every now and then but yeah admitting to it isn’t good
This is the politics where imperialism is seen only as coming from one country, or one alliance of countries, and is contrasted to the “national sovereignty” of various regimes – no matter how autocratic, rather than in favour of the self-determination and autonomy of peoples. Lebanese journalist Joey Hussein Ayoub has given the name “essentialist anti-imperialism” to the same phenomenon: “defined solely in relation to [one’s] own governments rather than on the basis of a universal opposition to all forms of imperialism.”
Amar Diwarkar argues that this is not so much a conscious embrace of Fascist politics, but:
a tactical tolerance of the far-right’s nativist anti-establishment logic to accelerate the dissolution of the ruling order and bring about a transitional phase preceding social transformation. However, by eliminating the dimension of the international from its purview, what remains is a strikingly non-radical relativism. Its underlying logic is one that is infused with a colonial unconscious; a conviction that Western agency is the eternal subject and locus of motion – the prime mover of History.
The right wing contributions here are largely monosyllabic and occasionally a little more precocious e.g. ‘and so”, “so what”, “your point” etc.
It is that they all lack critical thinking and general IQ; or has Bridges made AI in the image of himself.
Seems to be one could waste a lot of time answering monosyllabic irritants who have no interest in conversation, only opposition. So they just carry on…
“meaning”
“and then?”
“says who”
I’m just going to ignore RW contributors unless they’re actually contributing to the debate, not obfuscating progress.
The RW contributors are just ‘diverting us from real conversation here’ as PR did when we were having a deep human conversation with Rosemary, and she was showing great humanity.
But PR just butted in, with some mindless jaba-jaba nonsense, that was a waste of consideration.
So it was just gribble to stop a deep from the heart conversation going on.
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Last month, Greenpeace head Russel Norman surrendered his speaking slot at an EPA conference to student climate activist Sorcha Carr, who told the EPA exactly what she thought of them. It was a bold move, which confronted both regulators and polluters (or, as the EPA calls them, "stakeholders") with the ...
The core principle supposedly underlying New Zealand's electoral finance regime is transparency: parties can accept large donations from rich people wanting to buy policy, but only if they tell the public they've been bought. Most parties abide by this, so we know that TOP was wholly-owned by Gareth Morgan, and ...
Today is a Member's Day, probably the second-to-last one of the year, and its a big one, with the Third Reading of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. last Member's Day it was reported back from committee, after MPs voted narrowly to make it subject to a (rules TBA) ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThe growth of the human population over the last 70 ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In her excellent oral submission to the Abortion reform select committee on 31st October on behalf of Otago University’s Department of Public Health, historian and public health researcher Hera Cook stated: “We would ask that the committee not use the term ‘pregnant persons’ and ...
by Don Franks In 1957, E M Forster wrote, of his greatest work: “The India described in ‘A Passage to India’ no longer exists either politically or socially. Change had begun even at the time the book was published ( 1924) and during the following quarter of a century it ...
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff@DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...
Now the Zero Carbon Bill is law, what's next? Obviously, the ETS changes currently before select committee are going to be the next battleground. But we're also going to get a good idea of where we're going, and if the progress the Zero Carbon Act promises is good enough, during ...
Grant PearceThe effects of the current Australian bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland (and also again in California) are devastating and far-reaching. To date, the fires have resulted in several lives being lost and many homes and properties destroyed. Here in New Zealand, the impacts have been only ...
A passing comment in a post the other day about the labour force participation rates of older people prompted me to pull down the fuller data and see what we could see about various participation rates over the decades since the HLFS began in 1986. As it happens, the ...
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...
"I saw a newspaper picture,From the political campaignA woman was kissing a child,Who was obviously in pain.She spills with compassion,As that young child'sFace in her hands she gripsCan you imagine all that greed and avariceComing down on that child's lips?" ...
Dr Matt Boyd, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick WilsonThe Global Health Security Index which considers pandemic threats has just been published. Unfortunately, NZ scores approximately half marks (54/100), coming in 35th in the world rankings – far behind Australia. This poor result suggests that the NZ Government needs to ...
The Zero Carbon Act is inadequate, with a weak methane target designed to give farmers a free ride. But it turns out it could have been worse: Climate Change Minister James Shaw was so desperate to get National on board, he wanted to gut that target, and leave it in ...
The Herald reprints an Australian story on a couple of tragic deaths in Bali from drinking cocktails that had methanol in them. The story argues that methanol is likely the result of home distillation. But what the young tourists were experiencing was far from a hangover. They’d consumed a toxic cocktail ...
Last month, the police announced a trial of specialist roaming armed units, which would drive round (poor, brown) areas in armoured SUVs, armed to the teeth. When they announced the trial, they told us it was about having armed police "ready to attend major incidents at any time if needed". ...
Spain went to the polls today in the second elections this year, after the Socialists (who had come to power in a confidence vote, then gone to the polls in April) rejected the offer of a coalition with the left-wing PoDemos, and instead decided to gamble n a better outcome ...
A couple of days ago I attended (and spoke at) the University of Waikato’s “LearnFest” event. There were lots of talks and sessions on very diverse aspects of teaching, mostly at tertiary level. One was by Myra Williamson from Te Piringa Faculty of Law here at Waikato, on Contract Cheating ...
There will be a transit of Mercury – the planet Mercury will pass across the face of the Sun – taking place at sunrise in New Zealand on Tuesday, 12th November. It was by observing such an event 250 years ago that James Cook and his scientist colleagues were able ...
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ...
National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
In the spirit of Remember, remember the fifth of November, let's keep this in mind FOREVER.
Oh dear. Extraordinary interview on PM with Andrew Bridgen and @EvanHD just now. Bridgen was defending Jacob Rees Mogg’s Grenfell comments. Evan asked him if JRM had meant to say he would have left ...
Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Last year, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security reported on significant problems with the intelligence warrant system. While they were unwilling to declare any warrant "irregular" (meaning unlawful) due to the recent law change, they were also not willing to give the system a clean bill of health. Now, they've ...
The National Party has come out in support of encouraging greater vaccination uptake. But it sure isn’t the way I’d do it. National’s suggested docking the benefits of those on benefit whose kids aren’t keeping up with their vaccinations. Some in National have suggested extending that to payments under Working ...
Feeding The Flames: It is simply not enough to demand an end to “corruption”, or “inequality”, or the overbearing influence of the authorities in Beijing. These are just “lowest common denominator” demands: the sort of slogans that pull people onto the streets. They are not a plan.WHERE’S THE PLAN? Across ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and unemployment has risen to 4.2%. There are 115,000 unemployed - 11,000 fewer than when Labour took office. In that time the minimum wage has gone up by $2 an hour, which shows that the right's fears about increases causing unemployment are simply ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has called for submissions on Andrew Little's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Normally I encourage participation in the democratic process. I am not doing so in this case. Instead, I encourage all of you to boycott this submissions process, and to post ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf tiny concentrations of carbon dioxide can hold enough heat ...
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and within it, one of the fastest sources is elite travel: billionaires flitting around the world in their private jets, spewing excessive pollution into the atmosphere just so they can avoid mixing with us dirty peasants. But in ...
That's what we face if we don't stop climate change, according to a warning from 11,000 scientists:The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists. “We declare clearly and unequivocally ...
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...
This is the third of the synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Unlike the humble cup of coffee and t-shirt that we looked at in ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries Today the Government announced the delivery of the promise to protect New Zealand interests by applying a new National Interest Test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. This further strengthening of the Overseas Investment Act will ...
The Coalition Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high-risk assets to overseas buyers. Under current Overseas Investment Act (OIA) rules, assets such as ports and airports, telecommunications infrastructure, electricity and ...
Rt Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First Allegations raised this morning by Stuff Limited / Fairfax concern a party matter but I am confident that New Zealand First has operated within electoral laws, now and for the last 27 years. Declarable donations were declared to the Electoral Commission. Our ...
The chairman of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy (UNISCS) working group, Wayne Brown, has hit back at critics of his group’s recommendations to relocate the Ports of Auckland cargo operations to Whangarei’s deepwater port of Northport. The working group's recommendation to close Auckland waterfront to all but cruise ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First backs the public to decide on the End of Life Choice Bill via a referendum at the 2020 General Election. The Bill, with New Zealand First’s referendum provision incorporated, passed its final reading in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Justice New Zealand First is proud that a key Coalition Agreement commitment which will provide for a more transparent and effective criminal justice system has been realised. Legislation to establish the Criminal Cases Review Commission, an independent body focused on identifying and responding to possible miscarriages of ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
New rules to clamp down on overzealous wheel clamping and extortionate fees charged in order to release a vehicle have passed their final stage in Parliament today. The Land Transport (Wheel Clamping) Amendment Bill has now passed its third reading. “These changes mean $100 will be the maximum wheel clamping ...
An independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is a step closer after it unanimously passed its first vote in Parliament today. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill lays the groundwork for establishing the Commission as a fully independent crown entity – delivering on a key recommendation of He Ara ...
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to screen travellers for border and immigration risks off-shore before they travel to New Zealand. It was launched in August and became mandatory on 1 October 2019. More than 500,000 NZeTAs have been issued since ...
A proposed national plan of action to reduce the number of seabirds caught in fisheries is being circulated for public feedback. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage say New Zealand is a global centre of seabird diversity with about 145 species in our waters. It has more ...
The Government is delivering on its promise to protect New Zealanders’ interests by applying a new national interest test to the sales of our most sensitive and high risk assets to overseas buyers. Associate Finance Minister David Parker said under current Overseas Investment Act rules, assets such as ports and ...
The Government is building special housing to accommodate one of Aotearoa’s greatest taonga- our kaumātua, says the Minister for Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Speaking at a National Kaumātua Service Providers Conference in Rotorua today, the Minister reinforced the importance kaumātua play in maintaining and passing on mātauranga Māori, knowledge, ...
Eleven men from a pilot forestry training programme for prisoners in Northland now have full time jobs or job offers upon release, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis and Forestry Minister Shane Jones announced today. The ‘release to work’ programme was a collaboration between Te Uru Rākau and the Department of Corrections, ...
Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins today introduced into Parliament a Bill that will make it easier for the public service to tackle the biggest challenges facing Governments. The Bill represents the most significant change in the public service in 30 years. The State Sector Act 1988 will be repealed ...
The families of more than 416,000 students will be better off next year as their schools have signed up to the Government’s donations scheme, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. The scheme will see almost $62.5 million in additional Government funding go to schools nationwide next year. “I’m really pleased ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced further support as the Government of Samoa responds to a serious measles outbreak. “New Zealand will deploy a further 18 vaccination nurses, bringing the total to 30 working in Samoa over the next four weeks,” Mr Peters said. “A New Zealand Medical Assistance ...
Fa’atalofa atu, malo e lelei, Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you to the Child Poverty Action Group for asking me to be here today to provide an update on some of the things that have been happening across my the social development portfolio. Can I firstly acknowledge the vast ...
***Please check against delivery*** Good morning everyone. It is a pleasure to be with you this morning to open this year’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Conference and AGM. Firstly, thank you Dr Alan Jackson, NZTR Chair for your introduction. And let us acknowledge also: The NZTR Board; Dean McKenzie, Chair ...
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer and more secure, Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Kris Faafoi has announced today. Both renters and landlords will benefit from the suite of practical changes to the Residential ...
A marine conservation milestone - the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve - is being celebrated today at a community event in Tairāwhiti/East Coast attended by the Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “The creation of this marine reserve in November 1999 was a game ...
The Government is asking the food industry to step up work to tackle obesity including reducing sugar, fat and salt in their products, better information for consumers, and tighter restrictions on advertising to children. Health Minister David Clark and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor have responded to a ...
ew, modern emergency department and outpatient facilities at Queenstown’s Lakes District Hospital mean better emergency care for the growing tourist mecca’s visitors and locals, says Health Minister David Clark. Today Dr Clark officially opened the hospital’s redeveloped Emergency Department and Outpatient facilities. The new facilities include: • An extended Emergency Department ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter says today’s release of sexual and reproductive health data reinforces the significance of the Government’s commitment to providing free or very low-cost contraception. The Ministry of Health today published statistics from the Ministry of Health’s 2014/15 Health Survey. “It is important people can make ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that at the request of the Samoan Government, New Zealand will be providing further support to Samoa as it faces a worsening measles outbreak. “In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3000 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) ...
“The new Disability Action Plan 2019–2023 moves us towards the inclusive and accessible New Zealand that this government has committed to,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Action Plan was designed by disabled people, their family and supporters, the disability sector and government agencies. It will ensure ...
Third Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting 14 November 2019 Joint Statement 1. Defence Ministers Ron Mark and Dr Ng Eng Hen today conducted their third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore. 2. Building on the Enhanced Partnership signed between both countries in May this year, this annual meeting ...
A Bill to improve the court system’s response to sexual violence has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Justice Minister Andrew Little says the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill will reduce the trauma sexual violence complainants experience in court, while maintaining defendants’ fundamental rights and making sure the trial process ...
Streamlined payment practices are a step closer for Kiwi businesses with the formal launch of New Zealand’s e-Invoicing framework. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the government has now established the structure to enable automated and direct data exchange between the accounting systems of buyers and sellers. “The move to ...
Another 51 quarantine officers and four new biosecurity detector dog teams will help protect New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases this summer, says Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor. “The Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system and support our valuable primary sector “New Zealand’s flora, fauna ...
A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and shows New Zealand ...
Judge Coral Shaw has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. "Judge Shaw, who is currently one of the inquiry commissioners, is extremely well qualified for the ...
The Government has confirmed its third major mental health facility upgrade since the Budget, this time at Palmerston North Hospital. The Prime Minister and Health Minister today visited MidCentral DHB to announce that $30 million has been allocated to upgrade its acute mental health facility. It follows earlier announcements in ...
The roll out of the National Bowel Screening Programme has reached the halfway mark, with 10 out of 20 District Health Boards now part of the programme. MidCentral DHB, which covers Palmerston North, Manawatu and surrounding districts, this week became the latest to DHB to offer free bowel screening to ...
The Government welcomes PHARMAC’s decision to fund a vaccine to protect young people from meningococcal disease from 1 December this year. “Meningococcal disease is a serious threat which people at higher risk should be protected from,” says Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter. “The combined pharmaceutical budget was increased by ...
Groups involved with innovative fisheries research projects are encouraged to apply for government support in the latest funding round from the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash says the SFF Futures funding is designed to be flexible enough to support small or large projects across a ...
The Government has fixed an issue affecting how Immigration New Zealand has processed visa applications for culturally arranged marriages, which will now see a consistent process applied which ensures people with legitimate arranged marriages can visit New Zealand while also preventing any rorting of the system. Earlier this year Immigration ...
The Royal Commission into the Attacks on Christchurch Mosques will report back on 30 April 2020 to give it more time to hear submissions and consider information, Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Royal Commission was originally scheduled to report back to Government by 10 December 2019. “There has ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Washington DC today to attend a ministerial meeting focused on defeating ISIS, and to continue pursuing New Zealand’s trade opportunities. Mr Peters will participate in a meeting of Foreign and Defence Ministers from key countries contributing to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. ...
The recently crowned Bird of the Year, the hoiho/yellow eyed penguin, is getting a much needed helping hand alongside more than 168 other community conservation projects announced Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage today. 168 community conservation projects throughout New Zealand are benefiting from $8 million in government grants, including $500,000 ...
Controls on assault rifles and semi-automatic firearms are to be broadened to include some types of pistols, under changes to a bill currently making its way through Parliament. Police Minister Stuart Nash has tabled a Supplementary Order Paper to the Arms Legislation Bill, which is currently before a Select Committee ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark will travel to Singapore today to conduct a counterpart visit and to co-chair the third annual Singapore-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting with his counterpart, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. “Singapore is one of our most important defence partners in the region, and our ...
Nelson’s Salisbury School is to be rebuilt, creating a modern and suitable learning environment for students at the residential special school, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The school for girls aged 8-15, in Richmond, was earmarked for closure by National until the process ...
The panel undertaking a comprehensive review of the Resource Management Act has identified the main issues to be addressed and options for reform and is calling for feedback to inform its final report. In July the Government announced the comprehensive review of the resource management system, including the RMA - ...
An important safety valve has been added to New Zealand’s criminal justice system with the third reading of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill today. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. “We’ve seen how our justice system can very occasionally get things spectacularly wrong, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...
The New Zealand Government is today sending 21 firefighters to help fight the ongoing catastrophic Australian bushfires. “The fires in Australia are in some of the toughest, most challenging conditions ever,” says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “As of yesterday morning, there were 100 active bushfire-related incidents across Queensland and ...
Power Play - Rumours of dodgy political donations, Winston Peters full of bluster and denial, and potentially a drawn-out series of combative but ultimately meaningless exchanges with the press gallery. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government has overhauled its much-criticised robo-debt scheme which has seen many welfare recipients asked to repay money they do not owe. A Tuesday email to staff in the Human Services department’s customer compliance division ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government has overhauled its much-criticised robo-debt scheme which has seen many welfare recipients asked to repay money they do not owe. A Tuesday email to staff in the Human Services department’s customer compliance division ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University Every summer in Australia, bushfires, cyclones and floods threaten lives and properties. Preparing for these emergencies includes creating an emergency kit that contains everything you and your baby will ...
I am an everyday Mum and I am scared. My youngest child is 4 years old. In 2100 she will turn 85. What will that world look like? On our current trajectory, it’s not looking great. You have all heard the consequences of every degree that goes up in ...
Sam Brooks gives you the lowdown on Disney+, the exhaustive streaming service launching today.What on this good green world is Disney+?Disney+ is a streaming service run by, as you might expect, Disney. If you need someone to explain what Disney is to you, then this service probably isn’t for you. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caroline Wake, Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance, UNSW Australia invests heavily in its major festivals: A$5 million in state government funding for Sydney Festival, $7 million for Perth, and $9 million for Adelaide. Funding for festivals has remained relatively constant over ...
Forest & Bird is calling on New Zealanders to back strong rules to protect penguins, albatross, and other seabirds from fishing nets and hooks, as the Government releases its National Plan of Action on Seabirds for consultation . ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colin Klein, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Australian National University Why do people believe conspiracy theories? Is it because of who they are, what they’ve encountered, or a combination of both? The answer is important. Belief in conspiracy theories helps fuel climate change ...
There are many things up for debate in Parliament this week, including wheel clamping, farm debt and loan sharks. Among the work load here are few of the key things to keep an eye out for. ...
After months of silence on Ihumātao, the government is considering a loan to Auckland Council to buy the occupied Fletcher-owned land, according to an RNZ report.What is the dispute over the land? Fletcher Residential bought a section of land in South Auckland in 2014 for $19m with plans to build a ...
Organisations from across Auckland have gathered to come up with solutions to make the city safer for women at night – including a commitment from Uber NZ to make it easier to report harassment and abuse, write Emma McInnes and Amanda Gilmore.Over 70% of women in Aotearoa have been a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Tattersall, Postdoc in Urban Geography and Research Lead at Sydney Policy Lab. Host of ChangeMakers Podcast., University of Sydney While thousands of Hong Kongers have protested “like water” for the past six months – flowing through the city with seemingly spontaneous ...
Tuesday, 19 November: An international team of scientists have just found that nitrous oxide emissions are rising much faster than had been previously thought. ...
The Labour led coalition government is continuing to create homelessness. The impact of immigration, failure of Kiwibuild, and attacks on the rental market, have resulted in the opposite outcomes that New Zealanders were promised. ...
Kris Faafoi, ranked 17th in Cabinet, emerged as the politician who most impressed top chief executives for ministerial performance in this year’s NZ Herald CEOs survey. It is the first time in the history of the Mood of the Boardroom survey that a minister ranked towards the tailend of Cabinet, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Last week’s catastrophic fires on Australia’s east coast – and warnings of more soon to come – will become all too common as climate change gathers pace. And as the challenges ...
NZ First leader Winston Peters has responded to allegations his party breached electoral law, saying he's confident the party has always acted within the law. ...
19 November 2019: In May 2019, Hon Judith Collins raised some concerns about KiwiBuild with our Office. We decided to look into those concerns as part of the 2018/19 annual audit of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. We have now completed that ...
The Radio New Zealand headline was emphatic– Ihumātao protest: Govt will not intervene, PM says. Some four months later we can put this into the same political leadership category as Bill Clinton’s equally emphatic “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” The RNZ headline sat atop a ...
A global movement which has transformed the way young people engage with philanthropy is launching in New Zealand and 10x10 is encouraging young Kiwis to choose charity over avocado toast at its first event in Auckland this month. ...
In the second part of a new event series looking at the future of Auckland, The Spinoff and Auckland Council host In My Backyard: Glen Innes, to ask what the suburb can teach the rest of the city about housing. Photographer Brendan Kitto shares his images from the 2016 exhibition Redevelop ...
Employees of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research say they don’t want to take industrial action, but management have backed them into a corner. ...
NZ First leader Winston Peters is refusing to comment on news reports raising questions about how the party uses the New Zealand First Foundation to handle donations. ...
The Finance Minister Grant Robertson says it's too early to definitively say the Government is looking to lend millions of dollars to Auckland Council, to buy disputed land at Ihumātao. ...
The government will strengthen overseas investment rules by assessing whether the sale of high-risk assets - including "significant media entities" - is in the national interest. ...
The Public Service Association supports a Bill introduced by the government yesterday that aims to replace the State Sector Act 1988 with a new Public Service Act. ...
A quiz from the NZ Initiative got people talking this morning, mostly because it showed we were a nation of dumb-dumbs. Alex Braae, a person of limited intelligence and vast general knowledge, took the test. People who know me often conclude that there’s one area in which I really shine – ...
Leaks of NZ First Foundation records raise big questions about the party’s funding, and there’s every chance of more to come. A glance at history suggests the scale of the problem. An early election may not be a bad idea at all, suggests Danyl MclauchlanIt’s happening.During its time in government ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that Police were justified in using a Police dog during the arrest of a man in Auckland on 9 November 2018. ...
A review of the Crown Minerals Act 1991 to ensure it supports the long-term well-being of New Zealanders has been launched today with the release of a discussion document. ...
The A2 Milk Company expects continued strong growth for its speciality dairy products with increased marketing investment in China and the United States. ...
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http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/356918/trump-announces-us-withdrawal-from-iran-nuclear-deal
Cui bono?
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Israel.
3. The armaments industries.
and
4.Israel Folau and his mates, evangelical Christians.
Armageddon just got closer.
Morning Ed, Al Jazeera are streaming live at the moment from Tehran as Iran responds to Trump.
Thank you.
It is the armaments industries of Iran and Russia that will benefit the most: no one else in the world will be prepared to work around the sanctions now proposed by the US.
Israel already has Iran on its border since it controls Lebanon through Hezbollah, has military bases and strong influence over the government of Syria, and strong influence within the government of Iraq which may increase this weekend through the elections. This is a world now with Iran unconstrained.
Israel is no winner from this.
How Saudia Arabia would benefit when it is trying to get enough money together from oil sales to exit oil entirely – when this decision by Trump will collapse the oil price yet again – is something you will have to explain.
There are no winners in this decision.
There is certainly no Plan B from Trump.
It’s a decision made in his usual spite that he couldn’t stand a deal holding that his predecessor Obama had put in place.
Why would any other state – such as North Korea – go into a binding deal with this President after this action? President Trump kills international deals.
World peace is certainly not a winner in this decision.
President Trump has a faster and better chance of ending the human world than climate change.
It’s a decision made in his usual spite that he couldn’t stand a deal holding that his predecessor Obama had put in place.
That’s exactly what I thought as I listened to the dangerous buffoon pontificating just now.
He lurched between saying in one breath that the action against Iran was because of the desire for nuclear weaponry and then it was their support of terrrorism. Which is it?
And then he said something like that he would not stand for US cities being threatened with nuclear weapons and that the US would not be blackmailed. Isn’t that North Korea he’s talking about, not Iran?
– No UN reform
– Withdraw from Paris climate agreement
– Withdraw from Cuban agreement
– Withdraw from CPTPP
– Withdraw from Iran
It’s a pretty weird world when the United States shrinks from diplomatic leadership so fast that the last rational states of any leadership note still standing are France and Germany.
Cui bono, Exactly Ed.
Trump said there will be “maximum sanctions” on Iran, and sanctions on anyone who doesn’t comply with US sanctions.
Trump is an utter fool. The Europeans won’t withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. They will keep trading with Iran. Will Trump really impose sanctions on the Europeans to try and force them into line? He just might, he is that stupid. If he does try to force the Europeans into line, he’ll fail. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a blowhard laughing stock. Either way, US isolationism in this matter will simply underline the faltering power of the United States to unilaterally influence world affairs.
It is likely the European companies will comply with the US secondary sanctions. They mostly have far more to lose than continue trading with Iran, unless of course Iranian trade is their main business. For instance would Airbus sell Iran any aircraft if they then risked access to the US market.
However, Russian and Chinese companies won’t comply with US secondary sanctions if they are hit by them. China in particular may well impose their own secondary sanctions against US companies if that happens. It seems unlikely that China will by any more Boeing aircraft. Airbus will be the winner.
So the US withdrawal could easily trigger a wider trade war, and the US won’t necessarily be the winner.
Overall the main effect may be to strengthen the appeal of China as a fundamentally more reliable financial and trade partner. It is likely to spur the Chinese push to make the renminbi a global reserve currency.
So the US withdrawal could easily trigger a wider trade war, and the US won’t necessarily be the winner.
I, for one, hope like hell the US loses big time.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but the average American voter needs to be kicked over a steep cliff into oblivion – metaphorically speaking of course. They brought this appalling state of affairs on themselves and millions of innocents around the world will accordingly suffer.
I feel sorry for those who did not vote for Trump but where are they now? It looks like some sort of Civil War is the only solution if the US is going to regain any form of international respect. At the moment it deserves nothing but derision and disrespect and I suspect in the long run that is exactly what it is going to get.
Anne
Civil War?
How about just winning the 2020 election, which is only 2 and half years away. That is normally how deficient leaders are dealt to in democracies.
Figure of speech Wayne. I said “some sort of” Civil War. It doesn’t follow it has to end up with one side fighting the other with guns although ummm… this is the US of A. (yes that is a bit naughty)
2 and half years away. Too long. God only knows what damage he will have done by then. 👿
Trump will win the next election
Fair and square 😉
It looks like civil war because those on the left can’t accept that Trump won
Trying to conjure up an equivalence to National not accepting they lost a MMP election? Won’t work.
The concern re -Trump is that he is unfit to be a leader of anything let alone US President. In short, he’s a screw loose and incredibly ignorant. He also has traits in him that could be likened to Hitler or Mussolini. Of course a large portion of the American population are also a screw loose and incredibly ignorant. That is why they voted for him.
It is time they upgraded their generally poor educational systems then maybe these nut-bars wouldn’t get anywhere near the seats of power in the first place.
“Trying to conjure up an equivalence to National not accepting they lost a MMP election? Won’t work.”
No, I’m pointing out it looks like civil war because the left (in the USA) don’t/can’t/won’t accept Trump won the election
“The concern re -Trump is that he is unfit to be a leader of anything let alone US President.”
Says who? A media that doesn’t want him or the population that didn’t vote for him?
“In short, he’s a screw loose and incredibly ignorant.”
I suspect most of his act is mostly bluster
“He also has traits in him that could be likened to Hitler or Mussolini. Of course a large portion of the American population are also a screw loose and incredibly ignorant. That is why they voted for him.”
Or maybe because he said he’d lower unemployment and unemployment is lowering:
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-04/black-unemployment-is-at-an-all-time-low-but-there-s-a-catch
“It is time they upgraded their generally very poor educational standards then maybe these nut cases wouldn’t get anywhere near the seats of power in the first place.”
Thats quite an arrogant statement, right up there with deplorables, and a major reason why Trump won
Don’t rubbish their education systems.
We used to hear how ours was world leading and hear the sneers and ‘what the hell’s that about?’ about theirs. Naturally we decided to copy them.
It’s American, it’s great and Hekia would find some data to prove it so it could be done here.
Agreed PR.
Give trump his due he sticks by his word, better or worse he does this better than most of our politicians do.
The middle east is a very disruptive area to negotiate, as they often do the opposite to what they said they would do.
Very deceptive political region they are.
Yes Trump shows the naked truth of US foreign policy. It has never been about peace, ask the Palestinians. He is a moron but his speech was written for him.
The problem now as ever is Israel emboldened to act and suck the US into furthering their Zionist ambitions.
Agreed. The consequence of secondary sanctions will be that US will wind up with no mates. That’s not really good for anyone except of course the corporate military industrial folks who, I’d wager, will be needing a change of shorts this morning.
This was new Secretary of State Pompeos testimoney last year during his confirmation for CIA director.
“With the information I’ve been provided, I’ve seen no evidence that they are not in compliance today,” he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
and again
“It was largely described in a 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which said that U.S. spies “judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program.”
That was ‘before Obama’
But the lies have already started
“30,000 empty homes in Auckland: Is it time to tax the owners?”
Newshub May 9, 2018
Maybe occupancy can be added to the LIM Report and be compulsory information to be provided at time of sale (and obtaining a mortgage + insurance, of course).
Related posts:
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The ghost house epidemic and the invisible hand
By: ANTHONY R0BINS June 13th, 2016
The social damage wrought by homes as commoditites
By: ANTHONY R0BINS March 4th, 2017
Dealing with ghost homes
By: No Right Turn August 3rd, 2017
The Prime Minister has pledged that there will be no homeless living on the streets this winter.
Bravo
I would add to this – not when there are tens of thousands of perfectly good houses still standing empty.
Jacinda Ardern pledges shelter for all homeless people within four weeks
In motels and hotels I assume? At high costs? I am not advocating leaving them in the street
There are quite a few older motels around that have become full time renters.
Normal Motels are rented on a day by day basis, but were always cheaper if you rented say for 2 weeks or more. If WINZ took a 6 month lease on a motel but provided the tentants it would be cheaper again.
Thanks duke
Have you seen the numbers based on how it is being done now?
Our PM will do her best, and at least admits there is a problem, growing as NZers return, migrants still come and we are now suffering a building skill shortage caused by short sighted Nat policies regarding education and training.
She has tried to get hidebound bureaucrats to be flexible and kind. And those Ministers concerned should pay close attention, as they will want to keep her confidence, and get the direction started.
NZers are stepping up to the plate, offering help, and those in ministries who have not enacted the memos are finding the public going to a listening ear at their local pollies office.
There will be big changes for those who will/can not change their attitudes.
This Government means to change things… it will be a snowball,,,, slow but gathering strength and speed as more come on board. So some bureaucrats earning over $300 000 need to be sure they are following the new directives.
Its risky assuming they deliberately ’empty’
A house next to me had the same tenants for 7 years and when they left , the house was put up for rent but was empty for about 6 weeks. Some work needed to be done as well.
You would have to know those that are long term “empty”, ie say 3 months or more.
Plus some homes are occupied by owners who have more than one home ( surprisingly common).
My own house was empty for a while when I was renting in another city for work on a 18 month contract .
I know a friend who rents from an elderly lady on the same site, she can be away staying with her family for 6 weeks at a time.
Bridges is doing a marvelous job of making sure NZF will never go with the Nats in the future by attacking Peters on the rise in overseas aid and diplomatic services budget.
(Incidentally, this brings NZ overseas aid to 0.28% of GDP as opposed to a world average of 0.4% and I seem to remember a UN target of 0.7%.)
Peters was scathing in reply to Bridges calling National’s reaction “myopic”.
And not explicitly supporting an electoral deal with Act means Bridges has a ballsy game thinking he can win an outright majority of seats with no coalition partners at all.
He said as much in a recent speech. He said 44% wasnt enough they needed to get more. He then pretended Nats are becoming an environmentally friendly party… but
Opposed end to offshore drilling
Opposes reduction in dairy cows
Opposes fuel tax rises under Labour
Etc
Etc
They are targeting the soft green party vote in wealthy national seats.
It has two purposes, trys to get Greens below 5% ( and become wasted vote, a very hard task though ) and of course adds to their party vote if they switch to national.
The winning double would be to get Greens and NZ First below 5%, say 4.5% each. Thats 9% wasted vote, plus the other groups that dont get above 5% could make the total wasted vote 12%.
44% then looks winnable, and the only strategy that makes sense with ‘no mates’
Will be easier to get NZFirst under 5% than the Greens but Labour is helping by taking Green votes for themselves
In other words, turn MMP into FPP through underarm and middle finger actions.
I think, like gorse, possums rabbits and other undesirables, you’ll never get rid of the Greens but NZFirst will be gone eventually
The strongest and clearest endorsement of MMP and Democracy in NZ I’ve seen in ages, bravo!
You’re one of the finest advocates for National and ACT; please keep up the good work.
Tip of the hat to you as well
You’ve got manners and a sense of humour; what happened?
Buggered if know to be honest
🙂
Your forgetting NZF has the snake Jones in it . If Winston leaves next election it’s all on.
I don’t think the rural voters will forget NZFirsts betrayal and I’m pretty sure National will remind them every chance they get
Hopefully NZFirst is gone for good
What betrayal. Any one thick enough to think Winston could have gone with national after years of trying to destroy his party is to thick to vote
Good, Winston is a much better fit for Labour
PR how do you feel about the Nats becoming a more environmentally friendly party?
I’m for it
And so you fall for the ploy, again.
He says they will be environmental. You want them to be. You want less fucking over of the environment. But they had 9 years of fucking it over, you voted for them last year? And now you feel comforted that they will be more environmental cos Bridges says they will but there is no evidence before and since his statement that they have changed, at all.
By all means vote for them again but do not say it is cos they are being Greener
Like Labour and NZF wanted to bop capitalism on the nose but Robeetson is following the same NL/Cap “rules”
“And so you fall for the ploy, again.”
Nope, I don’t vote for National on their environmental policies
“He says they will be environmental.”
Good on them
“You want them to be.”
It’d be nice yeah
“You want less fucking over of the environment.”
Sure, as a generalisation
“But they had 9 years of fucking it over, you voted for them last year?”
They did some things well and some things not so well and yes i did vote for them
“And now you feel comforted that they will be more environmental cos Bridges says they will but there is no evidence before and since his statement that they have changed, at all.”
Thats a rather large jump from I’m for National becoming more environmental to “comforted that they will be more environmental cos Bridges says they will” don’t you think
“By all means vote for them again but do not say it is cos they are being Greener”
I’m not voting for them because they’re Greener
“Like Labour and NZF wanted to bop capitalism on the nose but Robertson is following the same NL/Cap “rules”
I recall it was Labour that bought in Rogernomics and no one from Labour has ever come out and repudiated it yet
Jacinda Ardern said she agreed with Jim Bolger’s assessment that neoliberalism had failed
https://www.google.co.nz/search?source=hp&ei=QU3yWpn5N4Gx0gS2qobYBQ&q=neoliberlsam+hasfailed+jacindaardern+&oq=neoli
So what, hes not infalible
Correct, but he has wisened up.
Or maybe hes gone senile
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/88438169/think-of-it-what-you-will-but-neoliberalism-works
Oscar Wilde
No need to question Bolger’s cognitive health, me thinks. There’s hope for all of us but some simply have a better chance.
Incognito,
PR is just having fun with wracking us up, PR doesn’t have a clue about the environment or how to save it.
Ignore it all as i do, and he/she will go away.
remember they tried a compassionate conservative line before as well. Look at how thin that was.
DOU see my response to Puck
Well good riddance to Act. Nasty bunch of tightly whities.
Questioning the billion dollar spendfest is the first agreeable thing Bridges has done.
Peters will never go with National. He is having far to much fun as the Supremo in the present Government. Once he gets his arse in the PM’s chair on the ninth floor when Ardern goes off they will never get him out of the office.
Can you imagine National allowing the leader of a minor party to threaten members of the Main party like Mahuta and Jackson that they will lose the Ministerial warrants if they don’t do what Peters tells them.
What do you think Helen Clark would have done? Can you imagine her ignoring it and instead telling her local paper what he favourite songs are?
It doesn’t really matter of course. Both the Greens and New Zealand First will be dog tucker after the next election. They certainly won’t be missed.
NZFirst gone for sure but the Greens only need to fool one in twenty voters they’re an environmental party so I reckon they’ll be around for a few more years
Yep, they’ll be around as long as most of NZ is still above water despite rising sea levels and tourists flock to Franz Josef snowfield in winter months only.
Labour will win in 2020 !!!
As the full knowledge of the Pike river mine disaster and the 11 billion hole are all reviled.
The nat’s will scuttle of their sinking ship pronto by then..
Stop calling me a fool
He’s threatening them as the deputy prime minister. As such he is perfectly entitled to discipline any ministers as he has seniority over them.
If Michael Cullen had done the same then I doubt Clark would have an issue with it. Likewise, if Bill English had done the same I doubt John Key would have had a problem with.
We live in an MMP political environment now, do try and keep up.
What is with the MSM trying to claim some of the new government policy is all the work of Crusher Collins?
They are trying to position her as responsible for a lot of the work on having online retailers pay GST and looking into the petrol companies pricing policies.
It seems like National’s MSM cronies are trying to rewrite the history of the last 9 years of the National government to look like they actually did some stuff instead of all the delays in implementing stuff and ignoring of recommendations till they are to little too late.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/comment-is-judith-collins-politically-immortal/ar-AAwY5vc?li=BBqdg4K
They did begin that work didnt they?
Must have got the polling numbers back showing hitting back at oil companies and offshore retailers paying tax is very popular. So they are doing a #metoo
Touche
It is the only #metoo the Nats woukd do
“MSM trying to claim some of the new government policy is all the work of Crusher Collins?”.
The reason is very simple. The work was done by people in the departments at Collin’s behest. It has simply been picked up by the new lot in the Beehive.
Whether Collins would have progressed the proposals if National had been returned is of course unknown, but irrelevant. The proposals are the work of the last Government however.
Didn’t you notice, and probably complain, about how National took over things being planned by the Clark led Government when they came in?
Actually if you look at what Parliament has been up to nearly everything has been a carryover from the English Administration. Labour simply weren’t ready for the election result they never expected.
I know you RWNJs like to rake up the past and especially Roger Douglas at every opportunity but to go back to William Hobson is stretching it a bit, don’t you think, Alwyn?
That is actually rather a funny comment. Quite unlike you I must say.
It is a pity there are a few minor errors but a good first attempt.
If you knew your history you would have realised that Hobson died in 1842 and the first NZ Parliament was not until 1854.
But then you LWNJs never were very careful about the accuracy of your statements.
Not bad
Holy mackerel I feel old.
Of Prime Minister Ardern’s top 10 favourite songs, I only knew 6 of them.
http://spy.nzherald.co.nz/spy-news/these-are-jacinda-s-fave-nz-songs/
I think this qualifies her as cool. To me at least.
This seems appropriate
Following up on the issue at WINZ Central Hamilton.
I have just left their office having spoken with the manager after being challenged by the on site security guards for taking pictures of coned mobility parking.
I am positive (as much as I can be) that they understand there are serious issues and are making appropriate changes.
Full report in a couple of hours.
Fireblade was not the only complainant.
Good stuff Rosemary, I hope you get somewhere with it.
Read a timely article from John Tamihere today, he touched a bit on what’s been discussed and leans more towards your POV…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12047397
Well done Rosemary. We have to help the Government defeat the hard core well paid bureaucrats. Yes John Tamihere had it right!!
Hey I just read this.
Spoke to someone a couple of weeks ago who had just wrote a complaint to Porirua Community Link (winz FYI) about not being able to park in the mobility parks.
Heh! I did ask today if there was someone in the Hamilton Central WINZ office with mobility issues….hence the coned mobility park…and was told no…
I know its really difficult sometimes to make the appropriate amount of fuss for fear of retribution, but there seems to be a high tolerance for access activism for the simple reason that so often those who fail to provide access or those who abuse access provisions made for those who need them largely do so out of sheer ignorance.
They simply have never, ever been forced to see things from the point of view of the person with the disability.
Sometimes kicking up a bit of shit is like doing them a favour….
On Monday evening Fireblade wrote
“Today I helped a family member who had to take a Medical Certificate to the Hamilton central WINZ office.
In the past we’ve waited in the queue inside the building. Today we had to wait in a queue of 12 people standing outside on the footpath. One of the three security guards said he had been told to only let one person through the door when someone else left. The footpath cue included a very frail elderly lady and a person with one leg using crutches. It took around 40 minutes waiting on the footpath just to get into the building.
The five parking spaces directly outside were blocked with orange cones. I asked why and was told that only WINZ staff could park there.
The fact that any government department can treat people like this is truly shocking and humiliating.”
Many of us agreed, and for me it seemed ironic that on Friday our PM is exhorting WINZ to be kind to people seeking help, and on the following Monday we hear of shit like this happening.
Not. Good. Enough.
And not going to go unchallenged, not within the reach of my arm.
An email was sent to Sepuloni’s office which was sent on to Brendan Boyle, CEO of MSD. A follow up email from me,
“Thank you .
I am anticipating that this will be rectified today.
Tomorrow I will be onsite taking photographs and speaking with clients
waiting outside…if this is still happening.
I will also be ensuring that the parking spaces in front of the
building are available for client use, especially for those with
mobility issues.
Sincerely,
Rosemary McDonald”
So about 10 am this morning after a successful (yay!! 🙂 ) COF check on my Bus we were parked just up the road from WINZ, Central Hamilton.
There is nothing quite so off putting as a random person taking photographs.
Not of people, as the only person in sight was the security guard, but of five bright orange cones blocking the five ‘visitor only’ parking spaces…including the mobility park.
The security guard politely asked what I was doing and I said ‘photographing the coned carparks.’
This security guard was very quickly joined by another who proceeded to demand who I was and where was I from.
“I am a NZ Citizen doing a follow up to a report from Monday of blocked parking spaces and long waits for WINZ clients outside in the cold.”
“These carparks are for visitors.” said 2nd security guard. “Is that for visiting clients….” “No! Visitors to the office!”.
Fortunately, he could see how circular the discussion could have got so he disappeared inside to get the Manager.
TBH, I was not expecting to speak to management. I had to quickly gather my wits and prepare to do battle.
The battle, such as it was, appeared to have mostly been fought as the manager was polite, attentive, communicative and most importantly apologetic.
She was well aware of the complaints…and the following discussion indicated that there was at least one other complainant. Someone acting as a support person to a client had not been allowed inside with the client when they were finally allowed inside.
The manager was emphatically in agreement that this was a major departure from expected treatment of clients. The security guard was perhaps a little over zealous.
Thanks to Fireblade’s detailed description I was able to mention the amputee and the elderly lady (“Both of whom could have benefited greatly from the blocked mobility park.”) and the security guards only allowing some inside after someone had left. Cones were being moved as I left.
It transpires that about four weeks ago WINZ Hamilton Central had to leave their usual premises on Victoria St because of a leak in the roof. This building on Anglesea St was clearly not fit for purpose. Largely because of floor space.
I was taken inside to see for myself and I could see the problem. Better premises are being sought but in the meantime they are going to try to make the available space work better for clients.
Allowing too many people inside would cause privacy issues for the client speaking with the reception staff. Point taken, but the available space could be better utilised. A couple of the computer terminals for client use could go, and the reception desk moved back to allow more room inside for waiting clients.
A crew is coming to the office after 5pm tonight to do this.
I said I didn’t understand why, if clients attend the office by appointment only, would there have been so many people waiting? She agreed, and said that Monday was a particularly busy day. ” A lot if foot traffic.” was how she described it, so maybe some did not have appointments or had made appointments at short notice.
I asked about availability of toilets for clients and was told there is one available. I suggested that it would perhaps be more dignified if the toilets were sign posted and clients did not have to ask to use them. I also suggested (while I had a receptive ear ;-)) that there was a water cooler available and perhaps an area for children to play.
Without climbing high on my soap box with my megaphone,I hope I conveyed to the manager just how terribly disappointed I was hearing about this unacceptable treatment of WINZ clients within days of the PM heralding a culture change.
I mentioned Ashburton, and how I understood the Workplace Health and Safety issues, risk assessment and the like….but I also (drawing on the comments of others here the other day…take this as recognition :-)) pointed out that ‘security guards not much use against an armed person’, and it’d ‘be easier to wait outside at 5 pm if one wanted to harm WINZ staff’, and seriously…considering the ‘toxic culture that has built up around WINZ over the past decade its a miracle there has been only the one tragic incident’. There was more, but hopefully you’ll get the drift.
I think I have a fairly good BS detector, especially konohi ki kanohi, and I believe this manager was genuinely sorry that this happened. I got the decided impression that there is going to be change…please, gods…and if the attitude of this particular manager is indicative of anything then serious thought is going to be put into improving not only the physical environment but also the culture.
or, I was beguiled, hood winked, a victim of a charm offensive….
But I’m hoping not. 🙂
Rosemary, Thank You xx
Well done Rosemary excellent insight there thanks.
The world needs more people like you. Thank you.
Did TS go down for anyone else from about 11.30 to 12 this morning?
I lost a comment with information gathered and links. Damn.
“Did TS go down for anyone else from about 11.30 to 12 this morning?” Yes.
Happens often for me…feel your pain at losing your work. Funny thing happened the other day as i was compiling an OIA request on this laptop. As I hit ‘send’ poof! gone! I found myself with an error message and when relogged into gmail all was lost as I had not saved the draft. Repeatedly kicked myself as this is not the first time this has happened. Half an hour later I happened to be checking something on my cheapy android phone when I noticed an extra item in the gmail…there it was…my draft OIA request! I will never, ever get the tech…
Yes briefly. Couldn’t bring up the site, but did lunch and it was up again later.
Hate it when that happens. You need this
Lazarus: Form Recovery – Add-ons for Firefox
With all the amazing things this government was promising to accomplish by now I would have thought there would be more posts celebrating the wins of this government?
Why no post about light rail from south west to north west?
Couple of years to get consents and a few more to build.
That’s why.
Ad…the light rail project will surely be fast-tracked?
Ridiculous questions Tuppence.
I know right. Ridiculous because there haven’t been any achievements. You and I both thought opposition was a tough gig right haha!
You are a total Troll
Why flatter him with your attention?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12048134
He said “too much tweeting maketh a twat”.
Hes learnt from KFC that if you mess up, own it in a self deprecating way and you can move on
Dunno about that, but we just learned that the guy who wants the nats to avoid dirty politics follows the slug on twitter.
I’d be surprised if most politicians didn’t as like him or loathe him (I stooped supporting him a whiles back) he does get some dirt every now and then but yeah admitting to it isn’t good
The dude is supposedly leader of the opposition. Monitoring the deranged fringes of social media is what his staff are there for.
Fancy Bridges exposing his true self by choosing “Like” for an anti Gayford rumour online at Whaleoil. Claims it was mistake but really???
His denial is plausible but it’d also be a good idea if he didn’t anything similar for a while
Yes Puck. Plausible but for such a clever chap who points a preciser finger at others, somewhat less plausible.
Well we’ve all fallen victim to fat thumb syndrome I’m guessing, I mean i don’t tweet or follow anyone on twitter
The Red-Brown “zombie plague”: how fascist ideas are becoming popular on the Left – PART ONE
By DAPHNE LAWLESS, May 9, 2018
The right wing contributions here are largely monosyllabic and occasionally a little more precocious e.g. ‘and so”, “so what”, “your point” etc.
It is that they all lack critical thinking and general IQ; or has Bridges made AI in the image of himself.
Seems to be one could waste a lot of time answering monosyllabic irritants who have no interest in conversation, only opposition. So they just carry on…
“meaning”
“and then?”
“says who”
I’m just going to ignore RW contributors unless they’re actually contributing to the debate, not obfuscating progress.
What?
DB Brown, Yes I will as well….. They just want attention.
DB brown
The RW contributors are just ‘diverting us from real conversation here’ as PR did when we were having a deep human conversation with Rosemary, and she was showing great humanity.
But PR just butted in, with some mindless jaba-jaba nonsense, that was a waste of consideration.
So it was just gribble to stop a deep from the heart conversation going on.