Mrs Turia said the entire meeting, at Waitangi’s Te Tii Marae, was disrupted from 10am to 2pm.
“It was just terrible. It was the whole hui. It wasn’t just two minutes. It was shouting, abusing, swearing, singing loud over the top of people.”
She said Mr Harawira’s mother, Titewhai, “kept shouting at me that I was a liar … bloody liar … snakes”.
“Nobody could shut them up. They just shouted and denigrated people the whole way through the hui.”
Hone is moderate on the surface in comparison to his mother, solutionless but can talk reasonably. Titewhai will keep voters away from the no-Mana party, and may even cost Hone his seat.
No doubt the Titewhai is a loose canon. No doubt that many with tut-tut.
However, Turia and her Tory mates need to understand this: we hate your f*#^ing guts.
We don’t care if you think we’re rude. We don’t care if we “upset” you. We ignore your whining about “fairness” and “personality politics”.
We know who you are. We can see what you’ve done and we know what you want to do. We will wok very hard to stop you. If that means being noisy at your prissy little meetings, we will be noisy. If that means “:offending” you – we will revel in offending you.
Tariana. Pita. You lay down with dogs and now l;ike them…we want you gone,,
Pete’s using the same tactic that conservatives always use to resist dissent, which boils down to:
“If you women/homos/minorities/peaceniks/poor/oppressed would all just sit politely, keep your voices down, and not make such a nuisance of yourselves then we would find it so much easier to take your issues seriously”
It’s an argument that’s always directly contradicted by many years, decades, and in some cases centuries of politeness and having issues ignored, but ultimately conservatives – by definition – prefer things to stay as they are thank you very much.
…the same tactic that conservatives always use…
…an argument that’s always directly contradicted…
Felix always substantiates his assertions with facts. Waiting….
Even Hone is aware that being an obnoxious abusive prat would get him nowhere in Parliament, and would be counter productive to getting sufficient support to actually achieve anything worthwhile.
In these days of few actual public political meetings (not saying this MP gathering was public), some people have never experienced and some may have forgotten the practice of “heckling”. This is anything from a witty interjection to an abusive wall of sound. Titewhai can be a prickly customer as Tari has discovered now that it is her not Helen on the receiving end. Snake? Right on.
Tories here are concerned because heckling doesn’t fit the sound bite model.
Nah, it’s just interesting to note that you see it as acceptable that any sort of sweeping assertions can be made here without having to bother to even attempt to back them up.
I’m starting to think Pete’s replies are chosen more or less at random from a database according to number of characters or some other arbitrary criteria, they frequently bear so little relevance to the comments they purport to be replying to.
Just in case you’re actually reading though Pete, perhaps you’d like to tell us all how the women’s suffrage movement, the broader feminist movement, the gay rights movement, the civil rights movement in the U.S., the maori movement to get the treaty honoured or any other progressive movement you can think of has achieved recognition and had their social and political objectives realised.
Analyse the stated objectives, the various stages and tipping points of the movements, the resistance posed by the supporters of the status quo, the time taken to achieve various degrees of recognition including but not limited to public support and political and legislative realisation of objectives.
Then carry on telling all the uppity maoris they’d be listened to if only they’d shut up.
You’ve cited examples of movements that succeeded, to some degree – woman’s suffrage helped get the vote but didn’t get rid of alcohol, which was their initial aim.
Can you cite all the agitators that didn’t succeed, and why they didn’t succeed?
People like the Harawiras do help raise issues, but it’s the grafters rather than the gripers who usually enable change to actually take place.
Can you cite all the agitators that didn’t succeed, and why they didn’t succeed?
All? Nope.
But the Free Tibet folk are pretty peaceful and nice – not getting anywhere though.
Vietnamese anticolonialists – particularly 2 Vietnamese Mandarins whose names escape me for the mooment – who tried to work towards Vietnamese economic independence in the late 19th / early20th centuries. Ended up on Con Lon Island.
I suppose the one exception that even comes close to mind is Gandhi before everything went to crap, but then even the British baulk at machine-gunning 100,000 passive protest marchers. Even then there was probably some criticism that they were being impolite and blocking the intersections for too long as they crossed.
Can you think of any oppressed mass that achieved even partial liberation by being not just peaceful/nonviolent, but polite?
It has been apparent for some years that those in the far north seem to think that ANGER and SCREAMING somehow makes their point more valid.
To be quite honest, despite some sympathy for their situation, the harawiras have cried wolf with their YELLING and SCREAMING once too often. Now it is just boring and ineffectual.
He said “However, the real reason for the different slants on Harawira and Brash is that most political journalists are creatures of the system and have no idea of politics outside of Parliament.”
Titewhai demonstrated one side of Maori politics. Ron reinforces it.
“Whether we agree with them or not, Harawira and Brash offer clear visions of the future.”
The vision being presented is full of shittiness with no solutions.
McCarten closed with “It would be helpful if the mainstream media and the other parties catch up with what is happening.”
Thanks to Titewhai and Ron we are catching up with what is happening with the Harawira party, and the real reason why the Harawira’s are demonised.
Well, beating up psychiatric patients probably didn’t help Titewhai’s rep. But it’s just not fair to “demonise” people for beating up a few mentals, eh PB?
[lprent: That is a statement of fact. Link to something credible please – in other words linking to Whaleoil or anything similar will be rejected along with yourself. Or retract.
It sounds rather like a urban myth to me and is likely to be defamatory. You get a few hours.]
I thought everyone remembered it. Maybe that would explain why normally mild and civilised people like PB can be convinced that Harawira is being victimised. It was 1989 so pre-interwebs and reference to it was harder to find than I imagined. A 2002 interview with Michele Hewtison refers to it:
“Because in the background of every conversation with Mrs Harawira – and she is as aware of it as anyone – are the ghouls of her past. Not least her 1989 conviction for assaulting a psychiatric patient.”
But it does not give the full flavour which (admittedly from memory) involved the Harawira Family being in charge of a unit in a psychiatric hospital which they claimed to running on Maori spiritual principles. Apparently, this dictated systematic physical violence to patients.
This latest incident might be able to be dressed up as her being victimised for “sticking it to the man” (is that the phrase you guys still prefer?) were it not for her long rap sheet: beating up vulnerable people in her care and bullying Helen Clark until she cried being the most egregious examples.
[lprent: Accepted. I think that there are some better links floating around.
Perhaps you hadn’t considered that people born in 1989 would be 20 or 21 years old now. There are authors on this site who’d have been under the age of 5. I’m old and I did remember it (vaguely). But I wasn’t aware that Titewhai Harawira was one of those convicted. It pays to not make statements of fact without a link – memory is often falliable. You get in the position that grumpy is in where he has attributed a statement to Titewhai that I am sure that she never made – it was actually attributed to someone else. ]
Obvious. There are two separate facts in your statement – not one.
1. That there was such an incident at Carrington.
2. Titewhai had done it
I vaguely remembered 1. I was not aware that 2 was the case and thought that was likely to be an urban myth – just like grumpy’s rural myth that attributed someone elses statement to Titewhai.
I don’t particularly like Titewhai, but some of the nutters around here seem to want to attribute everything that has been a Maori dogwhistle to her at present. I’m half expecting to see some dickhead painting a verbal picture of her out with a axe in Cornwell Park
Lyn, I can’t believe you did not know about the conviction of Titewhai Harawira for beating up patients! Next thing you know, you’ll be working for NewstalkZB, where such ignorance is something they are actually proud of.
Yeah, I didn’t link to to it because I thought it would sound like I was claiming it as some sort of revelation, when I always thought it was common knowledge. It would be like providing a link to prove that NZ has a nuclear ships ban, or something.
Perhaps you should consider my profession. I’m a computer programmer – not a journo.
When I see you being capable of remembering the arcane incantations of the winapi, posix, and iOS programing interfaces whilst juggling c++, c#, html, javascript, css, php, python, shell scripts, SQL, MFC and Qt all at the same time (in other words my last week) then I’ll consider how relevant your opinions are on how I should organize my memory.
I barely have room to keep a partial familiarity (by my standards) with current affairs. Remembering the same stuff from 20 years ago is very much a question of if I’d noticed it at the time and if I haven’t dumped it to give me some more room.
From the Heratld.
Frustrated Mayhew fires parting shots
As Commissioner for Financial Advisers, Mayhew was responsible for implementing a regulatory regime intended to make an industry severely damaged by the finance company meltdowns more professional. But he also made no secret of his view that much more needs to be done.
He was surprised, for example, that the business community was so alarmed about giving the FMA the power to seize potential evidence.
“There was a lot of fussing about that as if it was going to be exercised against the top end of town. The whole point of those powers is you are going after people who have something to hide and will destroy evidence before you get the chance to investigate. So there is a lack of appreciation that a regulator must have those powers and will necessarily exercise them with discretion.”
What a disgrace Geoff Robinson on RNZ Morning report today!
Derisive laughter at the Samoan government’s decision to change their position
on the International Date line to bring itself in line with the Australasian calendar.
I’m pleased I’m not the only one who was offended by Geoff’s patronising behaviour on this issue. I sent them a text message complaining about it. It was obvious from Geoff’s response to the more knowledgeable reporter that he had no idea of the background and why Samoa is in that particular time zone.
Also I was taken aback by Simon Mercep’s mispronunciation of Kiribati, although to be fair he did get it right later in the item.
All in all, not a good morning for Morning Report coverage of Pacific affairs!
He missed a clear opportunity to ask the Greenstone Energy (Shell) spokesperson why a refined oil price drop on “Thursday and particularly Friday” last week results in a retail petrol price drop today, Monday, 2 days after the event.
Lanthanide – I think derisive was a totally appropriate description of Robinson’s attitude to the Prime Minister of Samoa and the country.
As for the Greenstone interview. I agree. Robinson’s opening question was right to the core of the matter of price hikes and the spokesperson answered a completely different issue – Robinson did not appear to have the nouse to bring him back to his own question. Totally inept.
I see Gerry Brownlie has been personally contacting owners of large and problematic buildings in central Christchurch to give things a hurry along. The concern is getting the centre of town open for Show Week in early November. And also no doubt for rugby world cup purposes.
Of course the real reason is the election. Unless there are happy punters in Chch, or rather, punters whose happy-counter is on the rise rather than the fall, then the political pointer will be swinging anti-government. In fact it will be swinging anti-everything I imagine.
Key, Bronwlie, Carter, etc, they all realise that simple physical progress must be happenning come spring. Damaged buildings in the way must be down, new buildings must start going up (but not too far up ay), action must be underway. If it stalls and splutters then so too does the incumbent. This is their sole aim – to get physical construction and progress underway for election purposes. Just like the memorial service held to coincide with Prince William so too is all action about the November election.
How likely is this? Well I have a rule of thumb for this which may be applicable – work all the timeframes out as accurately as possible… then double it. Not always the case but generally so. Five months to get somewhere decent? ha ha ha not on your nelly…
The conflict of interest between taking steps to avoid impending economic crisis and safeguarding MP’s personal tax and financial arrangements is laid bare.
The proof of his assertion seems to be provided by Labour’s complacent response to these issues.
Labour was complacent. But at the same time, if they’d made the bold moves required on this, National would have campaigned against it and repealed it. Just like Muldoon did with the pension fund (imagine how different NZ would be economically now…).
In that context, Kiwibank, Working for Families, Kiwisaver and interest-free student loans have all been huge successes – National still haven’t been able to gut these as much as they’d like.
Much the same as only Nixon could go to China, only National could put up GST – if Labour had done it, I’m sure National would’ve reverted it.
Kiwibank, Working for Families, Kiwisaver and interest-free student loans have all been huge successes – National still haven’t been able to gut these as much as they’d like.
There has been no gutting. I didn’t think National had changed Kiwibamk or WFF at all.
Kiwibank has been a success, WFF has had some benefit but has been too generous, is not good with marginal tax rates and is a major financial burden.
KiwiSaver has also been a success at getting a widespread participation in retirement savings. I think there is some room for reducing the generosity of the government contributions now.
LOL – ‘generosity of the government contributions’
Its hardly generous – the very assertion ignores the strategic importance of increasing individual savings for retirement in order to reduce the costs to govt of an aging population.
I think a more appropriate way to say it is ‘reducing the incentive of government contributions’ which highlights the fact that the Nats are not committed to the goal of reducing poverty and indebtedness amongst the elderly.
Those most likely to not get this “government contribution” – some of their tax back – are the lower earners who can’t afford to contribute to KiwiSaver themselves, so they miss out. It favours those who earn more.
There should still be sufficient incentive to continue with KiwiSaver if the Government contribution is scaled back, and that would be a sensible change in difficult financial times.
‘Those most likely to not get this “government contribution” – some of their tax back – are the lower earners who can’t afford to contribute to KiwiSaver themselves, so they miss out’
A ‘sensible change’ would be ensuring that these people don’t miss out.
A nonsensical change is reducing the amount that individuals save for their retirement – irrespective of where it comes from.
IS complacent, as well as compromised in the area of trusts and tax avoidance.
Perhaps we should follow the US example and encourage publication of the tax returns of MPs and their trusts, exposing those with vested interests and allowing others to address this fundamental issue of social equity?
The better question is How many have they closed? and How effective were they? The latter is especially relevant to this government alignment of tax rates which resulted in at least $120m being borrowed every week.
National have done a little to try and close them up a bit. For now.
BS, Nact are the ones who put tax loopholes in place on purpose.
Our tax and benefit system is so complex it is an inevitable sieve.
It doesn’t have to be so why is it? I suspect you’ll find that it’s been designed to be a sieve.
I tried installing Internet Explorer 9 last night and now can’t access any sites at home hence this communique from work.
I have Windows 7 and have had a look at an article on how to revert to IE7 from IE9 but wonder if this will work OK or will make matters worse. I have phoned Microsoft and was given a refence number to quote for when I can get a hold of someone but may have to wait until the end of days before I get any help.
I can’t really afford to engage Geeks on Wheels at the moment as I’ve just been saddled with a big plumbing bill so any advice from computer enthusiasts as to whether these fix-its work would be appreciated. This is the site:
After all sorts of bother I ditched IE and Firefox and installed Chrome as my browser, disabled the windows automatic updates, grabbed AVG as my free anti-virus and ran the free AVG tuneup. Sweet.
Use Firefox it’s much more secure and it’s easily customised by the use of Addons like ADBlock No annoying ads on every page. Or if you are near Levin I can have a look for you.
But if you really want to use your previous copy of IE then use the system restore to turn your computer back to before you installed it IE would have set one before it installed IE, you can find it by start button then where it says Search programmes and files, type system restore and select it from the menu that shows, and it will take you to it if you click the Show me more then it will show all the restore points just select the one that says installed IE9, and follow the instructions. that should do it.
There seems to be a belief about that cell phone calling rates will fall with the reduction in termination fees. However termination fees simply transfer cost from one network to another without reducing the total costs of running the various networks, so it is difficult to see how price reductions could come about. Of course the reductions may bring about shifts in the relative profitabilities of the various networks.
The regulator has found that the termination fees are far higher than they should be which is why they’ve forced them down. Of course, this may or may not make any difference to the retail price and may just go to boosting profits for the telcos.
That’s what you get from a regulator which believes that “market forces” and “competition” are now going to solve the remaining problems in the industry – despite the big players making very clear noises that they intend to continue on as they always have done.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign a bill that will make the state the first in the nation to prohibit doctors from asking patients if they own guns. The bill is aimed particularly at pediatricians, who routinely ask new parents if they have guns at home and if they’re stored safely.
HB 353 requires all adult recipients of federal cash benefits — the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program — to pay for the tests, which are typically around $35. The screen would be for all controlled substances and applicants would have to disclose any legal prescriptions.
“And it’s important to emphasize that psilocybin may only need to be administered once within the context of ongoing psychotherapy, whereas conventional medications are generally used daily for weeks, months, even years.”
The drug companies won’t like that. How will they maintain their super-profits if people only need a single dose?
Is it considered appropriate to vomit in ones own mouth when listening to Matthew Hooten spout bullshit on NatRad? I only held it back because, even in the privacy of my own vehicle, I felt that it would be uncouth. Yet may some gods take mercy on us all for producing RWNJ attack trolls like him.
Sometimes they wind themselves into it with the prime shake arriving some tens of seconds after an initial whirring, pinging, or other minor shuffling sound. These ones generally have quite a bang when they finally arrive.
I totally agree with Hone Harawira’s following opinion in his Sunday Star Times article:
“Mana crosses the divide to fight for the marginalised” (Sunday 8 May – Pg 8)
“……………………………….
And while I’m talking about Brash, let me just say that while I ain’t no great fan of Rodney Hide, the way he got shafted was an example of the corporate style of democracy and government that should send a shiver down the spine of every Kiwi.
No reference to the voters, not even any discussion with the membership of Act, just a backroom deal with a bunch of rich boys, and Rodney gets dumped to make way for a 70-year-old whose claim to fame is that he lost a safe National seat back in the 80s, lost an election in 2005, and then lost the leadership of his party in 2006.
Don Brash is polite and pleasant but his political views make Attila the Hun look like a Socialist. ………….”
‘Shonky’ John Key has been reported in the NBR stating:
“ACT has always had an extreme right-wing doctrine as the founding philosophy of that party,” he said.
“It typically had an appeal to quite a narrow audience in New Zealand and, in my view, that will continue.”
My response to that is:
So – how come the policies and personnel of the National and ACT parties are so readily interchangeable?
Isn’t the reality that IN PRACTICE there is very little difference between the policies of National and ACT – when one looks at the legislation which has been passed by this National/ACT Government?
Take the Auckland $upercity.
National PROMISED to ‘consult with Aucklanders once the findings of the Royal Commission were known’.
National LIED – on ‘shonky’ Prime Minister John Key’s ‘watch’.
Roger Douglas didn’t need to be a ‘Minister’.
The Local Government (Tamaki Makarau Reorganisation) Act 2009 which set up the underpinning Auckland $upercity (corporate takeover) framework was railroaded through Parliament under urgency in another ‘Rogernomic$’ blitzkrieg.
Of course – in order to get those extra MPs to make up the numbers needed for a centre-right coalition government – the ‘perception’ deception that somehow National and ACT are politically different creatures, must be maintained.
It is however – just ‘spin’.
The reality is that National and ACT are politically joined at the hip (pocket) – with big busine$$ backing to serve a big busine$$ – pro-privatisation agenda.
National and ACT are the pro-corporate “A” team and “B” team.
I agree with Bomber Bradbury – ‘A vote for John is a vote for Don’.
If the Botany by-election results for National (and ACT) are anything to go by – ‘shonky’ John Key’s masterful ‘Mr Popular’ spin-doctored ma$k is slipping.
In my considered opinion – once a ‘corporate raider’ – always a ‘corporate raider’…
…the way he got shafted was an example of the corporate style of democracy and government that should send a shiver down the spine of every Kiwi.
That was an excellent example of dictatorial rule and, yes, everyone should be terrified of what it means for our democracy.
So – how come the policies and personnel of the National and ACT parties are so readily interchangeable?
Because National has the same extreme right-wing views and policies. It hasn’t been a “centre-right” party since Muldoon left. Of course, the more radical shift that occurred in the 1980s was Labour shifting from being a left-wing party to a right-wing party. National actually had to go to the extreme just to maintain being right of Labour. The same is still true today.
Mr Williams on Nat Radio Politics 9 to Noon this morning, mentioned a little known research/poll question.
“Do you think National should be re-elected for another term in Government?”
Mr Williams said that the figure of support is steadily dropping.
That one was easily explained away by Hooten. Apparently the reason it is dropping isn’t due to centrists moving away but because National isn’t acting crazy enough and so all those poor little RWNJs have nowhere left to go.
Zorr: “That one was easily explained away by Hooten.” but of course now Hooton can’t get away with “explaining away.” Mr Williams held him to account. And of course Hooton’s explanation confirms the trend.
“By the way, frankly, I think Matthew Hooton is an idiot. …. Matthew is totally full of himself, and not half as good as his own self-image. He tries hard to impress, with over-the-top enthusiasm – an actor.”
Judicial ‘Public Watchdog’ Vince Siemer is facing imprisonment for the FOURTH time – for ‘contempt of Court’ – although he has not broken any law.
His trial ‘for publishing High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann’s December 2010 order denying the accused their statutory right of trial by jury is set to commence in the Wellington High Court on 8 June 2011.’
“In related action, Crown Law has claimed to have spent over $100,000 prosecuting kiwisfirst publisher Vince Siemer for breaching suppression orders relating to these secret court proceedings. Siemer’s trial for publishing High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann’s December 2010 order denying the accused their statutory right of trial by jury is set to commence in the Wellington High Court on 8 June 2011.
The Solicitor General David Collins is asking for Mr Siemer’s imprisonment notwithstanding the fact that even Crown Prosecutor Ross Burns has stated suppression cannot be justified in law and the accused in the case being reported on by kiwisfirst are realistically facing fines according to the Police.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Vince Siemer has stuck his neck, right out to help expose judicial corruption, and the lack of transparency and accountability in the NZ ‘justice’ system; he deserves and needs our support.
I’ll be coming down to Wellington, and want to help to organise a protest rally outside the Wellington High Court (opposite Parliament – Molesworth Street) from 8.30am Wednesday
9 June 2011.
Who can help?
Please email me: [email deleted]
_______________________________________________________________________________
POLICE CONCEDED MOST EXPENSIVE PROSECUTION IN HISTORY IS LIKELY TO RESULT ONLY IN FINES
9 May 2011
In a Wikileaks disclosure posted on 28 April 2011, it is revealed at cable “7” that New Zealand Police advised the U.S. Embassy in Wellington in late 2007 that the 18 accused in the Operation 8 “terror raids” are likely to face fines not exceeding $4,000.
This revelation is the latest in a massive prosecution which has since cost taxpayers over $13 million ahead of trial and is the subject of a United Nations complaint against the New Zealand Police and blanket suppression orders by the New Zealand courts.
In related action, Crown Law has claimed to have spent over $100,000 prosecuting kiwisfirst publisher Vince Siemer for breaching suppression orders relating to these secret court proceedings. Siemer’s trial for publishing High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann’s December 2010 order denying the accused their statutory right of trial by jury is set to commence in the Wellington High Court on 8 June 2011. The Solicitor General David Collins is asking for Mr Siemer’s imprisonment notwithstanding the fact that even Crown Prosecutor Ross Burns has stated suppression cannot be justified in law and the accused in the case being reported on by kiwisfirst are realistically facing fines according to the Police.
Having been bankrupted by the New Zealand Courts, Mr Siemer is on legal aid. The cost of the trial is expected to cost taxpayers another $70,000 to prosecute and half this again to defend. This is assuming no appeal is necessary.”
____________________________________________________________________________
A number of questions arise from this leaked US Embassy cable:
WHY and ON WHAT LAWFUL BASIS did the New Zealand Police advise the U.S. Embassy in Wellington that the 18 accused in the Operation 8 “terror raids” are likely to face fines not exceeding $4,000?
Just watched it, Samuel. Dead eyes and bullshit by the bucketload. I can’t get the video via the BBC website, but no doubt it’ll be up eventually.
I laughed when Sackur quoted Phil Goff talking about the 30% wage gap with Oz, and Key weaseled that he couldn’t rely on Phil Goff’s figures. They weren’t actually Goff’s figures, he’d just referenced them. They were actually Bill English’s numbers from the ‘wage gap = market advantage’ speech. Clearly Key didn’t realise he was unintentionally calling his finance minister untrustworthy.
I got the feeling that by the end Sackur felt a bit sorry for Key. Or us?
Agriculture Minister David Carter has also announced an irrigation acceleration fund worth $35 million over five years, designed to help get new irrigation projects get off the ground.
The irrigation fund will be included in this year’s Budget and could be expanded by up to $400m. It would be capital to help encourage third-party investment. It would be used with the Crown as a minority partner in large-scale irrigation schemes and would likely become available from 2013/14.
19.20 Bryan Crump on Radionz is now talking to a USA finance professional on Freddie Mac and Fanny May.
Some like me don’t quite understand all this stuff so more input is good.
Reminds me of the AA Milne “Has Anyone seen my Mouse?
Actually Mr Key has looked a bit as though he has overdosed on Media and after John Campbell savaged his argument about wages keeping pace with the cost of living tonight, maybe he needs to have a wee lie down.
Not sure if this has been discussed already, but what is the relevance of Don Brash’s age in anything written or said about his political life or ACT or NZ politics in general?
Preliminary work on a $200 million port south of Blenheim to replace the Picton ferry terminal could begin within months, with the Government set to announce a high-level study today.
KiwiRail is backing the plan for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) terminal at Clifford Bay, with its own work suggesting it would boost its business and the wider economy significantly.
I’ll save them the bother – don’t do it. Clifford Bay is a large, rugged and empty half-moon bay facing the Pacific Ocean. Get a strong north through easterly in there and your ships are going to get torn apart on the dock – until such time as the dock itself smashed to bits. There’s a reason why we’ve been building ports in harbours since forever.
Its all about money. Tourists love the Sounds entry especially after a rough trip. However the roads that are being destroyed by huge trucks might get a rest.
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
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Hone Harawira’s achilles heels run in the family.
Hone is moderate on the surface in comparison to his mother, solutionless but can talk reasonably. Titewhai will keep voters away from the no-Mana party, and may even cost Hone his seat.
No doubt the Titewhai is a loose canon. No doubt that many with tut-tut.
However, Turia and her Tory mates need to understand this: we hate your f*#^ing guts.
We don’t care if you think we’re rude. We don’t care if we “upset” you. We ignore your whining about “fairness” and “personality politics”.
We know who you are. We can see what you’ve done and we know what you want to do. We will wok very hard to stop you. If that means being noisy at your prissy little meetings, we will be noisy. If that means “:offending” you – we will revel in offending you.
Tariana. Pita. You lay down with dogs and now l;ike them…we want you gone,,
Well said ron.
Pete’s using the same tactic that conservatives always use to resist dissent, which boils down to:
“If you women/homos/minorities/peaceniks/poor/oppressed would all just sit politely, keep your voices down, and not make such a nuisance of yourselves then we would find it so much easier to take your issues seriously”
It’s an argument that’s always directly contradicted by many years, decades, and in some cases centuries of politeness and having issues ignored, but ultimately conservatives – by definition – prefer things to stay as they are thank you very much.
Felix always substantiates his assertions with facts. Waiting….
Even Hone is aware that being an obnoxious abusive prat would get him nowhere in Parliament, and would be counter productive to getting sufficient support to actually achieve anything worthwhile.
Any reading of history supports my assertions Pete.
Hint: It’s called “progression” for a reason, dummy.
Any reading of history supports my assertions
Very funny felix. Or evasive. Or as arrogant as Harawira.
Or all three.
I can’t help you if you’re not prepared to educate yourself Pete.
I’m also not going to waste my time explaining the bleeding obvious to someone who’s ignorance appears to be entirely wilful.
🙂 At least very funny and evasive. Obviously you can’t back up your assertions.
In these days of few actual public political meetings (not saying this MP gathering was public), some people have never experienced and some may have forgotten the practice of “heckling”. This is anything from a witty interjection to an abusive wall of sound. Titewhai can be a prickly customer as Tari has discovered now that it is her not Helen on the receiving end. Snake? Right on.
Tories here are concerned because heckling doesn’t fit the sound bite model.
Looking to be spoon fed are we?
Nah, it’s just interesting to note that you see it as acceptable that any sort of sweeping assertions can be made here without having to bother to even attempt to back them up.
Heh, that one’s probably worth a bookmark.
I’m starting to think Pete’s replies are chosen more or less at random from a database according to number of characters or some other arbitrary criteria, they frequently bear so little relevance to the comments they purport to be replying to.
Just in case you’re actually reading though Pete, perhaps you’d like to tell us all how the women’s suffrage movement, the broader feminist movement, the gay rights movement, the civil rights movement in the U.S., the maori movement to get the treaty honoured or any other progressive movement you can think of has achieved recognition and had their social and political objectives realised.
Analyse the stated objectives, the various stages and tipping points of the movements, the resistance posed by the supporters of the status quo, the time taken to achieve various degrees of recognition including but not limited to public support and political and legislative realisation of objectives.
Then carry on telling all the uppity maoris they’d be listened to if only they’d shut up.
You’ve cited examples of movements that succeeded, to some degree – woman’s suffrage helped get the vote but didn’t get rid of alcohol, which was their initial aim.
Can you cite all the agitators that didn’t succeed, and why they didn’t succeed?
People like the Harawiras do help raise issues, but it’s the grafters rather than the gripers who usually enable change to actually take place.
Can you cite all the agitators that didn’t succeed, and why they didn’t succeed?
All? Nope.
But the Free Tibet folk are pretty peaceful and nice – not getting anywhere though.
Vietnamese anticolonialists – particularly 2 Vietnamese Mandarins whose names escape me for the mooment – who tried to work towards Vietnamese economic independence in the late 19th / early20th centuries. Ended up on Con Lon Island.
I suppose the one exception that even comes close to mind is Gandhi before everything went to crap, but then even the British baulk at machine-gunning 100,000 passive protest marchers. Even then there was probably some criticism that they were being impolite and blocking the intersections for too long as they crossed.
Can you think of any oppressed mass that achieved even partial liberation by being not just peaceful/nonviolent, but polite?
It has been apparent for some years that those in the far north seem to think that ANGER and SCREAMING somehow makes their point more valid.
To be quite honest, despite some sympathy for their situation, the harawiras have cried wolf with their YELLING and SCREAMING once too often. Now it is just boring and ineffectual.
Next.
Yesterday Matt McCarten’s column was on Here’s why the media demonise Harawira
He said “However, the real reason for the different slants on Harawira and Brash is that most political journalists are creatures of the system and have no idea of politics outside of Parliament.”
Titewhai demonstrated one side of Maori politics. Ron reinforces it.
“Whether we agree with them or not, Harawira and Brash offer clear visions of the future.”
The vision being presented is full of shittiness with no solutions.
McCarten closed with “It would be helpful if the mainstream media and the other parties catch up with what is happening.”
Thanks to Titewhai and Ron we are catching up with what is happening with the Harawira party, and the real reason why the Harawira’s are demonised.
“Thanks to Titewhai and Ron we are catching up with what is happening with the Harawira party, and the real reason why the Harawira’s are demonised.”
Is it becasue they are uppity?
Well, beating up psychiatric patients probably didn’t help Titewhai’s rep. But it’s just not fair to “demonise” people for beating up a few mentals, eh PB?
[lprent: That is a statement of fact. Link to something credible please – in other words linking to Whaleoil or anything similar will be rejected along with yourself. Or retract.
It sounds rather like a urban myth to me and is likely to be defamatory. You get a few hours.]
I thought everyone remembered it. Maybe that would explain why normally mild and civilised people like PB can be convinced that Harawira is being victimised. It was 1989 so pre-interwebs and reference to it was harder to find than I imagined. A 2002 interview with Michele Hewtison refers to it:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=889385
“Because in the background of every conversation with Mrs Harawira – and she is as aware of it as anyone – are the ghouls of her past. Not least her 1989 conviction for assaulting a psychiatric patient.”
But it does not give the full flavour which (admittedly from memory) involved the Harawira Family being in charge of a unit in a psychiatric hospital which they claimed to running on Maori spiritual principles. Apparently, this dictated systematic physical violence to patients.
This latest incident might be able to be dressed up as her being victimised for “sticking it to the man” (is that the phrase you guys still prefer?) were it not for her long rap sheet: beating up vulnerable people in her care and bullying Helen Clark until she cried being the most egregious examples.
[lprent: Accepted. I think that there are some better links floating around.
Perhaps you hadn’t considered that people born in 1989 would be 20 or 21 years old now. There are authors on this site who’d have been under the age of 5. I’m old and I did remember it (vaguely). But I wasn’t aware that Titewhai Harawira was one of those convicted. It pays to not make statements of fact without a link – memory is often falliable. You get in the position that grumpy is in where he has attributed a statement to Titewhai that I am sure that she never made – it was actually attributed to someone else. ]
If you remembered it, why did you say it sounded like an urban myth?
Obvious. There are two separate facts in your statement – not one.
1. That there was such an incident at Carrington.
2. Titewhai had done it
I vaguely remembered 1. I was not aware that 2 was the case and thought that was likely to be an urban myth – just like grumpy’s rural myth that attributed someone elses statement to Titewhai.
I don’t particularly like Titewhai, but some of the nutters around here seem to want to attribute everything that has been a Maori dogwhistle to her at present. I’m half expecting to see some dickhead painting a verbal picture of her out with a axe in Cornwell Park
Lyn, I can’t believe you did not know about the conviction of Titewhai Harawira for beating up patients! Next thing you know, you’ll be working for NewstalkZB, where such ignorance is something they are actually proud of.
Yeah, I didn’t link to to it because I thought it would sound like I was claiming it as some sort of revelation, when I always thought it was common knowledge. It would be like providing a link to prove that NZ has a nuclear ships ban, or something.
Perhaps you should consider my profession. I’m a computer programmer – not a journo.
When I see you being capable of remembering the arcane incantations of the winapi, posix, and iOS programing interfaces whilst juggling c++, c#, html, javascript, css, php, python, shell scripts, SQL, MFC and Qt all at the same time (in other words my last week) then I’ll consider how relevant your opinions are on how I should organize my memory.
I barely have room to keep a partial familiarity (by my standards) with current affairs. Remembering the same stuff from 20 years ago is very much a question of if I’d noticed it at the time and if I haven’t dumped it to give me some more room.
No, they are sh*tstirrers and mum is a phony red head.
National’s laid metric tonnes of shit around to be stirred, and that’s exactly what we’re looking to Hone for.
don’t blame the cook if the boss gives them nothing but shit to work with – oh, along with some “smile and wave” as garnish, of course
From the Heratld.
Frustrated Mayhew fires parting shots
As Commissioner for Financial Advisers, Mayhew was responsible for implementing a regulatory regime intended to make an industry severely damaged by the finance company meltdowns more professional. But he also made no secret of his view that much more needs to be done.
He was surprised, for example, that the business community was so alarmed about giving the FMA the power to seize potential evidence.
“There was a lot of fussing about that as if it was going to be exercised against the top end of town. The whole point of those powers is you are going after people who have something to hide and will destroy evidence before you get the chance to investigate. So there is a lack of appreciation that a regulator must have those powers and will necessarily exercise them with discretion.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/new-zealand/news/article.cfm?l_id=71&objectid=10723767
This is a very interesting read-
Sounds like the banks and other parties which benefit from low to no regulation won out over rationality – again.
What a disgrace Geoff Robinson on RNZ Morning report today!
Derisive laughter at the Samoan government’s decision to change their position
on the International Date line to bring itself in line with the Australasian calendar.
I’m pleased I’m not the only one who was offended by Geoff’s patronising behaviour on this issue. I sent them a text message complaining about it. It was obvious from Geoff’s response to the more knowledgeable reporter that he had no idea of the background and why Samoa is in that particular time zone.
Also I was taken aback by Simon Mercep’s mispronunciation of Kiribati, although to be fair he did get it right later in the item.
All in all, not a good morning for Morning Report coverage of Pacific affairs!
I don’t think it was “derisive”.
He missed a clear opportunity to ask the Greenstone Energy (Shell) spokesperson why a refined oil price drop on “Thursday and particularly Friday” last week results in a retail petrol price drop today, Monday, 2 days after the event.
Lanthanide – I think derisive was a totally appropriate description of Robinson’s attitude to the Prime Minister of Samoa and the country.
As for the Greenstone interview. I agree. Robinson’s opening question was right to the core of the matter of price hikes and the spokesperson answered a completely different issue – Robinson did not appear to have the nouse to bring him back to his own question. Totally inept.
I see Gerry Brownlie has been personally contacting owners of large and problematic buildings in central Christchurch to give things a hurry along. The concern is getting the centre of town open for Show Week in early November. And also no doubt for rugby world cup purposes.
Of course the real reason is the election. Unless there are happy punters in Chch, or rather, punters whose happy-counter is on the rise rather than the fall, then the political pointer will be swinging anti-government. In fact it will be swinging anti-everything I imagine.
Key, Bronwlie, Carter, etc, they all realise that simple physical progress must be happenning come spring. Damaged buildings in the way must be down, new buildings must start going up (but not too far up ay), action must be underway. If it stalls and splutters then so too does the incumbent. This is their sole aim – to get physical construction and progress underway for election purposes. Just like the memorial service held to coincide with Prince William so too is all action about the November election.
How likely is this? Well I have a rule of thumb for this which may be applicable – work all the timeframes out as accurately as possible… then double it. Not always the case but generally so. Five months to get somewhere decent? ha ha ha not on your nelly…
What game developers are doing *right now*
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/06/the-actuals-plan-for-bin-ladens-pucca-house/
you betcha.
Bernard Hickey asserts there is a culture of tax avoidance dominating our ‘policy-making’ (and property-owning) class.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12&objectid=10724090
The conflict of interest between taking steps to avoid impending economic crisis and safeguarding MP’s personal tax and financial arrangements is laid bare.
The proof of his assertion seems to be provided by Labour’s complacent response to these issues.
Labour was complacent. But at the same time, if they’d made the bold moves required on this, National would have campaigned against it and repealed it. Just like Muldoon did with the pension fund (imagine how different NZ would be economically now…).
In that context, Kiwibank, Working for Families, Kiwisaver and interest-free student loans have all been huge successes – National still haven’t been able to gut these as much as they’d like.
Much the same as only Nixon could go to China, only National could put up GST – if Labour had done it, I’m sure National would’ve reverted it.
Kiwibank, Working for Families, Kiwisaver and interest-free student loans have all been huge successes – National still haven’t been able to gut these as much as they’d like.
There has been no gutting. I didn’t think National had changed Kiwibamk or WFF at all.
Kiwibank has been a success, WFF has had some benefit but has been too generous, is not good with marginal tax rates and is a major financial burden.
KiwiSaver has also been a success at getting a widespread participation in retirement savings. I think there is some room for reducing the generosity of the government contributions now.
LOL – ‘generosity of the government contributions’
Its hardly generous – the very assertion ignores the strategic importance of increasing individual savings for retirement in order to reduce the costs to govt of an aging population.
I think a more appropriate way to say it is ‘reducing the incentive of government contributions’ which highlights the fact that the Nats are not committed to the goal of reducing poverty and indebtedness amongst the elderly.
Those most likely to not get this “government contribution” – some of their tax back – are the lower earners who can’t afford to contribute to KiwiSaver themselves, so they miss out. It favours those who earn more.
There should still be sufficient incentive to continue with KiwiSaver if the Government contribution is scaled back, and that would be a sensible change in difficult financial times.
‘Those most likely to not get this “government contribution” – some of their tax back – are the lower earners who can’t afford to contribute to KiwiSaver themselves, so they miss out’
A ‘sensible change’ would be ensuring that these people don’t miss out.
A nonsensical change is reducing the amount that individuals save for their retirement – irrespective of where it comes from.
The only bit you got right in that diatribe PeteG was this bit:
“Labour was complacent.”
IS complacent, as well as compromised in the area of trusts and tax avoidance.
Perhaps we should follow the US example and encourage publication of the tax returns of MPs and their trusts, exposing those with vested interests and allowing others to address this fundamental issue of social equity?
No, Labour have promised to close tax loopholes. It will be interesting to see just what they intend.
For how long have governments been promising to close tax loopholes?
How many tax loopholes are there still?
National have done a little to try and close them up a bit. For now.
Our tax and benefit system is so complex it is an inevitable sieve.
The better question is How many have they closed? and How effective were they? The latter is especially relevant to this government alignment of tax rates which resulted in at least $120m being borrowed every week.
BS, Nact are the ones who put tax loopholes in place on purpose.
It doesn’t have to be so why is it? I suspect you’ll find that it’s been designed to be a sieve.
So our government is actually helping people to avoid paying taxes.
That, of course, is what NACT want to do. Removal of our assets from us to them and their rich mates is about the only reason they’re in government.
I tried installing Internet Explorer 9 last night and now can’t access any sites at home hence this communique from work.
I have Windows 7 and have had a look at an article on how to revert to IE7 from IE9 but wonder if this will work OK or will make matters worse. I have phoned Microsoft and was given a refence number to quote for when I can get a hold of someone but may have to wait until the end of days before I get any help.
I can’t really afford to engage Geeks on Wheels at the moment as I’ve just been saddled with a big plumbing bill so any advice from computer enthusiasts as to whether these fix-its work would be appreciated. This is the site:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie9-windows_7/how-to-go-back-to-internet-explorer-7-from-9/be944ce4-126b-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5
put firefox on a usb stick and install that at home
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new/
I find Firefox much nicer to use than IE.
Pop chrome, firefox, safari, or opera on to a usb and install one of them. Damn sight easier and safer both short-term and long term.
I only use IE these days when I’m debugging IE’s problems with standard CSS
After all sorts of bother I ditched IE and Firefox and installed Chrome as my browser, disabled the windows automatic updates, grabbed AVG as my free anti-virus and ran the free AVG tuneup. Sweet.
Thanks everyone, Firefox seems to be the way to go – I’ll give it a bash.
You really should get the windows updates. If the bandwidth bothers you, at least set it to “let me choose what to download”.
Use Firefox it’s much more secure and it’s easily customised by the use of Addons like ADBlock No annoying ads on every page. Or if you are near Levin I can have a look for you.
But if you really want to use your previous copy of IE then use the system restore to turn your computer back to before you installed it IE would have set one before it installed IE, you can find it by start button then where it says Search programmes and files, type system restore and select it from the menu that shows, and it will take you to it if you click the Show me more then it will show all the restore points just select the one that says installed IE9, and follow the instructions. that should do it.
There seems to be a belief about that cell phone calling rates will fall with the reduction in termination fees. However termination fees simply transfer cost from one network to another without reducing the total costs of running the various networks, so it is difficult to see how price reductions could come about. Of course the reductions may bring about shifts in the relative profitabilities of the various networks.
The regulator has found that the termination fees are far higher than they should be which is why they’ve forced them down. Of course, this may or may not make any difference to the retail price and may just go to boosting profits for the telcos.
That’s what you get from a regulator which believes that “market forces” and “competition” are now going to solve the remaining problems in the industry – despite the big players making very clear noises that they intend to continue on as they always have done.
I’m with telstra and they have dropped the cost of a call from 29c a min to 19 so I happy.
Guns:
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign a bill that will make the state the first in the nation to prohibit doctors from asking patients if they own guns. The bill is aimed particularly at pediatricians, who routinely ask new parents if they have guns at home and if they’re stored safely.
And drugs:
HB 353 requires all adult recipients of federal cash benefits — the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program — to pay for the tests, which are typically around $35. The screen would be for all controlled substances and applicants would have to disclose any legal prescriptions.
And shrooms.
The drug companies won’t like that. How will they maintain their super-profits if people only need a single dose?
Making a Killing: The Truth about Psychotropic Drugs. (part 1 of 10)
Is it considered appropriate to vomit in ones own mouth when listening to Matthew Hooten spout bullshit on NatRad? I only held it back because, even in the privacy of my own vehicle, I felt that it would be uncouth. Yet may some gods take mercy on us all for producing RWNJ attack trolls like him.
Unknown Earthquake Observation #92(a);
Sometimes they wind themselves into it with the prime shake arriving some tens of seconds after an initial whirring, pinging, or other minor shuffling sound. These ones generally have quite a bang when they finally arrive.
I totally agree with Hone Harawira’s following opinion in his Sunday Star Times article:
“Mana crosses the divide to fight for the marginalised” (Sunday 8 May – Pg 8)
“……………………………….
And while I’m talking about Brash, let me just say that while I ain’t no great fan of Rodney Hide, the way he got shafted was an example of the corporate style of democracy and government that should send a shiver down the spine of every Kiwi.
No reference to the voters, not even any discussion with the membership of Act, just a backroom deal with a bunch of rich boys, and Rodney gets dumped to make way for a 70-year-old whose claim to fame is that he lost a safe National seat back in the 80s, lost an election in 2005, and then lost the leadership of his party in 2006.
Don Brash is polite and pleasant but his political views make Attila the Hun look like a Socialist. ………….”
‘Shonky’ John Key has been reported in the NBR stating:
“ACT has always had an extreme right-wing doctrine as the founding philosophy of that party,” he said.
“It typically had an appeal to quite a narrow audience in New Zealand and, in my view, that will continue.”
My response to that is:
So – how come the policies and personnel of the National and ACT parties are so readily interchangeable?
Isn’t the reality that IN PRACTICE there is very little difference between the policies of National and ACT – when one looks at the legislation which has been passed by this National/ACT Government?
Take the Auckland $upercity.
National PROMISED to ‘consult with Aucklanders once the findings of the Royal Commission were known’.
http://www.national.org.nz/files/2008/local_government_policy.pdf
National LIED – on ‘shonky’ Prime Minister John Key’s ‘watch’.
Roger Douglas didn’t need to be a ‘Minister’.
The Local Government (Tamaki Makarau Reorganisation) Act 2009 which set up the underpinning Auckland $upercity (corporate takeover) framework was railroaded through Parliament under urgency in another ‘Rogernomic$’ blitzkrieg.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2009/0013/latest/DLM2044508.html
Of course – in order to get those extra MPs to make up the numbers needed for a centre-right coalition government – the ‘perception’ deception that somehow National and ACT are politically different creatures, must be maintained.
It is however – just ‘spin’.
The reality is that National and ACT are politically joined at the hip (pocket) – with big busine$$ backing to serve a big busine$$ – pro-privatisation agenda.
National and ACT are the pro-corporate “A” team and “B” team.
I agree with Bomber Bradbury – ‘A vote for John is a vote for Don’.
If the Botany by-election results for National (and ACT) are anything to go by – ‘shonky’ John Key’s masterful ‘Mr Popular’ spin-doctored ma$k is slipping.
In my considered opinion – once a ‘corporate raider’ – always a ‘corporate raider’…
NZ voting public – BEWARE!
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
That was an excellent example of dictatorial rule and, yes, everyone should be terrified of what it means for our democracy.
Because National has the same extreme right-wing views and policies. It hasn’t been a “centre-right” party since Muldoon left. Of course, the more radical shift that occurred in the 1980s was Labour shifting from being a left-wing party to a right-wing party. National actually had to go to the extreme just to maintain being right of Labour. The same is still true today.
Penny – sell up and move into the real NZ – south of the BP service station at the Collision Xroads on top of the Bombay Hills.
Mr Williams on Nat Radio Politics 9 to Noon this morning, mentioned a little known research/poll question.
“Do you think National should be re-elected for another term in Government?”
Mr Williams said that the figure of support is steadily dropping.
That one was easily explained away by Hooten. Apparently the reason it is dropping isn’t due to centrists moving away but because National isn’t acting crazy enough and so all those poor little RWNJs have nowhere left to go.
Zorr: “That one was easily explained away by Hooten.” but of course now Hooton can’t get away with “explaining away.” Mr Williams held him to account. And of course Hooton’s explanation confirms the trend.
Who said this?
“By the way, frankly, I think Matthew Hooton is an idiot. …. Matthew is totally full of himself, and not half as good as his own self-image. He tries hard to impress, with over-the-top enthusiasm – an actor.”
Clues: “frankly”, THM86
Hi folks!
Seen this?
Judicial ‘Public Watchdog’ Vince Siemer is facing imprisonment for the FOURTH time – for ‘contempt of Court’ – although he has not broken any law.
His trial ‘for publishing High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann’s December 2010 order denying the accused their statutory right of trial by jury is set to commence in the Wellington High Court on 8 June 2011.’
“In related action, Crown Law has claimed to have spent over $100,000 prosecuting kiwisfirst publisher Vince Siemer for breaching suppression orders relating to these secret court proceedings. Siemer’s trial for publishing High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann’s December 2010 order denying the accused their statutory right of trial by jury is set to commence in the Wellington High Court on 8 June 2011.
The Solicitor General David Collins is asking for Mr Siemer’s imprisonment notwithstanding the fact that even Crown Prosecutor Ross Burns has stated suppression cannot be justified in law and the accused in the case being reported on by kiwisfirst are realistically facing fines according to the Police.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Vince Siemer has stuck his neck, right out to help expose judicial corruption, and the lack of transparency and accountability in the NZ ‘justice’ system; he deserves and needs our support.
I’ll be coming down to Wellington, and want to help to organise a protest rally outside the Wellington High Court (opposite Parliament – Molesworth Street) from 8.30am Wednesday
9 June 2011.
Who can help?
Please email me: [email deleted]
_______________________________________________________________________________
http://www.kiwisfirst.co.nz/
POLICE CONCEDED MOST EXPENSIVE PROSECUTION IN HISTORY IS LIKELY TO RESULT ONLY IN FINES
9 May 2011
In a Wikileaks disclosure posted on 28 April 2011, it is revealed at cable “7” that New Zealand Police advised the U.S. Embassy in Wellington in late 2007 that the 18 accused in the Operation 8 “terror raids” are likely to face fines not exceeding $4,000.
This revelation is the latest in a massive prosecution which has since cost taxpayers over $13 million ahead of trial and is the subject of a United Nations complaint against the New Zealand Police and blanket suppression orders by the New Zealand courts.
In related action, Crown Law has claimed to have spent over $100,000 prosecuting kiwisfirst publisher Vince Siemer for breaching suppression orders relating to these secret court proceedings. Siemer’s trial for publishing High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann’s December 2010 order denying the accused their statutory right of trial by jury is set to commence in the Wellington High Court on 8 June 2011. The Solicitor General David Collins is asking for Mr Siemer’s imprisonment notwithstanding the fact that even Crown Prosecutor Ross Burns has stated suppression cannot be justified in law and the accused in the case being reported on by kiwisfirst are realistically facing fines according to the Police.
Having been bankrupted by the New Zealand Courts, Mr Siemer is on legal aid. The cost of the trial is expected to cost taxpayers another $70,000 to prosecute and half this again to defend. This is assuming no appeal is necessary.”
____________________________________________________________________________
A number of questions arise from this leaked US Embassy cable:
WHY and ON WHAT LAWFUL BASIS did the New Zealand Police advise the U.S. Embassy in Wellington that the 18 accused in the Operation 8 “terror raids” are likely to face fines not exceeding $4,000?
Were NZ MPs so advised?
Were the NZ public so advised?
If not – why not?
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
Curiouser and curiouser Penny.
Sounds remarkably like political suppression. When did we become a dictatorial state?
1954 wasn’t it.
Just watched Hard Talk with Stephen Sackur interviewing John Key.
“Why are New Zealand’s wages 30% less than Australia’s?”
“More than a quarter of NZ’s graduates are now living outside of New Zealand – 10 times the rate of Australian Graduates!”
“That suggests to me you have a serious structural problem!”
“New Zealanders can do better when they leave New Zealand – country is too small” lol
Sackur hitting the NAIL ON THE FUCKING HEAD.
Sackur fully dominating Key. Should be on the Labour front bench. LOL.
“You made a lot of money overseas, I wonder if you’re the right person to be telling New Zealanders to stay at home and make money”
WOW.
He doesn’t buy John Key’s bullshit AT ALL.
Just watched it, Samuel. Dead eyes and bullshit by the bucketload. I can’t get the video via the BBC website, but no doubt it’ll be up eventually.
I laughed when Sackur quoted Phil Goff talking about the 30% wage gap with Oz, and Key weaseled that he couldn’t rely on Phil Goff’s figures. They weren’t actually Goff’s figures, he’d just referenced them. They were actually Bill English’s numbers from the ‘wage gap = market advantage’ speech. Clearly Key didn’t realise he was unintentionally calling his finance minister untrustworthy.
I got the feeling that by the end Sackur felt a bit sorry for Key. Or us?
Government plans even more gifts of taxpayer money to private profiteers:
Idiot/Savant has a write up about it here.
19.20 Bryan Crump on Radionz is now talking to a USA finance professional on Freddie Mac and Fanny May.
Some like me don’t quite understand all this stuff so more input is good.
A very new satirical piece on the omnipresent Mr Key at http://www.bryangould.net/id155.html
Reminds me of the AA Milne “Has Anyone seen my Mouse?
Actually Mr Key has looked a bit as though he has overdosed on Media and after John Campbell savaged his argument about wages keeping pace with the cost of living tonight, maybe he needs to have a wee lie down.
Not sure if this has been discussed already, but what is the relevance of Don Brash’s age in anything written or said about his political life or ACT or NZ politics in general?
Cook Strait ferry setting sail for Clifford Bay
I’ll save them the bother – don’t do it. Clifford Bay is a large, rugged and empty half-moon bay facing the Pacific Ocean. Get a strong north through easterly in there and your ships are going to get torn apart on the dock – until such time as the dock itself smashed to bits. There’s a reason why we’ve been building ports in harbours since forever.
Its all about money. Tourists love the Sounds entry especially after a rough trip. However the roads that are being destroyed by huge trucks might get a rest.