Andrea Vance criticises the behaviour of the government with respect to transparency. In the standard, stuck-record narrative of most MSM commentators, she concludes that the Government have got away with dishonesty over issues like the Saudi sheep fiasco because the public has “moved on™” by the time the details come out in the wash. The media, if they were serious about such sentiments, could easily counter that. A front-page splash headlined “No evidence for PM’s $30m lawsuit claim” would do nicely. If the government got a few headlines of that ilk, they’d quickly find that they were constantly doing frantic battle with an impression of sleaze and dishonesty in a race against time before the public “moved on”, rather than sitting on their smug arses while media pundits did their work for them.
Probably assisted by the tendency of journalists to interview their own opinions; starting with conclusions and seeking out justifications to support those conclusions in their stories; tailoring their stories to popular fictional formats/archetypes for easy identification/absorbsion by reader; and do it all by end of trade each day. And this cycle of idiocy supported and encouraged by the ideology of various “capitalisms” of either persuasion – the Left (accumulation of social influence) or Right (accumulation of financial influence).
A real news story stays a real story whether you write it today, tomorrow or next month. Possibly the difference between current events reporting and Literature is that reporting shouldn’t try to be (and can’t attempt to be) philosophically conclusive: It’d be an obvious conceit of the highest and most ridiculous kind. Which is probably why some people have noticed. Those opinion columns of various “Senior Journalists” are just myopic tautologies, yet so many readers seem to base their perspective around that axis.
If newspapers are just there to create the impression of a culture remaining a static truth despite shifts in reality, and readers are happy with that because they’re horrified by the idea that people other than themselves exist, or that they exist, then papers/media are completely defunct because once a person knows they believe something, their minds can no longer keep up the charade.
Yip, the first sentence of that story can be “In the long-running scandal around a Saudi sheep deal, the prime minister has again failed to provide key evidence he repeatedly promised would validate all of his claims to date”.
But that tone of reporting is reserved for Labour and Labour leaders like Cunliffe. Not Honest John.
Disappointed with Andrew Little on Q&A this morning. Allowed interviewer (can’t remember his name) to ride rough-shod over him. Answers too laboured. That is not to say he didn’t have good points to make, but he isn’t projecting his voice so we can actually hear what he is saying.
Winston Peters showed him how to do it later in the show.
can’t agree with you there Anne, Parkin attempted to dominate and antagonise with ridiculous questions, but I think Andrew held firm and didn’t fall for the usual tricks of soundbite searching, which then lead to the usual tedious headlines.
I raise you “an honest government” over the “strong, stable government” National have falsely seduced the masses with.
Parkin wasn’t interested in replies, only throwing the next question in attempt to produce a silly soundbite.
Listen to Andrew’s answers and tell me where he was “dismal, anxious and seemed under prepared.”????? I am incredulous you have said that, are we are the same planet?
parkin gave him time at the start, then he realised where little was at, couldn’t believe his luck and went for the disrespectful talk over – all littles fault imo
so, sort of went in for the kill, when Andrew was trying to be reasonable and honest you mean? So Andrew should have been more like Joyce, or Key and been combative? I don’t think so Sir, that is not what Labour are about.
I chose an honest decent government over smart Alec’s anyday thanks very much for asking.
there is a middle road where he could have been confident, prepared and on top of his game – every time he fucks it up isn’t always because there was a ‘trap’ or he was ‘got’ – sometimes, like all of us, he just fucks it up. imo his stern, moral outrage pilgrim like face is his best – plenty to be outraged about too at the moment – lucky eh.
I don’t know, Anne. We currently have a PM who knows how to project his voice but every time he opens his mouth only lies come out, so what good does it do to us?
Maybe we all need to stop thinking the best person for the job is the one that can run a stand up comedy show and start listening to what they actually say and look at what they actually do.
I would have expected by now for him to sound a lot better than he did when he won the leadership contest. IMO he sounds worse. You can barely hear him (it is worse on radio) and he seems disinterested.
I do not think Labour will ever go for the “celebrity” politics, thankfully, and Andrew consistently comes over a reasonable, honest, thoughtful and immensely pragmatic. Not sure what more we can reasonably ask of him
I agree with your assessment of Little’s personality and he exhiibits those characteristics when you meet him in person.
However, most voters will never meet him in person and will assess him on his radio and TV performance, and IMO this could be greatly improved. I don’t watch TV news much, but on radio he sounds vague, diffident, and is virtually inaudible at times.
Whats the point of Labour getting media training they always seem to use Brian Edwards who is useless. If you cannot afford a professional media training then forget it.
Edwards is worse than useless. He knows nothing about new media and hates it. The moment a media consultant declares that they hate a medium or talks about how people “should” behave using it, they’ve passed their retirement date. No matter how awful it might be, it exists and people use it they way they want to, not the way he wants them to. The first things a consultant has to do is observe and learn and Edwards refuses to do so.
And look who else Labour has put in charge of communications over time: Curran and Robertson.
I’m not going to suggest who they should use – it should be someone I’ve never heard of, someone new, bursting with energy and ideas. I’ve said it before, there’s loads of talent in the schools where they teach design and media – and precious few jobs waiting for them. There should be at least one going in Labour.
Quote from “Stuff”:
“Came the earthquake, and everything changed. There were the 164 dead, the 100,000 damaged houses, and the 25,000 that had to be demolished. But there were now also CERA and a new bunch of central government authorities under Gerry Brownlee, which took the city over from local authorities. With them, they brought their neo-liberal philosophy. What was good for business or for private enterprise (property developers, demolition and construction firms) was good for the city. The traditional needs of residents had lower priority.
Taking the Avon Loop neighbourhood as her example, Fiona Farrell argues that Red Zoning has often functioned as a form of land grab by developers. They wanted to change the social nature of the area by creating expensive riverside residences beyond the reach of the socio-economic group who lived in “the Loop” pre-earthquake.
Parts of the book are white-hot expose, with Farrell showing the delaying tactics of insurance companies, whose aim was to pay out as little as possible to desperate householders in order to preserve their profits.”
“showing the delaying tactics of insurance companies, whose aim was to pay out as little as possible to desperate householders in order to preserve their profits.”
ALL insurance companies do that. They don’t make their money by meting every claim. parasites.
I recall during the fallout from Winebox, when some big players didn’t like the advice they got in NZ about the legality of their scheme, they enlisted a Queensland Barrister who wrote what they wanted to hear and allowed them to later rely on it as having received “legal advice”.
John Key’s birthday today. See the puff piece from Bill English and a journalist. As usual, I read the readers’ comments under the article. They were very interesting!
Historians may look to 2015 as the year when shit really started hitting the fan. Some snapshots: In just the past few months, record-setting heat waves in Pakistan and India each killed more than 1,000 people. In Washington state’s Olympic National Park, the rainforest caught fire for the first time in living memory. London reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest July day ever recorded in the U.K.; The Guardian briefly had to pause its live blog of the heat wave because its computer servers overheated. In California, suffering from its worst drought in a millennium, a 50-acre brush fire swelled seventyfold in a matter of hours, jumping across the I-15 freeway during rush-hour traffic. Then, a few days later, the region was pounded by intense, virtually unheard-of summer rains. Puerto Rico is under its strictest water rationing in history as a monster El Niño forms in the tropical Pacific Ocean, shifting weather patterns worldwide.
Yep choices are there – I’m feeling like it is time to take the next step in terms of my whānau. There is a down side to being an action orientated aries tiger lol
Those quotes there which have been attributed to what the Pope has supposedly said cannot actually be traced to an authentic that is publicly available.
“Instead,” the Pope continued, “the Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this commandment in the depths of our heart: do good and do not do evil”:
“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”
My summary: it is important for all people of all cultures and creeds to work together for peace and justice.
We pay attention because he also has the ability to declare a Crusade or an Inquisition if he feels it necessary to uphold Christendom. And we breathe a sigh of relief when he doesn’t.
Draco @10. I once said online it was OK for me to be atheist and have a spiritual outlook. Some others were very scathing/hostile at that. I will have to get the Pope to have a word since Lloyd Geering has just died.
I’m sure Lloyd would have agreed with you that religious belief was a not a necessary condition for spirituality. I am very saddened to hear of his death Ianmac. I worked with Lloyd on a national committee considering many public issues – he was a good man. I remember his talk at the Michael King Memorial Lecture in 2013 from which horses would not have prevented me from attending. It’s an hour long, but absolutely fascinating and anyone who hasn’t seen it, or doesn’t know his work, should take some time to view it.
Reporters always seem to preface his name with the myth that he was charged with um.m “blasphemy” or some such when in fact a few very Conservatives wanted him charged but it never made it to the floor. A great writer and thinker was Lloyd.
Very sad – the passing of a prophetic voice in the wilderness of what passes so much today for organised religion.
He was charged with heresy by the Presbyterian Church in the late 1960s. He was ‘acquitted’ . He was then principal of the Knox College (where Presbyterian Ministers were trained at that time).
He subsequently left that role to head Religious Studies at Victoria University (around 1970).
Yes, a great thinker. He was originally trained as a mathematician before taking up religious studies at Otago, which to me has always explained so much of his rigorous and principled approach to issues and questions of faith, theology, ethics and history.
“He was charged with heresy by the Presbyterian Church in the late 1960s.”
I don’t think so Nordy. A small group wanted to charge him but that never happened, let alone his being acquitted.
Can’t find any report of death of Sir Lloyd George Geering ONZ, GNZM, CBE (Professor)
He is now 97.
About the Lloyd Geering heresy. St Lukes Presbyterian in Remuera was planning to have a talk on the matter.
11. The Geering Controversy. Thursday 27 August at 7.30pm. Join Allan Davidson to revisit the 1967 ‘heresy’ trial of Professor Lloyd Geering, its historical context, the trial itself and the impact on the church and wider society. In 1967, Allan was a first year student of Professor Geering who was principal of the Presbyterian Theological College. Yet another list at reception!
Gidday Nordy. it is a long time since I read about the trial so I found this. Sorry it is a bit long. From, “Lloyd Geering – God and Me” (Note no mention of “heresy”.)
“Now, this book had to be finished by October, when the General Assembly was going to meet in order to hear charges that had been laid against me – charges of doctrinal error., Two Presbyterians – one a minister with good theological training, another a layman who had a very simplistic view of Christianity – had laid charges separately. And so on Friday, November 3rd 1967, I was called to the Bar of the House – the General Assembly turns itself into a court of law at this stage – where I heard the charges being expounded by my accusers. There was an electric air of expectancy…… More than a thousand people had packed into the church, ….. On Monday I answered the charges, addressing the Assembly for an hour and a half. After lunch came the debate. …..But before there had been very much time for any adequate discussion of the real issues, a motion was put to the House, and later carried firmly on the voices – and it said that “the Assembly judges that no doctrinal error has been established, dismisses the charges and declares the case closed”. http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s1333339.htm
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You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
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Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
A long time ago, Brian Turner wrote a poem in which, among the mountains, as he slept on a river flat … My speechless ancestors played like mice among my dreamsand he woke to the river running over my bed of stone. I have come to know that where a ...
Pacific Media Watch President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and ...
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman says New Zealand should provide a robust response to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, and also "should stop tip-toeing" around Trump. ...
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin FelletIf you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...
The funnyman takes us through his life in television, including Jono and Ben mayhem, live Telethon flubs, and funnelling all those experiences into his new comedy Vince. There’s an inciting incident in Three’s new comedy Vince where morning television presenter Vince Walters (Jono Pryor) is visiting sick kids in hospital ...
People often claim they just want Waitangi Day to be a celebration. At Waitangi, away from the headlined political acrimony and the marae ātea, celebrating is what most people are doing. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous ...
Is there anything more fashionable than a Māori get together? One of the best things about Northland is that nobody cares what they look like — probably because they’re all naturally more stylish than the rest of us, famously. Māori from the Far North, especially. In 27 degree heat, wearing ...
I’ve been in love with him since last July, but it’s only now in this tepid hotel room that I find myself wondering why. The first thing he does when we arrive is smoke a cone in the bathroom – he emerges, hacking up a lung, fists thrust into his ...
MONDAY“Name,” barked a representative of the lower orders.I regarded him with a look of stern disapproval, and told him from up high, “May I remind you that I have name suppression. I shall also thank you to ask with more respect as befits a former president of the Act Party, ...
Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, edited by Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira has just been released by Otago University Press. In this essay, Books are Taonga, Jeanette Wikaira explores her personal relationship to books and their value.For me, books are taonga. The knowledge ...
Get to know Tara, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Tara’s human for their support! Dog name: Tara Age: Two Breed: Mostly Border Collie and a little bit Catahoula Leopard dog If dog ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
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The committee has published this list to inform the public about its work, and to give clarity to submitters who have contacted the committee asking if they will be invited to make an oral submission. ...
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Andrea Vance criticises the behaviour of the government with respect to transparency. In the standard, stuck-record narrative of most MSM commentators, she concludes that the Government have got away with dishonesty over issues like the Saudi sheep fiasco because the public has “moved on™” by the time the details come out in the wash. The media, if they were serious about such sentiments, could easily counter that. A front-page splash headlined “No evidence for PM’s $30m lawsuit claim” would do nicely. If the government got a few headlines of that ilk, they’d quickly find that they were constantly doing frantic battle with an impression of sleaze and dishonesty in a race against time before the public “moved on”, rather than sitting on their smug arses while media pundits did their work for them.
“moving on”
Probably assisted by the tendency of journalists to interview their own opinions; starting with conclusions and seeking out justifications to support those conclusions in their stories; tailoring their stories to popular fictional formats/archetypes for easy identification/absorbsion by reader; and do it all by end of trade each day. And this cycle of idiocy supported and encouraged by the ideology of various “capitalisms” of either persuasion – the Left (accumulation of social influence) or Right (accumulation of financial influence).
A real news story stays a real story whether you write it today, tomorrow or next month. Possibly the difference between current events reporting and Literature is that reporting shouldn’t try to be (and can’t attempt to be) philosophically conclusive: It’d be an obvious conceit of the highest and most ridiculous kind. Which is probably why some people have noticed. Those opinion columns of various “Senior Journalists” are just myopic tautologies, yet so many readers seem to base their perspective around that axis.
If newspapers are just there to create the impression of a culture remaining a static truth despite shifts in reality, and readers are happy with that because they’re horrified by the idea that people other than themselves exist, or that they exist, then papers/media are completely defunct because once a person knows they believe something, their minds can no longer keep up the charade.
Yip, the first sentence of that story can be “In the long-running scandal around a Saudi sheep deal, the prime minister has again failed to provide key evidence he repeatedly promised would validate all of his claims to date”.
But that tone of reporting is reserved for Labour and Labour leaders like Cunliffe. Not Honest John.
Actually, the headline for that would have to be:
. . . lets be explicit
If we are going to be explicit here, then it should be.
More Evidence PM Lied, again, as usual.
There that’s fixed it .
“PM comfortable with the level of lying in Saudi deal”
Yeah – not newsworthy though.
‘PM tells the truth’ would be newsworthy.
This piece of shit doesn’t know the meaning of the word.
Well, of course I considered that, but I was looking for a headline that would be neither actionable nor open to the “don’t pick on me” defence.
Disappointed with Andrew Little on Q&A this morning. Allowed interviewer (can’t remember his name) to ride rough-shod over him. Answers too laboured. That is not to say he didn’t have good points to make, but he isn’t projecting his voice so we can actually hear what he is saying.
Winston Peters showed him how to do it later in the show.
can’t agree with you there Anne, Parkin attempted to dominate and antagonise with ridiculous questions, but I think Andrew held firm and didn’t fall for the usual tricks of soundbite searching, which then lead to the usual tedious headlines.
I raise you “an honest government” over the “strong, stable government” National have falsely seduced the masses with.
I thought parkin was fair and good – little was dismal, anxious and seemed under prepared.
Parkin wasn’t interested in replies, only throwing the next question in attempt to produce a silly soundbite.
Listen to Andrew’s answers and tell me where he was “dismal, anxious and seemed under prepared.”????? I am incredulous you have said that, are we are the same planet?
parkin gave him time at the start, then he realised where little was at, couldn’t believe his luck and went for the disrespectful talk over – all littles fault imo
so, sort of went in for the kill, when Andrew was trying to be reasonable and honest you mean? So Andrew should have been more like Joyce, or Key and been combative? I don’t think so Sir, that is not what Labour are about.
I chose an honest decent government over smart Alec’s anyday thanks very much for asking.
there is a middle road where he could have been confident, prepared and on top of his game – every time he fucks it up isn’t always because there was a ‘trap’ or he was ‘got’ – sometimes, like all of us, he just fucks it up. imo his stern, moral outrage pilgrim like face is his best – plenty to be outraged about too at the moment – lucky eh.
Little reminds me of Hank Hill from King of the Hill.
Looks and sounds like him.
Yeah You have said that crap before Key reminds me of the fucking spivs my family had to deal with in the east end.
….which makes his grin so much more authentic when he realises people questioning him are just being ridiculous
yes i agree he has an authentic, genuine smile
I liked his cheeky smile at the end of the interview when he was asked how well he was doing as leader. He should show that more often.
hi whateva,
‘I chose an honest decent government over smart Alec’s anyday thanks very much for asking.’
i am kinda with you ,however..
more people choose the “what is in it for me ?” approach, and we all end up with the smart alecs.
i have been thinking about the approach the left should take.
beyond appearing UNIFIED, is there a left wing crosby and textor around.
simple short unifying messages leading to election then do the horse scaring stuff once the levers of power have been gotten hold of.
“is there a left wing crosby and textor around.”? I wonder this all the time!!! or at least when will there be a ….?
I don’t know, Anne. We currently have a PM who knows how to project his voice but every time he opens his mouth only lies come out, so what good does it do to us?
Maybe we all need to stop thinking the best person for the job is the one that can run a stand up comedy show and start listening to what they actually say and look at what they actually do.
Nah we should whinge and then do nothing other than wait for the next opportunity to vote.
That’s the Kiwi democracy we love
Little desperately needs some media training.
I would have expected by now for him to sound a lot better than he did when he won the leadership contest. IMO he sounds worse. You can barely hear him (it is worse on radio) and he seems disinterested.
I do not think Labour will ever go for the “celebrity” politics, thankfully, and Andrew consistently comes over a reasonable, honest, thoughtful and immensely pragmatic. Not sure what more we can reasonably ask of him
I agree with your assessment of Little’s personality and he exhiibits those characteristics when you meet him in person.
However, most voters will never meet him in person and will assess him on his radio and TV performance, and IMO this could be greatly improved. I don’t watch TV news much, but on radio he sounds vague, diffident, and is virtually inaudible at times.
fair enough
Whats the point of Labour getting media training they always seem to use Brian Edwards who is useless. If you cannot afford a professional media training then forget it.
Edwards is worse than useless. He knows nothing about new media and hates it. The moment a media consultant declares that they hate a medium or talks about how people “should” behave using it, they’ve passed their retirement date. No matter how awful it might be, it exists and people use it they way they want to, not the way he wants them to. The first things a consultant has to do is observe and learn and Edwards refuses to do so.
And look who else Labour has put in charge of communications over time: Curran and Robertson.
I’m not going to suggest who they should use – it should be someone I’ve never heard of, someone new, bursting with energy and ideas. I’ve said it before, there’s loads of talent in the schools where they teach design and media – and precious few jobs waiting for them. There should be at least one going in Labour.
I largely concur, Anne.
Andrew Little will not be PM. There are leaders and enforcers and Little seems to be more of an enforcer to me.
I dunno mate – when I look at the miserable performance of the f**kwit in power I reckon absolutely anyone can be PM.
Yep, even spud farmers from Te Kuiti
Don’t be shy Stuart . Tell the whole story The fuckwit we have in power. I will go one better The lying perverted money trading fucking spiv.
Keiser Report E792 ft. Prof. Steve Keen. Some great ideas to stop the boom/bust cycle instigated by bankers
On “Stuff – The Press” – a review of Fiona Farrell’s new book:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/books/70844209/aftershock-fiona-farrells-whitehot-response-to-the-christchurch-earthquake
Quote from “Stuff”:
“Came the earthquake, and everything changed. There were the 164 dead, the 100,000 damaged houses, and the 25,000 that had to be demolished. But there were now also CERA and a new bunch of central government authorities under Gerry Brownlee, which took the city over from local authorities. With them, they brought their neo-liberal philosophy. What was good for business or for private enterprise (property developers, demolition and construction firms) was good for the city. The traditional needs of residents had lower priority.
Taking the Avon Loop neighbourhood as her example, Fiona Farrell argues that Red Zoning has often functioned as a form of land grab by developers. They wanted to change the social nature of the area by creating expensive riverside residences beyond the reach of the socio-economic group who lived in “the Loop” pre-earthquake.
Parts of the book are white-hot expose, with Farrell showing the delaying tactics of insurance companies, whose aim was to pay out as little as possible to desperate householders in order to preserve their profits.”
Rings pretty true, to my way of thinking!
thanks, that book looks a very interesting read.
“showing the delaying tactics of insurance companies, whose aim was to pay out as little as possible to desperate householders in order to preserve their profits.”
ALL insurance companies do that. They don’t make their money by meting every claim. parasites.
Legal advice for the Sheep trade Saudi? Well sort of.
From Tim Watkin writing in response to a column on Pundit by Andrew Geddis on Saudi Sheep Saga:
“But today on The Nation Heather du Plessis Allan, who broke the story, said there is legal advice and it came from Clayton Kimpton. See her talk about this from 3:10 http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/thenation/panel-bernard-hickey-jacqueline-rowarth-and-heather-du-plessis-allan-2015080810#axzz3iBUEy6Ve . A quick google shows Kimpton left Kensington Swan to take up a position with MFAT based in Dubai in 2012.”
HDA also said this Clayton guy was the same person who gave legal advice over the Sky CIty debacle I meant deal.
I recall during the fallout from Winebox, when some big players didn’t like the advice they got in NZ about the legality of their scheme, they enlisted a Queensland Barrister who wrote what they wanted to hear and allowed them to later rely on it as having received “legal advice”.
BBC Hardtalk, 2011, Key forgets himself and says openly that anyone can get a lawyer or a scientist to say whatever they want them to say….
Is that a clayton’s lawyer or a real one who has been given a notable name.
😉
John Key’s birthday today. See the puff piece from Bill English and a journalist. As usual, I read the readers’ comments under the article. They were very interesting!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70917628/john-key-is-turning-54–bill-english-wanted-you-to-know-that#comments
El Tigre Chino2 days ago
John Key eats the sun and drinks the skies, and they both go with him when he dies.
Happy Birthday. Now piss off back to Hawaii.
I always thought John Key’s birthday was April the 1st
Are we sure that he was actually born? He shows all the classic behaviours of a T-101.
FJK’s DNA was synthesized from Thatcher and Trump in the reptilian incubation facility
– George Carlin
Historians may look to 2015 as the year when shit really started hitting the fan. Some snapshots: In just the past few months, record-setting heat waves in Pakistan and India each killed more than 1,000 people. In Washington state’s Olympic National Park, the rainforest caught fire for the first time in living memory. London reached 98 degrees Fahrenheit during the hottest July day ever recorded in the U.K.; The Guardian briefly had to pause its live blog of the heat wave because its computer servers overheated. In California, suffering from its worst drought in a millennium, a 50-acre brush fire swelled seventyfold in a matter of hours, jumping across the I-15 freeway during rush-hour traffic. Then, a few days later, the region was pounded by intense, virtually unheard-of summer rains. Puerto Rico is under its strictest water rationing in history as a monster El Niño forms in the tropical Pacific Ocean, shifting weather patterns worldwide.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-point-of-no-return-climate-change-nightmares-are-already-here-20150805
It is now estimated that Climate Change causes around 5 million deaths every year –
http://mic.com/articles/21419/climate-change-kills-5-million-people-every-year
Thanks joe90 – both links are awesome
Seems we might have choices marty – a moderate disaster or major disaster.
https://www.vox.com/2015/6/23/8831675/climate-change-united-states-benefits
You are a good person joe.
Yep choices are there – I’m feeling like it is time to take the next step in terms of my whānau. There is a down side to being an action orientated aries tiger lol
Yep, still like this Pope
Those quotes there which have been attributed to what the Pope has supposedly said cannot actually be traced to an authentic that is publicly available.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/popeatheist.asp
I’d spend some more time examing the reasons why such a statement lifts your skirt if I was you
Then assess your gullibility levels
Really? Why?
I find quite a lot of truth in that statement no matter who said it. That’s the thing about truths – it really doesn’t matter who said them.
It sure as fuck does matter, if was said by ‘gods main man on earth’
Whilst Pope Francis may not have uttered those exact words, the meme is reasonably in tune with his sentiments. Here are the salient extracts of the message: http://en.radiovaticana.va/storico/2013/05/22/pope_at_mass_culture_of_encounter_is_the_foundation_of_peace/en1-694445
My summary: it is important for all people of all cultures and creeds to work together for peace and justice.
Why?
We pay attention because he also has the ability to declare a Crusade or an Inquisition if he feels it necessary to uphold Christendom. And we breathe a sigh of relief when he doesn’t.
Draco @10. I once said online it was OK for me to be atheist and have a spiritual outlook. Some others were very scathing/hostile at that. I will have to get the Pope to have a word since Lloyd Geering has just died.
I’m sure Lloyd would have agreed with you that religious belief was a not a necessary condition for spirituality. I am very saddened to hear of his death Ianmac. I worked with Lloyd on a national committee considering many public issues – he was a good man. I remember his talk at the Michael King Memorial Lecture in 2013 from which horses would not have prevented me from attending. It’s an hour long, but absolutely fascinating and anyone who hasn’t seen it, or doesn’t know his work, should take some time to view it.
Reporters always seem to preface his name with the myth that he was charged with um.m “blasphemy” or some such when in fact a few very Conservatives wanted him charged but it never made it to the floor. A great writer and thinker was Lloyd.
imo lloyd geering was a hero
I hadn’t heard that Lloyd has passed away.
Very sad – the passing of a prophetic voice in the wilderness of what passes so much today for organised religion.
He was charged with heresy by the Presbyterian Church in the late 1960s. He was ‘acquitted’ . He was then principal of the Knox College (where Presbyterian Ministers were trained at that time).
He subsequently left that role to head Religious Studies at Victoria University (around 1970).
Yes, a great thinker. He was originally trained as a mathematician before taking up religious studies at Otago, which to me has always explained so much of his rigorous and principled approach to issues and questions of faith, theology, ethics and history.
“He was charged with heresy by the Presbyterian Church in the late 1960s.”
I don’t think so Nordy. A small group wanted to charge him but that never happened, let alone his being acquitted.
Hi Ianmac – it was at the 1967 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. Check his Wikipedia entry for some of the details.
Can’t find any report of death of Sir Lloyd George Geering ONZ, GNZM, CBE (Professor)
He is now 97.
About the Lloyd Geering heresy. St Lukes Presbyterian in Remuera was planning to have a talk on the matter.
11. The Geering Controversy. Thursday 27 August at 7.30pm. Join Allan Davidson to revisit the 1967 ‘heresy’ trial of Professor Lloyd Geering, its historical context, the trial itself and the impact on the church and wider society. In 1967, Allan was a first year student of Professor Geering who was principal of the Presbyterian Theological College. Yet another list at reception!
I am sure his death was reported on radio last week but like you I cannot find any record of it. Strange.
“I cannot find any record of it.
No neither can I.
Gidday Nordy. it is a long time since I read about the trial so I found this. Sorry it is a bit long. From, “Lloyd Geering – God and Me” (Note no mention of “heresy”.)
“Now, this book had to be finished by October, when the General Assembly was going to meet in order to hear charges that had been laid against me – charges of doctrinal error., Two Presbyterians – one a minister with good theological training, another a layman who had a very simplistic view of Christianity – had laid charges separately. And so on Friday, November 3rd 1967, I was called to the Bar of the House – the General Assembly turns itself into a court of law at this stage – where I heard the charges being expounded by my accusers. There was an electric air of expectancy…… More than a thousand people had packed into the church, ….. On Monday I answered the charges, addressing the Assembly for an hour and a half. After lunch came the debate. …..But before there had been very much time for any adequate discussion of the real issues, a motion was put to the House, and later carried firmly on the voices – and it said that “the Assembly judges that no doctrinal error has been established, dismisses the charges and declares the case closed”.
http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s1333339.htm
Yes – thanks Ianmac.
Heresy is in effect a ‘simple’ way of describing ‘doctrinal error’. It became the common way (and still is) of referring to what occurred in 1967.
PS – I was giving a quick summary – not a technical or precise description – of the fascinating and troubling events of that time.
Also from Radionz –
Next Wednesday, radionz.co.nz launches the most significant Toby-based journalism project of the year: a tale of two Tobys; a force Toby reckoned with; great Toby here at last.
We’re bringing together ground-breaking graphic artist Toby Morris and rapier-witted journalist Toby Manhire.
Every week, they’ll combine to tackle an issue that has been making headlines, with a collection of words, images, questions and answers.
Yes, great news! And a very clever intro article
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/280502/toby,-or-toby-that-is-the-question