Such deficiencies seem to be a major malaise in NZ since the reforms of the 1980s implemented greed and cost cutting in favour of doing the job properly.
Congratulations to Tim Shadbolt, Tracy Hicks and Robert Guyton on their reelection in Southland, as a Southlander living overseas these 3 have worked for the interests of Southland and its great that Southland avoids the party politics that plague other metropolitan towns and cities. While there will always be differences of opinion I think the rest of NZ could learn a thing or too from Gore, Invercargill and Rural Southland about getting on with things rather than infighting etc.
There are more $30b in funds invested in kiwisaver.
I’d like to hear of your plan for where that money would be invested, in a way that allows investors to pull it out to build houses or when they retire, without the money being invested in banks or the stock market.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?”
We keep our immigration levels up and we just turn NZ into one giant house building economy for mostly Asia where there is plenty of demand for citizens to leave.
Often migrants want to have a look first which keeps tourism levels up.
And the world needs more water and food, so we can sell them our water super cheap and our farms and assets like Silver Ferm farms.
That’s the Natz vision for our economy.
Sadly I’m not sure if there is much of an alternative vision from other political parties or maybe they can voice it in a way that is easily understood.
BTW – this economic approach does nothing for productivity and we are middling at best for GDP in spite of having the 3rd highest population growth after Israel and Luxembourg.
You shouldn’t be asking such awkward questions Lanthanide.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns”.
Have another read of the things CV, save NZ and The Chairman are saying.
What they really want isn’t to use the money in people’s Kiwi Saver accounts, or the Government Super Fund or the Cullen Fund to be used on that sort of thing. They want to grab it and spend it on their own little hobby horses and to blow it on their pet little projects.
That is why I don’t trust ANY Government to own and run businesses. They can’t resist the chance to throw money at things they favour, rather than things that make any sense.
They also can’t resist the temptation to claim that they have to right to help themselves to other peoples hard earned savings or businesses that private individuals have developed.
Why do you think that save NZ talks about “our farms and assets like Silver Fern farms”. He thinks they are HIS assets.
Why do you think that The Chairman talks about “That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures”.
He doesn’t want to spend his own money on things he favours. He wants to spend YOUR’S
Yip, I almost wrote “you’re no better than politicians who see a large pot of money set aside for public pensions and can’t help themselves but raid it for their pet projects”.
I believe it was James Shaw who just recently said the superannuation fund money should be put towards building renewable power plants.
If I had used your words, which convey exactly what I meant I could have saved such a lot of typing.
The Greens have an almost unique ability to choose the most foolish economic proposals. One of them is the way they propose to encourage people to use “greener” forms of transport, in particular electric cars. They want, I understand, to exempt them from FBT. That is of course a subsidy or rebate on such vehicles.
The Economist, a couple of months ago published a brief article on the most effective way of getting people to use greener forms of vehicle. The ways it could be done were higher fuel charges, higher registration charges for polluting vehicles or a rebate on green machines. All these were tried in Switzerland.
One can invest in little with a dollar, but collectively (through government) that dollar can be turned into millions, vastly increasing investment opportunities.
The local private sector is lacking when it comes to exporting, hence the need for Government to help fill this void.
The alternative which tends to be pursued is to seek offshore investment.
However, when one looks at our current account, one can see how well that has been working out for the nation overall.
Why don’t you set up a KiwiSaver scheme then that announces it’s policy is the set up such companies?
Then invest your own KiwiSaver money, and that of anyone else who wants to join up, in such ventures.
Just don’t force people to do so if they want to get higher returns, and a better retirement, elsewhere.
Why do you think YOU have the right to determine where I invest my retirement savings?
KiwiSaver membership is not mandatory, hence I’m not forcing anyone to invest.
Moreover, the level of risk you decide to select is up to you.
While your suggestion could be of some benefit to the nation and myself, it doesn’t reach the scale of what I was suggesting, thus produce the wider benefits.
How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?
Wrong questions.
The correct questions are:
Why do we insist that we need private investment?
Why do we insist that people must get something for nothing from having money?
Why do we insist that people need to ‘save for their retirement’ when saving money saves nothing at all?
That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures, which will boost the productive sector, creating new jobs whilst growing the nations wealth.
From an investor point of view I am not sure I would take your investment advise CV, country risk is huge, all assets tied up in high risk business start ups, liquidity is crap,, no diversification etc. dont confuse Wall Street the market with the underlying assets if they are shares, these are real companies making real things that you see around you and that you buy and use every day,
You may want to look into the economic theory called the ‘paradox of thrift’. This demonstrates conclusively that to the extent NZers saving propensities are raised this increases the average NZers saving rate by no dollers what so ever. Its impossible for Kiwisaver to succeed in its primary (stated) policy goal of raising NZers savings rate. Its actually just another branch of the neoliberal onslaught and in practice an attempt to run a govt budget surplus by minimising pension payments over time.
Ad. I understood the closeness of the vote between Gillon and Hill was considered too close to call (68) and could be overturned by specials – unless there’s been an update I don’t know about.
Don’t get me wrong. Hills show huge promise. I want to see him win.
Long form interview of Syrian President al-Assad by Denmark’s TV2
The Syrian Government knew in advance that the ceasefire would fail because they already understood from previous experience that the Americans had no genuine motivation or ability to separate out “moderate” rebel groups from the jihadists, as required by the ceasefire agreement.
The most telling, and also chilling, bit of this interview is the reference to the Cuban missile crisis, followed by this, Now the situation is different, because in the United States you don’t have superior statecraft. When you don’t have superior statecraft, you should expect anything… He is not the first to make this observation, and it was openly visible in Samantha Powers’ petulant, childish address to the UN, and in a presidential debate that could easily have passed as an audition for a part in a reality TV show. Even if you go back a short way to Bush Snr. and Dukakis, you could not then have imagined the standard of sober-mindedness for high office falling so low.
The TINA doctrine expresses a position that brooks no negotiation. Its adherents seem to want to elevate people who are able to win over the public and follow directions (as with reality TV). Where Kennedy was able to leave Cuba more-or-less alone in exchange for not having a missile base next door, these people seem incapable of such moves. To do that would be inconsistent with the “hard choices” that they believe they must make. Both Kerry and Obama do seem, prima facie, better than that, but also seem unable to rein in the silliness and hubris that has developed to an alarming degree within US public life.
The question as to whether Putin and Al Assad are good or bad pales alongside the question as to whether the west is currently capable of sober, mature behaviour.
Don’t forget State Dept spox John Kirby saying a week or two ago that the way Russia is going in Syria, Russia might expect to start losing resources, planes, might start receiving more body bags at home, and that Russian cities might be attacked.
There are many dupes on this site of the USA.
They still believe their lies after 9/11 and Iraq.
You should listen to John Pilger.
No doubt you’d call him a ‘dupe of Russia’.
He also happens to be a most respected independent journalist.
Before viewing evidence I look at credibility of the individual professing it , ie first A then B, unfortunately you fail the A text, I have read Pilcher in the past, grumpy old man syndrome, with massive chip to boot, I can see why you and he get along
+100 Paul … worth watching!…interesting if scathing comments on the mainstream media, the American Election …. and demonisation of Donald Trump… war criminals Hillary Clinton and Obama too…also Madeleine Albright
“Then the fake document becomes the source of a news story distributed on far-left or far-right-wing websites,”
That’s the weirdest thing about the Putin fan-boys – there are as many of them on the loonier fringes of the left as there are on the loonier fringes of the right. I wouldn’t have expected to see people on the left cheerleading for right-wing nationalist authoritarians, but it looks as though for some people their (US) enemy’s enemy is their friend. Newsflash, suckers: your enemy’s enemy isn’t your friend, but does enjoy having useful idiots on-side.
Presenting Putin’s useful idiots – anyone who disagrees with the establishment
This weekend we once again got confirmation that any time the generic narrative spectacularly falls apart, and the “establishment” is caught with its pants down (or, in the case of the DNC, engaging in borderline election fraud leading to what the FT just described as “Democrats in turmoil”) what does it do? Why blame Putin of course, and more specifically his “useful idiots”, and hope the whole thing blows over quickly.
And you support US neocon foreign policy in Ukraine. Latvia, Syria….
Supporting the policies of Bush, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld. now that’s a progressive stance.
Nowhere, ever, have I supported the US.
why do you lie? Why are you so stupid as to think criticism against Putin somehow implies supporting the US? Is your worldview that binary?
Instead of being castigated by one-dimensional numpties who cannot understand that critical analysis of one thing does not equate to support for something else.
If anyone’s spurned the left it’s Leftie and those of his ilk, not CV. CV challenges the so-called left by asking if they’re left enough. Leftie epitomises what’s become the current mainstream neo-liberal left by accepting without question and without exception every single thing Labour says and does. That is called spurning the left.
I like the fact that cv questions the neo-liberal left’s domestic policies, as well as questioning the left’s slavish support of extreme neocon US foreign policy.
It is worth noting that cv gets a lot more flak from the right wing trolls than our neo-liberal Labour commentators on this site.
Cheers to the three of you. Sorry I missed most of this thread as it unfolded.
Marty Mars is a good guy and correct in basically saying that I no longer subscribe to the groupings of the traditional (mid 20th Century based industrial pro growth social democratic)/establishment (sold out for power centrist free market)/liberal identity politics left, and that I have said so explicitly.
(And yes he is also correct that I am “proud” of this.)
Sadly, the established conventional Left have only a small fraction of the answers needed for what is coming down the pike over the next ten to twenty years.
thank you cv – I don’t judge your comment but accept it and respect it too – unlike some of your supporters who don’t accept let alone respect it and want to try and create a problem where there isn’t one – that’s you chris.
I am also very very happy that you don’t identify as a left thinker, supporter or activist.
no need to be a patronising git there chris – curb yourself.
I already answered – I don’t care. He doesn’t care what I think he is. He is happy not to be on the left. It isn’t that controversial or hard to understand. Hopefully you won’t come back with slimey bullshit now that that has all been cleared up ffs.
Chris, and Paul, whatever disagreements there might be about CV’s politics or the value of CV’s contributions here, it is most definitely true that CV earlier this year declared himself to not be left wing. He’s said it a number of times, and many of us remember this because of how it happened and the context it happened in.
I think it’s 50/50 whether CV himself, who is still active in this thread, will confirm this himself. That alone tells us much about the problems here.
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
I never said or implied that at all fuckwit – don’t try and spin some wank game geezer. It is a fact, he said it – deal with it. You are the only one making shit up.
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
What it means is that marty said repeatedly that CV doesn’t consider himself to be left wing anymore. There is no further implication about being extreme right, although marty did suggest it might be called pan-political.
There are lots of things to accuse CV of, but marty didn’t do that. Reminding that CV himself doesn’t consider himself to be left wing is a relevant comment on its own. Any inference is something you’ve decided, not something marty has said. Here’s the exact quotes. Feel free to scroll up to see them in context, but I think they stand pretty clearly on their own.
Marty is in quotation marks, others in [ ].
“CV has spurned the left and has declared he’s no leftie.”
*
[I think cv presents an honest left wing viewpoint.]
”He doesn’t – ask him he is proud of it.”
*
“Hes not left he has said this it isnt a conspiracy just a non judgemental fact .”
*
[If anyone’s spurned the left it’s Leftie and those of his ilk, not CV. CV challenges the so-called left by asking if they’re left enough. Leftie epitomises what’s become the current mainstream neo-liberal left by accepting without question and without exception every single thing Labour says and does. That is called spurning the left.]
“Bullshit. He isnt left he says so or are you calling him a liar”
*
[Now, getting back to that discussion. If “he isn’t left” (what ever that may or may not mean), what would you say he “is”?]
“I don’t care other than he isn’t left – he says the left/right model is outdated so I suppose he is pan political.”
*
“I already answered – I don’t care. He doesn’t care what I think he is. He is happy not to be on the left. It isn’t that controversial or hard to understand. Hopefully you won’t come back with slimey bullshit now that that has all been cleared up ffs.”
CV: Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Hi Paul, I no longer count myself as a member of the traditional left wing (jobs, industrial growth, organised labour, social democracy), or the establishment left wing (centrist market model Labour/Greens), or the liberal identity politics left wing (take your pick).
Not because there aren’t useful elements within there, but because they are completely unsuitable and inadequate for what is coming down the pike in the next 10 to 20 years.
Say what you mean then, son. All you’ve said is that CV’s “not left”. What the fuck does that mean, you one-dimensional little weasel. What are you accusing CV of being, then? Far left? Fuck, I’d be proud if someone called me that, but you’ve said nothing apart from “CV’s not left”. If you call yourself “left”, then heaven fucking help us.
[you’ve had this explained to you several times already, including by CV himself. If you’re not willing to listen to people and just want to be abusive, take the night off. – weka]
1,2 – I haven’t insulted cv by clarifying that he says he isn’t a left winger – get a grip.
chis – your having a wankathon by yourself over your made up outrage over your made up conclusion which has been clarified for you at least 3 times now. Seems you are too up yourself and your rightonrick approach – guess what geezer – these are the south seas here not blighty. And my original comment was a clarification for the extremist you dick.
If that’s all mm’s saying, that CV’s “not left”, and that’s all he’s concerned about, I suggest that he’s concerned about nothing because what he says, that someone is “not left” means absolutely nothing. I’m glad that the fact mm hasn’t been saying anything at all has been clarified.
I used to suspect that CV was a leftie with poor planning skills whose failed intrigues had resulted in a massive overcompensation of naysaying and uncritical parrotting of propaganda to preserve his inflated but fragile ego.
But when he shat a brick over Swarbrick’s cv, I glimpsed a midlife crisis and concomitant shift towards general toryism when he finally gets putinlove out of his system..
Ah yes the 22 year old LLB BA double degree cafe owner arts patron journalist 2degrees employee fashion designer/fashion label launching marketing consultant mayoral candidate.
Some people looked at that and decided – astonishing youth prodigy. I looked at that and decided the obvious.
Young women these days are graduating from University in greater numbers, succeeding in business and establishing powerful political/business networks far faster and more effectively than young men the same age.
It was a mistake to gauge Swarbrick by male standards.
[RL: I’ll make a moderation note here rather than pick on any one poster. The levels of personal abuse have gotten WAY too high. I’m not going to intervene here because I don’t think I’m the right person to do it. I’m leaving it over to weka to moderate as she sees fit and totally support any action she takes. ]
RL you know and I know full well the fast networker fast job changing fast ladder climbing always on the look out for the next stepping stone careerist types, and yes in our beautiful modern day they are definitely both men and women.
Based on her CV would you have seriously considered hiring Swarbrick for a key mid level management position in a large, demanding organisation?
I would not have.
BTW if she keeps at politics she’s not going to end up as a left winger. Centre, maybe. Possibly. Just a guess.
Fashion labels and cafes are like any other small business – starting one has no indication of scale, just company registration. And fashion and art overlap quite a bit.
The thing is, I’ve met people like Chloe. Rarely, but it happens. They do a lot of work in a lot of different fields, and yes even do double degrees (double honours in one case I knew) at the same time. Fuck, look at Cook Bros. That started with five marketing students getting bank loans to buy equal shares in a pub.
You have no knowedge of her politics, no knowledge of her background, no knowledge of any impropriety, no idea of how much financial assistance she had as opposed to saving and leveraging on what she built.
You just can’t believe that her CV is plausible because it looks much better than yours. Rather than have your delicate ego scratched, you’ll adopt the myth that what she wrote can’t be true.
Hey Penny, I support certain PPPs to see certain necessary infrastructure built.
It is a practicality, and does not need to be evil, especially with requisite controls in contracts.
I am against the TPPA, and my track record in journalism will show that.
I support density because cities operate best, and most efficiently, when they are denser.
Where would you like to see Auckland growth go?
Forever sprawling outwards, without the support of infrastructure or job opportunity?
My whole campaign is premised on engaging the disengaged – bringing Auckland’s disenfranchised back into the conversation.
I do not think we can have a representative democracy when only 1/3 of the city votes, let alone when there is a large correlation there between voters and homeowners protecting their interests.”
Chloe Swarbrick – in my opinion – practical, pragmatic PRIVATISER.
Remember folks?
“The key thing in life is sincerity. Once you can fake that – you’ve got it made.”
I’m mostly with McF on this one. I’ve never met Swarbrick and I’ve no idea if she over-egged her CV or not. But I think you made a mistake in casting judgement on it with insufficient information.
As McFlock says, such ‘over-achieving’ young people do exist and I’m happy they do.
Whether she has the maturity and skills to operate as a senior manager within Auckland City is perhaps a better question, and one that the voters delivered an answer on. But then again look at Helen Clark who was active in politics at a very young age; youth alone should be no barrier to activism. Swarbrick looks like talent and there’s every chance we’ll see her some time down the track.
As you must know personally CV, politics is a tough game, and staging a recovery from setbacks is a lesson best learnt young. Wish I had.
So the call is uber hardworking uber effective networking outstanding multitasking fast rising career star then? OK happy to go with your call. Swarbrick for Mayor 2019.
lolk
You only jump to deflection when you’re strugging for a reasonable response.
Come on, what exactly about Swarbrick’s cv made you think it was unbelievable: that a 22yo might have started a few small companies, maybe one during uni? It’s easy to form a company – friend of mine registered one for a single theatrical production. It’s a good way of keeping boundaries separate, especially if you’re juggling a lot of different plates.
Was it the use of the word “patron” that pissed you off? Or did the double egree just activate your anti-education reflex?
Really? You have evidence Swarbrick’s CV was untrue? Feel free to present it, rather than pretendng you’re some sort of deus ex machina swanning in to proclaim the truth based solely on your own authority..
In fact, I think it is highly likely that Swarbrick did/attempted all those things on her CV.
“did/attempted”?
Even when you’re backtracking, you can’t but help suggesting that not everything in the list of what she did, she actually did, rather than attempted.
If I claimed to be a ‘patron of the arts’ on the basis that I have a couple of paintings I’ve paid a few hundred dollars each for … then strictly speaking I’m not lying. But to someone who maybe had spent a lifetime spending millions, like say David Walsh, collecting and building a magnificent gallery … then it doubtless he’d think I was talking crap.
And while I own a couple of companies, they really are of such modest consequence I wouldn’t dream of calling myself ‘company director’. Even though strictly speaking it’s true.
And when I’m employing staff, I see far too many CV’s that are blatantly embellished. Typically people who claim high levels of competency in multiple skill areas that I know each one might take 3- 5 years to become good at, when they’ve barely been out of Uni a couple of years. Again strictly speaking they probably aren’t exactly lying, but neither do I find their claims convincing.
At 22 yrs of age, did Swarbrick over-egg her CV? I’d be surprised and delighted if it did indeed stand up to scrutiny; but equally you can hardly be too harsh if others express skepticism.
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
That was my main response the other day when it came up. There’s bugger all information to go on. Myself, I don’t have a problem with what she is claiming, and am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt unless something concrete gets presented. I just thought CV’s comments weren’t based on much other than his own antipathy (and he wasn’t very upfront about what he was meaning, but that’s another kete of ika)
In today’s story in the Sunday Star Times about funding needed for transport improvements touted by mayoral candidates: “And while Bridges says he is keen to work with councils to improve their get-around-ability, he won’t buy into their pork barrel politics with taxpayer dollars. ”
Admittedly that’s the journalist’s spin as he is quoted as actually saying: “I’m very keen to keep up a new approach I’ve had where we manage to strip aside the politics, use evidence-based information, and have officials working together”.
But isn’t this the same man who plucked 10 phantom bridges out of thin air to tempt the voters of Northland?
Pilger’s best days were a quarter of a century ago, today he tiptoes along the line between journalist and crank.
Drawing an equivalance between a publication like the the New York Times and Putin’s asymentric state use of black propaganda is exactly the sort of false equivalence that fuels Trumpism (a sneering imbecile also beloved of CV) and brings delighted smiles to the kleptocracy running the Russian mafia state. One can read the NYT (with a mind to it’s bias) with a reasonable degree that it is reporting facts, albeit with a (often considerable) slant. Departing news for fantasy, and defending that fantasy as some sort of equvalent, is disgraceful and (to mix metaphors) simply tells me that CV has painted his high horse into a corner, and rather than climb down and wear the sticky results he’ll just keeping upping the ante until, one presumes, he is defending David Icke’s right to an equal hearing in the flat earth “debate”.
“There can be no cooperation between the US and Russia over Syria, because the two government’s goals are entirely different. Russia wants to defeat ISIS, and the US wants to use ISIS to overthrow Assad. This should be clear to the Russians. Yet they still enter into “agreements” that Washington has no intention of keeping. Washington breaks the agreements and blames Russia, thus creating more opportunities to paint Russia as untrustworthy. Without Russia’s cooperation in setting themselves up for blame, Russia’s portrait would not be so black.
PCR gets it. So does Col Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Sec State Colin Powell, and many other former establishment players who are horrified at what has been happening over the last decade.
wah wah wah, Russian propoganda, Western readers being duped …
“Perhaps everyone has already forgotten that when Washington’s plan to invade Syria was blocked by the UK Parliament and Russian diplomacy, Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria where they emerged as ISIS and commit extraordinary atrocities.
“As ISIS was serving Washington’s purpose, Washington took no action against them. After a couple of years of death and destruction suffered by Syrians, the Russian government lost its patience and backed the Syrian Army with air power. Soon ISIS was defeated and on the run.
“Washington was caught in a bind. In Iraq Washington was fighting ISIS, because ISIS was overthrowing Washington’s puppet in Iraq. However, in Syria Washington was supporting ISIS, often characterizing ISIS as “moderates” fighting to bring democracy to Syria. Now that ISIS is on the verge of total defeat in Syria, Washington’s whores among the “experts” want Russia punished for blocking Washington’s overthrow of Syria.
…
“Real experts have integrity, and these experts want the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama regimes tried for their war crimes. I think David Satter should be in the dock with them.”
This guy was part of the Reagan administration in 1981? He certainly will know a lot about shitty activities by the US government, but the fact is the current US government isn’t even in the same league of shitty activities as the one he was involved with. Who would take his word for anything?
This alone identifies him as either an idiot or part of Putin’s troll army:
…Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria…
Stuff about chemtrails or the lizard people would be less embarrassing than that.
You are such an awesome arse clown. Honestly, do you have to try to be so willfully idiotic? It’s like talking to a stupider than normal brick wall.
[I agree with Red. Please stick to the politics and debate, and tone down the abuse. CV’s comment looks like a deliberate windup, don’t take the bait – weka]
With respect Sanctuary, that comment above is pretty much just “pointless abuse”. If I felt like wearing a moderators hat right now (and most times I don’t) it would likely attract a warning or more.
There is such a thing as pointed abuse, which is exactly what CV deserves.
[there is a general acceptance of rudeness here when it’s part of making a political point. Abuse for the sake of it is not acceptable. Abusing someone personally and not making a political point is not acceptable. No more warnings – weka]
Fuck, you inclusive self enlightened diversity loving safe space promoting lefty liberal types make me laugh when your true colours fly. Maybe check out a mirror some time?
I always like to remind people of what the Labour Party did to conscientious objectors and pacifists within their ranks during WWII. Expelled them, black listed them, got them fired from their jobs, made life miserable for them.
I cannot believe how so many people accept the lines of the Us government and its sockpuppets in the media.
After all, if they had being paying attention, they will know about the lies about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, they would see that we were also lied to about 9/11.
And yet they believe the spin doctors and repeaters within the media.
I source Pilger, Cockburn, Fisk and other reputable independent journalists.
Who are their sources?
102 years ago too many people willfully believed the propaganda sold to them and World War 1 eventuated. Will they ever learn?
If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, tinfoil-hat types wouldn’t be constantly peddling 9/11 conspiracy theories.
It amuses me that you, CV and Chooky berate everyone else for lacking your discernment in identifying propaganda in the western media, while getting much of your news from an actual government propaganda service.
and brings delighted smiles to the kleptocracy running the Russian mafia state.
As opposed to the kleptocracy running the US corporate mafia state?
It is hardly my problem if you cannot recognise the geopolitical argey bargey between conflicting groups of kleptocrats and conflicting sets of kleptocratic objectives on opposite sides of the world.
The only problem for us is how the risks of a confrontation between nuclear super powers is growing by the day.
To degree there’s is bad as each other the Us does not excuse Russia or vice versa, likewise Hillary does not excuse trump or vice versa, to argue otherwise is BS
My point is that most of the argument here on trump and Hillary or US vs Russia is predicated on idealigical bais that one is better than the other based on the sins of the other ( Paul more so parroting his washed up love child JP and his superior synthesis of non bias media from his wacky world of his lounge and his PC ) if you look at each in isolation none comes up smelling of roses
I would have said that its more predicated on the worlds pre-eminent military and economic power by far wanting to exercise its right of regime change and total financial and economic control over any nation on the planet that it disagrees with.
Plenty more civilians are going to die in Eastern Aleppo unless the Jihadis take up the offer of amnesty and leave, or unless the west stops arming/funding/supplying those Jihadis so they can no longer hold the territory.
Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Or have you just spurned the New Zealand Labour Party?
Able or wish to comment?
Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Hi Paul, I no longer count myself as a member of the traditional left wing (jobs, industrial growth, organised labour, social democracy), or the establishment left wing (centrist market model Labour/Greens), or the liberal identity politics left wing (take your pick).
Not because there aren’t useful elements within there, but because they are completely unsuitable and inadequate for what is coming down the pike in the next 10 to 20 years.
And you support Trump and Peters/NZF, who are both completely inadequate for dealing with the approaching crises. There is something disingenuous about your explanation.
Russia needs excuses for the bombing of civilians in Syria.
Russia is assisting the Syrian Government destroy jihadist units entrenched in Eastern Aleppo. It is ugly, brutal urban warfare.
The jihadists have been offered safe passage out of Aleppo, if they wish to spare the local population the hardship.
Syrians are dying to support Russia’s military expansion.
Russia is present in Syria at discretion of the Syrian Government, and to support the warfighting efforts against the terrorist jihadists. Russia is not there as part of a “military expansion.”
It doesn’t as it happens – outside conspiracy theories proof that the US created ISIS is less than convincing – and if you understand anything about the politics of the region these neat wraps that CV produces that put all the anti-Russian forces into one jihadist box are utter bullshit.
Even the jihadists are multifarious.
Russia is doing what it always does – bombing any opposition and innocent bystanders to death.
Neither US nor Russian bombing of civilians is ever permissable.
The USA/NATO did not “create ISIS” in so much as it facilitated and indirectly funded ISIS as a strategic asset in the wider goal of taking down Assad. Most of this help went via Turkey, key NATO member and US ally.
Russia is doing what it always does – bombing any opposition and innocent bystanders to death.
Neither US nor Russian bombing of civilians is ever permissable.
The US could have chosen to separate out the “moderate opposition” from the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists and promoted a peaceful political process in Syria to move Assad on.
Instead, the US continues to use the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists jihadists as a proxy force to try and oust Assad with.
And now, if these jihadists don’t take the opportunity to leave Aleppo using the Syrian Government amnesty, then Russia and Syria are going to eliminate that proxy force through military means.
Yes, that means nasty block by block urban combat through old East Aleppo where the remaining couple of thousand jihadist terrorists are holed up.
Lavrov has said that they are using only legal munitions in Aleppo. Perhaps someone at the Security Council can initiate an independent investigation into the possible use of cluster bombs.
As for bombing hospitals – again, independent investigations are required. The reliability of the reports bears examining. I saw suggestions that Quds hospital in Aleppo had just been destroyed/bombed to collapse for the second or third time and was still accepting patients.
I have seen, over the last few years, quite a number of people on this blog complaining that the current Government has no mandate to do anything because they did not get a majority of the voting age population having voted for them in the last General Election.
They usually take the line that everyone who didn’t enrol, or didn’t vote was actually completely opposed to the Government.
I wonder when one of these individuals will announce that Goff is a liar when he claims to have a “mandate” from Auckland voters?
I have done the calculation for them.
I am assuming that 80% of the voting-age population were enrolled.
There was a turnout of about 38%
Goff got 47.6% of the votes.
Hence his support was 0.476 * 0.38 * .80 * 100 percent.
That comes to about 15% and therefore, by the wild reasoning lots of people here have applied to the National Government, we must argue that a massive 85% of the population of Auckland don’t want Goff to promote ANY of the things he campaigned on.
Where are all the people who think that their peculiar reasoning about National is correct? Why are they not claiming that Goff has no mandate to do anything?
It may be true that only 15% voted for Goff. However, I think it is generally accepted that it is the old and/or well off that tend to vote. The young and/or poor tend not to be registered or organised or motivated to vote-this is an increasing trend*. This group tends to vote for the left. If more of them had voted Goff would have done even better.
The lesson for the Lab/Gr bloc is to launch a registration drive for the upcoming election, making this easy to do online through the Labour and Green websites. And to include policies that young people will be motivated to vote for. A 12 month period overseas before student loans have to be begun to be paid back (the 6 month period is too short for a decent OE) and affordable houses for first-time buyers (here I mean $350,000 not $650,000) and 100% subsidised Uni and Poly tuition fees come to mind.
*the Brexit vote was lost for the same reason
On a completely different election, Clinton is now 4.6% ahead and is ahead in 11/14 battleground states. This is before Trump’s latest idiotic remarks were revealed.
I seem to remember that some Students Associations had such an option in their elections.
I not sure of that though but it seems like a good idea. I’m not sure what happened if “none of the above” won though.
My memory was accurate, apparently. At least that the option had existed.
I wonder if there were ever any elections where the rejections went on and on and nobody ended up being elected before the next years elections came around?
Remembering my own student days I am sure some of us would have been tempted to try and arrange such an event.
Fair comment alwyn.
I would have thought you’d be happy to have a neolib mayor, one could go so far as to say he was the lesser of two right wing evils!
I don’t live in Auckland so I don’t much care who won the Mayoral election.
I am not happy about the Wellington result though. The “way past it” people like Andy Foster seem to have survived. Name recognition I guess.
And no, I don’t think that a claim that 85% oppose Goff is sensible. He can, just like John Key, claim to have a mandate for his election policies. Whether he can get them through the Council is another matter.
That comes to about 15% and therefore, by the wild reasoning lots of people here have applied to the National Government, we must argue that a massive 85% of the population of Auckland don’t want Goff to promote ANY of the things he campaigned on.
Correct which is the main reason why we implemented MMP and why we need to now implement preferential voting for mayors.
We also need to change to mandatory voting and setting policies by referenda so that such arguments don’t happen again.
“implement preferential voting for mayors”.
That bit I agree with, even though it led to the election of our last, green leaning, unsuccessful Mayor. The incumbent in 2010 led easily in the first round but as more and more candidates were eliminated the final round gave a small majority to Wade-Brown
In a FPP election Prendergast would have got 41% and Wade-Brown about 34%.
STV is a much fairer system though.
The odd part about it is though that a single vote can decide the final winner. If you make up a fantasy voting pattern you can get a circumstance where switching a single vote could lead to the first person eliminated changing to being the one who finally triumphs. I don’t suggest it is likely. I just say it is possible.
I am not in favour of binding referenda though. It is almost impossible to get a question where a yes/no vote makes sense and also avoids getting totally contradictory conclusions between different referenda results.
I’m sure you could pass several results like.
1. Reduce income taxes by 20%
2. Increase the health budget by 20%.
3. Increase National Super by 20%
4. Reduce GST to zero
Now, how would you implement al of those?
I actually thought that Wade- Brown was a good mayor. Didn’t get sucked into a lot of “corporate high spending I want council to subsidize me crap”. ( Can’t say the same for council officers!?? ). Nor did she want to concrete everything in sight! What’s wrong with rates going on basic boring water rubbish sewage stuff.
“A good mayor”? She is a very pleasant person who was way out of her depth in the job in my opinion. Still, to each his own.
You approve of a runway extension at the Airport? Just where do you think any airline is going to fly?
Apart from subsidising Singapore to the tune of a million or so a year of course. And don’t tell me that she didn’t have anything to do with it.
Or the farce on the Parade in Island Bay where the cycleway made a wide, safe street into an accident zone?
At least she gave up, most unhappily on “light rail”.
No progress on such a basic, boring thing like a water supply for the hospital if we have an earthquake of course.
And just how much money did we waste on “recycling” plastic bags only to find they end up being dumped anyway
The odd part about it is though that a single vote can decide the final winner. If you make up a fantasy voting pattern you can get a circumstance where switching a single vote could lead to the first person eliminated changing to being the one who finally triumphs.
Do you recall a few years ago when we had the Waitakere Electorate change hands two or three times on recounts? That was 11 votes.
So, yes, a single vote can change the outcome but that doesn’t apply solely to STV.
I am not in favour of binding referenda though. It is almost impossible to get a question where a yes/no vote makes sense and also avoids getting totally contradictory conclusions between different referenda results.
I’m sure you could pass several results like.
1. Reduce income taxes by 20%
2. Increase the health budget by 20%.
3. Increase National Super by 20%
4. Reduce GST to zero
Now, how would you implement al of those?
I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t ask those questions and I’d have rules in place preventing them.
Instead you have people vote on what type of taxes that they think should be implemented with the understanding that the taxes will be adjusted to ensure that everything passed by referenda is fully funded thus an increase in the health budget gets an increase in taxes.
Of course, I also happen to think that we need to get away from money. Start practising economics from reality rather than the delusion that we have now. Everything that needs to be done is costed not in money but in the actual resources needed to do it including labour with instant feedback to the people voting showing how that will affect the available resources and other programs.
What a shame. Nobody who was in the legion who attacks the current Government because less than half the population voted for them came forward to apply the same standard to Phil Goff.
Oh well I shouldn’t really be surprised. What is that “not-Star Wars” quote?
“The hypocrisy is strong in that one”
Eh, not sure have an auto-mod addition like that is a good idea, if it’s entirely automatic. If it’s optional and applied by default it’s probably fine.
There have been cases in the past where entire threads of comments have been moved to Open Mike, sometimes 20-30+ comments at once. Adding that little blurb to every single comment would amount to spam.
I don’t know, seems reasonably clear. Forget that namby pamby bonding creative stuff, destroying things is so much better. That message works on lots of levels.
"Feminists are terrible because they think every man is a mysoginist!""Trump is just doing what EVERY guy does."Pick one, chuckleheads— Eaton (@eaton) October 8, 2016
Trump would win if he knew how to deflect these attacks and stick to policy. Instead he engages with them and digs himself a hole. At tomorrow’s debate I fully expect him to deliver absolutely crude insults and stories to Hillary Clinton regarding her husbands history of misconduct towards women.
Looks like Hillary will have her own explaining to do.
It will be an interesting second debate and i hope the public ask the real questions and forget about Trump.
Basically they’re not as bad as what she’s already been tried, convicted and sentenced for in liberal minds. She probably would have been better off just releasing them, like most things it’s trying to hide or cover it that’s more damaging than just coming clean.
When she is POTUS, which is not that far away as it is only days away, she will be pretty much immune from prosecution 🙂
‘Pretty much’ given there is the two-step impeachment process which may not happen until she gets many of the things underway that she will compliantly do as a willing piggy bank.
As for Trump, he is not that reliable and can be unpredictably disruptive, hence the bet is on the other one.
Understand what you are saying about Trump, and good on you.
In my view some “disruption” is exactly what we need, and urgently. Yes disruption might entail a bit of risk in making things somewhat worse than expected, but it might also disrupt things making things head in a substantially better way than expected.
With Clinton, we simply get more of the predictable status quo agenda, on a mild dose of steroids.
Which means that drawing a straight line prediction over the last ten or so years and extending the line into the future, with Hillary we will get things more or less exactly as worse as expected.
(Bill Posted on this recently…msm kowtowing to official lines )
Mainstream media under fire again…for dereliction of duty ? disinformation?
…Is a sinister shadow State being surreptitiously erected in Syria?
Are the supposed humanitarian ‘White Helmets’ (with $100 million dollar funding from UK, USA, Europe) actually selling regime change against the wishes of the Syrian people ?
…and by stealth eradicating the Syrian State?
….This propagandising organisation is not recognised by the UN and like a parasite blood sucker is taking over the real Syrian Civil Defence.
For a good discussion outside the msm on this issue:
“The White Helmets: a heartfelt humanitarian NGO or an elaborate and cynical Western PR stunt promoting illegal regime change in Syria? Does wearing white helmets mean they are the good guys supporting a just cause?
CrossTalking with Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, and Patrick Henningsen.”
The NZ ambassador to the UN, Gerard von Bohemen, puts the boot into his own organisation. He’s another in a long list of western elites eroding confidence in the UN, giving them toothpicks to fight 21st century battles.
His own prime minister’s solution to the crisis in Syria was for everyone to hold hands.
Russia is now matching NATO’s moves over the last 12+ months to place thousands of European troops, heavy weapons and ABM systems closer and closer to its borders.
Russia has already based its most advanced ground to air weapon systems in Kaliningrad.
Child rape victim comes forward for the first time in 40 years to call Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ who defended her rapist by smearing her, blocking evidence and callously laughing that she knew he was guilty
‘Hillary Clinton is not for women and children,’ says Kathy Shelton, 54, who was 12 years old when she was raped by Thomas Alfred Taylor in Arkansas
– Clinton was the rapist’s defense lawyer, pleading him down to ‘unlawful fondling of a minor’
– The 41-year-old drifter served less than a year in prison
– The plea came after Clinton was able to block the admission of forensic evidence that linked her client to the crime
– Shelton says she’s furious that Clinton has been portraying herself as a lifelong advocate of women and girls on the campaign trail
– Clinton accused Shelton of ‘seeking out older men’ in the case and demanded that she undergo a grueling court-ordered psychiatric examination
– The presidential candidate later laughed while discussing aspects of the case in a recently-unearthed audiotaped interview from the 1980s
Edit: I feel this disclaimer should always be added when replying to CV or his cohorts –
*This in no way an endorsement of Clinton, more it is an attempt to counter the festering bullshit that dwells in CV’s rabid alt-right brain
amazing – it is pretty well totally debunked – why would someone put up that when it has been proven to be false – I just don’t get why someone would do that and expect to be taken seriously.
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
Even if Clinton did push hard in her defence case and the child was further traumatised, in what ways is that relevant to her running for president now? Be specific, I’d really like to know what point you are actually trying to make here. I can think of some I would make about it, but I doubt they’re the same as what you are trying to do.
Using child rape for political ends is about as sick as it gets. Doing so while at the same time supporting and advocating for the politics of a man known to sexually harass and assault women is even worse.
And let’s not forget that your original comment is in response to Joe90’s link to early Trump racism. Because somehow in your mind if Clinton is evil then we can excuse Trump’s evilness? Or was it just a straight out reactionary diversion?
Even if Clinton did push hard in her defence case and the child was further traumatised, in what ways is that relevant to her running for president now? Be specific, I’d really like to know what point you are actually trying to make here.
Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, don’t you know.
Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist. So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
It seems that what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.
Liberal lefty hypocrisy ratchets up to a new volume.
Shit, dude – if you must equate a defense lawyer doing their job with a tax write-off, you might want to remember that Clinton tried to get recused from defending the rapist. Trump actively claimed the tax write off, nobody forced him to do it.
Bullshit. Investors in his companies and projects could sue him if they uncovered that he acted financially negligently and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars of legitimate tax deductions as allowed by law.
Investors in his companies and projects could sue him if they uncovered that he acted financially negligently and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars of legitimate tax deductions
Nope.
Yet even in public companies, experts say that there is no enforceable legal duty to “maximize shareholder value”—the business judgment rule protects independent directors’ decisions about the best way to serve the interests of the corporation and its shareholders, including decisions that reduce share price or profits in the foreseeable future.
“Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.”
Well duh. Of course. But that’s not what’s going on here. Further, Trump is accused of being a serial sexual assaulter, racist etc. Clinton is accused of doing her job in the way that her peers did at the time, and still do. Like I said, I could critique Clinton on this, but you, someone with a long online history of opposing rape culture analysis and promoting rape apology, you have an entirely different agenda here. A pretty fucked up one I might add. If you had a different history, say one of political analysis of rape trials and what happens in them and how that impacts on victims, then you might have some credibility here. As it stands you have less than none.
“And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist.”
yes, I know you do. but that’s because you are using child rape to further your own political agenda and this either stops you from seeing that I don’t support Clinton, or you simply don’t care that you lie by implication and projection.
eg,
So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
I neither said that nor believe it. You just made all that running shit up in your own head and projected it on to me. I’ll just keep saying it again and again, I could make my own criticisms of Clinton here, but you are basically incapable of engaging in that conversation because of your own politics around the US election and your politics around rape culture.
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
Stop and think about what you just did there CV. Because I’m pretty sure even you know that I’ve never made that argument. This is your bigotry supreme. You appear now to be incapable of seeing people with left wing or progressive views as anything other an amorphous lump who you despise, and this renders you incapable of seeing the actual arguments being made.
Don’t lie about my views CV. Don’t quote me out of context. And don’t conflate other arguments that other people have made with mine.
Oh yeah? Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
And now about this other comment of yours:
Don’t lie about my views CV. Don’t quote me out of context. And don’t conflate other arguments that other people have made with mine.
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
If you don’t want to hear MY perspective then don’t waste both my time and your time by fucking asking for it, and we will both have a happier life.
Ok, so now you want to be spoon fed right? (for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)
Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
“The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.”
I’m not defending Clinton you numpty, I’m critiquing you and what you are doing in this thread.
The reason you can’t understand that paragraph (one of the reasons), is because you’re taking it out of context. It follows directly on from a comment about your politics
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
My point there is that in order to have credibility in commenting on this issue (about Clinton), one needs to understand how the system is designed. It’s designed to privilege the accused at the expense of rape victims. It’s not possible to legitimately critique Clinton unless one has that context. You of course take that to be an excuse for Clinton or an outright defence of her, but that says more about you than anything else.
And of course you will use what is in the Daily Mirror and ignore what is in Snopes because it suits your political agenda, which is not aligned with the rights, needs or safety of rape victims in court. Quite the opposite, you want a man who sexually assaults women to be President.
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
When I said don’t lie about my views, I was specially referring to where you lied about my views. In your comment. I’ve critiqued YOUR perspective as well, but at the end of my comment I just said don’t lie about what I think. If you insist on wilfully misinterpreting what I say and the arguments I make, then of course I am going to tell you to stop.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
[RL: Deleted. This entire conversation is like watching two people juggling an unpinned grenade. You have a choice, progress this respectfully, or have it end in ugliness and hurt.]
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoonfed.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
That’s right CV. It’s called context, and it allows us to make sense of situations. I can see that you wouldn’t want to do that, because it would lessen you ability to push your anti-Clinton agenda. And that’s what’s important, right? It’s not understanding a complex situation about rape, it’s about bringing down Clinton because someone has pointed to Trump being racist.
And no, don’t start with some bullshit about how I support Clinton, I don’t.
For the umpteenth time, I could make my own critiques about Clinton in this situation, but I’m not because (a) you are incapable of engaging in that kind of conversation, and (b) my comments in this thread are about your politics. Go on, read them again. I actually say bugger all about Clinton and the case.
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
I don’t know what you are on about there to be honest. I’ve responded to your perspective, what is wrong with that? I’ve also pointed out that I have zero tolerance for my own views being misrepresented, and if you like, that includes when you express your views about them. You’re entitled to your opinion, I’m entitled to point out when you’re misrepresenting mine. It’s taken how many comments thus far for you to even begin to understand that I’m not defending Clinton here. I’m calling you on your bullshit.
“for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)”
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoon fed.
In other words you’ve got nothing. You wander around the site making backhanded and snide smears and then when people ask for clarification you make out there is something deficient with them. That’s the action of someone who can’t argue their corner.
While Shelton [was was the 12 year old rape victim] gave an anonymous interview to the Daily Beast in 2014, she said wants to start speaking out publicly, in part because ‘I think a lot of people would look at [Clinton] in a different way’ after hearing her story directly.
‘I want to speak to the world. Out there at the White House, so everyone can hear me,’ said Shelton. ‘That’s always been my thing since the anger’s built up. I want to speak out like [Clinton] does, and let the whole world hear it.’
For decades, Shelton said she had no idea that Clinton was the same woman as the lawyer who defended her rapist in 1975.
During the case, Clinton accused the 12-year-old of ‘seek[ing] out older men’ and ‘engag[ing] in fantasizing’ in court affidavits, and later laughed while discussing aspects of the case in a recently-unearthed audiotape from the 1980s.
Ummm – as per the link which you obviously didn’t read:
“Documents from the 1975 case include an affidavit (p. 34) sworn by Clinton, from which the “in court, Hillary told the judge that I made up the rape story” portion of the claims was derived. That affidavit doesn’t show, as claimed, that Hillary Clinton asserted the defendant “made up the rape story because [she] enjoyed fantasizing about men”; rather, it shows that other people, including an expert in child psychology, had said that the complainant was “emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and to engage in fantasizing about persons, claiming they had attacked her body,” and that “children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences.”
Of course, she should’ve ignored the long standing notion of the right to a competent defence. It’s not as if there’s any sort of historical precedent.
/
An ambitious Clinton was very early in her trial career, and her future career was on the line if she didn’t smash away at a 12 year old girl on the stand through fair means and foul.
Clinton asked to be taken off the case? And that justifies how she treated the victim, and how later on she laughed about how she got an expert witness to win a point on a technicality?
It’s amazing how Clinton trashed the life of a 12 year old female victim, and now that the victim has come forward to tell her story, you’re going to trash her life again on behalf of Clinton.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the modern liberal left.
If you read the Snopes article which is very heavily cross referenced – it would appear that Hillary Rodham as she was at that time did indeed ask not to be on the case. However when it was pointed out to her that she could not refuse the request of the judge she did act as any responsible lawyer would do and worked in the defence of her client. There was evidence from child psychologists to the effect that the young person involved could have exaggerated the matter, and in the end the result was a plea bargain for a lesser sentence. As for the allegation that she laughed at the outcome, again this does not seem to actually represent the true nature of the facts. The Daily Mail article you reference is shown to be a gross exaggeration of the facts – not an unusual tactic for this “rag” which is usually more interested in “readership” than actual truth.
But a lawyer who has to defend someone they’re pretty sure did it but the crime lab threw out the physical evidence and the judge didn’t want to discuss the details of the case with a female lawyer? The guy could complain that she didn’t get him off competely, rather than just settling for time served. Farcical.
And her future career? When this case came across the table she was volunteering at a legal aid type organisation and she was drafted into the case. She was in fucking law school at the time. She had no “legal career”.
he’s just trying to smear – can’t defend don the dim so always has to pull it back to the lowtide mark of attack memes on clinton and then watch dejectedly as the sandcastles of hate get washed away by the tides of (mostly) truth.
You didn’t. And CV is at his manipulative best right now. Not only using child rape to push a political agenda and divert attention away from Trump’s racism, but also using people’s reactions to what he linked to try and paint his hated left as minimisers of sexual assault. This would be laughable if it weren’t for all those arguments over the years where he has been dismissive of rape culture or the issues raised by women about rape. I didn’t think CV could go much lower, but I’m starting to see there probably is a whole slew of paths he could take now and none of them are pretty.
btw, we have choices here. We don’t have to buy into the agenda he is clearly setting.
I didn’t think I had and yep time for bed methinks. I can’t stand this misappropriation but par for the course it seems as desperate supporters get desperate and more despicable I have to say.
The agendas being pushed are in various forms, from various quarters…
Quite certain you can see that, including your own!
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
Of course I want the conversation to go a certain way, that’s why I’m involved in this one. The question then becomes are all agendas valid? I think they’re not.
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
I haven’t been following them for a while, but that wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not actually arguing about the US election though. I’m talking about something else.
With regards to NATO v Russia, given that the UK government has just given their troops effective immnity from procecution over atrocities in Iraq, I would imagine Putin doing the same with the Red Army. And look what happened last time Red Army troops occupied Berlin.
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Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
Samantha Bee has her own hot mic incident. All usual Samantha Bee warnings apply, including swallow your coffee and put the cup down.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/samantha-bee-leaked-audio-donald-trump_us_57f8ac44e4b0e655eab4a07f?section=&
Experts warn of a wave of new buildings failing earthquake standards
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/84488823/falling-through-the-cracks-experts-warn-of-a-wave-of-new-buildings-failing-earthquake-standards
Such deficiencies seem to be a major malaise in NZ since the reforms of the 1980s implemented greed and cost cutting in favour of doing the job properly.
The result is a huge fix up bill and public safety issue which potentially puts lives at risk.
Congratulations to Tim Shadbolt, Tracy Hicks and Robert Guyton on their reelection in Southland, as a Southlander living overseas these 3 have worked for the interests of Southland and its great that Southland avoids the party politics that plague other metropolitan towns and cities. While there will always be differences of opinion I think the rest of NZ could learn a thing or too from Gore, Invercargill and Rural Southland about getting on with things rather than infighting etc.
+100…great Tim Shadbolt got back in! (don’t know anything about the other two…)
Total annual KiwiSaver fees exceed $300 million in the last year.
The ratio of returns to fees was $3 of fees paid for every $13 of returns. That means fees consumed about 23 per cent of returns.
With future investment returns predicted to be lower, the next few years could see that percentage rise.
Annual earnings fell to $1.3 billion from $3 billion in 2015.
The proportion of noncontributing members has grown slightly from 42.6% at the end of 2015 to 42.7%.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/85019659/ten-revelations-from-the-financial-markets-authoritys-annual-kiwisaver-report
https://fma.govt.nz/assets/Reports/_versions/9042/161004-FMA-KiwiSaver-Report-2016.1.pdf
Thank you to Labour for creating a great system for funnelling two million Kiwi workers wages to Wall St and the financial sector.
There are more $30b in funds invested in kiwisaver.
I’d like to hear of your plan for where that money would be invested, in a way that allows investors to pull it out to build houses or when they retire, without the money being invested in banks or the stock market.
I heard the country is short of about 100,000 houses.
$30B might be just enough.
Also, it’s only electronic funny money, invested in electronic/paper pretend assets.
Might as well put it towards something real and beneficial to Kiwis right here right now.
How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?
Are you suggesting that kiwifund managers should instead have gone into residential housing and managing tenancies?
The market rate for residential tenancy management is 8% + GST. That’s a lot higher than the fees we’re talking about.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns? How do these people cash the money out when they want to retire?”
We keep our immigration levels up and we just turn NZ into one giant house building economy for mostly Asia where there is plenty of demand for citizens to leave.
Often migrants want to have a look first which keeps tourism levels up.
And the world needs more water and food, so we can sell them our water super cheap and our farms and assets like Silver Ferm farms.
That’s the Natz vision for our economy.
Sadly I’m not sure if there is much of an alternative vision from other political parties or maybe they can voice it in a way that is easily understood.
BTW – this economic approach does nothing for productivity and we are middling at best for GDP in spite of having the 3rd highest population growth after Israel and Luxembourg.
http://sciblogs.co.nz/the-dismal-science/2016/10/05/new-zealand-envy-world-middling-best/
+100 save nz…well said!
You shouldn’t be asking such awkward questions Lanthanide.
“How does investing in building houses provide investment returns”.
Have another read of the things CV, save NZ and The Chairman are saying.
What they really want isn’t to use the money in people’s Kiwi Saver accounts, or the Government Super Fund or the Cullen Fund to be used on that sort of thing. They want to grab it and spend it on their own little hobby horses and to blow it on their pet little projects.
That is why I don’t trust ANY Government to own and run businesses. They can’t resist the chance to throw money at things they favour, rather than things that make any sense.
They also can’t resist the temptation to claim that they have to right to help themselves to other peoples hard earned savings or businesses that private individuals have developed.
Why do you think that save NZ talks about “our farms and assets like Silver Fern farms”. He thinks they are HIS assets.
Why do you think that The Chairman talks about “That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures”.
He doesn’t want to spend his own money on things he favours. He wants to spend YOUR’S
Yip, I almost wrote “you’re no better than politicians who see a large pot of money set aside for public pensions and can’t help themselves but raid it for their pet projects”.
I believe it was James Shaw who just recently said the superannuation fund money should be put towards building renewable power plants.
If I had used your words, which convey exactly what I meant I could have saved such a lot of typing.
The Greens have an almost unique ability to choose the most foolish economic proposals. One of them is the way they propose to encourage people to use “greener” forms of transport, in particular electric cars. They want, I understand, to exempt them from FBT. That is of course a subsidy or rebate on such vehicles.
The Economist, a couple of months ago published a brief article on the most effective way of getting people to use greener forms of vehicle. The ways it could be done were higher fuel charges, higher registration charges for polluting vehicles or a rebate on green machines. All these were tried in Switzerland.
The rebates procedure was the worst. Why am I not surprised that it was the one chosen by the New Zealand Green Party?
http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21702762-why-fuel-taxes-are-best-way-encourage-sales-greener-cars-not-easy-being
Something for you to ponder, alwyn
One can invest in little with a dollar, but collectively (through government) that dollar can be turned into millions, vastly increasing investment opportunities.
The local private sector is lacking when it comes to exporting, hence the need for Government to help fill this void.
The alternative which tends to be pursued is to seek offshore investment.
However, when one looks at our current account, one can see how well that has been working out for the nation overall.
http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/key-graphs/key-graph-current-account
Why don’t you set up a KiwiSaver scheme then that announces it’s policy is the set up such companies?
Then invest your own KiwiSaver money, and that of anyone else who wants to join up, in such ventures.
Just don’t force people to do so if they want to get higher returns, and a better retirement, elsewhere.
Why do you think YOU have the right to determine where I invest my retirement savings?
KiwiSaver membership is not mandatory, hence I’m not forcing anyone to invest.
Moreover, the level of risk you decide to select is up to you.
While your suggestion could be of some benefit to the nation and myself, it doesn’t reach the scale of what I was suggesting, thus produce the wider benefits.
Wrong questions.
The correct questions are:
Why do we insist that we need private investment?
Why do we insist that people must get something for nothing from having money?
Why do we insist that people need to ‘save for their retirement’ when saving money saves nothing at all?
I have a suggestion.
That money could be funding new publicly owned (SOEs) exporting ventures, which will boost the productive sector, creating new jobs whilst growing the nations wealth.
Shall we go for more economic growth, and more resource consumption, that’s a viable long term strategy.
From an investor point of view I am not sure I would take your investment advise CV, country risk is huge, all assets tied up in high risk business start ups, liquidity is crap,, no diversification etc. dont confuse Wall Street the market with the underlying assets if they are shares, these are real companies making real things that you see around you and that you buy and use every day,
Sustainable investment would be the priority, CV.
Yes that’s like Green Growth (or to make the comparison more obvious,
“clean coal”)
There’s nothing stopping Kiwisaver managers from setting up such companies themselves right now.
But that won’t avert the clipping of the ticket.
Correct, but if your idea is such a sure-fire winner, why aren’t any of the kiwisaver funds organising it?
Is it because they’re lazy? Or is it because the potential reward isn’t worth the risk?
They lack the scale, scope and resources the Government can bring to the table, therefore they may find it less feasible.
Right, too risky.
While there is a level of risk in all investments, I was highlighting the Government is in a better position to capitalise.
Moreover, our economic circumstance requires it.
You may want to look into the economic theory called the ‘paradox of thrift’. This demonstrates conclusively that to the extent NZers saving propensities are raised this increases the average NZers saving rate by no dollers what so ever. Its impossible for Kiwisaver to succeed in its primary (stated) policy goal of raising NZers savings rate. Its actually just another branch of the neoliberal onslaught and in practice an attempt to run a govt budget surplus by minimising pension payments over time.
Top work to Richard Hills on Auckland’s North Shore beating out Grant Gillon.
Also will be awesome to see Efeso round the table.
Celebratory re-watch of his campaign video?
https://youtu.be/7dLguFjpYr8
That’s wonderful!
Thanks Stephanie – it would go well with your don’t despair post.
Ad. I understood the closeness of the vote between Gillon and Hill was considered too close to call (68) and could be overturned by specials – unless there’s been an update I don’t know about.
Don’t get me wrong. Hills show huge promise. I want to see him win.
Long form interview of Syrian President al-Assad by Denmark’s TV2
The Syrian Government knew in advance that the ceasefire would fail because they already understood from previous experience that the Americans had no genuine motivation or ability to separate out “moderate” rebel groups from the jihadists, as required by the ceasefire agreement.
http://thesaker.is/interview-of-president-al-assad-to-denmarks-tv-2-moderate-opposition-is-a-myth/
The most telling, and also chilling, bit of this interview is the reference to the Cuban missile crisis, followed by this, Now the situation is different, because in the United States you don’t have superior statecraft. When you don’t have superior statecraft, you should expect anything… He is not the first to make this observation, and it was openly visible in Samantha Powers’ petulant, childish address to the UN, and in a presidential debate that could easily have passed as an audition for a part in a reality TV show. Even if you go back a short way to Bush Snr. and Dukakis, you could not then have imagined the standard of sober-mindedness for high office falling so low.
The TINA doctrine expresses a position that brooks no negotiation. Its adherents seem to want to elevate people who are able to win over the public and follow directions (as with reality TV). Where Kennedy was able to leave Cuba more-or-less alone in exchange for not having a missile base next door, these people seem incapable of such moves. To do that would be inconsistent with the “hard choices” that they believe they must make. Both Kerry and Obama do seem, prima facie, better than that, but also seem unable to rein in the silliness and hubris that has developed to an alarming degree within US public life.
The question as to whether Putin and Al Assad are good or bad pales alongside the question as to whether the west is currently capable of sober, mature behaviour.
Don’t forget State Dept spox John Kirby saying a week or two ago that the way Russia is going in Syria, Russia might expect to start losing resources, planes, might start receiving more body bags at home, and that Russian cities might be attacked.
How’s that for the west’s “superior statecraft.”
http://theduran.com/us-state-department-john-kirby-warns-russia-russian-foreign-ministry-maria-zakharova-warns-john-kirby/
An interesting piece for the Standard’s resident dupe of Russia…
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/europe/russia-sweden-disinformation.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
the US wants to keep surrounding Russia with NATO forces and NATO bases. Business as usual for the empire.
BTW New York Times propaganda was instrumental in the pro-war drumbeat which led the US public to the Iraq War, and the disastrous implosion of Libya.
There are many dupes on this site of the USA.
They still believe their lies after 9/11 and Iraq.
You should listen to John Pilger.
No doubt you’d call him a ‘dupe of Russia’.
He also happens to be a most respected independent journalist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpnBCKjxHho
This has been posted 3, 4 maybe 5 times in as many days. What ever point you are trying to make has already been made
It appears that the point may have been made, but from your comments the point certainly has not registered.
John pilger blah blah, Like a broken record on this guy Paul, what’s the count on how many times you have posted this video
Have you watched it yet?
I sense not.
Or possibly you no sense
So no then.
Great you condemn something without evidence.
Before viewing evidence I look at credibility of the individual professing it , ie first A then B, unfortunately you fail the A text, I have read Pilcher in the past, grumpy old man syndrome, with massive chip to boot, I can see why you and he get along
Even seen this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rpZz5I_ylo
+100 Paul … worth watching!…interesting if scathing comments on the mainstream media, the American Election …. and demonisation of Donald Trump… war criminals Hillary Clinton and Obama too…also Madeleine Albright
“Then the fake document becomes the source of a news story distributed on far-left or far-right-wing websites,”
That’s the weirdest thing about the Putin fan-boys – there are as many of them on the loonier fringes of the left as there are on the loonier fringes of the right. I wouldn’t have expected to see people on the left cheerleading for right-wing nationalist authoritarians, but it looks as though for some people their (US) enemy’s enemy is their friend. Newsflash, suckers: your enemy’s enemy isn’t your friend, but does enjoy having useful idiots on-side.
Presenting Putin’s useful idiots – anyone who disagrees with the establishment
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-24/presenting-putins-useful-idiot-anyone-who-disagrees-establishment
That’s what strikes me – how you can say your left wing but support a authoritarian right wing conservative
And you support US neocon foreign policy in Ukraine. Latvia, Syria….
Supporting the policies of Bush, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld. now that’s a progressive stance.
Nowhere, ever, have I supported the US.
why do you lie? Why are you so stupid as to think criticism against Putin somehow implies supporting the US? Is your worldview that binary?
CV has spurned the left and has declared he’s no leftie.
I think cv presents an honest left wing viewpoint.
He doesn’t – ask him he is proud of it.
I’d say he’s declared he’s no supporter of what the current mainstream left stands for, and that he’s proud of that.
And for that he should be applauded.
Instead of being castigated by one-dimensional numpties who cannot understand that critical analysis of one thing does not equate to support for something else.
They are very wearisome.
Hes not left he has said this it isnt a conspiracy just a non judgemental fact .
Neither honest nor leftwing IMO.
Why?
+1 Karen
+1 Karen.
If anyone’s spurned the left it’s Leftie and those of his ilk, not CV. CV challenges the so-called left by asking if they’re left enough. Leftie epitomises what’s become the current mainstream neo-liberal left by accepting without question and without exception every single thing Labour says and does. That is called spurning the left.
I agree.
I like the fact that cv questions the neo-liberal left’s domestic policies, as well as questioning the left’s slavish support of extreme neocon US foreign policy.
It is worth noting that cv gets a lot more flak from the right wing trolls than our neo-liberal Labour commentators on this site.
+100 CV…is a very pertinent and well informed commentator….one can learn a lot from him… one of the reasons I keep coming here..if not the main reason
…and he certainly gets the discussion going
Totally agree.
I learn a lot from him.
Bullshit. He isnt left he says so or are you calling him a liar
It’s interesting we’re having a discussion about CV’s politics – I’m sure he must be having a decent chuckle, but I digress.
Now, getting back to that discussion. If “he isn’t left” (what ever that may or may not mean), what would you say he “is”?
…a truth inquirer/ speaker…and a very very well informed analytical ,intelligent one
Hi Chris and Chooky and Paul
Cheers to the three of you. Sorry I missed most of this thread as it unfolded.
Marty Mars is a good guy and correct in basically saying that I no longer subscribe to the groupings of the traditional (mid 20th Century based industrial pro growth social democratic)/establishment (sold out for power centrist free market)/liberal identity politics left, and that I have said so explicitly.
(And yes he is also correct that I am “proud” of this.)
Sadly, the established conventional Left have only a small fraction of the answers needed for what is coming down the pike over the next ten to twenty years.
thank you cv – I don’t judge your comment but accept it and respect it too – unlike some of your supporters who don’t accept let alone respect it and want to try and create a problem where there isn’t one – that’s you chris.
I am also very very happy that you don’t identify as a left thinker, supporter or activist.
I still turn out to support left wing mates in their efforts when I can of course, but that’s not the direction my own politics is in.
I don’t care other than he isn’t left – he says the left/right model is outdated so I suppose he is panpolitical.
You’re becoming as one-dimenional as Loftie but unlike him, there’s still hope. Just think a little harder, I do believe you’ve got it in you.
no need to be a patronising git there chris – curb yourself.
I already answered – I don’t care. He doesn’t care what I think he is. He is happy not to be on the left. It isn’t that controversial or hard to understand. Hopefully you won’t come back with slimey bullshit now that that has all been cleared up ffs.
This slimy enough for you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQU7MV9uSt0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWKeX_fVPaI
Chris, and Paul, whatever disagreements there might be about CV’s politics or the value of CV’s contributions here, it is most definitely true that CV earlier this year declared himself to not be left wing. He’s said it a number of times, and many of us remember this because of how it happened and the context it happened in.
I think it’s 50/50 whether CV himself, who is still active in this thread, will confirm this himself. That alone tells us much about the problems here.
You owe marty an apology.
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
I never said or implied that at all fuckwit – don’t try and spin some wank game geezer. It is a fact, he said it – deal with it. You are the only one making shit up.
MM, you’re becoming increasingly irrational in recent weeks through your comments, including insulting people with bad language
Looking back over time it seemed to be an exception, now it seems to be the rule..
Perhaps you could take some time to evaluate if all the emotive vitriol you currently have for CV, primarily but not exclusively, is worth it
..
Sure, but what does that mean? marty mars seems to be saying that this means CV’s some kind of extreme right wing something something. That’s the implication and marty mars won’t say otherwise. It’s a meaningless accusation.
What it means is that marty said repeatedly that CV doesn’t consider himself to be left wing anymore. There is no further implication about being extreme right, although marty did suggest it might be called pan-political.
There are lots of things to accuse CV of, but marty didn’t do that. Reminding that CV himself doesn’t consider himself to be left wing is a relevant comment on its own. Any inference is something you’ve decided, not something marty has said. Here’s the exact quotes. Feel free to scroll up to see them in context, but I think they stand pretty clearly on their own.
Marty is in quotation marks, others in [ ].
Say what you mean then, son. All you’ve said is that CV’s “not left”. What the fuck does that mean, you one-dimensional little weasel. What are you accusing CV of being, then? Far left? Fuck, I’d be proud if someone called me that, but you’ve said nothing apart from “CV’s not left”. If you call yourself “left”, then heaven fucking help us.
[you’ve had this explained to you several times already, including by CV himself. If you’re not willing to listen to people and just want to be abusive, take the night off. – weka]
Equally it should be plain that CV is no right winger either; the old left/right labels no longer stick quite like used to.
1,2 – I haven’t insulted cv by clarifying that he says he isn’t a left winger – get a grip.
chis – your having a wankathon by yourself over your made up outrage over your made up conclusion which has been clarified for you at least 3 times now. Seems you are too up yourself and your rightonrick approach – guess what geezer – these are the south seas here not blighty. And my original comment was a clarification for the extremist you dick.
If that’s all mm’s saying, that CV’s “not left”, and that’s all he’s concerned about, I suggest that he’s concerned about nothing because what he says, that someone is “not left” means absolutely nothing. I’m glad that the fact mm hasn’t been saying anything at all has been clarified.
You’re a patronizing Nat fan troll, Chris.
Panpolitical is it. CV wants to see the world burn. Not positive like Steph asks for and critical in all the wrong places.
CV has an ego the size of Trump’s and a platform the size of Tinkerbell’s.
I want to see the world burn?
Nah, I’m just totally amazed that so few people can see that the world is already completely on fire.
And it’s not fun at all. But I can understand the ostrich mentality.
cv why don’t you clarify your non left status for chris above – he’s really struggling to understand and is trying to take his anger out on others.
@marty, CV already has. I’ve quoted him in one of the subthreads too.
I used to suspect that CV was a leftie with poor planning skills whose failed intrigues had resulted in a massive overcompensation of naysaying and uncritical parrotting of propaganda to preserve his inflated but fragile ego.
But when he shat a brick over Swarbrick’s cv, I glimpsed a midlife crisis and concomitant shift towards general toryism when he finally gets putinlove out of his system..
Pretty much spot on
+1. He wastes so much energy in the wrong fucking direction.
If only he and Chris Trotter would move on from 1984 and help the modern Labour movement we might be in a better place.
A prime example of “Pommers Law” (look it up)
Ah yes the 22 year old LLB BA double degree cafe owner arts patron journalist 2degrees employee fashion designer/fashion label launching marketing consultant mayoral candidate.
Some people looked at that and decided – astonishing youth prodigy. I looked at that and decided the obvious.
The toilet paper is with chris – he’s just about finished cleaning himself up.
[marty can you also please take a step back from the abuse, thanks – weka]
Young women these days are graduating from University in greater numbers, succeeding in business and establishing powerful political/business networks far faster and more effectively than young men the same age.
It was a mistake to gauge Swarbrick by male standards.
[RL: I’ll make a moderation note here rather than pick on any one poster. The levels of personal abuse have gotten WAY too high. I’m not going to intervene here because I don’t think I’m the right person to do it. I’m leaving it over to weka to moderate as she sees fit and totally support any action she takes. ]
RL you know and I know full well the fast networker fast job changing fast ladder climbing always on the look out for the next stepping stone careerist types, and yes in our beautiful modern day they are definitely both men and women.
Based on her CV would you have seriously considered hiring Swarbrick for a key mid level management position in a large, demanding organisation?
I would not have.
BTW if she keeps at politics she’s not going to end up as a left winger. Centre, maybe. Possibly. Just a guess.
Fashion labels and cafes are like any other small business – starting one has no indication of scale, just company registration. And fashion and art overlap quite a bit.
The thing is, I’ve met people like Chloe. Rarely, but it happens. They do a lot of work in a lot of different fields, and yes even do double degrees (double honours in one case I knew) at the same time. Fuck, look at Cook Bros. That started with five marketing students getting bank loans to buy equal shares in a pub.
You have no knowedge of her politics, no knowledge of her background, no knowledge of any impropriety, no idea of how much financial assistance she had as opposed to saving and leveraging on what she built.
You just can’t believe that her CV is plausible because it looks much better than yours. Rather than have your delicate ego scratched, you’ll adopt the myth that what she wrote can’t be true.
Is support for privatisation via Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – now acceptable supposedly ‘left wing’ / Labour policy?
Yes or no?
Penny Bright
‘Anti- privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’.
Chlöe Swarbrick
September 24 at 8:27am
Hey Penny, I support certain PPPs to see certain necessary infrastructure built.
It is a practicality, and does not need to be evil, especially with requisite controls in contracts.
I am against the TPPA, and my track record in journalism will show that.
I support density because cities operate best, and most efficiently, when they are denser.
Where would you like to see Auckland growth go?
Forever sprawling outwards, without the support of infrastructure or job opportunity?
My whole campaign is premised on engaging the disengaged – bringing Auckland’s disenfranchised back into the conversation.
I do not think we can have a representative democracy when only 1/3 of the city votes, let alone when there is a large correlation there between voters and homeowners protecting their interests.”
Chloe Swarbrick – in my opinion – practical, pragmatic PRIVATISER.
Remember folks?
“The key thing in life is sincerity. Once you can fake that – you’ve got it made.”
Penny Bright
‘Whistle-blower’.
CV’s instinct is correct..
People will believe whatever they want, especially when they are trying to put their ego over the top of another
Such as you’re doing in this instance
Do you even realise what you were doing?
thank you moderators – message received.
I’m mostly with McF on this one. I’ve never met Swarbrick and I’ve no idea if she over-egged her CV or not. But I think you made a mistake in casting judgement on it with insufficient information.
As McFlock says, such ‘over-achieving’ young people do exist and I’m happy they do.
Whether she has the maturity and skills to operate as a senior manager within Auckland City is perhaps a better question, and one that the voters delivered an answer on. But then again look at Helen Clark who was active in politics at a very young age; youth alone should be no barrier to activism. Swarbrick looks like talent and there’s every chance we’ll see her some time down the track.
As you must know personally CV, politics is a tough game, and staging a recovery from setbacks is a lesson best learnt young. Wish I had.
So the call is uber hardworking uber effective networking outstanding multitasking fast rising career star then? OK happy to go with your call. Swarbrick for Mayor 2019.
Huh?
Oh yeah, you’re a salaryman, I suppose you still need a CV don’t you.
lol
oops I touched a nerve.
What do you mean “touched a nerve”?
lolk
You only jump to deflection when you’re strugging for a reasonable response.
Come on, what exactly about Swarbrick’s cv made you think it was unbelievable: that a 22yo might have started a few small companies, maybe one during uni? It’s easy to form a company – friend of mine registered one for a single theatrical production. It’s a good way of keeping boundaries separate, especially if you’re juggling a lot of different plates.
Was it the use of the word “patron” that pissed you off? Or did the double egree just activate your anti-education reflex?
Or are you incapable of self-reflection?
Yes I particularly loved “patron of the arts”. so informative
So the word “patron” made you disbelieve the entire thing?
That’s nice, Penny.
It still doesn’t mean her CV is padded.
Really? You have evidence Swarbrick’s CV was untrue? Feel free to present it, rather than pretendng you’re some sort of deus ex machina swanning in to proclaim the truth based solely on your own authority..
I never said that Swarbrick’s CV was “untrue” McFlock.
In fact, I think it is highly likely that Swarbrick did/attempted all those things on her CV.
edit – soz I see you weren’t replying to me
No, you just called it “obvious crap”
“did/attempted”?
Even when you’re backtracking, you can’t but help suggesting that not everything in the list of what she did, she actually did, rather than attempted.
Is this conversation really necessary?
If I claimed to be a ‘patron of the arts’ on the basis that I have a couple of paintings I’ve paid a few hundred dollars each for … then strictly speaking I’m not lying. But to someone who maybe had spent a lifetime spending millions, like say David Walsh, collecting and building a magnificent gallery … then it doubtless he’d think I was talking crap.
And while I own a couple of companies, they really are of such modest consequence I wouldn’t dream of calling myself ‘company director’. Even though strictly speaking it’s true.
And when I’m employing staff, I see far too many CV’s that are blatantly embellished. Typically people who claim high levels of competency in multiple skill areas that I know each one might take 3- 5 years to become good at, when they’ve barely been out of Uni a couple of years. Again strictly speaking they probably aren’t exactly lying, but neither do I find their claims convincing.
At 22 yrs of age, did Swarbrick over-egg her CV? I’d be surprised and delighted if it did indeed stand up to scrutiny; but equally you can hardly be too harsh if others express skepticism.
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
@Red
You and CV can bat this one about all night, but in the absence of hard information about Swarbrick it becomes an exercise in sour, sterile sniping.
That was my main response the other day when it came up. There’s bugger all information to go on. Myself, I don’t have a problem with what she is claiming, and am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt unless something concrete gets presented. I just thought CV’s comments weren’t based on much other than his own antipathy (and he wasn’t very upfront about what he was meaning, but that’s another kete of ika)
+1 McFlock.
As per usual, you post a load of rubbish Chris.
+ 1
Good to see you guys have finally made up.
https://openparachute.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/croc-tears.jpg?w=500&h=341
In today’s story in the Sunday Star Times about funding needed for transport improvements touted by mayoral candidates: “And while Bridges says he is keen to work with councils to improve their get-around-ability, he won’t buy into their pork barrel politics with taxpayer dollars. ”
Admittedly that’s the journalist’s spin as he is quoted as actually saying: “I’m very keen to keep up a new approach I’ve had where we manage to strip aside the politics, use evidence-based information, and have officials working together”.
But isn’t this the same man who plucked 10 phantom bridges out of thin air to tempt the voters of Northland?
Slanted evidence, unfortunately: http://transportblog.co.nz/2016/09/16/atap-the-right-answers-to-the-wrong-questions/
Pilger’s best days were a quarter of a century ago, today he tiptoes along the line between journalist and crank.
Drawing an equivalance between a publication like the the New York Times and Putin’s asymentric state use of black propaganda is exactly the sort of false equivalence that fuels Trumpism (a sneering imbecile also beloved of CV) and brings delighted smiles to the kleptocracy running the Russian mafia state. One can read the NYT (with a mind to it’s bias) with a reasonable degree that it is reporting facts, albeit with a (often considerable) slant. Departing news for fantasy, and defending that fantasy as some sort of equvalent, is disgraceful and (to mix metaphors) simply tells me that CV has painted his high horse into a corner, and rather than climb down and wear the sticky results he’ll just keeping upping the ante until, one presumes, he is defending David Icke’s right to an equal hearing in the flat earth “debate”.
Bullshit Sanctuary. Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once…. The best propagandists in the world are the Americans. Period.
Sanctuary thinks he is smart enough to not be affected by the ubiquitous corporate MSM western propaganda.
“There can be no cooperation between the US and Russia over Syria, because the two government’s goals are entirely different. Russia wants to defeat ISIS, and the US wants to use ISIS to overthrow Assad. This should be clear to the Russians. Yet they still enter into “agreements” that Washington has no intention of keeping. Washington breaks the agreements and blames Russia, thus creating more opportunities to paint Russia as untrustworthy. Without Russia’s cooperation in setting themselves up for blame, Russia’s portrait would not be so black.
“On September 28, 2016, the New York Times gave us a good example of how Washington’s propaganda system works. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/world/middleeast/russias-brutal-bombing-of-aleppo-may-be-calculated-and-it-may-be-working.html?_r=0 ”
Paul Craig Roberts
(oh dear, former United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under President Reagan, 1981)
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/09/30/bring-back-the-cold-war-paul-craig-roberts/
PCR gets it. So does Col Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Sec State Colin Powell, and many other former establishment players who are horrified at what has been happening over the last decade.
wah wah wah, Russian propoganda, Western readers being duped …
“Perhaps everyone has already forgotten that when Washington’s plan to invade Syria was blocked by the UK Parliament and Russian diplomacy, Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria where they emerged as ISIS and commit extraordinary atrocities.
“As ISIS was serving Washington’s purpose, Washington took no action against them. After a couple of years of death and destruction suffered by Syrians, the Russian government lost its patience and backed the Syrian Army with air power. Soon ISIS was defeated and on the run.
“Washington was caught in a bind. In Iraq Washington was fighting ISIS, because ISIS was overthrowing Washington’s puppet in Iraq. However, in Syria Washington was supporting ISIS, often characterizing ISIS as “moderates” fighting to bring democracy to Syria. Now that ISIS is on the verge of total defeat in Syria, Washington’s whores among the “experts” want Russia punished for blocking Washington’s overthrow of Syria.
…
“Real experts have integrity, and these experts want the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama regimes tried for their war crimes. I think David Satter should be in the dock with them.”
PCR
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2016/08/10/the-stench-of-raw-propaganda-paul-craig-roberts/
I guess former US establishment types like Roberts, Wilkerson, Flynn, Binnie, McGovern and others are all Russian agents now…
I doubt they listen to anything other than a very narrow prism of media.
+100 CV…are Americcan patriots who are courageous in speaking out the truth
This guy was part of the Reagan administration in 1981? He certainly will know a lot about shitty activities by the US government, but the fact is the current US government isn’t even in the same league of shitty activities as the one he was involved with. Who would take his word for anything?
This alone identifies him as either an idiot or part of Putin’s troll army:
…Washington sent the forces used against Gaddafi in Libya to overthrow Assad in Syria…
Stuff about chemtrails or the lizard people would be less embarrassing than that.
Might be better to point out the role of France in Libya. Not everything originates in Washington.
You are such an awesome arse clown. Honestly, do you have to try to be so willfully idiotic? It’s like talking to a stupider than normal brick wall.
[I agree with Red. Please stick to the politics and debate, and tone down the abuse. CV’s comment looks like a deliberate windup, don’t take the bait – weka]
With respect Sanctuary, that comment above is pretty much just “pointless abuse”. If I felt like wearing a moderators hat right now (and most times I don’t) it would likely attract a warning or more.
was already logged in 🙂
There is such a thing as pointed abuse, which is exactly what CV deserves.
[there is a general acceptance of rudeness here when it’s part of making a political point. Abuse for the sake of it is not acceptable. Abusing someone personally and not making a political point is not acceptable. No more warnings – weka]
Fuck, you inclusive self enlightened diversity loving safe space promoting lefty liberal types make me laugh when your true colours fly. Maybe check out a mirror some time?
Yawn. You simply cannot take criticism of your massive ego, can you?
I always like to remind people of what the Labour Party did to conscientious objectors and pacifists within their ranks during WWII. Expelled them, black listed them, got them fired from their jobs, made life miserable for them.
Those traits still exist in the Left.
I cannot believe how so many people accept the lines of the Us government and its sockpuppets in the media.
After all, if they had being paying attention, they will know about the lies about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, they would see that we were also lied to about 9/11.
And yet they believe the spin doctors and repeaters within the media.
I source Pilger, Cockburn, Fisk and other reputable independent journalists.
Who are their sources?
102 years ago too many people willfully believed the propaganda sold to them and World War 1 eventuated. Will they ever learn?
If there was an ounce of critical thinking going on, tinfoil-hat types wouldn’t be constantly peddling 9/11 conspiracy theories.
It amuses me that you, CV and Chooky berate everyone else for lacking your discernment in identifying propaganda in the western media, while getting much of your news from an actual government propaganda service.
Just using the expression ‘tinfoil-hat type’ shows your inclination to want to close down critical thinking and debate.
For your information,
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-23/1967-he-cia-created-phrase-conspiracy-theorists-and-ways-attack-anyone-who-challenge
As opposed to the kleptocracy running the US corporate mafia state?
It is hardly my problem if you cannot recognise the geopolitical argey bargey between conflicting groups of kleptocrats and conflicting sets of kleptocratic objectives on opposite sides of the world.
The only problem for us is how the risks of a confrontation between nuclear super powers is growing by the day.
As opposed to the kleptocracy running the US corporate mafia state?
If they ever introduce a world championship for false equivalence, you’re a dead cert for NZ rep.
How is exact equivalence “false equivalence”?
Look at the multi-hundred million dollar-aires and billionaires running for the Oval Office. Putin is also said to have a vast fortune.
What else do you need for the definition of kleptocracy?
To degree there’s is bad as each other the Us does not excuse Russia or vice versa, likewise Hillary does not excuse trump or vice versa, to argue otherwise is BS
What exactly is it that you think Russia needs “excuses” for in Syria? And what is it that you think the US needs “excuses” for in Syria?
My point is that most of the argument here on trump and Hillary or US vs Russia is predicated on idealigical bais that one is better than the other based on the sins of the other ( Paul more so parroting his washed up love child JP and his superior synthesis of non bias media from his wacky world of his lounge and his PC ) if you look at each in isolation none comes up smelling of roses
I would have said that its more predicated on the worlds pre-eminent military and economic power by far wanting to exercise its right of regime change and total financial and economic control over any nation on the planet that it disagrees with.
still does not let Russia off the hook
But you do accept that the US is not a paragon of virtue in this area?
Yes
What is it exactly in Syria do you think that Russia is “on the hook” for?
Just got the odd civilian death here and there, including kids, nothing major
Plenty more civilians are going to die in Eastern Aleppo unless the Jihadis take up the offer of amnesty and leave, or unless the west stops arming/funding/supplying those Jihadis so they can no longer hold the territory.
Marty Mars claims you have “has spurned the left” and that you are “no leftie.”
Or have you just spurned the New Zealand Labour Party?
Able or wish to comment?
prepare to be disappointed paul – I haven’t made anything up
Please, please, MM, don’t turn into another Loftie.
Hi Paul, I no longer count myself as a member of the traditional left wing (jobs, industrial growth, organised labour, social democracy), or the establishment left wing (centrist market model Labour/Greens), or the liberal identity politics left wing (take your pick).
Not because there aren’t useful elements within there, but because they are completely unsuitable and inadequate for what is coming down the pike in the next 10 to 20 years.
And you support Trump and Peters/NZF, who are both completely inadequate for dealing with the approaching crises. There is something disingenuous about your explanation.
Yes they are completely inadequate but that’s the menu we have in front of us.
Russia needs excuses for the bombing of civilians in Syria.
One hegemonic player in a region is no damned good – but two is infinitely worse for the civilian population.
Syrians are dying to support Russia’s military expansion.
No amount of conspiracy theory legitimises this.
Russia is assisting the Syrian Government destroy jihadist units entrenched in Eastern Aleppo. It is ugly, brutal urban warfare.
The jihadists have been offered safe passage out of Aleppo, if they wish to spare the local population the hardship.
Russia is present in Syria at discretion of the Syrian Government, and to support the warfighting efforts against the terrorist jihadists. Russia is not there as part of a “military expansion.”
Are you guys able to make an argument without recourse to terms like ‘conspiracy theory’. You know it weakens your argument.
https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Theory-America-Discovering/dp/0292757697
http://www.naturalnews.com/053452_conspiracy_theories_Kennedy_assassination_CIA.html
It doesn’t as it happens – outside conspiracy theories proof that the US created ISIS is less than convincing – and if you understand anything about the politics of the region these neat wraps that CV produces that put all the anti-Russian forces into one jihadist box are utter bullshit.
Even the jihadists are multifarious.
Russia is doing what it always does – bombing any opposition and innocent bystanders to death.
Neither US nor Russian bombing of civilians is ever permissable.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE.
The USA/NATO did not “create ISIS” in so much as it facilitated and indirectly funded ISIS as a strategic asset in the wider goal of taking down Assad. Most of this help went via Turkey, key NATO member and US ally.
The US could have chosen to separate out the “moderate opposition” from the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists and promoted a peaceful political process in Syria to move Assad on.
Instead, the US continues to use the head chopping pilot burning minority enslaving jihadists jihadists as a proxy force to try and oust Assad with.
And now, if these jihadists don’t take the opportunity to leave Aleppo using the Syrian Government amnesty, then Russia and Syria are going to eliminate that proxy force through military means.
Yes, that means nasty block by block urban combat through old East Aleppo where the remaining couple of thousand jihadist terrorists are holed up.
dropping cluster bombs and bombing hospitals is what Russia can start producing excuses for.
Shit. Got muddled about replying to another comment.
Lavrov has said that they are using only legal munitions in Aleppo. Perhaps someone at the Security Council can initiate an independent investigation into the possible use of cluster bombs.
As for bombing hospitals – again, independent investigations are required. The reliability of the reports bears examining. I saw suggestions that Quds hospital in Aleppo had just been destroyed/bombed to collapse for the second or third time and was still accepting patients.
“Lavrov has said that they are using only legal munitions in Aleppo.”
Of course he said that. In other news, Powell said that Iraq absolutely had WMD.
+1
CV long since gave up any pretense of being easonable and considered. Now he just prefers to spout whatever comes into his head no matter laughable
Who are your sources for your opinions about the Syrian civil war?
Pretty you have asked me this before and I gave you an exhaustive list of sources I regularly read/watch
“Pilger’s best days were a quarter of a century ago, today he tiptoes along the line between journalist and crank.”
Evidence for this?
Here is some evidence supporting the fact he is still a fearless and independent journalist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht8_5UlcgSQ
note Paul is chairman of the New Zealand John Pilger fan club while he is not making tinfoil hats and seeking banning of chem trails
Do you have a point to make or are you limited to ad hominems?
Dull.
Very dull……
I would expect better debating technique from a child.
“I would expect better debating technique from a child.”
Wow, really?
Says the guy who responds to criticism with “You must be a Killary/US/Neo-con supporter”
You have no sense of irony I suspect
Utopia is a film that looks at racism in Australia.
I recommend you watch it.
Not a big Pilger fan (I prefer Chomsky) but have read Secret Country
Did you watch the video I posted on ‘ A World War 3 Has Begun Break The Silence.’
Please keep an open mind on the Syrian crisis.
According to red, he’s to be associated with chemtrails and tin foil hats.
The ignorance of these rwnjs is just unbelievable.
No the reference to tin foil hats and chem trails was directed ar you Paul not pilger
Evidence for this claim?
These people don’t need “evidence.” Their moral superiority and intellectual self-righteousness are more than sufficient.
That’s rich coming from you. Evidence is a foreign word to you
+100 Paul…Pilger at his best is a great journalist and documentary film maker
Pilger’s pretty good in fact – but I wouldn’t assert his infallibility.
I recall Tariq Ali’ Bush in Baylon https://www.amazon.com/Bush-Babylon-Recolinisation-Tariq-Ali/dp/1844675122 A great read from someone with a deep knowledge of the country and the issues. But then he wrote some truly awful piffle about North Korea.
If Pilger’s backing Putin he’s been seriously misinformed.
He isn’t backing Putin.
Watch the video!
I have seen, over the last few years, quite a number of people on this blog complaining that the current Government has no mandate to do anything because they did not get a majority of the voting age population having voted for them in the last General Election.
They usually take the line that everyone who didn’t enrol, or didn’t vote was actually completely opposed to the Government.
I wonder when one of these individuals will announce that Goff is a liar when he claims to have a “mandate” from Auckland voters?
I have done the calculation for them.
I am assuming that 80% of the voting-age population were enrolled.
There was a turnout of about 38%
Goff got 47.6% of the votes.
Hence his support was 0.476 * 0.38 * .80 * 100 percent.
That comes to about 15% and therefore, by the wild reasoning lots of people here have applied to the National Government, we must argue that a massive 85% of the population of Auckland don’t want Goff to promote ANY of the things he campaigned on.
Where are all the people who think that their peculiar reasoning about National is correct? Why are they not claiming that Goff has no mandate to do anything?
@Alwyn
It may be true that only 15% voted for Goff. However, I think it is generally accepted that it is the old and/or well off that tend to vote. The young and/or poor tend not to be registered or organised or motivated to vote-this is an increasing trend*. This group tends to vote for the left. If more of them had voted Goff would have done even better.
The lesson for the Lab/Gr bloc is to launch a registration drive for the upcoming election, making this easy to do online through the Labour and Green websites. And to include policies that young people will be motivated to vote for. A 12 month period overseas before student loans have to be begun to be paid back (the 6 month period is too short for a decent OE) and affordable houses for first-time buyers (here I mean $350,000 not $650,000) and 100% subsidised Uni and Poly tuition fees come to mind.
*the Brexit vote was lost for the same reason
On a completely different election, Clinton is now 4.6% ahead and is ahead in 11/14 battleground states. This is before Trump’s latest idiotic remarks were revealed.
Simple answer …. every poll should have a “no confidence in any of the candidates” tick box
I seem to remember that some Students Associations had such an option in their elections.
I not sure of that though but it seems like a good idea. I’m not sure what happened if “none of the above” won though.
In my day, it meant another election, but the previous candidates couldn’t stand again.
My memory was accurate, apparently. At least that the option had existed.
I wonder if there were ever any elections where the rejections went on and on and nobody ended up being elected before the next years elections came around?
Remembering my own student days I am sure some of us would have been tempted to try and arrange such an event.
Fair comment alwyn.
I would have thought you’d be happy to have a neolib mayor, one could go so far as to say he was the lesser of two right wing evils!
I don’t live in Auckland so I don’t much care who won the Mayoral election.
I am not happy about the Wellington result though. The “way past it” people like Andy Foster seem to have survived. Name recognition I guess.
And no, I don’t think that a claim that 85% oppose Goff is sensible. He can, just like John Key, claim to have a mandate for his election policies. Whether he can get them through the Council is another matter.
Correct which is the main reason why we implemented MMP and why we need to now implement preferential voting for mayors.
We also need to change to mandatory voting and setting policies by referenda so that such arguments don’t happen again.
“implement preferential voting for mayors”.
That bit I agree with, even though it led to the election of our last, green leaning, unsuccessful Mayor. The incumbent in 2010 led easily in the first round but as more and more candidates were eliminated the final round gave a small majority to Wade-Brown
In a FPP election Prendergast would have got 41% and Wade-Brown about 34%.
STV is a much fairer system though.
The odd part about it is though that a single vote can decide the final winner. If you make up a fantasy voting pattern you can get a circumstance where switching a single vote could lead to the first person eliminated changing to being the one who finally triumphs. I don’t suggest it is likely. I just say it is possible.
I am not in favour of binding referenda though. It is almost impossible to get a question where a yes/no vote makes sense and also avoids getting totally contradictory conclusions between different referenda results.
I’m sure you could pass several results like.
1. Reduce income taxes by 20%
2. Increase the health budget by 20%.
3. Increase National Super by 20%
4. Reduce GST to zero
Now, how would you implement al of those?
I actually thought that Wade- Brown was a good mayor. Didn’t get sucked into a lot of “corporate high spending I want council to subsidize me crap”. ( Can’t say the same for council officers!?? ). Nor did she want to concrete everything in sight! What’s wrong with rates going on basic boring water rubbish sewage stuff.
“A good mayor”? She is a very pleasant person who was way out of her depth in the job in my opinion. Still, to each his own.
You approve of a runway extension at the Airport? Just where do you think any airline is going to fly?
Apart from subsidising Singapore to the tune of a million or so a year of course. And don’t tell me that she didn’t have anything to do with it.
Or the farce on the Parade in Island Bay where the cycleway made a wide, safe street into an accident zone?
At least she gave up, most unhappily on “light rail”.
No progress on such a basic, boring thing like a water supply for the hospital if we have an earthquake of course.
And just how much money did we waste on “recycling” plastic bags only to find they end up being dumped anyway
Do you recall a few years ago when we had the Waitakere Electorate change hands two or three times on recounts? That was 11 votes.
So, yes, a single vote can change the outcome but that doesn’t apply solely to STV.
I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t ask those questions and I’d have rules in place preventing them.
Instead you have people vote on what type of taxes that they think should be implemented with the understanding that the taxes will be adjusted to ensure that everything passed by referenda is fully funded thus an increase in the health budget gets an increase in taxes.
Of course, I also happen to think that we need to get away from money. Start practising economics from reality rather than the delusion that we have now. Everything that needs to be done is costed not in money but in the actual resources needed to do it including labour with instant feedback to the people voting showing how that will affect the available resources and other programs.
“Now how would you implement all of those?”
By making all those changes in the next budget (something the government does every year).
Your welcome.
What a shame. Nobody who was in the legion who attacks the current Government because less than half the population voted for them came forward to apply the same standard to Phil Goff.
Oh well I shouldn’t really be surprised. What is that “not-Star Wars” quote?
“The hypocrisy is strong in that one”
No-one taking notice of your dim-witted posts? Diddums.
Phil Goff is kind of left leaning so it’s all right…nothing to see here type of thing.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that most of the Left-leaning people here recognise that Phil Goff is almost as right-wing as John Key.
They also recognise that alwyn is simply bating.
I would have assumed Auckland was on STV by now (which they are not). I mean thats why Leister has a mandate right?
Why Silver is right.
Test the OpenMike feature
[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.]
Eh, not sure have an auto-mod addition like that is a good idea, if it’s entirely automatic. If it’s optional and applied by default it’s probably fine.
There have been cases in the past where entire threads of comments have been moved to Open Mike, sometimes 20-30+ comments at once. Adding that little blurb to every single comment would amount to spam.
Agreed.
It only gets put on the top comment, the one that caused the thread to be moved. The old code didn’t put a note in at all.
Should save moderators a lot of time.
Sounds fine.
I’m totally confused. This just sends mix messages about the state of masculinity.
Warning it’s an add for a video game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnsXkZdDK30
I don’t know, seems reasonably clear. Forget that namby pamby bonding creative stuff, destroying things is so much better. That message works on lots of levels.
Fun game that one
heh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4l4vJdE6fU
….i dare not look after the other salacious naughty thing you posted of Trump with a toad in a hole in his pants!
(…i will leave the viewing of this to others more brave than me…and await their reports)
It’s OK, there’s nothing visually disturbing and the language is much milder than Trump’s. It’s not far into NSFW territory.
I did?.
well i think it was you…it was very rude
Nope, not me so put up or STFU.
lol…well sorry! ( now why did i think it was you?)
why I love twitter.
Trump would win if he knew how to deflect these attacks and stick to policy. Instead he engages with them and digs himself a hole. At tomorrow’s debate I fully expect him to deliver absolutely crude insults and stories to Hillary Clinton regarding her husbands history of misconduct towards women.
Looks like Hillary will have her own explaining to do.
It will be an interesting second debate and i hope the public ask the real questions and forget about Trump.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/emails-clinton-wall-street-private/
Yeah, lots of explaining…..
/
#PodestaEmails
Some more context, with links to the actual e-mails.
http://www.vox.com/2016/10/7/13207286/clinton-speech-transcripts-wikileaks-email
http://www.vox.com/2016/10/7/13206882/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-speeches-goldman
Basically they’re not as bad as what she’s already been tried, convicted and sentenced for in liberal minds. She probably would have been better off just releasing them, like most things it’s trying to hide or cover it that’s more damaging than just coming clean.
Long time analyst reckons lots won’t stand forensic scrutiny.
When’s her actual trial?
Or does she too have immunity from prosecution like all her key staffers?
When she is POTUS, which is not that far away as it is only days away, she will be pretty much immune from prosecution 🙂
‘Pretty much’ given there is the two-step impeachment process which may not happen until she gets many of the things underway that she will compliantly do as a willing piggy bank.
As for Trump, he is not that reliable and can be unpredictably disruptive, hence the bet is on the other one.
Understand what you are saying about Trump, and good on you.
In my view some “disruption” is exactly what we need, and urgently. Yes disruption might entail a bit of risk in making things somewhat worse than expected, but it might also disrupt things making things head in a substantially better way than expected.
With Clinton, we simply get more of the predictable status quo agenda, on a mild dose of steroids.
Which means that drawing a straight line prediction over the last ten or so years and extending the line into the future, with Hillary we will get things more or less exactly as worse as expected.
Huge, if true.
(Bill Posted on this recently…msm kowtowing to official lines )
Mainstream media under fire again…for dereliction of duty ? disinformation?
…Is a sinister shadow State being surreptitiously erected in Syria?
Are the supposed humanitarian ‘White Helmets’ (with $100 million dollar funding from UK, USA, Europe) actually selling regime change against the wishes of the Syrian people ?
…and by stealth eradicating the Syrian State?
….This propagandising organisation is not recognised by the UN and like a parasite blood sucker is taking over the real Syrian Civil Defence.
For a good discussion outside the msm on this issue:
‘White helmets, really?’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/361887-white-helmets-aid-pr/
“The White Helmets: a heartfelt humanitarian NGO or an elaborate and cynical Western PR stunt promoting illegal regime change in Syria? Does wearing white helmets mean they are the good guys supporting a just cause?
CrossTalking with Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, and Patrick Henningsen.”
What other colours are remaining after the list of various colour revolutions?
Syria: Doctors in Aleppo refute Western media lies
https://off-guardian.org/2016/10/08/syria-doctors-in-aleppo-refute-western-media-lies/
The NZ ambassador to the UN, Gerard von Bohemen, puts the boot into his own organisation. He’s another in a long list of western elites eroding confidence in the UN, giving them toothpicks to fight 21st century battles.
His own prime minister’s solution to the crisis in Syria was for everyone to hold hands.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11725642
Russia deploys nuclear capable Iskander mobile missile system to Kaliningrad
The latest versions of the system are thought to be capable of hitting Berlin from Kaliningrad.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-08/russia-deploys-nuclear-capable-missiles-kaliningrad-near-polish-border
What, no outrage and condemnation at this reckless escalation and nuclear intimidation tactic?
Russia is now matching NATO’s moves over the last 12+ months to place thousands of European troops, heavy weapons and ABM systems closer and closer to its borders.
Russia has already based its most advanced ground to air weapon systems in Kaliningrad.
Oh jeez, my ribs hurt…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMTh7YfO1Oc
Real Clear Politics currently has Clinton smashing Trump by over 100 electoral college votes, 322 versus Trump 216, on a no toss ups basis.
very very funny – the best funny is often close to reality
Always a pig of a man.
https://twitter.com/Khanoisseur/status/784401554480566272
Child rape victim comes forward for the first time in 40 years to call Hillary Clinton a ‘liar’ who defended her rapist by smearing her, blocking evidence and callously laughing that she knew he was guilty
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3729466/Child-rape-victim-comes-forward-time-40-years-call-Hillary-Clinton-liar-defended-rapist-smearing-blocking-evidence-callously-laughing-knew-guilty.html
Always check snopes, guy
http://www.snopes.com/hillary-clinton-freed-child-rapist-laughed-about-it/
Edit: I feel this disclaimer should always be added when replying to CV or his cohorts –
*This in no way an endorsement of Clinton, more it is an attempt to counter the festering bullshit that dwells in CV’s rabid alt-right brain
amazing – it is pretty well totally debunked – why would someone put up that when it has been proven to be false – I just don’t get why someone would do that and expect to be taken seriously.
Because they’re fucking knob ends with google.
Debunked? Then you better read below about the impact that Clinton’s disgusting legal attacks had on the then 12 year old victim.
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
Even if Clinton did push hard in her defence case and the child was further traumatised, in what ways is that relevant to her running for president now? Be specific, I’d really like to know what point you are actually trying to make here. I can think of some I would make about it, but I doubt they’re the same as what you are trying to do.
Using child rape for political ends is about as sick as it gets. Doing so while at the same time supporting and advocating for the politics of a man known to sexually harass and assault women is even worse.
And let’s not forget that your original comment is in response to Joe90’s link to early Trump racism. Because somehow in your mind if Clinton is evil then we can excuse Trump’s evilness? Or was it just a straight out reactionary diversion?
Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, don’t you know.
And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist. So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
It seems that what is good for the goose is not good for the gander.
Liberal lefty hypocrisy ratchets up to a new volume.
Shit, dude – if you must equate a defense lawyer doing their job with a tax write-off, you might want to remember that Clinton tried to get recused from defending the rapist. Trump actively claimed the tax write off, nobody forced him to do it.
Bullshit. Investors in his companies and projects could sue him if they uncovered that he acted financially negligently and gave away hundreds of millions of dollars of legitimate tax deductions as allowed by law.
investors force him to take a writeoff on his personal tax liabilities?
That’s nice of them.
Nope.
Yet even in public companies, experts say that there is no enforceable legal duty to “maximize shareholder value”—the business judgment rule protects independent directors’ decisions about the best way to serve the interests of the corporation and its shareholders, including decisions that reduce share price or profits in the foreseeable future.
http://time.com/4516100/donald-trump-taxes-fiduciary-duty/
“Simple: if the Clinton apologising left think that the things Trump has said 10, 20, 30 years ago is relevant to his fitness to be President, then the things that Clinton has done 10, 20, 30 years ago is definitely relevant to her fitness to be President.”
Well duh. Of course. But that’s not what’s going on here. Further, Trump is accused of being a serial sexual assaulter, racist etc. Clinton is accused of doing her job in the way that her peers did at the time, and still do. Like I said, I could critique Clinton on this, but you, someone with a long online history of opposing rape culture analysis and promoting rape apology, you have an entirely different agenda here. A pretty fucked up one I might add. If you had a different history, say one of political analysis of rape trials and what happens in them and how that impacts on victims, then you might have some credibility here. As it stands you have less than none.
“And that’s what I call being a Clinton apologist.”
yes, I know you do. but that’s because you are using child rape to further your own political agenda and this either stops you from seeing that I don’t support Clinton, or you simply don’t care that you lie by implication and projection.
eg,
So now Clinton was only acting within the confines of a bad legal system that is hard on victims, and she simply had to fit in within how “the system is designed” so she is OK to run for President?
I neither said that nor believe it. You just made all that running shit up in your own head and projected it on to me. I’ll just keep saying it again and again, I could make my own criticisms of Clinton here, but you are basically incapable of engaging in that conversation because of your own politics around the US election and your politics around rape culture.
Take this for a contrast: Trump takes a totally legal $900M business tax deduction, acting within the confines of a bad tax system, operating within how “the system is designed” – but he’s not OK to run for President?
Stop and think about what you just did there CV. Because I’m pretty sure even you know that I’ve never made that argument. This is your bigotry supreme. You appear now to be incapable of seeing people with left wing or progressive views as anything other an amorphous lump who you despise, and this renders you incapable of seeing the actual arguments being made.
Don’t lie about my views CV. Don’t quote me out of context. And don’t conflate other arguments that other people have made with mine.
Oh yeah? Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
And now about this other comment of yours:
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
If you don’t want to hear MY perspective then don’t waste both my time and your time by fucking asking for it, and we will both have a happier life.
Ok, so now you want to be spoon fed right? (for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)
Then tell me what alternative meaning you had in mind when you wrote the following in your comment defending Clinton:
“The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.”
I’m not defending Clinton you numpty, I’m critiquing you and what you are doing in this thread.
The reason you can’t understand that paragraph (one of the reasons), is because you’re taking it out of context. It follows directly on from a comment about your politics
Ok, so now you’re a champion for the rights of rape victims? Thought not.
The US has an adversarial justice system that is incredibly hard on victims of sexual assault. Afaik, unless the accused admits guilt to their lawyer then the lawyer has a legal obligation to defend them as no guilty to the extent that the law allows, and that includes being hard on victims. That’s how the system is designed.
My point there is that in order to have credibility in commenting on this issue (about Clinton), one needs to understand how the system is designed. It’s designed to privilege the accused at the expense of rape victims. It’s not possible to legitimately critique Clinton unless one has that context. You of course take that to be an excuse for Clinton or an outright defence of her, but that says more about you than anything else.
And of course you will use what is in the Daily Mirror and ignore what is in Snopes because it suits your political agenda, which is not aligned with the rights, needs or safety of rape victims in court. Quite the opposite, you want a man who sexually assaults women to be President.
Get over yourself weka. When I write a comment doing just what you ask – that is, you wanted me to explain my perspective and meaning – then I am explaining MY perspective, not YOUR perspective, unless I specifically say so.
When I said don’t lie about my views, I was specially referring to where you lied about my views. In your comment. I’ve critiqued YOUR perspective as well, but at the end of my comment I just said don’t lie about what I think. If you insist on wilfully misinterpreting what I say and the arguments I make, then of course I am going to tell you to stop.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
[RL: Deleted. This entire conversation is like watching two people juggling an unpinned grenade. You have a choice, progress this respectfully, or have it end in ugliness and hurt.]
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoonfed.
Oh I see, so you were explaining the constraints and harshness of the legal system that Clinton had to act within but you weren’t defending Clinton by doing so.
That’s right CV. It’s called context, and it allows us to make sense of situations. I can see that you wouldn’t want to do that, because it would lessen you ability to push your anti-Clinton agenda. And that’s what’s important, right? It’s not understanding a complex situation about rape, it’s about bringing down Clinton because someone has pointed to Trump being racist.
And no, don’t start with some bullshit about how I support Clinton, I don’t.
For the umpteenth time, I could make my own critiques about Clinton in this situation, but I’m not because (a) you are incapable of engaging in that kind of conversation, and (b) my comments in this thread are about your politics. Go on, read them again. I actually say bugger all about Clinton and the case.
As I said, if you don’t want to hear my perspective then don’t fucking ask for it and you won’t be wasting both our time.
I don’t know what you are on about there to be honest. I’ve responded to your perspective, what is wrong with that? I’ve also pointed out that I have zero tolerance for my own views being misrepresented, and if you like, that includes when you express your views about them. You’re entitled to your opinion, I’m entitled to point out when you’re misrepresenting mine. It’s taken how many comments thus far for you to even begin to understand that I’m not defending Clinton here. I’m calling you on your bullshit.
“for the readers, that’s a reference to CV refusing to be clear in his own comments at times and when challenged on it he makes out that requests for clarity are requests to be spoon fed)”
Not everyone has the well studied blindness that you put on, weka. Learn to read between the lines instead of being spoon fed.
In other words you’ve got nothing. You wander around the site making backhanded and snide smears and then when people ask for clarification you make out there is something deficient with them. That’s the action of someone who can’t argue their corner.
(bold mine)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3729466/Child-rape-victim-comes-forward-time-40-years-call-Hillary-Clinton-liar-defended-rapist-smearing-blocking-evidence-callously-laughing-knew-guilty.html
Ummm – as per the link which you obviously didn’t read:
“Documents from the 1975 case include an affidavit (p. 34) sworn by Clinton, from which the “in court, Hillary told the judge that I made up the rape story” portion of the claims was derived. That affidavit doesn’t show, as claimed, that Hillary Clinton asserted the defendant “made up the rape story because [she] enjoyed fantasizing about men”; rather, it shows that other people, including an expert in child psychology, had said that the complainant was “emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and to engage in fantasizing about persons, claiming they had attacked her body,” and that “children in early adolescence tend to exaggerate or romanticize sexual experiences.”
[RL: Deleted. Make your case without the abuse.]
Of course, she should’ve ignored the long standing notion of the right to a competent defence. It’s not as if there’s any sort of historical precedent.
/
http://www.john-adams-heritage.com/boston-massacre-trials/
An ambitious Clinton was very early in her trial career, and her future career was on the line if she didn’t smash away at a 12 year old girl on the stand through fair means and foul.
Did you not read the court papers? You know, the fucking link I posted where Clinton asked to be taken off the case?
Jesus fucking Christ, you’re hopeless man
Clinton asked to be taken off the case? And that justifies how she treated the victim, and how later on she laughed about how she got an expert witness to win a point on a technicality?
No, no, no.
Jesus man, I mean really. This is like shooting fish in a barrell
It’s amazing how Clinton trashed the life of a 12 year old female victim, and now that the victim has come forward to tell her story, you’re going to trash her life again on behalf of Clinton.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the modern liberal left.
If you read the Snopes article which is very heavily cross referenced – it would appear that Hillary Rodham as she was at that time did indeed ask not to be on the case. However when it was pointed out to her that she could not refuse the request of the judge she did act as any responsible lawyer would do and worked in the defence of her client. There was evidence from child psychologists to the effect that the young person involved could have exaggerated the matter, and in the end the result was a plea bargain for a lesser sentence. As for the allegation that she laughed at the outcome, again this does not seem to actually represent the true nature of the facts. The Daily Mail article you reference is shown to be a gross exaggeration of the facts – not an unusual tactic for this “rag” which is usually more interested in “readership” than actual truth.
Most awful for the kid.
But a lawyer who has to defend someone they’re pretty sure did it but the crime lab threw out the physical evidence and the judge didn’t want to discuss the details of the case with a female lawyer? The guy could complain that she didn’t get him off competely, rather than just settling for time served. Farcical.
And her future career? When this case came across the table she was volunteering at a legal aid type organisation and she was drafted into the case. She was in fucking law school at the time. She had no “legal career”.
For fucks sake….
You really don’t seem to understand just how things work in the real world.
(hint, it’s an adversarial system and there’s probably not a judge on the bench who hasn’t done much the same thing)
he’s just trying to smear – can’t defend don the dim so always has to pull it back to the lowtide mark of attack memes on clinton and then watch dejectedly as the sandcastles of hate get washed away by the tides of (mostly) truth.
I’m glad that the child rape victim finally, all these years later, decided to come forward and explain to the world what Hillary Clinton did to her.
And Hillary should own it, instead of the likes of you minimising the statements of the now adult victim.
“minimising the statements of the now adult victim.”
where did I do that?
You didn’t. And CV is at his manipulative best right now. Not only using child rape to push a political agenda and divert attention away from Trump’s racism, but also using people’s reactions to what he linked to try and paint his hated left as minimisers of sexual assault. This would be laughable if it weren’t for all those arguments over the years where he has been dismissive of rape culture or the issues raised by women about rape. I didn’t think CV could go much lower, but I’m starting to see there probably is a whole slew of paths he could take now and none of them are pretty.
btw, we have choices here. We don’t have to buy into the agenda he is clearly setting.
+1 Weka.
I didn’t think I had and yep time for bed methinks. I can’t stand this misappropriation but par for the course it seems as desperate supporters get desperate and more despicable I have to say.
The agendas being pushed are in various forms, from various quarters…
Quite certain you can see that, including your own!
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
The puppet masters are laughing
Of course I want the conversation to go a certain way, that’s why I’m involved in this one. The question then becomes are all agendas valid? I think they’re not.
These forums have decended into farce regarding the US election, which is makes it all the more shambolic that such energy and bluster would be wasted on human filth like The Clintons and The Trump
I haven’t been following them for a while, but that wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not actually arguing about the US election though. I’m talking about something else.
+1 Weka.
I have come to despise CV over the past few months.
+100 CV…great the child victim has become an avenging woman…stating fearlessly what happened to her on Hillary Clinton’s watch!
…and it is easy to tell who the real feminists/humanitarians are around here
@ CV…that is pretty terrible!!!!
…lets hope this (yet another Clinton story) reaches all the American voters BEFORE they vote !
…and I wonder what the American feminist supporters of Clinton will say?!…in all conscience they must withdraw their support and condemn her
Trump looks like a “choir boy” in comparison to Clinton ( as someone said over on the Daily Blog)
With regards to NATO v Russia, given that the UK government has just given their troops effective immnity from procecution over atrocities in Iraq, I would imagine Putin doing the same with the Red Army. And look what happened last time Red Army troops occupied Berlin.