Welcome to No Filter Necessary! I had a vision of a space where there was verbal freedom. A no judgement zone, per se. Freedom to discuss anything and everything. Ranging from relationships, psychology, humor, politics and eclectic ideas. Quirky news and interesting shares are welcome, too.
Not particularly satisfactory – and it is an advert rather than the message. I guess I will add this to the nice to code list. Maybe after the UK and jury service.
BTW: the link has a picture of dead whale about to explode.
Her piece had a comment – which has been replaced with something about quora, and it should display the quora 'post' which has two images from the BoredPanda article she is linking to.
(this is kinda interesting – the military unload on the orange sack of pus..)
'..Amid threats spanning the globe, from nuclear proliferation to mined tankers in the Persian Gulf to terrorist attacks and cyberwarfare, those in command positions monitor the president’s Twitter feed like field officers scanning the horizon for enemy troop movements.
A new front line in national defense has become the White House Situation Room, where the military struggles to accommodate a commander in chief who is both ignorant and capricious…'
Thats not really anything new though. I take your point but I think that he is batshit crazy has probably saved the world from a lot of grief. His reluctance to get involved in regime change where predecessors have jumped in at the drop of a hat has been beneficial to world security.
Don’t normally care for your comments phill but I’m on your side this time. To see a corrupt president wrap the White House blanket around him for protection is vomit material and shows that the USA (the leader of the free world) is just a garbage can full of shit you can’t recycle.
Auckland University political scientist examines what the reasons for climate change denial are.
Are these factors levels of religious belief, authoritarian tendency, education, age, sex, or political beliefs? Hint, the article is written by a political scientist…..
And not that I don’t want to discourage reasoned debate, but the article says this, “…… brow-beating deniers with further climate science is unlikely to succeed: their faculty of reason is motivated to defend itself from revising its beliefs.”
Just read Bernard Hickey's piece about "Let’s vote to re-engineer our cities" and the theme is what blocks change and development.
Why don’t councils like public transport, cycling and pedestrians much?
Councillors and mayors know they are voted in by mostly old property-owning ratepayers in the suburbs. They know they mostly want to drive everywhere and not have too many other people living in their suburb and clogging up the roads and curbs. Those voters think everyone should have a house with a back yard for the kids and two cars and be able to drive to work and school within 15 minutes, just like they did when they lived in another smaller city or Auckland 20 years ago.
Public transport, cycling and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes cost a lot for councils and the Government to build and they often take lanes and fuel taxes off drivers. The funds have to come from taxes, rates or borrowing, which many voters think will put up their rates or prevent future tax cuts.
If Bernard had published this sooner it would have caused my Council vote to change. (Why can't Jacinda action those things that need to change?)
I'm not claiming to be a psychologist at all, but the idea that reasoning is affected by factors other than logic or facts such as a judge would use wouls seem to apply to more than climste change denial.
The factors of age, education levels, income, belief in hierarchy, political views, the more religious would tend to favour those with a stake in suburbia and the status quo.
The article spoke of three general factors which influence our reasoning-"values, ideologies and political allegiances".
The other encouraging note in the article referring to climate deniers is that "deniers are in the minority" and that clever discussion using reframing of the issues around acceptable conservative values can win support even among these reasoning-limited folk.
When I gave a recent talk about Cancer and Survival, I put in a plug for universal and free public health which of course is a socialist ideal. I framed it in th econtect of cancer which is no repecter of class, age, income , education, wealth, politics. Ww all are affected and so therefore communially we address it.
All well and good, but who frames conservativism as being patriotic. It's never been patriotic to be a conservative, doing nothing is not patriotism. Patrioticism is standing up against those who destroy our way of life, mostly those who think their safe and have nothing to care about. The universe continues to move on, so inevitably, change, adaptation, are necessary. Hence why conservatism is repugnantism. The most repugnated naturally fall into the conservative camp. Aka Trump. Now that's not to say we don't need repugnant people, we just need them to be on the side of adaptation, coz that is how change happens, the stupid, absurd, and laughable become the new reality. So it's not that nasty people exist, it's that the nasty people are to safe in staying put. I.e the gatekeepers like Murdoch, has had it too easy.
The caveat though, is the Reich,change was essential but Germans were too safe in their denial, the nasty fringe work for them rather than against them. If Hitler had been a liberal, and Germans of the time flocked to him…
Soddenleaf, I think you have it about face.The article writer was saying that a reframing of an issue to persuade conservatives to buy in by reframimg it as a patriotic issue. (Keep NZ safe from overseas invaders, peaceful or otherwise, who see our country as a s haven in the times of tribulation after the climate changes really bite, would be my example).
You are arguing that conservatives cannot be patriotic because they can't be acting as a patriot, motivated by patriotism, as you define it.
The article is saying to use patriotism as one value that conservatives believe they have because they believe it is virtuous to be patriotic.
Whether you are right or not about whether conservatives can be patriotic is not the issue.
The issue is that you can persuade deniers into a support stance by careful reframing of climate change to suit their values, beliefs and ideology.
Te article also instances reframing with an envirinmental purity stance. Keep NZ greener, cleaner, more sanaitary, more disease free, with healthier, cheaper, tastier food grown by Kiwis, and a continuance of a country's natural assets which we can be proud of etc etc etc.
Stephen Colbert, a big fan of Jacinda and NZ, is here in NZ in the next week or two to record the Late Show. The Nobel Peace Prize is announced on Friday… Being picked up at the airport by the just announced winner of the Nobel Peace Prize would be fantastic kudos for Colbert and good for ratings.
Perhaps a sotto voce message has been be passed on to Mr. Colbert? Or to long a bow to draw, dear Standardnistas?
At least the PM has done a damned sight more that is constructive than Obama. He was the master of death and destruction wrapped in eloquent obfuscating speech. Hardly peace prize attributes.
Obama was nominated barely months after being elected. All the drone stuff came later, and hes that sort of smart guy who gets hooked by all the geeky things the military can do
Who remembers the 'other child climate activist' from 30 years ago
"It was 1992 and Severn Cullis-Suzuki, daughter of Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki, was addressing the plenary session of the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
"Severn, [12 yrs old] along with other members of a group she had founded called the Environmental Children’s Organisation, had raised money “to come 5000 miles [to Rio conference] to tell you adults you must change your ways”.
I do and watched her speech at the time she delivered it. Slap-downs by frightened old men didn't follow, so far as I remember; Greta's message hurts more because time has passed, conditions have worsened and the misogynists have grown older still.
I bet they were thinking and saying it, just not with force because Severn wasn't a threat. Greta has so much more power and support and they're rightfully afraid.
DoU Muddyng and deflecting as usual. Where would you be without this blog to come on and strut your stuff? If you have a better hole, why don't you go to it. You seem like Don Brash's brother, or maybe the vandals tearing down the billboards of Council candidates. Wanting nothing to stand, be noticed and be thought about without your imprimatur stamped on or beside it.
Edit
Ardern has a country behind her to represent with conflicting opinions and has to watch her back. She has invested in the future by having a baby and is trying to juggle 1000 balls.
The kid has a large part of the world behind her and represents them and is very focussed without a spectrum of conflicting opinions behind her. She has yet to take on personal responsibility as an adult for a partner to go into the future with her, and a dependent baby. And is not tasked with the difficulty of leading a country to an ability to a better political approach and so break with its present infantile political process and disgracefully precipitous lack of environmental and social responsibility.
Greta can speak up and be angry in direct proportion to the personal responsibilities she bears at present. The knowledgable and thoughtful young have always been at the head of a protest because of not having dependents.
I don't think the parochial and provincial mindset of a lot New Zealanders mentally equips them to fully grasp exactly how big Jacinda's achievement was post-Christchurch. In OUR country 51 Muslims were slaughtered by a white supremacist who targeted them for their religion. A badly handled reaction would have painted a target on the back on every New Zealander in a Muslim country, and practically guaranteed a spiral of violence with anti-western reprisals.
Instead of threats, reprisals, violence and more suffering her response got her image projected onto the side of the Burj Khalifa and New Zealand made a hero in the Muslim world – and remember, our country was the scene of a massacre of Muslims! Jacinda drew our community closer together and she has driven efforts since for gun control that have reverberated right to the Trump Whitehouse and is dragging tech companies into agreements to monitor for far-right violence.
IMHO, just the achievement of protecting New Zealanders everywhere and at the same time diffusing a potential cycle of violence is enough for the peace prize, let alone anything else she symbolises or has done.
It's interesting that her achievements and the positive effect it had around the world is recognised everywhere except in New Zealand. It does not speak kindly of the average NZer's ability to cut through the chaff and see the enormity of that achievement and what it has meant in terms of safety and protection for everyone – friend and foe alike.
Sanctuary is right. It speaks to a parochial and provincial mindset in this country that is both embarrassing and shameful.
"The kid" is only 16. She's an inspiration but she has only just begun her service to mankind.
If indeed it is a toss up between Jacinda Ardern and Greta Thunberg this time around, then it would seem to me Jacinda is the obvious choice. It would also enable her to build on her achievements thus far, and further her ability to make this world a far better place than it is right now.
I think that if Greta were to be recognized, it should be in the form of a new environmental category for Nobels, the idea being that we're going to need and should recognize more people like her.
The younger child (Greta) expresses global concerns about climate change, and would probably continue to do so irrespective of further science presented in support of the proposition, or scientific deliberation put forward by many climate change deniers against it.
On the other hand, the Right Honourable Jacinda Adern appears to express mainly blame, and often in an insulting manner to many of our trade partners in and around the Indo-Pacific, and further afield.
Sadly, instead of presenting any realistic alternatives to the planet's growing energy needs and population growth, she often simply spews out vitriol in relation to would be, could be and should be on energy management and mismanagement as the case might be.
With all due respect, to many, she might be considered similar to a dog barking up a tree that is providing refuge to some other animal, but where she hasn't got a hope in Hell of ever identifying it, let alone catching it.
Many people considered as climate change deniers are getting a general hammering from many moderators on the basis of weight of argument pertaining to global temperature change. That's understandable. But many of them are placed in the same bin as deniers when they put forward the possibility that significant climate change may not entirely be the result of the misuse of relatively high carbon emission/emitting products.
For the record. From what I glean from various sources, the planet probably is warming at an alarming rate. Coal is grubby, jet aircraft, merchant marine and most industry doesn’t run on electricity. Cars to the supermarket, the footy, the bar-b-q and to drop off and pick up the kids from school can most assuredly run on electricity.
On the exact science of climate change, is the school really out yet?
…scientific deliberation put forward by many climate change deniers against it.
There is no scientific ‘science’ against CC. There's a lot of pseudo scientific gobbeldy-gook spread by ignorant naysayers and those who are deluded enough to perceive the subject as a political or ideological issue. They are to be derided and treated with contempt.
As for the piffle about Jacinda Ardern. Get a dose of reality down your throat.
Exact science in relation to meteorology and climatology is still unattainable. Scientists are close to achieving it but there is still a missing link or two in the chain of events that have yet to be discovered. But they know enough to ascertain the increasingly rapid warming of the planet's atmosphere is largely caused by human activity over a long period of time and if we do not turn it around, all living creatures are going to be fried in the not too distant future. End of story.
I should have realised that hostility embedded in rant (resultant of commentators failing to read excerpts in appropriate context) is more likely to have a greater impact and make a larger splash than those honestly expressing opinion for debate.
Scientific deliberation, as opposed to scientific evidence, pilgrim.
"Exact science in relation to meteorology and climatology is still unattainable…".
But attainable enough for those with just a basic knowledge in relation to natural short wave/long wave radiation, diurnal and cloud cover variation on local and regional temperature dynamic, heat pools associated with warmer ocean region, and so on.
These and other factors not usually considered by many of the proponents who would throttle existing fuel use, and who would simultaneously, progressively, conveniently and selectively, outright exclude other viable alternatives because they do not appear to be politically correct.
Wait until they haven't got fuel in their private motor vehicle tanks to drive some long distance to visit granny, attend a job interview, or anything else associated with the comfy mindset, on-demand travel and transport lifestyle choice that New Zealanders have become accustomed to.
Forget vacation travel (mind or otherwise), and check in to the latest global population figures. We are just on eight billion. An almost one billion net population increase in just over a decade.
Wake up.
But both bush scientists, and scientists such as yourself, along with others like-minded could always go whole hog and simply state, using your combined wealth of experience, that deliberation, irrespective of conclusions arrived at, is verboten, and that it is inaccurate based on your own opinion(s).
Perhaps I should be forever indebted to you and others like you for your LOUDNESS. And perhaps too, I could put myself forward as your fag, or whipping bitch as the case may be, if it might bring you some emotional satisfaction or pleasure associated with dominance of opinion.
And why is she not appreciated the same in NZ. Because she heads OUR Government that has been too slow doing everything except gun control. Tick. We’ve never had more money and so little to show for it after two years. If you’re living the pain it’s hard to get enthusiastic about international gain.
I'd be very wary of awarding it to 'the kid.' She would be quite likely to hurl it back in their faces, snarling that she wants meaningful actions in the war against inertia regarding Climate Change – not empty, meaningless words of praise. She said as much in the USA, and she would be quite right to my mind.
The flipside of "it's not the crime, it's the cover-up that gets you". If you've got the shamelessness or whatever to brazenly do it all right out in the open, you're much less likely to be held accountable for it.
A in yesterday's Daily Review put up this link for signing a Petition to hold 5G till its effects are well considered and understood to be beneficial. This has not yet been done and the precautionary principle should be followed not a high dive into a shallow pool. They are aiming for 8000 signatures and going well with about 7050. Please consider signing.
Do you know the differences between 4G and 5G and why you call it a high dive into a shallow pool, when it isnt. Remember the NZ and Europe version isnt the same as US 5G because of the frequencies available
Poor old James Shaw. Even those people he probably regarded as his mates are now getting over him and are starting to tell the truth about their views on National media.
Have a listen to this item from Morning Report today. Activist, and long time senior member of the Green Party, Christine Dann really does seem to have had enough of James Shaw and is quite willing to say so.
About 2 minutes in she says, as accurately as I could transcribe it. "I frankly think he (Shaw) is incompetent as a Minister as we know from Statistics already". Ouch.
Does anyone know whether Christine is still active in the Party? Or has she totally given up on them?
Listened to the interview. She sounds like the sort of person who keeps inventing new direction of complaint when her opinion isn't as important as she thinks it is. Not so much making things up as playing fast and loose with every objection possible, rather than actually presenting a solid argument in favour of what she wants.
Yes she does oppose it. Not sure about whether it is because it's not an enforcement body or whether she has some other preferred organisation type in mind. Either way I suspect it's a "perfect is the enemy of the good" scenario.
She also seems to be under the impression that a politician is incapable of knowing with reasonable reliability the general consensus of MPs unless there is a new vote in the House.
I just kind of got the impression from the interview that she was agin it for some reason, so she was coming up with as many reasons as possible to oppose it. Some of which were mediocre at best.
she sounded primarily pissed off that we're going to end up with something weak, relative to what climate activists submitted on. Which is fair. Not sure why she blames Shaw for that but thought the Stats example was a bit personal.
Why does that mean we should value her opinion of Shaw's performance? I listen closely to one longstanding Green member, another I couldn't give two shits about their opinions. Their membership tenure doesn't mean shit.
"Is there a reasonthose of us with no idea of who Christine Dann is should value her assessment of James Shaw's performance …?"
Well I must say my immediate reaction was to wonder whether Christine was related to the Dann brothers – Corin (RNZ) and Liam (Herald). Still haven't worked that one out but apparently she is a cousin of James Dann's father – James Dann being a leftie blogger who ran for Labour in Ilam in 2014 and also writes for The Spinoff.
Back to Christine, Google initially told me she is a NZ writer based in Canterbury with:
a number of books under her belt published through Bridget Williams Books (BWB);
a few films etc on environmentalists etc including one on Sheila Natusch via her work with Hugh Macdonald Film company;
a blogsite of her own called the Eco Gardener Blog which on a quick read seems worth reading in more depth and which I have now bookmarked for myself. I am sure people like Robert Guyton, WTB etc probably know (or know of) Christine very well.
However, the article below about her on KeyWiki provides much more detail about her long ongoing involvement going right back to the early 1970s as an activist (feminism, environment, etc) including as a member – and a former female co-convenor – of the NZ Green Party.
So probably the “reason” you referred to in your comment would appear to be ignorance – yours as well as mine until I bothered to find out about Christine.
Actually my impressions are that your real “reason” was simply to post a snide ad hominim. IMO shallow as well as ignorant.
The census was developed and funded during the previous 4 years of national and its Stats ministers, not the 3 months under Shaw.
Most telling was the National gave Stats les than half the extra budget in 2017 asked for , to cover the Eathquake problems in wellington and other issues.
The end result of the under funding was the 'on ground' program on census day had a fraction of the money and staff originally intended
Really? Shaw became the Minister on 26 October, 2017. The Census was on 6 March 2018. That is about 4 and a half months by my calculation, rather that your "3 months".
I understand that Shaw took roughly zero interest in the whole affair. He didn't hold regular meetings on the matter with the HoD. He didn't even bother to stay in the country when it was on.
However this has been debated before and about all his apologists could manage was that the brilliant statisticians could sort it all out and the rest of us didn't need to worry. Well they didn't sort it out. Meanwhile for about 18 months Shaw continued his litany that everything was wonderful.
Finally the Government Statistician admitted the truth and is going. Shaw should have joined her exit. What were those words that summed up his performance over the last 18 months? "An orchestrated litany of lies" comes to mind. Now who said that?
In the meantime I suggest you take it up with Ms. Dann.
[“I understand that Shaw took roughly zero interest in the whole affair. He didn’t hold regular meetings on the matter with the HoD. He didn’t even bother to stay in the country when it was on.”
Given it’s all been debated before, you’ll have no trouble providing back up for those three claims (links and quotes). You have until midday tomorrow – weka]
This is a report from 5 March 2018. If you read it you will see that it includes the line "Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who will also be on the trip".
He was up in the Islands on Census day.
[your link doesn’t support your assertion that Shaw was out of the country. The onus is on you to back up what you are saying. Stop wasting my time – weka]
"He didn’t hold regular meetings on the matter with the HoD"
You will probably not accept the source but Shaw never denied the claim.
"Mr Bridges told Morning Report Mr Shaw should have done more to ensure the census was on track and should have asked more questions of Stats NZ, instead of letting things spiral out of control.
"He was asleep at the wheel. He expressed blind confidence when concerns were raised. To give you the contrast, Maurice Williamson as statistics minister in 2013 for that census had 18 meetings on the census six months prior. Shaw didn't have a single one. He had meetings on other things, measurements of our feelings, wellbeing and the like, but not the core business of the census."
Shaw was questioned immediately after this and did not deny it. You are aware of course that everyone went very quiet for almost 18 months about the census aren't you?
Nick Smith brought up exactly the same statement. Shaw, speaking immediately afterward never once denied it. He talked about other things but never ever claimed that any meetings had been held.
What is the third thing you are interested in?
[“Shaw was questioned immediately after this and did not deny it.”
That’s 4 things you now need to back up. You seem to be under the impression that I’m going to do your work for you. I’m not. You have to quote and link support for each of the 4 assertions. You have until midday tomorrow. At that point I’ll be looking up previous bans and moderations. We both know you have a history of telling lies about the Green Party, (and others). I don’t know what you are doing here, but you can either put up the evidence or retract the claims. Read the About/Policy re wasting moderator time – weka]
The comment is in the linked article about the trip to the islands.
It is the sixth sentence from the end in the article. It shows up when I search for it.
That Radio New Zealand report was broadcast on 5 March 2018. It lists all the people who were on the week long trip to the Pacific islands. It says that Shaw was on the trip. The Census was on the 6th March so if Shaw had arrived in Samoa on the 5th, and was away for a week he obviously wasn't in New Zealand on the 6th.
Still, what are facts if you choose to ignore them.
[you may well be right that Shaw was out of the country on the day, but that link doesn’t show that. It says he will be on the trip (future tense) but doesn’t give the dates. The problem here is that you have a history of lying about the Greens, so the standard of evidence required is high. You also seem to still think I’m going to read and parse linked articles. I’m not. The onus is on you to provide clear back-up in the way I have described and which doesn’t require me to have to do anything other than read your comment. 2 week ban, which is double the last one. Expect exponential increases from now on – weka]
Brown Lee argued for the changes that he now rails against in opposition… …now Shaw pick-up the pieces of cutbacks and changes to the census made by National while in govt. It was called dirty politics.
I notice that Alwyn the Shaw Slayer is back from his travels in Fantasia. Predictable and tedious but each to their own. That said, Census 2019 made a strong case for online voting 😉
Lol, Alwyn might be wetting himself at a greenie calling Shaw incompetent on national radio, but I don't know what rock he's been under if he thinks Green Party members criticising the co-leaders or MPs is anything unusual.
"The eventual endgame is that the price of gold skyrockets and the dollar permanently collapses along with the global banking system and modern society as we know it. Black Friday will be everyday as the masses murder each other for a peach pit. This is sure to happen anytime between now and the end of 2018.
Don't believe it? We'll find out soon."
And so we did (find out.) Be prepared, but remember to live a little while preparing.
Brexit heating up. The UK is like a spoiled child, wants the stars though is earth-bound but whines on about its fleeting, unreasonable desires but meanwhile the ground beneath is shifting and soon there will not be a leg to stand on. And the Conservative Party will not do a mea culpa because it is so far up itself that its head is lost to sight, and only its ugly backside is visible.
The groundwork put in over nearly a century settling Europe into a cohesive unit with opportunities to disagree and make some changes is on the way to ruins. But just because some stability has been reached, the UK feels it will take the risk of kicking away the bracing and limiting the reinforcing, and wants to be reborn in another form.
Frankenstein must be released; for a start they could let Assange go. But arresting him was, I fear, the start of this new Britain, no united about it. The Day of the Trafford? Perhaps the history and rise of Trafford Park will parallel events in England that have emboldened the mini-barons to take their present stance. That the previous PM Cameron is apparently watching with trembling lip.
The poor ordinary UK citizen has a lot to get their head around about Brexit. When they stamped their foot on the floor, metaphorically, they didn't have a list written on a roll of toilet paper for convenience, of all the myriad ways that not being on side with the EU would put them out, literally.
Posting to EU for Christmas for instance:
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31st October delivery times for parcels to the EU will be longer, as parcels may need to be checked by customs, and all parcels will be subject to customs charges.
People who send or recieve parcels to countries outside the EU will know what a faff it is to fill in customs forms and calulate import taxes – even on gifts.
If you have family and friends in the EU we strongly recommend considering sending your Christmas presents before Halloween to avoid this faff and customs fees.
Infometrics rep was on TV1 on 7 sharp just after 7 suggesting that the surplus could be given to NZers as a rebate rather than a tax cut. Is Infometrics neutral?
It sounds like it. That idea might come as a freeing up idea for minds too constipated to think of anything but tax cuts. It would win some grudging respect from Nats.
All beneficiaries could be given $30 on December 1st to go and spend on Christmas presents or get a bill off their neck, and those with long-term debts to be repaid out of meagre income say prior to Labour getting in, could have them wiped before Christmas. That would be a wise thing to take the burden off shoulders and bring some money into shops.
It's just a one-off tax cut. Still buys into the right's framing that individuals always spend money more wisely than public organisations acting on our collective behalf. Thousands of tropical vacations and slate kitchen counters can't be wrong.
Yep. So play the right at their own game. I am sure that Chinese general Sun Tzu would have a brief snippet of wisdom about understanding the opposition and playing them like a harp.
How about this:
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“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
― Sun tzu, The Art of War
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Then remind yourself that the greatest enemy can be your own mind, lulled in to a sense of false reality or comfortable with misty situational awareness.
But above all, determine just what it is that you are fighting over.
"The modern British state has distanced itself from the productive economy and is barely able to take an expert view of the complexities of modern capitalism. This was painfully clear in the Brexit impact sectoral reports the government was forced to publish – they were internet cut-and-paste jobs.
The state can no longer undertake the radical planning and intervention that might make Brexit work. That would require not only an expert state, but one closely aligned with business. The preparations would by now be very visible at both technical and political levels. But we have none of that"
This begs the question as to whether any state is capable of dealing with climate change. And if the answer is negative, what does that mean for the future? And then working backwards, what does it mean for the present, the here and now?
…'the State closely aligned with business' would also have to be closely aligned with all sectors of workers, because that is what the state is built on. If not what?
And what about the workers? And the mothers with their children's future to think about, and indeed all the fertile young people; with women having their monthly egg shedding, and males with their millions of sperm all ready for the primordial ritual of ages when we briefly become gods and make life that brought us here today. What about them? Do we allow a minority of twisted, minds with bloated visions, to screw this world up that is so wonderful and aweful.
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Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
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Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
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A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
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The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
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Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
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There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],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, Tuesday 19 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
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The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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Testing quora links
https://qr.ae/TW2iKt
https://www.quora.com/q/rdukxjzcmjiyntov/Australia-Is-The-Land-Of-Nope-And-Here-Are-40-Pictures-Proving-It
Updated: ok – that doesn’t work.
Umm embedly?
Not particularly satisfactory – and it is an advert rather than the message. I guess I will add this to the nice to code list. Maybe after the UK and jury service.
BTW: the link has a picture of dead whale about to explode.
Looks ok to me, apart from the social media links on the right being tucked under the edge of the thread.
Her piece had a comment – which has been replaced with something about quora, and it should display the quora 'post' which has two images from the BoredPanda article she is linking to.
This abbreviates it all.
It also inserts a iframe using script.
We'll soon be in the Halberg Awards swirl.
What chance a win for Grant Robertson? The achievement?
Pulling a $7.5 billion surplus out of Steven Joyce's $11.7 billion fiscal hole.
A Highly Commended too for Simon Bridges and team for hiding up the hole I reckon.
(this is kinda interesting – the military unload on the orange sack of pus..)
'..Amid threats spanning the globe, from nuclear proliferation to mined tankers in the Persian Gulf to terrorist attacks and cyberwarfare, those in command positions monitor the president’s Twitter feed like field officers scanning the horizon for enemy troop movements.
A new front line in national defense has become the White House Situation Room, where the military struggles to accommodate a commander in chief who is both ignorant and capricious…'
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/11/military-officers-trump/598360/
And the alternatives?
Has the decision making of Presidents more agreeable to the Pentagon been any better?
i think you are missing the point there..kevin..
it illustrates just how batshit-crazy he is…
Thats not really anything new though. I take your point but I think that he is batshit crazy has probably saved the world from a lot of grief. His reluctance to get involved in regime change where predecessors have jumped in at the drop of a hat has been beneficial to world security.
lol and he cares about the environment too
i agree he has not invaded anyone..yet…
that is about the only 'not bad' thing about him..
Don’t normally care for your comments phill but I’m on your side this time. To see a corrupt president wrap the White House blanket around him for protection is vomit material and shows that the USA (the leader of the free world) is just a garbage can full of shit you can’t recycle.
Well worth checking out
https://youtu.be/tfVe–FytU0
Here's another very challenging article published today.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/116409148/climate-explained-why-some-people-still-think-climate-change-isnt-real
Auckland University political scientist examines what the reasons for climate change denial are.
Are these factors levels of religious belief, authoritarian tendency, education, age, sex, or political beliefs? Hint, the article is written by a political scientist…..
And not that I don’t want to discourage reasoned debate, but the article says this, “…… brow-beating deniers with further climate science is unlikely to succeed: their faculty of reason is motivated to defend itself from revising its beliefs.”
Just read Bernard Hickey's piece about "Let’s vote to re-engineer our cities" and the theme is what blocks change and development.
If Bernard had published this sooner it would have caused my Council vote to change. (Why can't Jacinda action those things that need to change?)
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/10/09/848822/lets-vote-to-re-engineer-our-cities
Mac 1. And the Status Quo does suit those who are already "made."
I'm not claiming to be a psychologist at all, but the idea that reasoning is affected by factors other than logic or facts such as a judge would use wouls seem to apply to more than climste change denial.
The factors of age, education levels, income, belief in hierarchy, political views, the more religious would tend to favour those with a stake in suburbia and the status quo.
The article spoke of three general factors which influence our reasoning-"values, ideologies and political allegiances".
The other encouraging note in the article referring to climate deniers is that "deniers are in the minority" and that clever discussion using reframing of the issues around acceptable conservative values can win support even among these reasoning-limited folk.
When I gave a recent talk about Cancer and Survival, I put in a plug for universal and free public health which of course is a socialist ideal. I framed it in th econtect of cancer which is no repecter of class, age, income , education, wealth, politics. Ww all are affected and so therefore communially we address it.
All well and good, but who frames conservativism as being patriotic. It's never been patriotic to be a conservative, doing nothing is not patriotism. Patrioticism is standing up against those who destroy our way of life, mostly those who think their safe and have nothing to care about. The universe continues to move on, so inevitably, change, adaptation, are necessary. Hence why conservatism is repugnantism. The most repugnated naturally fall into the conservative camp. Aka Trump. Now that's not to say we don't need repugnant people, we just need them to be on the side of adaptation, coz that is how change happens, the stupid, absurd, and laughable become the new reality. So it's not that nasty people exist, it's that the nasty people are to safe in staying put. I.e the gatekeepers like Murdoch, has had it too easy.
The caveat though, is the Reich,change was essential but Germans were too safe in their denial, the nasty fringe work for them rather than against them. If Hitler had been a liberal, and Germans of the time flocked to him…
Climate change, thank Murdoch.
Soddenleaf, I think you have it about face.The article writer was saying that a reframing of an issue to persuade conservatives to buy in by reframimg it as a patriotic issue. (Keep NZ safe from overseas invaders, peaceful or otherwise, who see our country as a s haven in the times of tribulation after the climate changes really bite, would be my example).
You are arguing that conservatives cannot be patriotic because they can't be acting as a patriot, motivated by patriotism, as you define it.
The article is saying to use patriotism as one value that conservatives believe they have because they believe it is virtuous to be patriotic.
Whether you are right or not about whether conservatives can be patriotic is not the issue.
The issue is that you can persuade deniers into a support stance by careful reframing of climate change to suit their values, beliefs and ideology.
Te article also instances reframing with an envirinmental purity stance. Keep NZ greener, cleaner, more sanaitary, more disease free, with healthier, cheaper, tastier food grown by Kiwis, and a continuance of a country's natural assets which we can be proud of etc etc etc.
Stephen Colbert, a big fan of Jacinda and NZ, is here in NZ in the next week or two to record the Late Show. The Nobel Peace Prize is announced on Friday… Being picked up at the airport by the just announced winner of the Nobel Peace Prize would be fantastic kudos for Colbert and good for ratings.
Perhaps a sotto voce message has been be passed on to Mr. Colbert? Or to long a bow to draw, dear Standardnistas?
Back in the day, the NPP used to count for something.
Extraordinary, above and beyond….that kinda thing.
I can't see what Our Leader has done to be even in the running.
IMHO
How far back are you going for back in the day?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_Peace_Prize_laureates
At least the PM has done a damned sight more that is constructive than Obama. He was the master of death and destruction wrapped in eloquent obfuscating speech. Hardly peace prize attributes.
'….Obama…?'
My point exactly.
The value of the Prize has been diminished with such winners.
Personally I think politicians should not be eligible. After all..they are just doing their job….occasionally.
Obama was nominated barely months after being elected. All the drone stuff came later, and hes that sort of smart guy who gets hooked by all the geeky things the military can do
NP shouldn't have been awarded on campaign promises, which it effectively was in this case.
obasma didn't do just 'drones'..
he deserves infamy/is a war-criminal for what he did to libya..
he turned the most progressive country in the middle east – libya – into the fundamentalist/war-wracked hellhole it is now…
@ mcdonald..
achieving 'the impossible' – she got the big-tech companies to agree to work to curtail terrorist content online..?
her reaction to chch massacre – showing other countries how to get rid of citizens running around with machine-guns..?
and justified or not – she is the current international model for a thorougtly modern political leader..(baby/house-husband..etc..)
anyone else you can think of who has done more..?
(and the obama factor does kick in..as j.a. is unliky to besmirch the award..invade/bomb anyone anytime soon..)
(i’d say it’s between her and ‘the kid’..)
Time will tell how much substance behind the agreeable words from the tech companies. Talk is cheap and easy.
Ardern has a media profile….no doubt about that…but does that make her deserving of such a major award?
Hmm….I say give it to the kid. Ardern sounded bland and uncommitted at the UN the other day in comparison to the youngster.
i agree the kid should get it – for what she is representing for..
but if they decide she is too young..i see ardern as in with a strong chance..
(and it would be fun – seeing all those tory heads exploding..
and hosking – for one – will have a total meltdown – which would also be fun to watch..)
Who remembers the 'other child climate activist' from 30 years ago
"It was 1992 and Severn Cullis-Suzuki, daughter of Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki, was addressing the plenary session of the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
"Severn, [12 yrs old] along with other members of a group she had founded called the Environmental Children’s Organisation, had raised money “to come 5000 miles [to Rio conference] to tell you adults you must change your ways”.
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/before-greta-there-was-severn-the-b-c-girl-who-silenced-the-world
I do and watched her speech at the time she delivered it. Slap-downs by frightened old men didn't follow, so far as I remember; Greta's message hurts more because time has passed, conditions have worsened and the misogynists have grown older still.
"Slap-downs by frightened old men didn't follow"
I bet they were thinking and saying it, just not with force because Severn wasn't a threat. Greta has so much more power and support and they're rightfully afraid.
DoU Muddyng and deflecting as usual. Where would you be without this blog to come on and strut your stuff? If you have a better hole, why don't you go to it. You seem like Don Brash's brother, or maybe the vandals tearing down the billboards of Council candidates. Wanting nothing to stand, be noticed and be thought about without your imprimatur stamped on or beside it.
You know you could debate him instead of playing at being the board police, judge and jury?
Edit
Ardern has a country behind her to represent with conflicting opinions and has to watch her back. She has invested in the future by having a baby and is trying to juggle 1000 balls.
The kid has a large part of the world behind her and represents them and is very focussed without a spectrum of conflicting opinions behind her. She has yet to take on personal responsibility as an adult for a partner to go into the future with her, and a dependent baby. And is not tasked with the difficulty of leading a country to an ability to a better political approach and so break with its present infantile political process and disgracefully precipitous lack of environmental and social responsibility.
Greta can speak up and be angry in direct proportion to the personal responsibilities she bears at present. The knowledgable and thoughtful young have always been at the head of a protest because of not having dependents.
I don't think the parochial and provincial mindset of a lot New Zealanders mentally equips them to fully grasp exactly how big Jacinda's achievement was post-Christchurch. In OUR country 51 Muslims were slaughtered by a white supremacist who targeted them for their religion. A badly handled reaction would have painted a target on the back on every New Zealander in a Muslim country, and practically guaranteed a spiral of violence with anti-western reprisals.
Instead of threats, reprisals, violence and more suffering her response got her image projected onto the side of the Burj Khalifa and New Zealand made a hero in the Muslim world – and remember, our country was the scene of a massacre of Muslims! Jacinda drew our community closer together and she has driven efforts since for gun control that have reverberated right to the Trump Whitehouse and is dragging tech companies into agreements to monitor for far-right violence.
IMHO, just the achievement of protecting New Zealanders everywhere and at the same time diffusing a potential cycle of violence is enough for the peace prize, let alone anything else she symbolises or has done.
It's interesting that her achievements and the positive effect it had around the world is recognised everywhere except in New Zealand. It does not speak kindly of the average NZer's ability to cut through the chaff and see the enormity of that achievement and what it has meant in terms of safety and protection for everyone – friend and foe alike.
Sanctuary is right. It speaks to a parochial and provincial mindset in this country that is both embarrassing and shameful.
"The kid" is only 16. She's an inspiration but she has only just begun her service to mankind.
If indeed it is a toss up between Jacinda Ardern and Greta Thunberg this time around, then it would seem to me Jacinda is the obvious choice. It would also enable her to build on her achievements thus far, and further her ability to make this world a far better place than it is right now.
I think that if Greta were to be recognized, it should be in the form of a new environmental category for Nobels, the idea being that we're going to need and should recognize more people like her.
The younger child (Greta) expresses global concerns about climate change, and would probably continue to do so irrespective of further science presented in support of the proposition, or scientific deliberation put forward by many climate change deniers against it.
On the other hand, the Right Honourable Jacinda Adern appears to express mainly blame, and often in an insulting manner to many of our trade partners in and around the Indo-Pacific, and further afield.
Sadly, instead of presenting any realistic alternatives to the planet's growing energy needs and population growth, she often simply spews out vitriol in relation to would be, could be and should be on energy management and mismanagement as the case might be.
With all due respect, to many, she might be considered similar to a dog barking up a tree that is providing refuge to some other animal, but where she hasn't got a hope in Hell of ever identifying it, let alone catching it.
Many people considered as climate change deniers are getting a general hammering from many moderators on the basis of weight of argument pertaining to global temperature change. That's understandable. But many of them are placed in the same bin as deniers when they put forward the possibility that significant climate change may not entirely be the result of the misuse of relatively high carbon emission/emitting products.
For the record. From what I glean from various sources, the planet probably is warming at an alarming rate. Coal is grubby, jet aircraft, merchant marine and most industry doesn’t run on electricity. Cars to the supermarket, the footy, the bar-b-q and to drop off and pick up the kids from school can most assuredly run on electricity.
On the exact science of climate change, is the school really out yet?
What a load of tosh you talk karol121.
There is no scientific ‘science’ against CC. There's a lot of pseudo scientific gobbeldy-gook spread by ignorant naysayers and those who are deluded enough to perceive the subject as a political or ideological issue. They are to be derided and treated with contempt.
As for the piffle about Jacinda Ardern. Get a dose of reality down your throat.
Exact science in relation to meteorology and climatology is still unattainable. Scientists are close to achieving it but there is still a missing link or two in the chain of events that have yet to be discovered. But they know enough to ascertain the increasingly rapid warming of the planet's atmosphere is largely caused by human activity over a long period of time and if we do not turn it around, all living creatures are going to be fried in the not too distant future. End of story.
Sorry Sir/Mam
I should have realised that hostility embedded in rant (resultant of commentators failing to read excerpts in appropriate context) is more likely to have a greater impact and make a larger splash than those honestly expressing opinion for debate.
Scientific deliberation, as opposed to scientific evidence, pilgrim.
"Exact science in relation to meteorology and climatology is still unattainable…".
But attainable enough for those with just a basic knowledge in relation to natural short wave/long wave radiation, diurnal and cloud cover variation on local and regional temperature dynamic, heat pools associated with warmer ocean region, and so on.
These and other factors not usually considered by many of the proponents who would throttle existing fuel use, and who would simultaneously, progressively, conveniently and selectively, outright exclude other viable alternatives because they do not appear to be politically correct.
Wait until they haven't got fuel in their private motor vehicle tanks to drive some long distance to visit granny, attend a job interview, or anything else associated with the comfy mindset, on-demand travel and transport lifestyle choice that New Zealanders have become accustomed to.
Forget vacation travel (mind or otherwise), and check in to the latest global population figures. We are just on eight billion. An almost one billion net population increase in just over a decade.
Wake up.
But both bush scientists, and scientists such as yourself, along with others like-minded could always go whole hog and simply state, using your combined wealth of experience, that deliberation, irrespective of conclusions arrived at, is verboten, and that it is inaccurate based on your own opinion(s).
Perhaps I should be forever indebted to you and others like you for your LOUDNESS. And perhaps too, I could put myself forward as your fag, or whipping bitch as the case may be, if it might bring you some emotional satisfaction or pleasure associated with dominance of opinion.
And why is she not appreciated the same in NZ. Because she heads OUR Government that has been too slow doing everything except gun control. Tick. We’ve never had more money and so little to show for it after two years. If you’re living the pain it’s hard to get enthusiastic about international gain.
Sanctuary +100
When you put it like that, it's a compelling argument.
I'd be very wary of awarding it to 'the kid.' She would be quite likely to hurl it back in their faces, snarling that she wants meaningful actions in the war against inertia regarding Climate Change – not empty, meaningless words of praise. She said as much in the USA, and she would be quite right to my mind.
I'd pay to watch that ! She could hurl it at the Israeli delegates with the comment ‘keep it as you’ll never win one’
Even the Repugs in the senate are now saying there was rooskie fuckery in the 2016 election and they're gonna try again in 2020.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/08/intelligence-committee-russia-trump-report-040736
The flipside of "it's not the crime, it's the cover-up that gets you". If you've got the shamelessness or whatever to brazenly do it all right out in the open, you're much less likely to be held accountable for it.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/trumps-brazenness-is-his-greatest-asset/599527/
A in yesterday's Daily Review put up this link for signing a Petition to hold 5G till its effects are well considered and understood to be beneficial. This has not yet been done and the precautionary principle should be followed not a high dive into a shallow pool. They are aiming for 8000 signatures and going well with about 7050. Please consider signing.
https://www.toko.org.nz/petitions/precautionary-principle-for-5g-in-aotearoa-1
Do you know the differences between 4G and 5G and why you call it a high dive into a shallow pool, when it isnt. Remember the NZ and Europe version isnt the same as US 5G because of the frequencies available
Poor old James Shaw. Even those people he probably regarded as his mates are now getting over him and are starting to tell the truth about their views on National media.
Have a listen to this item from Morning Report today. Activist, and long time senior member of the Green Party, Christine Dann really does seem to have had enough of James Shaw and is quite willing to say so.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018716870/climate-activist-objects-to-rod-carr-appointment
About 2 minutes in she says, as accurately as I could transcribe it. "I frankly think he (Shaw) is incompetent as a Minister as we know from Statistics already". Ouch.
Does anyone know whether Christine is still active in the Party? Or has she totally given up on them?
Is there a reason those of us with no idea of who Christine Dann is should value her assessment of James Shaw's performance?
You are obviously not a Green Party member PM. Or at least if you are you are a newby and you can't have been one for very long.
I wouldn't think any veteran member of the Green Party would need an explanation.
That wasn't actually an answer.
Listened to the interview. She sounds like the sort of person who keeps inventing new direction of complaint when her opinion isn't as important as she thinks it is. Not so much making things up as playing fast and loose with every objection possible, rather than actually presenting a solid argument in favour of what she wants.
yes . Its weird that she is complaining about a minor matter. Does she oppose the very idea of a CCC ?
Or more likely in the context, Dann herself was expecting such a job , in which case she would have praised the Minister
Yes she does oppose it. Not sure about whether it is because it's not an enforcement body or whether she has some other preferred organisation type in mind. Either way I suspect it's a "perfect is the enemy of the good" scenario.
She also seems to be under the impression that a politician is incapable of knowing with reasonable reliability the general consensus of MPs unless there is a new vote in the House.
"Not sure about whether it is because it's not an enforcement body or whether she has some other preferred organisation type in mind."
Both was how I heard it in the interview.
I just kind of got the impression from the interview that she was agin it for some reason, so she was coming up with as many reasons as possible to oppose it. Some of which were mediocre at best.
McFlock Were you referring to Dann or alwyn? 🙂
Alwyn's usually in the "making shit up" end of the scale 🙂
she sounded primarily pissed off that we're going to end up with something weak, relative to what climate activists submitted on. Which is fair. Not sure why she blames Shaw for that but thought the Stats example was a bit personal.
So she wants them to get on with it, but not like that. Imperious.
"That wasn't actually an answer".
I actually thought it was sufficient given that I had put in my comment the words
"Activist, and long time senior member of the Green Party".
I thought that description would have been sufficient description of who she was.
Why does that mean we should value her opinion of Shaw's performance? I listen closely to one longstanding Green member, another I couldn't give two shits about their opinions. Their membership tenure doesn't mean shit.
"Is there a reason those of us with no idea of who Christine Dann is should value her assessment of James Shaw's performance …?"
Well I must say my immediate reaction was to wonder whether Christine was related to the Dann brothers – Corin (RNZ) and Liam (Herald). Still haven't worked that one out but apparently she is a cousin of James Dann's father – James Dann being a leftie blogger who ran for Labour in Ilam in 2014 and also writes for The Spinoff.
http://www.rdu.org.nz/archives/podcast/nziff-christine-dann-on-no-ordinary-sheila
Back to Christine, Google initially told me she is a NZ writer based in Canterbury with:
https://www.bwb.co.nz/authors/christine-dann
https://nz.linkedin.com/in/christine-dann-24522332
https://www.christinedann.org/eco-gardener-blog/
However, the article below about her on KeyWiki provides much more detail about her long ongoing involvement going right back to the early 1970s as an activist (feminism, environment, etc) including as a member – and a former female co-convenor – of the NZ Green Party.
https://keywiki.org/Christine_Dann
So probably the “reason” you referred to in your comment would appear to be ignorance – yours as well as mine until I bothered to find out about Christine.
Actually my impressions are that your real “reason” was simply to post a snide ad hominim. IMO shallow as well as ignorant.
TS really doesn't need to be sending traffic to Louden's hate site.
The census was developed and funded during the previous 4 years of national and its Stats ministers, not the 3 months under Shaw.
Most telling was the National gave Stats les than half the extra budget in 2017 asked for , to cover the Eathquake problems in wellington and other issues.
The end result of the under funding was the 'on ground' program on census day had a fraction of the money and staff originally intended
"3 months under Shaw."
Really? Shaw became the Minister on 26 October, 2017. The Census was on 6 March 2018. That is about 4 and a half months by my calculation, rather that your "3 months".
I understand that Shaw took roughly zero interest in the whole affair. He didn't hold regular meetings on the matter with the HoD. He didn't even bother to stay in the country when it was on.
However this has been debated before and about all his apologists could manage was that the brilliant statisticians could sort it all out and the rest of us didn't need to worry. Well they didn't sort it out. Meanwhile for about 18 months Shaw continued his litany that everything was wonderful.
Finally the Government Statistician admitted the truth and is going. Shaw should have joined her exit. What were those words that summed up his performance over the last 18 months? "An orchestrated litany of lies" comes to mind. Now who said that?
In the meantime I suggest you take it up with Ms. Dann.
[“I understand that Shaw took roughly zero interest in the whole affair. He didn’t hold regular meetings on the matter with the HoD. He didn’t even bother to stay in the country when it was on.”
Given it’s all been debated before, you’ll have no trouble providing back up for those three claims (links and quotes). You have until midday tomorrow – weka]
mod note for you.
Well, here is the first one.
"He didn’t even bother to stay in the country when it was on"
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/351722/pm-s-pacific-tour-begins-pacific-reset
This is a report from 5 March 2018. If you read it you will see that it includes the line "Climate Change Minister James Shaw, who will also be on the trip".
He was up in the Islands on Census day.
[your link doesn’t support your assertion that Shaw was out of the country. The onus is on you to back up what you are saying. Stop wasting my time – weka]
And here is a quick note on the other statement
"He didn’t hold regular meetings on the matter with the HoD"
You will probably not accept the source but Shaw never denied the claim.
"Mr Bridges told Morning Report Mr Shaw should have done more to ensure the census was on track and should have asked more questions of Stats NZ, instead of letting things spiral out of control.
"He was asleep at the wheel. He expressed blind confidence when concerns were raised. To give you the contrast, Maurice Williamson as statistics minister in 2013 for that census had 18 meetings on the census six months prior. Shaw didn't have a single one. He had meetings on other things, measurements of our feelings, wellbeing and the like, but not the core business of the census."
Shaw was questioned immediately after this and did not deny it. You are aware of course that everyone went very quiet for almost 18 months about the census aren't you?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/396634/botched-census-statistics-minister-asleep-at-the-wheel-says-bridges
The same thing was brought up in a Parliamentary debate, reported here
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20190820_20190820_24
Nick Smith brought up exactly the same statement. Shaw, speaking immediately afterward never once denied it. He talked about other things but never ever claimed that any meetings had been held.
What is the third thing you are interested in?
[“Shaw was questioned immediately after this and did not deny it.”
That’s 4 things you now need to back up. You seem to be under the impression that I’m going to do your work for you. I’m not. You have to quote and link support for each of the 4 assertions. You have until midday tomorrow. At that point I’ll be looking up previous bans and moderations. We both know you have a history of telling lies about the Green Party, (and others). I don’t know what you are doing here, but you can either put up the evidence or retract the claims. Read the About/Policy re wasting moderator time – weka]
mod note above.
mod note above.
The comment is in the linked article about the trip to the islands.
It is the sixth sentence from the end in the article. It shows up when I search for it.
I put it in here as a simple cut and paste.
that doesn't show that Shaw was out of the country on Census Day. Shall I just go ahead and ban you now?
That Radio New Zealand report was broadcast on 5 March 2018. It lists all the people who were on the week long trip to the Pacific islands. It says that Shaw was on the trip. The Census was on the 6th March so if Shaw had arrived in Samoa on the 5th, and was away for a week he obviously wasn't in New Zealand on the 6th.
Still, what are facts if you choose to ignore them.
[you may well be right that Shaw was out of the country on the day, but that link doesn’t show that. It says he will be on the trip (future tense) but doesn’t give the dates. The problem here is that you have a history of lying about the Greens, so the standard of evidence required is high. You also seem to still think I’m going to read and parse linked articles. I’m not. The onus is on you to provide clear back-up in the way I have described and which doesn’t require me to have to do anything other than read your comment. 2 week ban, which is double the last one. Expect exponential increases from now on – weka]
Good work Alwyn .The arrogance of Weka is breathtaking.Greens and Green policy are immune from critique it would seem.
How bright is the Blaze of your red neck.
as bright as that ray of sunshine called free speech and the right to hold an alternate viewpoint,without fear or favour.
Blazer, if you want to make a safe space for Alwyn to spread bullshit, you are free to do so. Nobody else is obliged to do so.
Is that a skull and crossbones on your icon thing Blazer. You are another jolly Roger perhaps.
In this instance it does not look like Alwyn is spreading b/s at all.
If the message is more important than the messenger maybe objective scrutiny is required instead of kneejerk herd mentality.
Brown Lee argued for the changes that he now rails against in opposition… …now Shaw pick-up the pieces of cutbacks and changes to the census made by National while in govt. It was called dirty politics.
I notice that Alwyn the Shaw Slayer is back from his travels in Fantasia. Predictable and tedious but each to their own. That said, Census 2019 made a strong case for online voting 😉
Lol, Alwyn might be wetting himself at a greenie calling Shaw incompetent on national radio, but I don't know what rock he's been under if he thinks Green Party members criticising the co-leaders or MPs is anything unusual.
(don't know if Dann is a current member or not).
Just checked this site again and wish I had more $ to prepare. Its gotten worse over the last week 🙁
Explanation on the site.
http://didthesystemcollapse.com/
We're doomed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZV3kGRY1j0
Did you ever read "The Money Game" by Adam Smith?
Written 50 years ago but still well worth reading. This was the book that first got me interested in trying to find a way to beat the market.
Never did succeed but it was fun trying.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25706.The_Money_Game
And so we did (find out.) Be prepared, but remember to live a little while preparing.
Brexit heating up. The UK is like a spoiled child, wants the stars though is earth-bound but whines on about its fleeting, unreasonable desires but meanwhile the ground beneath is shifting and soon there will not be a leg to stand on. And the Conservative Party will not do a mea culpa because it is so far up itself that its head is lost to sight, and only its ugly backside is visible.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/400600/brexit-deal-essentially-impossible-no-10-source-says-after-pm-merkel-call
The groundwork put in over nearly a century settling Europe into a cohesive unit with opportunities to disagree and make some changes is on the way to ruins. But just because some stability has been reached, the UK feels it will take the risk of kicking away the bracing and limiting the reinforcing, and wants to be reborn in another form.
Frankenstein must be released; for a start they could let Assange go. But arresting him was, I fear, the start of this new Britain, no united about it. The Day of the Trafford? Perhaps the history and rise of Trafford Park will parallel events in England that have emboldened the mini-barons to take their present stance. That the previous PM Cameron is apparently watching with trembling lip.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafford_Park
The poor ordinary UK citizen has a lot to get their head around about Brexit. When they stamped their foot on the floor, metaphorically, they didn't have a list written on a roll of toilet paper for convenience, of all the myriad ways that not being on side with the EU would put them out, literally.
Posting to EU for Christmas for instance:
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31st October delivery times for parcels to the EU will be longer, as parcels may need to be checked by customs, and all parcels will be subject to customs charges.
People who send or recieve parcels to countries outside the EU will know what a faff it is to fill in customs forms and calulate import taxes – even on gifts.
If you have family and friends in the EU we strongly recommend considering sending your Christmas presents before Halloween to avoid this faff and customs fees.
https://www.pharosparcel.com/Christmas-Last-Recommended-Posting-Dates
This article doesn't really help ILG
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/116436710/decisions-around-karel-sroubek-residency-debacle-risky
Erdogan and co are going to exterminate the Kurds.
https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPost/status/1181724204233904128
https://twitter.com/IgnatiusPost/status/1181724205567631367
As Colbert put it in last nights monologue – You Kurds have got 24 hours to find some dirt on Biden.
Slap some sanctions on the Turks, make them take a big breath and think again.
Infometrics rep was on TV1 on 7 sharp just after 7 suggesting that the surplus could be given to NZers as a rebate rather than a tax cut. Is Infometrics neutral?
It sounds like it. That idea might come as a freeing up idea for minds too constipated to think of anything but tax cuts. It would win some grudging respect from Nats.
All beneficiaries could be given $30 on December 1st to go and spend on Christmas presents or get a bill off their neck, and those with long-term debts to be repaid out of meagre income say prior to Labour getting in, could have them wiped before Christmas. That would be a wise thing to take the burden off shoulders and bring some money into shops.
It's just a one-off tax cut. Still buys into the right's framing that individuals always spend money more wisely than public organisations acting on our collective behalf. Thousands of tropical vacations and slate kitchen counters can't be wrong.
Yep. So play the right at their own game. I am sure that Chinese general Sun Tzu would have a brief snippet of wisdom about understanding the opposition and playing them like a harp.
How about this:
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Sun Tzu > Quotes
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
― Sun tzu, The Art of War
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Do not let your enemy dictate the battlefield. Choose the terrain.
Identify your enemy first.
Then remind yourself that the greatest enemy can be your own mind, lulled in to a sense of false reality or comfortable with misty situational awareness.
But above all, determine just what it is that you are fighting over.
"The modern British state has distanced itself from the productive economy and is barely able to take an expert view of the complexities of modern capitalism. This was painfully clear in the Brexit impact sectoral reports the government was forced to publish – they were internet cut-and-paste jobs.
The state can no longer undertake the radical planning and intervention that might make Brexit work. That would require not only an expert state, but one closely aligned with business. The preparations would by now be very visible at both technical and political levels. But we have none of that"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/09/brexit-crisis-global-capitalism-britain-place-world
Sound familiar?
This begs the question as to whether any state is capable of dealing with climate change. And if the answer is negative, what does that mean for the future? And then working backwards, what does it mean for the present, the here and now?
dosnt bode well, but decades after abdication of responsibility it is unsurprising
…'the State closely aligned with business' would also have to be closely aligned with all sectors of workers, because that is what the state is built on. If not what?
And what about the workers? And the mothers with their children's future to think about, and indeed all the fertile young people; with women having their monthly egg shedding, and males with their millions of sperm all ready for the primordial ritual of ages when we briefly become gods and make life that brought us here today. What about them? Do we allow a minority of twisted, minds with bloated visions, to screw this world up that is so wonderful and aweful.