GOOD TEACHER, BAD TEACHER (THE PERSISTENT MYTH)
Dave’s students gain grades well above the national average. He focuses on the curriculum and how best to deliver the syllabus according to approved didactic theory. His eye is on assessment dates, the next ERO audit and his tracking milestones leading up to the end of year exams. He knows he can get the best grades out of his students by sticking to his plan, allowing minimum discussion outside of the main themes and by grooming his students for assessment. He feeds them a regular stream of past question papers with model answers. He gives his students feedback, rewarding them with praise when their answers align with conformity. His students know class-time with him is predictable, structured, and achievement orientated. Dave was pleased to receive a letter from the Ministry:
Dear David Jones
Congratulations on the excellent grades achieved by your NCEA students. You have demonstrated the high ideals demanded of your profession and it is our pleasure to inform you of a $20 000 bonus payable to you under our performance-based pay scales. Our assessors have identified you as an ‘expert teacher’ and would like to invite you to lead a series of seminars imparting tips and strategies to those struggling in the profession. We will be in touch with you early next year.
Yours sincerely
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
The grades of Sarah’s students approximate the national average. She focuses on the educational needs of young hearts and minds in her care and understands that the subject matter is not always of prime interest to a teenager. Accordingly she brings enrichment to her lessons and is delighted when greater numbers begin active participation. She encourages enquiry, independent thought and risk-taking. Her eye is not so much on grades in relation to national averages but on the number of shy, hesitant or poorly motivated students, who during the course of the year have ‘ah ha’ moments and begin to take ownership of their own education. Sarah’s students know class-time with her is an opportunity to explore thought processes, savour the subject matter and look more deeply into themselves as maturing human beings. Sarah received a letter from her school’s Board of Trustees.
Dear Sarah Thompson
Once again we note the grades attained by your NCEA students are barely above the national average. We would urge you to make a greater effort next year by embracing methods currently identified as best practice. We remind you too that the Ministry offers remunerative incentives for better performance. To this end we urge you to attend next year’s seminars conducted by an expert teacher from the Department.
Yours sincerely
CHAIRMAN (BOARD OF TRUSTEES)
Brilliant Ant. Yet that idiot Seymour cannot see that money damages authenticity.
A few years ago Auckland Grammar claimed a high pass rate based on exactly your David Jones. Practice exam passing and practice again. It is why AG want to stay with exams like Lauriette.
A few years ago the private college in Parnell had high fails in Cambridge. With no NCEA many of the students left and had to do 6 months foundation courses at Uni to get into Uni. But not made public cos they do not have to publish results. Needless to say many parents were ropable.
Seymour from memory said no other “business” when referring to paying teachers well… It was galling to watch a guy representing 0.4% of the electorate getting so much air time…
Excellent Ant – I was a couple of days ago trying to explain my wee rant on my Facebook page about David Seymours piece to my son, who incidentally went to Auckland Grammar, back in the day and his son also attends AG, not without more than a few problems at the beginning of the year. He cannot see the reasoning behind the collective agreement, and not simply applying performance pay for such teachers such as ‘Dave’, who fits the criteria of (only) results based teaching. I struggled to articulate my feelings about my misgivings about such methodology or pedagogy and like a lot of employers he sheets most of the blame to the unions, for simply doing their job.
national are just using there divided and conquer technic so they can force any policies on teachers Jolly bee these people are control freaks and Don’t like the teachers unity putting them in there places they just want to privatise our schools and give a shit service.
Performance Pay is based on the belief that if you give people more money they will perform better. For jobs that depend on colleagues to cooperate, extra pay for extra work doesn’t work.
How about Performance Pay for MPs? Someone would get to choose which MP is better than another and since a Party depends on a tight togetherness, there would be bad feelings among those who do not get chosen.
“I’m damned if I am going to let that bastard pinch my ideas so I will not share and my staff will be bound to silence.”
“And what if the Minister of Finance lets us all down with an idiotic lie about fiscal errors which don’t exist? Leaves all in our Party looking dishonest and stupid. Should his pay be docked by 50% like we would do to a common beneficiary? ”
And in the ACT Party who would decide on his competence? Seymour has a huge belief in himself so would award a huge bonus.
A huge number of workers work hard out of a belief and pleasure in what they do. Money is not the main driver and P Pay is an insult.
Well said Ianmac. But in my experience many people from the ‘world of business’ are devoted to their latest theory, and believe it will succeed everywhere if only people would apply their theory correctly. They do not countenance any basic flaw in their beloved theory. (Maybe because of self-interest?)
“A huge number of workers work hard out of a belief and pleasure in what they do. Money is not the main driver and P Pay is an insult.”
This performance pay malarkey has two main errors which people who come from outside the teaching/carer industries do not often understand. You are right, Ianmac in pointing out the tremendous cooperation and the reason why we teachers did as we did, to benefit kids.
It wasn’t the money. What I remember from my association with teaching over forty years are firstly the students, then the staff, then the good teaching and real changes to people that sometimes occurred.
Funnily I don’t remember the salary that well. But when I was a farm and industrial worker, wages and conditions were the main driver for my effort. I can still tell you the rates from forty to fifty years ago. $1 an hour plus overtime at time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter as a cleaner the Sixties and then $125 pw plus half a sheep, firewood and free accommodation as a farm worker in the late Seventies.
Hmmm.. perhaps.
I am unhappy largely because of poor pay.
I am in hospitality in a busy kitchen.
I have suggested a non taxable travel allowance, profit share and a simple pay increase.
All not doable.
I am merely seeking the living wage for a fully qualified, 20 years experience chef.
This is why I resent talk of ‘the average wage’. It is so far beyond me and my colleagues
I am not referring to those poorly paid and in low wage jobs. I am referring to the Seymour/National notion that more money makes everyone happier.
Research sjows when employees feel unvalued, bullied and/or mistrustful then paying them more makes them better paid under valued, bullied and mistrustful employees. Not more productive.
Pay rises are nice but almost never solve the underlying problem which is lack of respect and value.
+1 mac1.
But this is one of the reasons that teachers are underpaid. Despite the ranting of rightie rednecks about how powerful the teacher unions are, teachers will not actually do more than a token one-day strike during pay negotiations. They get exploited because right-wing greedies say that they enjoy their ‘vocation’ so much that they are not seeking high pay. And they are not ruthless enough to really strike.
Teachers by and large (me included) would accept current universal low pay before Seymore’s poisoned chalice of heaps of performance pay.
We need a new government with educational vision, or we need a more vicious way of striking that hurts the govt more than students and parents.
In the past, govt always caved in to teachers if the struggle went on a long time, and govt eventually realised that too many Boards of Trustees were starting to side with the teachers.
Instant general settlement at that point.
Another aspect totally ignored is the fact that many students in private or high performing secondary schools have been “privately coached” for the exams. This is typically ignored by those who promote results based performance pay.
This ability to ignore all the variables that cannot be controlled seems to be either irrational thinking or deliberate deceit which brings us to the real reason for performance pay- cost cutting and union busting.
Those who have achieved a position by climbing over the backs of others, instead of joining arms and supporting others along the journey are probably those who would be first into the life-raft ahead of others more needy. I guess I will never understand their view any more than they will understand mine.
So I haven’t commented for a long time so forgive me (life has been busy having babies, becoming self-employed etc). I’d also become so disillusioned with NZ politics. But my left-leaning views hadn’t changed in all that time, and finally I feel some hope for a Labour-Green government as a prospect in two weeks time.
Because of my passion, I started making comments on Facebook on Stuff and Spin-off articles again. Nothing rude, abusive or derogatory about the right. Just criticism of some of the dirty politics e.g. the made up “hole” this week. And I publicly gave Jacinda the win from the Town Hall debate because I think she wiped the floor with Bill and anyone who couldn’t see that was watching another debate!
Anyway, the point of my comment here is this. Suddenly, after making such public Facebook comments, Facebook suggests Wayne Eagleson to me as a friend. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I’m a very sane person haha but I can’t help feeling creeped out that suddenly he pops up as a friend suggestion. We know NO ONE in common, I have nothing to do with him in my personal or professional life. As far as I understand how these “suggestions” work, he has popped up because he has been looking at my page?! And presumably because I criticised the Nats? Does anyone else find this creepy and insidiously Big Brother-like? I am furious.
Yes for sure, I’m under no illusions about Facebook! My fury arises from the fact that Wayne Eagleson is out there poking about on the pages of anyone who might be an “enemy” of the Nats! How dare he!?
Dollars to donuts it won’t be Wayne Eagleson out there poking about on the pages of anyone who might be an “enemy” of the Nats, it’ll be Facebook, operating as a hands-on partner in Nationals campaign.
Anyway, the point of my comment here is this. Suddenly, after making such public Facebook comments, Facebook suggests Wayne Eagleson to me as a friend.
At 2.30 in the video linked below, one of Trump’s digital managers explains how Google, Facebook and YouTube were the campaign’s hands-on partners, consulting directly with Cambridge Analytica to help get Donald Trump elected, because they were paid millions.
They are hacking our democracy as they hacked the British exciting I think that is a big mistake Britain leaving the European union British is held up as WORLD leaders and if they leave the union America will have a stronger influence on Britain and it won’t be good like I say I don’t believe in coincidence Britain needs to have a nother vote on that subject the European union needs to demand this to happen.
Facebook’s algorithms would have noticed your interest in NZ politics and have popped it up a a shared interest. If they don’t have much data on you then you can get some pretty wide choices.
Not dumb-enough machine issue to me. Get out of my face is the reaction I feel. I wondered why a well-known poster would show up as wanna-be-friend on my facebook other day. I didn’t know how it worked, and thought why would they want to friend me. So nosy machine is the answer, makes more sense.
The next NZ Govt may well be permitted to succeed.
BRICS reforming the UN,
US Fed reforming,
China flanking the slipping USD with moves in the cypto-currencies,
Scottish Govt investigating UBI,
lots of things adding up.
Joyce has always been the Master of Spin and the Dark Arts ?
Control of the media is a very powerful tool especially in political circles, Hitler & Goebbels did it very well in the 1930’s and 1940’s in Germany prior to and during WW2 ?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Steve Braunias writes a charming piece with Jacinda on the Trail. Exhausting just reading about a long exciting day with Jacinda and reflects the amazing people response she gets.
eg: “The turnout for Jacinda Ardern at Waikato University was bigger than orientation day.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11919861
PS. Be interesting to contrast when Steve is to write about being with Bill.
Scotty Morrison is one of the good guys. Sadly a bit of an exception amongst the other Morrisons I have met (3l), who behave a little self entitled and” royal” .
Let me answer my own question. No, he should not. Gareth Morgan should have taken his place. The law was made with good intention, but on this occasion the law turned out once again to be an ass.
Not in this case, but otherwise I agree. (Gareth could not buy his way in here.)
However, it is not only Morgan’s wealth that gives him appeal – a number of naïve people are really impressed with his ideas. Whoops – did I say something bad then?
Interesting for those who love the mountains and bush and wonder what the political parties are saying
“Federated Mountain Clubs is the national association of tramping, climbing and outdoor clubs, with over 20000 members. We’ve been going (and growing) since 1931, and have always been politically neutral.
We’ve got a few questions for you, as conservation spokesperson for your party. We want to know if you have policies that will protect and enhance our Outdoors and if your party will speak up for an outdoor life worth living.”
The Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu has called on Aung San Suu Kyi to end military-led operations against Myanmar’s Rohingya minority, which have driven 270,000 refugees from the country in the past fortnight.
The 85-year old archbishop said the “unfolding horror” and “ethnic cleansing” in the country’s Rahkine region had forced him to speak out against the woman he admired and considered “a dearly beloved sister”.
Despite Aung San Suu Kyi defending her government’s handling of the growing crisis, Tutu urged his fellow Nobel peace price winner to intervene.
“I am now elderly, decrepit and formally retired, but breaking my vow to remain silent on public affairs out of profound sadness,” he wrote in a letter posted on social media.
and this which sums it up
“It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country,” said the anti-apartheid activist. “If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep.”
Just speculation, but I should imagine the military in Myanmar, after God knows how many years as a military dictatorship, is still the most powerful force in the country – and may well be beyond Aung San Suu Kyi’s control.
and may well be beyond Aung San Suu Kyi’s control.
She’s a fucking cheer leader.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi left even her most ardent supporters shocked when she lost her composure after being challenged by BBC presenter Mishal Husain on the massacres of Muslims in Myanmar.
The Burmese politician was left ruffled as she was repeatedly asked by Husain to condemn anti-Islamic sentiment during an interview on the Today programme. “I think there are many, many Buddhists who have also left the country for various reasons,” she replied after being pressed for an answer. “This is a result of our sufferings under a dictatorial regime.”
She was later heard complaining off-air: “No one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.”
A little piece of trivia for the weekend, and for all cycling enthusiasts.
“Pod racing: human-powered speed
Like a scene from “Star Wars”, a sleek white capsule zips across the scorching Nevada desert. But there are no rocket boosters here. The bullet-like vessels that will hurtle down State Route 305 next week at velocities of up to 145km (90 miles) per hour are driven entirely by pumping legs and arms. This will be the 18th edition of the annual World Human-Powered Speed Challenge, a competition for bicycles, tricycles and tandems. Most riders pedal in a recumbent position, accelerating for 8km before reaching a speed trap of 200m. This is no contest for crackpot tinkerers. Graeme Obree, twice holder of cycling’s prestigious hour-distance record, competed in 2013. The current mark for the fastest human vehicle was set last year by Google-sponsored Todd Reichert, a speed skater with a PhD in aerospace engineering. If high-tech racing is your thing, then these are the ovoids you are looking for.”
I think these people must have been training on the shared footpath along Oriental Bay in Wellington. This is about the speed cyclists travel there.
It is actually out of an Economist prepared e-mail I get each day.
Unless you are registered for it I don’t know where you would be able to see it.
Anyway the source is The Economist. I meant to cite it at the end but I missed it out I’m afraid.
Citations don’t have to be linkable to on the internet. They just need to cite who the author is and where the quote is from. e.g. someone could type out a paragraph from a book, and provide the author and name of the book. Cite is a formal word, really I’m just saying to say where the quote came from, as respect for the person who wrote it and so readers have a bit of context.
Now these people harassing me just don’t get it. I take there attack on me and my credibility as a attack on my FAMILY one mite say your nest is empty and they be right.
The way I interact with my family is I give them the advice I think they need sometimes they take my advice most times they don’t and then most times they don’t take my advice the come to me and say I should have taken your advice so I let my children make there minor mistakes and I DON’T make a big deal of there choices as most people learn by there mistakes.
But when I see or hear that they are going to do STUPID SHIT I put my foot down and I make a big deal about a situation were they are going to make a big mistake and they listen to there dad.
So I’m the head of a my family of 20 my wife children there partners and children our moko.
Now as I have just seen on the Nation on the state cover up of child abuse while in the care of state was covered up.WTF.
That is mentality of western state civil servants it is to cover up all the fuck ups they make at all cost this behaviour was displayed on the Nation and this behaviour is not Acceptable behaviour for the people who actually run our country or our WORLD these people need to be held accountable for there bad behavior or that bad behavior will continue to rot OUR SOCIETY.
I have made challenges to these civil servants and the national party and the Intimidation stepped up more so I’m raffling a lot of big wig in our civil servants.
Now these people are saying you can’t let this criminal no that he has a big following and keep making bull shit up to support there claims Now I’m not criminal because you no if they had anything but gossip and lies with the attention the state is giving me I would be locked up quick smart to silence me.
They are saying we won’t let him no what he has achieved because he is going to hit us on the head with this power.
I say help me correct these people bad behavior because they are the people whom have our future in there hands and we can not afford to let them fuck up our children future.
A commission of inquiry is in my view lets stall this and when the waters are calm they will say no one is at fault.
The way National is behaving is a direct result of the civil servants bad culture of never admit liability to anything at all cost .
And this is the reason that I’m sceptical of Labour being able to change things because these civil servants will lie and cheat Jacainda to keep thing the same and our country World will never be able to right the wrongs if these people are not put in line.
This behavior of our civil servants is why some MPs think they are above the law because they witness this behaviour by civil servants all the time you see all behavior is learned off other people.
Pike River is a cover up of some ones fuck up they don’t give a shit who they hurt so long as there image is all nice and clean. The police force have the same cover there ass culture come on people’s we need to fight this shit.
I have just been reading, on the Liberation website, Bryce Edwards’ affidavit regarding TOP´s exclusion from the minor parties’ debate. I was impressed by the strength of his arguments, and was surprised that the court went the way it did. I know the court needed to take into account TVNZ´s right to decide its own criteria, and I realise that TOP did not meet those criteria, but I would have thought that the public interest in the election outcome would have overridden such narrow considerations.
They don’t want Gareth in government because he knows what is going on I seriously think of switching because of this farcical behavior from the courts Wtf
If TVNZ is legally entitled to its criteria and TOP dont meet that then everything else, however compelling is irrelevant. There is also the problem of polls not reflecting final result and 1+- 4.9% only electorally relevant if you win a seat, so how is TOP doing in electoral seat polls?
The polls are manipulate to suit the cause national mind set is if we lose this election we will rig things so whom gets in power won’t change things to much i.e. NXZZZZZFIrst Maori party. And national think they will win next election and THEY can carry on selling NZ to there M8s remember national are still pulling the strings.
And who has been in the beehive since 1984. Manipulating our politicians !!!!!!😊😊
Although TVNZ may be entitled to set its own criteria I think it has a legal duty, given that an election is a public institution, to ensure that the criteria it decides upon should be both reasonable and democratic. For three percent support to be required doesn´t seem reasonable for a new party, particularly given that many small parties, even those with seats in parliament rarely poll as much as two percent. Two percent is actually quite high for parties other than the big four.
“They continue to dismiss Maori issues as having no relevance or no importance – ‘Oh, it’s about the teachers Marama, we don’t have enough teachers.’ Well of course we have to make a plan but make a commitment first. If these people think having them MPs sitting in the Labour Party is the face they need to ensure they have better outcomes for Maori they are sadly mistaken,” Ms Fox says.
She says Kelvin Davis was made Labour’s deputy leader as a tokenistic gesture to capture the Maori vote, and she doubts he will stay in the role for long.
The Labour Māori MP’s must be wondering what is going to happen – best scenario for them – take all the seats then the MP can bugger off but Howie is in the lead and Hone may still come through. The mana of these MP’s is being tested and it is a fascinating contest.
“She says Kelvin Davis was made Labour’s deputy leader as a tokenistic gesture to capture the Maori vote, and she doubts he will stay in the role for long.”
I like Fox a lot, but I don’t find that credible tbh. As long as he does the job well, why would Labour replace him?
I’m not sure what’s at the bottom of the antagonism between the two parties (I can but guess).
But if the Mp had to choose between being in opposition to a N/Act/NZF govt and being in C and S with a L/G govt (or even in govt), why would they not choose the latter? And if Labour has to choose between being in govt with the Mp or not being able to form govt, why would they not choose the former?
I get disappointed when she does that stuff. I understand why, Labour have been stupid in all this too, but it’s still hard to see the point. The other night she had a poke at Shaw in the debate saying that at this rate they’re looking like they won’t make it back into parliament. Which was odd given her own position, and also just a stupid thing to say to a potential ally as an attack line. She’s been hanging out too long with Nact maybe.
Yep – she has a slightly heightened view of her own skills and abilities imo – and this is seen in her approach to Davis and Shaw and a few others. Very hard for Davis to shut her down – bit of auntie stuff and I’m not sure of their whakapapa but she may have better lines than him – I suspect so because of the way she is belittling him (undermining his mana). Will be up to Jacinda to sort out and she had better support her Labour MP’s (and I’m sure she will) because if not then it will get ugly imo.
Would that mean not giving Mp MPs ministerial roles at the expense of Labour MPs? Sounds fair enough in the first term, the Mp need to prove themselves good allies and the relationship needs time to be rebuilt.
I imagine if there is some arrangement with the MP and Labour then the MP are going to want something to show their supporters – ‘hey look we CAN work with both sides.’ Maybe associate this or that might work – if someone is in then someone is out and those equations are hard to calculate. Pleased it isn’t me doing it.
“she has a slightly heightened view of her own skills and abilities imo – and this is seen in her approach to Davis and Shaw and a few others. Very hard for Davis to shut her down – bit of auntie stuff and I’m not sure of their whakapapa but she may have better lines than him – I suspect so because of the way she is belittling him (undermining his mana). ”
Go read his comment at his first presser as Dep Leader about the MP. Substitue Auntie for whatever and change the pronouns.
This is a two way street and from where I sit Davis started it. Am sorry Fox has lowered herself.
That Davis started the fight with the MP. You seem to sheeting it to Fox with some borderline sexist rhetoric. I am reminding you that Davis was like a kid picking a fight cos he thought he was bigger at that first press conference. My thought at the time was “wtf would you do that for when it is about buikding bridges to bring down Nat/Act.
The fight was already going on before Davis did that. I agree it was an opportunity and I seem to remember Labour opening the door or at least unlocking it whereas Little had locked it and put a chair under the handle on their side.
I think both parties have handled it badly, but I don’t understand Māori politics very well so I am sure there things I am missing.
Well I’ve no idea where she said such a thing, but NZ Labour are currently barreling towards a F&S redux with their insistence that everyone (ie, the state) owns water.
The Green Party disagrees with them.
Mana disagrees with them.
TOPs disagrees with them.
The Maori Party disagrees with them.
They all agree that water belongs to Maori and that any process around water must be Maori led.
Depends how the legislation is couched. The proposed bill might assert ownership. Then again it might simply establish charges for commercial use and leave the question of ownership off the table.
Yes, and the state isn’t everyone, but I guess that takes us deeper into the question.
I don’t think NZ is able to have a conversation on this yet. The best we can do is try and protect water from neoliberalism, but let’s not pretend that making Māori use the Crown’s mechanisms in order to protect their rights is what should happen here. It’s a defensive action, not a proactive one, and it ignores nature rights and the possibility that we belong to the land rather than us owning it.
I would say we’re going to have a self-serving conversation (NZ). The fight is over resources and the only reason it’s being framed in terms of ‘ownership’ (as opposed to say kaitiakitanga) is because most NZers see the natural world as a bank of things to use. The Crown does too. We need to be careful in how we sure them, but ultimately nature is still a thing not a relation and therefore we are more comfortable exploiting it so long as we do so in ways that don’t make our own lives and ability to use the resources worse (would that we could even attain that standard).
Sure we can turn the question on its head, but socialism also tends to treat nature as a resource, which is why so many people just jumped from favouring voting Green to Labour (assuming the polls mean something).
We can protect water from neoliberalism to an extent which is exactly what Labour and even the Greens want to do. Or we can let water take neoliberalism down, but it’s a very rearguard action on nature’s part that will still result in a great deal of suffering and loss.
I don’t think it matters how the legislation is couched OAB. Whatever process or whatever legislation, actions or proposals around water should be informed by the Treaty and Maori led.
NZ Labour proposing or drafting legislation unilaterally, or with some token consultation thrown in as an afterthought, is pretty damned arrogant.
+ 100 one anonymous bloke that is a good view that we should all have we must not let the neo liberals banks influence the policy on water because if they do water will only benefit the 1 percent I seen that happen to our fisheries
Jacinda used the term Kaitiakitanga, Guardianship, as a concept of care.
I don’t know the details of Māoritanga well enough to comment on that, but this Pākehā rejects the notion that we are guardians of water.
We can guard our own livelihoods and preserve a future for our descendants by not destroying the world around us. The water will clean up after us regardless.
We don’t own the world. (To use a Capitalist metaphor) We aren’t its caregivers: we’re its property.
My (limited) understanding is that kaitiakitanga traditionally involved hapū responsibility for a rohe which included not over-using resources. But that this was relationships based and the relationship was not simply about resource management. It’s hard to talk about this without understanding other Māori concepts. Like that we belong to the land.
So we keep getting these translations of words (kaitiakitanga = guardianship) without adequately looking at the meaning in the wider understanding and cultural practices on all sides.
This is why I support compulsory te reo in schools. When we have a large number of NZers understanding the idea in language that they make sense in, then we might get somewhere.
In the meantime we will argue over ‘ownership’ because the selfish, greedy fucks got to set the agenda, for now anyway.
I would be surprised if Ardern was using the word kaitiakitanga outside of a Pākehā world view.
I don’t think that’s what Fox was referring to. Labour, including Davis, have already acknowledged that the deputy PM role might go to another party MP. That’s not the same as the second in command of the Labour Party though.
Fox was too aggressive, what I couldn’t believe, was what she said after saying the Greens might not make it, that if don’t think they’ll (Greens) make it, don’t waste your vote, vote for the Maori Party.
I don’t think that Fox would make a very good coalition partner after that performance.
Shaw was great, very positive summation at end, very polite, never butted in, unlike Seymore, who seems to think he’s the only politician there that matters, he’s so rude, and his opinions are so irrelevant, he’s talking to so few.
True, but Labour didn’t used to be good at relationship either, so there’s potential. I’ve seen Fox make good connections with the Greens and working with them, so I don’t know what was going on the other night. Daft.
Seymour is a disgrace and an embarrassment. In one of the earlier debates I thought he was quite good in terms of debating, but the other night he was rude, aggressive, and showed himself to be an arsehole (and that’s not even getting to his politics but I’m sure it’s related).
Peters’ no show was odd. Like he’s afraid of something (I’d guess Shaw pointing out the problem with NZF being a potential coalition partner for National. So glad that one is finally biting NZF on the bum).
@ NewsFlash (17.1.5) … I guess Peters doesn’t consider himself to be leader of a minor party! Not a good look and considering he does have a support base, he’s showing disrespect to them by not putting in an appearance. He was a no show at another debate, if my memory serves me right.
Marama Fox comes across to me as someone who has quite a nasty streak when she feels so inclined. Not sure I could trust her word in a coalition arrangement.
Odd comment there Anne, the Māori Party have no track record of not keeping their word. Indeed one of the few parties which have listened too, then followed the wishes of their constituents as well.
So I’m guessing your personal take is you dislike Marama Fox, which perfectly OK by the way. But odd, as you are one of the people pushing for a change of government are you not?
I neither like nor dislike her because I don’t know her. It is nothing more than an observation. Funnily enough I nearly added that Tariana Turia who felt deeply betrayed by Labour, never used spite as a weapon against them.
Dunno much about Fox, but Davis has made a few bad steps since becoming deputy leader. Not being on point with policy, being combative in interviews, that sort of thing. If he doesn’t play catch-up he might get kicked down a notch in a year or so.
I watched the Aljazeera doco on NZ water quality,and if only half of it was true it still marks our descent into some kind of banana republic state.It is well worth 25 minutes of your time and there is more to come in the second segment .I must admit that the general stupidity of the whole plan was made a pleasure to view by the main protagonist looking and behaving like Boss Hog from the Dukes of Hazzard!
“The Crown has corrected a historic wrong dating to 1916 by pardoning Rua Kenana, Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says.
The Tuhoe prophet and leader, sometimes known as Ruatapunu, was arrested in 1916 during a raid in which his son was killed.
The agreement was signed by descendants of Kenana and representatives of the Crown at Maungapohatu Marae on Saturday morning.”
100 years – I hope some of the pain is now eased.
“The statutory pardon will not be official until Parliament passes specific legislation, at which point it will only be the fourth arising from Crown/Maori relations”
English: “”What they are doing there are building on their past to link the city to the future in a way that will be strongly symbolic for the whole country as well as the city of Christchurch.”
It sure is strongly symbolic. The National Government have denied Christchurch democracy and interfered in its decision making for years. They don’t want to move NZ or Christchurch into a future that offers a decent life for all people in Christchurch or anywhere , can spend vast millions on vanity projects around NZ now Christchurch, and now want to build another highway – to heaven.
If they think that will fast track them upwards to join the angelic chorus, think again the duplicitous oiks.
It’s the best that could be expected from a government that lacks the vision to create something of comparable cultural and aesthetic value for the space. The wisdom of rebuilding stone structures, however reinforced, in earthquake zones is fairly shaky – not nearly as shaky as Bill’s recipe for economic growth of course.
Hundertwasser would’ve solved the problem economically with a structure fit for the 21st century. The Gnats are simply too backward to even consider his kind of solution.
It turns out that this one is more symbolic than all the other “keystone projects” they’ve made such a shambles of. If they actually had had any vision this would’ve been the place to show it – the Church was by no means sure it wanted to rebuild.
it wasn’t their decision to make…..and there was further court action in the offing….Im actually surprised the Church didn’t offload the problem to the Gov by taking the gifting option.
What they were not committing to was cutting the National’s the punitive Beneficiary process. What the panel wanted was “demolish” the terrible means and manner of the system which intimidates and frightens those in need. But Labour wants to carefully assess just which bits to reform. A blanket promise would cause more harm that good.
Lord almighty… But maybe like Lockwood-Smith, Trevor will surprisingly surpass his previous efforts. ?
Both were questionable as Ministers of Education.
FFS. Natz released a video outlining the life of Bill English! Not only is his wife Mary seen ringing her husband’s praises, but also Bennett, the holy man Joyce and Nikki Kaye.
As to be expected, the Great Fraud himself has been rolled out to give his endorsement of his former deputy!
This sideshow puts me in mind of a poor infomercial praising the wonders of a cheap nasty bowel cleanse product!
With each passing day now, it seems to me Bennett is taking up more and more of the screen, horizontally that is! And this video is definitely demonstrating this point!
Natz getting really desperate now with this lot of old cobblers!
I tried to be openminded about Bill’s promotional video mary, but though it is smoothly produced it is full of platitudes which could apply to anyone. Hard to watch to the end and I couldn’t help remembering the blatant lies that English and Joyce and Bennett told re a certain hole. Why believe anything they say.
Now those civil servants would have shit there pants when they heard my humane ideas of using rewards instead of prison.
They say this Idiot wants to give gang money to stay out of jail or trouble .
Well no that is STUPID one does not reward bad behavior and being in a gang is bad behavior in my view. I Have seen what a jail does to someone he goes for the first time gets 18 months comes put of prison all pumped up because all they got to do in there is pump iron.
He gets out act like he is bulletproof and his behavior is 10x worst than he went in those old buggers in prison con them to join there gang and make them run for them when they get out.
Now the reward good behavior will kill 3 birds with one stone
1 no gangs qualifies so this will erode the gangs base.
2 this will stop people on minor charges will not go to jail and join a gang
3 this will lower our jail population and produce some good citizens and workers it could be training subsidies and employee incentive spend early to save common people
“You cannot take away someone’s story without giving them a new one. It is not enough to challenge an old narrative, however outdated and discredited it may be. Change happens only when you replace one story with another. When we develop the right story, and learn how to tell it, it will infect the minds of people across the political spectrum.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/09/george-monbiot-how-de-we-get-out-of-this-mess
it is worth noting that Monbiot uses the word ‘story’…..not ‘policy.’
For most people when they get a belief about something, it sticks even if contrary evidence should shift them. It takes a willingness to open the mind and look for adjustments. It is probably why intelligent well educated people are looking for solutions to problems where as those less educated tend to hang on to previous conceptions. Probably why people who support Greens and Labour are better educated but the others are conservative and narrow minded.
Fair enough and although I’ve been lambasted here for explaining my metaphors I will explain this one too.
Neoliberalism changed the thinking (attitudes) and actions of a whole generation and this is the “story” that Monbiot was referring to, which I labelled “climate”. Policies are the short-term manifestations of that overarching ‘story’, which I called “weather”. See https://thestandard.org.nz/labours-climate-change-policy-nuclear-free-moment/#comment-1380619 for the climate & weather metaphors.
To take the metaphors one step further, both neoliberalism and CC/AGC are caused by humans and have a ‘human’ solution, i.e. they can be stopped or changed and the outcome can be influenced or altered. This is the important message for both these problems.
“When we encounter a complex issue and try to understand it, what we look for is not consistent and reliable facts but a consistent and comprehensible story. When we ask ourselves whether something “makes sense”, the “sense” we seek is not rationality, as scientists and philosophers perceive it, but narrative fidelity. Does what we are hearing reflect the way we expect humans and the world to behave? Does it hang together? Does it progress as stories should progress?
A string of facts, however well attested, will not correct or dislodge a powerful story. The only response it is likely to provoke is indignation: people often angrily deny facts that clash with the narrative “truth” established in their minds. The only thing that can displace a story is a story. Those who tell the stories run the world.”
The one story flows into the next; there are connections (e.g. flash-backs) and repeated themes and characters. No story comes from absolutely nothing; they build on and with existing material.
We are the creators, story-tellers, and the readers/listeners all at the same time. We write these stories by and for ourselves, metaphorically speaking. Each individual has a role to play in the bigger story and ads his/her own unique part to the overall. For all and the one.
I Mac man +100 that is the reason why the neo liberals don’t want our people educate so our people won’t be able to challenge the neo liberals state.This is the reason they stopped free education for all.
Uneducated people are easier to lie to.!!!!!,
I believe that most of the civil servants that run our country and World are neo liberals who don’t no how to come out of there glass bubbles and see the our real world.!!!!
Not sure if this has been posted, but the nick smith sculpture drew a crowd next to nicks caravan at the nelson markets today, and it’s coming to Mot for our sunday market tomorrow. That should always happen. Massive thanks Sam Mahon, epic effort.
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanna Grant-Smith, Professor of Management, University of the Sunshine Coast The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements. Those who are studying to be a teacher, nurse, midwife or social ...
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a dark comedy: Bodkin (Netflix, May 9)An English podcaster, an Irish podcaster and American podcaster walk into a pub and…make a TV show? ...
By Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist A Pacific regionalism academic has called out New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS and says the security deal “raises serious questions for the Pacific region”. Auckland University of Technology academic Dr Marco de Jong ...
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The Student Volunteer Army is on the march, generating approximately 1.6 million hours of volunteering from roughly 35,000 secondary school students in just five years. For Rebekah Brown, the pathway to volunteering started with her singing coach. With a passion for the arts, the suggestion to volunteer at Acting Antics, ...
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Jamie Arbuckle, a councillor who has become an member of parliament, says he has settled into having two roles so comfortably he's going to keep both pay cheques. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced “the ideology of sexism” governing over so many women’s lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images The COVID-19 pandemic and the hybrid work patterns it fostered have changed the way we think about office space, and central business districts in general. While fears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW Sydney There’s a good reason your local volunteer-run netball club doesn’t pay tax. In Australia, various nonprofit organisations are exempt from paying income tax, including those that do charitable work, such as churches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marina Deller, Casual Academic, Creative Writing and English Literature, Flinders University NetflixComedy is opening up spaces for silences to be broken and trauma stories to be told. In 2018, Hannah Gadsby started a revolution with Nanette, asking audiences to rethink ...
The workplace can be a minefield of bad comms and passive aggression. Kinksters can help you navigate it. A friend and colleague recently gave me a compliment I loved. They told me I’d always been good at emotional communication and making people feel comfortable. “But I feel like it’s really ...
Even if some students are now just texting on their laptops. Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Councils from Horowhenua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington City will meet this Friday to work together on a plan for a Greater Wellington region water deal. ...
Renowned musician, advocate, and proud born and raised daughter of Tauranga, Ria Hall, is announcing her candidacy for Mayor of Tauranga and Pāpāmoa Ward for the upcoming election on July 20th. ...
The new Aotearoa histories curriculum is rich with potential. There’s still work to be done, but the education minister’s criticisms about ‘balance’ miss the mark, argues primary school teacher Jessie Moss. In 2015, Ōtorohanga College students presented to parliament a petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling for a ...
For too long our so-called national bird has maintained its stranglehold on the economy of regional New Zealand. Thanks to the fast track legislation, we will have our revenge. Theories abound on what ails New Zealand’s economy. National leader Chris Luxon has posited that we’re negative, wet, whiny, and inward-looking; ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
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ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
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Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
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Guess who just sold his Parnell pile to a buyer in China for 20 million?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11919697
My guess was correct. Off to Hawaii , then?
And maybe why he had no desire to deflate the Auckland housing market through government policy?
He kept a part of the land and will have a new smaller house built.
@ ScottGN (1) … Yep, the great fraud still flaunting his obscene wealth!
It passed National’s ‘bright-line test’ then, didn’t it?
Why was it headline news in the Herald? Kind of a na-na-na-na at English?
GOOD TEACHER, BAD TEACHER (THE PERSISTENT MYTH)
Dave’s students gain grades well above the national average. He focuses on the curriculum and how best to deliver the syllabus according to approved didactic theory. His eye is on assessment dates, the next ERO audit and his tracking milestones leading up to the end of year exams. He knows he can get the best grades out of his students by sticking to his plan, allowing minimum discussion outside of the main themes and by grooming his students for assessment. He feeds them a regular stream of past question papers with model answers. He gives his students feedback, rewarding them with praise when their answers align with conformity. His students know class-time with him is predictable, structured, and achievement orientated. Dave was pleased to receive a letter from the Ministry:
Dear David Jones
Congratulations on the excellent grades achieved by your NCEA students. You have demonstrated the high ideals demanded of your profession and it is our pleasure to inform you of a $20 000 bonus payable to you under our performance-based pay scales. Our assessors have identified you as an ‘expert teacher’ and would like to invite you to lead a series of seminars imparting tips and strategies to those struggling in the profession. We will be in touch with you early next year.
Yours sincerely
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
The grades of Sarah’s students approximate the national average. She focuses on the educational needs of young hearts and minds in her care and understands that the subject matter is not always of prime interest to a teenager. Accordingly she brings enrichment to her lessons and is delighted when greater numbers begin active participation. She encourages enquiry, independent thought and risk-taking. Her eye is not so much on grades in relation to national averages but on the number of shy, hesitant or poorly motivated students, who during the course of the year have ‘ah ha’ moments and begin to take ownership of their own education. Sarah’s students know class-time with her is an opportunity to explore thought processes, savour the subject matter and look more deeply into themselves as maturing human beings. Sarah received a letter from her school’s Board of Trustees.
Dear Sarah Thompson
Once again we note the grades attained by your NCEA students are barely above the national average. We would urge you to make a greater effort next year by embracing methods currently identified as best practice. We remind you too that the Ministry offers remunerative incentives for better performance. To this end we urge you to attend next year’s seminars conducted by an expert teacher from the Department.
Yours sincerely
CHAIRMAN (BOARD OF TRUSTEES)
Brilliant Ant. Yet that idiot Seymour cannot see that money damages authenticity.
A few years ago Auckland Grammar claimed a high pass rate based on exactly your David Jones. Practice exam passing and practice again. It is why AG want to stay with exams like Lauriette.
A few years ago the private college in Parnell had high fails in Cambridge. With no NCEA many of the students left and had to do 6 months foundation courses at Uni to get into Uni. But not made public cos they do not have to publish results. Needless to say many parents were ropable.
Seymour from memory said no other “business” when referring to paying teachers well… It was galling to watch a guy representing 0.4% of the electorate getting so much air time…
0.3
The pressure to conform often masquerading as ‘well-meant’ professional advice.
Excellent Ant – I was a couple of days ago trying to explain my wee rant on my Facebook page about David Seymours piece to my son, who incidentally went to Auckland Grammar, back in the day and his son also attends AG, not without more than a few problems at the beginning of the year. He cannot see the reasoning behind the collective agreement, and not simply applying performance pay for such teachers such as ‘Dave’, who fits the criteria of (only) results based teaching. I struggled to articulate my feelings about my misgivings about such methodology or pedagogy and like a lot of employers he sheets most of the blame to the unions, for simply doing their job.
national are just using there divided and conquer technic so they can force any policies on teachers Jolly bee these people are control freaks and Don’t like the teachers unity putting them in there places they just want to privatise our schools and give a shit service.
Performance Pay is based on the belief that if you give people more money they will perform better. For jobs that depend on colleagues to cooperate, extra pay for extra work doesn’t work.
How about Performance Pay for MPs? Someone would get to choose which MP is better than another and since a Party depends on a tight togetherness, there would be bad feelings among those who do not get chosen.
“I’m damned if I am going to let that bastard pinch my ideas so I will not share and my staff will be bound to silence.”
“And what if the Minister of Finance lets us all down with an idiotic lie about fiscal errors which don’t exist? Leaves all in our Party looking dishonest and stupid. Should his pay be docked by 50% like we would do to a common beneficiary? ”
And in the ACT Party who would decide on his competence? Seymour has a huge belief in himself so would award a huge bonus.
A huge number of workers work hard out of a belief and pleasure in what they do. Money is not the main driver and P Pay is an insult.
Well said Ianmac. But in my experience many people from the ‘world of business’ are devoted to their latest theory, and believe it will succeed everywhere if only people would apply their theory correctly. They do not countenance any basic flaw in their beloved theory. (Maybe because of self-interest?)
“A huge number of workers work hard out of a belief and pleasure in what they do. Money is not the main driver and P Pay is an insult.”
This performance pay malarkey has two main errors which people who come from outside the teaching/carer industries do not often understand. You are right, Ianmac in pointing out the tremendous cooperation and the reason why we teachers did as we did, to benefit kids.
It wasn’t the money. What I remember from my association with teaching over forty years are firstly the students, then the staff, then the good teaching and real changes to people that sometimes occurred.
Funnily I don’t remember the salary that well. But when I was a farm and industrial worker, wages and conditions were the main driver for my effort. I can still tell you the rates from forty to fifty years ago. $1 an hour plus overtime at time and a half for the first four hours and double time thereafter as a cleaner the Sixties and then $125 pw plus half a sheep, firewood and free accommodation as a farm worker in the late Seventies.
If an employee is unhappy and you pay tgem more you get a better paid unhappy employee
Hmmm.. perhaps.
I am unhappy largely because of poor pay.
I am in hospitality in a busy kitchen.
I have suggested a non taxable travel allowance, profit share and a simple pay increase.
All not doable.
I am merely seeking the living wage for a fully qualified, 20 years experience chef.
This is why I resent talk of ‘the average wage’. It is so far beyond me and my colleagues
I am not referring to those poorly paid and in low wage jobs. I am referring to the Seymour/National notion that more money makes everyone happier.
Research sjows when employees feel unvalued, bullied and/or mistrustful then paying them more makes them better paid under valued, bullied and mistrustful employees. Not more productive.
Pay rises are nice but almost never solve the underlying problem which is lack of respect and value.
Hey fair call.
I have heard and have some empathy with: you can’t pay bad employees poorly enough,and you can’t pay good employees well enough.
+1 mac1.
But this is one of the reasons that teachers are underpaid. Despite the ranting of rightie rednecks about how powerful the teacher unions are, teachers will not actually do more than a token one-day strike during pay negotiations. They get exploited because right-wing greedies say that they enjoy their ‘vocation’ so much that they are not seeking high pay. And they are not ruthless enough to really strike.
Teachers by and large (me included) would accept current universal low pay before Seymore’s poisoned chalice of heaps of performance pay.
We need a new government with educational vision, or we need a more vicious way of striking that hurts the govt more than students and parents.
In the past, govt always caved in to teachers if the struggle went on a long time, and govt eventually realised that too many Boards of Trustees were starting to side with the teachers.
Instant general settlement at that point.
+100 imacmam
Performance pay only works for mechanical labour (physical work, basically), and is counterproductive for anything else – studies clearly show this.
Another aspect totally ignored is the fact that many students in private or high performing secondary schools have been “privately coached” for the exams. This is typically ignored by those who promote results based performance pay.
This ability to ignore all the variables that cannot be controlled seems to be either irrational thinking or deliberate deceit which brings us to the real reason for performance pay- cost cutting and union busting.
Those who have achieved a position by climbing over the backs of others, instead of joining arms and supporting others along the journey are probably those who would be first into the life-raft ahead of others more needy. I guess I will never understand their view any more than they will understand mine.
+1
Yes @ tutors
So I haven’t commented for a long time so forgive me (life has been busy having babies, becoming self-employed etc). I’d also become so disillusioned with NZ politics. But my left-leaning views hadn’t changed in all that time, and finally I feel some hope for a Labour-Green government as a prospect in two weeks time.
Because of my passion, I started making comments on Facebook on Stuff and Spin-off articles again. Nothing rude, abusive or derogatory about the right. Just criticism of some of the dirty politics e.g. the made up “hole” this week. And I publicly gave Jacinda the win from the Town Hall debate because I think she wiped the floor with Bill and anyone who couldn’t see that was watching another debate!
Anyway, the point of my comment here is this. Suddenly, after making such public Facebook comments, Facebook suggests Wayne Eagleson to me as a friend. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I’m a very sane person haha but I can’t help feeling creeped out that suddenly he pops up as a friend suggestion. We know NO ONE in common, I have nothing to do with him in my personal or professional life. As far as I understand how these “suggestions” work, he has popped up because he has been looking at my page?! And presumably because I criticised the Nats? Does anyone else find this creepy and insidiously Big Brother-like? I am furious.
Hi frida, the important thing to remember about Facebook is;
you are not the customer, you are the product/commodity.
Yes for sure, I’m under no illusions about Facebook! My fury arises from the fact that Wayne Eagleson is out there poking about on the pages of anyone who might be an “enemy” of the Nats! How dare he!?
Dollars to donuts it won’t be Wayne Eagleson out there poking about on the pages of anyone who might be an “enemy” of the Nats, it’ll be Facebook, operating as a hands-on partner in Nationals campaign.
@joe90 – aha, got it, cheers. Well, I find that equally as abhorrent.
@ Frida (3) … That’s invasive as well as creepy! A form of subtle intimidation as well … ‘we are watching you’, sort of thing!
@mary_a – exactly!! That’s what I thought. and the sort of action that would be so easy to deny by him.
At 2.30 in the video linked below, one of Trump’s digital managers explains how Google, Facebook and YouTube were the campaign’s hands-on partners, consulting directly with Cambridge Analytica to help get Donald Trump elected, because they were paid millions.
https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/905569823777796096
saw a good one the other day – someone posted
“Do you ever feel like your being watched” and then the next comment was
“It is you’re not your” from CIA (with logos and stuff) posted ‘just now’
could be fake and was funny.
I like that. I would almost be tempted to make up a CIA logo to be able to do it..
They are hacking our democracy as they hacked the British exciting I think that is a big mistake Britain leaving the European union British is held up as WORLD leaders and if they leave the union America will have a stronger influence on Britain and it won’t be good like I say I don’t believe in coincidence Britain needs to have a nother vote on that subject the European union needs to demand this to happen.
Facebook’s algorithms would have noticed your interest in NZ politics and have popped it up a a shared interest. If they don’t have much data on you then you can get some pretty wide choices.
Most likely a dumb machine issue.
Not dumb-enough machine issue to me. Get out of my face is the reaction I feel. I wondered why a well-known poster would show up as wanna-be-friend on my facebook other day. I didn’t know how it worked, and thought why would they want to friend me. So nosy machine is the answer, makes more sense.
Seems the world is turning the corner.
The next NZ Govt may well be permitted to succeed.
BRICS reforming the UN,
US Fed reforming,
China flanking the slipping USD with moves in the cypto-currencies,
Scottish Govt investigating UBI,
lots of things adding up.
Bring on the Spring.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/universal-basic-income-scotland-week-cash-payment-life-nicola-sturgeon-first-minister-snp-a7934131.html
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-06/fed-vice-chairman-stan-fischer-resigns-personal-reasons
http://us.pressfrom.com/news/world/-80485-brics-countries-urge-un-reform-cooperation-on-terrorism/
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/amp/english/opinion/John-Pilger-Discusses-US-Threats-Against-North-Korea-20170907-0007.html
http://theduran.com/oil-rich-venezuela-abandoning-us-petrodollar-plans-introduce-new-international-payment-system/
The Cryptocurrency Market https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q7NzgdEtvc
Joyce has always been the Master of Spin and the Dark Arts ?
Control of the media is a very powerful tool especially in political circles, Hitler & Goebbels did it very well in the 1930’s and 1940’s in Germany prior to and during WW2 ?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
One comment and you’re invoking Godwin law?
Steve Braunias writes a charming piece with Jacinda on the Trail. Exhausting just reading about a long exciting day with Jacinda and reflects the amazing people response she gets.
eg: “The turnout for Jacinda Ardern at Waikato University was bigger than orientation day.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11919861
PS. Be interesting to contrast when Steve is to write about being with Bill.
Scotty Morrison gives the Green’s candidate Jack McDonald a good endorsement (from 25.30 in the clip linked below).
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/marae/episodes/s2017-e27
Scotty Morrison is one of the good guys. Sadly a bit of an exception amongst the other Morrisons I have met (3l), who behave a little self entitled and” royal” .
“Scotty Morrison is one of the good guys”
Yes, so is Jack McDonald.
Damien Light. Articulate fast speaking United Future spokesman.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/damian-light-speed-dating-new-face-united-future-unexpected-hit-1-news-minor-parties-debate
I thought he did darn well for a newbie on last nights debate.
But should he have even been there? UF is obviously gone.
Let me answer my own question. No, he should not. Gareth Morgan should have taken his place. The law was made with good intention, but on this occasion the law turned out once again to be an ass.
The law is also an ass in allowing rich men to try to buy political power.
Not in this case, but otherwise I agree. (Gareth could not buy his way in here.)
However, it is not only Morgan’s wealth that gives him appeal – a number of naïve people are really impressed with his ideas. Whoops – did I say something bad then?
Interesting for those who love the mountains and bush and wonder what the political parties are saying
“Federated Mountain Clubs is the national association of tramping, climbing and outdoor clubs, with over 20000 members. We’ve been going (and growing) since 1931, and have always been politically neutral.
We’ve got a few questions for you, as conservation spokesperson for your party. We want to know if you have policies that will protect and enhance our Outdoors and if your party will speak up for an outdoor life worth living.”
https://wilderlife.nz/2017/08/political-parties-say/
Well said Desmond Tutu
and this which sums it up
“It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country,” said the anti-apartheid activist. “If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/08/desmond-tutu-condemns-aung-san-suu-kyi-price-of-your-silence-is-too-steep
Just speculation, but I should imagine the military in Myanmar, after God knows how many years as a military dictatorship, is still the most powerful force in the country – and may well be beyond Aung San Suu Kyi’s control.
yeah I’m sure there are many angles to it and it is not good enough for her to defend the atrocities cos they are ‘whatever’.
In 2017 this shit has to stop.
+100 Marty mars
She’s a fucking cheer leader.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi left even her most ardent supporters shocked when she lost her composure after being challenged by BBC presenter Mishal Husain on the massacres of Muslims in Myanmar.
The Burmese politician was left ruffled as she was repeatedly asked by Husain to condemn anti-Islamic sentiment during an interview on the Today programme. “I think there are many, many Buddhists who have also left the country for various reasons,” she replied after being pressed for an answer. “This is a result of our sufferings under a dictatorial regime.”
She was later heard complaining off-air: “No one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.”
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/aung-san-suu-kyi-no-one-told-me-i-was-going-be-interviewed-by-muslim-1551637
A little piece of trivia for the weekend, and for all cycling enthusiasts.
“Pod racing: human-powered speed
Like a scene from “Star Wars”, a sleek white capsule zips across the scorching Nevada desert. But there are no rocket boosters here. The bullet-like vessels that will hurtle down State Route 305 next week at velocities of up to 145km (90 miles) per hour are driven entirely by pumping legs and arms. This will be the 18th edition of the annual World Human-Powered Speed Challenge, a competition for bicycles, tricycles and tandems. Most riders pedal in a recumbent position, accelerating for 8km before reaching a speed trap of 200m. This is no contest for crackpot tinkerers. Graeme Obree, twice holder of cycling’s prestigious hour-distance record, competed in 2013. The current mark for the fastest human vehicle was set last year by Google-sponsored Todd Reichert, a speed skater with a PhD in aerospace engineering. If high-tech racing is your thing, then these are the ovoids you are looking for.”
I think these people must have been training on the shared footpath along Oriental Bay in Wellington. This is about the speed cyclists travel there.
If you’re going to quote someone, please cite.
It is actually out of an Economist prepared e-mail I get each day.
Unless you are registered for it I don’t know where you would be able to see it.
Anyway the source is The Economist. I meant to cite it at the end but I missed it out I’m afraid.
Citations don’t have to be linkable to on the internet. They just need to cite who the author is and where the quote is from. e.g. someone could type out a paragraph from a book, and provide the author and name of the book. Cite is a formal word, really I’m just saying to say where the quote came from, as respect for the person who wrote it and so readers have a bit of context.
I’d like to thank The Nation on TV3 for their effort in keeping poverty and institutional abuse front and centre.
Wow. I really trust you now.
lol
Now these people harassing me just don’t get it. I take there attack on me and my credibility as a attack on my FAMILY one mite say your nest is empty and they be right.
The way I interact with my family is I give them the advice I think they need sometimes they take my advice most times they don’t and then most times they don’t take my advice the come to me and say I should have taken your advice so I let my children make there minor mistakes and I DON’T make a big deal of there choices as most people learn by there mistakes.
But when I see or hear that they are going to do STUPID SHIT I put my foot down and I make a big deal about a situation were they are going to make a big mistake and they listen to there dad.
So I’m the head of a my family of 20 my wife children there partners and children our moko.
Now as I have just seen on the Nation on the state cover up of child abuse while in the care of state was covered up.WTF.
That is mentality of western state civil servants it is to cover up all the fuck ups they make at all cost this behaviour was displayed on the Nation and this behaviour is not Acceptable behaviour for the people who actually run our country or our WORLD these people need to be held accountable for there bad behavior or that bad behavior will continue to rot OUR SOCIETY.
I have made challenges to these civil servants and the national party and the Intimidation stepped up more so I’m raffling a lot of big wig in our civil servants.
Now these people are saying you can’t let this criminal no that he has a big following and keep making bull shit up to support there claims Now I’m not criminal because you no if they had anything but gossip and lies with the attention the state is giving me I would be locked up quick smart to silence me.
They are saying we won’t let him no what he has achieved because he is going to hit us on the head with this power.
I say help me correct these people bad behavior because they are the people whom have our future in there hands and we can not afford to let them fuck up our children future.
A commission of inquiry is in my view lets stall this and when the waters are calm they will say no one is at fault.
The way National is behaving is a direct result of the civil servants bad culture of never admit liability to anything at all cost .
And this is the reason that I’m sceptical of Labour being able to change things because these civil servants will lie and cheat Jacainda to keep thing the same and our country World will never be able to right the wrongs if these people are not put in line.
This behavior of our civil servants is why some MPs think they are above the law because they witness this behaviour by civil servants all the time you see all behavior is learned off other people.
Bulls eye.
https://twitter.com/SamyStClair/status/906181500860850176
Pike River is a cover up of some ones fuck up they don’t give a shit who they hurt so long as there image is all nice and clean. The police force have the same cover there ass culture come on people’s we need to fight this shit.
I have just been reading, on the Liberation website, Bryce Edwards’ affidavit regarding TOP´s exclusion from the minor parties’ debate. I was impressed by the strength of his arguments, and was surprised that the court went the way it did. I know the court needed to take into account TVNZ´s right to decide its own criteria, and I realise that TOP did not meet those criteria, but I would have thought that the public interest in the election outcome would have overridden such narrow considerations.
They don’t want Gareth in government because he knows what is going on I seriously think of switching because of this farcical behavior from the courts Wtf
If TVNZ is legally entitled to its criteria and TOP dont meet that then everything else, however compelling is irrelevant. There is also the problem of polls not reflecting final result and 1+- 4.9% only electorally relevant if you win a seat, so how is TOP doing in electoral seat polls?
The polls are manipulate to suit the cause national mind set is if we lose this election we will rig things so whom gets in power won’t change things to much i.e. NXZZZZZFIrst Maori party. And national think they will win next election and THEY can carry on selling NZ to there M8s remember national are still pulling the strings.
And who has been in the beehive since 1984. Manipulating our politicians !!!!!!😊😊
Although TVNZ may be entitled to set its own criteria I think it has a legal duty, given that an election is a public institution, to ensure that the criteria it decides upon should be both reasonable and democratic. For three percent support to be required doesn´t seem reasonable for a new party, particularly given that many small parties, even those with seats in parliament rarely poll as much as two percent. Two percent is actually quite high for parties other than the big four.
ummm Labour and Māori Party – yeah nah
http://www.waateanews.com/waateanews/x_story_id/MTcyNDQ=/Fox%20blast%20for%20Labour%20Maori%20MPs
Will be interesting indeed.
The Labour Māori MP’s must be wondering what is going to happen – best scenario for them – take all the seats then the MP can bugger off but Howie is in the lead and Hone may still come through. The mana of these MP’s is being tested and it is a fascinating contest.
“She says Kelvin Davis was made Labour’s deputy leader as a tokenistic gesture to capture the Maori vote, and she doubts he will stay in the role for long.”
I like Fox a lot, but I don’t find that credible tbh. As long as he does the job well, why would Labour replace him?
I’m not sure what’s at the bottom of the antagonism between the two parties (I can but guess).
But if the Mp had to choose between being in opposition to a N/Act/NZF govt and being in C and S with a L/G govt (or even in govt), why would they not choose the latter? And if Labour has to choose between being in govt with the Mp or not being able to form govt, why would they not choose the former?
It is all positioning at the moment – puffy chests and loud voices. When the votes are counted is when the real action starts imo.
Interesting watching fox though – she is playing a dangerous game – she just isn’t that good, not as good as she thinks she is anyway imo.
I get disappointed when she does that stuff. I understand why, Labour have been stupid in all this too, but it’s still hard to see the point. The other night she had a poke at Shaw in the debate saying that at this rate they’re looking like they won’t make it back into parliament. Which was odd given her own position, and also just a stupid thing to say to a potential ally as an attack line. She’s been hanging out too long with Nact maybe.
Yep – she has a slightly heightened view of her own skills and abilities imo – and this is seen in her approach to Davis and Shaw and a few others. Very hard for Davis to shut her down – bit of auntie stuff and I’m not sure of their whakapapa but she may have better lines than him – I suspect so because of the way she is belittling him (undermining his mana). Will be up to Jacinda to sort out and she had better support her Labour MP’s (and I’m sure she will) because if not then it will get ugly imo.
Would that mean not giving Mp MPs ministerial roles at the expense of Labour MPs? Sounds fair enough in the first term, the Mp need to prove themselves good allies and the relationship needs time to be rebuilt.
I imagine if there is some arrangement with the MP and Labour then the MP are going to want something to show their supporters – ‘hey look we CAN work with both sides.’ Maybe associate this or that might work – if someone is in then someone is out and those equations are hard to calculate. Pleased it isn’t me doing it.
Have you forgotten Davis’ confrontational about MP comment the first time he opened his mouth as Dep Leader? Macho peeing on his patch stuff.
Not sure what you are trying to say there.
“she has a slightly heightened view of her own skills and abilities imo – and this is seen in her approach to Davis and Shaw and a few others. Very hard for Davis to shut her down – bit of auntie stuff and I’m not sure of their whakapapa but she may have better lines than him – I suspect so because of the way she is belittling him (undermining his mana). ”
Go read his comment at his first presser as Dep Leader about the MP. Substitue Auntie for whatever and change the pronouns.
This is a two way street and from where I sit Davis started it. Am sorry Fox has lowered herself.
Deleted
I was offering a Māori lens in the specific situation.
That Davis started the fight with the MP. You seem to sheeting it to Fox with some borderline sexist rhetoric. I am reminding you that Davis was like a kid picking a fight cos he thought he was bigger at that first press conference. My thought at the time was “wtf would you do that for when it is about buikding bridges to bring down Nat/Act.
Yeah it’s obvious to me that you don’t get what I’m saying. All good – i’m not interested in continuing the discussion with you on this thanks.
The fight was already going on before Davis did that. I agree it was an opportunity and I seem to remember Labour opening the door or at least unlocking it whereas Little had locked it and put a chair under the handle on their side.
I think both parties have handled it badly, but I don’t understand Māori politics very well so I am sure there things I am missing.
Bad behaviour on both sides I think. It predates Davis too. Little’s thing about the Mp not being kaupapa Māori, that’s inexcusable.
I just had a WTF moment at that presser with Ardern when Davis’ first words were to goad the MP. A fresh leadership was a chance to build a bridge
+100 Weka well they are fight each other they should be fighting national in my view that is a better strategy to benefit our people
The antagonism was Helen Clark,and who is unrepentant for her racist response to orewa.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/330148/helen-clark-no-regrets-over-foreshore-and-seabed
Needs to be put back in the box with the lid firmly nailed down.
Sure, and when Turia was still leading the party it made sense. But this antagonism looks more recent (although I’m sure the history is part of it).
btw, Ardern said recently that she wouldn’t have done what Clark did re the F and S.
Well I’ve no idea where she said such a thing, but NZ Labour are currently barreling towards a F&S redux with their insistence that everyone (ie, the state) owns water.
The Green Party disagrees with them.
Mana disagrees with them.
TOPs disagrees with them.
The Maori Party disagrees with them.
They all agree that water belongs to Maori and that any process around water must be Maori led.
ie, the state
Depends how the legislation is couched. The proposed bill might assert ownership. Then again it might simply establish charges for commercial use and leave the question of ownership off the table.
Yes, and the state isn’t everyone, but I guess that takes us deeper into the question.
I don’t think NZ is able to have a conversation on this yet. The best we can do is try and protect water from neoliberalism, but let’s not pretend that making Māori use the Crown’s mechanisms in order to protect their rights is what should happen here. It’s a defensive action, not a proactive one, and it ignores nature rights and the possibility that we belong to the land rather than us owning it.
@Weka, we can’t protect water from Neoliberalism; water doesn’t need protection: we do.
Turn the question on it’s head: should we protect Neoliberalism from water, or does Houston (and by extension everywhere else) need Socialism?
The conversation is going to happen whether or not we’re ready for it.
I would say we’re going to have a self-serving conversation (NZ). The fight is over resources and the only reason it’s being framed in terms of ‘ownership’ (as opposed to say kaitiakitanga) is because most NZers see the natural world as a bank of things to use. The Crown does too. We need to be careful in how we sure them, but ultimately nature is still a thing not a relation and therefore we are more comfortable exploiting it so long as we do so in ways that don’t make our own lives and ability to use the resources worse (would that we could even attain that standard).
Sure we can turn the question on its head, but socialism also tends to treat nature as a resource, which is why so many people just jumped from favouring voting Green to Labour (assuming the polls mean something).
We can protect water from neoliberalism to an extent which is exactly what Labour and even the Greens want to do. Or we can let water take neoliberalism down, but it’s a very rearguard action on nature’s part that will still result in a great deal of suffering and loss.
Of course it’s a rearguard action: this is (slowly, casually, relentlessly) turning into a rout.
Useful philosophies will survive. Neoliberalism, not so much.
I don’t think it matters how the legislation is couched OAB. Whatever process or whatever legislation, actions or proposals around water should be informed by the Treaty and Maori led.
NZ Labour proposing or drafting legislation unilaterally, or with some token consultation thrown in as an afterthought, is pretty damned arrogant.
Nothing I said precludes any of that.
And yeah, one good reason for upholding te tiriti is the way it affects how legislation is couched, whether you think it matters or not.
Edit: my personal position is that water owns us: none of us would be here without it. That’s one reason we’re all “stakeholders”.
+ 100 one anonymous bloke that is a good view that we should all have we must not let the neo liberals banks influence the policy on water because if they do water will only benefit the 1 percent I seen that happen to our fisheries
Stewards billie, not owners.
Not even that: water created us. It won’t care one jot if we squander that gift. It’ll just go on creating, preserving and changing everything.
Jacinda used the term Kaitiakitanga, Guardianship, as a concept of care.
This was never advanced in the S/F debate sadly.
However, Jacinda and her younger members of Labour understand this term and the intent. Awa. Care.
Andrew Little’s comment was in regard to money held and work not done to assist the poorest.
Jacinda used the term Kaitiakitanga, Guardianship, as a concept of care.
I don’t know the details of Māoritanga well enough to comment on that, but this Pākehā rejects the notion that we are guardians of water.
We can guard our own livelihoods and preserve a future for our descendants by not destroying the world around us. The water will clean up after us regardless.
We don’t own the world. (To use a Capitalist metaphor) We aren’t its caregivers: we’re its property.
My (limited) understanding is that kaitiakitanga traditionally involved hapū responsibility for a rohe which included not over-using resources. But that this was relationships based and the relationship was not simply about resource management. It’s hard to talk about this without understanding other Māori concepts. Like that we belong to the land.
So we keep getting these translations of words (kaitiakitanga = guardianship) without adequately looking at the meaning in the wider understanding and cultural practices on all sides.
This is why I support compulsory te reo in schools. When we have a large number of NZers understanding the idea in language that they make sense in, then we might get somewhere.
In the meantime we will argue over ‘ownership’ because the selfish, greedy fucks got to set the agenda, for now anyway.
I would be surprised if Ardern was using the word kaitiakitanga outside of a Pākehā world view.
Then I hope her Pākehā world view is closer to mine than say, Shane Jones’.
Lol, so do I.
My guess is Labour remain too scared to upset the comfy white voters…. collectively do tgey represent more voters than those who get that;
1. Te Tiriti matters; and
2. Maori are in partnership with everything other New Zealander
Yeah, because women you disagree with conjour up visions of diabolism, eh.
//
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0410/59e769dfa2e9e0a74875.jpeg
“As long as he does the job well, why would Labour replace him?”
Possibly, to accommodate for Winston.
I don’t think that’s what Fox was referring to. Labour, including Davis, have already acknowledged that the deputy PM role might go to another party MP. That’s not the same as the second in command of the Labour Party though.
Fox was reaching out when Davis made that odd and confrontational comment at Ardern’s first presser.
Weka
Fox was too aggressive, what I couldn’t believe, was what she said after saying the Greens might not make it, that if don’t think they’ll (Greens) make it, don’t waste your vote, vote for the Maori Party.
I don’t think that Fox would make a very good coalition partner after that performance.
Shaw was great, very positive summation at end, very polite, never butted in, unlike Seymore, who seems to think he’s the only politician there that matters, he’s so rude, and his opinions are so irrelevant, he’s talking to so few.
A few were annoyed Peters didn’t show.
True, but Labour didn’t used to be good at relationship either, so there’s potential. I’ve seen Fox make good connections with the Greens and working with them, so I don’t know what was going on the other night. Daft.
Seymour is a disgrace and an embarrassment. In one of the earlier debates I thought he was quite good in terms of debating, but the other night he was rude, aggressive, and showed himself to be an arsehole (and that’s not even getting to his politics but I’m sure it’s related).
Peters’ no show was odd. Like he’s afraid of something (I’d guess Shaw pointing out the problem with NZF being a potential coalition partner for National. So glad that one is finally biting NZF on the bum).
He was a buly. True colours and all that but his base seem to like that… Douglas, Prebble and Hide before him.
@ NewsFlash (17.1.5) … I guess Peters doesn’t consider himself to be leader of a minor party! Not a good look and considering he does have a support base, he’s showing disrespect to them by not putting in an appearance. He was a no show at another debate, if my memory serves me right.
Marama Fox comes across to me as someone who has quite a nasty streak when she feels so inclined. Not sure I could trust her word in a coalition arrangement.
Odd comment there Anne, the Māori Party have no track record of not keeping their word. Indeed one of the few parties which have listened too, then followed the wishes of their constituents as well.
So I’m guessing your personal take is you dislike Marama Fox, which perfectly OK by the way. But odd, as you are one of the people pushing for a change of government are you not?
I neither like nor dislike her because I don’t know her. It is nothing more than an observation. Funnily enough I nearly added that Tariana Turia who felt deeply betrayed by Labour, never used spite as a weapon against them.
Fox won’t get in but Howie Tamati will.
They are still good for 2 seats, and will be a valuable option.
Dunno much about Fox, but Davis has made a few bad steps since becoming deputy leader. Not being on point with policy, being combative in interviews, that sort of thing. If he doesn’t play catch-up he might get kicked down a notch in a year or so.
I watched the Aljazeera doco on NZ water quality,and if only half of it was true it still marks our descent into some kind of banana republic state.It is well worth 25 minutes of your time and there is more to come in the second segment .I must admit that the general stupidity of the whole plan was made a pleasure to view by the main protagonist looking and behaving like Boss Hog from the Dukes of Hazzard!
The part of the Leaders Debate we weren’t shown
True or sound dubbed. Each fart did coincide with a reaction from Bill and he would not have heard any one else’s.
Sound dubbed.
Dirty tricks eh? 🙂
So lovely. It seems that nobody liked what anyone else was saying.. I ignored the fart noises.
If you want sheer amusement without compromising elements, watch it with soundtrack muted. Or just don’t put on your headphones.
“The Crown has corrected a historic wrong dating to 1916 by pardoning Rua Kenana, Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell says.
The Tuhoe prophet and leader, sometimes known as Ruatapunu, was arrested in 1916 during a raid in which his son was killed.
The agreement was signed by descendants of Kenana and representatives of the Crown at Maungapohatu Marae on Saturday morning.”
100 years – I hope some of the pain is now eased.
“The statutory pardon will not be official until Parliament passes specific legislation, at which point it will only be the fourth arising from Crown/Maori relations”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/96677130/crown-rights-historic-wrong-in-urewera-arrest-of-rua-kenana
Only the fourth? – is that because only 4 injustices were done? Only 4 people wrongly imprisoned or demonised, only 4?
This prick headed the Maungapohatu travesty.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/programmes/black-sheep/story/201820359/bad-cop-the-story-of-john-cullen
https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3c42/cullen-john
“The Anglican Synod has decided to reinstate Christ Church Cathedral.”
Story: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/339062/church-votes-to-rebuild-christchurch-cathedral
English: “”What they are doing there are building on their past to link the city to the future in a way that will be strongly symbolic for the whole country as well as the city of Christchurch.”
It sure is strongly symbolic. The National Government have denied Christchurch democracy and interfered in its decision making for years. They don’t want to move NZ or Christchurch into a future that offers a decent life for all people in Christchurch or anywhere , can spend vast millions on vanity projects around NZ now Christchurch, and now want to build another highway – to heaven.
If they think that will fast track them upwards to join the angelic chorus, think again the duplicitous oiks.
It’s the best that could be expected from a government that lacks the vision to create something of comparable cultural and aesthetic value for the space. The wisdom of rebuilding stone structures, however reinforced, in earthquake zones is fairly shaky – not nearly as shaky as Bill’s recipe for economic growth of course.
Hundertwasser would’ve solved the problem economically with a structure fit for the 21st century. The Gnats are simply too backward to even consider his kind of solution.
the Nats have plenty to answer for in the ChCh EQ response…but this one aint on them
It turns out that this one is more symbolic than all the other “keystone projects” they’ve made such a shambles of. If they actually had had any vision this would’ve been the place to show it – the Church was by no means sure it wanted to rebuild.
it wasn’t their decision to make…..and there was further court action in the offing….Im actually surprised the Church didn’t offload the problem to the Gov by taking the gifting option.
The Church have a corner to fight too – a deconsecrated shell maintained for selfies was a bit too much like a mockery.
has been happening for some time albeit on smaller scale
Labour under attack for falling short on welfare.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2017/09/panel-fran-o-sullivan-and-sue-bradford.html
What they were not committing to was cutting the National’s the punitive Beneficiary process. What the panel wanted was “demolish” the terrible means and manner of the system which intimidates and frightens those in need. But Labour wants to carefully assess just which bits to reform. A blanket promise would cause more harm that good.
Balls to the walls. Vicente Fox is a star.
His message to trump the other day was funny too.
What do you think of his baseball cap?
Which one?
What we knew already – good to see it in print.
BUT the response from Min. Tolley could have been better. Nobody cares how difficult your job is.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/election-2017/339064/winz-staff-accused-of-withholding-entitlements
That moving image of Slater/Cameron for OM 9/9/2014 is a real piece of resistance.
I take it when the government changes in a couple of weeks, there will also be a change of Speaker?
Trevor Mallard. 😉
The new Parliament will elect a Speaker – Labour’s preference is Mallard.
Lord almighty… But maybe like Lockwood-Smith, Trevor will surprisingly surpass his previous efforts. ?
Both were questionable as Ministers of Education.
FFS. Natz released a video outlining the life of Bill English! Not only is his wife Mary seen ringing her husband’s praises, but also Bennett, the holy man Joyce and Nikki Kaye.
As to be expected, the Great Fraud himself has been rolled out to give his endorsement of his former deputy!
This sideshow puts me in mind of a poor infomercial praising the wonders of a cheap nasty bowel cleanse product!
With each passing day now, it seems to me Bennett is taking up more and more of the screen, horizontally that is! And this video is definitely demonstrating this point!
Natz getting really desperate now with this lot of old cobblers!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11920321
I tried to be openminded about Bill’s promotional video mary, but though it is smoothly produced it is full of platitudes which could apply to anyone. Hard to watch to the end and I couldn’t help remembering the blatant lies that English and Joyce and Bennett told re a certain hole. Why believe anything they say.
speaking of desperate…
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96681064/bill-english-is-putting-everything-into-squeezing-every-last-vote-from-rural-nz
Now those civil servants would have shit there pants when they heard my humane ideas of using rewards instead of prison.
They say this Idiot wants to give gang money to stay out of jail or trouble .
Well no that is STUPID one does not reward bad behavior and being in a gang is bad behavior in my view. I Have seen what a jail does to someone he goes for the first time gets 18 months comes put of prison all pumped up because all they got to do in there is pump iron.
He gets out act like he is bulletproof and his behavior is 10x worst than he went in those old buggers in prison con them to join there gang and make them run for them when they get out.
Now the reward good behavior will kill 3 birds with one stone
1 no gangs qualifies so this will erode the gangs base.
2 this will stop people on minor charges will not go to jail and join a gang
3 this will lower our jail population and produce some good citizens and workers it could be training subsidies and employee incentive spend early to save common people
They say that the first 30 days is the greatest deterrent. After that a prisoner becomes institutionalised and of course brutalised.
“You cannot take away someone’s story without giving them a new one. It is not enough to challenge an old narrative, however outdated and discredited it may be. Change happens only when you replace one story with another. When we develop the right story, and learn how to tell it, it will infect the minds of people across the political spectrum.”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/09/george-monbiot-how-de-we-get-out-of-this-mess
it is worth noting that Monbiot uses the word ‘story’…..not ‘policy.’
For most people when they get a belief about something, it sticks even if contrary evidence should shift them. It takes a willingness to open the mind and look for adjustments. It is probably why intelligent well educated people are looking for solutions to problems where as those less educated tend to hang on to previous conceptions. Probably why people who support Greens and Labour are better educated but the others are conservative and narrow minded.
wasn’t exactly what I took from the article
Story=climate; policy=weather?
nothing so metaphorical….think Jacindamania.
Fair enough and although I’ve been lambasted here for explaining my metaphors I will explain this one too.
Neoliberalism changed the thinking (attitudes) and actions of a whole generation and this is the “story” that Monbiot was referring to, which I labelled “climate”. Policies are the short-term manifestations of that overarching ‘story’, which I called “weather”. See https://thestandard.org.nz/labours-climate-change-policy-nuclear-free-moment/#comment-1380619 for the climate & weather metaphors.
To take the metaphors one step further, both neoliberalism and CC/AGC are caused by humans and have a ‘human’ solution, i.e. they can be stopped or changed and the outcome can be influenced or altered. This is the important message for both these problems.
but not without a new story…says Monbiot…
“When we encounter a complex issue and try to understand it, what we look for is not consistent and reliable facts but a consistent and comprehensible story. When we ask ourselves whether something “makes sense”, the “sense” we seek is not rationality, as scientists and philosophers perceive it, but narrative fidelity. Does what we are hearing reflect the way we expect humans and the world to behave? Does it hang together? Does it progress as stories should progress?
A string of facts, however well attested, will not correct or dislodge a powerful story. The only response it is likely to provoke is indignation: people often angrily deny facts that clash with the narrative “truth” established in their minds. The only thing that can displace a story is a story. Those who tell the stories run the world.”
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/09/george-monbiot-how-de-we-get-out-of-this-mess
So true!
The one story flows into the next; there are connections (e.g. flash-backs) and repeated themes and characters. No story comes from absolutely nothing; they build on and with existing material.
We are the creators, story-tellers, and the readers/listeners all at the same time. We write these stories by and for ourselves, metaphorically speaking. Each individual has a role to play in the bigger story and ads his/her own unique part to the overall. For all and the one.
I Mac man +100 that is the reason why the neo liberals don’t want our people educate so our people won’t be able to challenge the neo liberals state.This is the reason they stopped free education for all.
Uneducated people are easier to lie to.!!!!!,
I believe that most of the civil servants that run our country and World are neo liberals who don’t no how to come out of there glass bubbles and see the our real world.!!!!
Not sure if this has been posted, but the nick smith sculpture drew a crowd next to nicks caravan at the nelson markets today, and it’s coming to Mot for our sunday market tomorrow. That should always happen. Massive thanks Sam Mahon, epic effort.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/96674993/nick-smith-trouserless-sculpture-lands-in-mps-home-town