Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…
“The best thing that could happen is an increase in the minimum wage. Minimum wage earners spend every dime they get. Putting more money into the hands of the poor is money that will be spent immediately.
Can’t say the same about tax cuts, which disproportionately go the rich who simply hoard the money.”
Well credit where credits due. Ive been one to highlight Fran O Sullivan’s hopeless and thoughtless blind devotion to free market philosophies over the years. But she has nailed it in todays NZ Herald.
And I particularly like this bit, hopefully this will be the last time we hear the phrase “man ban”, because I think we now know where that phrase was coming from.
“It is to Labour’s credit that the party is trying to even the score when it comes to evening up gender representation in Parliament.
The party has faced down criticism from the usual media jocks who label such policies a “man ban”.”
I hope Farrar and Gower now realise they are part of the club of dinosaurs when they continue to criticise Labour over its remit to have AT LEAST 50% women, I suggest after this debacle it should be AT LEAST 75%.
Well there’s some good n FO’S’s piece. And yes there are some misogynist elements within Labour. But she fails to mention how the right used those nasty smears about Clark as a deliberate ploy to undermine Clark as PM. I have heard the content of the smears originally came from within the left. But it was the right that crafted them into one of the nastiest, most underhand smear campaign’s in NZ’s political history.
FOS makes out the misogyny is all Labour’s. Sheesh – and WO, KB?
And Key’s government has hardly been a friend to the majority of women.
Did I hear Moira Coatsworth reported on radio yesterday pointing out that there were processes in the Labour Party in terms of membership for the likes of Tamihere?
Am I correct in thinking that (like the police?) she needs a formal complaint? If so, can anyone enlighten me about how to do this?
Any Labour Party member, but ideally a constitutional branch or LEC, can write a formal complaint about the conduct of a member to the Labour Party’s New Zealand Council, usually via their Labour Region’s representative on that Council.
I am not a Labour member so I realize I’m asking somebody else to do the work, but I really hope that the party receives complaints by the dozen about Tamihere’s behaviour.
It’s important to remember that media attention spans are short, and people who are “persona non grata” soon return. (case in point: Paul Henry).
Tamihere’s media status will be rehabilitated to “lovable rogue” in a matter of weeks/months. Even now, fools like Josie Pagani are defending him.
He must NEVER be a Labour candidate. It is that simple.
Agreed, K. She glosses over the worst misogyny Clark faced, that of the right. I have a complete wtf reaction to that piece. It’s so calculated that its worthy message is fatally undercut.
The phrase “man ban” had its origins in the same misogynistic/patriarchal attitude that we see from Jackson and Tamihere. I understand that Farrar created it. Gower highlights it at every opportunity. I hope out of this whole episode we end up with a public who gain a better understanding of where these phrases are coming from and consequently Labour (Moira Coatsworth in particular) get some support for sticking to their guns on this.
I have heard the content of the smears originally came from within the left.
Not strictly correct. It came from the neoliberal faction back in the late 70s and early 80s at a time when their ‘star’ was on the rise. They ruled the Labour roost for about seven years and then they were gone. They joined ACT in the early 90s.
Of this whole ‘roast buster’ saga. The news media a making me increasingly angry with the headlines. Specifically radio where every bullitin I would hear something along the lines of ‘supply young girls with alcohol and have group sex’ the reality is they targeted girls stupefied them the PACK RAPED them.
The media sugar coating it as they are I believe is symptomatic of the whole problem. The two dickheads at radio live been at the top of the pile.
some of the international headlines use the ‘pack rape’ title, they dont hold back at all! like i guess our media wouldnt if it concerned australia or something.
This matter is certainly not a good look internationally; still, more representative when you get down to it than 100% pure. Just been reading how Fonterra chiefs are revealing how the company is 6-10 years behind the sustainability achieved by dairying in Europe, and that further expansion / intensification here is going to hit a wall of environmental constraints.
These are the serious facts of the matter for the nation!
a constructive way to use your anger is go to your mp office and demand increases in funding immediately for rape crisis for programmes in schools. Ask for asset sales to stop and tge millions in costs to sell going to these programmes.
email pm.. mps.
anyone noticed how silent tje social development minister is on this tip of a serios social development iceberg?.
Writer for young people, Mandy Hager brilliant on National Radio this morning talking about “seething world of misogyny”……. in the most civilised and charming way…. but not pulling any punches
….well worth listening to on: John Tamihere , Willy Jackon interview with young girl about rape ( something I have been arguing about with my son who listens to Radio Live )
…..Hager has written a book for young people on date rape called ‘Smashed’ and recommends a doco on sexism in music videos called ‘Dream Worlds’
Kathleen Ryan has also been superb this last week on these issues ….comprehensive examinations of the recent Auckland gang rapes, drawing in experts from different perspectives and the most moving personal testimonies by rape victims of the situations they innocently found themselves in and the long term damage rape did to them
Radio NZ really is to be very highly commended…for the calibre of women it puts on in its programmes and the quality of debates !
There must be some terrorist plots involving foreigners out there to foil. The assault rifles raid with the Hells Angels associates was a good start and in the right vein. More of the same needed.
The people behind the website pretend to be 13 or 14-year-old-girls and make contact with men through social networking sites.
This question was never adequately answered by that article. Who exactly is putting resources into this…uh…’entrap, publicise, and shame’ website??? That it’s not the police seems clear.
Noelle McCarthy stops the snickering
Pretends to be serious about victims of state repression
Saturday Morning, Radio NZ National, 9 November 2013
Kim Hill is still away, so the host for this week is NOELLE McCARTHY.
This morning’s first interview was with American journalist Kevin Gosztola, who spoke about the sinister, threatening, steadily growing surveillance regimes in the United States and Britain. Naturally, he talked a lot about Edward Snowden. Amongst other things, Kevin Gosztola observed that Snowden was isolated and called a traitor by the U.S. regime and its snooping agencies, and that the heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ had repeated the slander during their farcical appearance before the British parliament’s Intelligence and Security committee this week…. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2013/11/british_surveillance_hearing_parliament_s_interrogation_of_u_k_spy_agencies.html
As he pointed out the plight of the dissident NSA whistleblower, I wondered whether Kevin Gosztola realized that his interviewer was one of those who has enthusiastically participated in the Government-sponsored shunning and ridiculing and libeling of Edward Snowden. I wonder if he would have even spoken to McCarthy if he had realized how callous and flippant she has been towards Snowden and other dissidents. Here’s a representative sample of her comments on Snowden’s plight up until this morning’s miraculous transformation into a concerned and humane liberal thinker….
NOELLE McCARTHY, 10 July 2013: Y-y-y-y-yeeeeeessss, …. [snort] ….he he he! He’s still in hiding. He he he! …. He he he he he! Yes he is still in that terminal! …[snort]… He he he he he he! ….[snort]…. He’s got a choice! Venezuela, Bolivia or Ecuador! …. Bolivia would be hard with the altitude! …. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10072013/#comment-661123
Rod Drury needs to realise that National is not the party to be building “exciting new assets” — well not any more anyway. National has, since 1990 has been the party of tearing things down.
I think that piece was well written and shows the caliber of the man leading NZ 🙂 of course when the puff pieces come in for Labour I’m guessing it’ll be a different story
The fiction is that “5 years” is some special anniversary that requires full-on puffery across all the media. So … after 5 years of Clark, where was it?
Go on, show us the saturation ass-kissing from 2004.
I don’t know if you really believe this “all the same” line you keep trotting out, or if it’s just feeble spin, but it isn’t true, and never was. Find evidence to the contrary, please.
Current account deficit:
2018: 7.8 per cent
Forecast 2013: -5 per cent
Actual 2013: – 4.7 per cent
Was this meant to be 2008: 7.8%.
And does actual 2013: -4.7% If this is a minus figure for a deficit measurement does that mean that there is a surplus?
This morning on radio nz on Kim Hill’s session with Noelle McCarthy today, Mandy Hager was interesting. She is very informed about teenage sexuality and is distressed about the gang rape in Auckland with informative background. She has written a book called Smashed which I think she says is about teenage culture.
She is involved with something called Dare Foundation and talks about schools, society’s failure to impart ethical values and I think the Foundation is running a project to talk about this. She mentions a culture of meanness being presented on the visual media to teenagers, Miley Cyrus having a persona built by men, ‘reality’ tv with ostracism and abandonment to picked members who are voted out, etc. No kindness no caring group involvement in those. The Dare Foundation, which I have been part of, also offer excellent programmes that would address some of this behaviour – including a ground-breaking new ‘ethical bystander’ programme to empower young people to support each other. http://robin.hosts.net.nz/~admin219/mandy-hager-writes-2/
Radionz Notes and later audio will be on – 8:30 Mandy Hager http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
Mandy Hager has written eight novels, including award-winning young-adult books Smashed, The Crossing, and The Nature of Ash, as well as short stories, scripts, and non-fiction resources for young people. Her latest novel, Dear Vincent was published earlier this year (Random House, ISBN: 978-1-77553-3276).
Currently a tutor in novel writing at Whitireia NZ, Hager is the 2013 winner of the Menton Fellowship, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most esteemed literary awards. While resident in France, she plans to work on a book about the life of nun, scholar and writer Héloïse d’Argenteuil.
It is interesting that Mandy’s family originally came from Vienna, I think they were Jewish getting away from Europe to a safer place. So much of our creativity and drive seems to have come after such people came here, to Levin actually. Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.
Interesting that Mandy Hager should be such a brilliant writer and her brother Nicky Hager should also be so prominent as a journalist/activist. Their Mum and Dad were pretty impressive also, and Mandy’s younger sister is also talented. In Levin they lived a life dedicated to conservation and human welfare. And as Mandy says they stood out as “different” in Levin, but I think in the nicest possible way.
One day on The Panel, Dr Michael Bassett snarled that Nicky Hager was a Holocaust-denier. Host Jim Mora did nothing, and said nothing. Nor did the other Panelists, including the producer who was also present in the studio. Nothing happened to Bassett after that; in fact he returned to the programme several times.
This kind of thing, which happens frequently, somewhat undermines Chooky’s praise (on the thread above) for the quality of National Radio’s discussions.
@ greywarbler ….re your criticisms ….”Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.”
note ….Nicky and Mandy Hager’s Mother is a NZer …she did not come from Vienna like his Grandfather …….as far as I know and she may have come off a farm….the Grandfather from Vienna and Father had a clothing factory in Levin I think.
It is interesting that Mandy’s family originally came from Vienna, . If the grandfather came from Vienna, then my statement is correct. I’m talking about originally which can be a while in the past, and not all the original family need to have come from Vienna. I would like to be able to say something on this post without it being picked apart and critiqued. It would be good to be allowed to put an opinion up that isn’t blatantly RW without the gatekeeper mentality censoring it.
Although I’ve been known to *occasionally* extol the virtues of Vienna, I can’t agree with you on this gw. Is it possible they are the kind of people they are because their forebears came to NZ rather than despite them coming to NZ? A love of books, reading and writing can be nurtured anywhere that has a set of societal and economic conditions that encourages it. In that, NZ has done quite well.
Whether that is endangered is something being argued now with changes in teaching, access to books, and changes in societal values – probably the most important of which, are indifference, judgementalism and buying into bigotry, imo.
As for NZ writers from farming and middle class stock – have you forgotten the cleverness of, say, John Mulgan, Jock Phillips and Michael King who wrote about the NZ male pysche while being part of it. Also remember, off the top of my head Katherine Mansfield, Witi Ihimaera, J.K. Baxter, Keri Hulme, Emily Perkins (who wrote one of the best short-ish novels I’ve ever read.. ‘A novel about my wife’. Even the Brits appreciate her, given a column in The Guardian while she was off on the OE), and the latest in a long line… Eleanor Catton
@greywarbler …the critique was of your statement: “Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.”
It is a bullshit statement …. as any NZ art historian or English literature historian and many school children could tell you…..there have been lots of NZ colonials who have been highly creative and successful internationally( not just pretentious pretenders as you suggest) …and many have come from the “aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations” eg Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) whose father was a banker is just a start
…there are other NZers too numerous to mention…but just off the top of my head,what about Keri Hume ( winner of the Booker Prize) ?…Elsie Locke ( children’s writer,historian, environmentalist,peace activist, feminist ,organiser of family planning and fighter for social justice for Maori and the working class) who wrote many books? …Ngaio Marsh, theatre director and crime writer of international repute?…what about the painters: Francis Hodgkins (1869-1947)….Margaret Stoddart(1865-1934)…..Rita Angus?..and many many Maori writers of calibre eg….Patricia Grace?…
I have only touched on a few women here …what about Ernest Rutherford, father of nuclear physics?….the list of highly creative intellectual NZers could go on and on…
“@greywarbler …the critique was of your statement: “Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.” ”
Well put Chooky, a bullshit statement albeit just a musing on the gerygone’s part.
Speak for your own colonial ancestry if you will…GW.
For the criteria”- arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.”
How about adding one of my direct grandfathers on one colonial branch – Carl Hinrich Andreas Mumme. Co founder of the The Freedom Group formed on 9 July 1913 .The Freedom Group’s struggle for social change—for a society based on people before profit was the driver. They were tired of oppression and sheeples accepting tyranny. “They were active in their trade unions, on the street corners, and in their communities.” What set them apart was “their critique of coercive relations, wage slavery, and a vision of a more equitable and humane world.” He went on to accrue mobs to organise and arm themselves and fight back during the Great Strike! Great expressionism don’t you think?
And for Creativity on another branch was a Professor/ doctor of medicine who robbed graves for corpses so his students could have cadavers to learn with and advance medicine. That’s pretty creative eh?
“Sewing Freedom: Philip Josephs, Transnationalism & Early New Zealand Anarchism”
@ Not Another Sheep…lol….sounds like a very fine and worthy NZ ancestry of creative and intellectual thinking and integrity! …most impressed!
..one of my ancestors was a humble whaler ( from Yorkshire I think) and the first Pakeha in the Christchurch area to give descriptions ….he wrote accounts of a horse and rider disappearing in the Avon river….he was an interpreter between Maori and British….his two reading books were the Bible and ‘Herodotus Histories’ ( which he educated his children with)…he married Puia the daughter of Chief Iwikau ( Akaroa, who signed the Treaty )…and when the French turned up he hurriedly hoisted up the Union Jack flag to let the French know the British had got there before them….lol……..his son became a local identity on the Chathams
Maori Prophecy on Christchurch :
Some three hundred years ago Maoris of vision prophesised thus:—”Behind the tattooed face, a stranger lurks, his face is white, he owns the land,” and “Weep not for me, weep for yourselves, for the time will come when white feet shall desecrate my grave.” True they have proved, in both cases. The Maoris dwelling amid the swamps of Christchurch were nicknamed by the natives of other parts O-roto-repo (swamp dwellers).
This is what I mean by critical response. You can’t just reply with what about .. and haven’t you overstated this because … you have to demolish and sling off because it’s a different idea from your own favourite position.
Where is the opportunity for discussion? It’s ‘You want the truth, you couldn’t handle the truth’ time, as in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. And what is being broached may not be the truth, or part truth. But because you don’t see my point then it must be wrong, because you are right.
As if I never read, and don’t know of NZ creatives. There still is a knuckle dragging approach from many but I try not to be one such. And readers, who are they who look for truth and ideas? Women make up the bulk of readers. Men low on that activity, high on sport, mountain biking over every track in NZ – look out they’ll want a track down your hall soon – and driving 4WD up river beds as in the Mitsubishi advertisement etc. With a spot of shooting, that’s quite widespread as an activity in town and country (sometimes people – collateral damage). Less of that stuff, and more creativity of the mind is much needed in this country.
Thought, discussion, reading and thinking and philosophy should be something that all are familiar with and participate in. Not just the few, and not mainly women. And I don’t think there has been enough of it in NZ in the past, and less now with the commercial response to everything. Now there’s a thought for discussion.
Not another sheep
So what sort of country did your ancestor want to leave for you? Mine were busy trying to achieve stuff, working hard with an interesting history.
But in NZ we haven’t been able to break through an attitude that came over from the early colonials with their land speculation being the main drive of the NZ Company, selling plots and plans they didn’t own and that were a fraud. They wanted a place where there was still a class system with them at the top. And not too particular as to how they got their land or social position.
There is more required than just quoting what has been achieved by individuals. It is no use to be complacent and ready to criticise individuals with ideas thatare uncomfortable. There is hard work ahead to progress what our ancestors hoped for even to maintain what they achieved.
It’s a deal-breaker for me. I can put up with MPs I don’t much like (Cosgrove, Mallard) because broad church yadda yadda … but Tamihere is way, way over the line.
I’m 99% certain he won’t be standing for Labour again, but I’d like the last 1% to be confirmed.
I think his chances have been shot for a long time. There are a lot of us Labour stalwarts who would picket any selection he was part of, or any List conference that had his name. I don’t think the Party leaders think he is worth the risk.
John Key does not front on National Radio for the same reasons? But does a weekly slot on lots of soft radio stations.
I read the article and the writer lost me at being the one of the 10% who pay 70% of taxes, thinks double Dipton is ‘one of us’, and you wonder why Cunliffe thinks he will not get a fair hearing.
Well yes Cunliffe is a dick but I think in this case he really just doesn’t care about rural NZ and I don’t blame him ’cause its not like rural NZ contributes anything to the NZ economy
no your just inventing things – perhaps your a dick too?
look, the guy is one of those rank idiots if he believes that 10% of people pay 70% of tax
its a lie
its been pointed out as a lie for ages
any one with any serious notion of whats going on will know this
its only the blow hards and woefully manipulated who keep parroting this idiocy
1) you need to include how much % you earn
2) you need to include all forms of tax
so maybe cunliffe should front – but not because you, or this other guy want to behave like fools
in this case he really just doesn’t care about rural NZ and I don’t blame him ’cause its not like rural NZ contributes anything to the NZ economy
you’re 100% wrong on that. Cunliffe grew up in a rural area of Canty and has first hand experience working in the farming sector as a youth. The decision not to appear on that radio show, which I personally find a bit unusual (what pollie turns down media air time?) , will have been based on other factors.
” When I think of Labour, I think of politicians such as Damien O’Connor, David Shearer, Grant Robertson, Annette King and Phil Goff. They’re eminently sensible people and, at a push, I could live with them running the country . ” yeah right ! So why should Cunliffe go on a program with such a di–head ?
“economic and environmental handbrakes on farming”
So this guy thinks he should be able to pay bugger all tax, foul our water ways and makes kids sick, and make his workers work all day and all night for bugger all pay. Cool.
His father sounded like a man with his head screwed on though — realising the Labour did more for farmers than National ever did.
IMO, this has bearing upon the actions of the police in regards to Roastbusters:
Police could have – again, should have – caught Rewa much earlier even than that. They were given the opportunity on a plate. They could have arrested him after the very first of his serial rapes.
“I rung the Glen Innes police station. I gave them the name Hama, and the response was, ‘Well, that’s just a gang nickname. You know you need to come back to us with a real name.'”
It seems endemic that the police always seem to want more evidence in rape cases – usually from the victims – rather than going out and finding it themselves as they’re supposed to do.
Wow. I bet if Hama had been wanted for assault on police they would have figured out who he was pretty quickly. I am rapidly firming in my opinion that ngati poaka have the systemic attitude that there’s not really a lot wrong with rape.
“There is no evidence that capitalism exists today,” says former congressman Ron Paul. A leading libertarian voice in American politics, Paul says the land of the free no longer has free markets but an economy centrally planned by powerful elites, one that “allows major benefits to accrue to the politically connected,” not the most deserving.
These days, “corporate subsidies” and “privileged government contracts to the military-industrial complex” are the path to riches, says Paul. “This is not capitalism!”
If one defines capitalism as a system designed by and for the interests of those who hold capital (what it is), capitalism is what the United States has today. It is a system based not on principles of freedom and liberty and justice for all, but the accumulation of wealth for people called “capitalists.” It entails structuring an economy in such a way that natural resources are exploited for private gain and land is parceled off into mortgage-backed securities. It means rich people using their money to buy power and shape economic relations to their advantage, which makes them more money.
Speaking about libertarians, seems Paul junior has another problem to go along side his plagiarising.
Since 2005 Rand Paul has not been certified by any board recognized by the state of Kentucky, and since 2011 has had no certification since the NOB was dissolved. I asked Rand Paul’s staff a series of questions, trying to determine why he still held himself out as a “certified” ophthalmologist:
More hopeless, hapless or criminal liars….
No. 31 John Palino: “Suggestions that I am somehow orchestrating some grand right-wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong…”
No. 30 Alan Dershowitz: “I will give $10,000 to the PLO if you can find a historical fact in my book that you can prove to be false.”
No. 29 John Banks: “I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. And never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return. Never ever would I ever.”
No. 28 John Kerry: “…we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence.”
No. 27 Lyse Doucet: “I am there for those without a voice.”
No. 26 Sam Wallace: “So here we are—Otahuhu. It’s just a great place to be, really.”
No. 25 Margaret Thatcher: “…no British government involvement of any kind…with Khmer Rouge…”
No. 24 John Key: “…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.”
No. 21 Tim Groser: “I think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.”
No. 20 John Key: “But if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.”
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: “It is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DON’T!”
No. 18 Ant Strachan: “The All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!”
No. 17 Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.”
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.”
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14 Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No. 13 Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11 Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10 Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8 Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question….”
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
No. 6 Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5 Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.”
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3 John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2 Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1 Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
Tamihere is embarrassment to all Labour Members and supporters .The LP.Council need to expel him now. This is the second time he has made unexceptional comments .Forgive once but not twice.
Most of us Lefties are working for a Socialist or Social Democratic Government in 2013.we do not need comments from the likes off Tanihere,Come on Moira take action and get rid of this clown
just to paraphrase the essence ‘…the rise of the purple-greens , avocados?…whine-gums?…who pontificate and wring their grapes in despair…’ There, now that the steering of the nation in is in the capable hands of Peter and his 30 denying disciples I can relax with a Saturday matinee.
I wouldn’t write Dunne off. He’s lasted far longer than most politicians ever do. And Labour’s best chance of unseating him, Chauvel, has unfortunately left our shores.
Yeah — personally I think he should take a lot of credit for ensuring that the Douglas-Richardson reforms staying more or less intact. It was him that ensured that Labour didnt stray to far to the left..
Hubba Bubba? Grape flavour? Blowing big old’ bubbles?
Theres been some interesting talk in the land of Ohariu about Dunne’s sudden revival of the UF Party from the corpse that it was. It’s been suggested that he targeted outdoor groups, perhaps Forest and Bird Members, Fish & Game etc for their membership of UF in return for representing them – luring them away from the Green vote. What else did he have left? There weren’t many tricks left up the sleeve.
He is using emotive words like the “Taliban” in order to set his party aside as the sensible party, again continuing with the moderate theme, but being the wolf in sheep’s clothing (as Millsy refers to below, with the reality being that he is more far right than anything).
Dunne will be facing calls for his accountability from locals this coming election year. His path ahead next year may not be so easy as it always has been. The difficult thing with this electorate is there are many locals blinded by his “service” to the community, which really amounts to turning up at school fairs etc and playing santa’s elf in the J’ville xmas parade (lol times, I know). They see him in a local context and can’t grasp what a true burden he is to the nation.
Is it possible with a concerted local movement to call him to account for his actions and a real kick arse Labour candidate he could gone in the next election? Katrina Shanks will not be there for the next election, (she came third in 2011 with Chauval second) who will National put in her place or will they even put a candidate up? Labour members, is there any goss on who Labour might stand in the electorate?
It really pisses me off that Peter Dunne prances around the country telling everyone he is moderate and of the ‘sensible centre’, blah blah blah..
The guy is clearly far right, closer to ACT than Labour, his opposition to any form of social democratic policy shows it, and his crap about wanting to protect the environment and conservation estate is shit, given that he didnt lift a single finger to oppose the cuts to DOC and privatisation/commercialisation the of conservation estate, and he has supported the lowering of air and water quality standards every single time.
I would love to know what cuts to government services he will I wis to keep taxes for high income earners down, and if he supported the mass closures of schools and hospitals in the 1990’s to fund Bill Birch’s tax cuts.
Part of the reason New Zealand’s environmental credentials had taken a hammering recently was because environmental policy had been “hijacked by the political left, and have accordingly succumbed to the notion that unless you are a Green, you cannot have any concern for our environment”.
😆
No, the reason why our environmental credentials have taken a hammering is because this government, including UF, have stripped environmental protections that weren’t all the great to begin with.
“In an open society, there is a place for the Green Taliban, but it is at the fringes, and not centre stage
/facepalm
“In an open society, there is a place for the United Future Taliban, but it is at the fringes, and not centre stage
Oh, wait, that’s where it is propping up a radical right government that has no concern for the environment or the people of NZ.
Don’t count Dunne out, he will be portraying himself as the champion of the hunting and fishing groups, unfortunately a lot of this group get their information second hand by word of mouth, they don’t follow politics or the MSM generally, but will get riled when someone is proposing to take anything off them, just what a he wants.
The electricity privatisation exceeded government expectations, delivering more than $20 billion to a cash-strapped state, with promises that in private hands, the delivery of electricity would be better and cheaper than the service provided by the old state-owned behemoth.
Yep, heard that one time and time again. Heard the results as well:
In a report this year, the Australia Institute used official figures to calculate that the cost of electricity increased by 170 per cent from 1995 to 2012 – four times higher than the rise in the consumer price index.
Privatisation has resulted in worse service and higher prices everywhere it’s been tried. Telecom is our poster boy for this failed experiment but our faux electricity market isn’t far behind and with the sale of those companies we can expect the prices to rise even faster.
On the elderly and making the point that economists ideas and counting our GDPon money passing hands and not measuring the Greater Domestic Prosperity by return of services and appreciation of everyone’s input. This woman is elderly and written a book that Labour should consider before they go raising the age of pensions.
11:05 Patricia Edgar 12 October 2013
Patricia Edgar is an Australian sociologist, educator, film and television producer, researcher and writer. Her new book is In Praise of Ageing (Text Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-92214-755-4). http://textpublishing.com.au/books-and-authors/book/in-praise-of-ageing/
Worth noting as a follow up to the the Plebs and Plutocrat thread:
Delivering his victory speech in the Park Slope neighbourhood of Brooklyn where he lives, De Blasio sought to temper expectations that were sky-high after his repeated campaign pledges to unite New York’s “two cities” – those of the haves and the have-nots.
“Let me be clear, our work, all of our work, is really just beginning,” he said. “We have no illusions about the task that lies ahead. Tackling inequality isn’t easy. It never has been and it never will be. The challenges we face have been decades in the making, and the problems we sought to address will not be solved overnight. But make no mistake, the city has chosen a progressive path and tonight we set forward together on it, together as one city.”
Just saw a coma’d young woman dragged out by the feet from the pub toilets. Covered in her own puke. Staff putting her in the recovery position; no movement whatsoever. Looks like emergency services are being called. Messy.
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
SIR GEOFFREY PALMER is worried about democracy. In his Newsroom website post of 27 January 2025 he asserts that “the future of democracy across the world now seems to be in question.” Following a year of important electoral contests across the world, culminating in Donald Trump’s emphatic recapture of the ...
The Government hasn’t stopped talking about growth since the Prime Minister made his “yes” speech at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week. But so far, the measures announced would seem hardly likely to suddenly pitch New Zealand into the fast-growth East Asian league. The digital nomad announcement hardly deserved ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Someone defames you anonymously online. Can you find out who it is? Maybe. There are legal avenues to seek a court order that an internet host reveal the identity of the person. One of them is called a Norwich Pharmacal order, but as Hugh Tomlinson KC points out, it only ...
The results of the 2025 Mood of the Workforce survey have been released, with working people revealing deep concerns regarding their work lives, housing, health care, and perceptions of the coalition government in Aotearoa New Zealand.Christopher Luxon has signalled that National may campaign on asset sales in the next election, ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
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A comment from an American
“The best thing that could happen is an increase in the minimum wage. Minimum wage earners spend every dime they get. Putting more money into the hands of the poor is money that will be spent immediately.
Can’t say the same about tax cuts, which disproportionately go the rich who simply hoard the money.”
Yep. Hoard the money or pile them into financial markets to inflate speculative asset bubbles.
Well credit where credits due. Ive been one to highlight Fran O Sullivan’s hopeless and thoughtless blind devotion to free market philosophies over the years. But she has nailed it in todays NZ Herald.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11153956
And I particularly like this bit, hopefully this will be the last time we hear the phrase “man ban”, because I think we now know where that phrase was coming from.
“It is to Labour’s credit that the party is trying to even the score when it comes to evening up gender representation in Parliament.
The party has faced down criticism from the usual media jocks who label such policies a “man ban”.”
I hope Farrar and Gower now realise they are part of the club of dinosaurs when they continue to criticise Labour over its remit to have AT LEAST 50% women, I suggest after this debacle it should be AT LEAST 75%.
Well there’s some good n FO’S’s piece. And yes there are some misogynist elements within Labour. But she fails to mention how the right used those nasty smears about Clark as a deliberate ploy to undermine Clark as PM. I have heard the content of the smears originally came from within the left. But it was the right that crafted them into one of the nastiest, most underhand smear campaign’s in NZ’s political history.
FOS makes out the misogyny is all Labour’s. Sheesh – and WO, KB?
And Key’s government has hardly been a friend to the majority of women.
RadioLive, WJ & JT not getting any support from Key or Cunliffe.
Did I hear Moira Coatsworth reported on radio yesterday pointing out that there were processes in the Labour Party in terms of membership for the likes of Tamihere?
Am I correct in thinking that (like the police?) she needs a formal complaint? If so, can anyone enlighten me about how to do this?
Any Labour Party member, but ideally a constitutional branch or LEC, can write a formal complaint about the conduct of a member to the Labour Party’s New Zealand Council, usually via their Labour Region’s representative on that Council.
Please, please do this.
I am not a Labour member so I realize I’m asking somebody else to do the work, but I really hope that the party receives complaints by the dozen about Tamihere’s behaviour.
It’s important to remember that media attention spans are short, and people who are “persona non grata” soon return. (case in point: Paul Henry).
Tamihere’s media status will be rehabilitated to “lovable rogue” in a matter of weeks/months. Even now, fools like Josie Pagani are defending him.
He must NEVER be a Labour candidate. It is that simple.
I understand at least one Labour Party member has already done so, but I’m sure that additional messages wouldn’t hurt.
Agreed, K. She glosses over the worst misogyny Clark faced, that of the right. I have a complete wtf reaction to that piece. It’s so calculated that its worthy message is fatally undercut.
@ tigger..indeed..!
..with farrar the main hate-merchant/online-propagandist..
phillip ure..
True.
The phrase “man ban” had its origins in the same misogynistic/patriarchal attitude that we see from Jackson and Tamihere. I understand that Farrar created it. Gower highlights it at every opportunity. I hope out of this whole episode we end up with a public who gain a better understanding of where these phrases are coming from and consequently Labour (Moira Coatsworth in particular) get some support for sticking to their guns on this.
Not strictly correct. It came from the neoliberal faction back in the late 70s and early 80s at a time when their ‘star’ was on the rise. They ruled the Labour roost for about seven years and then they were gone. They joined ACT in the early 90s.
Saarbo +1 ..interesting and well put from Fran O’Sullivan
Of this whole ‘roast buster’ saga. The news media a making me increasingly angry with the headlines. Specifically radio where every bullitin I would hear something along the lines of ‘supply young girls with alcohol and have group sex’ the reality is they targeted girls stupefied them the PACK RAPED them.
The media sugar coating it as they are I believe is symptomatic of the whole problem. The two dickheads at radio live been at the top of the pile.
Totally agree. I couldn’t believe yesterday’s ‘Dominion post’ headline: ‘Police roasted over sex saga’.
The phrase ‘sex saga’ is for discussing some All Black or movie star having an affair. This is a rape case.
In other words, the ‘Dominion post’ contributes to the rape culture discourse.
some of the international headlines use the ‘pack rape’ title, they dont hold back at all! like i guess our media wouldnt if it concerned australia or something.
This matter is certainly not a good look internationally; still, more representative when you get down to it than 100% pure. Just been reading how Fonterra chiefs are revealing how the company is 6-10 years behind the sustainability achieved by dairying in Europe, and that further expansion / intensification here is going to hit a wall of environmental constraints.
These are the serious facts of the matter for the nation!
Many people are angry over this rb thing.
a constructive way to use your anger is go to your mp office and demand increases in funding immediately for rape crisis for programmes in schools. Ask for asset sales to stop and tge millions in costs to sell going to these programmes.
email pm.. mps.
anyone noticed how silent tje social development minister is on this tip of a serios social development iceberg?.
If people are truly angry go to yoyr mps office and demand funding increases to rape crisis and school programmes etc.
Tell your mps to stop assets sales and use the saved cost of the sales to increase this funding.
stop listening, reading buying anything which supports lack of respect to men and women.
this is all much harder than being angry. Are we up to it?
Anyone noticed how silent the minister of social development has been on this most horrendous tip of a very enormous social development iceberg?
the more-healthy-message is one of the strongest in the pot v.s. booze debate-arsenal..
..and pot is winning..
“..Booze lobbyists are becoming more and more pissed off at marijuana advocates..”
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/bar-fight-booze-industry-furious-over-campaigns-saying-weed-safer-alcohol
phillip ure..
Writer for young people, Mandy Hager brilliant on National Radio this morning talking about “seething world of misogyny”……. in the most civilised and charming way…. but not pulling any punches
….well worth listening to on: John Tamihere , Willy Jackon interview with young girl about rape ( something I have been arguing about with my son who listens to Radio Live )
…..Hager has written a book for young people on date rape called ‘Smashed’ and recommends a doco on sexism in music videos called ‘Dream Worlds’
Kathleen Ryan has also been superb this last week on these issues ….comprehensive examinations of the recent Auckland gang rapes, drawing in experts from different perspectives and the most moving personal testimonies by rape victims of the situations they innocently found themselves in and the long term damage rape did to them
Radio NZ really is to be very highly commended…for the calibre of women it puts on in its programmes and the quality of debates !
Lookout for the police next week flying around like Supermen nailing the bad guys.
There must be some terrorist plots involving foreigners out there to foil. The assault rifles raid with the Hells Angels associates was a good start and in the right vein. More of the same needed.
Ah, yes… just in tme…
http://www.3news.co.nz/Underage-sex-sting-website-revealed/tabid/423/articleID/320712/Default.aspx#.Un3StPlmim4
This question was never adequately answered by that article. Who exactly is putting resources into this…uh…’entrap, publicise, and shame’ website??? That it’s not the police seems clear.
I think it is the Stop Demand website & particularly this woman who is mentioned in the website.
Ahhh thx. I should say the lines quoted from the men talked to by TV3 seem somewhat less than, ahem, credible.
Noelle McCarthy stops the snickering
Pretends to be serious about victims of state repression
Saturday Morning, Radio NZ National, 9 November 2013
Kim Hill is still away, so the host for this week is NOELLE McCARTHY.
This morning’s first interview was with American journalist Kevin Gosztola, who spoke about the sinister, threatening, steadily growing surveillance regimes in the United States and Britain. Naturally, he talked a lot about Edward Snowden. Amongst other things, Kevin Gosztola observed that Snowden was isolated and called a traitor by the U.S. regime and its snooping agencies, and that the heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ had repeated the slander during their farcical appearance before the British parliament’s Intelligence and Security committee this week….
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2013/11/british_surveillance_hearing_parliament_s_interrogation_of_u_k_spy_agencies.html
As he pointed out the plight of the dissident NSA whistleblower, I wondered whether Kevin Gosztola realized that his interviewer was one of those who has enthusiastically participated in the Government-sponsored shunning and ridiculing and libeling of Edward Snowden. I wonder if he would have even spoken to McCarthy if he had realized how callous and flippant she has been towards Snowden and other dissidents. Here’s a representative sample of her comments on Snowden’s plight up until this morning’s miraculous transformation into a concerned and humane liberal thinker….
NOELLE McCARTHY, 10 July 2013: Y-y-y-y-yeeeeeessss, …. [snort] ….he he he! He’s still in hiding. He he he! …. He he he he he! Yes he is still in that terminal! …[snort]… He he he he he he! ….[snort]…. He’s got a choice! Venezuela, Bolivia or Ecuador! …. Bolivia would be hard with the altitude! ….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10072013/#comment-661123
Less than one week later, she was at it again….
NOELLE McCARTHY, 16 July 2013: [grimly] Heh, heh, heh. Well someone else with not such a good view is Edward Snowden. [snicker] Looks like he’s STILL in the airport! …
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16072013/#comment-663663
And here she is enthusiastically taking part in another group guffaw, this time about another Government-designated political target, Julian Assange….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19072013/#comment-664870
Kevin Gosztola’s website….
http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9380684/John-Key-living-the-dream
I can’t even stomach this piece, I’ve read snippets of it but the whole thing is just… so painful
John Key – still getting blowjobs from the media
Looks like the Nat’s publicity machine has hit high gear. More vomit inducing stuff:
Key credits team for National’s success
@ zorr..
..it is a ‘dear-leader’ masterpiece..
(flies were buzzing in and out of my hanging-open mouth..as i skim-read it..
..pausing only to utter the odd “whoar!..holy wholesale-sychophancy..!..batman..!’)
phillip ure
and thats how its done if you want to be re-elected
you could always be of tangible service to the nation. That would get you reelected.
Rod Drury needs to realise that National is not the party to be building “exciting new assets” — well not any more anyway. National has, since 1990 has been the party of tearing things down.
Jebus, that piece is so cloying it have me diabetes. On another site it would be considered satire.
I think that piece was well written and shows the caliber of the man leading NZ 🙂 of course when the puff pieces come in for Labour I’m guessing it’ll be a different story
Yes, it was a different story.
The fiction is that “5 years” is some special anniversary that requires full-on puffery across all the media. So … after 5 years of Clark, where was it?
Go on, show us the saturation ass-kissing from 2004.
I don’t know if you really believe this “all the same” line you keep trotting out, or if it’s just feeble spin, but it isn’t true, and never was. Find evidence to the contrary, please.
You mean like Cunliffe lounging on the beach or Jacinda Ardern showing off her cup cakes?
No, I mean exactly what I said. Lengthy, uncritcial puff pieces, celebrating 5 years. You got nothing? Case closed.
Nice attempt from diversion from the main point 🙂 its something the left is quite good at doing 🙂
Dude, the whole puff piece is a diversion from what’s actually happening. Something the right and their little helpers in the MSM are very good at.
At the end of the Stuff piece there are these figures
Debt:
2008 $10.3b
The 2008 forecast for 2013: $29b
Actual 2013: $55b
The Budget:
2008: $5.6b surplus.
Forecast 2013: deficit $3.3b
Actual 2013: deficit $4.4b
Current account deficit:
2018: 7.8 per cent
Forecast 2013: -5 per cent
Actual 2013: – 4.7 per cent
Economic growth:
2008: -0.6 per cent
Forecast 2013: 3.1 per cent
Actual: 2013: 2.5
Unemployment:
2008: 4.3 per cent
Forecast 2013: 4.6 per cent
Actual 2013: 6.2 per cent
Economic rebalancing:
The gap between income from the tradeable sector and the non-tradables sector has widened since 2008.
Hardly a ringing endorsment
Nope, not all from the better economic managers party.
Current account deficit:
2018: 7.8 per cent
Forecast 2013: -5 per cent
Actual 2013: – 4.7 per cent
Was this meant to be 2008: 7.8%.
And does actual 2013: -4.7% If this is a minus figure for a deficit measurement does that mean that there is a surplus?
-4.7% (of GDP) is the deficit
If it was positive +4.7% it they would be calling it the current account surplus.
I want to know how the frak Treasury reckons we are going to have that big a current account surplus in 2017. Impossible on our current track.
Or maybe they are expecting a Labour Government…
“Life after politics will probably involve some commercial work, a board chairmanship or two and even some “ex-prime ministerial things”, said Key.”
Oh yes, he a real do-gooder this one. Glad we could provide you with this sweet stepping stone job.
Bugger the article. Read the comments, they are way more informative, oh, and remember, they have only let thru the mildest ones.
This morning on radio nz on Kim Hill’s session with Noelle McCarthy today, Mandy Hager was interesting. She is very informed about teenage sexuality and is distressed about the gang rape in Auckland with informative background. She has written a book called Smashed which I think she says is about teenage culture.
She is involved with something called Dare Foundation and talks about schools, society’s failure to impart ethical values and I think the Foundation is running a project to talk about this. She mentions a culture of meanness being presented on the visual media to teenagers, Miley Cyrus having a persona built by men, ‘reality’ tv with ostracism and abandonment to picked members who are voted out, etc. No kindness no caring group involvement in those.
The Dare Foundation, which I have been part of, also offer excellent programmes that would address some of this behaviour – including a ground-breaking new ‘ethical bystander’ programme to empower young people to support each other.
http://robin.hosts.net.nz/~admin219/mandy-hager-writes-2/
Radionz Notes and later audio will be on – 8:30 Mandy Hager
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
Mandy Hager has written eight novels, including award-winning young-adult books Smashed, The Crossing, and The Nature of Ash, as well as short stories, scripts, and non-fiction resources for young people. Her latest novel, Dear Vincent was published earlier this year (Random House, ISBN: 978-1-77553-3276).
Currently a tutor in novel writing at Whitireia NZ, Hager is the 2013 winner of the Menton Fellowship, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most esteemed literary awards. While resident in France, she plans to work on a book about the life of nun, scholar and writer Héloïse d’Argenteuil.
It is interesting that Mandy’s family originally came from Vienna, I think they were Jewish getting away from Europe to a safer place. So much of our creativity and drive seems to have come after such people came here, to Levin actually. Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.
@ greywarbler..at times the discussions on ‘the panel’ are so dinosaur-like..
..as to make tamihere/jackson seem enlightened/’modern-men’….
..phillip ure
phillipu
What panel? Are you talking about Mora’s? I’m talking about an interview which I describe – definitely not like dinosaur stuff or JT and WJ.
Interesting that Mandy Hager should be such a brilliant writer and her brother Nicky Hager should also be so prominent as a journalist/activist. Their Mum and Dad were pretty impressive also, and Mandy’s younger sister is also talented. In Levin they lived a life dedicated to conservation and human welfare. And as Mandy says they stood out as “different” in Levin, but I think in the nicest possible way.
One day on The Panel, Dr Michael Bassett snarled that Nicky Hager was a Holocaust-denier. Host Jim Mora did nothing, and said nothing. Nor did the other Panelists, including the producer who was also present in the studio. Nothing happened to Bassett after that; in fact he returned to the programme several times.
This kind of thing, which happens frequently, somewhat undermines Chooky’s praise (on the thread above) for the quality of National Radio’s discussions.
note …i wasnt praising Jim Mora’s panel discussions….although not all of them are bad
True enough, Chooky. Fair comment.
@ greywarbler ….re your criticisms ….”Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.”
note ….Nicky and Mandy Hager’s Mother is a NZer …she did not come from Vienna like his Grandfather …….as far as I know and she may have come off a farm….the Grandfather from Vienna and Father had a clothing factory in Levin I think.
Mrs Hager was the daughter of doctor and was born in S Africa (or Rhodesia?) but lived most of her life in NZ.
It is interesting that Mandy’s family originally came from Vienna, . If the grandfather came from Vienna, then my statement is correct. I’m talking about originally which can be a while in the past, and not all the original family need to have come from Vienna. I would like to be able to say something on this post without it being picked apart and critiqued. It would be good to be allowed to put an opinion up that isn’t blatantly RW without the gatekeeper mentality censoring it.
Although I’ve been known to *occasionally* extol the virtues of Vienna, I can’t agree with you on this gw. Is it possible they are the kind of people they are because their forebears came to NZ rather than despite them coming to NZ? A love of books, reading and writing can be nurtured anywhere that has a set of societal and economic conditions that encourages it. In that, NZ has done quite well.
Whether that is endangered is something being argued now with changes in teaching, access to books, and changes in societal values – probably the most important of which, are indifference, judgementalism and buying into bigotry, imo.
As for NZ writers from farming and middle class stock – have you forgotten the cleverness of, say, John Mulgan, Jock Phillips and Michael King who wrote about the NZ male pysche while being part of it. Also remember, off the top of my head Katherine Mansfield, Witi Ihimaera, J.K. Baxter, Keri Hulme, Emily Perkins (who wrote one of the best short-ish novels I’ve ever read.. ‘A novel about my wife’. Even the Brits appreciate her, given a column in The Guardian while she was off on the OE), and the latest in a long line… Eleanor Catton
@greywarbler …the critique was of your statement: “Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.”
It is a bullshit statement …. as any NZ art historian or English literature historian and many school children could tell you…..there have been lots of NZ colonials who have been highly creative and successful internationally( not just pretentious pretenders as you suggest) …and many have come from the “aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations” eg Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) whose father was a banker is just a start
…there are other NZers too numerous to mention…but just off the top of my head,what about Keri Hume ( winner of the Booker Prize) ?…Elsie Locke ( children’s writer,historian, environmentalist,peace activist, feminist ,organiser of family planning and fighter for social justice for Maori and the working class) who wrote many books? …Ngaio Marsh, theatre director and crime writer of international repute?…what about the painters: Francis Hodgkins (1869-1947)….Margaret Stoddart(1865-1934)…..Rita Angus?..and many many Maori writers of calibre eg….Patricia Grace?…
I have only touched on a few women here …what about Ernest Rutherford, father of nuclear physics?….the list of highly creative intellectual NZers could go on and on…
“@greywarbler …the critique was of your statement: “Compare with NZs general background of colonials, which seems to have been farm sourced, or rather stultified aspiring middle class with mercantile aspirations, adopting customs of artistic pretension that middle class people followed rather than it arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.
Just a musing on my part.” ”
Well put Chooky, a bullshit statement albeit just a musing on the gerygone’s part.
Speak for your own colonial ancestry if you will…GW.
For the criteria”- arising from an individual intellectual striving for creativity and expression.”
How about adding one of my direct grandfathers on one colonial branch – Carl Hinrich Andreas Mumme. Co founder of the The Freedom Group formed on 9 July 1913 .The Freedom Group’s struggle for social change—for a society based on people before profit was the driver. They were tired of oppression and sheeples accepting tyranny. “They were active in their trade unions, on the street corners, and in their communities.” What set them apart was “their critique of coercive relations, wage slavery, and a vision of a more equitable and humane world.” He went on to accrue mobs to organise and arm themselves and fight back during the Great Strike! Great expressionism don’t you think?
And for Creativity on another branch was a Professor/ doctor of medicine who robbed graves for corpses so his students could have cadavers to learn with and advance medicine. That’s pretty creative eh?
“Sewing Freedom: Philip Josephs, Transnationalism & Early New Zealand Anarchism”
@ Not Another Sheep…lol….sounds like a very fine and worthy NZ ancestry of creative and intellectual thinking and integrity! …most impressed!
..one of my ancestors was a humble whaler ( from Yorkshire I think) and the first Pakeha in the Christchurch area to give descriptions ….he wrote accounts of a horse and rider disappearing in the Avon river….he was an interpreter between Maori and British….his two reading books were the Bible and ‘Herodotus Histories’ ( which he educated his children with)…he married Puia the daughter of Chief Iwikau ( Akaroa, who signed the Treaty )…and when the French turned up he hurriedly hoisted up the Union Jack flag to let the French know the British had got there before them….lol……..his son became a local identity on the Chathams
Maori Prophecy on Christchurch :
Some three hundred years ago Maoris of vision prophesised thus:—”Behind the tattooed face, a stranger lurks, his face is white, he owns the land,” and “Weep not for me, weep for yourselves, for the time will come when white feet shall desecrate my grave.” True they have proved, in both cases. The Maoris dwelling amid the swamps of Christchurch were nicknamed by the natives of other parts O-roto-repo (swamp dwellers).
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-TayLore-t1-body1-d5.html
I wonder if the Maori tohunga also foresaw the big earthquake?
This is what I mean by critical response. You can’t just reply with what about .. and haven’t you overstated this because … you have to demolish and sling off because it’s a different idea from your own favourite position.
Where is the opportunity for discussion? It’s ‘You want the truth, you couldn’t handle the truth’ time, as in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. And what is being broached may not be the truth, or part truth. But because you don’t see my point then it must be wrong, because you are right.
As if I never read, and don’t know of NZ creatives. There still is a knuckle dragging approach from many but I try not to be one such. And readers, who are they who look for truth and ideas? Women make up the bulk of readers. Men low on that activity, high on sport, mountain biking over every track in NZ – look out they’ll want a track down your hall soon – and driving 4WD up river beds as in the Mitsubishi advertisement etc. With a spot of shooting, that’s quite widespread as an activity in town and country (sometimes people – collateral damage). Less of that stuff, and more creativity of the mind is much needed in this country.
Thought, discussion, reading and thinking and philosophy should be something that all are familiar with and participate in. Not just the few, and not mainly women. And I don’t think there has been enough of it in NZ in the past, and less now with the commercial response to everything. Now there’s a thought for discussion.
Not another sheep
So what sort of country did your ancestor want to leave for you? Mine were busy trying to achieve stuff, working hard with an interesting history.
But in NZ we haven’t been able to break through an attitude that came over from the early colonials with their land speculation being the main drive of the NZ Company, selling plots and plans they didn’t own and that were a fraud. They wanted a place where there was still a class system with them at the top. And not too particular as to how they got their land or social position.
There is more required than just quoting what has been achieved by individuals. It is no use to be complacent and ready to criticise individuals with ideas thatare uncomfortable. There is hard work ahead to progress what our ancestors hoped for even to maintain what they achieved.
hmmmm.
Thanks to his comments on Radio Live, I would say that JT’s chances of a placing on the Labour Party list have diminished…
He will just have to be happy with his position on the Waitakere Licencing Trust. Now that…is irony.
“Diminished”?
I’d like to hope/expect that his chances are completely shot!
I’ll NEVER vote for a Labour Party that has JT anywhere near its list!
Fender +1
It’s a deal-breaker for me. I can put up with MPs I don’t much like (Cosgrove, Mallard) because broad church yadda yadda … but Tamihere is way, way over the line.
I’m 99% certain he won’t be standing for Labour again, but I’d like the last 1% to be confirmed.
Has Sealord Jones had anything to say about this? I have the horrible feeling that his thoughts may not be that different from Back Pussy Tamihere’s.
I think his chances have been shot for a long time. There are a lot of us Labour stalwarts who would picket any selection he was part of, or any List conference that had his name. I don’t think the Party leaders think he is worth the risk.
hilarious..!
chris ‘i came – i saw – i did s.f.a’ auchinvale is on the nation..
..talking of his achievements/time in parliament..
..(cue long-silences..)
..phillip ure..
http://agrihq.co.nz/article/from-the-lip-red-carded-by-labours-new-leader?p=23
– So Helen Clark fronted, Russel Normans fronting but Cunliffes decided its not worth the potential hassle….yeah
Running errands for the Whangavegas kiddie farmer – that’s awfully good of you Chris..
John Key does not front on National Radio for the same reasons? But does a weekly slot on lots of soft radio stations.
I read the article and the writer lost me at being the one of the 10% who pay 70% of taxes, thinks double Dipton is ‘one of us’, and you wonder why Cunliffe thinks he will not get a fair hearing.
And yet Russel Normans fronting up, I guess it shows what Cunliffe really thinks about the agricultural sector
Or the guy is a dick.
Well yes Cunliffe is a dick but I think in this case he really just doesn’t care about rural NZ and I don’t blame him ’cause its not like rural NZ contributes anything to the NZ economy
no your just inventing things – perhaps your a dick too?
look, the guy is one of those rank idiots if he believes that 10% of people pay 70% of tax
its a lie
its been pointed out as a lie for ages
any one with any serious notion of whats going on will know this
its only the blow hards and woefully manipulated who keep parroting this idiocy
1) you need to include how much % you earn
2) you need to include all forms of tax
so maybe cunliffe should front – but not because you, or this other guy want to behave like fools
you’re 100% wrong on that. Cunliffe grew up in a rural area of Canty and has first hand experience working in the farming sector as a youth. The decision not to appear on that radio show, which I personally find a bit unusual (what pollie turns down media air time?) , will have been based on other factors.
” When I think of Labour, I think of politicians such as Damien O’Connor, David Shearer, Grant Robertson, Annette King and Phil Goff. They’re eminently sensible people and, at a push, I could live with them running the country . ” yeah right ! So why should Cunliffe go on a program with such a di–head ?
“economic and environmental handbrakes on farming”
So this guy thinks he should be able to pay bugger all tax, foul our water ways and makes kids sick, and make his workers work all day and all night for bugger all pay. Cool.
His father sounded like a man with his head screwed on though — realising the Labour did more for farmers than National ever did.
IMO, this has bearing upon the actions of the police in regards to Roastbusters:
It seems endemic that the police always seem to want more evidence in rape cases – usually from the victims – rather than going out and finding it themselves as they’re supposed to do.
Wow. I bet if Hama had been wanted for assault on police they would have figured out who he was pretty quickly. I am rapidly firming in my opinion that ngati poaka have the systemic attitude that there’s not really a lot wrong with rape.
How the current money system is damaging Businesses, Society and the Environment
That’s a video.
Might as well add this one to: Libertarians confused about capitalism
Speaking about libertarians, seems Paul junior has another problem to go along side his plagiarising.
Since 2005 Rand Paul has not been certified by any board recognized by the state of Kentucky, and since 2011 has had no certification since the NOB was dissolved. I asked Rand Paul’s staff a series of questions, trying to determine why he still held himself out as a “certified” ophthalmologist:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/11/08/rand-paul-has-another-problem/
missed the edit window
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/08/salon_exclusive_more_rand_paul_plagiarism/
LIARS OF OUR TIME
No. 32: Sonny-Bill Williams
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“It’s good to get the win over Papua-New Guinea, a strong Papua-New Guinea side, aahhhh….”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
—-Sonny-Bill Williams, after the Kiwis’ 56-10 World Cup slaughter of a winless PNG side. Halftime score: 40-nil.
http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-LIVE-UPDATES-New-Zealand-Kiwis-V-Papua-New-Guinea-Rugby-League-World-Cup-2013/tabid/415/articleID/320650/Default.aspx#.Un1w8uD7JFQ
More hopeless, hapless or criminal liars….
No. 31 John Palino: “Suggestions that I am somehow orchestrating some grand right-wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong…”
No. 30 Alan Dershowitz: “I will give $10,000 to the PLO if you can find a historical fact in my book that you can prove to be false.”
No. 29 John Banks: “I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. And never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return. Never ever would I ever.”
No. 28 John Kerry: “…we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence.”
No. 27 Lyse Doucet: “I am there for those without a voice.”
No. 26 Sam Wallace: “So here we are—Otahuhu. It’s just a great place to be, really.”
No. 25 Margaret Thatcher: “…no British government involvement of any kind…with Khmer Rouge…”
No. 24 John Key: “…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.”
No. 21 Tim Groser: “I think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.”
No. 20 John Key: “But if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.”
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: “It is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DON’T!”
No. 18 Ant Strachan: “The All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!”
No. 17 Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.”
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.”
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14 Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No. 13 Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11 Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10 Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8 Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question….”
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
No. 6 Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5 Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.”
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3 John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2 Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1 Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
Tamihere is an embarrassment to all us Labour members and supporters. The
Tamihere is an embarrassment to all us Labour members and supporters. The
Tamihere is an embarrassment to all us Labour members and supporters. The
Sorry about the repeat put it down to old age with computers .
Tamihere is embarrassment to all Labour Members and supporters .The LP.Council need to expel him now. This is the second time he has made unexceptional comments .Forgive once but not twice.
Most of us Lefties are working for a Socialist or Social Democratic Government in 2013.we do not need comments from the likes off Tanihere,Come on Moira take action and get rid of this clown
Pink Postman please look at 2.1.1.1 above and the posts following and give Moira and the NZ Council some ammunition.
Did I read that there are only 30 members attending the Dunne party . Key will be considering the nasty Conservative Party. good bye Dunne.
Oh too much
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9382476/Dunnes-rise-of-the-purple-greens
hahhahahahaha I have not laughed this painfully for ages…. so much it hurts ..
just to paraphrase the essence ‘…the rise of the purple-greens , avocados?…whine-gums?…who pontificate and wring their grapes in despair…’ There, now that the steering of the nation in is in the capable hands of Peter and his 30 denying disciples I can relax with a Saturday matinee.
I wouldn’t write Dunne off. He’s lasted far longer than most politicians ever do. And Labour’s best chance of unseating him, Chauvel, has unfortunately left our shores.
Yeah — personally I think he should take a lot of credit for ensuring that the Douglas-Richardson reforms staying more or less intact. It was him that ensured that Labour didnt stray to far to the left..
Hubba Bubba? Grape flavour? Blowing big old’ bubbles?
Theres been some interesting talk in the land of Ohariu about Dunne’s sudden revival of the UF Party from the corpse that it was. It’s been suggested that he targeted outdoor groups, perhaps Forest and Bird Members, Fish & Game etc for their membership of UF in return for representing them – luring them away from the Green vote. What else did he have left? There weren’t many tricks left up the sleeve.
He is using emotive words like the “Taliban” in order to set his party aside as the sensible party, again continuing with the moderate theme, but being the wolf in sheep’s clothing (as Millsy refers to below, with the reality being that he is more far right than anything).
Dunne will be facing calls for his accountability from locals this coming election year. His path ahead next year may not be so easy as it always has been. The difficult thing with this electorate is there are many locals blinded by his “service” to the community, which really amounts to turning up at school fairs etc and playing santa’s elf in the J’ville xmas parade (lol times, I know). They see him in a local context and can’t grasp what a true burden he is to the nation.
Is it possible with a concerted local movement to call him to account for his actions and a real kick arse Labour candidate he could gone in the next election? Katrina Shanks will not be there for the next election, (she came third in 2011 with Chauval second) who will National put in her place or will they even put a candidate up? Labour members, is there any goss on who Labour might stand in the electorate?
It really pisses me off that Peter Dunne prances around the country telling everyone he is moderate and of the ‘sensible centre’, blah blah blah..
The guy is clearly far right, closer to ACT than Labour, his opposition to any form of social democratic policy shows it, and his crap about wanting to protect the environment and conservation estate is shit, given that he didnt lift a single finger to oppose the cuts to DOC and privatisation/commercialisation the of conservation estate, and he has supported the lowering of air and water quality standards every single time.
I would love to know what cuts to government services he will I wis to keep taxes for high income earners down, and if he supported the mass closures of schools and hospitals in the 1990’s to fund Bill Birch’s tax cuts.
😆
No, the reason why our environmental credentials have taken a hammering is because this government, including UF, have stripped environmental protections that weren’t all the great to begin with.
/facepalm
“In an open society, there is a place for the United Future Taliban, but it is at the fringes, and not centre stage
Oh, wait, that’s where it is propping up a radical right government that has no concern for the environment or the people of NZ.
😎
Don’t count Dunne out, he will be portraying himself as the champion of the hunting and fishing groups, unfortunately a lot of this group get their information second hand by word of mouth, they don’t follow politics or the MSM generally, but will get riled when someone is proposing to take anything off them, just what a he wants.
He’s anti women and children too
The shocking truth about the privatisation of power
Yep, heard that one time and time again. Heard the results as well:
Privatisation has resulted in worse service and higher prices everywhere it’s been tried. Telecom is our poster boy for this failed experiment but our faux electricity market isn’t far behind and with the sale of those companies we can expect the prices to rise even faster.
On the elderly and making the point that economists ideas and counting our GDPon money passing hands and not measuring the Greater Domestic Prosperity by return of services and appreciation of everyone’s input. This woman is elderly and written a book that Labour should consider before they go raising the age of pensions.
11:05 Patricia Edgar 12 October 2013
Patricia Edgar is an Australian sociologist, educator, film and television producer, researcher and writer. Her new book is In Praise of Ageing (Text Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-92214-755-4).
http://textpublishing.com.au/books-and-authors/book/in-praise-of-ageing/
Patricia Edgar – praising ageing ( 38′ 52″ )
11:10 Australian sociologist, educator, film and television producer, researcher and
writer, whose new book is In Praise of Ageing.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/20131012
Just watching “Locked Up Warriors” that I recorded earlier from 101 east on Al Jazeera.
Now this is depressing. Can be viewed online here:
Tolley arrgrrghhh!!!
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/11/nationals-rejuvenation/#axzz2jZ9rhdH0
– Heres a viewpoint I’m betting more than a few of you lot would agree with
Worth noting as a follow up to the the Plebs and Plutocrat thread:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/06/bill-de-blasio-wins-new-york-mayoral-election
So it turns out that the 99% ARE were the so-called ‘centre vote’ is.
Or at least the 73.7%.
The Republican candidate only got 24.9%.
Mind you Mr De Blasio will have had millionaire campaign backers as well…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_mayoral_election,_2013
Just saw a coma’d young woman dragged out by the feet from the pub toilets. Covered in her own puke. Staff putting her in the recovery position; no movement whatsoever. Looks like emergency services are being called. Messy.