I hope you all at least click the link. Maybe if Stuff highlights more of these stories MSD will be publically pressured to allocate funds specifically to build this type of housing.
44% of the price of a litre of petrol goes to the government. There is a price floor for petrol because of tax. The petrol companies need to make a profit out of the remaining 55% after they purchase it from off shore. then they need to pay tax on that profit. The lower the price of petrol, the greater the tax component.
The Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc has outlined “serious concern” about a local bill designed to enable construction of the proposed Waimea dam, near Nelson.
On September 19, the Tasman District Council (Waimea Water Augmentation Scheme) Bill passed its first reading in Parliament. It was referred to the governance and administration committee, which accepted submissions until midnight on Friday.
The bill seeks to gain an inundation easement over 9.67 hectares of conservation land in the Mount Richmond State Forest Park, needed for the reservoir of the proposed dam. It also aims to vest in the council 1.35ha of Crown riverbed in the Lee Valley on which the dam will be built.
In a written submission to the select committee, which it also released to Stuff, Forest & Bird says the use of a local bill “is misguided in attempting to override sound conservation legislation and reduce the amount of public scrutiny that should be given to this activity on public conservation land”.
…
National, Labour, NZ First and Act MPs supported the bill at its first reading while the Greens opposed it. Labour Minister David Parker said he didn’t know of a “better water augmentation scheme in New Zealand than this one”.
97% MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BREACHED BY CHORUS SUBCONTRACTORS!!!!!
Absolutely disgusting. Also considering how it takes Chorus about 3 or 4 tries before they can send somebody who is competent about time they actually worked out how many of the workers have paid for the job to get residency and actually can’t do the job and are probably paying for the job.
This is a huge issue for the country. Under the Natz a staggering amount of employment and immigration breaches have been tolerated or indeed encouraged.
The poor broadband roll out alone is costing the country in lost productivity. It is very difficult to get a decent Internet service around Auckland and a lot of it is the contractors who have now shown the 97% investigated were breaching minimum employment standards!
“An MBIE investigation into the industry found that 73 of the 75 Auckland-based sub-contractors investigated had breached minimum employment standards. Breaches included employers failing to maintain employment records, pay employees’ minimum wage, pay holiday entitlements, and provide employment agreements.
E tū Communications Industry Coordinator Joe Gallagher says this is alarming, but not surprising.
“We have known about the effect of this contracting model since they started it,” says Joe.
“This model of contracting and sub-contracting has allowed Chorus to pass the buck, resulting in contractors exploiting their workforce to keep to budgets and schedules.
“It has resulted in terrible outcomes for the affected workers, as well as poor delivery of services in many areas.”
The first thing they need to do is put Chorus and their subcontractors on the employment stand down list and ban them from hiring more overseas workers for minimum 5 years!
Then actually test some of the subcontractors and see how many do not have any skills for the job and work out how many of these unskilled, unlicensed contractors are actually victims of or involved in immigration scams.
It is amazing how many foreign workers who don’t speak any English from places like Nigeria work for Chorus and also weird how they can’t do the job either and you have to wait weeks for someone else to come and fix the numerous faults that Chorus can’t fix the first, second or third time.
Even the other providers like Spark and Vodafone and 22 degrees who rely on Chorus are sick to death of them as you have a massive rigmarole to get anything done and you have to go through the provider in most cases!
Chorus should be voted worst company in NZ and they can’t do their job and when they go bankrupt through their incompetence, hopefully another competent firm can do the job.
Chorus is what’s left after various telecom managements plundered the customers for large profits without reinvesting in the network. Then it got Chinese walled yet somehow I hear spark still clip the sth cross cable ticket which is network not retail.
I have sympathy for them as most internet services which perform badly could be down to the retailer failing to manage capacity. Looking at you spark and voda.
You’ll probably find few faults are actually down to a poor install and the industry is bleeding workers to the NBN in oz who are flashing the cash.
Yep but my point is, NZ to be competitive needs to raise wages to retain the skilled people, not just rely on cheap bodies to do the work, who actually can’t do it and are paying to get residency in many cases.
We can’t be competitive with fake internet and phone lines and fake workers!
Agree the telecom providers didn’t invest either and just are coining the profits and then every day, it just gets worse and worse for customers and business relying on the service and eventually guess what, they move their businesses to OZ or Singapore or apparently even central Nigeria has faster Internet access than Auckland.
You also wonder how long a company can survive for when you ring their call centre (Spark for example) and wait 1 hour for someone to pick up your call!
Seriously a telecom company that has a 1 hour waiting time to answer your call!
And most of them are similar and some (22 degrees I think) , even demand a per minute fee to answer a phone call about their service!
Something is wrong! NZ is a race to the bottom and our government is obsessed with dirty deals with business for water and oil yet fail to notice the constant routs in banking and telecoms ripping off consumers and businesses for years, decades really, yet another reason why NZ is losing business and productivity with it completely off government radar because they are encapsulated with lobbyists.
In our area a Chorus contractor who has had to come out numerous times to fix a common distribution box serving about 50 houses said the problem was that in the Phillipines where he comes from they had gotten rid of that type years ago because it was too old even then.
Ok faulty, banned materials, incompetent illegally working staff, not being able to fix anything for months, sounds like a NZ roll out then of IT funded by taxpayers, from the Natz.
Different problems.
One is the broadband rollout and the connections to homes- dodgy contractors
Other one is Chorus own copper network with its ancient tech ..oh and again using contractors but at least these seem to be qualified in copper line phone tech.
My advice to Adrian, ditch the copper line and go all mobile, some providers even provide broadband services over the mobile system.
It started to play up a few months back. I often couldn’t get a connection after the modem had been shut down for several hours (especially overnight), and I had frequent dropouts.
After numerous calls and opine chats (the latter often unsuccessful as had dropout in the middle of the chat), Spark sent some Chorus guys (with proviso that if the fault was with my stuff, then it would cost me $80.00 plus labour etc.
Anyway, 2 Chorus guys came. One spoke English, and they conversed with each other in another language – maybe from Indian sub continent or Indonesia, or somewhere in that region.
The English speaking guy eventually pronounced they had found a fault with one of my 2 jack points and a cable from it, and had fixed it.
Well, the dropouts then became less frequent, but I still often had problems getting a connection – though had discovered that when I dialed 123 on my landline, listened to the Spark welcome message for a few seconds, then hung up, I’d get a Net connection straight away.
Spark then said they could send Chorus out again, but, again it could cost me. I talked to the estate agent property manager who told me something similar had happened to a few of their tenants after fibre had been connected to the tenants building. I was also told that when fibre had been connected to my building last year, they’d done a lot of work on the property.
Anyway a couple of weeks later, I got an email from Spark saying my copper broadband was going up by $5.00 a month, and that it would be more expensive than fibre. So I did the switch.
It isn’t noticeably faster or any easier to access online video content – in spite of this article claiming more people are switching to fibre, so must be there’s a growing hunger for more online content.
+10000 – Carolyn_Nth – completely normal – then the consumers end up picking up the tab, again and again. Used to have a fixed phone line, but had to abandon it because it’s a waste of time with Chorus as fixed lines don’t work – wonder why so many don’t have land lines any more in NZ – answer is Chorus incompetence.
Considering Chorus got 70% of the taxpayer funded roll out of crown fibre, pretty sure that like leaky buildings, we will be seeing big problems down stream as they are big issues occurring even at the start!
Going for the cheap and unregulated approach works a treat (sarcasm) and ends up being massively expensive as well as not actually providing the service that was needed in the first place, reliably.
Thats because your own old equipment is limiting the service. What is the age of the device you are using . 5 years plus ? I liked my old desktop ( 2012) but I upgraded it both with more memory chips and a solid state drive. That enabled me to disable some tech that chews up the CPU . No compressed memory and no disk caching.
Even the slowest fibre option which I have with 30Mbs is 10x faster than the old copper network which used to slow to a crawl at night.. But then I dont do a lot of downloads until I got netflix and there is no way the copper would cope and I’m only 1km from the telephone exchange.
My main laptop is about a year or two old. My second one is a refurbished offlease SSD which is pretty fast on both copper and fibre. Not much faster on either laptop online.
But, I probably don’t access a lot of material that requires a noticeably faster system either.
@dukeofurl, Sadly for consumers Chorus is involved both in the fixed lines and significantly in the crown fibre roll out of Internet.
It was a good idea by the Natz (the only decent thing Joyce ever did) for the crown fibre roll out, but sadly using Chorus and their Ponzi monopoly and dodgy employment practices has made what should have been a massive success a partial one, with lots of skeletons awaiting at the expense of consumers and businesses in NZ.
Like other companies that suddenly go under in NZ, Chorus has become an immigration and accounting Ponzi a long while back and held NZ sustainable business growth, back significantly.
Is it really that hard to hire professional people and vet them to make sure they can do the job and pay to do the job right in the first place ?
When will NZ even learn, just having a cheap warm body count in the workforce does not actually lead to productivity gains or a finished product (constructions) or service (tech/hospitality)?
Why not ask to go to Nauru and offer the island some help so they are not dependent on Australia and under their thumb? Then we can release the prisoners from the concentration camp and have to nurse them back to near normality and hope.
It would be a sign that we can be humanitarian.
nauru is 11,000 people who pissed away their wealth but still have a better standard of living than their neighbours. Closing the camps just means Australia will shift them elsewhere
Solomons is 600,000 people who are dirt poor.
Thats a correct choice to pick the most needy population.
Bring back the stocks and whipping for destructive useless men (and women) who vandalise and destroy.l
A man has attempted to climb and has broken a Len Lye sculpture in Wellington – costing much money, has injured himself, costing us hospital time and dollars.
What would be better is having safe places and counselling for people with mental problems that can be improved and controlled without medication. I think that a farm where the men can be kept enclosed where they can work and have decent conditions and attention as needed.
“Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says New Zealand seems to be playing catch up when it comes to instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system.”
Marty you seem to be the one who introduced ‘race’ with your comment “Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people’s.” The punishment should fit the crime, not the race or ethnicity of the perpetrator.
Yes in wonderland. In the real world ALL indigenous populations devastated by colonisation suffer disproportionate numbers, compared to other groups, of their members arrested, charged and put into prison. This is a FACT.
Note – “instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system” is the context.
Perhaps you should read or watch a bit. Moana Jackson has some nice videos that might help try Google.
“Note – “instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system” is the context.”
And I don’t have a problem with that. What I object to is your suggestion that indigenous people should somehow be treated differently to the rest of the population regarding sentencing.
I didnt say that. ffs I want EQUALITY. Are you saying that the extremely high % of Māori men and women in jail, compared to % of Māori in society, is because they are treated the same as other ethnic groups? Why are the percentages different then?
There is clear institutional racism in the NZ justice system but it’s a problem bigger than justice – the problem needs to be unraveled as a whole because there are so many things wrong with our current system and priorities of government.
“This is COMPLETELY BOGUS. Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people’s. Ffs”
Thats just a fanatsy , most people in prison are in there for violence and the rest are who have stolen large amounts of money or atrocious drink driving records or scores of burglary convictions.
You can’t even get to ‘buzz words’ – I don’t think you even know what the hell you’re talking about in this sub thread. What is the reason Māori are negatively disproportionately represented in prisons? Do you want to make prisons indigenous cultural paradises? Or do you want to stop people going to prison in the first place? It’s not fucken rocket science mate.
You did specifically refer to ‘instilling indigenous cultural values’
And this works how ? Its a prison, Im not opposed to indigenous cultural values but what ever way you do it rehab can only work if they really want to.
Indigenous people are undisputedly imprisoned more than other groups;
“Māori are significantly over-represented in our prisons. While only five percent of Māori come into contact with the justice system, they make up 50 percent of our prison population,” David Rutherford said.
“Over 60 percent of prisoners have a learning or mental health disability. I believe that better identification of these issues early on will mean the lives of most of these people will stay on track. Many of these people simply shouldn’t be in prison.”
Your link shows that 80% of people in prison are there for “violence, sexual offences, dishonesty” or “traffic” (presumably intoxication related) offences. Is that inconsistent with what Dukeofurl said?
> Indigenous people are undisputedly imprisoned more than other groups;
You have collected 3 separate categories into your 80% The majority of prisoners are not imprisoned for violence which is what Duke asserted. Duke also said:
and the rest are who have stolen large amounts of money or atrocious drink driving records or scores of burglary convictions.
I don’t know where this info came from.
Also Duke is contesting that, as are others in this thread. Duke called it a fantasy.
Didnt say majority , said most. And its true 60% are sexual or physical violence that includes murder and homicide which could be around 500 prisoners for those two offences alone.
Who in their right mind wouldnt would be saying prison isnt the answer for these sort of offences.
arkie seems to think the 20% that are sexual offences are ‘not violence’ ?
This is the sort pig ignorant attitudes you have then its hardly worth discussing.
Are you thinking that because they didnt struggle enough it wasnt rape or sexual assault.
Unbelievable .
“they’ve had the most success”
synonyms: nearly all, almost all, the greatest quantity/part/number, the majority, the bulk, the lion’s share, the mass, the preponderance
“she spends most of her time in London”
the majority of; nearly all of.
“the two-pin sockets found in most European countries”
synonyms: nearly all, almost all, the greatest quantity/part/number, the majority, the bulk, the lion’s share, the mass, the preponderance
“she spends most of her time in London”
yes . Most of the people have serious violence or scores of previous convictions ( which means the non prison sentences havent ‘worked’)
Your numbers have 40% for violence , 20% sexual offences.
So those two types of violence are 60% right away – which is what I said
Dishonesty is 20% which means scores of burglary convictions per prisoner or stealing very large amounts of money – often from the community.
The real problem is men, who are often affected badly by drink or drugs so they commit offences …over and over.
Ask the judges . have you never been in a courtroom for a day ?
It figures if you have led a cotton wool life and dont even read the papers.
I dont know what ideas you are advancing by quibbling over what the definition of violence is or what the background to far too many offences are or whether 60% is a majority.
these arent some numbers from a cricketers annual. real people are affected by violence
So you acquired this information from asking judges?
I’m asking you to clarify because you asserted that Marty was fantasising about the over representation of Māori prisons. You then mentioned what you thought their crimes were. I’m just asking you where you got these ideas.
‘A gang member who abducted a woman and subjected her to a night of sexual assault, threats, violence and forced drug-taking has been jailed for six years and five months….. and as the court heard had relapsed into regular methamphetamine use.
“Stephenson, a member of the Filthy Few gang ….”
Dont be a dickhead arkie . These are real people and you are talking
contemptible nonsense.
By showing you cant even add up % shows the level of your knowledge
@Arkie. Stop quibbling. The numbers are out there.
For instance Duke said “the real problem is men, who are often affected badly by drink or drugs”. A quick google search finds that “about 80% of crime occurs under the influence of alcohol and drugs or is commited to feed an addiction” – this is from Roger Brooking on Pundit (https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/explaining-nzs-record-high-prison-population), who is anything but a lock-em-up-and-throw-em-away-the-key guy.
Weird how there does not seem to be much interest in preventing the drugs getting into NZ in the first place in fact under globalism it seems to be yet another thriving industry going from strength to strength.
Didn’t the colonists of old, give small pox blankets to the locals to help them in the take over?
Then it comes out that the meth test standards the woke lefties meet far righties decided were pretty much made up and no scientific evidence for it – but a lot of state house land sold and people evicted, which certainly benefited a few interested parties, in particular politicians and consultants and developers.
@Dukeofurl, Sadly the. people stealing the most money from NZ seem to be outside our justice system and are actually celebrated or under the radar or benefit from generous loop holes in the law to allow the stealing to continue.
Then there has become a secondary justice issue of giving very light sentences to fraudsters who are based overseas or just arrived in NZ or commit crimes for years between the countries without detection. .
The bizarre message seems to be, come to NZ and steal money and break our laws here… (since we already have enough criminals ourselves born here, not sure why our government and immigration seems hell bent on adding and encouraging more criminals into NZ – compete with OZ and Asia maybe for corruption, (sarcasm) who knows!)
If you try look up Maori and even Pakeha offenders for these types of crimes they seem to be punished more severely for similar or smaller impact crimes.
The guy that did the Fonterra hoax for example gets 8 years prison while the Chinese turned NZ resident with previous violence convictions actually handled stolen honey worth $40k but only given a fraction of that as a fine and no prison? It was just pocket change for him to pay the fine.
Where is biosecurity in that context with people obtaining illegally gotten NZ produce and then repackaging it and redistributing it with the potential hazards? (honey can kill you in some circumstances if it has a certain bacteria in it and loss of NZ reputation aka the Fonterra hoax guy who got 8 years prison for not actually doing the crime aka not contaminating the milk ).
Conspiracy type crimes are always treated much harsher than others and this was a blackmail offence rather than biosecurity
So you dont think threatening to poison baby formula isnt all that serious.
Judge didnt think so.
‘Justice Geoffrey Venning said it was “near the most serious case” of its kind
as he didnt just write a letter he sent baby formula laced with 1080.
The case had to be treated as though he had done it.
The Kiwi guy got 8 years in prison for threatening to do a crime NOT doing the crime, but the Chinese guy did get caught red handed in the crime which he DID do and actually did threaten NZ honey industry, but just got a small fine, lower than the stolen honey so actually profited still even after being caught and no jail time at all.
Likewise the Indian guy that profited from the fake drivers licences also got no jail time and not even a fine so he got away with tens of thousands of dollars of bribes. But god knows how many people have been injured or killed by his greed in traffic accidents.
In sentencing, Judge Johns described Brar as a 25-year-old with potential. She gave him time off for his previous good record and his early guilty pleas.
The judge also did not follow the recommendations of the pre sentencing which wanted much harder penalty.
Can anyone see a Maori youth being described like that by a judge if they were involved in $60k of bribes and then judge then allows them to pretty much get away with it?
Where is the incentive to stop these crimes in our justice system from migrants screwing NZ over, because I don’t see any. It’s being minimised and encouraged by our justice system and police and immigration and government.
So this is the thing Marty, if you say “Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people”, everyone thinks you mean that indigenous people should not be imprisoned even when they commit serious crimes.
If you instead lead off with “I want equality” and “indigenous people should be treated the same as other people”, a lot of wrangling will be avoided.
And further, when people hear Andrew Little talking about wanting to reduce the prison population by 30%, they think he means not putting people in jail even when they have committed a serious crime. Or letting serious criminals out early.
Hence much of the apparent right/left divide on the subject.
Don’t be flabbergasted. It’s a typical tory reaction.
The only people they see going to prison are Very Bad People, because their mate who committed a wee bit of white-collar fraud only got homeD or a couple of years at most. They don’t see the fact that benefit “fraud” is treated more harshly than tax evasion. They don’t see the impact of little offences here and there meaning that someone doesn’t get “good character” credit. They don’t get that not knowing how to wear a suit or not having “respectable” people as character witnesses can all skew judicial attitudes. They don’t get that “not looking right” means more police attention which means a greater number of arrests, even if the actual offence rate were lower or the same.
It’s just like how they think other ideas about equity/equality mean “levelling down”, rather than “building up”.
yes its harsh for extreme cases of benefit fraud who go to jail, maybe they have previous convictions. Most just have to repay the money when they fall foul of a complicated and ponderous system.
If your issue is with locking too much people up then whether or not they are ‘indigenous’ is irrelevant. Deal with the underlying issue and don’t attempt to have a justice system treat people differently because of an accident of birth.
A judge will look at the crime and the previous criminal history. Discounts come for pleading guilty early enough, remorse when interviewed by probation.
Where maori miss out is lack of things like references from people in community and sometimes cant make reparation.
Its quite analytical. Doesnt have ethnicity in it. However we do have a history of too easily imprisoning maori which has carried through to today because they will have existing convictions.
The issue of locking too many people up seems to be your issue, as you seem to want to use that as a way to ignore that we lock up too many Māori.
If you want to address our inflated prison numbers then a major underlying issue is that too many Māori are in prison and you would need to address that.
“Hong Kong triads are working with some of New Zealand’s most notorious crime gangs to cash in on the country’s growing methamphetamine business.
Organised crime groups the 14K, Sun Yee On, Water Room, and Big Circle Gang all have a presence in the country and most recently gangsters from Fujian have become prominent. They work with New Zealand’s most powerful organised crime groups, the Headhunters and Hells Angels, buying and selling the addictive hyper-stimulant.
Police in New Zealand say indigenous gangs saw the profits to be made from methamphetamine and realised they needed contacts to buy the drug, or its main ingredient, pseudoephedrine, from a source country like the mainland. Quickly, Asian organised crime groups became crucial players in the drug trade and over time their international links made them the real power brokers.
‘Commodity is power,’ Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Cahill, of the Auckland Metro Crime Squad told The New Zealand Herald. ‘The Asians have the commodity. So they have control.'”
New Zealand did not register on the international drug market until the millions of dollars being made from methamphetamine grabbed the attention of bigger players overseas. Police here do not call them “triads”, as they’re referred to in popular culture, as the hierarchy here is a fluid, molecular structure rather than the traditional pyramid but the links to notorious international syndicates are real. Gangs like Hong Kong-based 14K, rival Sun Yee On, Water Room, and Big Circle have all had a presence here, as well as Malaysian, Thai, Taiwanese and Vietnamese gangs.
There is plenty of business to go around. Police and underworld sources agree that the organised Asian criminal groups “sit around the board room table together” with the local gangs, rather than starting a turf war, in the interests of making money.
Nothing is worse for the drug business than violent crime, such as the death of Prutsiriporn.
That’s a concern when the tppa kicks in, that the situation gets exacerbated more. That type of corruption could pretty quickly over run the corruption that we already have to the political system, which was already pushing NZ into abit of an anarchic breakdown state of affairs.
Once that type of corruption got a foothold, it’s not like NZ has a KGB type of tradition that would be capable of clearing it out.
All the fraudsters are rushing into government departments and jobs to make money from bribes, been going on for decades now but increased significantly with Natz help.
You used to be able to pay a bribe and then get a state house for example, the British women who helped herself and gave her relatives fake jobs and took nearly 1 million under the nose of the new governor general while also committing benefit fraud, the cash for fake licenses, god knows how many corrupt or receiving cash payoffs in police and justice system and the councils are bound to be rife.
However I believe the worst pushers of TPPA are the Kiwi born neoliberals and politicians both local and government who are refugees from the Rogernomics era and never left their cushy job from the 1980’s.
Turns out that the free water to the Chinese was actively encouraged by NZTE for example…
If only the NZTE traitors could live in the real world and swap places with the Chorus subcontractor would be illuminating for those government advisors …. rather than having a huge army of nobodies in Wellington crunching out the same shit for decades and being lapped up by governments as the only thing they know.
I heard a sound bite of someone phoning an order through for drugs from some Asian country. Yes, how much was the approach. Don’t know how the payment was made but I understand that it is easy to order and there seem to be numerous ways to deliver it.
If people have a job and a life, they would limit their drug taking no doubt, but so much opportunity for a good life has been withdrawn from low income NZs and they have established a sub-culture. so have to be treated as addicted and helped rather than criminalised. (We all have a tendency to be addicted to some habit, some have the habit of passing stern judgments on others as losers!)
It is interesting to read Alan Duff’s Out of the Mist and Steam where he talks about his journey through his culture to where he is now. It was unique journey and not easy.
On Trademe – reliable NZ seller – $4 start and closes tomorrow – postage $4.50
Out Of The Mist And Steam – ALAN DUFF
Listing #: 179042211
I think it’s the dairy owners that seem to be robbed the most and petrol stations… or places that have those items… but maybe there are those going about robbing fashion outlets, who knows.
It’s the above lobby group full of dairy owners that seem to be campaigning the most for lock em up justice.
They even started their own party… a bit of a stumbling block there though
“A New Zealand political party’s general secretary has been charged over failing to properly declare more than $200,000 in donations.
Police charged New Zealand People’s Party general secretary Anil Kumar Sharma with breaching the Electoral Act by failing to correctly file details of significant donations with the Electoral Commission.”
“The People’s Party target voter base is mainly migrant voters and its focus was law and order following a spate of aggravated dairy robberies and taxi driver muggings.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has previously called the party “a National Party front”.”
The charges were filed in the Auckland District Court last Friday, while the case will be heard again later this month.”
My comment was about the fact that dairy owners are not making much money these days, and that cigs and alcohol have good margins (everything else has tiny margins) and they bring in loyal customers.
So you could (on a good day) terrify a small and easily alarmed shop owner, but how would you get away with that, i.e. what’s stopping the shop owner from dobbing you in?
Maybe an otherwise good customer, from a ‘good family’, etc.?
Observer T
Don’t laugh at what I say, I am sure that you are being sarcastic. All that you write has happened. We have to look at it and try and rise above it, not mock those who draw attention to it and what needs to be done to prepare for the various trials that climate change plus the broil of political and immoral misdeeds will bring.
I know a lot of bad things happen in NZ. I get upset but still hold onto the knowledge of good people I have dealings with and meet here. So after getting down, I come up with hope and work with those good people. I keep on trying but I don’t fool myself that everyone wants to live in a country that offers reasonable quality and respect. And it is sad that so many won’t bite the bullet and prepare for a harder future and try being the good citizen.
It is the future first world cultural striving of gender equality that is in the best sense of, for example, a trad. Aryan aesthetics to an unquestionable type of corporate structure.
The world is forever seeking to hold and grasp, Freedom and Adaptability/Efficiency, & the above is the modern symbolism to that.
It is the New Zealand traditional egalitarian spirit, (which many immigrants will not readily understand) that has given the entrepreneurial class the massive opportunity to have these societal Values assocated with their products which as a nation who’s relative power will only ever be that derived from trade, is what should be getting built upon rather than the anarchist slash and burn neo-liberal nothing burger nation.
Hard to know where to begin.
Should it be the continued muppetry in central government agencies – such as Trade and Industry encouraging the sale of water; or should it be to do with Chorus subbies being royally ripped – all alongside the public servant (Stu Lumsden’s) assurance that we had “enough Labour Inspectors” just shortly before the election; or perhaps the state of Wellington’s bus ‘debacle’ – you know – that ‘space’ where we have a wee bit of a problem.
I thought I’d just pop up to Newtown (Constable Street) from Mount Victoria where what I needed to do would normally have been completed within the hour. I’d try out GRWC’s new improved service. Under the old system, that would have been completed within an hour.
I never realised just how bad this complete FUCKUP is. I left home before the nauseating ‘old school’ Jessie Mulligan kicked in after 1pm., before he had to don his lycras and bike up the hill to Teev 3. Midday Report was still rolling – in fact I think Maddison Ready was referring to the exceptional expertise of someone from Craig’s Investment Partners, giving what we were expected to believe was some sort of impartial and valuable take on the state of the meerkats.
3.30pm, I’ve arrived home. The majority of it I walked.
The only people I encountered not fussed on that journey was a guy on a Gold Card taking his mum for a day out on a bus journey. And she’d obviously lost the plot a few years back (not unlike my mother). Why they could even get a ride from the southern suburbs on the flat, up to Kingston. I think routes 23 and 29 figured in their journey.
Meanwhile, others crowding the Newtown footpaths who simply wanted to get to Courtenay Place needed a transfer if they didn’t want to wait what transpired was up to half an hour.
And while we watched the info boards (after having been told we’d have to walk down to the next stop), one #1 was Sched, then disappeared, and then 3 #1 services to places north turned up almost together.
Sorry mate. It’s not JUST about implementation despite your creds, it’s the entire project from start to finish, and perhaps you should have had the gumption to check the requirements before you began your design.
I’m going to be waiting for the next lot of spin with phrases like “change averse”.
Already there’s been a consultant telling us it’s all about implementation rather than design.
FUCK ME with a feather duster. Sometimes the bleeding bloody obvious seems to escape many. Oh, and for the privilege of taking advantage of this new improved service I’m expected to believe is superior to what happened before, as a cash fare payer, the fare is 25% more expensive.
NEVER AGAIN.
A bloody case study in how NOT to do things.
Lucky for GWRC and its verbally flatulent apparatus they’ve been given till December. THe longer it goes on, the worse it gets
@OOTim. Not batting an eyelid here unfortunately. I’m pleased to report I was able to get from Kilbirnie to Mirimar very successfully yesterday, but there’s still severe apprehension every time a bus trip is needed, even a short hop like that one (I allowed myself 45mins to get there). I have however had to stop going out in the evenings altogether now for the foreseable future due to the very real risk of being stranded far from home after dark.
It will be interesting to see if this driver’s strike goes ahead. Even as someone totally dependent on buses, I’d actually quite like to see the entire bus network taken out of action for a week and see if the resulting chos would be enough to force central Govt to take over.
Once was Tim
I am a newcomer to Wellington and was travelling in Constable Street just recently. I was worried about a hub transfer but didn’t need one on my route thank goodness. You have my sympathy and i heard two drivers talking and they were confused and unhappy too. All the best.
Yep well, when all said and done, a bloody MINOR inconvenience by comparison with Chorus contractors being exploited, people trafficked (yes right here in ‘lil ole NuZull), and public servants flogging off water to the highest bidder and at the expense of those paying for the positions representing a public they’re expected to serve.
And as I listen to Checkpoint, I’m kind of wondering why it’s taken this long for some of them to now feel comfortable enough to state the bleeding obvious publicly (such as a Devoy and a Lumsden).
Again!!! time for some analysis of what’s all gone wrong in our public service over the past decade or so.
(https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/10/07/nz-government-officials-caught-red-handed-helping-chinese-companies-take-nz-water/#comment-441531)
The good thing is I’m now fairly sure the coalition is beginning to wake up, and recognise that in many circumstances the advice of their “officials” is not always what it seems to be.
The world is burning.
Yet the Herald is leading with this as news.
A headline that reflects the selfish first world problems that trouble its readers.
As Draco repeatedly says, we can’t afford the rich.
“Air New Zealand’s Koru Club full: Passengers diverted to airport’s Strata Lounge.”
Profiles in Courage. NOT
No. 3: Sen. SUSAN COLLINS
cowardy-custardn., A coward; a timid or fearful person (prob. suggesting trembling in fear like a custard wobbles.)
….Collins’s wholehearted embrace of these vapid GOP talking points is emblematic of her entire justification for supporting Kavanaugh, which basically consisted of her closing her eyes and plugging her ears to information that would prove inconvenient to the creation of a conservative Supreme Court majority. The “process has finally hit rock bottom,” she said. That—not Kavanaugh’s lies, or his troubling judicial record, or Ford’s credible testimony about what he did to her—was what Collins felt the need to lecture Americans about.
Her choice is so disappointing because her Republican colleagues—the McConnells and Grassleys and Grahams of the world, who long ago turned into cartoonish, misogynist supervillains—are honest about who they are and what they want. Collins, who helped save the Affordable Care Act, and sometimes tut-tuts about President Trump, and has proven herself capable of abandoning the stock GOP position, is not. Like Jeff Flake and Ben Sasse and Joe Manchin, she cares far more about appearing moderate and independent than doing things that a moderate, independent legislator would do.
Profiles in Courage. NOT is an occasional series commissioned by Daisycutter Sports Inc. to highlight the moral (and sometimes physical) cowardice of politicians and their lackeys.
TS’s very own malignant anti-semite was triggered, too.
President Donald Trump’s Twitter attack last week on George Soros set off a round of anti-Semitic attacks on the Jewish financier, as well as authoritarian calls from key Trump supporters for the president to use state power to freeze or seize Soros’ assets.
Kia ora Newshub its a incredibly hard for all the USA ambassadors with the trump rhetoric . Some time’s I think when pointing out the gop flaws this alert some to there reality ??????? but no they will lose .
It’s cool the Indian Wahine are standing up for there right’s no one else will
MANA WAHINE.
I’m sure ancient India treated there wahine with much more respect than how they are treated at the minute kia kaha .
Grant Robertson is the best qualified person to run the Crown’s book’s enough said.
My offspring were all grown up before that smacking law came in .
Most time’s when a child is playing up they just need one to come down to there level and talk to them they are just seeking attention give them more attention .
I try not to take my mokopunas into shop’s when we look after them we do but only when we are buying them stuff.
Loan shark’s need to be brought into line ka pai.
That’s the problem with the World’s economy people who have the least money are charged the highest interests and people awash with money pay next to nothing that has to be reversed.
There you go alcohol has a direct LINK to domestic abuse the data curves will follow the same trajectory up with the sales curves that is one reason this problem has not gone down alcohol lobbing all lobbing should be banned I could never handle hang overs.
To the TAX working group increase the tax on alcohol and watch our bad stats drop that’s a logical move.
Space travel is part of our future you know who Eco is backing why because if it was not for him no one would making as much electric cars as is all the rage at the minute .
Xero accounting soft ware is a awesome product we have brought the other brands in the past we end up using excel and stop using them but Xero make’s accounting as easy as child’s play.
Ka kite ano
It give me a sore face when I see that more Kiwis are taking their retirement savings seriously one need to put money away for when they get older as no one else will do that for you Ka pai .
A %7 increase is awesome lump sum payments up % 39 they are making these payments so they get all the government’s Kiwisaver subsidy there is a lot of good data coming out of this story .Kia kaha kiwi’s ka kite ano link below.
Here is a story that gives me hope for a happy healthy prosperous future for ALL OUR Mokopuna’s
The Dutch Court rules in favour of OUR environment . The whole World will have to follow suit and work together to save our grandchildren’s future environment Kia kaha
Ka kite ano link is below
I remember when I was 8 there was a new kid in our class she was Indian all the other kid’s picked on her I would tell/make them leave her be next minute my
Grate grandmother and I were going to her birthday her dad is still the whano doctor.
Kia kaha to the Indian METOO movement that’s the way make your men see that with out you they would have nothing . And you wan’t your voices heard links below Ka kite ano.
I agree with the most of this story the whole Papatuanuku need to plant billions of tree’s I say and cut carbon use how.
A carbon tax and all the money is poured into saving our existing forest & plant new forest invest heavily into renewable energy
Link is below ka kite ano
Eco Maori tau toko this Idea totally urban orchards it will give healthy food for the needy all our councils have to do is change the types of tree’s they plant in and around te mokopuna’s play areas in places were its safe for people to pick them . link below
Ka kite ano many thanks for this story I say go one better and have urban vegie gardens to P.S The shops won’t lose to much profts
Kia ora te maori TV I say online troll’s bulling is a big problem in Aotearoa at the minute
As soon as there is a story about maori issues the troll’s jump onto the comments page and start spewing there racist rubbish .
But I say one has to be careful when trying to make law’s to curb this problem that the laws are not used to silence free speech so I say be real careful what one wishes for ka kite ano.
Kia ora Newshub that’s a nice big fine to stop the loan sharks predators $600 k that will make them think twice before they rip our people off .
Its cool Peter Jackson’s films he has added color to the old films I have been looking at NZONSCREEN and some of those need a brush up the sound on some are bad to.
Ka pai.
Tongan fans for the Tongan League team are staunch and proud wish them all the best.
Wow a new high rise building for Tamaki makau rau that looks like a cool design with a green floor ka pai .
With the Sydney Opera house issue Allan Jones is not as popular as him and his m8 think enough said .
Many thanks to Sea World people in Australia for saving the pepe Whale it was quite a dangerous task what I will say is animals have intelligence. They said the mother Whale new they were helping her calf . She could have easy squashed them.
Vector lines company well if you got fined I say you have not maintained the asset correctly . They have to have people checking the lines are not in danger from trees falling on them and cutting power this is the main cause of power cut’s in bad weather .
Daved Bowie was a artist who broke the mold for music like a few of his pears I liked his music It will be a bit old for the new generation .
Did you see my pick of music this arvo .
Andrew we are going to have a good couple of weeks of League Ka pai
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls all the best to the Breaker’s .
Mulls did James jandles get caught in some wires .
Congradulations to James sisters for having a new baby us men don’t know how easy we got it I get a reminder every now and then lol.
Kangaroos well Mal Meninga he is a great Australian indigenous role model for all
te mokopuna’s can’t say to much.??????? but I have a great memory.
Thats the way the wahine Black ferns kia kaha
Sam E hoa I get sore neck its a pain hurt it chasing my younger brother jumped a fence caught my foot on the fence and head butted the rock hard dirt bounced up and caught him. It did not start playing up till I got long in the tooth lol.
Ka kite ano P.S I did not kick his ass all though I wanted to
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...
Britain once risked a reputation as the weak link in the trilateral AUKUS partnership. But now the appointment of an empowered senior official to drive the project forward and a new burst of British parliamentary ...
Australia’s ability to produce basic metals, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel and construction steel, is in jeopardy, with ageing plants struggling against Chinese competition. The multinational commodities company Trafigura has put its Australian operations under ...
There have been recent PPP debacles, both in New Zealand (think Transmission Gully) and globally, with numerous examples across both Australia and Britain of failed projects and extensive litigation by government agencies seeking redress for the failures.Rob Campbell is one of New Zealand’s sharpest critics of PPPs noting that; "There ...
On Twitter on Saturday I indicated that there had been a mistake in my post from last Thursday in which I attempted to step through the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement issues. Making mistakes (there are two) is annoying and I don’t fully understand how I did it (probably too much ...
Indonesia’s armed forces still have a lot of work to do in making proper use of drones. Two major challenges are pilot training and achieving interoperability between the services. Another is overcoming a predilection for ...
The StrategistBy Sandy Juda Pratama, Curie Maharani and Gautama Adi Kusuma
As a living breathing human being, you’ve likely seen the heart-wrenching images from Gaza...homes reduced to rubble, children burnt to cinders, families displaced, and a death toll that’s beyond comprehension. What is going on in Gaza is most definitely a genocide, the suffering is real, and it’s easy to feel ...
Donald Trump, who has called the Chair of the Federal Reserve “a major loser”. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortest from our political economy on Tuesday, April 22:US markets slump after Donald Trump threatens the Fed’s independence. China warns its trading partners not to side with the US. Trump says some ...
Last night, the news came through that Pope Francis had passed away at 7:35 am in Rome on Monday, the 21st of April, following a reported stroke and heart failure. Pope Francis. Photo: AP.Despite his obvious ill health, it still came as a shock, following so soon after the Easter ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review found the NIC to be highly capable and performing well. So, it is not a surprise that most of the 67 recommendations are incremental adjustments and small but nevertheless important ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkThe world has made real progress toward tacking climate change in recent years, with spending on clean energy technologies skyrocketing from hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars globally over the past decade, and global CO2 emissions plateauing.This has contributed to a reassessment of ...
Hi,I’ve been having a peaceful month of what I’d call “existential dread”, even more aware than usual that — at some point — this all ends.It was very specifically triggered by watching Pantheon, an animated sci-fi show that I’m filing away with all-time greats like Six Feet Under, Watchmen and ...
Once the formalities of honouring the late Pope wrap up in two to three weeks time, the conclave of Cardinals will go into seclusion. Some 253 of the current College of Cardinals can take part in the debate over choosing the next Pope, but only 138 of them are below ...
The National Party government is doubling down on a grim, regressive vision for the future: more prisons, more prisoners, and a society fractured by policies that punish rather than heal. This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate lurch toward a dystopian future where incarceration is the answer to every ...
The audacity of Don Brash never ceases to amaze. The former National Party and Hobson’s Pledge mouthpiece has now sunk his claws into NZME, the media giant behind the New Zealand Herald and half of our commercial radio stations. Don Brash has snapped up shares in NZME, aligning himself with ...
A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 13, 2025 thru Sat, April 19, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
“What I’d say to you is…” our Prime Minister might typically begin a sentence, when he’s about to obfuscate and attempt to derail the question you really, really want him to answer properly (even once would be okay, Christopher). Questions such as “Why is a literal election promise over ...
Ruth IrwinExponential Economic growth is the driver of Ecological degradation. It is driven by CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through fossil fuel extraction and burning for the plethora of polluting industries. Extreme weather disasters and Climate change will continue to get worse because governments subscribe to the current global economic system, ...
A man on telly tries to tell me what is realBut it's alright, I like the way that feelsAnd everybody singsWe are evolving from night to morningAnd I wanna believe in somethingWriter: Adam Duritz.The world is changing rapidly, over the last year or so, it has been out with the ...
MFB Co-Founder Cecilia Robinson runs Tend HealthcareSummary:Kieran McAnulty calls out National on healthcare lies and says Health Minister Simeon Brown is “dishonest and disingenuous”(video below)McAnulty says negotiation with doctors is standard practice, but this level of disrespect is not, especially when we need and want our valued doctors.National’s $20bn ...
Chris Luxon’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been a masterclass in incompetence, marked by coalition chaos, economic lethargy, verbal gaffes, and a moral compass that seems to point wherever political expediency lies. The former Air New Zealand CEO (how could we forget?) was sold as a steady hand, ...
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...
New Zealand’s housing crisis is a sad indictment on the failures of right wing neoliberalism, and the National Party, under Chris Luxon’s shaky leadership, is trying to simply ignore it. The numbers don’t lie: Census data from 2023 revealed 112,496 Kiwis were severely housing deprived...couch-surfing, car-sleeping, or roughing it on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on a global survey of over 3,000 economists and scientists showing a significant divide in views on green growth; and ...
Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing ...
Open access notables Recent intensified riverine CO2 emission across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, Mu et al., Nature Communications:Global warming causes permafrost thawing, transferring large amounts of soil carbon into rivers, which inevitably accelerates riverine CO2 release. However, temporally and spatially explicit variations of riverine CO2 emissions remain unclear, limiting the ...
Once a venomous thorn in New Zealand’s blogosphere, Cathy Odgers, aka Cactus Kate, has slunk into the shadows, her once-sharp quills dulled by the fallout of Dirty Politics.The dishonest attack-blogger, alongside her vile accomplices such as Cameron Slater, were key players in the National Party’s sordid smear campaigns, exposed by Nicky ...
Once upon a time, not so long ago, those who talked of Australian sovereign capability, especially in the technology sector, were generally considered an amusing group of eccentrics. After all, technology ecosystems are global and ...
The ACT Party leader’s latest pet project is bleeding taxpayers dry, with $10 million funneled into seven charter schools for just 215 students. That’s a jaw-dropping $46,500 per student, compared to roughly $9,000 per head in state schools.You’d think Seymour would’ve learned from the last charter school fiasco, but apparently, ...
India navigated relations with the United States quite skilfully during the first Trump administration, better than many other US allies did. Doing so a second time will be more difficult, but India’s strategic awareness and ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from 2.2% in December last year. “The prices of things that people can’t avoid are rising – meaning inflation is rising ...
Last week, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that forestry be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Its an unfortunate but necessary move, required to prevent the ETS's total collapse in a decade or so. So naturally, National has told him to fuck off, and that they won't be ...
China’s recent naval circumnavigation of Australia has highlighted a pressing need to defend Australia’s air and sea approaches more effectively. Potent as nuclear submarines are, the first Australian boats under AUKUS are at least seven ...
In yesterday’s post I tried to present the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement for 2025-30, as approved by the Minister of Finance and the Bank’s Board, in the context of the previous agreement, and the variation to that agreement signed up to by Grant Robertson a few weeks before the last ...
Australia’s bid to co-host the 31st international climate negotiations (COP31) with Pacific island countries in late 2026 is directly in our national interest. But success will require consultation with the Pacific. For that reason, no ...
Old and outdated buildings being demolished at Wellington Hospital in 2018. The new infrastructure being funded today will not be sufficient for future population size and some will not be built by 2035. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Thursday, April 17:Simeon Brown has unveiled ...
Thousands of senior medical doctors have voted to go on strike for 24 hours overpay at the beginning of next month. Callaghan Innovation has confirmed dozens more jobs are on the chopping block as the organisation disestablishes. Palmerston North hospital staff want improved security after a gun-wielding man threatened their ...
The introduction of AI in workplaces can create significant health and safety risks for workers (such as intensification of work, and extreme surveillance) which can significantly impact workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. It is critical that unions and workers are involved in any decision to introduce AI so that ...
Donald Trump’s return to the White House and aggressive posturing is undermining global diplomacy, and New Zealand must stand firm in rejecting his reckless, fascist-driven policies that are dragging the world toward chaos.As a nation with a proud history of peacekeeping and principled foreign policy, we should limit our role ...
Sunday marks three months since Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. What a ride: the style rude, language raucous, and the results rogue. Beyond manners, rudeness matters because tone signals intent as well as personality. ...
There are any number of reasons why anyone thinking of heading to the United States for a holiday should think twice. They would be giving their money to a totalitarian state where political dissenters are being rounded up and imprisoned here and here, where universities are having their funds for ...
Taiwan has an inadvertent, rarely acknowledged role in global affairs: it’s a kind of sponge, soaking up much of China’s political, military and diplomatic efforts. Taiwan soaks up Chinese power of persuasion and coercion that ...
The Ukraine war has been called the bloodiest conflict since World War II. As of July 2024, 10,000 women were serving in frontline combat roles. Try telling them—from the safety of an Australian lounge room—they ...
Following Canadian authorities’ discovery of a Chinese information operation targeting their country’s election, Australians, too, should beware such risks. In fact, there are already signs that Beijing is interfering in campaigning for the Australian election ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From "founder" of Tesla and the OG rocket man with SpaceX, and rebranding twitter as X, Musk has ...
Back in February 2024, a rat infestation attracted a fair few headlines in the South Dunedin Countdown supermarket. Today, the rats struck again. They took out the Otago-Southland region’s internet connection. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360656230/internet-outage-hits-otago-and-southland Strictly, it was just a coincidence – rats decided to gnaw through one fibre cable, while some hapless ...
I came in this morning after doing some chores and looked quickly at Twitter before unpacking the groceries. Someone was retweeting a Radio NZ story with the headline “Reserve Bank’s budget to be slashed by 25%”. Wow, I thought, the Minister of Finance has really delivered this time. And then ...
So, having teased it last week, Andrew Little has announced he will run for mayor of Wellington. On RNZ, he's saying its all about services - "fixing the pipes, making public transport cheaper, investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, and developing more housing". Meanwhile, to the readers of the ...
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming, 1921ALL OVER THE WORLD, devout Christians will be reaching for their bibles, reading and re-reading Revelation 13:16-17. For the benefit of all you non-Christians out there, these are the verses describing ...
Give me what I want, what I really, really want: And what India really wants from New Zealand isn’t butter or cheese, but a radical relaxation of the rules controlling Indian immigration.WHAT DOES INDIA WANT from New Zealand? Not our dairy products, that’s for sure, it’s got plenty of those. ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
Yesterday, 5,500 senior doctors across Aotearoa New Zealand voted overwhelmingly to strike for a day.This is the first time in New Zealand ASMS members have taken strike action for 24 hours.They are asking the government tofund them and account for resource shortfalls.Vacancies are critical - 45-50% in some regions.The ...
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...
The tech sector is New Zealand's third biggest source of exports behind meat and dairy, the prime minister has told those attending an event in London. ...
The call has sent ripples through the veteran community — but behind the protest lies a deeper story of neglect, frustration and a system many say has failed those it was meant to serve.Every year on April 25, politicians and dignitaries stand before the nation, flanked by medals and ...
From real-terms minimum wage cuts to watering down health and safety, the government is subtly chipping away at pay, conditions and many of the other things that make work life-giving, writes Max Rashbrooke. Frogs, it turns out, do notice when they’re being boiled. For years the favourite metaphor for people’s ...
On a tattered Red Cross map, four nearly-straight pencil lines track north from Capua, near Naples, to Chavari then Ubine. From here, over the border to Breslau in what was then German-occupied Poland, then on to Lübeck, north-east of Hamburg. Above each line a single handwritten word – “Train”, “Train”, ...
After weeks of turmoil in the global markets, economists and commentators have used words like ‘bloodbath’ and ‘carnage’ to describe the world’s financial situation.And while New Zealand often feels relatively cushioned, what happens in the US is inextricably linked to the rest of the world.“It will impact us to some ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 24 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NZ tracks far below the OECD average when it comes to investing in research and science and attempts to catch up just haven’t worked The post NZ’s long-standing R&D target scrapped appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee says he believes Te Pāti Māori’s Treaty Principles Bill haka showed “huge disrespect for the Parliament itself”, and disrespect for “some aspects of the Treaty”.Brownlee cannot influence the committee considering potential disciplinary actions against the three Te Pāti Māori MPs who left their seats ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra This election has been lacklustre, without the touch of excitement of some past campaigns. Through the decades, campaigning has changed dramatically, adopting new techniques and technologies. This time, we’ve seen politicians try to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A re-elected Albanese government will take the unprecedented step of buying or obtaining options over key critical minerals to protect Australia’s national interest and boost its economic resilience. The move follows US President Donald Trump’s ...
RNZ Pacific Despite calls from women’s groups urging the government to implement policies to address the underrepresentation of women in politics, the introduction of temporary special measures (TSM) to increase women’s political representation in Fiji remains a distant goal. This week, leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa), Cabinet ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A re-elected Albanese government will take the unprecedented step of buying or obtaining options over key critical minerals to protect Australia’s national interest and boost its economic resilience. The move follows US President Donald Trump’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Urban flooding is a major problem in the global south. In west and central Africa, more than 4 million people were affected by flooding in 2024. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Just as voting has begun in this year’s federal election, the Coalition has released its long-awaited defence policy platform. The main focus, as expected, is a boost in defence spending to 3% of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Hicks, Lecturer in Law, The University of Melbourne Roberto La Rosa/Shutterstock Snipers in helicopters have shot more than 700 koalas in the Budj Bim National Park in western Victoria in recent weeks. It’s believed to be the first time koalas ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriele Gratton, Professor of Politics and Economics and ARC Future Fellow, UNSW Sydney Pundits and political scientists like to repeat that we live in an age of political polarisation. But if you sat through the second debate between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Research Fellow, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney Kaboompics.com/Pexels There’s no shortage of things to feel angry about these days. Whether it’s politics, social injustice, climate change or the cost-of-living crisis, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University The death of Pope Francis this week marks the end of a historic papacy and the beginning of a significant transition for the Catholic Church. As the faithful around the world mourn his passing, ...
A recent survey, carried out by PPTA Te Wehengarua, of establishing and overseas trained secondary teachers found that 90% of respondents agreed that mentoring had helped their development. ...
Other Honours recipients include country singer Suzanne Prentice, most capped All Black Samuel Whitelock, and Māori language educator and academic Professor Rawinia Higgins. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University The centre of gravity of Australian politics has shifted. Millennials and Gen Z voters, now comprising 47% of the electorate, have taken over as the dominant voting bloc. But this generational shift isn’t just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Dunley, Senior Lecturer in History and Maritime Strategy, UNSW Sydney National security issues have been a constant feature of this federal election campaign. Both major parties have spruiked their national security credentials by promising additional defence spending. The Coalition has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne In Canada, the governing centre-left Liberals had trailed the Conservatives by more than 20 points in January, but now lead by five ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Narelle Miragliotta, Associate Professor in Politics, Murdoch University Election talk is inevitably focused on Labor and the Coalition because they are the parties that customarily form government. But a minor party like the Greens is consequential, regardless of whether the election ...
Asia Pacific Report The US District Court for the District of Columbia has granted a preliminary injunction in Widakuswara v Lake, affirming the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) was unlawfully shuttered by the Trump administration, Acting Director Victor Morales and Special Adviser Kari Lake. The decision enshrines that USAGM ...
As the PM talks trade with Keir Starmer, his deputy is busy, busy, busy. A prime ministerial speech and free-trade phone tree with like-minded leaders in response to Trump’s tarrif binge impressed many commentators, but not all of them: leading pundit and deputy prime minister Winston Peters was indignant ...
The settlement relates to proposed restructures of the Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams at Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora which were subject to litigation before the Employment Relations Authority set down for 22 April 2025. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Campbell Rider, PhD Candidate in Philosophy – Philosophy of Biology, University of Sydney Artist’s impression of the exoplanet K2-18bA. Smith/N. Madhusudhan (University of Cambridge) Whether or not we’re alone in the universe is one of the biggest questions in science. A ...
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/107671519/desperate-and-deteriorating-waikanae-man-moves-in-with-parents-as-last-resort
Another disabled person abandoned by the system.
I hope you all at least click the link. Maybe if Stuff highlights more of these stories MSD will be publically pressured to allocate funds specifically to build this type of housing.
PM quote “New Zealanders are getting fleeced by fuel supply companies ?” I guess she means the ones like Z, BP & Caltex ?
44% of the price of a litre of petrol goes to the government. There is a price floor for petrol because of tax. The petrol companies need to make a profit out of the remaining 55% after they purchase it from off shore. then they need to pay tax on that profit. The lower the price of petrol, the greater the tax component.
seems to be a lot of tax in that comment.
Damn the bloody dam!!!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/107640425/forest–bird-outlines-serious-concern-about-waimea-dam-local-bill
WAKE UP parker you egg – start thinking of the PEOPLE in Tasman not the money hungry selfish commodifiers. WAKE UP!!!
+100 marty mars – agree WAKE UP labour but I wouldn’t bet on Parker doing the right thing.
This Labour party is about votes not green policies. All the more reason to vote Green in 2 years time
97% MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS BREACHED BY CHORUS SUBCONTRACTORS!!!!!
Absolutely disgusting. Also considering how it takes Chorus about 3 or 4 tries before they can send somebody who is competent about time they actually worked out how many of the workers have paid for the job to get residency and actually can’t do the job and are probably paying for the job.
This is a huge issue for the country. Under the Natz a staggering amount of employment and immigration breaches have been tolerated or indeed encouraged.
The poor broadband roll out alone is costing the country in lost productivity. It is very difficult to get a decent Internet service around Auckland and a lot of it is the contractors who have now shown the 97% investigated were breaching minimum employment standards!
“An MBIE investigation into the industry found that 73 of the 75 Auckland-based sub-contractors investigated had breached minimum employment standards. Breaches included employers failing to maintain employment records, pay employees’ minimum wage, pay holiday entitlements, and provide employment agreements.
E tū Communications Industry Coordinator Joe Gallagher says this is alarming, but not surprising.
“We have known about the effect of this contracting model since they started it,” says Joe.
“This model of contracting and sub-contracting has allowed Chorus to pass the buck, resulting in contractors exploiting their workforce to keep to budgets and schedules.
“It has resulted in terrible outcomes for the affected workers, as well as poor delivery of services in many areas.”
https://foreignaffairs.co.nz/2018/10/08/mil-osi-new-zealand-labour-inspectorate-chorus-report-alarming-but-not-surprising-e-tu/
The first thing they need to do is put Chorus and their subcontractors on the employment stand down list and ban them from hiring more overseas workers for minimum 5 years!
Then actually test some of the subcontractors and see how many do not have any skills for the job and work out how many of these unskilled, unlicensed contractors are actually victims of or involved in immigration scams.
It is amazing how many foreign workers who don’t speak any English from places like Nigeria work for Chorus and also weird how they can’t do the job either and you have to wait weeks for someone else to come and fix the numerous faults that Chorus can’t fix the first, second or third time.
Even the other providers like Spark and Vodafone and 22 degrees who rely on Chorus are sick to death of them as you have a massive rigmarole to get anything done and you have to go through the provider in most cases!
Chorus should be voted worst company in NZ and they can’t do their job and when they go bankrupt through their incompetence, hopefully another competent firm can do the job.
Chorus is what’s left after various telecom managements plundered the customers for large profits without reinvesting in the network. Then it got Chinese walled yet somehow I hear spark still clip the sth cross cable ticket which is network not retail.
I have sympathy for them as most internet services which perform badly could be down to the retailer failing to manage capacity. Looking at you spark and voda.
You’ll probably find few faults are actually down to a poor install and the industry is bleeding workers to the NBN in oz who are flashing the cash.
Yep but my point is, NZ to be competitive needs to raise wages to retain the skilled people, not just rely on cheap bodies to do the work, who actually can’t do it and are paying to get residency in many cases.
We can’t be competitive with fake internet and phone lines and fake workers!
Agree the telecom providers didn’t invest either and just are coining the profits and then every day, it just gets worse and worse for customers and business relying on the service and eventually guess what, they move their businesses to OZ or Singapore or apparently even central Nigeria has faster Internet access than Auckland.
You also wonder how long a company can survive for when you ring their call centre (Spark for example) and wait 1 hour for someone to pick up your call!
Seriously a telecom company that has a 1 hour waiting time to answer your call!
And most of them are similar and some (22 degrees I think) , even demand a per minute fee to answer a phone call about their service!
Something is wrong! NZ is a race to the bottom and our government is obsessed with dirty deals with business for water and oil yet fail to notice the constant routs in banking and telecoms ripping off consumers and businesses for years, decades really, yet another reason why NZ is losing business and productivity with it completely off government radar because they are encapsulated with lobbyists.
In our area a Chorus contractor who has had to come out numerous times to fix a common distribution box serving about 50 houses said the problem was that in the Phillipines where he comes from they had gotten rid of that type years ago because it was too old even then.
Ok faulty, banned materials, incompetent illegally working staff, not being able to fix anything for months, sounds like a NZ roll out then of IT funded by taxpayers, from the Natz.
Different problems.
One is the broadband rollout and the connections to homes- dodgy contractors
Other one is Chorus own copper network with its ancient tech ..oh and again using contractors but at least these seem to be qualified in copper line phone tech.
My advice to Adrian, ditch the copper line and go all mobile, some providers even provide broadband services over the mobile system.
Interesting. I had copper til a month ago.
It started to play up a few months back. I often couldn’t get a connection after the modem had been shut down for several hours (especially overnight), and I had frequent dropouts.
After numerous calls and opine chats (the latter often unsuccessful as had dropout in the middle of the chat), Spark sent some Chorus guys (with proviso that if the fault was with my stuff, then it would cost me $80.00 plus labour etc.
Anyway, 2 Chorus guys came. One spoke English, and they conversed with each other in another language – maybe from Indian sub continent or Indonesia, or somewhere in that region.
The English speaking guy eventually pronounced they had found a fault with one of my 2 jack points and a cable from it, and had fixed it.
Well, the dropouts then became less frequent, but I still often had problems getting a connection – though had discovered that when I dialed 123 on my landline, listened to the Spark welcome message for a few seconds, then hung up, I’d get a Net connection straight away.
Spark then said they could send Chorus out again, but, again it could cost me. I talked to the estate agent property manager who told me something similar had happened to a few of their tenants after fibre had been connected to the tenants building. I was also told that when fibre had been connected to my building last year, they’d done a lot of work on the property.
Anyway a couple of weeks later, I got an email from Spark saying my copper broadband was going up by $5.00 a month, and that it would be more expensive than fibre. So I did the switch.
It isn’t noticeably faster or any easier to access online video content – in spite of this article claiming more people are switching to fibre, so must be there’s a growing hunger for more online content.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=12138863
I say BS – just a desire for some of us to get a reliable connection.
+10000 – Carolyn_Nth – completely normal – then the consumers end up picking up the tab, again and again. Used to have a fixed phone line, but had to abandon it because it’s a waste of time with Chorus as fixed lines don’t work – wonder why so many don’t have land lines any more in NZ – answer is Chorus incompetence.
Considering Chorus got 70% of the taxpayer funded roll out of crown fibre, pretty sure that like leaky buildings, we will be seeing big problems down stream as they are big issues occurring even at the start!
Going for the cheap and unregulated approach works a treat (sarcasm) and ends up being massively expensive as well as not actually providing the service that was needed in the first place, reliably.
Isnt noticeably faster ?
Thats because your own old equipment is limiting the service. What is the age of the device you are using . 5 years plus ? I liked my old desktop ( 2012) but I upgraded it both with more memory chips and a solid state drive. That enabled me to disable some tech that chews up the CPU . No compressed memory and no disk caching.
Even the slowest fibre option which I have with 30Mbs is 10x faster than the old copper network which used to slow to a crawl at night.. But then I dont do a lot of downloads until I got netflix and there is no way the copper would cope and I’m only 1km from the telephone exchange.
My main laptop is about a year or two old. My second one is a refurbished offlease SSD which is pretty fast on both copper and fibre. Not much faster on either laptop online.
But, I probably don’t access a lot of material that requires a noticeably faster system either.
@dukeofurl, Sadly for consumers Chorus is involved both in the fixed lines and significantly in the crown fibre roll out of Internet.
It was a good idea by the Natz (the only decent thing Joyce ever did) for the crown fibre roll out, but sadly using Chorus and their Ponzi monopoly and dodgy employment practices has made what should have been a massive success a partial one, with lots of skeletons awaiting at the expense of consumers and businesses in NZ.
Like other companies that suddenly go under in NZ, Chorus has become an immigration and accounting Ponzi a long while back and held NZ sustainable business growth, back significantly.
Is it really that hard to hire professional people and vet them to make sure they can do the job and pay to do the job right in the first place ?
When will NZ even learn, just having a cheap warm body count in the workforce does not actually lead to productivity gains or a finished product (constructions) or service (tech/hospitality)?
Joyce also didn’t stop chorus from overbuilding the other non chorus govt funded fibre rollouts.
Their inadequate duct capacity has opened up the area to other players in dark fibre which thankfully keeps it rolling along.
Checking in on the neighbours
From The House, 7:30 am on 7 October 2018
Daniela Maoate-Cox, The House senior producer
dmaoatecox danielamaoatecox@gmail.com
A group of MPs from the Labour and National parties have been chosen to visit Vanuatu and Solomon Islands but before they went Daniela Maoate-Cox asked why the trip is necessary.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house/audio/2018665221/checking-in-on-the-neighbours
Why not ask to go to Nauru and offer the island some help so they are not dependent on Australia and under their thumb? Then we can release the prisoners from the concentration camp and have to nurse them back to near normality and hope.
It would be a sign that we can be humanitarian.
nauru is 11,000 people who pissed away their wealth but still have a better standard of living than their neighbours. Closing the camps just means Australia will shift them elsewhere
Solomons is 600,000 people who are dirt poor.
Thats a correct choice to pick the most needy population.
Bring back the stocks and whipping for destructive useless men (and women) who vandalise and destroy.l
A man has attempted to climb and has broken a Len Lye sculpture in Wellington – costing much money, has injured himself, costing us hospital time and dollars.
What would be better is having safe places and counselling for people with mental problems that can be improved and controlled without medication. I think that a farm where the men can be kept enclosed where they can work and have decent conditions and attention as needed.
Whipping, stocks, camps – sounds pretty retrograde and scarey.
Something to act on! Think, plan and act quickly on something perhaps!
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/368231/climate-target-not-viable-for-nz-economy-expert
“Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says New Zealand seems to be playing catch up when it comes to instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system.”
https://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_news/MjAyOTg/Grizzly-bear-guards-for-indigenous-prison
No, no and no again. This is COMPLETELY BOGUS. Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people’s. Ffs
When they don’t commit crimes
A.
Racial profiling
Very few people of any ethnic group get put into prison in NZ without committing a bunch of crimes
A.
(Now maybe some crimes shouldn’t be crimes, but that’s a different matter)
Prove it.
Prove what?
Prove what what?
Disprove it! Point at lots of indigenous people, in prison in modern NZ, who have not committed either a serious crime, or lots of crimes.
A.
Fail. Not proof – try again brainbox.
Marty you seem to be the one who introduced ‘race’ with your comment “Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people’s.” The punishment should fit the crime, not the race or ethnicity of the perpetrator.
Yes in wonderland. In the real world ALL indigenous populations devastated by colonisation suffer disproportionate numbers, compared to other groups, of their members arrested, charged and put into prison. This is a FACT.
Note – “instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system” is the context.
Perhaps you should read or watch a bit. Moana Jackson has some nice videos that might help try Google.
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/moana-jackson-prison-should-never-be-the-only-answer/
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/latest-news/time-abolish-prisons-moana-jackson
“In the real world ALL indigenous populations devastated by colonisation suffer disproportionate numbers, compared to other groups, of their members arrested, charged and put into prison. This is a FACT.”
No, it isn’t. At least not the ‘devastated by colonisation’ bit. Colonisation in the 19th century does not make anyone commit a crime in the 21st century, and if you excuse crime on that basis you end up with this https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/colonisation-no-excuse-for-violent-crime/news-story/25770058c2fa144581d9084175048a3e.
“Note – “instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system” is the context.”
And I don’t have a problem with that. What I object to is your suggestion that indigenous people should somehow be treated differently to the rest of the population regarding sentencing.
I didnt say that. ffs I want EQUALITY. Are you saying that the extremely high % of Māori men and women in jail, compared to % of Māori in society, is because they are treated the same as other ethnic groups? Why are the percentages different then?
“I didnt say that. ffs I want EQUALITY. ”
Same here.
“Why are the percentages different then?”
It’s a complex issue, but blaming events that happened up to 170 years ago is unhelpful. I like a lot of what is covered here https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/05/maori-zealand-prisons-160525094450239.html
marty, you may want to include a link like this so people have some idea where you are coming from: Justspeak publication 2012: Māori and the Criminal Justice System: A youth perspective
Yeah good point thanks. Although I quite like seeing what people assume.
There is clear institutional racism in the NZ justice system but it’s a problem bigger than justice – the problem needs to be unraveled as a whole because there are so many things wrong with our current system and priorities of government.
“This is COMPLETELY BOGUS. Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people’s. Ffs”
Thats just a fanatsy , most people in prison are in there for violence and the rest are who have stolen large amounts of money or atrocious drink driving records or scores of burglary convictions.
Rubbish. Try reading the context. Hint “instilling indigenous cultural values into the prison system”
really . Buzz words make people like you feel good but dont change peoples lives.
You can’t even get to ‘buzz words’ – I don’t think you even know what the hell you’re talking about in this sub thread. What is the reason Māori are negatively disproportionately represented in prisons? Do you want to make prisons indigenous cultural paradises? Or do you want to stop people going to prison in the first place? It’s not fucken rocket science mate.
You did specifically refer to ‘instilling indigenous cultural values’
And this works how ? Its a prison, Im not opposed to indigenous cultural values but what ever way you do it rehab can only work if they really want to.
meanwhile just from today- some one who you think shouldn’t be kept in prison ?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/107699652/woman-kidnapped-beaten-forced-to-take-drugs-and-sexually-assaulted
Go ahead , say ‘lock him up’…. I know you can do it.
How are you certain of your description of the people in prison?
https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/research_and_statistics/quarterly_prison_statistics/prison_stats_june_2017.html
Indigenous people are undisputedly imprisoned more than other groups;
https://www.hrc.co.nz/news/un-report-says-nz-must-improve-many-areas/
What’s this ‘fantasy’ you speak of?
> https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/research_and_statistics/quarterly_prison_statistics/prison_stats_june_2017.html
Your link shows that 80% of people in prison are there for “violence, sexual offences, dishonesty” or “traffic” (presumably intoxication related) offences. Is that inconsistent with what Dukeofurl said?
> Indigenous people are undisputedly imprisoned more than other groups;
I don’t think anyone’s contesting that.
A.
You have collected 3 separate categories into your 80% The majority of prisoners are not imprisoned for violence which is what Duke asserted. Duke also said:
I don’t know where this info came from.
Also Duke is contesting that, as are others in this thread. Duke called it a fantasy.
Didnt say majority , said most. And its true 60% are sexual or physical violence that includes murder and homicide which could be around 500 prisoners for those two offences alone.
Who in their right mind wouldnt would be saying prison isnt the answer for these sort of offences.
arkie seems to think the 20% that are sexual offences are ‘not violence’ ?
This is the sort pig ignorant attitudes you have then its hardly worth discussing.
Are you thinking that because they didnt struggle enough it wasnt rape or sexual assault.
Unbelievable .
most
greatest in amount or degree.
“they’ve had the most success”
synonyms: nearly all, almost all, the greatest quantity/part/number, the majority, the bulk, the lion’s share, the mass, the preponderance
“she spends most of her time in London”
the majority of; nearly all of.
“the two-pin sockets found in most European countries”
synonyms: nearly all, almost all, the greatest quantity/part/number, the majority, the bulk, the lion’s share, the mass, the preponderance
“she spends most of her time in London”
So are you catfishing veutoviper then ? Wouldnt surprise me
Excuse me?
I am not VV and you don’t know what catfishing is.
You are attempting to derail by smearing me.
Take a deep breath.
yes . Most of the people have serious violence or scores of previous convictions ( which means the non prison sentences havent ‘worked’)
Your numbers have 40% for violence , 20% sexual offences.
So those two types of violence are 60% right away – which is what I said
Dishonesty is 20% which means scores of burglary convictions per prisoner or stealing very large amounts of money – often from the community.
The real problem is men, who are often affected badly by drink or drugs so they commit offences …over and over.
I don’t find the level of info about the crimes that you seem to in those stats
Percentage of Prisoners According to Most Serious* Offence Type
Its in the link if you tried to read it.
Do you have trouble with % too? ….sheeesh.
Where do you get this information from?
Ask the judges . have you never been in a courtroom for a day ?
It figures if you have led a cotton wool life and dont even read the papers.
I dont know what ideas you are advancing by quibbling over what the definition of violence is or what the background to far too many offences are or whether 60% is a majority.
these arent some numbers from a cricketers annual. real people are affected by violence
So you acquired this information from asking judges?
I’m asking you to clarify because you asserted that Marty was fantasising about the over representation of Māori prisons. You then mentioned what you thought their crimes were. I’m just asking you where you got these ideas.
Real people are affected by over-incarceration.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/107699652/woman-kidnapped-beaten-forced-to-take-drugs-and-sexually-assaulted
‘A gang member who abducted a woman and subjected her to a night of sexual assault, threats, violence and forced drug-taking has been jailed for six years and five months….. and as the court heard had relapsed into regular methamphetamine use.
“Stephenson, a member of the Filthy Few gang ….”
Dont be a dickhead arkie . These are real people and you are talking
contemptible nonsense.
By showing you cant even add up % shows the level of your knowledge
Thank heavens for the 3 strikes law
A.
So proof by anecdata then?
Your knowledge is prejudice
@Arkie. Stop quibbling. The numbers are out there.
For instance Duke said “the real problem is men, who are often affected badly by drink or drugs”. A quick google search finds that “about 80% of crime occurs under the influence of alcohol and drugs or is commited to feed an addiction” – this is from Roger Brooking on Pundit (https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/explaining-nzs-record-high-prison-population), who is anything but a lock-em-up-and-throw-em-away-the-key guy.
I could go on.
A.
Arkie is a new name for VV , who wants to derail the thread by stealing Gosmans gallop
My gosh no, Veutoviper is 1000x smarter
A.
Weird how there does not seem to be much interest in preventing the drugs getting into NZ in the first place in fact under globalism it seems to be yet another thriving industry going from strength to strength.
Didn’t the colonists of old, give small pox blankets to the locals to help them in the take over?
Then it comes out that the meth test standards the woke lefties meet far righties decided were pretty much made up and no scientific evidence for it – but a lot of state house land sold and people evicted, which certainly benefited a few interested parties, in particular politicians and consultants and developers.
@Dukeofurl, Sadly the. people stealing the most money from NZ seem to be outside our justice system and are actually celebrated or under the radar or benefit from generous loop holes in the law to allow the stealing to continue.
Then there has become a secondary justice issue of giving very light sentences to fraudsters who are based overseas or just arrived in NZ or commit crimes for years between the countries without detection. .
The bizarre message seems to be, come to NZ and steal money and break our laws here… (since we already have enough criminals ourselves born here, not sure why our government and immigration seems hell bent on adding and encouraging more criminals into NZ – compete with OZ and Asia maybe for corruption, (sarcasm) who knows!)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11905478
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11842563
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/365583/punjabi-singer-gets-home-detention-for-drivers-licences-bribes
Indian woman faces deportation after losing more than $30k to ‘parasite’ scammers
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/366859/indian-woman-faces-deportation-after-losing-more-than-30k-to-parasite-scammers
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11842563
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/365583/punjabi-singer-gets-home-detention-for-drivers-licences-bribes
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12077932
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11905478
Migrant worker describes ‘modern day slavery’ scam
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/339373/migrant-worker-describes-modern-day-slavery-scam
Sushi restaurant owner to pay $30k for exploiting workers
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/321156/sushi-restaurant-owner-to-pay-$30k-for-exploiting-workers
Jailed trafficker committed ‘crime against human dignity’
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/320465/jailed-trafficker-committed-'crime-against-human-dignity‘
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/indian-sentenced-to-life-for-murdering-wife-in-nz/story-MpDOdR9DJXcKI2pkfpBTMK.html
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/335932/human-trafficking-definitely-a-problem-in-nz
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12111595
Another one,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/82387108/did-fraud-suspect-joanne-harrison-approve-her-own-leave-then-flee-nz
If you try look up Maori and even Pakeha offenders for these types of crimes they seem to be punished more severely for similar or smaller impact crimes.
The guy that did the Fonterra hoax for example gets 8 years prison while the Chinese turned NZ resident with previous violence convictions actually handled stolen honey worth $40k but only given a fraction of that as a fine and no prison? It was just pocket change for him to pay the fine.
Where is biosecurity in that context with people obtaining illegally gotten NZ produce and then repackaging it and redistributing it with the potential hazards? (honey can kill you in some circumstances if it has a certain bacteria in it and loss of NZ reputation aka the Fonterra hoax guy who got 8 years prison for not actually doing the crime aka not contaminating the milk ).
Conspiracy type crimes are always treated much harsher than others and this was a blackmail offence rather than biosecurity
So you dont think threatening to poison baby formula isnt all that serious.
Judge didnt think so.
‘Justice Geoffrey Venning said it was “near the most serious case” of its kind
as he didnt just write a letter he sent baby formula laced with 1080.
The case had to be treated as though he had done it.
The Kiwi guy got 8 years in prison for threatening to do a crime NOT doing the crime, but the Chinese guy did get caught red handed in the crime which he DID do and actually did threaten NZ honey industry, but just got a small fine, lower than the stolen honey so actually profited still even after being caught and no jail time at all.
Likewise the Indian guy that profited from the fake drivers licences also got no jail time and not even a fine so he got away with tens of thousands of dollars of bribes. But god knows how many people have been injured or killed by his greed in traffic accidents.
In sentencing, Judge Johns described Brar as a 25-year-old with potential. She gave him time off for his previous good record and his early guilty pleas.
The judge also did not follow the recommendations of the pre sentencing which wanted much harder penalty.
Can anyone see a Maori youth being described like that by a judge if they were involved in $60k of bribes and then judge then allows them to pretty much get away with it?
Where is the incentive to stop these crimes in our justice system from migrants screwing NZ over, because I don’t see any. It’s being minimised and encouraged by our justice system and police and immigration and government.
Why should indigenous people be treated any different to other people in relation to whether they get put in prison?
If you think prison is not the correct place for people then it should be avoided for ALL not just some based on their cultural background.
Why should indigenous people be treated any different to other people in relation to whether they get put in prison?
I think that is the point that marty is trying to make.
Thank you and yes. ‘Trying’ being the operative word.
Oh well, that I can agree with
A.
Good you get the point now. Sheesh took you long enough.
So this is the thing Marty, if you say “Try not putting people in prison especially indigenous people”, everyone thinks you mean that indigenous people should not be imprisoned even when they commit serious crimes.
If you instead lead off with “I want equality” and “indigenous people should be treated the same as other people”, a lot of wrangling will be avoided.
A.
I am flabbergasted that people thought that. Just shows my self disclosed Māori voice is often misunderstood. Kia ora to those who got it.
Now you get it.
And further, when people hear Andrew Little talking about wanting to reduce the prison population by 30%, they think he means not putting people in jail even when they have committed a serious crime. Or letting serious criminals out early.
Hence much of the apparent right/left divide on the subject.
A.
Having said that, isn’t this cool?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107556399/prison-population-drops-by-seven-per-cent-in-six-months-system-crisis-averted
I’d love to know more about it. In particular, exactly how did they achieve the reduction in the prison muster.
A.
Don’t be flabbergasted. It’s a typical tory reaction.
The only people they see going to prison are Very Bad People, because their mate who committed a wee bit of white-collar fraud only got homeD or a couple of years at most. They don’t see the fact that benefit “fraud” is treated more harshly than tax evasion. They don’t see the impact of little offences here and there meaning that someone doesn’t get “good character” credit. They don’t get that not knowing how to wear a suit or not having “respectable” people as character witnesses can all skew judicial attitudes. They don’t get that “not looking right” means more police attention which means a greater number of arrests, even if the actual offence rate were lower or the same.
It’s just like how they think other ideas about equity/equality mean “levelling down”, rather than “building up”.
Bunch of small-minded fuckwits.
Tax evaders go to prison- why on earth would you think they dont
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11998205
Tradies sentenced to jail for $1m tax evasion
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12110217
Mortgage broker sent back to prison for tax evasion
https://www.interest.co.nz/business/96070/owner-no-stress-decorators-has-been-sentenced-26-months-prison-after-failing-file-any
The owner of ‘No Stress Decorators’ has been sentenced to 26 months in prison after failing to file any tax returns
yes its harsh for extreme cases of benefit fraud who go to jail, maybe they have previous convictions. Most just have to repay the money when they fall foul of a complicated and ponderous system.
google for a NZ study on sentencing discrepancies between tax evasion and benefit fraud. I seem to recall it was even covered on this very site.
ICBF googling it for you.
This is so right. It remains stunning that we accept these attitudes.
Our acceptance of slights inequalities and sheer cruelty, is mind blowing.
Several Maori friends did not live to get the pension. They live shorter lives!! This is NOT assessed in their pension payments.
Laws are based on Christian western dogma, seldom on cultural values. So many hurdles to be overcome.
So you won’t address a fundamental problem in our criminal justice system because of some One Nation ideology / “We are all One people” racist BS… Ok…
If your issue is with locking too much people up then whether or not they are ‘indigenous’ is irrelevant. Deal with the underlying issue and don’t attempt to have a justice system treat people differently because of an accident of birth.
don’t attempt to have a justice system treat people differently because of an accident of birth.
No attempt needed. We already have that.
A judge will look at the crime and the previous criminal history. Discounts come for pleading guilty early enough, remorse when interviewed by probation.
Where maori miss out is lack of things like references from people in community and sometimes cant make reparation.
Its quite analytical. Doesnt have ethnicity in it. However we do have a history of too easily imprisoning maori which has carried through to today because they will have existing convictions.
Its quite analytical. Doesnt have ethnicity in it.
Yes God you must be right, knowing the inner workings of all those brains and all.
The issue of locking too many people up seems to be your issue, as you seem to want to use that as a way to ignore that we lock up too many Māori.
If you want to address our inflated prison numbers then a major underlying issue is that too many Māori are in prison and you would need to address that.
Our issue is we have too much crime. Gangs are portion of that and that connects to both Maori and polynesian gangs.
European gangs are far smaller.
“Hong Kong triads are working with some of New Zealand’s most notorious crime gangs to cash in on the country’s growing methamphetamine business.
Organised crime groups the 14K, Sun Yee On, Water Room, and Big Circle Gang all have a presence in the country and most recently gangsters from Fujian have become prominent. They work with New Zealand’s most powerful organised crime groups, the Headhunters and Hells Angels, buying and selling the addictive hyper-stimulant.
Police in New Zealand say indigenous gangs saw the profits to be made from methamphetamine and realised they needed contacts to buy the drug, or its main ingredient, pseudoephedrine, from a source country like the mainland. Quickly, Asian organised crime groups became crucial players in the drug trade and over time their international links made them the real power brokers.
‘Commodity is power,’ Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Cahill, of the Auckland Metro Crime Squad told The New Zealand Herald. ‘The Asians have the commodity. So they have control.'”
https://www.scmp.com/article/724511/asian-drug-links-reach-south-meth-deals
New Zealand did not register on the international drug market until the millions of dollars being made from methamphetamine grabbed the attention of bigger players overseas. Police here do not call them “triads”, as they’re referred to in popular culture, as the hierarchy here is a fluid, molecular structure rather than the traditional pyramid but the links to notorious international syndicates are real. Gangs like Hong Kong-based 14K, rival Sun Yee On, Water Room, and Big Circle have all had a presence here, as well as Malaysian, Thai, Taiwanese and Vietnamese gangs.
There is plenty of business to go around. Police and underworld sources agree that the organised Asian criminal groups “sit around the board room table together” with the local gangs, rather than starting a turf war, in the interests of making money.
Nothing is worse for the drug business than violent crime, such as the death of Prutsiriporn.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11604108
That’s a concern when the tppa kicks in, that the situation gets exacerbated more. That type of corruption could pretty quickly over run the corruption that we already have to the political system, which was already pushing NZ into abit of an anarchic breakdown state of affairs.
Once that type of corruption got a foothold, it’s not like NZ has a KGB type of tradition that would be capable of clearing it out.
All the fraudsters are rushing into government departments and jobs to make money from bribes, been going on for decades now but increased significantly with Natz help.
You used to be able to pay a bribe and then get a state house for example, the British women who helped herself and gave her relatives fake jobs and took nearly 1 million under the nose of the new governor general while also committing benefit fraud, the cash for fake licenses, god knows how many corrupt or receiving cash payoffs in police and justice system and the councils are bound to be rife.
However I believe the worst pushers of TPPA are the Kiwi born neoliberals and politicians both local and government who are refugees from the Rogernomics era and never left their cushy job from the 1980’s.
Turns out that the free water to the Chinese was actively encouraged by NZTE for example…
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/10/07/nz-government-officials-caught-red-handed-helping-chinese-companies-take-nz-water/
If only the NZTE traitors could live in the real world and swap places with the Chorus subcontractor would be illuminating for those government advisors …. rather than having a huge army of nobodies in Wellington crunching out the same shit for decades and being lapped up by governments as the only thing they know.
I heard a sound bite of someone phoning an order through for drugs from some Asian country. Yes, how much was the approach. Don’t know how the payment was made but I understand that it is easy to order and there seem to be numerous ways to deliver it.
If people have a job and a life, they would limit their drug taking no doubt, but so much opportunity for a good life has been withdrawn from low income NZs and they have established a sub-culture. so have to be treated as addicted and helped rather than criminalised. (We all have a tendency to be addicted to some habit, some have the habit of passing stern judgments on others as losers!)
It is interesting to read Alan Duff’s Out of the Mist and Steam where he talks about his journey through his culture to where he is now. It was unique journey and not easy.
On Trademe – reliable NZ seller – $4 start and closes tomorrow – postage $4.50
Out Of The Mist And Steam – ALAN DUFF
Listing #: 179042211
Well said marty mars.
Kaua e mate wheke mate ururoa
BUT greywarshark
New Zealand is the place where you can do anything you like. Such as bash your baby against the wall.
Kill people on the road. Dozens of them.
Bash up Teachers, and Nurses. Terrify shop owners.
Booze yourself stupid – particularly if you are female – with children. Plus Bastard Fathers.
Eat all sorts of Lethal Drugs to make yourself mental – and become a Zombie
Build leaky Buildings. Build Leaky homes. Under pay Staff.
This is Aotearoa Greywarshark. Greed, Rape, Thieving, Murder and Destruction are the constants of life here.
Aoteraoa stands for no Accountability. No Decency. No Punishment. No Shame.
Aoteraoa truthfully stands for personal and mass Horror.
I have to say I would have trouble getting away with some of this, but YMMV
A.
Profiling aside, which comment(s) would you not have trouble getting away with?
D.
I could terrify a shop owner on a good day (if they were quite small and easily alarmed)
A.
If they banned cigarettes and alcohol from shop owners would solve a lot of problems but apparently that is where all the profit is.
All, no ‘only’ is the word you look for SaveNZ for dairy owners.
I think it’s the dairy owners that seem to be robbed the most and petrol stations… or places that have those items… but maybe there are those going about robbing fashion outlets, who knows.
It’s the above lobby group full of dairy owners that seem to be campaigning the most for lock em up justice.
They even started their own party… a bit of a stumbling block there though
“A New Zealand political party’s general secretary has been charged over failing to properly declare more than $200,000 in donations.
Police charged New Zealand People’s Party general secretary Anil Kumar Sharma with breaching the Electoral Act by failing to correctly file details of significant donations with the Electoral Commission.”
“The People’s Party target voter base is mainly migrant voters and its focus was law and order following a spate of aggravated dairy robberies and taxi driver muggings.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has previously called the party “a National Party front”.”
The charges were filed in the Auckland District Court last Friday, while the case will be heard again later this month.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12137518
That escalated…
My comment was about the fact that dairy owners are not making much money these days, and that cigs and alcohol have good margins (everything else has tiny margins) and they bring in loyal customers.
So you could (on a good day) terrify a small and easily alarmed shop owner, but how would you get away with that, i.e. what’s stopping the shop owner from dobbing you in?
Maybe an otherwise good customer, from a ‘good family’, etc.?
D.
White privilege mostly
A.
A!
D.
Observer T
Don’t laugh at what I say, I am sure that you are being sarcastic. All that you write has happened. We have to look at it and try and rise above it, not mock those who draw attention to it and what needs to be done to prepare for the various trials that climate change plus the broil of political and immoral misdeeds will bring.
I know a lot of bad things happen in NZ. I get upset but still hold onto the knowledge of good people I have dealings with and meet here. So after getting down, I come up with hope and work with those good people. I keep on trying but I don’t fool myself that everyone wants to live in a country that offers reasonable quality and respect. And it is sad that so many won’t bite the bullet and prepare for a harder future and try being the good citizen.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/107697600/rose-matafeo-victim-of-racist-roast-on-comedy-central
This is seriously brilliant and seriously funny. Matafeo owns it big time.
Not sure how to get rid of the add, but its about breast cancer and mamograms, so a good add to watch anyway.
It is the future first world cultural striving of gender equality that is in the best sense of, for example, a trad. Aryan aesthetics to an unquestionable type of corporate structure.
https://www.thelocal.de/20181008/too-many-hans-and-not-enough-women-in-german-government-roles
The world is forever seeking to hold and grasp, Freedom and Adaptability/Efficiency, & the above is the modern symbolism to that.
It is the New Zealand traditional egalitarian spirit, (which many immigrants will not readily understand) that has given the entrepreneurial class the massive opportunity to have these societal Values assocated with their products which as a nation who’s relative power will only ever be that derived from trade, is what should be getting built upon rather than the anarchist slash and burn neo-liberal nothing burger nation.
Wut?
A.
Chcoffoffy limits him/herself rigorously to an abstract noun quota of 98%.
So random question time but does anyone have any good links to websites on how to pronounce (and preferably the meaning of) maori words and phrases
I’ve tried searching youtube but I don’t seem to be getting anywhere so I’m wondering if anyone on here can help
Cheers
https://maoridictionary.co.nz
They also have an awesome AP you can put on your phone.
Thanks for that, thats exactly what I was looking for. I’ve got a job interview coming up and part of it is:
‘Understand and demonstrate the kaupapa values of the Department- Whanau, Kaitiaki, Rangatira, Manaaki and Wairua’
So this will help immensely
Cheers
Don’t forget to practice them
Hard to know where to begin.
Should it be the continued muppetry in central government agencies – such as Trade and Industry encouraging the sale of water; or should it be to do with Chorus subbies being royally ripped – all alongside the public servant (Stu Lumsden’s) assurance that we had “enough Labour Inspectors” just shortly before the election; or perhaps the state of Wellington’s bus ‘debacle’ – you know – that ‘space’ where we have a wee bit of a problem.
I thought I’d just pop up to Newtown (Constable Street) from Mount Victoria where what I needed to do would normally have been completed within the hour. I’d try out GRWC’s new improved service. Under the old system, that would have been completed within an hour.
I never realised just how bad this complete FUCKUP is. I left home before the nauseating ‘old school’ Jessie Mulligan kicked in after 1pm., before he had to don his lycras and bike up the hill to Teev 3. Midday Report was still rolling – in fact I think Maddison Ready was referring to the exceptional expertise of someone from Craig’s Investment Partners, giving what we were expected to believe was some sort of impartial and valuable take on the state of the meerkats.
3.30pm, I’ve arrived home. The majority of it I walked.
The only people I encountered not fussed on that journey was a guy on a Gold Card taking his mum for a day out on a bus journey. And she’d obviously lost the plot a few years back (not unlike my mother). Why they could even get a ride from the southern suburbs on the flat, up to Kingston. I think routes 23 and 29 figured in their journey.
Meanwhile, others crowding the Newtown footpaths who simply wanted to get to Courtenay Place needed a transfer if they didn’t want to wait what transpired was up to half an hour.
And while we watched the info boards (after having been told we’d have to walk down to the next stop), one #1 was Sched, then disappeared, and then 3 #1 services to places north turned up almost together.
Sorry mate. It’s not JUST about implementation despite your creds, it’s the entire project from start to finish, and perhaps you should have had the gumption to check the requirements before you began your design.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08-10-2018/
at 15 and below, and my comment at 15.2 seems all the more reasonable.
I’m going to be waiting for the next lot of spin with phrases like “change averse”.
Already there’s been a consultant telling us it’s all about implementation rather than design.
FUCK ME with a feather duster. Sometimes the bleeding bloody obvious seems to escape many. Oh, and for the privilege of taking advantage of this new improved service I’m expected to believe is superior to what happened before, as a cash fare payer, the fare is 25% more expensive.
NEVER AGAIN.
A bloody case study in how NOT to do things.
Lucky for GWRC and its verbally flatulent apparatus they’ve been given till December. THe longer it goes on, the worse it gets
@OOTim. Not batting an eyelid here unfortunately. I’m pleased to report I was able to get from Kilbirnie to Mirimar very successfully yesterday, but there’s still severe apprehension every time a bus trip is needed, even a short hop like that one (I allowed myself 45mins to get there). I have however had to stop going out in the evenings altogether now for the foreseable future due to the very real risk of being stranded far from home after dark.
It will be interesting to see if this driver’s strike goes ahead. Even as someone totally dependent on buses, I’d actually quite like to see the entire bus network taken out of action for a week and see if the resulting chos would be enough to force central Govt to take over.
Once was Tim
I am a newcomer to Wellington and was travelling in Constable Street just recently. I was worried about a hub transfer but didn’t need one on my route thank goodness. You have my sympathy and i heard two drivers talking and they were confused and unhappy too. All the best.
Yep well, when all said and done, a bloody MINOR inconvenience by comparison with Chorus contractors being exploited, people trafficked (yes right here in ‘lil ole NuZull), and public servants flogging off water to the highest bidder and at the expense of those paying for the positions representing a public they’re expected to serve.
And as I listen to Checkpoint, I’m kind of wondering why it’s taken this long for some of them to now feel comfortable enough to state the bleeding obvious publicly (such as a Devoy and a Lumsden).
Again!!! time for some analysis of what’s all gone wrong in our public service over the past decade or so.
(https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/10/07/nz-government-officials-caught-red-handed-helping-chinese-companies-take-nz-water/#comment-441531)
The good thing is I’m now fairly sure the coalition is beginning to wake up, and recognise that in many circumstances the advice of their “officials” is not always what it seems to be.
The world is burning.
Yet the Herald is leading with this as news.
A headline that reflects the selfish first world problems that trouble its readers.
As Draco repeatedly says, we can’t afford the rich.
“Air New Zealand’s Koru Club full: Passengers diverted to airport’s Strata Lounge.”
Nike: “Just Do It.” Jeremy Corbyn’s desperate
and cynical enemies: “Just Smear Him.”
Profiles in Courage. NOT
No. 3: Sen. SUSAN COLLINS
cowardy-custard n., A coward; a timid or fearful person (prob. suggesting trembling in fear like a custard wobbles.)
Profiles in Courage. NOT is an occasional series commissioned by Daisycutter Sports Inc. to highlight the moral (and sometimes physical) cowardice of politicians and their lackeys.
No. 2: Simon William “Bill” English
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18022017/#comment-1300686
No. 1: Justin Trudeau
TS’s very own malignant anti-semite was triggered, too.
President Donald Trump’s Twitter attack last week on George Soros set off a round of anti-Semitic attacks on the Jewish financier, as well as authoritarian calls from key Trump supporters for the president to use state power to freeze or seize Soros’ assets.
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/10/08/president-trump-opened-gates-wave-authoritarian-and-anti-semitic-attacks-george-soros/221606
Hi Greywarshark
I don’t write with sarcasm. I just use actuality.
That is, I observe exactly what is taking place.
Wish you well.
Kia ora Newshub its a incredibly hard for all the USA ambassadors with the trump rhetoric . Some time’s I think when pointing out the gop flaws this alert some to there reality ??????? but no they will lose .
It’s cool the Indian Wahine are standing up for there right’s no one else will
MANA WAHINE.
I’m sure ancient India treated there wahine with much more respect than how they are treated at the minute kia kaha .
Grant Robertson is the best qualified person to run the Crown’s book’s enough said.
My offspring were all grown up before that smacking law came in .
Most time’s when a child is playing up they just need one to come down to there level and talk to them they are just seeking attention give them more attention .
I try not to take my mokopunas into shop’s when we look after them we do but only when we are buying them stuff.
Loan shark’s need to be brought into line ka pai.
That’s the problem with the World’s economy people who have the least money are charged the highest interests and people awash with money pay next to nothing that has to be reversed.
There you go alcohol has a direct LINK to domestic abuse the data curves will follow the same trajectory up with the sales curves that is one reason this problem has not gone down alcohol lobbing all lobbing should be banned I could never handle hang overs.
To the TAX working group increase the tax on alcohol and watch our bad stats drop that’s a logical move.
Space travel is part of our future you know who Eco is backing why because if it was not for him no one would making as much electric cars as is all the rage at the minute .
Xero accounting soft ware is a awesome product we have brought the other brands in the past we end up using excel and stop using them but Xero make’s accounting as easy as child’s play.
Ka kite ano
It give me a sore face when I see that more Kiwis are taking their retirement savings seriously one need to put money away for when they get older as no one else will do that for you Ka pai .
A %7 increase is awesome lump sum payments up % 39 they are making these payments so they get all the government’s Kiwisaver subsidy there is a lot of good data coming out of this story .Kia kaha kiwi’s ka kite ano link below.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/107710637/kiwisaver-lump-sum-deposits-pour-in-for-taxpayer-subsidies
Some Eco Maori music for the minute
Here is a story that gives me hope for a happy healthy prosperous future for ALL OUR Mokopuna’s
The Dutch Court rules in favour of OUR environment . The whole World will have to follow suit and work together to save our grandchildren’s future environment Kia kaha
Ka kite ano link is below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/09/dutch-appeals-court-upholds-landmark-climate-change-ruling
I remember when I was 8 there was a new kid in our class she was Indian all the other kid’s picked on her I would tell/make them leave her be next minute my
Grate grandmother and I were going to her birthday her dad is still the whano doctor.
Kia kaha to the Indian METOO movement that’s the way make your men see that with out you they would have nothing . And you wan’t your voices heard links below Ka kite ano.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/09/india-has-metoo-moment-as-claims-of-sexual-misconduct-reach-government
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/09/himtoo-metoo-tweet-pieter-hanson-mothers-attack-on-feminism-movement-goes-wrong
I agree with the most of this story the whole Papatuanuku need to plant billions of tree’s I say and cut carbon use how.
A carbon tax and all the money is poured into saving our existing forest & plant new forest invest heavily into renewable energy
Link is below ka kite ano
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/09/shell-ben-van-beurden-mass-reforestation-un-climate-change-target
Some Eco Maori music for the minute
Eco Maori tau toko this Idea totally urban orchards it will give healthy food for the needy all our councils have to do is change the types of tree’s they plant in and around te mokopuna’s play areas in places were its safe for people to pick them . link below
Ka kite ano many thanks for this story I say go one better and have urban vegie gardens to P.S The shops won’t lose to much profts
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/food-news/107735320/why-its-time-for-new-zealand-to-embrace-urban-orchards
Kia ora te maori TV I say online troll’s bulling is a big problem in Aotearoa at the minute
As soon as there is a story about maori issues the troll’s jump onto the comments page and start spewing there racist rubbish .
But I say one has to be careful when trying to make law’s to curb this problem that the laws are not used to silence free speech so I say be real careful what one wishes for ka kite ano.
Kia ora Newshub that’s a nice big fine to stop the loan sharks predators $600 k that will make them think twice before they rip our people off .
Its cool Peter Jackson’s films he has added color to the old films I have been looking at NZONSCREEN and some of those need a brush up the sound on some are bad to.
Ka pai.
Tongan fans for the Tongan League team are staunch and proud wish them all the best.
Wow a new high rise building for Tamaki makau rau that looks like a cool design with a green floor ka pai .
With the Sydney Opera house issue Allan Jones is not as popular as him and his m8 think enough said .
Many thanks to Sea World people in Australia for saving the pepe Whale it was quite a dangerous task what I will say is animals have intelligence. They said the mother Whale new they were helping her calf . She could have easy squashed them.
Vector lines company well if you got fined I say you have not maintained the asset correctly . They have to have people checking the lines are not in danger from trees falling on them and cutting power this is the main cause of power cut’s in bad weather .
Daved Bowie was a artist who broke the mold for music like a few of his pears I liked his music It will be a bit old for the new generation .
Did you see my pick of music this arvo .
Andrew we are going to have a good couple of weeks of League Ka pai
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild James & Mulls all the best to the Breaker’s .
Mulls did James jandles get caught in some wires .
Congradulations to James sisters for having a new baby us men don’t know how easy we got it I get a reminder every now and then lol.
Kangaroos well Mal Meninga he is a great Australian indigenous role model for all
te mokopuna’s can’t say to much.??????? but I have a great memory.
Thats the way the wahine Black ferns kia kaha
Sam E hoa I get sore neck its a pain hurt it chasing my younger brother jumped a fence caught my foot on the fence and head butted the rock hard dirt bounced up and caught him. It did not start playing up till I got long in the tooth lol.
Ka kite ano P.S I did not kick his ass all though I wanted to