The question Faafoi has failed to answer, or at least answer convincingly, is this: what are the benefits of creating a single organisation from scratch and scrapping TVNZ and RNZ?
They’re already struggling in a market now occupied by Facebook, Google and Netflix as well as other local media competitors.
The minister also said we would have to wait and see what the impact might be on commercial media companies which will co-exist with what's been described as a "super-sized" single new public media company from 2023.
Except that I'm not so sure they're the "last vestiges" (part of the resaon I keep harping on about the state of many in the senior ranks of our public service).
Not sure its that they're necessarily 'left or right wing' either, but in most cases probably. More to do with Master of the Universe and Impressive C.V. Syndrome
The problem with 'nice people' as politicians at times is that they don't usually have very sophisticated bullshit detectors.
I'm tempted to have another rave on a number examples but I'll give you just one:
Imagine if Kris Faafoi (after his discussion with Mr Thompson) had disclosed publicly the concerns prior to Thompson and his side-kick's announcement – i.e. the bit where JA and others' view was that it didn't have to be an either/or situation).
But there are other examples across the PS (in areas such as immigration, exploitation et al, and generally to do with social services).
Yes, the same faction wanting the merger wants the commercialised model – the future are the youth etc. And a big merged commercial model adds value to their CV.
The whole sorry saga is becoming a bit of a bugger's muddle @Sacha.
JA revealed what I had already suspected as far as ConcertFM proposals (i.e. that Faafoi had discussions with Thompson and Macalister), and they went a head anyway.
Problem is, Faafoi has probably got too much on his plate – as have a couple of other Ministers for that matter.
But I guess it's what you get when you corporatise government and public institutions and stack them with people that worship at the altar of the market the market.
Thankfully (as far as Concert FM and a 'yoof' network – which should really be about an alternative network not necessarily based on 'age'), JA made it clear she didn't think it needed to be an either/or situation.
Fuck 'brand identity'! As a public service broadcaster, I couldn't care if you called it Red, Pink, Mauve, Brown or Green Radio, or whether its RNZ or RadioNZ. The stuff it produces is what's important, and given its resources it was doing a mighty fine job until someone rode in on a Vespa wanting to make his mark. (So far, a bit of a skid mark)
First bump up funding for RNZ – it was budget pressured by National. Protect the public service model by keeping it separate.
Second, appreciate that TVNZ is of a dying free to air broadcast model and help it manage its decline (its gone on-line, it has on-line content from which it extracts commercially valued data about users) by ensuring it has the funding to continue with public service roles.
At some point, when it has lost the ability to extract significant advertising, then merge it with RNZ as a public service broadcaster.
Otherwise the need is to expand NZ On Air with financial support for local, regional and national news and community service (whether print/on-line or broadcast).
The PM was very blunt on Morning Report this morning making it clear that, as Minister for Arts and Culture, she was:
not prepared to consider the proposed dropping of Concert FM and its replacement by a channel for younger generation music as merely an internal operational programming issue;
frustrated with RNZ management in that Faafoi had specifically asked them for time for discussions to try to find a solution that would provide access to all NZers and not deny access/programming to one sector in favour of another – but they had gone ahead and announced their proposals re dropping Concert FM anyway.
She was very clear that that conversation would held; ad that she was not prepared to see one generation/sector of the community being pitted against another.
Horror of horrors, I actually agree with Matthew Hooton who said on RNZ Nine to Noon later this morning that this interview was one of the clearest, most blunt ones he had heard from Ardern – and fully supported her position as do I!
In fact Hooton and Neale Jones agreed that Ardern's stance this morning pretty much ensures that Concert FM will not be dropped as proposed. I hope they are right.
But the party's voters weren't entirely convinced of the decision — 42.7 per cent said National should work with NZ First, 40.9 per cent were opposed, and 16.4 per cent "didn't know".
More than half of NZ First voters, 54.4 per cent, thought their party should work with National, while 35.6 per cent were opposed and 10 per cent "didn't know".
And once the votes are casted Winston doesn’t follow any of the public swells. throws a few bites to his voters to keep them complainant eg $50 winter power subsidy. Then in 3 years time, complain about our immigration policy and does …….. nothing.
"New Zealand will emit a million more tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2020 than previously forecast, new figures from the Ministry for the Environment show."
The reports forecasts will be wrong,due to the fallout and aftermath of Cov.The immediate cessation of logging would need to be factored in,the reduction in tourism and flights and shipping from China etc.
Globally the significant decrease in emissions from China demand around 3 million barrels a day,plus cessation of LNG imports have forced significant reduction in the cost of carbon emissions around 15% since December 23 (with most of the fall in the last 2 weeks)
the forecasts will indeed be wrong (as they usually are), however the trend is key and while the even the trend may be impacted if the economic fall out from nCV is large and sustained enough, that trend is in the wrong direction and demonstrates the disconnect between the act and the rhetoric
'Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money."
not on the radar of anyone who want's to..'survive'..unfortunately…all the big issues in the world incl climate change can be addressed by real..banking reform.
Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of RNZ's proposals the whole concert FM business is an unedifying spectacle of entitled elite fury in action.
People who can barely be bothered to do anything beyond offer feeble blandishments on social media about issues ranging from child poverty to mental health to the housing crisis are issuing outraged squeals, immoderate threats and frankly and proudly exercising class privilege by pulling every string they can think of in any elite circle they can think of to protect a station listened to largely by privileged, aging white people.
Remembering, of course, that elderly pakeha who enjoy classical music are a valid tribe of this country like any other and have every right to fight for something they value – for some, living lonely and isolated lives, this may be their contact with the outside world.
Classical music is universal. It is not confined to "privileged aging white people." I was lucky enough to have parents who introduced us to classical music from an early age and have enjoyed countless hours listening since.
I am not commenting on the merits of the change. IMHO, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a good idea – I read Concert FM employees the princely total of 17 people and probably cost less than 1.5 million dollars to run per year, so sending it's encrusted cultural value and baked on entitled boomer fan base to the knackers yard hardly seems worth it to me.
I actually support a government youth radio network. Gordon Campbell makes a mistake today by saying the 18-35 age group is already well served by private radio – width and quality are not the same thing. I just don't understand why they don't fund both. Just make the Skypath a few metres shorter and use that money or something.
The whole RNZ saga has some pretty weird bubble politics going on around it. Presumably Labour are terrified private news networks will go completely troppo on them if they do to much to tip the playing field their way and are treading so lightly they keep tripping over their own shadow.
Concert FM and youth radio on-line was and is the obvious way to go. There is a place for informed comment and publicising of new music that commercial radio is just not interested in doing. It's not as if youth are not able to find ways to get quality music listening from an online service.
I think you might find that many of the people that ARE actually trying to do something about child poverty, high rates of suicide, housing shortages. indigenous representation, improving education and various other things (rather than just bleating about it) are also in support of Concert FM as it stands. But if that's your definition of class privilege and elitism then I'm all for it.
Green Party workplace relations spokeswoman Jan Logie said the party wanted the strongest measures, including a threshold requiring negotiations when 10 per cent or 1000 employees in a sector call for an FPA.
Also being backed by the Greens: union representatives in contract negotiations, the inclusion of training and career pathways for workers within agreements, and an independent arbiter for when negotiations break down.
"If we're to really to get to the heart of the problem that's seeing people stuck on minimum wage for 30 years, working 16 hours days … We've got to take a strong legislative response," she said.
Let's see where it ends up after Winston's bunch and the right of Labour are done with it..
is it just me or have the Greens recently stepped things up in terms of being publicly stronger on their own policies that differ from the rest of the government?
what I'm seeing in the past week or so has me actually hopeful. That they're going to go strong on values and the policies rather than playing it safe (although presumably they learnt a few things from what happened in 2017). I guess this isn't a surprise, it's just been a while since I've seen them stepping up like this.
I wasn't meaning election results so much (that's dependent on so many things, many unpredictable), but more that the Greens stepping up on values and policy changes the debate (which is why Turei was right to do what she did even though it cost the Greens dearly).
eg the Greens going strong on climate will match the leadership outside of parliament and lead to a stronger climate action movement.
The Greens have always been good at shift the debate and bringing the cutting edge into the mainstream. Time is right for them to push this further now.
Yeah. I reckon it'll be a hopeful year this year – noises are being made about free dental care for the needy, and the bushires really brought climate change to the fore.
That's the starting ground that even the nats aren't dismissing out of hand. And the Greens are well placed to leverage even more policy changes than this time, especially if Lab need them and NZ1 would be insufficient assistance (not wishing them out, but lab/nats in high thirties with NZ1 @5-6% and greens 10% would be the ideal zone. Sure, some tory will whinge that current polls make it unlikely, but we'll see how the campaign goes).
on the contrary…the Greens will again go strong on values and their policies during campaigning…the disappointment will be in whats achieved post election.
You don't know what my expectations are for post-election, which is why your comments here irk somewhat. I'd rather have people respond to what I'm actually saying, rather than projecting their own views onto that.
I was at one of NZ's larger companies the other week. They actively sabotage all union negotiations, ensuring that any union members get lower pay than non-union members in any part of the business where unions participate – while paying miserably everywhere else where there are no unions. A deliberate (and apparently legal) strategy to drive down and eliminate union involvement.
Apparently the photographer's only sin in the original pic was to tweak the colour balance a bit. Now I know where to look, that damned makeup line (either that, or he tans in a hijab lol) is obvious in so many different images of the jerk
Odd I'd have thought there be support for a popular left here victory on the standard – but more and more I get the feeling that will never be the case and to many hard core supporters of liberalism voices are dominate here. And if nothing else, a economic left victory is somthing they really don't want.
On the good news front – Sinn Fein have cracked the Irish elections way open. More counting to do, but a left wing party has had a good whack at the liberal establishment.
The left have 1/3rd support…the liberal capitalist 1/3rd and the conservatives 1/3rd – meh. And the other 2 would rather work together than with them … A long way to go.
I hope it results in the death of the Party and the end of Winston's corrosive political career.
And more importantly it will result in a Labour Green government that does not have the conservative NZF hand brake preventing it from being a true transformational government.
On previous form, the police and SFO will not be in any hurry. The whole system needs a reboot, a specific office with the capacity to act in weeks not months/years. A Labour-Green gov't should make it a priority.
But in the meantime, it will be quite funny to see National's Olympic gymnastics ("Simon Bridges has not been charged with a crime, ergo done nothing wrong, but anyone else not charged is guilty").
If passing it on is "dealing with it", then every organisation satisfies customers just by saying: "thank you for your e-mail which we have forwarded to … ".
Hardly the point.
See almost every complaint about electoral law, for the past several elections. See the Ross complaint in 2017, which went nowhere for a year. It's not good enough.
Monday, and this is probably the most fucked up thing I'll read all week.
Donald Trump wants to be president forever. He made that clear again with his tweet on Wednesday that featured campaign signs of Trump for President extending from 2020 to 2048. But that scenario is not going to happen, barring Trump being able to somehow suspend the 22nd Amendment of our Constitution.
It’s clear though that regardless of how long Trump remains in the White House, he and many in his base want Trumpism—a celebration of cruelty, bigotry, and sexism—to continue long after he’s gone. That helps explain Trump’s support for anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer, who is running for Congress in Florida’s 21st District—and, incredibly, is increasingly the likely GOP nominee. After all, anti-Muslim bigotry is one of the cornerstones of Trumpism.
…says the column for which he says he was branded a racist was "a harmless joke" and not to be taken seriously.
Jones was the first witness in his defamation claim against theatre and film writer and director Renae Maihi.
Let's remember exactly what the remarks were that precipitated Renae Maihi calling for that knighthood to be removed
In February 2018 he wrote a column for National Business Review which included a suggestion of changing Waitangi Day to Māori Gratitude Day.
"I have in mind a public holiday where Māoris bring us breakfast in bed or weed our gardens, wash and polish our cars and so on out of gratitude for existing," he wrote.
Alan Duff is apparently going to convince the Judge how this is humorous. Because he obviously Maori, and therefore a good example of how inoffensive this actually is. God.
All good humour is about people. You can't make jokes about trees or fish. The very best are about human differences thus the familiar, 'a Scot, an Englishman and an Irishman went into a pub'. Alternatively religion, 'a priest, a rabbi, and a vicar'.
Of course you can make jokes about trees, but the delivery has to be wooden.
I had an awesome one about fish on the line, too, but it got away before I could show anyone.
On a more esoteric note, one of the most durable explanations about humour I read about ISTR comes from Darwin, who wrote that "laughter is the collision of two emotions". It might not cover every joke I ever heard, but the template of setting up an expectation and then overturning it and going in an unexpected direction is very common. It has even been paired down to one-liners (Henny Youngman) and tends to explain (through implicit expectations of conventional comedy at the time) why Monty Python's more surreal things like the fish-slapping dance maybe haven't aged quite so well as some of their other material.
Sabine you’re in premod until I figure out if there’s one Sabine or two commenting atm. Please see these three comments and reply there or here, thanks.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
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It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
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Former news boss at TV3 Mark Jennings writes about the proposed merger of TVNZ and RNZ: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/07/1024615/tvnz-and-rnz-now-in-a-waiting-game
RNZ's Mediawatch tackles the topic: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018733220/minister-lifts-the-lid-on-public-media-plan-a-little
Re: who decided
https://twitter.com/publicaddress/status/1226577679605874692
Last vestiges of the right wing at RNZ undermining the government for their own ends?
Clearly the management there would rather be the ‘commercial broadcaster’ like TVNZ, rather than the ‘public broadcaster’ they have historically been.
Yes.
Brought up on market place commercialism and 'brandism' with no knowledge or understanding of complimentary public broadcasting ideals.
Except that I'm not so sure they're the "last vestiges" (part of the resaon I keep harping on about the state of many in the senior ranks of our public service).
Not sure its that they're necessarily 'left or right wing' either, but in most cases probably. More to do with Master of the Universe and Impressive C.V. Syndrome
The problem with 'nice people' as politicians at times is that they don't usually have very sophisticated bullshit detectors.
I'm tempted to have another rave on a number examples but I'll give you just one:
Imagine if Kris Faafoi (after his discussion with Mr Thompson) had disclosed publicly the concerns prior to Thompson and his side-kick's announcement – i.e. the bit where JA and others' view was that it didn't have to be an either/or situation).
But there are other examples across the PS (in areas such as immigration, exploitation et al, and generally to do with social services).
Yes, the same faction wanting the merger wants the commercialised model – the future are the youth etc. And a big merged commercial model adds value to their CV.
The whole sorry saga is becoming a bit of a bugger's muddle @Sacha.
JA revealed what I had already suspected as far as ConcertFM proposals (i.e. that Faafoi had discussions with Thompson and Macalister), and they went a head anyway.
Problem is, Faafoi has probably got too much on his plate – as have a couple of other Ministers for that matter.
But I guess it's what you get when you corporatise government and public institutions and stack them with people that worship at the altar of the market the market.
Thankfully (as far as Concert FM and a 'yoof' network – which should really be about an alternative network not necessarily based on 'age'), JA made it clear she didn't think it needed to be an either/or situation.
As for the rest – Jennings makes some good points
Cross-platform brand identity and increased efficiency through shared services, I would have thought.
Fuck 'brand identity'! As a public service broadcaster, I couldn't care if you called it Red, Pink, Mauve, Brown or Green Radio, or whether its RNZ or RadioNZ. The stuff it produces is what's important, and given its resources it was doing a mighty fine job until someone rode in on a Vespa wanting to make his mark. (So far, a bit of a skid mark)
Just no. It's not worth the risk.
First bump up funding for RNZ – it was budget pressured by National. Protect the public service model by keeping it separate.
Second, appreciate that TVNZ is of a dying free to air broadcast model and help it manage its decline (its gone on-line, it has on-line content from which it extracts commercially valued data about users) by ensuring it has the funding to continue with public service roles.
At some point, when it has lost the ability to extract significant advertising, then merge it with RNZ as a public service broadcaster.
Otherwise the need is to expand NZ On Air with financial support for local, regional and national news and community service (whether print/on-line or broadcast).
The PM was very blunt on Morning Report this morning making it clear that, as Minister for Arts and Culture, she was:
She was very clear that that conversation would held; ad that she was not prepared to see one generation/sector of the community being pitted against another.
Well worth a five minute listen – https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/news-extras/story/2018733433/jacinda-ardern-on-rnz-concert-changes
Horror of horrors, I actually agree with Matthew Hooton who said on RNZ Nine to Noon later this morning that this interview was one of the clearest, most blunt ones he had heard from Ardern – and fully supported her position as do I!
In fact Hooton and Neale Jones agreed that Ardern's stance this morning pretty much ensures that Concert FM will not be dropped as proposed. I hope they are right.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018733432/political-commentators-hooton-and-jones
Such is the nature of those Masters of the Universe these days that Macalister and/or Thompson won't even have the good grace to resign.
Just after the poll announcement last night, simon took to twitter to defend his result.
Who does that? Too funny, especially considering there was only one point between Labour and national.
Meanwhile…. it's be beginning to look a lot like Christmas 🙂 Red and Green all the way 🙂
Relevant polling on that decision: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119382109/new-poll-shows-tight-margin-between-labour-and-national-and-nz-first-is-out
Too funny, that will be why he took to twitter to si-splain.
And once the votes are casted Winston doesn’t follow any of the public swells. throws a few bites to his voters to keep them complainant eg $50 winter power subsidy. Then in 3 years time, complain about our immigration policy and does …….. nothing.
"New Zealand will emit a million more tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2020 than previously forecast, new figures from the Ministry for the Environment show."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/02/10/1024337/greenhouse-emissions-projections-jump-in-latest-report
wrong direction
The reports forecasts will be wrong,due to the fallout and aftermath of Cov.The immediate cessation of logging would need to be factored in,the reduction in tourism and flights and shipping from China etc.
Globally the significant decrease in emissions from China demand around 3 million barrels a day,plus cessation of LNG imports have forced significant reduction in the cost of carbon emissions around 15% since December 23 (with most of the fall in the last 2 weeks)
https://www.investing.com/commodities/carbon-emissions
the forecasts will indeed be wrong (as they usually are), however the trend is key and while the even the trend may be impacted if the economic fall out from nCV is large and sustained enough, that trend is in the wrong direction and demonstrates the disconnect between the act and the rhetoric
How many cabinet ministers have given up thier selfdrive cars?
the number you would expect to support my point
the core…
'Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money."
J.Stamp.
Completely correct, and not on the radar of the two main parties in NZ – at all.
not on the radar of anyone who want's to..'survive'..unfortunately…all the big issues in the world incl climate change can be addressed by real..banking reform.
bit of an over sell (a la the banks themselves)…but it would go a long way
not at all..why do you say that?
the banks exploit human behaviour…they dont create it
maybe so..but why should private banks alone have the luxury to ..exploit people(via the creation of credit) ..as you state?
How are banking rules different to finance company rules different to the reserve bank act different to credit card companies?
you need to research exactly how 'money' is created and who by…and you will realise what a stupid question you..pose.
lol who is more stupid – the questioner or the person who evades the answer…
Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of RNZ's proposals the whole concert FM business is an unedifying spectacle of entitled elite fury in action.
People who can barely be bothered to do anything beyond offer feeble blandishments on social media about issues ranging from child poverty to mental health to the housing crisis are issuing outraged squeals, immoderate threats and frankly and proudly exercising class privilege by pulling every string they can think of in any elite circle they can think of to protect a station listened to largely by privileged, aging white people.
Remembering, of course, that elderly pakeha who enjoy classical music are a valid tribe of this country like any other and have every right to fight for something they value – for some, living lonely and isolated lives, this may be their contact with the outside world.
+1 JanM
Classical music is universal. It is not confined to "privileged aging white people." I was lucky enough to have parents who introduced us to classical music from an early age and have enjoyed countless hours listening since.
I am not commenting on the merits of the change. IMHO, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a good idea – I read Concert FM employees the princely total of 17 people and probably cost less than 1.5 million dollars to run per year, so sending it's encrusted cultural value and baked on entitled boomer fan base to the knackers yard hardly seems worth it to me.
I actually support a government youth radio network. Gordon Campbell makes a mistake today by saying the 18-35 age group is already well served by private radio – width and quality are not the same thing. I just don't understand why they don't fund both. Just make the Skypath a few metres shorter and use that money or something.
The whole RNZ saga has some pretty weird bubble politics going on around it. Presumably Labour are terrified private news networks will go completely troppo on them if they do to much to tip the playing field their way and are treading so lightly they keep tripping over their own shadow.
Concert FM and youth radio on-line was and is the obvious way to go. There is a place for informed comment and publicising of new music that commercial radio is just not interested in doing. It's not as if youth are not able to find ways to get quality music listening from an online service.
Maybe they are just picking fights they think they can win.
I think you might find that many of the people that ARE actually trying to do something about child poverty, high rates of suicide, housing shortages. indigenous representation, improving education and various other things (rather than just bleating about it) are also in support of Concert FM as it stands. But if that's your definition of class privilege and elitism then I'm all for it.
Greens pushing within coalition government for strong labour laws: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119360655/greens-push-for-most-powerful-labour-law-as-government-negotiates-on-fair-pay-agreements
Let's see where it ends up after Winston's bunch and the right of Labour are done with it..
is it just me or have the Greens recently stepped things up in terms of being publicly stronger on their own policies that differ from the rest of the government?
Certainly getting more oxygen.
They always campaign well. Even when they had the fracture, it wasn't because of lack of campaigning ability.
what I'm seeing in the past week or so has me actually hopeful. That they're going to go strong on values and the policies rather than playing it safe (although presumably they learnt a few things from what happened in 2017). I guess this isn't a surprise, it's just been a while since I've seen them stepping up like this.
I fear you will be disappointed…the Greens may well improve their election result but I doubt that will lead to improved action on CC
I wasn't meaning election results so much (that's dependent on so many things, many unpredictable), but more that the Greens stepping up on values and policy changes the debate (which is why Turei was right to do what she did even though it cost the Greens dearly).
eg the Greens going strong on climate will match the leadership outside of parliament and lead to a stronger climate action movement.
The Greens have always been good at shift the debate and bringing the cutting edge into the mainstream. Time is right for them to push this further now.
Yeah. I reckon it'll be a hopeful year this year – noises are being made about free dental care for the needy, and the bushires really brought climate change to the fore.
That's the starting ground that even the nats aren't dismissing out of hand. And the Greens are well placed to leverage even more policy changes than this time, especially if Lab need them and NZ1 would be insufficient assistance (not wishing them out, but lab/nats in high thirties with NZ1 @5-6% and greens 10% would be the ideal zone. Sure, some tory will whinge that current polls make it unlikely, but we'll see how the campaign goes).
Reducing Winston's relative influence is the key.
That's Labour's job?
If the Greens are a larger force than Winston First, Labour should be under pressure to adjust accordingly (including their internal factions).
as said I fear you will be disappointed…Winston is a convenient excuse.
disappointed over what exactly?
. "That they're going to go strong on values and the policies"
as they did previous to the last election.
you think they're not going to go strong on values and policies?
on the contrary…the Greens will again go strong on values and their policies during campaigning…the disappointment will be in whats achieved post election.
You don't know what my expectations are for post-election, which is why your comments here irk somewhat. I'd rather have people respond to what I'm actually saying, rather than projecting their own views onto that.
I believe it will improve climate action but not nearly enough. That will take some unavoidable catastrophes, sadly.
I was at one of NZ's larger companies the other week. They actively sabotage all union negotiations, ensuring that any union members get lower pay than non-union members in any part of the business where unions participate – while paying miserably everywhere else where there are no unions. A deliberate (and apparently legal) strategy to drive down and eliminate union involvement.
The implosion of the Dems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8x0e_jMH7I
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/02/08/tories-eye-mansion-tax-raid-pensions2/
Turns out Boris is a leftie.
New York already has a mansion tax.
oh well, at least they are not Antifa, right.
Maybe we can call them brown pants, or blue shirts, or white face masks – after all 'brown shirts' is already taken.
Good to know that voting for the shitstain is so much better then voting for the women with the emails.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/9/1917916/-Led-by-a-22-year-old-image-obsessed-white-nationalists-in-masks-march-on-Washington
heh
http://archive.li/6gytK/4ccc73e5967ef985b7598b333879bc4d73a28adb.jpg
lols
Apparently the photographer's only sin in the original pic was to tweak the colour balance a bit. Now I know where to look, that damned makeup line (either that, or he tans in a hijab lol) is obvious in so many different images of the jerk
Odd I'd have thought there be support for a popular left here victory on the standard – but more and more I get the feeling that will never be the case and to many hard core supporters of liberalism voices are dominate here. And if nothing else, a economic left victory is somthing they really don't want.
On the good news front – Sinn Fein have cracked the Irish elections way open. More counting to do, but a left wing party has had a good whack at the liberal establishment.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/general-election-results-ireland-2020-21460799
The left have 1/3rd support…the liberal capitalist 1/3rd and the conservatives 1/3rd – meh. And the other 2 would rather work together than with them … A long way to go.
Sinn Fein will be kicking themselves for only standing 42 candidates.
Looks like Winston might be slightly in the poo
"Electoral Commission refers NZ First Foundation donations to police, says donations should have been declared"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119393435/electoral-commission-refers-nz-first-foundation-donations-to-police-says-donations-should-have-been-declared
This is fantastic news.
I hope it results in the death of the Party and the end of Winston's corrosive political career.
And more importantly it will result in a Labour Green government that does not have the conservative NZF hand brake preventing it from being a true transformational government.
No mucking around – police bounce it to SFO: https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/response-electoral-commission-donations-enquiries
On previous form, the police and SFO will not be in any hurry. The whole system needs a reboot, a specific office with the capacity to act in weeks not months/years. A Labour-Green gov't should make it a priority.
But in the meantime, it will be quite funny to see National's Olympic gymnastics ("Simon Bridges has not been charged with a crime, ergo done nothing wrong, but anyone else not charged is guilty").
The police dealt with it in less than one day.
A truly outstanding demonstration of how to pass a hot potato.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v4-eAefurY
If passing it on is "dealing with it", then every organisation satisfies customers just by saying: "thank you for your e-mail which we have forwarded to … ".
Hardly the point.
See almost every complaint about electoral law, for the past several elections. See the Ross complaint in 2017, which went nowhere for a year. It's not good enough.
And the precedent has been set. Party leaders, MPs and officials are untouchable in these SFO investigations.
The same will be true here.
The SFO might find it a bit more difficult charging Graeme Hart than a few small-time Chinese businessmen though…
Oh they will be quaking in their y-fronts. Until after the election, probably.
All hunky dory here, says Winnie..
https://twitter.com/thomasmanch/status/1226699042769395715
Monday, and this is probably the most fucked up thing I'll read all week.
Donald Trump wants to be president forever. He made that clear again with his tweet on Wednesday that featured campaign signs of Trump for President extending from 2020 to 2048. But that scenario is not going to happen, barring Trump being able to somehow suspend the 22nd Amendment of our Constitution.
It’s clear though that regardless of how long Trump remains in the White House, he and many in his base want Trumpism—a celebration of cruelty, bigotry, and sexism—to continue long after he’s gone. That helps explain Trump’s support for anti-Muslim bigot Laura Loomer, who is running for Congress in Florida’s 21st District—and, incredibly, is increasingly the likely GOP nominee. After all, anti-Muslim bigotry is one of the cornerstones of Trumpism.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/laura-loomer-trumpy-bigot-embraced-by-the-florida-gop-could-actually-get-to-congress
The biggest threat Trump (and to an extent Boris) poses is his undermining of 'faith' in the system….for everything relies upon that faith.
When it is lost there will be no warning.
Big ups to Taika Waititi for the Academy Award.
Yeah baby! Great movie.
Bob Jones (if they won't revoke the Knighthood I don't have to participate)
Let's remember exactly what the remarks were that precipitated Renae Maihi calling for that knighthood to be removed
Alan Duff is apparently going to convince the Judge how this is humorous. Because he obviously Maori, and therefore a good example of how inoffensive this actually is. God.
Of course you can make jokes about trees, but the delivery has to be wooden.
I had an awesome one about fish on the line, too, but it got away before I could show anyone.
On a more esoteric note, one of the most durable explanations about humour I read about ISTR comes from Darwin, who wrote that "laughter is the collision of two emotions". It might not cover every joke I ever heard, but the template of setting up an expectation and then overturning it and going in an unexpected direction is very common. It has even been paired down to one-liners (Henny Youngman) and tends to explain (through implicit expectations of conventional comedy at the time) why Monty Python's more surreal things like the fish-slapping dance maybe haven't aged quite so well as some of their other material.
Unbelievably, his lawyer (who I know personally!!!) claimed the sub-headline in the article, "time for a troll", as a defence.
I can only assume trolling, in the opinion of Mr Pilditch and Mr Jones, is nothing more than harmless banter.
I do hope the editors/owner of the NBR will be called to explain why they did not stand by the article if it was 'just a joke'.
Alan Duff will be Uncle Tomming his way into Bob Jones’ Men’s Club at this rate.
Likes to give shit, can't take it. Wimp.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10219116981819920&set=a.10208298627287818&type=3&theater
Oh dear!
To: Sanctuary
You are clearly a big asset to Aotearoa. The rest of us I regret to say, are lazy and useless in comparison to you Sanctuary.
Could you endeavour to teach us your profound success ?
Mind you, some of us are young and some are old. They listen to Music. But you don't need to count those.
i guess they have found their hand …..
https://youtu.be/WRd-IHyCV7I
Sabine you’re in premod until I figure out if there’s one Sabine or two commenting atm. Please see these three comments and reply there or here, thanks.