Unfortunately Bene basher Bennet will get back in on the list anyway. But what price a deal with lots of spoils for the Maori Party to let them continue to do their dirty work?? But it would be the end of them, I think.
Jeez, its Friday, thank God for that. The wheels of commerce are harder to pump, everyone is demanding more and delivering less. Stress everywhere, the standard response more speed, more power, but we are running on empty. Sign of the times?
Any of you guys feeling the heat? The Nats ripping your public service job away, or the contracts with the public sector you rely upon? Or some idiot National minister demanding more of you teaching staff or similar for less money? Or some sales manager demanding you close the deals faster because corporate profits are down?
Christmas coming, time to think about your response to pump priming, what it all means and whether it is worth it.
Something a friend sent me on FB, seemed relevant to the heart of your comment,
Christmas 2011 — Birth of a New Tradition
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Kiwis with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods –merchandise that has been produced at the expense of Kiwi labour.
This year will be different. This year Kiwis will give the gift of genuine concern for other Kiwis. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Kiwi hands. Yes there is!
It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local hair salon?
Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.
Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small owned detail shops & car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates. For the Gardeners on your list – how about some lovely healthy pot plants or plants for the garden or even a gift certificate from the local lawnmowing man.
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Panasonic of a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or games at the local golf course.
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. If your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local cafe. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.
How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the Kiwi working guy?
What about a gift certificate from a local home handyman for some chores to be done around the home?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mum? Mum would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
Someone’s computer could use a tune-up, & I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up & running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool & knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, & pottery & beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. How about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.
Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another 10,000 Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a $5.00 string of light, about 50 cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of to bucks burn, leave the postman, or babysitter a nice BIG tip.
You see, Christmas is no longer about draining Kiwi pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about New Zealand, encouraging our small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. When we care about other Kiwis, we care about our communities, & the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.
But you also need to be careful about giving gift vouchers for a company that might go bust. I lost out with one for a DVD/CD for one of those companies that went bust before I got around to redeeming the voucher.
To the youngsters in my Whanau, I just give a bit of money now, and let them choose how to spend it. I give nothing to the adults, but will probably make another Christmas donation or two to causes like the Auckland City Mission.
Wouldn’t it be ironic that the woman who was the most critical of the Petulant Bean, were to be the difference between Bennett winning or losing her electorate seat of Waitakere. Bradford and her ego … don’t you love it?
Yup a bitter irony, she’s shown it’s all about her and not the cause pursuing votes in an electorate that labour had every chance of winning back from the basher and she was never going to win.
The left just can’t seem to practice what it preaches….collaboration.
I thought Sue was only after the party vote. She said she wanted to help Carmel win, didn’t she?
Whether you assume that’s true or not, who’s to say that if Sue hadn’t campaigned Carmel would’ve got more or fewer votes? What if Sue won more votes for Carmel than for herself? There’s just no way of knowing.
What is it with our islands? Pike River and nobody will take responsibility, South Canterbury Finance and the powers that be run and hide in the cupboard like cowards.
I truly despair. And further, we are smug in our isolated contentedness that none of that violence and anarchy that prevails overseas passes on our shores. But I tells ya – the attitudes displayed by all of the above (and then throw in arson on Karikari Peninsula last week, Hone Harawira’s statement re guns and their use a few years back, and the Urerewas) tell me that if anarchic behaviour even remotely starts to break out it will be at least as ugly as any mankind has ever unleashed.
Our isolation changes from our protection to our downfall.
I’m surprised that she has not taken out ann harrassment order, all she needs is two incidents, like him staring at her home and any reasonable person (made aware of his past offending) would immediatelty agree it was harassment. So I wondering, is this anothe rof the far rightwing media need for a emotional outrage stroy to cover the biggest fraud in NZ history? Moving in next door knowing she lives there should count as one ‘incidient’.
I’m of course am outraged. seriously though can’t you see the Charter Schools, the limit on government spending, all just as manufactured stories – this is a political blog after all.
Housing prices become a issue, don’t know why, the housing stock is poor so of course homes are in demand. Add in ChCh demand. add in natural growth of pop. and housing will always increase.
We dont need housing affordability in NZ, when those who can afford them do enter the market its because they’ve earn the money working overseas. How are Kiwis to make a living if they can’t gouge returning expats of their hard earned hard currency?
“add in natural growth of pop. and housing will always increase.”
When you factor in the baby boomers having bought up rental properties over the past 15-20 yesterday to build up their retirement nest eggs, these houses are going to start coming onto the market within the next 5-15 years as they cash out to fund their retirement. This will cause a glut in supply and drop in housing prices.
The Nats were only critical of Labour after the collapse of the global financial economy when it became obvious that our economy and that of the rest of the world had been powered by bubbles for the previous decade. Before then, they didn’t say a thing except to whinge about the high interest rates which is actually the result of the Reserve Bank Act, independent of the government and which they don’t want to change.
Be very very very wary of house prices going up: they just have not fallen yet according to my calculations. Read http://www.automaticearth.blogspot.com if you want a very contrarian viewpoint. My take is that they will fall relative to the value of money very fast very soon.
Cabinet minister Paula Bennett is on the verge of losing her Waitakere electorate seat.
Sources report that Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni is ahead by fewer than 10 votes after the counting of special votes.
I really do hope this is true. Carmel Sepuloni is a great MP and what many consider one of Labours new faces. She stands for equality and a fairer system and deserves to win.
A recount is probably automatic when things are so close. I wouldn’t think that a recount would be different… if it is there needs to be some questions asked. You know the old saying though… don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
If Ms Sepuloni and Mr Burns win their electorate seats, list MPs Raymond Huo and Rajen Prasad will not get back into Parliament. If only one of the two wins Mr Huo will be out.
Can someone explain to me why a Labour electorate gain would result in a list loss? Would Carmel’s gain reflect the overall total of seats for National/Labour?
“Can someone explain to me why a Labour electorate gain would result in a list loss?”
The party vote percentage determines the overall number of seats for a party (with the exception of overhang situations, taking account of ‘wasted’ votes and a few other technical issues). But, everyone who wins an electorate automatically gets into parliament. That means that the electorate seats won by a party take preference over use of the list.
Hence, gaining an electorate after the specials means that someone from the list is bumped out to maintain the overall percentage entitlement of parliamentary seats for a party. Of course, if a party’s overall percentage of the party vote improves sufficiently after specials it is theoretically possible that no-one who now thinks they would go into parliament would miss out from someone else winning an electorate on the specials.
Another technical possibility, given the privileging of electorate MPs, is a 180 seat parliament (i.e., a 60 seat overhang), in the unlikely event that a party wins all the electorate seats but no percentage of the party vote.
Can someone explain to me why a Labour electorate gain would result in a list loss? Would Carmel’s gain reflect the overall total of seats for National/Labour?
Yes. The overall percentage of votes that Labour received entitles it to have a certain number of MPs. If an electorate seat is lost on election night and regained after specials have been counted, then the last person on the list who won a place would have to drop off.
Already been answered, but didn’t actually mention the list placings which is really what matters here.
If Labour have won enough of the party vote so that on current electorate wins they get up to list member #22 into the house, if people who are placed at #23 or higher win their electorates then the total number in the house remains the same, but the list threshold reduces down to #21 or #20, and therefore the people who were #21 or #22 on the list no longer get their seats.
In this case I believe Carmel is #24 or so and Kelvin Davis isn’t much behind her.
Megan Woods, who is #57 on the list won Wigram, and so she gets her seat at the expense of whoever was #23rd on the list.
Where someone wins their electorate and is within the first bloc of the party list, for example Phil Goff winning and being #1 on the list, it effectively doesn’t change the last marginal seats on the list.
Ranking matters both in absolute terms (i.e., whether you are number 1 or number 60) but it also matters where those who are likely to win electorates are also the list (if they are on the list).
Please let it be true – Paula ‘guacamole’ Bennett makes a mockery of all that is good about the west – from beneficiary bashing, intimidation of winz clients to removal of training incentives that she had utilized when a beneficiary herself – her time as the MP for west Auckland is a litany of betrayal.
Thanks to a lot of you lefties who voted NZ First, Winston will probably be able to fix that with the xenephobic repatriation of all foreigners as part of a coalition deal with the next Labour Govenment.
Yeah Labour’s sure to go for that. In the meantime I have no problem with repatriating whiny ginger-haired Australian politicians. He doesn’t even have a beard FFS.
Perhaps you could have a word to one of the bigots who’s actually in govt about that? Banks would be a good place to start.
MJSavage wasn’t either but but he turned NZ from being a bankrupt country into a power house and took everybody with him .The greens policy is similar.
If it hadn’t been for Sue Bradford entering the electorate race I suspect Carmel would have won with a reasonably comfortable majority. As a rising star, the Labour list hierarchy must also shoulder some of the blame for not giving her a higher list placing.
Nah, was always going to be close. A problem for the electorate candidates who are mainly trying to raise their party profile for getting party votes is that if your name is on the ballot paper people are able to and may well, bloody vote for you. The extent to which people “know” whether they should or should not seems an inexact science even in Epsom. You could easily make a case for David Parker not having stood for the electorate to help bury ACT.
It was not a good idea to stand Sue in Waitakere in the first place, and definitely not in hindsight because Bennett would not front up at debates to be exposed. So Sue did not get the chance to raise issues and policy and say “don’t vote for me, vote for Mana”. More left coordination is needed.
Some recent tweets from Sue Bradford on the NAct deal, which provide food for thought, especially the bit about needing to focus more critically on the Rebstockian welfare reforms:
“Anyone else find it striking that so much attention hs been paid to charter schools part of Nat/ACT agreem’t, & so little to welfare aspect?”
And little attention on the spending cap – which quite clearly interacts with the “welfare aspect”.
I think the reason is (a) the NZEI and Principals were quick off the mark on responding to the prospect of charter schools; and, (b) schools affect ‘middle New Zealand’.
‘Middle New Zealand’ doesn’t think that welfare reform will affect it.
‘Middle New Zealand’ doesn’t think that welfare reform will affect it.
Middle NZ i.e. people earning $60,000 to $100,000 pa i.e. roughly 20% of the population, have (in the main) no fucking idea the trouble which is coming down the pike.
Yes, although when what’s “coming down the pike” does arrive, that demographic may well reach for fascistic ‘remedies’, at least in the first instance, rather than anything more uplifting.
Isn’t overpopulation a real problem? That part of the film suggests that it is criminal to suggest that we have smaller families yet the pressure on resources must grow and grow with excessive population growth. The problem would be the How and When to halt that growth.
William Catton postulated that the world went into population overshoot around 1860 on the back of the use of coal.
Increased use of coal and then widespread use of petroleum have allowed the population overshoot to magnify immensely.
Few informed analysts put a sustainable population for the Earth at above 2 billion.
Continued drawdown of capital (forests, jungles, deep’sea fish etc. ) may hold off population collapse for a short time but now that were are past the peak of most things that keep people alive the long term implications are obvious.
Gets worse AFKTT, with global warming my cabbages are going to seed faster than I can draw them down. Bloody friends wont even take them cos they are not processed or in cans.
I think sometime next year or so they will reflect, hmm my mate Bored was offering me cabbages…now how did he do that?
Was watching the news tonight; by 2015 they think they may have a cure for Alzheimer’s – so instead of 50, 60, 70 y. olds needing care (sorry the next bit will sound callous), we’ll have a batch of people whose life expectancy will be increased, who will all want to eat, drink and be merry, travel, work, etc, again with finite resources.
Just saying, we keep researching and prolonging life, but dying is the only inevitable we share.
Some clever person reckoned that if all the food produced in the World was spread around all the people in the World, we would all be close to starvation. Haves v Have nots? And when the population reaches 7, 8, 9 billion?
‘Cept there’s no chance of that happening! I have observed that many people who want to reduce the population want to start with 3rd-world brown people… 🙁
Not so sure of that – Jared Diamond makes a good case for the Japanese having managed their limited land and resources very wisely over the past millenium. Japan is still predominantly forested, for instance. Of course, nuclear power etc. is a bit of a game changer.
I should say, its the Japanese economy which goes under first, due to debt defaults. At that time Japan is going to quickly run out of the foreign currency needed to import the raw materials and energy that it needs.
Council hire contracters ot build road calming. But what councils shoudl realize is that many who work for road builders love to race their powerful cars through residential areas, that causes residents to force council to put in calming measures.
Are you saying that if councils don’t build speed bumps the road building companies will not hire the workers (who love to race their powerful cars through residential areas) therefore they will be unemployed and unable to afford the powerful cars?
I think where aerobubble might be misreading the situation is that ‘boy racing’ has gone mainstream.
I walk to the bus stop (and back) each day through an area of town that is prone to drivers who are keen to accelerate rapidly in low slung cars or sleek utes (all with large exhaust pipes and very noisy).
My sense of who I see driving these cars is:
40% middle aged white men – short hair, chubby arms, classic male, small businessman/tradesman
40% young women, reasonably made up – could be driving the ‘boyfriends” car, I suppose, but they look pretty confident and don’t seem averse to speed
20% the ‘classic boy racer’ – young male wearing a hoodie (up) or cap on backwards inside the car, often with ‘mates’ alongside and booming music.
In short, I think it’s not just those who ‘work for road builders’ who do the boy racing, but the ‘road builders’ themselves (and their kind).
Just been sat at home listening to very old CD’s and listened to this by New Order http://youtu.be/2KO0zeP6ftY
The lyrics seem pretty poignant for much of the world!
At the end of the day
There’s no food on our plate
So we beg and we steal
For we know love is real
And if we don’t take a chance
In a spare sideways glance
These are all the chains I wanted
To justify the things I do
And when we kiss we speak as one
And in a single breath this world is gone
And when we kiss we speak as one
With a single breath this world is gone
It’s a crisis I know
At the end of the show
People change but we don’t falter
Cause we know love is real
This is no place to shiver
So get up off the grass
You were once the main attraction
but all that’s in the past
How much is free
For me and you
I’m on my knees
I am a fool
But when we kiss we speak as one
With a single breath this world is gone
(this world is gone)
How could I fail to give her
When she cried such a lot
People change but we don’t falter
Cause we use what we’ve got
And when we kiss we speak as one
With a single breath this world is gone
And when we kiss we speak as one
With a single breath this world is gone
(this world is gone)
(this world is gone)
The question is whether you believe that Maori are born bad because of their genes, or that social conditioning gives rise to increased crime or that the justice system is geared against Maori?
[…]
So they were convicted of conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm but the actual law that applies concerns constructive malice, whereby the malicious intent inherent in the commission of a crime is considered to apply to the consequences of that crime.
Crikey Jackal. This couldn’t happen in NZ “But many families in need of government aid often have difficulty getting it as more and more obstacles are erected.”
Funny that there is a prelude where beneficiaries are denigrated and maligned to justify enacting “difficulties”. Thank god that won’t happen in NZ!
Rachelle Grimmer and her two children were a struggling family living in a rundown trailer park. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services denied her application for food stamps, saying that she did not submit enough information. Grimmer went to a welfare office in Laredo to discuss her case.
What happened next was nothing short of horrific — after a seven-hour standoff with police, Grimmer shot her two children and then herself:
Gulag USA, its all done without the wire and camps, the goons drive cars with flashing lights. The TV does the show trials by proxy. You don’t even have to administer the numbered persons or do the deed, they do it for you. RIP.
Unfortunately they’re modeling the privatization of New Zealand’s prisons on the American system… which is proven to be a complete rehabilitation failure.
The current feeling of sadness is compounded by the fact that it doesn’t need to be this way. People could have fought against the Welfare Reform Bill but they chose not to. I’ve always been acutely aware of how much society hates me because I’m disabled; the disablist-motivated abuse when I was in primary school made sure I had it drummed into me for life that I am a second-class citizen. I had thought things were getting better in recent years with things like the Disability Discrimination Act, but clearly I was a gullible fool.
A controversial method of drilling for oil and natural gas appears to be the cause of groundwater pollution in a central Wyoming town, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.
The EPA last month said it had found compounds associated with chemicals used in the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the groundwater beneath Pavillion. Many residents say their well water has reeked of chemicals since the drilling began there and first complained to the EPA in 2008.
Yesterday in Court I provided evidence to support my claim that the real reason behind Auckland Council’s attempt to remove Occupy Auckland from Aotea Square was because of unlawful discrimination on the grounds of political opinion.
I held up in Court, as ‘exhibits’ banners that I had made, which have been used on many Occupy Auckland protests, which proved that many protestors were opposed to the re-election of a National/ACT government, and complaints from some Auckland Councillors to the Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay against Occupy Auckland, had come from National Party member Cameron Brewer, ex National Party MP Christine Fletcher, and C & R Councillors including Des Morrison and Dick Quax….
CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay is a member of the Committtee for Auckland – a lobby group for the ‘1% ers’ that played a significant role in helping to achieve the railroaded corporate takeover of the Auckland region through the setting up of the Auckland $UPERCITY.
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Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
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Congratulations Carmel (hopefully). And good riddance to the Bene Basher
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10772014
Go Carmel! will be awesome for her to be back in!
werd !!!
Unfortunately Bene basher Bennet will get back in on the list anyway. But what price a deal with lots of spoils for the Maori Party to let them continue to do their dirty work?? But it would be the end of them, I think.
Wait till the votes are in and the results are out before popping that champers just yet, darling…
Jeez, its Friday, thank God for that. The wheels of commerce are harder to pump, everyone is demanding more and delivering less. Stress everywhere, the standard response more speed, more power, but we are running on empty. Sign of the times?
Any of you guys feeling the heat? The Nats ripping your public service job away, or the contracts with the public sector you rely upon? Or some idiot National minister demanding more of you teaching staff or similar for less money? Or some sales manager demanding you close the deals faster because corporate profits are down?
Christmas coming, time to think about your response to pump priming, what it all means and whether it is worth it.
Something a friend sent me on FB, seemed relevant to the heart of your comment,
But you also need to be careful about giving gift vouchers for a company that might go bust. I lost out with one for a DVD/CD for one of those companies that went bust before I got around to redeeming the voucher.
To the youngsters in my Whanau, I just give a bit of money now, and let them choose how to spend it. I give nothing to the adults, but will probably make another Christmas donation or two to causes like the Auckland City Mission.
Bloody hell, not only is it tough, we get short changed chasing our tails…..cant wait for beer oclock.
Wouldn’t it be ironic that the woman who was the most critical of the Petulant Bean, were to be the difference between Bennett winning or losing her electorate seat of Waitakere. Bradford and her ego … don’t you love it?
Yup a bitter irony, she’s shown it’s all about her and not the cause pursuing votes in an electorate that labour had every chance of winning back from the basher and she was never going to win.
The left just can’t seem to practice what it preaches….collaboration.
The Right Wing do collaboration and socialism better than the Left does these days.
I thought Sue was only after the party vote. She said she wanted to help Carmel win, didn’t she?
Whether you assume that’s true or not, who’s to say that if Sue hadn’t campaigned Carmel would’ve got more or fewer votes? What if Sue won more votes for Carmel than for herself? There’s just no way of knowing.
How does this sort of thing happen? It simply would not be allowed to continue in many countries. Yet here in NZ….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/6112403/Rape-victim-harassed-for-years
What is it with our islands? Pike River and nobody will take responsibility, South Canterbury Finance and the powers that be run and hide in the cupboard like cowards.
I truly despair. And further, we are smug in our isolated contentedness that none of that violence and anarchy that prevails overseas passes on our shores. But I tells ya – the attitudes displayed by all of the above (and then throw in arson on Karikari Peninsula last week, Hone Harawira’s statement re guns and their use a few years back, and the Urerewas) tell me that if anarchic behaviour even remotely starts to break out it will be at least as ugly as any mankind has ever unleashed.
Our isolation changes from our protection to our downfall.
ugly ugly ugly ugly
totally agree Vto.This is disgusting
I’m surprised that she has not taken out ann harrassment order, all she needs is two incidents, like him staring at her home and any reasonable person (made aware of his past offending) would immediatelty agree it was harassment. So I wondering, is this anothe rof the far rightwing media need for a emotional outrage stroy to cover the biggest fraud in NZ history? Moving in next door knowing she lives there should count as one ‘incidient’.
I’m of course am outraged. seriously though can’t you see the Charter Schools, the limit on government spending, all just as manufactured stories – this is a political blog after all.
See that house prices could be on the way up again.
So the NATS have the opportunity to sort that out all by themselves.
(They were very critical of the inaction of LAB)
Housing prices become a issue, don’t know why, the housing stock is poor so of course homes are in demand. Add in ChCh demand. add in natural growth of pop. and housing will always increase.
We dont need housing affordability in NZ, when those who can afford them do enter the market its because they’ve earn the money working overseas. How are Kiwis to make a living if they can’t gouge returning expats of their hard earned hard currency?
“add in natural growth of pop. and housing will always increase.”
When you factor in the baby boomers having bought up rental properties over the past 15-20 yesterday to build up their retirement nest eggs, these houses are going to start coming onto the market within the next 5-15 years as they cash out to fund their retirement. This will cause a glut in supply and drop in housing prices.
The Nats were only critical of Labour after the collapse of the global financial economy when it became obvious that our economy and that of the rest of the world had been powered by bubbles for the previous decade. Before then, they didn’t say a thing except to whinge about the high interest rates which is actually the result of the Reserve Bank Act, independent of the government and which they don’t want to change.
Be very very very wary of house prices going up: they just have not fallen yet according to my calculations. Read http://www.automaticearth.blogspot.com if you want a very contrarian viewpoint. My take is that they will fall relative to the value of money very fast very soon.
Not sure exactly what insights you expect me to glean from that link, Bored, but it’s definitely a contrarian viewpoint.
lol.
Oh yeah, don’t buy a house, they’re pretty useless and are on the way to becoming consumable commodities (except in Auckland). Buy a farm.
You got all that from the word “turdwrangler”? I’m impressed!
It was ‘turdwangler’ (not ‘turdwrangler’) so that gives it a much more suggestive content (in the context of the thread).
😀
Just delighted to see the result of that cock up, Turdwrangler great name…the link is actually http://www.theautomaticearth.blogspot.com/
Must be Friday……..
Today, the NZ Herald reported:
I really do hope this is true. Carmel Sepuloni is a great MP and what many consider one of Labours new faces. She stands for equality and a fairer system and deserves to win.
Ple
Go Carmel!
Do you think National would ask for a recount?
A recount is probably automatic when things are so close. I wouldn’t think that a recount would be different… if it is there needs to be some questions asked. You know the old saying though… don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
I don’t think it is automatic, but when it is this close whoever lost would ask for a recount.
Out of interest who would Labour lose if Carmel got in?
From the NZH link above :
Can someone explain to me why a Labour electorate gain would result in a list loss? Would Carmel’s gain reflect the overall total of seats for National/Labour?
“Can someone explain to me why a Labour electorate gain would result in a list loss?”
The party vote percentage determines the overall number of seats for a party (with the exception of overhang situations, taking account of ‘wasted’ votes and a few other technical issues). But, everyone who wins an electorate automatically gets into parliament. That means that the electorate seats won by a party take preference over use of the list.
Hence, gaining an electorate after the specials means that someone from the list is bumped out to maintain the overall percentage entitlement of parliamentary seats for a party. Of course, if a party’s overall percentage of the party vote improves sufficiently after specials it is theoretically possible that no-one who now thinks they would go into parliament would miss out from someone else winning an electorate on the specials.
Another technical possibility, given the privileging of electorate MPs, is a 180 seat parliament (i.e., a 60 seat overhang), in the unlikely event that a party wins all the electorate seats but no percentage of the party vote.
I think that’s how it goes.
Thanks, Puddleglum & Anne.
Can someone explain to me why a Labour electorate gain would result in a list loss? Would Carmel’s gain reflect the overall total of seats for National/Labour?
Yes. The overall percentage of votes that Labour received entitles it to have a certain number of MPs. If an electorate seat is lost on election night and regained after specials have been counted, then the last person on the list who won a place would have to drop off.
Thanks Carol didn’t see that paragraph.
Already been answered, but didn’t actually mention the list placings which is really what matters here.
If Labour have won enough of the party vote so that on current electorate wins they get up to list member #22 into the house, if people who are placed at #23 or higher win their electorates then the total number in the house remains the same, but the list threshold reduces down to #21 or #20, and therefore the people who were #21 or #22 on the list no longer get their seats.
In this case I believe Carmel is #24 or so and Kelvin Davis isn’t much behind her.
Megan Woods, who is #57 on the list won Wigram, and so she gets her seat at the expense of whoever was #23rd on the list.
Where someone wins their electorate and is within the first bloc of the party list, for example Phil Goff winning and being #1 on the list, it effectively doesn’t change the last marginal seats on the list.
Good additional detail.
Ranking matters both in absolute terms (i.e., whether you are number 1 or number 60) but it also matters where those who are likely to win electorates are also the list (if they are on the list).
Which is why I reckon MP’s like Damien O’Connor and Lianne Dalziel deserve extra kudos for going the electorate route only.
AFAIK, Bennett has said she will… 🙁
damm u bet me- facebook is goin off on this news hahhaha
Please let it be true – Paula ‘guacamole’ Bennett makes a mockery of all that is good about the west – from beneficiary bashing, intimidation of winz clients to removal of training incentives that she had utilized when a beneficiary herself – her time as the MP for west Auckland is a litany of betrayal.
And she’s not even a westie, the patronising phoney.
So would this be a victory for Waitakere woman and/or Waitakere man?
*fingers crossed, breath held*
Be careful playing that game Felix. Russell Norman is not even a New Zealander.
Russel Norman has New Zealand nationality/citizenship, according to the wikipedia entry. He also has Australian nationality/citizenship.
Then he can be the Prime Minister of New Stralia…
KK,
Can we send him back to Aussie then? Sweet.
PG,
Oh bugger, we can’t.
Thanks to a lot of you lefties who voted NZ First, Winston will probably be able to fix that with the xenephobic repatriation of all foreigners as part of a coalition deal with the next Labour Govenment.
Yeah Labour’s sure to go for that. In the meantime I have no problem with repatriating whiny ginger-haired Australian politicians. He doesn’t even have a beard FFS.
Perhaps you could have a word to one of the bigots who’s actually in govt about that? Banks would be a good place to start.
If he had a beard as well his existence would become a capital crime.
I can’t trust a man without a beard who claims to be an environmentalist. Is that shallow of me?
I completely understand.
I can’t get turned on by strippers who dont have tattoos.
Winnie will probably start with oversize gorillas
MJSavage wasn’t either but but he turned NZ from being a bankrupt country into a power house and took everybody with him .The greens policy is similar.
If it hadn’t been for Sue Bradford entering the electorate race I suspect Carmel would have won with a reasonably comfortable majority. As a rising star, the Labour list hierarchy must also shoulder some of the blame for not giving her a higher list placing.
Nah, was always going to be close. A problem for the electorate candidates who are mainly trying to raise their party profile for getting party votes is that if your name is on the ballot paper people are able to and may well, bloody vote for you. The extent to which people “know” whether they should or should not seems an inexact science even in Epsom. You could easily make a case for David Parker not having stood for the electorate to help bury ACT.
It was not a good idea to stand Sue in Waitakere in the first place, and definitely not in hindsight because Bennett would not front up at debates to be exposed. So Sue did not get the chance to raise issues and policy and say “don’t vote for me, vote for Mana”. More left coordination is needed.
Some recent tweets from Sue Bradford on the NAct deal, which provide food for thought, especially the bit about needing to focus more critically on the Rebstockian welfare reforms:
http://twitter.com/#!/suebr
“Anyone else find it striking that so much attention hs been paid to charter schools part of Nat/ACT agreem’t, & so little to welfare aspect?”
And little attention on the spending cap – which quite clearly interacts with the “welfare aspect”.
I think the reason is (a) the NZEI and Principals were quick off the mark on responding to the prospect of charter schools; and, (b) schools affect ‘middle New Zealand’.
‘Middle New Zealand’ doesn’t think that welfare reform will affect it.
Middle NZ i.e. people earning $60,000 to $100,000 pa i.e. roughly 20% of the population, have (in the main) no fucking idea the trouble which is coming down the pike.
Yes, although when what’s “coming down the pike” does arrive, that demographic may well reach for fascistic ‘remedies’, at least in the first instance, rather than anything more uplifting.
Ah but history never repeats does it? Thats what market fundamentalists keep telling me….
For those of you interested in the powers behind the throne here is Invisible empire:
http://youtu.be/NO24XmP1c5E
Isn’t overpopulation a real problem? That part of the film suggests that it is criminal to suggest that we have smaller families yet the pressure on resources must grow and grow with excessive population growth. The problem would be the How and When to halt that growth.
iamac
William Catton postulated that the world went into population overshoot around 1860 on the back of the use of coal.
Increased use of coal and then widespread use of petroleum have allowed the population overshoot to magnify immensely.
Few informed analysts put a sustainable population for the Earth at above 2 billion.
Continued drawdown of capital (forests, jungles, deep’sea fish etc. ) may hold off population collapse for a short time but now that were are past the peak of most things that keep people alive the long term implications are obvious.
Gets worse AFKTT, with global warming my cabbages are going to seed faster than I can draw them down. Bloody friends wont even take them cos they are not processed or in cans.
I think sometime next year or so they will reflect, hmm my mate Bored was offering me cabbages…now how did he do that?
Was watching the news tonight; by 2015 they think they may have a cure for Alzheimer’s – so instead of 50, 60, 70 y. olds needing care (sorry the next bit will sound callous), we’ll have a batch of people whose life expectancy will be increased, who will all want to eat, drink and be merry, travel, work, etc, again with finite resources.
Just saying, we keep researching and prolonging life, but dying is the only inevitable we share.
The when was back in the 1950s at the absolute latest, the how would be through education and raising all people out of poverty.
Some clever person reckoned that if all the food produced in the World was spread around all the people in the World, we would all be close to starvation. Haves v Have nots? And when the population reaches 7, 8, 9 billion?
‘Cept there’s no chance of that happening! I have observed that many people who want to reduce the population want to start with 3rd-world brown people… 🙁
Start where the problem is most acute.
Population aging and decline is going to bring an end to the western economic system, even as it is needed to salvage a livable environment.
This is going to be an interesting decade,
Japan goes under first.
Not so sure of that – Jared Diamond makes a good case for the Japanese having managed their limited land and resources very wisely over the past millenium. Japan is still predominantly forested, for instance. Of course, nuclear power etc. is a bit of a game changer.
I should say, its the Japanese economy which goes under first, due to debt defaults. At that time Japan is going to quickly run out of the foreign currency needed to import the raw materials and energy that it needs.
Most of Japan’s debt is owed to it’s own domestic populace.
Sounds decidedly Ponzi to me.
Council hire contracters ot build road calming. But what councils shoudl realize is that many who work for road builders love to race their powerful cars through residential areas, that causes residents to force council to put in calming measures.
I’m not quite sure I am following your logic.
Are you saying that if councils don’t build speed bumps the road building companies will not hire the workers (who love to race their powerful cars through residential areas) therefore they will be unemployed and unable to afford the powerful cars?
Yes, I think that’s the logic King Kong.
I think where aerobubble might be misreading the situation is that ‘boy racing’ has gone mainstream.
I walk to the bus stop (and back) each day through an area of town that is prone to drivers who are keen to accelerate rapidly in low slung cars or sleek utes (all with large exhaust pipes and very noisy).
My sense of who I see driving these cars is:
40% middle aged white men – short hair, chubby arms, classic male, small businessman/tradesman
40% young women, reasonably made up – could be driving the ‘boyfriends” car, I suppose, but they look pretty confident and don’t seem averse to speed
20% the ‘classic boy racer’ – young male wearing a hoodie (up) or cap on backwards inside the car, often with ‘mates’ alongside and booming music.
In short, I think it’s not just those who ‘work for road builders’ who do the boy racing, but the ‘road builders’ themselves (and their kind).
Just been sat at home listening to very old CD’s and listened to this by New Order http://youtu.be/2KO0zeP6ftY
The lyrics seem pretty poignant for much of the world!
Injustice system
The question is whether you believe that Maori are born bad because of their genes, or that social conditioning gives rise to increased crime or that the justice system is geared against Maori?
[…]
So they were convicted of conspiring to commit grievous bodily harm but the actual law that applies concerns constructive malice, whereby the malicious intent inherent in the commission of a crime is considered to apply to the consequences of that crime.
Crikey Jackal. This couldn’t happen in NZ “But many families in need of government aid often have difficulty getting it as more and more obstacles are erected.”
Funny that there is a prelude where beneficiaries are denigrated and maligned to justify enacting “difficulties”. Thank god that won’t happen in NZ!
Google the Inverse Care Law – yes I know it is health, but relates to justice and education equally.
Billabong Pipe Masters live webcast
Waves: 12-15 ft
Weather: Sunny
Wind: Light .
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/08/384922/food-stamps-mother-shoots-texas/
Rachelle Grimmer and her two children were a struggling family living in a rundown trailer park. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services denied her application for food stamps, saying that she did not submit enough information. Grimmer went to a welfare office in Laredo to discuss her case.
What happened next was nothing short of horrific — after a seven-hour standoff with police, Grimmer shot her two children and then herself:
See Jackal @ 13
Gulag USA, its all done without the wire and camps, the goons drive cars with flashing lights. The TV does the show trials by proxy. You don’t even have to administer the numbered persons or do the deed, they do it for you. RIP.
Unfortunately they’re modeling the privatization of New Zealand’s prisons on the American system… which is proven to be a complete rehabilitation failure.
A disabled woman writes about her despair as she faces the UK governments plans to reform the benefit system.
http://wheresthebenefit.blogspot.com/2011/12/not-ok-triggerwarning.html
The current feeling of sadness is compounded by the fact that it doesn’t need to be this way. People could have fought against the Welfare Reform Bill but they chose not to. I’ve always been acutely aware of how much society hates me because I’m disabled; the disablist-motivated abuse when I was in primary school made sure I had it drummed into me for life that I am a second-class citizen. I had thought things were getting better in recent years with things like the Disability Discrimination Act, but clearly I was a gullible fool.
That poor woman! Obviously, she thought she had no choice…
EPA: ‘Fracking’ likely polluted town’s water.
A controversial method of drilling for oil and natural gas appears to be the cause of groundwater pollution in a central Wyoming town, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday.
The EPA last month said it had found compounds associated with chemicals used in the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the groundwater beneath Pavillion. Many residents say their well water has reeked of chemicals since the drilling began there and first complained to the EPA in 2008.
Yesterday in Court I provided evidence to support my claim that the real reason behind Auckland Council’s attempt to remove Occupy Auckland from Aotea Square was because of unlawful discrimination on the grounds of political opinion.
I held up in Court, as ‘exhibits’ banners that I had made, which have been used on many Occupy Auckland protests, which proved that many protestors were opposed to the re-election of a National/ACT government, and complaints from some Auckland Councillors to the Auckland Council CEO Doug McKay against Occupy Auckland, had come from National Party member Cameron Brewer, ex National Party MP Christine Fletcher, and C & R Councillors including Des Morrison and Dick Quax….
CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay is a member of the Committtee for Auckland – a lobby group for the ‘1% ers’ that played a significant role in helping to achieve the railroaded corporate takeover of the Auckland region through the setting up of the Auckland $UPERCITY.
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations
Wonder if the Committee for Auckland ever discussed ‘Occupy Auckland’?
Wonder how supportive of Occupy Auckland were the (UNELECTED) Committee for Auckland?
Wonder if Auckland Council ratepayers paid Doug McKay’s Committee for Auckland membership fee?
If so – on what lawful basis?
Of course this private ‘invitation only’ lobby group for the ‘1% ers’, is not subject to the Official Information Act.
(For more information about the Auckland SUPER corporate takeover of the Auckland region via the Auckland ‘$UPERCITY’
check out http://www.stopthe supercity.org.nz and http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz )
Cheers!
Penny Bright
[email deleted]