“I feel that I have clearly been a disappointment to Nigella during the last year or so, and I am disappointed that she was advised to make no public comment to explain that I abhor violence of any kind against women, and have never abused her physically in any way.”
Humbug Corner is dedicated to gathering, and highlighting, the most striking examples of faux solicitude, insincere apologies, and particularly stupid recycling of official canards. It is produced by the Insincerity Project®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More humbugs….
No. 13 Toyota New Zealand: “The more Kiwis that lean, the more motivated our ETNZ crew will be to win.”
No. 12 Pem Bird: “We’re there to do the business of advancing our people.”
No.11 Whenua Patuwai: “They’re my brothers and to see one of them goes [sic]—it’s tough.”
No. 10 “Sir” Owen Glenn: “I do care that every person, especially children, have [sic] the right to feel safe.”
No. 9 “Sir” Owen Glenn: His abuse inquiry is floundering after revelations he was accused of physically abusing a young woman in 2002.
No. 8 Barack Obama: “…people standing up for what’s right…yearning for justice and dignity…”
No. 7 Barack Obama: “Nelson Mandela is my personal hero…”
No. 6 John Key: “Yeah well the Greens’ answer to everything is rail, isn’t it.”
No.5 Dr. Rodney Syme: “If you want good, open, honest practice, you have to make it transparent.”
No. 4 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton’s… integrity beyond reproach…such great character…”
No. 3 Dean Lonergan: “Y’ know what? The only people who will mock them are people who are dwarfists.”
No. 2 Peter Dunne: “What a load of drivel and sanctimonious humbug…”
No.1 Dominic Bowden: “It’s okay to be speechless.”
“I am disappointed that she was advised to make no public comment to explain that I abhor violence of any kind against women, and have never abused her physically in any way”
What’s your job again, Mr Saatchi? You’re not using your professional skills to sanitise your own image because no-one else will do it for you? If so, you’ve lost your touch.
Probably the first one of these that was genuinely worth highlighting.
???
You don’t think it’s worth highlighting a Deputy Police Commissioner who praises the “integrity beyond reproach” of a notorious bent cop? You don’t think it’s worth highlighting a few of the Prime Minister’s never-ending stream of glib and dishonest statements? You don’t think it’s worth highlighting the faux solicitude and appallingly bad method-acting of a cynical and corrupt machine politician paying false homage to a real hero?
The “price” being that wingnut idiots will get themselves very excited over the fact that you got killed, as though they think it’s some sort of extension of their self-image of being big and tough?
For anyone wanting to read an unusual analysis of the GCSB amending legislation Lyndon Hood’s attemptis well worth a read. The only problem is that I cannot be sure if it is intended to be satire or not …
Somebody should be documenting Key’s “brain fades” for a number of reasons ..
1. his credibility
2. his cognitive capacity to do the job
3. the effects of his current position on his health, and well-being
4. the effects of anxiety and repeated stressors on his powers of judgment
He has publicly collapsed once in a Christchurch restaurant.
It is very much in his interest to formulate an exit strategy.
Money cannot buy good health, whatever the good burghers of Remuera tell you ..
Somebody should be documenting Key’s “brain fades” for a number of reasons
Doing my best . . . a few new ones concerning his dirty SkyCity deal have come to my attention. No doubt there will be others, both new ones and old ones revealed as time goes on.
We seek a 50% reduction in New Zealand’s carbon-equivalent net emissions, as compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. 50 by 50. We will write the target into law.
the price of goods and services has risen by 6 percent since the last election, while the after-tax average wage has actually gone up by 16 percent
no, although its a week ago and here I am being interviewed on television about them, I havn’t seen Gerry Brownlee’s comments regarding demolitions in Christchurch and which caused such outrage, but I can talk all about them
oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire
New Zealand has lost $12 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . oh, it might actually be around $15 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . Blinglish said what?
National Ltd™ has been working on a number of things with New Zealand First on a number of things one of which has a financial component but I can’t talk about it
Somebody should be documenting Key’s “brain fades”
I think our friend BLiP is doing this already. He has compiled a magisterial list, which could be improved by only one thing: if he numbered each of these Key moments to make the list more user-friendly.
Amy Adams Minister for the Environment is wrong about GMOs.
She’s trying to stop local councils from making new rules and regulations about GMOs in their own patch, and says only the central Govt can do this.
But an intercouncil working group say that under the current legislation, local government has jurisdiction to manage the risks from GMOs under the RMA in addition to national regulation under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) provided that the requirements of the RMA are met. And they quote a legal opinion obtained by the working group from Dr Royden Somerville QC, and confirmed by Ministers for the Environment in both the previous Labour led Government and the present National led Government, and further confirmed by Crown Law opinions.
This is from a media release on Scoop NZ on 5 July.
Radionz this morning and Simon Mercep trying to pierce the smug veil of Steven Joyce by quoting some findings from the report on ‘possible’ harm from gambling at the increased numbers of pokies at Skycity. Joyce, amused said I can quote a reply from my copy of the report and we could continue like this, but ‘It could affect your ratings badly’. And that’s a telling point of view about questions from journalists, being governed by commercial considerations – which we already know is largely the situation in NZ.
And Mercep couldn’t get far with this discussion anyway because the report stated that it was likely to cause harm and this is based on observed past experience, but accepting future results based on previous experience is not what this government considers relevant or of importance, hence we never learn anything in this country, about social and many other issues.
Only a few hours until Question time, where David Shearer will rise to his feet and ask the question he has thought about all weekend. Does the PM stand by his statements? The same dumb fucking question, he has asked since he became leader. And the answer will be the same, YES, and a whole lot of crap about the ManBan. ?? Then That fine and upstanding person, the highly impartial speaker will slap the PM down. Yeah Right. I suppose if we are lucky Shearer will be rolled at the Caucus meeting. But unfortunately we are not that lucky.
The theory is to prevent the PM from knowing what is coming and gives no time to prepare also enables just about any supplementary question, has been used for many many years, this is the theory but in practice it doesn’t work so well if you have spent the last week with both feet in your mouth while simultaneously kickin your own arse!!
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And to use a word I found today, Shearer’s overweening belief in himself prevents him from ever admitting that the Leadership sitooation is broke, broken, defunct. He’s our Kevin Rudd! Makes bold assertions in a confident voice. Has a pleasantly toned voice, two eyes and a nose – what more could Labour and NZ want?
But you only use it every now and again, as it looses it’s power if used too often, and also it seems to me that the Caucus don’t trust Shearer with a really serious question.
It’s quite a clever narration trick by shearer. It enables a story to build within a story. If ever labour do discover a winning blow on jk, the can then say he lied in parliament by using ll of David shearers ” do you stand by all your statements”
I don’t know why you keep blaming the manban on slater, DPF, the MSM and national. Why can’t you just accept that labour fucked up with this. Just because people don’t see it your way, doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Trying to claim the moral high ground on an issue that smacks of alienating slightly under half the electorate reeks of desperation.
As high and mighty as you believe your aspirations to be, if you can’t achieve them or back them up in the face of criticism, then they reveal that the proponents are nothing but flakes. this isn’t the media’s fault, it’s not nationals fault, it’s not the VRWC’s fault. it’s labours fault for being completely pathetic on this issue.
As high and mighty as you believe your aspirations to be, if you can’t achieve them or back them up in the face of criticism, then they reveal that the proponents are nothing but flakes.
That’s a piece of valuable political advice, Tighty.
That Labour did not realise it was walking into a lose lose scenario of its own creation over a proposal which if applied today would give it just 1 or 2 more women MPs in caucus – can the public imagine a more hopelessly token blow for gender equality because I can’t – is indeed “completely pathetic”.
And that various Standard commentators would cheer the proposal on with absolutely no insight into how poorly it was being received by left leaning women in the community, in particular those ones who don’t know what “intersectionality” is, was very concerning.
what a load of nonsense. there were plenty of policy proposals put up, it’s up to the membership to debate them & up to the parliamentary leadership to defend our right to debate them.
there have been many examples of effective responses the leadership could have made in various comment threads here. but a very simple one would have been to attack the opposition instead of the membership. come out strong, repeating 15/59 as often as you can, support the need for more women in parliament, support the right of members to debate various options, and this could have been a whole different situation.
but what you’re asking for is a shutting down of ideas & debate, because i suspect you’re not prepared to support any measures to improve women’s representation in parliament. i haven’t seen anything from you so far supporting any kind of measure, or saying “that proposal won’t work, but here’s a better one that has been shown to work in other situations”. even that level of response from our leadership would have been a better response than the crap we’ve had so far. only sue moroney managed to put forward something like it. and the fact is that the proposal at it is has been implemented in UK & australia, to the extent that david cameron is forcing his party to follow it.
when MPs & the leadership turn on their own party members instead of the opposition, the resulting mess is exactly what you can expect.
but what you’re asking for is a shutting down of ideas & debate, because i suspect you’re not prepared to support any measures to improve women’s representation in parliament
I’m interested in anything which makes Labour look like it is fit to govern and ready to sort the crises facing NZ. If it doesn’t fall into that category AND simultaneously looks like it is a disaster with natural Labour voters then yeah, I’m happy for a blowtorch to be put on it until the fucking thing melts.
By the way, who in the electorate gives a flying damn whether or not today’s Labour caucus has 14 female MPs for a 41% ratio or 15 female MPs for a 45% ratio? Anyone?
Labour is caught up trying to make miniscule symbolic differences which are only measurable in beltway metrics. The whole time voters up and down the country watch the party race around in circles chasing its own tail.
there have been many examples of effective responses …one would have been to attack the opposition instead of the membership. come out strong, repeating 15/59 as often as you can
What will that achieve? NZers don’t give a damn about 15/59. They voted National in after all, this is what they asked for. Did voters care in 2008 that the first woman on the National List was preceeded by 6 men and she was at no.7? Nope. With the 15/59 line they’ll just hear banging on about an out of touch proposal making a grand difference of 1-3 female MPs in todays caucus but a big fat zero in peoples every day lives.
Voters slid out Helen Clark and put in a National Government which had 4 women in their top 25 party list places. That’s the way the electorate chose, and after the fact, the opinion polls showed that they were completely fine with the situation.
You can’t craft a PR message if you don’t understand the priorities of the audience. 15/59 FFS.
so you believe that the NATs would change their bennie bashing ways if only they had a 29/59 ratio in caucus?
Personally, I think they can find another 14 Rebstock, Rankin and Wong clones who are just as happy to maintain the status quo patriarchy, albeit with a few more women at the table.
To an extent I agree. I also do think things won’t change while the most powerful positions in the Nat Party are held by men. And, it doesn’t just require something close to gender balance in a party, but diversity on other counts, especially for Labour, more people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
But I also think these are important debates to be had, and shouldn’t be pushed aside.
I also do think things won’t change while the most powerful positions in the Nat Party are held by men.
Is everyone suffering a kind of collective myopic amnesia today? Ruth Richardson? Jenny Shipley? I think Richardson was the first female Finance Minister in NZ, and Shipey the first female PM.
How would you characterise those governments for women in poverty and beneficiaries?
I wasn’t referring to one or two women amongst a bunch of men at the top table. Such women are only there because they play the games of those with most power – largely men.
“They voted National in after all, this is what they asked for.”
oh good, let’s shut up shop and go home then. stop the asset sales petition, don’t worry about any workers rights legislation, forget about doing anything at all then, because the electorate voted national in, so that’s what they wanted. let’s stop wasting our time talking about climate change, capital gains tax, more progressive taxes or any other proposal, because the electorate chose national so none of it matters. at least according to your reasoning here, which is some of the weakest i’ve seen.
yes, keep telling us that our priorities are out of touch, just like the marriage equality people were told, just like any other group that deals with issues of marginalisation are told. we’re constantly told: you’re not important, nobody cares about you. don’t ever try to change anything because you’re issues aren’t my issues, i don’t care about them & i don’t care enough about you to stand beside you to fight for them. you make me look unpopular, so just shut up and let me decide what’s important, because you’re too stupid to know.
the PR message is simple, but it wasn’t used. because you don’t care about the issue, you decide it should have no priority & everyone should just accept the status quo. luckily activists around the world over and through the ages have never accepted that as an argument. it’s a pretty tired & useless one.
oh good, let’s shut up shop and go home then. stop the asset sales petition, don’t worry about any workers rights legislation, forget about doing anything at all then, because the electorate voted national in, so that’s what they wanted. let’s stop wasting our time talking about climate change, capital gains tax, more progressive taxes or any other proposal, because the electorate chose national so none of it matters.
Now you’re trapped in the Labour Party vortex of “if only we can find the right combination of policies, voters will finally choose us” world view.
Both the Greens and Labour had policy documents for Africa in 2011 while National barely bothered. In fact National chained itself to the most devastatingly unpopular policy of the entire campaign (asset sales) and still won ~47% of the vote.
yes, keep telling us that our priorities are out of touch, just like the marriage equality people were told, just like any other group that deals with issues of marginalisation are told. we’re constantly told: you’re not important, nobody cares about you. don’t ever try to change anything because you’re issues aren’t my issues, i don’t care about them & i don’t care enough about you to stand beside you to fight for them. you make me look unpopular, so just shut up and let me decide what’s important, because you’re too stupid to know.
Gods damn it, do you really think that’s the issue? When I have female office workers, administrators, managers, lawyers, comms experts who are all current or recent Labour supporters come to me and say that the 50% proposal is utterly shit, I pay close attention.
“In fact National chained itself to the most devastatingly unpopular policy of the entire campaign (asset sales) and still won ~47% of the vote.”
yup, and tony blair’s government won 3 elections using the women-only candidates selection policy. david cameron managed to win one with the same policy as well, & has now made it compulsory. so what’s your point? that policy doesn’t matter? in which case it doesn’t matter that we have this particular one either, because as you argue, no-one pays attention to policy anyway.
“Now you’re trapped in the Labour Party vortex of “if only we can find the right combination of policies, voters will finally choose us” world view.”
bullshit. i’m saying that we should stand up for the values we claim to hold, and be ready to put up the arguments. and the arguments are there, the media response could have been clear and simple, and could have landed some clear hits on the right wing. i’m saying that you don’t ever accept your opponent’s framing, you reframe the argument so that you’re talking about it on your terms, not theirs. if you’re not prepared to do that, then there’s no point in being in politics at all. just agree with everything the opposition says, and go home.
“When I have female office workers, administrators, managers, lawyers, comms experts who are all current or recent Labour supporters come to me and say that the 50% proposal is utterly shit, I pay close attention.”
and when you hear women who are current or recent labour members who tell you that it’s important (and believe me, there are plenty, i’ve been talking with many of them), you ignore what they say, tell them they’re out of touch, tell them nothing they do can make a difference. funny how you only choose to pay attention to the ones who already agree with the way you see the world.
It has long been argued that there needs to be a “critical mass” of women in any parliament/legislature for their be significant change for the benefit of women. Internationally that critical mass has been put at 30% (of the whole House). Actually, at 51%, Labour is doing reasonably well. National, not so much.
However, some also argue it needs to be a higher proportion than that. And there is some international evidence that quotas have helped women in some countries get closer to a critical mass.
And yes, there are selfish men and women. But, there tends to be a slightly different focus on issues and ways of doing politics, if there is a higher proportion of women.
I have said before, I think there are other things that need attending to rather than straight number counts. But it is part of a wider issue on the way politics is done and on the priorities given to some issues. And I think debates on women’s representation in politics are important ones that shouldn’t be marginalised.
I don’t buy into “critical mass” or “tipping point” arguments on the sole basis that no one can tell ahead of time whether such a critical mass or tipping point is at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, etc. and so you cannot tell if it has anything to do in actual fact with the positive outcomes you are seeking.
But, there tends to be a slightly different focus on issues and ways of doing politics, if there is a higher proportion of women.
To me the bottom line is that the agents in the system, male or female, act on the basis of the incentives and structures of that system, which today is profit driven, asset speculative, individualistic free market capitalism.
Generally agree with your viewpoints on this topic, CV.
The interesting point about this ‘manban’ is that it came up so shortly after Gillard over the ditch made such a stinking big deal about being a woman, for a couple of weeks. They even had a picture of her knitting.
I’m sure that particular nuance of timing didn’t help NZ Labour out at all, either.
The example of Gillard being deposed, Rudd taking up the helm and Labor jumping up in the polls as a result won’t be doing Shearer much favours either.
Now, McFlock, you might be able to empathise with those of us who predicted Shearer’s poor performances right from November 2011.
Have a look at some of the Standards’ blogs from the Leadership selection stage.
We are watching the last stage of a train wreck. Rather than a tragic explosion, let us hope it is a non-fatal de-railing from which there can be a quick recovery.
Being annoyed at a specific choice a politician makes is one thing.
Whining like babies because my candidate didn’t win, then nitpicking every minor flaw and imperfection for the rest of the term is another thing entirely.
Note, for example, my lack of “Labour is doomed! DOOOMED!!!” utterances (although I think that this was a polling error, as well as the wrong decision). Or how I refrained from calling for shearer’s resignation at the first disagreement. Or how I avoided using violent, even apocalyptic, imagery (train wrecks, explosions, etc).
Let me be clear: just because I disagree with Shearer on this issue does not mean that I no longer regard chicken littles as spoiled brats and fucking morons.
Yeah, great leader – panders to the right wing propagandists, and over-rides party democracy. How much longer are we going to be subjected to this right wing apology for the leader of a (alleged) left wing caucus?
I’m attending nethui today. There was just a fantastic keynote from Quinn Norton, a tech journalist from Wired. The event is streaming at http://nethui.org.nz/videos
(You might be forgiven for thinking this is a joke question, but please bear with me.)
Three main political parties have substantial representation in the House of Commons in Westminster; there are a handful of independent MPs and members of regional or minority parties, but in general governance is in the hands of the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, and (to a lesser extent) the Liberal Democrat Party …
It’s fairly clear that, in addition to having rich tribal identities going back centuries, the individual members of these parties hold very different beliefs about how the UK should be governed. It would be hard, for example, to find much in common between the beliefs of my local MP (an old school Labour Fabian Society member) and those of the conservative back-benchers who lately thumbed their nose at the Prime Minister by sneaking an Alternative Queen’s Speech motion into Hansard, calling for various policies that surprise no-one (“bring back hanging” being about the most progressive of them). Scratch a Liberal Democrat and, along with a lot of hand-wringing, you’ll get broadly socially liberal policies (and, unless they’re an Orange Book type, broadly socialist ones as well)…
I’ll just leave this here (me too tired, alarm-cat woke me up early and took ages to get to sleep last night).
It’s not hard to see what motivates most people into that position. It’s often a genuine desire to serve society, an effort to shape the nation in some way, a personal ambition to fulfill, or some combination of those.
Shearer has always reminded me of one of those kids who plays sport because their parents want them to. You know the ones?
They’re not usually great at it, and not always awful either, but they have this look about them that says they don’t really know why they’re there.
Another thing is many of the Political Scientists come out stating why the “Man Ban” was such a terrible thing and defending Shearer’s stance on it and yet somehow can justify having an ignorant, bumbling, nervy, un-inspirational, inexperienced, un-intelligent leader of the Labour Party…that’s OK.
Back in Apia for Lyn to get some better anti-mosquito stuff. She attracts them like ummm me! But she also swells and itches, whereas to me they are just annoying. But now she has better mozzie repellers, I’d better start using them as well. All I have had to do so far is to stick close to her…
Fixed the heading stories.
I presume that someone has suggested that pakehas in the pakeha party should have their convictions and prision time increased? And that maybe it should be retrospective
Despite efforts to recruit and retain more women, a stark gender disparity persists within academic science. Abundant research has demonstrated gender bias in many demographic groups, but has yet to experimentally investigate whether science faculty exhibit a bias against female students that could contribute to the gender disparity in academic science. In a randomized double-blind study (n = 127), science faculty from research-intensive universities rated the application materials of a student—who was randomly assigned either a male or female name—for a laboratory manager position. Faculty participants rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hireable than the (identical) female applicant. These participants also selected a higher starting salary and offered more career mentoring to the male applicant. The gender of the faculty participants did not affect responses, such that female and male faculty were equally likely to exhibit bias against the female student. Mediation analyses indicated that the female student was less likely to be hired because she was viewed as less competent. We also assessed faculty participants’ preexisting subtle bias against women using a standard instrument and found that preexisting subtle bias against women played a moderating role, such that subtle bias against women was associated with less support for the female student, but was unrelated to reactions to the male student. These results suggest that interventions addressing faculty gender bias might advance the goal of increasing the participation of women in science.
Another bit of evidence to add to the pile of papers on this saddening issue…
I can give myself a little pat on the back here. Two young women have told me that they only stayed in science because they had me as a supervisor, and would have left otherwise. It’s not a friendly environment for young women, or can even be over friendly in a creepy way. I don’t know what the solution is except to support the ones I come across as much as I can. The preexisting biases are not always subtle at all. I have a passion for Physics and wish it were a more inclusive discipline, but women and minorities are vastly under represented, particularly in the English speaking world.
“New Zealand has had a housing bubble for over a decade, the fizz went out during the global financial crisis but it is back. Not only is National pretending the world doesn’t know their dirty little secret (“we won’t tax you even though we know we should”) the tax policies the Labour and the Greens propose – capital gains tax with exemptions for owner-occupied housing – are too timid to be our ticket out of this mess. Not a capital gains tax but a wealth tax which includes owner-occupied housing and is integrated with income tax would do a far better job of meeting those tenets of good tax policy.”
Add to that a reduction of the GST rate back down to 12.5%, or even better 10%…would fix Housing and reduce inequality in one hit. We need to be seeing more of these ideas.
You’d think after a decade+ of research showing the radio wavelengths cellphones use have no statistically significant health effects it would have seeped into the public conciousness….
The veritable horse undeniably has bolted, there will be no closing of stable doors anywhere on our lovely earth. we are such silly and stupid bastards, really we are.
Come back when you’ve got some actual science research and not a load of bullshit masquerading as a documentary. i.e. try looking in these things called “science journals” particularly big ones like Nature, Science and Cell which often publish cancer research and then hunt through the citation chains to put the info in it’s full context.
Note – for utter, complete, fractal stupidity, the fifty 🙄 post is now standard 1st response.
Nick, hows about you strap a smart phone to your head, leave it there for the rest of your life, film yourself, upload it regularly live from your head, making sure you use the full spectrum, so we can all track your progress. Lets get some science, going on here…
Who knows, it might even cure your mental issues, or it might create some more, get into it if you’re so convinced of the, science!
Don’t forget to turn it on, and leave it on, with an active connection!
wow, you are some arrogant nutter aren’t you ? (can’t believe you wanted to flutter your eyelashes at me so many times.) fractal stupidity ? so what do you think the phones are operating on if not on a resonating wave ? so what do you think is your personal OS ? and yet you can see no conflict ? maybe that’s why your eyelashes have such serious flutter problems ??
I’d flutter back but I would hate you to get the wrong idea.
Or maybe some of us know this thing called “science” very very well, and also have a background in biochemistry, which leads us to seeing the big flaws in the EMF cause’s harm argument. Namely that there’s a very significant lack of both lab (animal and cell culture models) and population evidence that indicates that EMF radiation emitted from a variety of human tools and tech causes any harm at levels it’s encountered.
And resonate frequency? Lolwat? Your brain doesn’t operate on EMF, it uses pulses of ions to communicate along nerve axons to synaptic junctions. There’s no real electricity involved, nor wires in which EMF can induce current but nerve impulses can be triggered by electrical and very strong magnetic stimuli. So then, by all means, show us the evidence.
We await with cynicism, sure that you’ll fire off a bunch of pseudoscience rather than anything from the literature.
The hubris of scientism. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
🙄
Unless that is you’ve ruled out every plausible* mechanism via experimentation and done tons ecological studies, using the same methodologies used to beautifully detect the sometimes subtle effects of other carcinogens etc and come up with nothing. Then the bayesian chances of there actually being something are down in the lands of the very highly improbable, with things like boltzman brains and russel’s teapot.
For in the sciences, absence of evidence, after you’ve searched out the landscape of where your target should be, usually indicates it probably doesn’t exist. See “luminous ether” for the ur example, vaccine-autism for the most recent and string theory for the most mind-warping.
__________________________________________
*translation – has some evidential backing or fits with the rest of the wrap and weft of that area of science.
Namely that there’s a very significant lack of both lab (animal and cell culture models) and population evidence that indicates that EMF radiation emitted from a variety of human tools and tech causes any harm at levels it’s encountered.
So what it reads like you’re saying, Nick, is that there is, NO real idea of what the damage, may/may not be, based on lack of understanding?
Which, given the new-ness of the technology, is hardly surprising!
Thinking about it, Nick..
In order that you keep your idendity schtum, while filming your contribution to the “significant lack of population evidence”, strap a comms enabled tablet to your skull, enable the wifi/3g/blue tooth, and get to work!
Be sure to announce when you’re set up, and ready to help will the “sigificant lack”!
Start with a video upload per day, and take it from there…
David Shearer was reported today as saying that pushing for more women in parliament was not the most important thing to the public at present. But then he starts talking about targets which I have come to hate as a screwy political ploy and way of setting ideological and aspirational goals. He’s talking about 45% by… and then perhaps more than 50% by… I like the idea of a minimum such as Maori in parliament having a definite four and given opportunities to increase that. So perhaps setting a floor number as an at least aspiration, which then will remain merely as a reminder of the importance of women being at the decision making table.
I’m more concerned about the class system (and as someone recently attested, the increasing ‘caste system’) affecting the sort of representatives we get. Labour needs to aim for a third to a half of working class MPs and try for 50% in the lists if there is to be a target for change.
It would require candidates to declare their backgrounds and incomes, and facing up to the over-supply of middle-class, educated, ideologically-inclined who generally come from ‘comfortable’ backgrounds. And recognising that just because someone is from the ‘working class’ would not mean they got priority and they must have the required amount of nous – understanding of social, economic and power levers on the country. They might have a tendency to adopt unsuitable pragmatic methods or ideas that would then be balanced by discussion with the more highly educated ideological members who could provide counsel as well as ideas. Similarly those with working class connections would counsel on whether positive outcomes would result from idealist policy suggestions.
There needs to be methods of advancing those from ‘ordinary’ backgrounds but who have good ideals mixed with practical experience at grassroots, perhaps more junior labour party activities, of a social type also with regular meetings giving the opportunity to hear and personally talk to leaders in political and economic thought. A day spent with the local council perhaps as part of school curricula if there is room after studying for National Standards to learn about our real world.
I agree that the Labour Party needs more MPs from low income backgrounds. But that should also include fairly equal numbers of men and women from those backgrounds, plus some ethnic diversity. Under NAact low income women are particularly suffering. however, the present Labour caucus seems to be romanticising a bit about their roots amongst working class men. They seem to be targeting working class men.
I am the eldest of 4 children. My parents Les and Josie came from large families and left school without formal qualifications. Education was very important and my father particularly had an aspiration for me to go to university and to have a better life than he did. When he was a child my dad lived in a hut with a dirt floor. Dad died 4 years ago when he was 63 from a heart attack. He had the works – gout, diabetes, sleep apnoea. I want to be part of a Labour team that addresses these diseases of poverty. Not of the heart and mind, but the body, because we don’t have access to good housing, education and the health care that our families deserve.
It is not necessary to pit gender (in)equality against other inequalities. They are all part of a larger whole that needs to be addresses. And the original Lbaour Party remit addressed all those forms of inequality.
karol
Good on Louisa Wall. From my other comment – she is self balancing – working class background who has gone to university and now has perspective from both sides. So should be good.
But Labour women sometimes get all starry eyed about making the world a better place, so she has to know about economics and power as well as social aspects. And human psychology.
And coming from a poor background doesn’t always provide an understanding of the better way to follow. (I saw in a 2005 Listener in a thumbnail bio that he had a state house childhood. It’s become something to boast about – Look how I’ve pulled myself up by my bootstraps. And now I’m far above that sort of thing.)
Women often feel the compassion and go for an ideal, without seeing the whole background and consider what’s pragmatic. Too inclined to be obedient to the particular ideology they are on, and often that’s not just following the money like the majority of men.
Rosetinted, now you are making my head spin. I’m not really sure what you are trying to say.
In essence I agree with you that there needs to be more Labour MPs from lower income backgrounds (or “working class”) as you stated. When I say say this also should be ethnically diverse and fairly balanced gender-wise, giving an example of a very competent MP, you then start to get patronising about people from working class backgrounds, and about women in particular.
And this statement just has be befuddled:
Women often feel the compassion and go for an ideal, without seeing the whole background and consider what’s pragmatic. Too inclined to be obedient to the particular ideology they are on, and often that’s not just following the money like the majority of men.
Now I do agree that there are general tendencies towards different approaches to politics by men and women. However, these are not the ways I see it happening. You seem to be saying women politicians can’t really think for themselves but blindly follow some impractical ideology.
And yet, there’s women like Helen Clark and Louisa Wall who have been very pragmatic and have tended to approach policies in ways that step “outside the box” in order to implement their policies.
karol
I am not being patronising because I don’t think all women are great, neither do I think that of Maori, or other ethnic backgrounds. It is my considered opinion, it cannot be a case of all being equal, and I think it’s a reasonable approach even if it isn’t P.C.
It is interesting how many women are in roles where they are prepared to do the dirty work of bashing people round, figuratively speaking. They have worked their way up from just being carers and typists and the other mainly-female work classifications, but often don’t seem to have much integrity at the top. People like Jane Kelsey and Anne Salmond would be better names to give me to disprove my lowering doubts. And quoting the few who stand out can just be regarded as the exception proving the rule.
Also there is nothing wrong with people honestly naming others – the ‘working class’ is an honest connotation and studies have identified certain behaviours to occur within that class culture, so it has an identifiable flavour.
They have worked their way up from just being carers and typists and the other mainly-female work classifications, but often don’t seem to have much integrity at the top.
Who are all these women, and how do can they be any different from men from lower socio-economic backgrounds?
Metiria Turei is one such woman, for instance. Louisa Wall first went to a technology institute (usually a route for those from lower income backgrounds, before going on to Uni.
I am wary of the term “working class” (separated from the precariat) in relation to the Labour caucus leadership’s current focus. They use it in a way that separates the “deserving” (people in paid employment) from the “undeserviing” beneficiary bludgers. I would rather talk about the working class + the precariat. And women are a major section of the precariat in paid and unpaid employment.
just being carers and typists
So how is that any different from any other working class occupation?
just being carers and typists
Have been traditionally the few openings for women workers (plus teachers and nurses, who have been able to improve their salaries and respect for their expertise.) . Karol perhaps you are too young to remember. this. Also they are semi-skilled jobs with limited wages and seniority options.
If Labour use working class as a form of denigration then that says more about their mixed up class pretensions than anything I can say.
70 oil filled cars in Canada have somehow been able to go on fire then get away from the controls of their braking system, fly down the track and incinerate a town, some saying like a huge crematorium. I thought I heard a report that it was left unsupervised on an incline. This is what happens when companies set up a dangerous practice – all care and safety will be attended to. Right!
Consideration will be given to producing a manual that stands as high as its writer, or fills 10 CDs. And the fact that something will go wrong sometime, somewhere, and then there is so little margin of error between that and a disaster will probably be acknowledged! And then there will be a risk ratio applied to it, as if that puts it in an acceptable rationale. And Canada has been run by right wing politicians for some time with the same overweening pride in their rightness and smarts of the methods and decisions that RWNJs have everywhere.
Disasters waiting to happen! I’ve read report on all the controls set up to prevent something like the Exon oil disaster. They were circumvented at every critical point. Result…. Drilling in deep, deep, cold water where important life for us all and the animals that have evolved to live there exist. What do the bloody businesses and infatuated businessmen and women care, about the future, about beyond their comfort, pleasure and bank balances. The smiling assassins, if not immediately, then they have laid the path.
I read the fire was small, and the engineer left an engine running to maintain the air brakes while it was ‘parked’ at the top of the incline … but the just-arrived fire officers turned the same engine off to help put out the small fire because no-one advised them not to… and then yes, everything you have said, just as you said it.
yeshe
That sounds like a train of events that is understandable, no pun intended. What a horrible lot of mishaps. The engineer should have had all communications needed so he could stay in charge. And how many people were running that train? Surely the firm hadn’t been so stupid that they hadn’t left one man with the whole weight and responsibility. On the other hand I hope that they hadn’t taken time off to go and get a beer if there was a crew. Certainly someone should have had control over the whole thing.
The engineer did apparently leave the train and go away somewhere nearby. No other crew was mentioned in what I read. The train ran downhill absolutely out of control for 10 kms before it derailed right in the middle of the town which is completely destroyed. Staggering mistakes.
So we’ve had politicians complain for the last year that the exchange rate is too high and that the NZ Government must either print money or spend billions intervening in the exchange rate to lower the dollar.
he then uses the US$,as evidence that doing nothing is an option.Which is an incorrect metric the Trade weighted index being weighted as suggested in the trading currencies that are used such as yen OZ etc.
There we see in May 2012 the US dollar was similar,but the TWI was around 70,which is why it is difficult for NZ exporters to supply in our closest and simplest market Australia.
I think the only NZ politician capable of a Rudd revival in NZ is Grant Robertson, but the odds are against him given the current ruling Goffian cabal. Too many time-servers .. is it any wonder many people (present blog excepted) are so generally apathetic ?
Yes, it would be a miracle if a politician lacked the popularity to win their own electorate and then somehow managed to gain nationwide popularity to become PM….doesn’t make sense Yorick? First look at the Politicians that are increasing their electorate vote…its just logical.
Are we worried about style or substance in the writing here? Might there be a female version of Kevin Rudd doing a Rudd revival? I suppose so but my imagination didnt take it that far.
The idea that equal representation and rights shouldn’t be persued because it might endanger the (as Trotter put it) “Waitakere Man” vote is the suppression of “identity politics”. CV follows that, which is why they don’t see the point of using more inclusive language.
This is what your comments read like, to me….wah wah wah, sexist, wah, sniveler, wah!
You’re wanten craving to throw an, “ism” accusation of some sort out there, comes screaming through your words, so much reek/desperation, you interpret something that was not even there!
Confirmed by McFlocks support for you, as he just could not wait, to get a return dig in, at CV. Your spurning his support, will sting however!
I consider that your idea that a potential leader must win his own seat a sexist double standard CV. Simple really.
BULLSHIT.
You’ve explained nothing about why you “consider” this a sexist double standard. You repeating the word “sexist” over and over again means nothing as you cannot back it up with a realistic explanation of why it is sexist.
But allow me to explain my viewpoint: any MP who doesn’t know how to organise, win and keep an electorate doesn’t have the experience and knowledge to deserve to be leader of the Labour Party.
Any such an MP who does become Leader, but who has no demonstrated ability to organise, win and keep an electorate, is most accurately thought of as a civil servant staffer.
*sigh* democratic party….. blah blah…. gender equality only an internal party matter… blah blah affordable homes, electiricty prices, jobs….blah blah” = all about appealing to the middle-class vote.
And what about low income people, affordable rents, beneficiaries, and NActs’ policies that add to the burdens of women on low incomes?
Way about being able to think on his feet and show some motivation on principle, rather than merely repeating the lines prepared for him by his team?
if you abandon the three quarters of a million working class and underclass who do not vote then of course, you end up having to grease up to the “middle class” = top 20% of NZ society.
Labour Yawn, can i correct you slightly Karol, it was affordable home ‘ownership’, today’s Labour Party has become and remains part of the mechanism to protect and bolster the living standards of the ‘middle class’,
Shearer’s oft repeated ‘affordable home ownership’ as we have discussed here many times, is only ‘affordable’ to the children of the middle class not ‘quite’ able to afford to buy into today’s housing ‘market’,
i could write a very long discourse about the role the parents of these middle class kids played in making that ‘first step’ on the ‘property ladder’ unaffordable, but seriously, what would be the point,
What Labour have become from where i sit is a Party of and for the middle class happy to use the tax base to shoe-horn the children of the middle class into ‘home ownership’ so as they can continue to play the monopoly game on the ‘property ladder’ just as their parents have,
What Labour think of the thousands of Mene Mene’s who daily toil in the economy is hidden within the vows of silence seemingly adopted by Labour in it’s failure to address the in-equality of it’s housing policy where Mene Mene, 3 children and a wife as far as i can ascertain can stay there, the whole family confined to 1 room in a boarding house, while Labour blindly continue on with what is best described as a middle class ‘protection racket’,
The 1000 upon 1000’s of Mene Mene’s in our society ‘trapped’ in the same situation of ‘working poverty, that to all extents and purposes simply equates to modern day slavery without the chains and whips would rather not vote than vote for a Labour Party that has so far offered them NOTHING…
bad12 i could write a very long discourse about the role the parents of these middle class kids played in making that ‘first step’ on the ‘property ladder’ unaffordable, but seriously, what would be the point,
There was a discussion on Radionz this morning about the bad time that many Christchurch people have as they fight to find a place to live in and keep warm over winter.
I was thinking in reference to the piece I have quoted from you and the housing problem started way back, the reasons –
1 that the government refused to have a sensible system of providing state homes with new regular building,
2 that didn’t help young people into their first homes,
3 that didn’t encourage saving with something like a scheme where regular amounts saved over two years entitled them to a modest home loan,
4 that taxed savings heavily and from the first little interest that the low income people earned.
5 that encouraged rentals to be provided by private property owners,
6 that paid accommodation supplements to assist beneficiaries,
7 that allowed these owners to offset losses while at the same time allowing them to sell with no tax demand, ie no stamp duty and such little tax on quick turnovers coupled with the agreement that they could offset losses against profits elsewhere so that they had no incentive to sell anyway. Private rental owners were encouraged to buy houses at high prices (thus whipping them out from under needy homeowners noses), with no great concern about whether there was a profit on rentals, and the already mentioned ability to take losses and deprive the government of tax on profitable ventures, then sell with a good capital gain and still pay no tax. So the government lack of responsibility for providing state housing and by paying subsidies to beneficiaries started or fuelled a housing bubble.
The idea of Capital Gains Tax on a market with these characteristics probably would tend to discourage private renters from making improvements as the houses would probably sell readily even if they were run down, so why spend more and raise the tax to be paid, the effort wouldn’t pay extra. At present that applies in Christchurch where renters are afraid to ask for repairs, either they will be put out or the rent will go up, the whole stock gets run down. Some landlords are discouraged because of the feral nature of some of their renters, some renters are depressed and sick because of the state of their dwellings, and the lack of security of tenure that this volatile market causes them to suffer.
Yes i agree with you whole-heartedly, the numbers tell the story, with a population of some 3.3 million souls there were 75,000 State rental houses of various shapes and sizes,
Fast forward to today, that same population has multiplied to 4.4 million and the number of ‘usable’ State houses has plummeted to 67,000 and falling,
What the Labour KiwiBuild proposal is in terms of those most in need in our communities is simply SAD,
I can understand how the Labour Party has reached this point in it’s long history as the working class families of the 50’s and 60’s wanted and got a better life for their kids and those children have moved into the positions of power throughout our society, including all levels of the Labour Party, have then moved to ‘protect’ what they have and attempt to provide the same for their children,
Thus Labour have become more the party of the ‘white collar’ leaving today’s manual labour at best under-represented in Labour’s Parliamentary make-up and at worst a mere after-thought in the political process,
The broad church then appears to be severely tarnished if not irrepairably broken needs get back to its roots, ditch the ‘new’ ideas and deliver a large dose of ‘bread and butter’ socialism for the electorates to digest and vote upon…
Quite possibly one of the worst interviews given by a political party leader in NZ for the last 40 years. In fact, its absolutely laughable. Shearer has been set up by Roberston, who was at the original meeting, and hung out to dry.
Shearer also needs to figure that most people don’t actually think that power prices are a major issue. I’m very surprised he did not mention the exchange rate crisis. Probably be because its corrected itself by dint of the USA economic numbers getting slightly better, as predicted by most people with half a brain.
Shearer also needs to figure that most people don’t actually think that power prices are a major issue. I’m very surprised he did not mention the exchange rate crisis.
erm… I think more Kiwis are worried about electricity prices than the exchange rate. The exchange rate is a focus of a section of the middle classes. It’s far removed from most Kiwis daily lives, even if they need to be more aware of it.
You’d have to be pretty well off not to think about power prices.
“When I discovered that the mystery man the police had sought was commonly described as having ‘hooded eyes’ the reason why the police chose the blink photo to insert into their identification montage became both clear and, in my mind, monstrous.”
What a fine and excellent question, and how much evidence was not presented do you think ? Btw, he is not ‘my dear friend’. Rather, I am but a citizen who thinks he was cooked up to suit the police menu of the day.
here’s hoping!
That may seem cruel – until you realise there are others running out of life as a result of Gerry and his mates.
Sorry if it offends – but the sooner the better.
No offence, it was just an innocent question. I passed through once or during enrolment at Otago and have a memory of smog hanging over the whole city during a thermal inversion, and due to considerable use of coal fires. I don’t know if that still applies. I prefer clean air, even windy ..
As for Gerry, he was described as ‘decisive’ in the earlier phases of crisis recovery – but there are always power plays by vested groups in post-crisis scenarios. I suggest, for anyone who may be interested, in going to the local public library and asking for a history of the San Francisco earthquake ..
In those days London insurance firms were largely involved which simply refused to pay .. as time went on local real estate interests took over, declared a ‘Pacific Century Exhibition’ and proceeded to build even taller ‘skyscrapers’
on the known earthquake faults in the CBD which had caused so much carnage.
The tories have brought down a perfect shitstorm on their own heads and the smell isn’t about to go away.
they really have’t got a clue about anything except what flavour hairconditioner to use!
Thank goodness they have Shearer. And, with every passing day that takes a Shearer-led Labour Party closer to polling day, they should grow increasingly confident that they will have a third term.
Last month it was “terrorise” Maori, this month it is “man-ban”, can’t wait for next month .. and another month … and then see him going on stage for the Leaders’ Debate with his two feet, well and truly shot, in his mouth.
“I can definitely feel the impacts of it. If I was going to have another one and then another one and then another one, you might get quite addicted to it if you don’t have a job and you’re bored and whatever … or if you do have a job and you’re bored or whatever … y’know … you might j-u-s-t get addicted to it …”
Apparently being driven by Shane Jones – aiming to get Little in, with him as number two. Egos over brains! That’s going to be just what the party/ country needs!
But what happened to the coup in November? There wasn’t one then? My oh my, you could knock me over with a feather.(sarc)
If they put Little in at this stage it could be going from the frying pan to the fire for the same reason as Shearer hasn’t fired. Not seasoned enough yet despite his background.
Interesting that David Cunliffe and Grant Robertson are very quiet – smart. Not surprised Shane Poppa Porn Jones is being so stupid though. He’s all ego that man. And why on earth is Little aligning himself to the Right of the Party, can someone explain?
Stuff picked it up – at the moment still in the “reporters agitated at rumours, scared of not reporting something that might not happen” style.
What’s interesting is that the entire caucus seem to be clear, explicit, unequivocal, and firm in saying the rumours are full of crap. Maybe it’s a teambuilding exercise? 🙂
The New Zealand Labour Party should be making a video series out of all this titled ‘how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory’,
Gower,Garner, Slater,Farrer,Hooten et al must be laughing fit to choke, i am no fan of the man, Cunliffe, but, it’s obvious that the Labour Caucus had better soonish install him as the leader because the one they have at present just isn’t f**ing doing it…
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Golriz Ghahraman's Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill will probably face its first reading today. And three months after it was introduced - pissing on the "as soon as practicable" requirement of Standing Order 269 - it has received a section 7 report from Attorney-General David Parker stating that its proposed ...
There's an interesting select committee report out today, from the Petitions Committee on the Petition of Conrad Petersen: The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). The petitioner raises some concerns about the slowness of the IPCA process and its lack of oversight, and suggests some solutions. The committee doesn't seem keen ...
Today is a Member's Day, but likely to be a boring one. There's no general debate today, and instead the House will move right into the third reading of the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill, which will add unelected, inherently conflicted Ngai Tahu representatives to ECan. Then there's ...
That gormlessly glum picture of Christopher Luxon in Samoa graphically tells us what kind of image New Zealand would be projecting abroad if there’s a change of government next year. The glumness is understandable. For months, National and ACT had been dog whistling to the bigots who oppose the creation ...
There is no corruption in New Zealand. At least that’s what authorities want the public to believe. For decades now our system of political finance regulation has been portrayed as highly rigorous, ensuring our politicians cannot be bought. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. Although politicians and officials have claimed tight ...
Pundits have come out of the woodwork to defend the Greens co-leader, after he was stripped of his leadership last week by unhappy party members. The defences have all stuck to basically the same script: Shaw is a successful leader and minister who’s handed the party big victories in politics ...
Meghan Murphy talks with Batya Ungar-Sargon the author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy. The book charts the trajectory of journalism in the US as it shifted from being a blue collar occupation producing the penny press for the masses, to a profession for Ivy League university ...
Co-Leaders? The uncomfortable truth is: not the Army, not the Police, not the Spooks, and not even a combination of all three, could defeat the scale and violence of White Supremacist and Māori Nationalist resistance which the imposition of radical decolonisation – or its racism-inspired defeat – would unleash upon ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson and Jeff Masters Torrents of rain that began before dawn on Tuesday, July 26, gave St. Louis, Missouri, its highest calendar-day total since records began in 1873. And the deadly event is just the latest example of a well-established trend ...
Completed reads for July: The Prince, by Niccolo MachiavelliFaust, Part I, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheFaust, Part II, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheParadise Lost, by John MiltonParadise Regained, by John MiltonThe NibelungenliedAgricola, by TacitusGermania, by TacitusDialogue on Orators, by TacitusThe Gods of Pegana, by Lord DunsanyTime and the Gods, ...
A couple of weeks ago the High Court exposed a loophole in our electoral donations law, enabling corrupt parties to take in unlimited amounts of secret money and explicitly sell policy to the rich. Pretty obviously, this is unacceptable in a country which wants to call itself a democracy, and ...
This morning, National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis managed to get top of the bulletin news coverage by pointing out that some Kiwis living abroad might receive the government’s cost of living payment. Quelle horreur. What is the problem here? Inflation is a global problem, and Kiwis living abroad may be ...
Beyond Fixing? The critical question confronting New Zealanders is whether we any longer have the resources to repair our physical and human infrastructure?WHO WILL MAKE the New Zealand of the next 50 years? We had better hope that, whoever they are, they make a better job of it than those ...
Today’s speech by Jacinda Ardern to the China Business Summit in Auckland was full of soothing words for Beijing. The headline-grabber was Ardern’s comment that ‘a few plans are afoot’ for New Zealand ministers to return to China – and that the Prime Minister herself hopes to return to the ...
Rule-Breaker? It is easy to see why poor James Shaw found himself brutally deposed as the Greens’ co-leader. By seeking the responsibilities of leadership – and exercising them – he violated the first rule of Green Party governance. Then, by accepting the limitations of the Green Party’s electoral mandate (7.8 ...
After the incredibly sad story about the deaths of over 50 Ukrainian POWs in a Ukrainian missile attack on the prison they were housed in (see Over 50 POWs killed. A military accident or a cynical war crime?)I came across the heartwarming story about another Ukrainian POW. It’s about a ...
British mercenary Aiden Aslin, now a prisoner in the Donetsk People’s Republic, expressed real concern that he may die from the Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk. He has experienced many missile attacks that came close to the prison.Is he still alive? Understandably, we are always shocked about the losses ...
Politics is largely reported as theatre: tragedy and comedy, thriller and farce. Andrea Vance captures it all very successfully in Blue Blood. But it is the politics of personality, not of policy – of the impact of government on the people’s wellbeing. Even so, we can see from the book ...
This year the government finally got its clean car feebate scheme into place. But there's a problem: it's been too successful: Transport Minister Michael Wood will shortly review the cost of the fees and rebates in the Government's "feebate" scheme after the runaway success of the policy has meant ...
Given how the pandemic has disrupted the sporting calendar, no-one would begrudge our elite athletes their chance to compete at international level. What with the war in Ukraine and the cost of living, there are also not many ‘good news” stories out there. So… I suppose the strenuous efforts the ...
Everybody Having A Say: Democracy commands us to look outward; it demands our trust; it tells us what is expected of our humanity; it elevates the collective above the self; it celebrates the things we have in common; it defines our morals and values; it calculates what we owe one ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure that as a nation which produces enough food to feed 40 million people, everyone in New Zealand can put an abundance of nourishing, nutritious kai on the table. ...
Following months of work by the Green Party and community and environmental organisations, Parliament will have the opportunity to pass legislation to protect public conservation land and waters from mining. ...
New evidence released today by Alcohol Healthwatch shows there’s never been a better time for Parliament to pass Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick’s Alcohol Harm Minimisation Bill. ...
We’re helping more Kiwis into work, to help support whānau, grow our skilled workforce and secure our economy for future generations. During our time in Government, we’ve delivered record low unemployment rates, as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit, and we’re ...
The Green Party once again calls on the Government to ban bottom trawling on all seamounts following the release of an industry white paper on so-called ‘sustainable’ trawling. ...
Urgent reform is essential to ensure disabled people have equal access to the care and support they need, the Green Party says in response to a new report that challenges politicians to fix the current system. ...
COVID-19 is here to stay and so the Government needs to put in place long-term protection measures, including mandatory ventilation standards, the Green Party says. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to overhaul the Recognised Seasonal Employers scheme in the wake of revelations of shocking human rights violations. ...
The Green Party is calling for a cross-party commitment to guaranteeing at least a living wage and safe working conditions to people seeking employment, instead of continuing benefit sanctions. ...
The Green Party is once again calling on the Government to announce its support for a moratorium on deep sea mining, and to support a member’s bill going to select committee. ...
The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party said. ...
The Government’s employment initiatives led by the Ministry of Social Development must guarantee liveable incomes and fair working conditions, the Green Party says. ...
New Zealanders deserve a health system that works for everyone, no matter who you are or where you live. Our Government has a plan to make this a reality, and we’re taking the next steps. We now have thousands more health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, working in New ...
During her time as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has navigated New Zealand through unprecedented times. Through it all, she’s become known as someone who leads with kindness, compassion and strength, while keeping the wellbeing of Kiwis at the heart of her approach. To celebrate five years of Jacinda leading the ...
Since taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to grow a secure economy for all. ...
The Government must use the opportunity of the Electoral Amendment Bill in Parliament to close the loophole in the political donations regime, the Green Party says. ...
Thanks to political pressure from the Green Party and the more than 900 personal stories of birth injury and trauma delivered to Minister Sepuloni, more injuries have been added to the ACC birth injuries bill. ...
Supporting New Zealanders is at the heart of our approach as a Government, and we’re working hard to tackle the big issues Kiwis are facing. While long term challenges like child poverty won’t be solved overnight, we’re putting in place policies that make a real difference for New Zealanders. Here ...
As-salamu alaykum, Tena tatou katoa, Thank you all for being here today. To the Afghan human rights defenders and your family members, welcome to Aotearoa. And thank you Your Excellency for hosting us all here at Government House. We have with us today from Afghanistan, human rights advocates, journalists, judges, ...
It’s my great pleasure to be able to speak with you about a really positive move for the Build-to-Rent sector. As you know, we announced changes last year to help steer property investors way from the existing pool of housing and toward solving New Zealand’s grave housing shortage - by ...
· Tax changes aimed at growing quality, secure rental supply · New and existing build-to-rent developments exempt from interest limitation rules in perpetuity, when offering ten-year tenancies · Exemption to apply from 1 October 2021. The Government is encouraging more long-term rental options by giving developers tax incentives for as ...
The Government has marked another milestone in its push for better rural connectivity, welcoming the delivery of Rural Connectivity Group’s (RCG) 350th tower. Waikato’s Te Ākau, which sits roughly 50 kilometres out of Hamilton is home to the new tower. “The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the ever-increasing importance of ...
Biosecurity co-operation topped the agenda when Australia and New Zealand’s agriculture ministers met yesterday. Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt met with his New Zealand counterpart, Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, and Rural Communities in a conference call, which had particular focus on foot and ...
People could spend less time in hospital, thanks to a smart new remote device that lets patients be monitored at home, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Technology has the potential to really change the way we do things – to do things that are better for patients and at the ...
Concrete steps to clarify inclusive, evidence-informed teaching practices Strengthen capability supports along the professional pathway Enhance partnerships between the education system and whānau, iwi, communities Embed equitable additional learning supports and assessment tools that help teachers effectively notice and respond to the needs of students Improved student achievement is a ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to strengthen global prevention, preparedness and responses to future pandemics with seed funding for a new World Bank initiative, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We cannot afford to wait until the next pandemic. We must all play our part to support developing countries ...
A law change to ensure that forestry conversions by overseas investors benefit New Zealand has passed its final reading in Parliament. Previously, overseas investors wishing to convert land, such as farm land, into forestry only needed to meet the “special forestry test”. This is a streamlined test, designed to encourage ...
International tourism recovery well underway with higher level of overseas visitor arrivals than previously expected UK and US card spend already back at pre-COVID levels Visitors staying in New Zealand longer and spending more compared to 2019 Govt support throughout pandemic helped tourism sector prepare for return of international ...
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities has released its first strategy, setting out the actions it will take over the next few years to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for ethnic communities Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan announced today. “The Strategy that has been released today sets out ...
The Prime Minister has officially opened the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre today saying it is a huge asset to the region and to the country. “This is a world class facility which will be able to host national and international events including the world championships. With a 10-lane Olympic ...
The Associate Minister of Education, Aupito William Sio, has today announced the recipients of the Tulī Takes Flight scholarships which were a key part of last year’s Dawn Raids apology. The scholarships are a part of the goodwill gesture of reconciliation to mark the apology by the New Zealand Government ...
96% of estimated menstruating students receive free period products 2085 schools involved 1200 dispensers installed Supports cost of living, combats child poverty, helps increase attendance Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti today hailed the free period products in schools, Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata, a huge success, acknowledging ...
The Tourism Industry Transformation Plan outlines key actions to improve the sector This includes a Tourism and Hospitality Accord to set employment standards Developing cultural competency within the workforce Improving the education and training system for tourism Equipping business owners and operators with better tools and enabling better work ...
Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications Dr David Clark welcomes Google Cloud’s decision to make New Zealand a cloud region. “This is another major vote of confidence for New Zealand’s growing digital sector, and our economic recovery from COVID 19,” David Clark said. “Becoming a cloud region will mean ...
A package of changes to NCEA and University Entrance announced today recognise the impact COVID-19 has had on senior secondary students’ assessment towards NCEA in 2022, says Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti. “We have heard from schools how significant absences of students and teachers, as a result of COVID-19, ...
Te Reo Māori tauparapara… Tapatapa tū ki te Rangi! Ki te Whei-ao! Ki te Ao-mārama Tihei mauri ora! Stand at the edge of the universe! of the spiritual world! of the physical world! It is the breath of creation Formal acknowledgments… [Your Highness Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Masiofo] ...
The Government’s commitment to combatting firearms violence has reached another significant milestone today with the passage of the Firearms Prohibition Order Legislation Bill, Police Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new law helps to reduce firearm-related crime by targeting possession, use, or carriage of firearms by people whose actions and behaviours ...
Minister for Veterans, Hon Meka Whaitiri sends her condolences to the last Battle for Crete veteran. “I am saddened today to learn of the passing of Cyril Henry Robinson known as Brant Robinson, who is believed to be the last surviving New Zealand veteran of the Battle for Crete, Meka ...
Legislation to repeal the ‘Three Strikes’ law has passed its third reading in Parliament. “The Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill ends an anomaly in New Zealand’s justice system that dictates what sentence judges must hand down irrespective of relevant factors,” Justice Minister Kiri Allan said. “The three strikes law was ...
Work is under way on preliminary steps to improve the Government’s support for survivors of abuse in care while a new, independent redress system is designed, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins says. These steps – recommended by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry – include rapid payments for ...
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki Online Forum 77 years ago today, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Three days earlier, on the 6th of August 1945, the same fate had befallen the people of Hiroshima. Tens of thousands died instantly. In the years that followed 340,000 ...
An agreement signed today between the New Zealand and United States governments will provide new opportunities for our space sector and closer collaboration with NASA, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash said. Stuart Nash signed the Framework Agreement with United States Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman. The signing ...
An agreement signed today between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will strengthen global emergency management capability, says Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty. “The Government is committed to continually strengthening our emergency management system, and this Memorandum of Cooperation ...
New Zealand will remain at the Orange traffic light setting, while hospitalisations remain elevated and pressure on the health system continues through winter. “There’s still significant pressure on hospitals from winter illnesses, so our current measures have an ongoing role to play in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and ...
Streets will soon be able to be transformed from unsafe and inaccessible corridors to vibrant places for all transport modes thanks to new legislation proposed today, announced Transport Minister Michael Wood. “We need to make it safe, quicker and more attractive for people to walk, ride and take public transport ...
More young minds eyeing food and fibre careers is the aim of new Government support for agricultural and horticultural science teachers in secondary schools, Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is committing $1.6 million over five years to the initiative through the Ministry for Primary ...
Kākāpō numbers have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season, and there are now more of the endangered parrots than there have been for almost 50 years, Conservation Minister Poto Williams announced today. The flightless, nocturnal parrot is a taonga of Ngāi Tahu and a species unique ...
The relationship between Aotearoa New Zealand and Malaysia is to be elevated to the status of a Strategic Partnership, to open up opportunities for greater co-operation and connections in areas like regional security and economic development. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta met her Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah today during a ...
With additional trains operating across the network, powered by the Government’s investment in rail, there is need for a renewed focus on rail safety, Transport Minister Michael Wood emphasised at the launch of Rail Safety Week 2022. “Over the last five years the Government has invested significantly to improve level ...
The Foreign Minister has wrapped up a series of meetings with Indo-Pacific partners in Cambodia which reinforced the need for the region to work collectively to deal with security and economic challenges. Nanaia Mahuta travelled to Phnom Penh for a bilateral meeting between ASEAN foreign ministers and Aotearoa New Zealand, ...
Kia ora koutou Firstly, thank you to the President of the Criminal Bar Association, Fiona Guy Kidd QC, for her invitation to attend the annual conference this weekend albeit unfortunately she is unable to attend, I’m grateful to the warm welcome both Chris Wilkinson-Smith (Vice-President, Whanganui) and Adam Simperingham (Vice-President, Gisborne) ...
Extension of Aotearoa Touring Programme supporting domestic musicians The Programme has supported more than 1,700 shows and over 250 artists New Zealand Music Commission estimates that around 200,000 Kiwis have been able to attend shows as a result of the programme The Government is hitting a high note, with ...
Minister of Defence Peeni Henare will depart tomorrow for Solomon Islands to attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. While in Solomon Islands, Minister Henare will also meet with Solomon Islands Minister of National Security, Correctional Services and Police Anthony Veke to continue cooperation on security ...
The Government is partnering with Ngāi Tahu Farming Limited and Ngāi Tūāhuriri on a whole-farm scale study in North Canterbury to validate the science of regenerative farming, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The programme aims to scientifically evaluate the financial, social and environmental differences between regenerative and conventional practices. ...
52.5% of people on public boards are women Greatest ever percentage of women Improved collection of ethnicity data “Women’s representation on public sector boards and committees is now 52.5 percent, the highest ever level. The facts prove that diverse boards bring a wider range of knowledge, expertise and skill. ...
I am honoured to support the 2022 Women in Governance Awards, celebrating governance leaders, directors, change-makers, and rising stars in the community, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. For the second consecutive year, MPP is proudly sponsoring the Pacific Governance Leader category, recognising Pacific women in governance and presented to ...
Today Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash turned the sod for the new Whakatāne Commercial Boat Harbour, cut the ribbon for the revitalised Whakatāne Wharf, and inspected work underway to develop the old Whakatāne Army Hall into a visitor centre, all of which are part of the $36.8 million ...
New Zealanders are not getting a fair deal on some key residential building supplies and while the Government has already driven improvements in the sector, a Commerce Commission review finds that changes are needed to make it more competitive. “New Zealand is facing the same global cost of living and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Big business wants a “catch up boost” to permanent migration, with at least two thirds of the places going to skilled workers, In proposals for next month’s jobs and skills summit, the Business Council ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Australia’s top economists are divided about how to tackle ballooning inflation of 6.1% that’s forecast to climb to a three-decade high of 7.75% by ...
ANALYSIS:By Shailendra Singh of the University of the South Pacific In Fiji’s politically charged context, national elections are historically a risky period. Since the 2022 campaign period was declared open on April 26, the intensity has been increasing. Moreover, with three governments toppled by coups after the 1987, 1999 ...
RNZ Pacific The Queen’s Representative in the Cook Islands, Sir Tom Marsters, has confirmed Mark Brown as the Prime Minister. In a statement issued from Mark Brown’s office, Sir Tom said he was “satisfied” that Mark Brown had the majority of the MPs elected to Parliament. Following the final count ...
Former list MP Aaron Gilmore, who resigned in 2013 after he used his position as a threat to a hotel employee, says there has been "outrageous behaviour" by those in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Education, Southern Cross University Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state colleagues met in Canberra on Friday.Lukas Coch/AAP Last Friday, Australia’s state and federal education ministers met with emotional teachers, who spoke of working on weekends ...
Despite an 11th-hour rush of nominations for this year's local body elections, Local Government New Zealand says the numbers could still be too low. ...
A political analyst says people who would have voted for Leo Molloy in Auckland's mayoral election may now turn to Efeso Collins, because both candidates have working-class appeal. ...
Podcast - After one of the fastest political downfalls in New Zealand's history, Political Reporter Katie Scotcher examines how both major parties now face bullying accusations. ...
The government has unveiled what it is calling a radical plan to overhaul reading, writing and maths teaching after two decades of sliding literacy rates. ...
ANALYSIS:By Russel Norman, executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa Only people power can ensure genuine enduring progress on climate and people need to know the truth if they are to act on it. For that reason greenwashing is the enemy of progress on climate and where you stand on ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai says he will seek a further extension from the Governor-General for the return of writ for Southern Highlands provincial seat which has faced protracted delays in counting. He said any discussions and talks of “failing” an election and calling for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Shutterstock Australia’s energy ministers on Friday voted to make emissions reduction a key national energy goal, in a major step forward in the clean energy transition. Federal, state and territory energy ministers agreed to ...
Labour MP Gaurav Sharma has launched another broadside at his own party, posting a lengthy statement on social media that details his interactions with Parliamentary Service and the Labour whips. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wadham, Director, Open Door: Understanding and Supporting Service Personnel and their Families, Flinders University The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has released its interim report after more than 1,900 submissions and 194 witnesses. It includes recommendations considered so urgent ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathieu O’Neil, Associate Professor of Communication, News and Media Research Centre, University of Canberra GettyImages Donald Trump derided any critical news coverage as “fake news” and his unwillingness to concede the 2020 presidential election eventually led to the January 6, 2021 ...
The Government’s esteem for science and science-based research findings can be gauged from a press statement released by the Ministry for Primary Industries. The statement gives a progress report on a New Zealand Forest Services’ partnership with a marae-based tree-growing project and its grant of nearly $500,000 over two years ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stan Karanasios, Associate professor, The University of Queensland Rob Hampson/Unsplash On August 9 2022, Australia’s COVIDSafe app was officially decommissioned, and all its features removed. People were encouraged to uninstall the app. Reports of its closure have made international news. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon talk about this week in politics. They discuss Australia’s relationship with China as tensions rise over Taiwan, the inquiry into ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominique Allen, Associate Professor, Monash University Photo by Sora Shimazaki/Pexels, CC BY You might have heard of jobseekers being asked to complete a “personality test” as part of a job application, or been through the process yourself. The questions can ...
Buzz from the Beehive Some readers might be surprised to learn from Associate Finance Minister David Parker that the law has been changed to ensure forestry conversions by overseas investors benefit New Zealand. Did the law previously allow forestry conversions by overseas investors that would be to ...
The government is giving long-term build-to-rent developments a tax break in a bid to increase secure rental supply for tenants for at least 10 years. ...
Aucklanders now have a clear choice between continuing the failing status quo or choosing a candidate who can fix Auckland, Mayoral candidate Wayne Brown says. “They can choose more of the same from current councillor Efeso Collins, or a new proactive ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk The head of the Solomon Islands state-owned broadcaster has defended its role in the face of the government tightening control — a move that critics say is squarely aimed at controlling and censoring the news. The government said last Friday that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation ...
What a difference less than a week can make: National lurching from success to controversy and Labour facing its own bombshell, Political Editor Jane Patterson writes. ...
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Te Pāti Māori co-leader and list MP based in Te Tai Hauāuru will this weekend share in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Pātea Māori club anthem, Poi E. “Iwi of Taranaki and Ngāti Ruanui will be reminiscing ...
Labour's Whip's office says it has always acted in good faith with Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma, after he made explosive allegations about bullying. ...
Today, XR Whakatū are blocking the Trafalgar St to launch “The People” in the form of Te Tiriti based peoples assemblies as their candidate for this year's local body elections. “The climate and ecological crisis proves our political system ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Mehigan, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images However you look at it, the National Party has selected someone who once committed an act of criminal violence to represent the Tauranga electorate in parliament. It’s an unfortunate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia Davidson, Vice-Chancellor, University of Wollongong Shutterstock Demand for health care is soaring as the population ages, medical treatments become more widely available and more people live with chronic and complex illnesses. However, there is global shortage of health professionals ...
A sexual abuse survivor group SNAP says the Government’s decision to allow faith-based institutions like the Catholic Church to continue providing redress to survivors would just re-traumatise Catholic Church survivors. SNAP’s national leader, Christopher ...
The 2022 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund (RWLF) will see $299,999 in grants being distributed to programmes with a focus on mental health in rainbow communities thanks to a partnership with Foundation North. Foundation North, the community trust ...
The Government continuing to push through a Wairarapa treaty settlement without addressing serious flaws in it, is a slap in the face to natural justice and rank hypocrisy from the Crown. That’s the submission today to Parliament’s Maori Affairs ...
The rental price indexes measure the changes in prices that households pay for housing rentals. Key facts Monthly change In July 2022 compared with June 2022: the index for the stock measure of rental property prices rose 0.2 percent the index for the ...
Climate Change Minister James Shaw has been found wanting, after his response to a letter from Groundswell NZ lacked any evidence that New Zealand agriculture is contributing to climate warming, Groundswell NZ emissions spokesperson Steve Cranston ...
New research from HelloFresh bites into the nation’s changing diets and reveals what’s impacting the way we eat Leading meal-kit provider, HelloFresh serves up fresh research that explores New Zealand’s changing diets, revealing how eating ...
“The marked increase in violent youth crime has been long predicted and is being met by a chorus of excuses instead of admitting the soft youth system is a demonstrable failure,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust. “Its time to ...
Morning Report - This week RNZ and Stuff's political editors Jane Patterson and Luke Malpass discuss the accusations by Labour's Gaurav Sharma, and those against National's Sam Uffindell. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myles Menz, Lecturer, Zoology and Ecology, James Cook University Christian Ziegler Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Author provided Migratory insects number in the trillions. They’re a major part of global ecosystems, helping to transport nutrients and pollen across continents ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Toole, Associate Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute As monkeypox vaccination programs roll out and health authorities release information about how to reduce the spread of the virus, progress on another aspect of the outbreak is lagging: its name. On June 14, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Marc Pell/Unsplash, CC BY The world’s focus is sharply fixed on achieving net-zero emissions, yet surprisingly little thought has been given to what comes afterwards. In our new paper, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Alders, Honorary Professor, Australian National University Foot-and-mouth disease now poses a high threat to Australia. This highly contagious livestock virus is sweeping Indonesia – the closest it’s been to Australia since the 1980s. A large outbreak here could cause decimate the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anita Wreford, Professor Applied Economics, Lincoln University, New Zealand Sanka Vidanagama/NurPhoto via Getty Images New Zealand’s national adaptation plan, launched last week, offers the first comprehensive approach to how communities can prepare for the inevitable impacts of a changing climate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Larissa McLean Davies, Professor of Teacher Education, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Today, state and federal education ministers will meet in Canberra to discuss the teacher shortage. In their first in-person meeting for more than a year, they will ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury HBO HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones dominated television and pop culture discourse for much of a decade. Its upcoming prequel series, House of the Dragon, is similarly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal Liberals are in a parlous state, after an election that was not just lost to Labor but where “teals” stripped them of a batch of traditional seats. In coming months the Liberal ...
By Leah Tebbutt, RNZ News reporter A number of Māori wāhine have put their hat in the ring to become mayor at this year’s Aotearoa New Zealand local body election across the motu in October. Georgina Beyer is believed to be the first and only Māori woman ever elected as ...
By Concy Simon of the PNG Post-Courier Leadership of Papua New Guinea has “gone to the dogs” represented by a rapid increase in prices of goods and services and the “worst national election” ever, says a lawyer. Lawyer Goiye Kondago made the crtiticism during the official declaration of Kerenga Kua ...
COMMENTARY:By Barbara Dreaver, 1News Pacific correspondent Even from the grainy black and white footage of American soldiers wading towards shore while under fire, you can see and sense the fear, resignation and determination in that moment. The Battle of Midway in World War II may have been won, but ...
Cook Islands PressBy Jason Brown Tens of thousands of Cook Islanders celebrated 57th Constitution Day events these last weeks. Not just in the homeland, but overseas as well, with communities across New Zealand, Australia and beyond celebrating language, dance, culture and other arts. How many in all might be ...
A Labour backbencher has launched an extraordinary broadside, claiming MP-on-MP bullying is rampant within Parliament and facilitated by those supposed to prevent it. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Sims, Professor in the practice of public policy and antitrust, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Public interest journalism is essential to a well-functioning society, even for those who do not watch or read it. It holds ...
The Greens will continue to push for climate friendly, affordable transport options as part of a new cross-party Parliamentary inquiry into the future of inter-regional passenger rail in New Zealand. “Investing in rail is a great way to connect our ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University A record number of female Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander athletes represented Australia at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. While embracing their role model status, it is worth considering the weighty ...
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Humbug Corner
No. 14: Charles Saatchi
“I feel that I have clearly been a disappointment to Nigella during the last year or so, and I am disappointed that she was advised to make no public comment to explain that I abhor violence of any kind against women, and have never abused her physically in any way.”
—-Former Thatcher advertising “maestro” Charles Saatchi, commenting on photographs of him attacking his wife in a London restaurant.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10895307
Humbug Corner is dedicated to gathering, and highlighting, the most striking examples of faux solicitude, insincere apologies, and particularly stupid recycling of official canards. It is produced by the Insincerity Project®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More humbugs….
No. 13 Toyota New Zealand: “The more Kiwis that lean, the more motivated our ETNZ crew will be to win.”
No. 12 Pem Bird: “We’re there to do the business of advancing our people.”
No.11 Whenua Patuwai: “They’re my brothers and to see one of them goes [sic]—it’s tough.”
No. 10 “Sir” Owen Glenn: “I do care that every person, especially children, have [sic] the right to feel safe.”
No. 9 “Sir” Owen Glenn: His abuse inquiry is floundering after revelations he was accused of physically abusing a young woman in 2002.
No. 8 Barack Obama: “…people standing up for what’s right…yearning for justice and dignity…”
No. 7 Barack Obama: “Nelson Mandela is my personal hero…”
No. 6 John Key: “Yeah well the Greens’ answer to everything is rail, isn’t it.”
No.5 Dr. Rodney Syme: “If you want good, open, honest practice, you have to make it transparent.”
No. 4 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton’s… integrity beyond reproach…such great character…”
No. 3 Dean Lonergan: “Y’ know what? The only people who will mock them are people who are dwarfists.”
No. 2 Peter Dunne: “What a load of drivel and sanctimonious humbug…”
No.1 Dominic Bowden: “It’s okay to be speechless.”
“I am disappointed that she was advised to make no public comment to explain that I abhor violence of any kind against women, and have never abused her physically in any way”
What’s your job again, Mr Saatchi? You’re not using your professional skills to sanitise your own image because no-one else will do it for you? If so, you’ve lost your touch.
Probably the first one of these that was genuinely worth highlighting.
Probably the first one of these that was genuinely worth highlighting.
???
You don’t think it’s worth highlighting a Deputy Police Commissioner who praises the “integrity beyond reproach” of a notorious bent cop? You don’t think it’s worth highlighting a few of the Prime Minister’s never-ending stream of glib and dishonest statements? You don’t think it’s worth highlighting the faux solicitude and appallingly bad method-acting of a cynical and corrupt machine politician paying false homage to a real hero?
??!!?!!?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8893344/Man-shot-dead-let-go-by-army-for-threat
Shoot at the police and you pay the price…
The “price” being that wingnut idiots will get themselves very excited over the fact that you got killed, as though they think it’s some sort of extension of their self-image of being big and tough?
That’s weird.
Last time this happened all the wingnuts were outraged when I said the police have an unofficial policy of killing anyone who shoots at them.
“Shoot at the police and you pay the price…”
Have the decency to hold your celebration party well away from humans grieving please.
For anyone wanting to read an unusual analysis of the GCSB amending legislation Lyndon Hood’s attemptis well worth a read. The only problem is that I cannot be sure if it is intended to be satire or not …
Brilliant!
I had the same doubts, then I noticed NIGEL in a basement in Aitken st. And it seems Nigel is a comedians fall guy name.
Just ask Billy 1:05 in
Morrissey, are you tracking brain fades.
If Stuff is to be believed, here are those magic words again
“I haven’t actually seen those myself, well I can’t recall them.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8892812/Key-forced-to-backtrack-on-MRP-cash
Somebody should be documenting Key’s “brain fades” for a number of reasons ..
1. his credibility
2. his cognitive capacity to do the job
3. the effects of his current position on his health, and well-being
4. the effects of anxiety and repeated stressors on his powers of judgment
He has publicly collapsed once in a Christchurch restaurant.
It is very much in his interest to formulate an exit strategy.
Money cannot buy good health, whatever the good burghers of Remuera tell you ..
Just ask Morrissey he probably has it all ready chapter and verse..
http://blekko.com/#?q='john%20key'%20'brain%20fade‘
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%27john+key%27+brain+fade%27
http://www.etools.ch/searchSubmit.do;jsessionid=479EF4954021BBCCC41D5B534230F68C?query=%27brain+fade%27&country=web&language=all
http://www.last.fm/music/Brain+Fade
Sex-induced brain fade
http://sexandthe405.com/sex-induced-brain-fade/
http://blog.activelylazy.co.uk/tag/brain-fade/
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1615649/aging_brain_lets_negative_memories_fade/
Just ask Morrissey he probably has it all ready chapter and verse..
I do indeed track the prime minister’s so-called “brain fades”, and file them occasionally under their appropriate heading, “LIARS OF OUR TIME”.
I think BLiP is the authority on Key’s record of brazen lying, however.
‘
You out there lprent? How come the links to items appearing on The Standard do not show up here?
Wow thanks BLiP. Keep up the good work although it looks like you will need to keep doing a lot of work …
Yeah…Well done BLiP. Perhaps you can keep a copy of this and drop it into another posting in a month or so…with all the predicted extra ones.
Somebody should be documenting Key’s “brain fades”
I think our friend BLiP is doing this already. He has compiled a magisterial list, which could be improved by only one thing: if he numbered each of these Key moments to make the list more user-friendly.
Amy Adams Minister for the Environment is wrong about GMOs.
She’s trying to stop local councils from making new rules and regulations about GMOs in their own patch, and says only the central Govt can do this.
But an intercouncil working group say that under the current legislation, local government has jurisdiction to manage the risks from GMOs under the RMA in addition to national regulation under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) provided that the requirements of the RMA are met. And they quote a legal opinion obtained by the working group from Dr Royden Somerville QC, and confirmed by Ministers for the Environment in both the previous Labour led Government and the present National led Government, and further confirmed by Crown Law opinions.
This is from a media release on Scoop NZ on 5 July.
Amy Adams learning from her boss – “I can find you another lawyer with a contrary view…….”
So thick ! How do they get away with this shit ?
“The Earth is not flat” is at risk.
Andy Murray the toast of the town hobnobbing with Prime Minister David Cameron after Wimbledon – TVOne Breakfast – Andy Murray for a knighthood ?
The Artist Taxi Driver is not pleased, in a style. Just as I vomit when I see ShonKey Python crawling up Richie McCaw’s arse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y30hGn3Q-Hg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUGThM-ZZBba1Zl9rU-XeR-A
Radionz this morning and Simon Mercep trying to pierce the smug veil of Steven Joyce by quoting some findings from the report on ‘possible’ harm from gambling at the increased numbers of pokies at Skycity. Joyce, amused said I can quote a reply from my copy of the report and we could continue like this, but ‘It could affect your ratings badly’. And that’s a telling point of view about questions from journalists, being governed by commercial considerations – which we already know is largely the situation in NZ.
And Mercep couldn’t get far with this discussion anyway because the report stated that it was likely to cause harm and this is based on observed past experience, but accepting future results based on previous experience is not what this government considers relevant or of importance, hence we never learn anything in this country, about social and many other issues.
Only a few hours until Question time, where David Shearer will rise to his feet and ask the question he has thought about all weekend. Does the PM stand by his statements? The same dumb fucking question, he has asked since he became leader. And the answer will be the same, YES, and a whole lot of crap about the ManBan. ?? Then That fine and upstanding person, the highly impartial speaker will slap the PM down. Yeah Right. I suppose if we are lucky Shearer will be rolled at the Caucus meeting. But unfortunately we are not that lucky.
+1
It’s a fucking stupid question to ask every single day.
He might as well just get up and say “Would the PM like to take a free shot on a topic of his choosing?”
The theory is to prevent the PM from knowing what is coming and gives no time to prepare also enables just about any supplementary question, has been used for many many years, this is the theory but in practice it doesn’t work so well if you have spent the last week with both feet in your mouth while simultaneously kickin your own arse!!
Yeah I get the reason it’s used.
I just question the wisdom of letting Shearer use it every day. In his hands it’s a gift to Key.
Now when Winston uses it, Key can get worried, because Winston usually has an ulterior motive.
You call it an ulterior motive, but I’d say that it’s simply having a plan.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And to use a word I found today, Shearer’s overweening belief in himself prevents him from ever admitting that the Leadership sitooation is broke, broken, defunct. He’s our Kevin Rudd! Makes bold assertions in a confident voice. Has a pleasantly toned voice, two eyes and a nose – what more could Labour and NZ want?
Within a month, Rudd already has Labor slamming Abbott and the Coalition in the polling. Shearer ain’t no Rudd.
well, he’s back to where he was when he was rolled.
Mildly interested to see how long it lasts.
He wants to change the rules now.
If it was David Shearer, you’d be celebrating how much of a lift to the party’s polls he’d accomplished.
you suck at mind-reading – I’d be worried that Rudd’s popularity could wane as quickly as it did last time (which gave Gillard the opportunity).
Easy come, easy go.
Relax, he can hold it in for 2 months.
that question is a standard…because it gives the person being questioned absolutely no idea what the subject they will be questioned on is..
..hence they cannot prepare an answer beforehand..
..and it heightens the gotcha!-possibilities..
..far be it from me to defend shearer..but this question is not an example of a ‘stupid-question’..
..it is an opposition ‘standard’..
phillip ure..
But you only use it every now and again, as it looses it’s power if used too often, and also it seems to me that the Caucus don’t trust Shearer with a really serious question.
http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/shearer-rattled-after-john-key-declines-to-stand-by-all-his-statements/
Also
http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/opinion-i-feel-like-i-should-write-this-while-im-still-a-public-figure/
It’s quite a clever narration trick by shearer. It enables a story to build within a story. If ever labour do discover a winning blow on jk, the can then say he lied in parliament by using ll of David shearers ” do you stand by all your statements”
Just got to find that hidden gem now. Good luck.
Well. Whateverz. It’s Shearer’s question for today, amongst more specific questions form various opposition MPs.
And what’s the bet that the PMs answer will include the neologism, “manban”?
I don’t know why you keep blaming the manban on slater, DPF, the MSM and national. Why can’t you just accept that labour fucked up with this. Just because people don’t see it your way, doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Trying to claim the moral high ground on an issue that smacks of alienating slightly under half the electorate reeks of desperation.
As high and mighty as you believe your aspirations to be, if you can’t achieve them or back them up in the face of criticism, then they reveal that the proponents are nothing but flakes. this isn’t the media’s fault, it’s not nationals fault, it’s not the VRWC’s fault. it’s labours fault for being completely pathetic on this issue.
That’s a piece of valuable political advice, Tighty.
That Labour did not realise it was walking into a lose lose scenario of its own creation over a proposal which if applied today would give it just 1 or 2 more women MPs in caucus – can the public imagine a more hopelessly token blow for gender equality because I can’t – is indeed “completely pathetic”.
And that various Standard commentators would cheer the proposal on with absolutely no insight into how poorly it was being received by left leaning women in the community, in particular those ones who don’t know what “intersectionality” is, was very concerning.
what a load of nonsense. there were plenty of policy proposals put up, it’s up to the membership to debate them & up to the parliamentary leadership to defend our right to debate them.
there have been many examples of effective responses the leadership could have made in various comment threads here. but a very simple one would have been to attack the opposition instead of the membership. come out strong, repeating 15/59 as often as you can, support the need for more women in parliament, support the right of members to debate various options, and this could have been a whole different situation.
but what you’re asking for is a shutting down of ideas & debate, because i suspect you’re not prepared to support any measures to improve women’s representation in parliament. i haven’t seen anything from you so far supporting any kind of measure, or saying “that proposal won’t work, but here’s a better one that has been shown to work in other situations”. even that level of response from our leadership would have been a better response than the crap we’ve had so far. only sue moroney managed to put forward something like it. and the fact is that the proposal at it is has been implemented in UK & australia, to the extent that david cameron is forcing his party to follow it.
when MPs & the leadership turn on their own party members instead of the opposition, the resulting mess is exactly what you can expect.
I’m interested in anything which makes Labour look like it is fit to govern and ready to sort the crises facing NZ. If it doesn’t fall into that category AND simultaneously looks like it is a disaster with natural Labour voters then yeah, I’m happy for a blowtorch to be put on it until the fucking thing melts.
By the way, who in the electorate gives a flying damn whether or not today’s Labour caucus has 14 female MPs for a 41% ratio or 15 female MPs for a 45% ratio? Anyone?
Labour is caught up trying to make miniscule symbolic differences which are only measurable in beltway metrics. The whole time voters up and down the country watch the party race around in circles chasing its own tail.
What will that achieve? NZers don’t give a damn about 15/59. They voted National in after all, this is what they asked for. Did voters care in 2008 that the first woman on the National List was preceeded by 6 men and she was at no.7? Nope. With the 15/59 line they’ll just hear banging on about an out of touch proposal making a grand difference of 1-3 female MPs in todays caucus but a big fat zero in peoples every day lives.
Voters slid out Helen Clark and put in a National Government which had 4 women in their top 25 party list places. That’s the way the electorate chose, and after the fact, the opinion polls showed that they were completely fine with the situation.
You can’t craft a PR message if you don’t understand the priorities of the audience. 15/59 FFS.
15/59…. and look what they’ve delivered for women, especially low income women who are taken the biggest share of the bennie bashing.
so you believe that the NATs would change their bennie bashing ways if only they had a 29/59 ratio in caucus?
Personally, I think they can find another 14 Rebstock, Rankin and Wong clones who are just as happy to maintain the status quo patriarchy, albeit with a few more women at the table.
To an extent I agree. I also do think things won’t change while the most powerful positions in the Nat Party are held by men. And, it doesn’t just require something close to gender balance in a party, but diversity on other counts, especially for Labour, more people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
But I also think these are important debates to be had, and shouldn’t be pushed aside.
Is everyone suffering a kind of collective myopic amnesia today? Ruth Richardson? Jenny Shipley? I think Richardson was the first female Finance Minister in NZ, and Shipey the first female PM.
How would you characterise those governments for women in poverty and beneficiaries?
I wasn’t referring to one or two women amongst a bunch of men at the top table. Such women are only there because they play the games of those with most power – largely men.
I know plenty of men who are judgemental money driven elitist pricks and I know plenty of women who are judgemental money driven elitist pricks.
The problem with these kinds of “leaders” is what they have in common, not their difference gender.
“They voted National in after all, this is what they asked for.”
oh good, let’s shut up shop and go home then. stop the asset sales petition, don’t worry about any workers rights legislation, forget about doing anything at all then, because the electorate voted national in, so that’s what they wanted. let’s stop wasting our time talking about climate change, capital gains tax, more progressive taxes or any other proposal, because the electorate chose national so none of it matters. at least according to your reasoning here, which is some of the weakest i’ve seen.
yes, keep telling us that our priorities are out of touch, just like the marriage equality people were told, just like any other group that deals with issues of marginalisation are told. we’re constantly told: you’re not important, nobody cares about you. don’t ever try to change anything because you’re issues aren’t my issues, i don’t care about them & i don’t care enough about you to stand beside you to fight for them. you make me look unpopular, so just shut up and let me decide what’s important, because you’re too stupid to know.
the PR message is simple, but it wasn’t used. because you don’t care about the issue, you decide it should have no priority & everyone should just accept the status quo. luckily activists around the world over and through the ages have never accepted that as an argument. it’s a pretty tired & useless one.
Now you’re trapped in the Labour Party vortex of “if only we can find the right combination of policies, voters will finally choose us” world view.
Both the Greens and Labour had policy documents for Africa in 2011 while National barely bothered. In fact National chained itself to the most devastatingly unpopular policy of the entire campaign (asset sales) and still won ~47% of the vote.
Gods damn it, do you really think that’s the issue? When I have female office workers, administrators, managers, lawyers, comms experts who are all current or recent Labour supporters come to me and say that the 50% proposal is utterly shit, I pay close attention.
“In fact National chained itself to the most devastatingly unpopular policy of the entire campaign (asset sales) and still won ~47% of the vote.”
yup, and tony blair’s government won 3 elections using the women-only candidates selection policy. david cameron managed to win one with the same policy as well, & has now made it compulsory. so what’s your point? that policy doesn’t matter? in which case it doesn’t matter that we have this particular one either, because as you argue, no-one pays attention to policy anyway.
“Now you’re trapped in the Labour Party vortex of “if only we can find the right combination of policies, voters will finally choose us” world view.”
bullshit. i’m saying that we should stand up for the values we claim to hold, and be ready to put up the arguments. and the arguments are there, the media response could have been clear and simple, and could have landed some clear hits on the right wing. i’m saying that you don’t ever accept your opponent’s framing, you reframe the argument so that you’re talking about it on your terms, not theirs. if you’re not prepared to do that, then there’s no point in being in politics at all. just agree with everything the opposition says, and go home.
“When I have female office workers, administrators, managers, lawyers, comms experts who are all current or recent Labour supporters come to me and say that the 50% proposal is utterly shit, I pay close attention.”
and when you hear women who are current or recent labour members who tell you that it’s important (and believe me, there are plenty, i’ve been talking with many of them), you ignore what they say, tell them they’re out of touch, tell them nothing they do can make a difference. funny how you only choose to pay attention to the ones who already agree with the way you see the world.
It has long been argued that there needs to be a “critical mass” of women in any parliament/legislature for their be significant change for the benefit of women. Internationally that critical mass has been put at 30% (of the whole House). Actually, at 51%, Labour is doing reasonably well. National, not so much.
However, some also argue it needs to be a higher proportion than that. And there is some international evidence that quotas have helped women in some countries get closer to a critical mass.
And yes, there are selfish men and women. But, there tends to be a slightly different focus on issues and ways of doing politics, if there is a higher proportion of women.
I have said before, I think there are other things that need attending to rather than straight number counts. But it is part of a wider issue on the way politics is done and on the priorities given to some issues. And I think debates on women’s representation in politics are important ones that shouldn’t be marginalised.
their be significant changethere to be significant change
I don’t buy into “critical mass” or “tipping point” arguments on the sole basis that no one can tell ahead of time whether such a critical mass or tipping point is at 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, etc. and so you cannot tell if it has anything to do in actual fact with the positive outcomes you are seeking.
To me the bottom line is that the agents in the system, male or female, act on the basis of the incentives and structures of that system, which today is profit driven, asset speculative, individualistic free market capitalism.
Generally agree with your viewpoints on this topic, CV.
The interesting point about this ‘manban’ is that it came up so shortly after Gillard over the ditch made such a stinking big deal about being a woman, for a couple of weeks. They even had a picture of her knitting.
I’m sure that particular nuance of timing didn’t help NZ Labour out at all, either.
The example of Gillard being deposed, Rudd taking up the helm and Labor jumping up in the polls as a result won’t be doing Shearer much favours either.
2013 is all about John Howard ..
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/why-the-2013-election-is-all-about-john-howard/story-e6frg6n6-1226676279024
Shearer bans the suggestion
yep. Unimpressed.
And the bold Waitakere Men will now be outraged by the antidemocratic move in 3…2…1…
Those ‘bold’ are too busy ‘focusing on the important issues’, they no longer view democracy as important.
..even that pillar of democracy Claire Curran and some office ‘girls’ didn’t like it.
I gotta say, this is the first time (I can recall) that shearer has actually pissed me off.
I know…. you are so tolerant 🙂
yep. One with the fucking universe, me 🙂
Now, McFlock, you might be able to empathise with those of us who predicted Shearer’s poor performances right from November 2011.
Have a look at some of the Standards’ blogs from the Leadership selection stage.
We are watching the last stage of a train wreck. Rather than a tragic explosion, let us hope it is a non-fatal de-railing from which there can be a quick recovery.
lolnah.
Being annoyed at a specific choice a politician makes is one thing.
Whining like babies because my candidate didn’t win, then nitpicking every minor flaw and imperfection for the rest of the term is another thing entirely.
Note, for example, my lack of “Labour is doomed! DOOOMED!!!” utterances (although I think that this was a polling error, as well as the wrong decision). Or how I refrained from calling for shearer’s resignation at the first disagreement. Or how I avoided using violent, even apocalyptic, imagery (train wrecks, explosions, etc).
Let me be clear: just because I disagree with Shearer on this issue does not mean that I no longer regard chicken littles as spoiled brats and fucking morons.
It’s entirely your right to continue to believe Shearer has the goods to deliver in 2014, and that he will bring home the bacon on E-Day.
How do you define “bacon”?
Definition of “bacon” = when the pig is committed.
Yeah, I think Shearer’s fucked this one up, and I think we all got played by the ol’ boys club in caucus. Who can suck my clit, quite frankly.
Man Ban, Ban, Man.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10895712
Thanks Labour for a thoroughly hilarious couple of weeks in politics.
Do you guys even have press advisers, or could it actually be games being played getting to roll.
Bye, bye man-ban: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10895712
A stupid idea gets the boot. Good on Mr Shearer, great Labour leader.
Yeah, great leader – panders to the right wing propagandists, and over-rides party democracy. How much longer are we going to be subjected to this right wing apology for the leader of a (alleged) left wing caucus?
I don’t think Cameron Slater plans to step down any time soon
+1
But dontcha know that’s one of the core great leader skills!
🙄
Fuck it, party voting Greens next election, Shearer once more shows how fucking hopeless he is.
+1+1
I’m attending nethui today. There was just a fantastic keynote from Quinn Norton, a tech journalist from Wired. The event is streaming at http://nethui.org.nz/videos
Are they talking about the GCSB?
There were some questions to Amy Adams, she fobbed them off as outside her portfolio.
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/07/a-bad-dream.html
I’ll just leave this here (me too tired, alarm-cat woke me up early and took ages to get to sleep last night).
David Shearer finally does something right and shows courage.
Yes, that sounds like a right wing MO: cheer a weak leader suppressing democracy.
Yes he tied his shoe laces, if you get lucky he’ll teach you how it’s done.
Stale Bread with mango skins for supper.
No, he stood up against an idea that most kiwis found disgusting. You guys
should be happy about this.
Most Kiwis find democratic processes disgusting? Really? I thought most Kiwis were better than that?
+1 Karol
Most kiwis find sexism disgusting too, well not the kiwis that supported the
manban bill.
Yeah there’s no sexism at present, how dare they upset the mango cart./sarc
If you can’t get there on merit, why should you get a free ride in ? Talk about dumbing down the party.
Has anyone ever asked why Shearer wants to be PM?
It’s not hard to see what motivates most people into that position. It’s often a genuine desire to serve society, an effort to shape the nation in some way, a personal ambition to fulfill, or some combination of those.
Shearer has always reminded me of one of those kids who plays sport because their parents want them to. You know the ones?
They’re not usually great at it, and not always awful either, but they have this look about them that says they don’t really know why they’re there.
Yes Felix, you are right.
Another thing is many of the Political Scientists come out stating why the “Man Ban” was such a terrible thing and defending Shearer’s stance on it and yet somehow can justify having an ignorant, bumbling, nervy, un-inspirational, inexperienced, un-intelligent leader of the Labour Party…that’s OK.
+1 felix
David Shearer would do well to look at this web site. He might find something that better suits his skill set and ambitions.
https://jobs.un.org
“Has anyone ever asked why Shearer wants to be PM?”
Look at his history. He wants to make a difference.
But it might be he is better on the coal-face as opposed to directing the miners if you follow me.
Back in Apia for Lyn to get some better anti-mosquito stuff. She attracts them like ummm me! But she also swells and itches, whereas to me they are just annoying. But now she has better mozzie repellers, I’d better start using them as well. All I have had to do so far is to stick close to her…
Fixed the heading stories.
I presume that someone has suggested that pakehas in the pakeha party should have their convictions and prision time increased? And that maybe it should be retrospective
Sounds hot and sticky in Apia lprent. And I guess that suits you fine. Time for a dip and a pina colada?
Another bit of evidence to add to the pile of papers on this saddening issue…
I can give myself a little pat on the back here. Two young women have told me that they only stayed in science because they had me as a supervisor, and would have left otherwise. It’s not a friendly environment for young women, or can even be over friendly in a creepy way. I don’t know what the solution is except to support the ones I come across as much as I can. The preexisting biases are not always subtle at all. I have a passion for Physics and wish it were a more inclusive discipline, but women and minorities are vastly under represented, particularly in the English speaking world.
From Gareth Morgan in todays Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10895518
“New Zealand has had a housing bubble for over a decade, the fizz went out during the global financial crisis but it is back. Not only is National pretending the world doesn’t know their dirty little secret (“we won’t tax you even though we know we should”) the tax policies the Labour and the Greens propose – capital gains tax with exemptions for owner-occupied housing – are too timid to be our ticket out of this mess. Not a capital gains tax but a wealth tax which includes owner-occupied housing and is integrated with income tax would do a far better job of meeting those tenets of good tax policy.”
Add to that a reduction of the GST rate back down to 12.5%, or even better 10%…would fix Housing and reduce inequality in one hit. We need to be seeing more of these ideas.
Gareth Morgan has got the guts to say what NZ needs.
At least partly because he’s not pandering for the votes of upper middle class NZ.
Silly shame he lost all the cat owners’ support in the meantime .. how to be so smart and so stupid all at once !
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/protesters-try-stop-mobile-tower-5502062
T_T
You’d think after a decade+ of research showing the radio wavelengths cellphones use have no statistically significant health effects it would have seeped into the public conciousness….
what planet do you live on Nick ? I’ll post something for you when I can find it …
stopped me editing for some reason, so please try this Nick … if you can get youtube on yr planet ..
a long watch, but worth the time investment if you have the stomach for it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vb9R0x_0NQ
The veritable horse undeniably has bolted, there will be no closing of stable doors anywhere on our lovely earth. we are such silly and stupid bastards, really we are.
I apologise .. that is a busted link.
Please try this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF_rorl5LRQ
🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
Oh lordy, high-derp radio/wi-fi woo…
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/picking-cherries-in-science-the-bio-initiative-report/
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/cell-phones-and-cancer-again-or-oh-no-my-cell-phones-going-to-give-me-cancer-revisited/
Come back when you’ve got some actual science research and not a load of bullshit masquerading as a documentary. i.e. try looking in these things called “science journals” particularly big ones like Nature, Science and Cell which often publish cancer research and then hunt through the citation chains to put the info in it’s full context.
Note – for utter, complete, fractal stupidity, the fifty 🙄 post is now standard 1st response.
I think I did a hundred rolly for pete george, once 🙂
I can see how he’d drive someone to do that 😉
Nick, hows about you strap a smart phone to your head, leave it there for the rest of your life, film yourself, upload it regularly live from your head, making sure you use the full spectrum, so we can all track your progress. Lets get some science, going on here…
Who knows, it might even cure your mental issues, or it might create some more, get into it if you’re so convinced of the, science!
Don’t forget to turn it on, and leave it on, with an active connection!
What you’re suggesting isn’t science, muzza.
I had more of an, art project in mind, Lanth,
It will be called, science vs science
🙄
Because science is all about dismissive facial expressions, right, Nick?
wow, you are some arrogant nutter aren’t you ? (can’t believe you wanted to flutter your eyelashes at me so many times.) fractal stupidity ? so what do you think the phones are operating on if not on a resonating wave ? so what do you think is your personal OS ? and yet you can see no conflict ? maybe that’s why your eyelashes have such serious flutter problems ??
I’d flutter back but I would hate you to get the wrong idea.
Wow, The Ignorance is strong in this one.
are you taking part in Muzza’s art piece also ??
Or maybe some of us know this thing called “science” very very well, and also have a background in biochemistry, which leads us to seeing the big flaws in the EMF cause’s harm argument. Namely that there’s a very significant lack of both lab (animal and cell culture models) and population evidence that indicates that EMF radiation emitted from a variety of human tools and tech causes any harm at levels it’s encountered.
And resonate frequency? Lolwat? Your brain doesn’t operate on EMF, it uses pulses of ions to communicate along nerve axons to synaptic junctions. There’s no real electricity involved, nor wires in which EMF can induce current but nerve impulses can be triggered by electrical and very strong magnetic stimuli. So then, by all means, show us the evidence.
We await with cynicism, sure that you’ll fire off a bunch of pseudoscience rather than anything from the literature.
The more you learn, the less you know.
The hubris of scientism. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Oh look, a talking parrot.
🙄
Unless that is you’ve ruled out every plausible* mechanism via experimentation and done tons ecological studies, using the same methodologies used to beautifully detect the sometimes subtle effects of other carcinogens etc and come up with nothing. Then the bayesian chances of there actually being something are down in the lands of the very highly improbable, with things like boltzman brains and russel’s teapot.
For in the sciences, absence of evidence, after you’ve searched out the landscape of where your target should be, usually indicates it probably doesn’t exist. See “luminous ether” for the ur example, vaccine-autism for the most recent and string theory for the most mind-warping.
__________________________________________
*translation – has some evidential backing or fits with the rest of the wrap and weft of that area of science.
So what it reads like you’re saying, Nick, is that there is, NO real idea of what the damage, may/may not be, based on lack of understanding?
Which, given the new-ness of the technology, is hardly surprising!
🙄
Once more muzza shows how much of a muppet he is.
Thinking about it, Nick..
In order that you keep your idendity schtum, while filming your contribution to the “significant lack of population evidence”, strap a comms enabled tablet to your skull, enable the wifi/3g/blue tooth, and get to work!
Be sure to announce when you’re set up, and ready to help will the “sigificant lack”!
Start with a video upload per day, and take it from there…
🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄
Please begin by explaining to me what a resonant wave is. Feel free to be as technical as you like.
Last weekends aurora from Dunedin amazing photo.
http://spaceweather.com/gallery/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=84135
David Shearer was reported today as saying that pushing for more women in parliament was not the most important thing to the public at present. But then he starts talking about targets which I have come to hate as a screwy political ploy and way of setting ideological and aspirational goals. He’s talking about 45% by… and then perhaps more than 50% by… I like the idea of a minimum such as Maori in parliament having a definite four and given opportunities to increase that. So perhaps setting a floor number as an at least aspiration, which then will remain merely as a reminder of the importance of women being at the decision making table.
I’m more concerned about the class system (and as someone recently attested, the increasing ‘caste system’) affecting the sort of representatives we get. Labour needs to aim for a third to a half of working class MPs and try for 50% in the lists if there is to be a target for change.
It would require candidates to declare their backgrounds and incomes, and facing up to the over-supply of middle-class, educated, ideologically-inclined who generally come from ‘comfortable’ backgrounds. And recognising that just because someone is from the ‘working class’ would not mean they got priority and they must have the required amount of nous – understanding of social, economic and power levers on the country. They might have a tendency to adopt unsuitable pragmatic methods or ideas that would then be balanced by discussion with the more highly educated ideological members who could provide counsel as well as ideas. Similarly those with working class connections would counsel on whether positive outcomes would result from idealist policy suggestions.
There needs to be methods of advancing those from ‘ordinary’ backgrounds but who have good ideals mixed with practical experience at grassroots, perhaps more junior labour party activities, of a social type also with regular meetings giving the opportunity to hear and personally talk to leaders in political and economic thought. A day spent with the local council perhaps as part of school curricula if there is room after studying for National Standards to learn about our real world.
I agree that the Labour Party needs more MPs from low income backgrounds. But that should also include fairly equal numbers of men and women from those backgrounds, plus some ethnic diversity. Under NAact low income women are particularly suffering. however, the present Labour caucus seems to be romanticising a bit about their roots amongst working class men. They seem to be targeting working class men.
Curiously, the Labour MP who has made the most explicit public statements in favour of quotas, is Louisa Wall. Here is what the Labour Party website says about her background:
It is not necessary to pit gender (in)equality against other inequalities. They are all part of a larger whole that needs to be addresses. And the original Lbaour Party remit addressed all those forms of inequality.
karol
Good on Louisa Wall. From my other comment – she is self balancing – working class background who has gone to university and now has perspective from both sides. So should be good.
But Labour women sometimes get all starry eyed about making the world a better place, so she has to know about economics and power as well as social aspects. And human psychology.
And coming from a poor background doesn’t always provide an understanding of the better way to follow. (I saw in a 2005 Listener in a thumbnail bio that he had a state house childhood. It’s become something to boast about – Look how I’ve pulled myself up by my bootstraps. And now I’m far above that sort of thing.)
Women often feel the compassion and go for an ideal, without seeing the whole background and consider what’s pragmatic. Too inclined to be obedient to the particular ideology they are on, and often that’s not just following the money like the majority of men.
Rosetinted, now you are making my head spin. I’m not really sure what you are trying to say.
In essence I agree with you that there needs to be more Labour MPs from lower income backgrounds (or “working class”) as you stated. When I say say this also should be ethnically diverse and fairly balanced gender-wise, giving an example of a very competent MP, you then start to get patronising about people from working class backgrounds, and about women in particular.
And this statement just has be befuddled:
Women often feel the compassion and go for an ideal, without seeing the whole background and consider what’s pragmatic. Too inclined to be obedient to the particular ideology they are on, and often that’s not just following the money like the majority of men.
Now I do agree that there are general tendencies towards different approaches to politics by men and women. However, these are not the ways I see it happening. You seem to be saying women politicians can’t really think for themselves but blindly follow some impractical ideology.
And yet, there’s women like Helen Clark and Louisa Wall who have been very pragmatic and have tended to approach policies in ways that step “outside the box” in order to implement their policies.
karol
I am not being patronising because I don’t think all women are great, neither do I think that of Maori, or other ethnic backgrounds. It is my considered opinion, it cannot be a case of all being equal, and I think it’s a reasonable approach even if it isn’t P.C.
It is interesting how many women are in roles where they are prepared to do the dirty work of bashing people round, figuratively speaking. They have worked their way up from just being carers and typists and the other mainly-female work classifications, but often don’t seem to have much integrity at the top. People like Jane Kelsey and Anne Salmond would be better names to give me to disprove my lowering doubts. And quoting the few who stand out can just be regarded as the exception proving the rule.
Also there is nothing wrong with people honestly naming others – the ‘working class’ is an honest connotation and studies have identified certain behaviours to occur within that class culture, so it has an identifiable flavour.
They have worked their way up from just being carers and typists and the other mainly-female work classifications, but often don’t seem to have much integrity at the top.
Who are all these women, and how do can they be any different from men from lower socio-economic backgrounds?
Metiria Turei is one such woman, for instance. Louisa Wall first went to a technology institute (usually a route for those from lower income backgrounds, before going on to Uni.
I am wary of the term “working class” (separated from the precariat) in relation to the Labour caucus leadership’s current focus. They use it in a way that separates the “deserving” (people in paid employment) from the “undeserviing” beneficiary bludgers. I would rather talk about the working class + the precariat. And women are a major section of the precariat in paid and unpaid employment.
just being carers and typists
So how is that any different from any other working class occupation?
just being carers and typists
Have been traditionally the few openings for women workers (plus teachers and nurses, who have been able to improve their salaries and respect for their expertise.) . Karol perhaps you are too young to remember. this. Also they are semi-skilled jobs with limited wages and seniority options.
If Labour use working class as a form of denigration then that says more about their mixed up class pretensions than anything I can say.
70 oil filled cars in Canada have somehow been able to go on fire then get away from the controls of their braking system, fly down the track and incinerate a town, some saying like a huge crematorium. I thought I heard a report that it was left unsupervised on an incline. This is what happens when companies set up a dangerous practice – all care and safety will be attended to. Right!
Consideration will be given to producing a manual that stands as high as its writer, or fills 10 CDs. And the fact that something will go wrong sometime, somewhere, and then there is so little margin of error between that and a disaster will probably be acknowledged! And then there will be a risk ratio applied to it, as if that puts it in an acceptable rationale. And Canada has been run by right wing politicians for some time with the same overweening pride in their rightness and smarts of the methods and decisions that RWNJs have everywhere.
Disasters waiting to happen! I’ve read report on all the controls set up to prevent something like the Exon oil disaster. They were circumvented at every critical point. Result…. Drilling in deep, deep, cold water where important life for us all and the animals that have evolved to live there exist. What do the bloody businesses and infatuated businessmen and women care, about the future, about beyond their comfort, pleasure and bank balances. The smiling assassins, if not immediately, then they have laid the path.
I read the fire was small, and the engineer left an engine running to maintain the air brakes while it was ‘parked’ at the top of the incline … but the just-arrived fire officers turned the same engine off to help put out the small fire because no-one advised them not to… and then yes, everything you have said, just as you said it.
yeshe
That sounds like a train of events that is understandable, no pun intended. What a horrible lot of mishaps. The engineer should have had all communications needed so he could stay in charge. And how many people were running that train? Surely the firm hadn’t been so stupid that they hadn’t left one man with the whole weight and responsibility. On the other hand I hope that they hadn’t taken time off to go and get a beer if there was a crew. Certainly someone should have had control over the whole thing.
The engineer did apparently leave the train and go away somewhere nearby. No other crew was mentioned in what I read. The train ran downhill absolutely out of control for 10 kms before it derailed right in the middle of the town which is completely destroyed. Staggering mistakes.
Farrar bungles statistics again eg
So we’ve had politicians complain for the last year that the exchange rate is too high and that the NZ Government must either print money or spend billions intervening in the exchange rate to lower the dollar.
he then uses the US$,as evidence that doing nothing is an option.Which is an incorrect metric the Trade weighted index being weighted as suggested in the trading currencies that are used such as yen OZ etc.
There we see in May 2012 the US dollar was similar,but the TWI was around 70,which is why it is difficult for NZ exporters to supply in our closest and simplest market Australia.
http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/key_graphs/exchange_rate/
I think the only NZ politician capable of a Rudd revival in NZ is Grant Robertson, but the odds are against him given the current ruling Goffian cabal. Too many time-servers .. is it any wonder many people (present blog excepted) are so generally apathetic ?
Find a politician who has no trouble winning in his own electorate first, is my recommendation.
Yes, it would be a miracle if a politician lacked the popularity to win their own electorate and then somehow managed to gain nationwide popularity to become PM….doesn’t make sense Yorick? First look at the Politicians that are increasing their electorate vote…its just logical.
Sexist much CV ?
Are we worried about style or substance in the writing here? Might there be a female version of Kevin Rudd doing a Rudd revival? I suppose so but my imagination didnt take it that far.
CV I dont give a rats arse about the twat that Mr Rudd is.
I read your comment as you applying a sexist double standard WRT the potential leaders for the NZLP.
because you think that expecting a potential leader to be able to win their own electorate seat is unreasonable and a sexist double standard?
Please explain that to me.
I consider that your idea that a potential leader must win his own seat a sexist double standard CV. Simple really.
CV doesn’t care for identity politics – he’s a “Waitakere Man”.
WTF has identity to do with sexism?
But its great you stoop to his level and defend him.
lol, nah I was being sarky.
The idea that equal representation and rights shouldn’t be persued because it might endanger the (as Trotter put it) “Waitakere Man” vote is the suppression of “identity politics”. CV follows that, which is why they don’t see the point of using more inclusive language.
DavidC, what are you actually on about…
This is what your comments read like, to me….wah wah wah, sexist, wah, sniveler, wah!
You’re wanten craving to throw an, “ism” accusation of some sort out there, comes screaming through your words, so much reek/desperation, you interpret something that was not even there!
Confirmed by McFlocks support for you, as he just could not wait, to get a return dig in, at CV. Your spurning his support, will sting however!
muzza…dont worry your pretty little head.
CV knows and will or wont come back to me as he/she sees fit.
Sounds like tomorro may be an interesting day so beddie byes for me.
BULLSHIT.
You’ve explained nothing about why you “consider” this a sexist double standard. You repeating the word “sexist” over and over again means nothing as you cannot back it up with a realistic explanation of why it is sexist.
But allow me to explain my viewpoint: any MP who doesn’t know how to organise, win and keep an electorate doesn’t have the experience and knowledge to deserve to be leader of the Labour Party.
Any such an MP who does become Leader, but who has no demonstrated ability to organise, win and keep an electorate, is most accurately thought of as a civil servant staffer.
If not a Rudd revival, then a *Rude* revival .. shock therapy may be needed to revive the patient .. heh.
This is the FULL press conference by David Shearer today. Approx 15 minutes:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1307/S00076/david-shearer-women-only-electorates-idea-dumped.htm
If anybody thinks he can survive an election campaign as leader, please listen.
(audio downloads quickly, even on slow connections)
*sigh* democratic party….. blah blah…. gender equality only an internal party matter… blah blah affordable homes, electiricty prices, jobs….blah blah” = all about appealing to the middle-class vote.
And what about low income people, affordable rents, beneficiaries, and NActs’ policies that add to the burdens of women on low incomes?
Way about being able to think on his feet and show some motivation on principle, rather than merely repeating the lines prepared for him by his team?
How about the number of polls that thought it was a bad idea, the editorials, the tv news, talk back etc etc I’m assuming Labour want to be in power…
How about the number of people worried about where it would end if Labour came into power, quotas in govt positions anyone?
This was the correct and only position Shearer could take though if I was him I’d get rid of Robertson as soon as possible…
A party cannot win Government without winning the ” middle class”, Helen Clark knew and preached this often.
if you abandon the three quarters of a million working class and underclass who do not vote then of course, you end up having to grease up to the “middle class” = top 20% of NZ society.
Labour Yawn, can i correct you slightly Karol, it was affordable home ‘ownership’, today’s Labour Party has become and remains part of the mechanism to protect and bolster the living standards of the ‘middle class’,
Shearer’s oft repeated ‘affordable home ownership’ as we have discussed here many times, is only ‘affordable’ to the children of the middle class not ‘quite’ able to afford to buy into today’s housing ‘market’,
i could write a very long discourse about the role the parents of these middle class kids played in making that ‘first step’ on the ‘property ladder’ unaffordable, but seriously, what would be the point,
What Labour have become from where i sit is a Party of and for the middle class happy to use the tax base to shoe-horn the children of the middle class into ‘home ownership’ so as they can continue to play the monopoly game on the ‘property ladder’ just as their parents have,
What Labour think of the thousands of Mene Mene’s who daily toil in the economy is hidden within the vows of silence seemingly adopted by Labour in it’s failure to address the in-equality of it’s housing policy where Mene Mene, 3 children and a wife as far as i can ascertain can stay there, the whole family confined to 1 room in a boarding house, while Labour blindly continue on with what is best described as a middle class ‘protection racket’,
The 1000 upon 1000’s of Mene Mene’s in our society ‘trapped’ in the same situation of ‘working poverty, that to all extents and purposes simply equates to modern day slavery without the chains and whips would rather not vote than vote for a Labour Party that has so far offered them NOTHING…
bad12
i could write a very long discourse about the role the parents of these middle class kids played in making that ‘first step’ on the ‘property ladder’ unaffordable, but seriously, what would be the point,
There was a discussion on Radionz this morning about the bad time that many Christchurch people have as they fight to find a place to live in and keep warm over winter.
I was thinking in reference to the piece I have quoted from you and the housing problem started way back, the reasons –
1 that the government refused to have a sensible system of providing state homes with new regular building,
2 that didn’t help young people into their first homes,
3 that didn’t encourage saving with something like a scheme where regular amounts saved over two years entitled them to a modest home loan,
4 that taxed savings heavily and from the first little interest that the low income people earned.
5 that encouraged rentals to be provided by private property owners,
6 that paid accommodation supplements to assist beneficiaries,
7 that allowed these owners to offset losses while at the same time allowing them to sell with no tax demand, ie no stamp duty and such little tax on quick turnovers coupled with the agreement that they could offset losses against profits elsewhere so that they had no incentive to sell anyway. Private rental owners were encouraged to buy houses at high prices (thus whipping them out from under needy homeowners noses), with no great concern about whether there was a profit on rentals, and the already mentioned ability to take losses and deprive the government of tax on profitable ventures, then sell with a good capital gain and still pay no tax. So the government lack of responsibility for providing state housing and by paying subsidies to beneficiaries started or fuelled a housing bubble.
The idea of Capital Gains Tax on a market with these characteristics probably would tend to discourage private renters from making improvements as the houses would probably sell readily even if they were run down, so why spend more and raise the tax to be paid, the effort wouldn’t pay extra. At present that applies in Christchurch where renters are afraid to ask for repairs, either they will be put out or the rent will go up, the whole stock gets run down. Some landlords are discouraged because of the feral nature of some of their renters, some renters are depressed and sick because of the state of their dwellings, and the lack of security of tenure that this volatile market causes them to suffer.
Yes i agree with you whole-heartedly, the numbers tell the story, with a population of some 3.3 million souls there were 75,000 State rental houses of various shapes and sizes,
Fast forward to today, that same population has multiplied to 4.4 million and the number of ‘usable’ State houses has plummeted to 67,000 and falling,
What the Labour KiwiBuild proposal is in terms of those most in need in our communities is simply SAD,
I can understand how the Labour Party has reached this point in it’s long history as the working class families of the 50’s and 60’s wanted and got a better life for their kids and those children have moved into the positions of power throughout our society, including all levels of the Labour Party, have then moved to ‘protect’ what they have and attempt to provide the same for their children,
Thus Labour have become more the party of the ‘white collar’ leaving today’s manual labour at best under-represented in Labour’s Parliamentary make-up and at worst a mere after-thought in the political process,
The broad church then appears to be severely tarnished if not irrepairably broken needs get back to its roots, ditch the ‘new’ ideas and deliver a large dose of ‘bread and butter’ socialism for the electorates to digest and vote upon…
OMG….I’m sorry, but Shearer is NOT PRIME MINISTER MATERIAL!
He simply can not think on his feet.
Quite possibly one of the worst interviews given by a political party leader in NZ for the last 40 years. In fact, its absolutely laughable. Shearer has been set up by Roberston, who was at the original meeting, and hung out to dry.
Shearer also needs to figure that most people don’t actually think that power prices are a major issue. I’m very surprised he did not mention the exchange rate crisis. Probably be because its corrected itself by dint of the USA economic numbers getting slightly better, as predicted by most people with half a brain.
Shearer also needs to figure that most people don’t actually think that power prices are a major issue. I’m very surprised he did not mention the exchange rate crisis.
erm… I think more Kiwis are worried about electricity prices than the exchange rate. The exchange rate is a focus of a section of the middle classes. It’s far removed from most Kiwis daily lives, even if they need to be more aware of it.
You’d have to be pretty well off not to think about power prices.
David Shearer, a giant of a leader, a true Napoleon and Churchill combined.
Waterloo is about to come to Shearer.
Several MPs have denied that anything is up. The rumour is that Garner is attention seeking.
Ok then. “There are spiders everywhere.” 🙂 🙂
A pleasure to have you on the journey mate.
and Collins ensures the languishing of yet another, almost certainly, innocent Kiwi imprisoned by serious police behaviour …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10895750
“When I discovered that the mystery man the police had sought was commonly described as having ‘hooded eyes’ the reason why the police chose the blink photo to insert into their identification montage became both clear and, in my mind, monstrous.”
http://www.hunterproductions.co.nz/?page=trial-by-trickery&article=blink
“…almost certainly, innocent Kiwi…”. How come the highest courts available to your dear friend dont agree with you ?
What a fine and excellent question, and how much evidence was not presented do you think ? Btw, he is not ‘my dear friend’. Rather, I am but a citizen who thinks he was cooked up to suit the police menu of the day.
I tend towards thinking Scott Watson is innocent as well. He was another easy target and the case was built around him.
watching parliament tv … poor gerry brownlee, he looks very unwell indeed.
What’s up with Gerry ? I thought he was supposed to be the Henry XIII of Christchurch. Was he one of Parker’s lot ?
here’s hoping!
That may seem cruel – until you realise there are others running out of life as a result of Gerry and his mates.
Sorry if it offends – but the sooner the better.
No offence, it was just an innocent question. I passed through once or during enrolment at Otago and have a memory of smog hanging over the whole city during a thermal inversion, and due to considerable use of coal fires. I don’t know if that still applies. I prefer clean air, even windy ..
As for Gerry, he was described as ‘decisive’ in the earlier phases of crisis recovery – but there are always power plays by vested groups in post-crisis scenarios. I suggest, for anyone who may be interested, in going to the local public library and asking for a history of the San Francisco earthquake ..
In those days London insurance firms were largely involved which simply refused to pay .. as time went on local real estate interests took over, declared a ‘Pacific Century Exhibition’ and proceeded to build even taller ‘skyscrapers’
on the known earthquake faults in the CBD which had caused so much carnage.
Those buildings are now old ..
The tories have brought down a perfect shitstorm on their own heads and the smell isn’t about to go away.
they really have’t got a clue about anything except what flavour hairconditioner to use!
Thank goodness they have Shearer. And, with every passing day that takes a Shearer-led Labour Party closer to polling day, they should grow increasingly confident that they will have a third term.
Last month it was “terrorise” Maori, this month it is “man-ban”, can’t wait for next month .. and another month … and then see him going on stage for the Leaders’ Debate with his two feet, well and truly shot, in his mouth.
Please explain ..
Labour’s ManBan gone, but National’s One Man Band show, rolls on. Just saying.
I think David Shearer looked positively like a Prime Minister in waiting, in his handling of the man-ban. The wait might be 9 years, though.
Jeff Bauman is doing okay for a bloke whose legs weren’t bleeding.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/08/sports/beyond-the-finish-line.html?hp&_r=1&
Jon Stephenson’s defamation case: looks like the Army is going to have to be pretty convincing not to get whacked:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10895757
Can’t vouch for the source, but could Shearer be gone?
Well if its anything like the last week’s mess it will be a good month or so before we get a definite answer.
Who’s going to be the successor? Will the ABC’s be rolled?
If so I can see mass retirements coming up next year.
Looks like someone has been yanking Garner’s chain.
A Labour MP by the sounds of it.
Interesting move.
Garnering synthetics is not good for the mind. Lots of shadows and a letter jumping from out of every dark corner 🙂
lol
@ 5’23”:
“I can definitely feel the impacts of it. If I was going to have another one and then another one and then another one, you might get quite addicted to it if you don’t have a job and you’re bored and whatever … or if you do have a job and you’re bored or whatever … y’know … you might j-u-s-t get addicted to it …”
“Do you like the effects of it?
“Arrrrrr ….”
Is there a coup underway?
https://mobile.twitter.com/Garner_Live/status/354526838896340992
Apparently being driven by Shane Jones – aiming to get Little in, with him as number two. Egos over brains! That’s going to be just what the party/ country needs!
Shearer can go up in Labour’s history by doing the best thing for the party: back the best candidate who can take the fight to National.
Btw, Labour caucus – don’t fark it up again. You need to get things sorted before Christmas to campaign strongly in the new year.
Talented Shane Jones should find a new job, outside the House.
But what happened to the coup in November? There wasn’t one then? My oh my, you could knock me over with a feather.(sarc)
If they put Little in at this stage it could be going from the frying pan to the fire for the same reason as Shearer hasn’t fired. Not seasoned enough yet despite his background.
+1000
Little is wrong for similar reasons to Shearer being wrong.
Not Forged sufficiently in the Parliamentary Smithy.
It can only be Cunliffe.
The membership will have it no other way.
I heard Garner on radion this pm. What an ARSE. Give a boy a microphone and a smal room and they are omnipotent.
Watch TV3 Nightline tonight. Shearer is gone.
Issue now is proper contest versus caucus stitch-up (by the ABCs). Hope Labour are smart enough to choose the former.
Apparently Paddy Gower has copy of the letter. Watch nightline for details
Interesting that David Cunliffe and Grant Robertson are very quiet – smart. Not surprised Shane Poppa Porn Jones is being so stupid though. He’s all ego that man. And why on earth is Little aligning himself to the Right of the Party, can someone explain?
Stuff picked it up – at the moment still in the “reporters agitated at rumours, scared of not reporting something that might not happen” style.
What’s interesting is that the entire caucus seem to be clear, explicit, unequivocal, and firm in saying the rumours are full of crap. Maybe it’s a teambuilding exercise? 🙂
The New Zealand Labour Party should be making a video series out of all this titled ‘how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory’,
Gower,Garner, Slater,Farrer,Hooten et al must be laughing fit to choke, i am no fan of the man, Cunliffe, but, it’s obvious that the Labour Caucus had better soonish install him as the leader because the one they have at present just isn’t f**ing doing it…
if there was no letter, then it’s labour who are laughing.
David Shearer MUST be kept as Labour leader at any cost. It’s the only way to victory.
…for National.