This is scary scary stuff.
And this is the reason why it is SO important for the media not to be under corporate control.
With lies about spies, a lot of rushing to judgement and now a false flag in Syria, we find ourselves at the brink of WW3 – thanks to a media that supports the interests of the military industrial complex – not us.
Donald Trump says ‘nothing is off the table’ for US response to alleged Syria chemical attack
Donald Trump has said he will soon make a decision, “probably by the end of today”, on how the US will respond to the latest alleged chemical attack by the Syrian government, adding that ”nothing is off the table” in terms of military action.
He condemned the reported poison gas attack in Douma, a rebel-held town in Syria, and said he was talking to military leaders and would decide who was responsible.
“I’d like to begin by condemning the heinous attack on innocent Syrians with banned chemical weapons,” the president said at a cabinet meeting. “This is about humanity and it can’t be allowed to happen. If it’s the Russians, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out.”
So the head-chopping Jihadis of Al Nusra and ISIS are not even to be considered as suspects.
Ed
In his unbalanced and bigoted manner Ed asks us to consider, (and as is usual with Ed, without any evidence at all), that the rebels are gassing their own people to make the Assad regime look bad.
The “rebels” have a history of chopping the heads off of their”own people” exactly as Ed says and documenting it on video. So yes quite easy to believe that they have done this
It seems that the air strike on the Assad regime’s airbase was carried out by the Israeli Airforce, and not the Americans as the regime have claimed.
A simple error?
Or something else?
If indeed this strike on the regime airbase was carried out by the Israelis, similar to past Israeli airstrikes, it will only serve to fulfil Israel’s limited strategic interest, which is; the targeting of arms shipments, especially missiles, from the regime to regime ally Hezbollah.
Previously before the civil war, the Assad regime was a close ally of Israel just as the regime of El Sisi and before him Mubarak still are.
It is likely that some regime insiders still maintain covert links with Israel and help provide the Israeli airforce with the intelligence of these weapons movements to allow their precise targetting.
Just like previously, for similar limited and targeted Israeli airstrikes, there will be no response or reprisal raids carried out on the Israeli airforce assets by the regime to deter these attacks.
A fact that no doubt rankles with Hezbollah.
Which is possibly why the regime is pointing the finger at the US rather than the Israelis.
But what about the Americans?
Currently President Trump is making noises about the gassing of civilians, especially children in the Douma attack, similar to those he made after the Khan Shaykhun gas attack a year ago. Words that Trump followed up with a cruise missile attack on the Ash-Shayrat airbase.
However that attack may have had more to do with Trump trying to intimidate the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, than any real concern for the Syrian people. At the time Trump was hosting the Chinese Premier at his Key Largo resort. Trump had ordered the air strike before he sat down for dinner with Xi, it was only during desert, when he Trump was in the act of offering Xi a piece of chocolate cake, that Trump reportedly casually remarked to Xi, “Oh by the way, I have just launched 59 cruise missiles into Syria.”
So even if Trump does make some sort of military strike on the regime in response to the chemical weapons massacre in Douma, it will be purely theatrical and not likely to intimidate the regime.
After Khan Shaykhun gassing, Trump hit a very small part of the Ash-Shayrat airbase and only after giving the Russian ally of Assad prior warning of the attack. Predictably it had little effect. Apart from killing 6 civilians in a community near the airbase no regime troops were hurt, and the airbase was up and running again within days.
The US nor anyone else is intent on aiding Syrians. It the US does strike the Regime, it will be another limited one off. It won’t save lives. It won’t the stop genocide, it is not intending to. The intention is to show that Trump is a hard man, and give a demonstration of US firepower for the benefit of the Russians.
“Russia says Israel was behind Syria airstrike; 14 reported dead”
Washington Post, April 9, 2018
Since 2012, Israel has struck inside Syria more than 100 times, mostly targeting suspected weapons’ convoys destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces.
Jenny your comment ” (and as is usual with Ed, without any evidence at all),”, is, dare I say, a blatant lie.
Ed often backs his reports with links.
Could you provide links from a credible source that shows the head-chopping Jihadis of Al Nusra and ISIS have been considered as suspects?
They’d be the prime suspects because like, you know, it was they who controlled the area. So there should be no dearth of publications questioning their involvement.
Wondering if there has been a lull in arms sales in the USA after the outcry re school shootings. War will boost their coffers.
Bolton…. Game of Thrones springs to mind, nasty bunch they were.
Agent orange aka Trump, his longtime personal lawyer has just had his office searched by the FBI re Stormy Daniels. All this war talk, makes for a media distraction from that circus.
And while people are pointing the finger in all directions as to the gas attack, more are dying. Money, power, and greed are killing humanity.
What is often overlooked in the kettling of over 1.5million Palestinians in Gaza by the Israelis, is that this only possible with the active support and involvement of the counter revolutionary dictatorship in Egypt.
“Blood Brothers”
“Our solidarity with the children of beloved Syria against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is a moral duty as much as a political and strategic necessity that stems from our belief in a coming future for the free proud Syria.
“And we must all offer our complete, undiminished support for the struggle for freedom and justice in Syria, and to translate our sympathy into a clear political vision that supports [a]… transition to a democratic government reflecting the desires of the Syrian people for freedom, justice and equality.”
No Arab state has much interest in the Palestinian Arabs now.
Sure they all stay on record supporting the cause, but after 70 years backing them and several very unsuccessful wars to seek to wipe israel off the map by joining their armies together, and no results for the Palestinians, the Arab countries are shifting their focus more and more away.
They are beginning to appreciate the idea that it is better to have Israel there, that not. They make the equation about the Palestinians from there.
‘God heard the embattled nations sing and shout
“Gott strafe England” and “God save the King!”
God this, God that, and God the other thing –
“Good God!” said God, “I’ve got my work cut out!”
Sir John Collings Squire.’
NB – not from RT so lots of commenters can view it without contaminating their principles!
Agreed, Ed. I was, perhaps over-, reacting to Jenny’s “In his unbalanced and bigoted manner Ed” comment – anything about the Middle East tends to polarise people!
The rational middle ground would be for all foreigners to pack up their armies, their pet dictators and their artificial puppet-states, get the fuck out of the Middle East and stay the fuck out for at least two generations until the people who actually live there have reached some sort of equilibrium again.
Syria is a sacrifice to great power and regional ambitions. If Assad gains an advantage, the US pumps up the support of it’s rag tag alliance and eases off the squeeze on ISIS. If ISIS shows signs of recovery, everyone pummels it again. Shia militias from Iran alongside Russians fight Shiite Militias from Iraq backed by the USA. The United States funds the Kurds, the Iraqis and the Turks even though those three groups are locked into a three way war. Israel wants to keep Syria in perpetual war, to keep it’s opponents weak. Israel tolerates Russian forces in Syria as a brake on Iranian help for Assad, while the Russians in turn seek to use the conflict to further their prestige and power in the region.
The only solution to the agony of Syria is to let Assad win. Half a million people have died so far in Syria. 20-25% of the population has fled the country. Another 25% are refugees in their own land. Someone needs to end it, no matter how brutal the vengeance of the post war regime it isn’t going to match the starvation of millions and deaths of hundreds of thousands this dragging on war has produced. Just give the vast majority of Syrians peace and order with an Assad victory. He is going to eventually win anyway.
With both candidates for the Green Party co-leadership expressing doubts about signing up to the Budget Responsibility Rules, do you think the Greens will now pressure Labour to loosen them?
Just seen Jacinda on the telly saying Labour will cut spending in other areas to cover the extra cost of repairing Middlemore, etc. Hence, it doesn’t sound like Labour is willing to loosen them.
Robertson told reporters “It’s always a balance … New Zealanders want us to strike that balance and I believe we’ve done that.”
You’re behind the eight ball, which is surprising for someone who follows politics and particularly the Greens like a blowfly. As far as I know the co-leader has been selected and as far as I know the Greens were always sceptical about BRR. Obviously, Labour is not going to give up the ‘balance the books’ mantra any time soon because TINA. What do you want to them, the Greens, to do, specifically? Grandstanding and arm-waving your concerns around don’t count for much; constructive criticism does IMHO.
Should be irrelevant anyway. DHB possibly knew about the relatively minor building maintenance issues, sounds like Coleman wasn’t informed. Possibly Labour were and decided to play politics with peoples health. DHB had been underspending budget anyway so why wouldn’t they just get it fixed – again perhaps playing politics. Looks like an excuse anyway – Govt should have kept some in the kitty for issues such as this instead of blowing it on wealthy students and PI Countries. Tweet from Patrick Smellie
“Is pedantic to question the narrative about under-investment at Middlemore when today’s DHB stats show the capital budget is significantly underspent? I.e., under-funding can’t be the issue if money for capital upgrades is going unspent.
— Pattrick Smellie (@pjsmellie) April 9, 2018
This will blow up in JA’s face, maybe she is being white – anted (again)??
And it’s far more than relatively minor building maintenance issues. Again on March 27, the DHB said it may be easier to demolish than fix its buildings.
Labour can’t have it both ways. Blame National for everything, then say their fiscal responsibility rules prevent them from really fixing it. Labour is the government, they have choices.
If there really is a gross crisis (which I don’t really believe, a lot of it is shroud waving) then they should fix it. Run a small deficit, borrow some more. After all they are not the National Party, no-one expects them to run as tight a ship as National.
Much of Labour’s problem is that their promises around the size of the public sector, plus their intent to substantially raise public sector salaries, especially for teachers and nurses, which will have flow on effects, makes everything else unaffordable. Increasing public sector wages by 5% or more will have virtually zero effect on actually increasing outputs. Then add in say a 5 to 10% increase in the total size of the public sector (another 25,000 people) then Labour’s promises around fiscal responsibility simply don’t work.
But Labour can’t raise taxes, that really was a cast iron promise to the electorate.
I know people here will use the example of increasing GST to 15% shows you can increase taxes without political difficulty, but that increase was fully offset by income tax reductions, across all the rates plus increases in working for families. There was no net change.
In contrast Labour would need a real increase in taxes to afford everything they promised. All of this is the reason why Steven Joyce referred to the $11 billion fiscal hole. Labour (Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson) are affirming the truth of it every time they speak about fiscal issues.
“All of this is the reason why Steven Joyce referred to the $11 billion fiscal hole”
He referred to it, because National were the architects of creating the hole and hiding within it necessary maintenance and investment in public services.
The murderer always knows where the body is buried.
But strangely enough, agree with you on the tax promise. But disagree on the solution.
I think they need to be upfront and say that taxes for those that have the ability to pay will have to be raised. For a start, that includes corporations, those juggling businesses, trusts and accounts to reduce taxable income, and those landbanking or holding residential houses empty in the middle of a housing crisis.
After all, how much is going to be enough for those comfortably off, before they will start addressing the cost of failing to keep investment going in our public services and social communities?
I’m guessing, there is never enough for many of those who are doing very well. So the government needs to provide that balance.
Yeah, pretty happy with the idea of a progressive company tax. Small family businesses struggle with 28% while big business has a culture of dodging tax entirely!
A well run business should generate it’s own profit, pay some tax on it, and keep cash reserves for emergencies, investment opportunities, working capital etc. Shareholders (ie the people, generally working in the business who get the profits) are required to pay tax, and often this is PAYE via a shareholder salary.
“We need to question why they’re not”
Aren’t they?
As we have seen, your knowledge of business is minimal, and comments regarding business generally ignorant (to be charitable) or just dishonest.
I guess the reason you spend so much time here is that you don’t have the clues to operate a business, or that no business will take you on.
Lift your game.
A well run business should generate it’s own profit, pay some tax on it, and keep cash reserves for emergencies, investment opportunities, working capital etc.
Nope. A well run business will generate an income. Some of that income will be spent maintaining and running the business which is all tax deductible.
What’s left after that is the profits which should go out to shareholders. The business won’t pay tax on those either as the shareholders will be paying at PAYE rates.
Or, perhaps, I should say should be. Unfortunately we have a corrupt system designed to minimise taxes paid by the rich while maximising taxes paid by the poor. But I’m not surprised to find you defending that corrupt system.
There is direction, and there is misdirection in management.
Creating a culture where there is never enough money to effectively provide services to your patients, and ensure a high-level of care, will ensure that money not immediately required will be held onto with tight fists. A false economy in the long run, but understandable.
The Ministry creates that culture, and reinforces it.
But of course with National – the buck stops… there.
However in this case, unless someone can point to evidence that CMDHB informed National of the issue (last year when in Government), then its what my leftie friends call dirty politics 🙂
The Auckland DHB chair was recently down in Wellington at a select committee hearing. Why did he not raise the issue then?
If the issues were known, do you not think for one second that when Labour was in opposition they would not have screamed blue murder?
Anette King would have jumped all over it.
Ardern has taken a gamble on this, caught with no spare change in her piggy bank.
Southern DHB showed all the others what happens when you inform National of inconvenient facts like funding being inadequate to keep people alive: you get replaced by people who will ship down frozen meals from auckland.
Between friendly DHB board members and the health sector unions (receiving complaints re – moldy buildings from its members), Labour would have been given the heads up so to attack National in parliament (when National was governing).
Would have been great ammo for Ardern in the debates during the election.
“because National were the architects of creating and hiding necessary maintenance and investment in public services.”
Molly, can you point to evidence of National “hiding maintenance and investment” If you can then that will be a big deal…heads will roll.
This current Government has spent all the spare $ on election promises does leave the cupboard bare. And as Joyce pointed out nothing for a rainy day or pay increases etc.
“Molly, can you point to evidence of National “hiding maintenance and investment” If you can then that will be a big deal…heads will roll. “
Chuck, given my lack of access to Government accounts, and the ability of National MP’s to prevaricate, I cannot provide you with the forensic accounts necessary to take to whatever court you seem to think this would apply. But thanks for the laugh, implying that the previous government was so invested in public services that all that was necessary to ensure their high performance was being done. (Can you provide evidence of that, Chuck? Apart from the political press releases I mean.)
However, the values culture of the National party and the legislative changes they made over the years, gives an indication of the level of underinvestment they give to public services and infrastructure. (Unless of course, there is a by-election in Northland.)
If you have followed the spending and cuts to funding over the last three terms, then you will have ample evidence of services being run down to the ground by culture as well as underinvesting. If not, get reading.
Also note: increase in budget does not necessarily mean investment in essentials. An increase that pays for consultants, and dismantling current good practices is not an “investment” – whether it is in health, ACC, or social welfare.
You don’t need forensic accountants…you can’t “hide maintenance and investment”.
“then you will have ample evidence of services being run down to the ground by culture as well as underinvesting”
Have a look at the DHB’s performance target measurements over the last 10 years. And then try to link “underinvesting” to the results that most DHB’s have been achieving in patient care.
‘They are five weeks before budget and should be neck-deep rolling out announcements by now, not making excuses.’
Or maybe they are softening the electorate up for a stretching of the fiscal cap…a sensible solution IMO,though one i note that has had some luke warm water applied….we shall see.
National couldn’t have it both ways but they sure as hell tried. Remember the tax cuts for the wealthy? They paid for it by cutting back on the public sector. Now, we are all paying the price.
If there really is a gross crisis… then they should fix it. Run a small deficit, borrow some more.
According to Shamubeel Eaqub (an economist who can think outside the square and not afraid to say so) now is the exact right time to borrow when international lending rates are apparently at an all time low. So, hopefully this government will have the nous to take advantage of it.
Increasing public sector wages by 5% or more will have virtually zero effect on actually increasing outputs.
Pay a worker well, and that worker will repay his/her employer double time by way of loyalty and hard work. It applies equally to public and private sectors.
people here will use the example of increasing GST to 15% shows you can increase taxes without political difficulty, but that increase was fully offset by income tax reductions, across all the rates plus increases in working for families.
The Nat govt. deductions favoured all those who earned above the average wage and next to nothing for those below it. The Lab govt. plans to do the opposite. Higher excise and fuel taxes will be offset by significant increases in the average hourly rate plus big income rises for families and beneficiaries (including pensioners). Fair? I think so.
… Steven Joyce referred to the $11 billion fiscal hole. Labour (Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson) are affirming the truth of it every time they speak about fiscal issues.
Oh, pull the other one. He told a whopping lie and thought he could get away with it. He didn’t.
Well said. Coleman is a liar a bully or incompetent.
Middlemore is a hufe part of the Health portfolio. It is not a shack in westport masquerading as a clinic.
Dunedin hospital promised for 9 years…
Christchurch hospital built of low numbers to keep costs down but the DHBs figures turn out to be correct. That hospital will open unable to supply sufficient beds for its community.
Imagine if this were a legacy of a 9 year Labour government Wayne. Would you have come here and defended them and blamed their underlings or would you just not have posted?
Middlemore is a substantial asset in the Health portfolio. Kind of like you not knowing the Waiuru camp was falling apart.
If it has merit (which I believe it does) there is nothing wrong with Labour blaming National’s shortcomings while highlighting their inability to fix it (without making cuts elsewhere) due to their self imposed fiscal constraint.
I agree it gives them scope (by providing a valid argument) to loosen their self imposed fiscal constraint.
I disagree with your assertion their intent to raise public sector salaries makes everything else unaffordable. While increasing salaries is a cost they will have to contend with, what’s pressuring the budget is the unexpected repair costs.
All Government spending fell as a share of GDP under National and Labour are having to come to terms with the fiscal impact of that.
With their self imposed fiscal constraint, it’s clear Labour can’t afford to address it all in one budget. As a result, it will be interesting to see who will miss out and have to wait. That will test their assertion they have the balance right.
Nationals party operative Gluon Espinner was very busy this morning on Radio New Zealand reading out swingeing texts from nationals toadys slagging off Jacinda Adern.
This is politicing pure and simple and espinner must go.
Hmmmm I see the tin-foil hat brigade are out in force again this morning.
Is this what LPrent had in mind when he created The Standard? That it would become a mouth-piece for Russian propaganda fostered by RT and Sputnik, and alt-right memes promulgated by 21st Century Wire*?
I shall not be replying to any responses to this comment as I have far more better things to do than engage in mindless argument about what is, and isn’t, fact wrt the continuing atrocities around the globe, in which the Kremlin obviously has a hand.
I have enjoyed reading and participating in the debate here on The Standard for a long time – longer than I care to remember – but over recent months there has been a growing element of commentating and moderating by one which show a clear bias to Russian influence, and now it as a stage where one is very hesitant to express any view whatsoever, wrt world events without fear of banishment.
*Patrick Henningsen, the founder, is a former editor of Infowars.
And yes Alex Jones has also taken up the conspiracy theory that the White Helmets are an “al-Qaida affiliated group funded by George Soros”. But this is the sort of nonsense that some commentators are prone to repeat here.
The White Helmets have never received funding from George Soros or any of his foundations.
Have to agree with your notion about a reluctance to comment on certain subjects.
Part of this reluctance is because of terms like ‘tin foil hat brigade’.
There is a tendency to ignore and belittle any opinion that either cites RT or doesn’t regurgitate The Guardian’s angle.
What is also common recently, is the attacking of the opinion writer rather than discussing (debating, arguing) the issues. Willy waving in other words.
We are also keen to throw a blanket over folk and all sorts of subtleties are willfully swept under the carpet. E.g. I get called a right winger for questioning the ‘official narrative’ around 9/11.
I would like to add in regards to moderation I have found it to be reasonable, tolerant and even handed,
I’ve been reading an Iliad-based book lately, and the intervention of divine and diabolical beings on the battlefield reminded me a bit of recent moderation – often sudden and terrible to behold, laying waste to both sides in great numbers… 🙂
And, of course, the flipside to the tinfoil hat allegation is the suggestion that the only alternatives available are to say nothing against Russia or to be eagerly provoking WW3.
I’ll do my best at doing a fair assessment of Henningsen’s work. I’ve seen a bit of his work over time and two of the major subject areas he covers are geo-politics and critiquing the media.
I’m not sure if I’ve seen him do racist rants, support the NRA or whatever else the worst of the right do. But you appear to have put him in the same category as the ‘raving right wing loons’ who can’t find a space in the same-stream mediaz.
Something I’ve found is that people appearing in alternate media are not always 100% wrong, and it’s worth being open minded when listening to them. Particularly someone like Henningsen who provides a very detailed picture of what’s going on around the world. His detailed picture makes more sense to me than what comes from the other side.
Nice comment. I don’t know Henningsen, and am not particularly following the Russia/US etc debates apart from as a moderator. More comments like yours, evenhanded and explanatory, would do much to improve the debate.
Thanks weka, although I probably changed tack because I thought I could win the argument that way 🙂 It certainly is difficult to leave your bias at the door though. Everyone’s got an opinion. I think this debate could be going on for some time…
Can you please be careful in how you frame comments about moderators and moderation? There are very good reasons why Lynn established that one can ask about moderation but when one starts challenging how the site is run or criticising moderators we tend to crack down on it. I’ve spent a fair amount of time explaining that this year and will go into it again if needed, but it’s important to understand that there are ways to raise these issues that are useful and ways that cause problems.
I tend to agree with gsays about the use of the term tinfoil hat. There is a lot of aggravation in these convos and reducing it to sides where one are framed as loonies just entrenches the aggro imo.
I do agree there are issues. One thing that has come up a few times now is whether we should have a dedicated thread for these discussions so they’re not taking up Open Mike (we did this during the US election). An issue there is what would the boundaries be for topics. US/Russia? Syria? Foreign wars? All international comments?
I’m in two minds about it, but am wondering if it is worth trialling. Probably not daily, but maybe a bi-weekly thread that gets bumped up each morning. Am weighing up the value vs the amount of work in that.
I don’t agree a separate thread is needed – improved commentary with less abuse would solve the problem. It is Open Mike and these are important current issues. Anybody should be able to post contentious, but polite, views. Impolite and abusive comments should result in a ban. No warning. Scan comments for inflammatory words like ‘tinfoil hat’ and implement automatic bans. Your moderation is accompanied by polite reason Weka, make that the norm for all moderation.
Please do find a way to quarantine the incessant focus by a handful of commenters on a couple of narrow topics that are peripheral to the kaupapa of this site.
I encourage those folk to go set up their own site if that is all they want to talk about. Or maybe they can start and moderate their own whole posts here dedicated to those topics.
Still requesting that others be reprimanded or worse…can you understand that taking a dive the way you repeatedly do…is no way to carry on…you get that , right…
How is the setup of your own blog site coming along by the way…
At a press conference about Syria tRump’s had a glorious melt down, on camera. He’s all folded arms and tucked chin, squealing about break ins, blaming Sessions, crying witch hunt, ranting about Hillary, repeating himself, etc, etc.
The Republican National Committee’s finance chair Steve Wynn was forced out over #MeToo allegations.
RNC sure has shady AF characters looking after the books.
Michael Cohen, National Deputy Finance Chair of the @GOP, has disappeared in the last five minutes from their website. pic.twitter.com/yuvGpM1tX7— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) April 9, 2018
For 9 years National claimed that it built Blenheim’s new hospital which was opened a little while after they came to power in 2008.
It was designed , substantially built, and paid for under the Clark Government.
National are, and always have been dirty lying fuckers.
As a small hospital the Wairau Hospital in Blenheim is brilliant. Efficient. Friendly. Easy to navigate. Friendly staff. Great work the Clark Government.
(Wasn’t it the Waterview tunnel being claimed by Bridges yesterday, actually another project designed by Labour?)
Close the bloody gate on all of them, this Govt has too much to do to repair the half million the Gnats let in.
I’m over the lazy attitude of this So called coalition, it’s a joke, let’s hope the baby hormones disappear asap. And she can make a Nuclear free decision, or whatever she said.
I’m voting green come 2020. Yes it may be a wasted vote, but I have lost faith in both major parties.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I don’t think it will be a wasted vote Bob-the Greens have a solid 7-8% because no other party matches them on clear visionary environmental and social justice thinking.
The meme being put forward by people like Hooton-that they are bound to fall below 5% because of their association with the coalition-is complete self-serving bollocks.
As you note, the 2017 general election percentage was 6.3% and then it rose in the first poll (Roy Morgan) after the election back up to 11% in the period 2 – 10 Oct 2017 before the coalition negotiations had been completed.
Since the coalition government was established, however, the GP vote percentages has steadily declined in the four subsequent polls taken – 10%, 7%, 6% and then 5% in the last poll, the One News Colmar Brunton Poll in the first half of Feb 2018.
So while the average of the election result plus the five polls taken to date averages out at 7.5%, the downward trend is not looking good, but we don’t know what the non-public polls are showing.
But the Green “brand”, to use that horrible word, is very strong and clear.
The 6.3% election result was majorly influenced by all the ordure flying around after the MT affair, and Bill English and Jacinda’s attempts to paint the election as a 2 horse race. Labour did the Greens no favours in the campaign.
I know people who tactically voted Green and people who realised this was a good idea but ended up tribally voting Labour.
The key point here is that as things stand Labour is unlikely to be ever able to form a government without the Greens. A new Left-wing party might change that equation.
Penny doesn’t see how much peril she is she is just as stuck in her Dogmatic windmill tilting as you James.
Her house is worth more than $1.5million.
So she will have plenty of cash.
But James I thought it would be right up your street to pay no tax
Penny seems he’ll bent on cutting off her nose to spite her face.
The self sabotage is not a mentally healthy thing.
Journalist Marie Colvin’s family allege the Syrian government hunted her down, murdered her and cried false flag.
The Colvin family filed the video and nearly 2,000 pages of documents, including military intelligence memoranda and testimony from Syrian defectors, as part of a federal civil lawsuit against the Syrian government. The documents provide detailed and unprecedented evidence to support the claim that Colvin was deliberately hunted and killed as part of a policy by the Assad regime to eliminate journalists. They also offer an insider account of the death of French journalist Gilles Jacquier, who, according to one regime defector, was assassinated in a government attack staged to look like a rebel assault while Jacquier was reporting in Syria under official approvals. The Syrian government declined to comment on the allegations, according to a spokesperson for the Syrian Mission to the United Nations.
Marie Colvin was many journalists' hero. She risked her life countless times, over decades, to expose war crimes and abuses of power by forces of every political stripe, from Sri Lanka to Gaza to Iraq to Syria, where she was killed. /1 https://t.co/MvkDL1L91q— Anne Barnard (@ABarnardNYT) April 9, 2018
Syria’s citizen journalists: ‘We expect to be killed’
23 Feb 2012
Rami al-Sayed dies documenting the genocide committed by the regime in Homs, the city called the “Capital of the Revolution”
The 26-year-old, one of Syria‘s many citizen journalists, was killed on Tuesday in Baba Amr, a suburb of Homs. It is believed he died from shrapnel wounds when the building he was in was shelled. His last report spoke of airstrikes on Babr Amr.
He said: “We woke up in the morning to the sound of indiscriminate bombs, mortars, rockets and aerial bombardment. This was especially in heavily-populated areas.
It is the documenting of this genocide and other crimes against humanity committed by the Assad regime, that regime apologists try to deny and want silenced.
Every single one of them has refused to answer this question
Penny doesn’t see how much peril she is in, she is just as stuck in her Dogmatic windmill tilting as you James.
Her house is worth more than $1.5million.
So she will have plenty of cash.
But James I thought it would be right up your street to pay no tax
Penny seems he’ll bent on cutting off her nose to spite her face.
The self sabotage is not a mentally healthy thing.
I have only come into this in the last ten minutes, but this is currently on Nine to Noon on RNZ National – and is an excellent discussion, well worth listening to.
“10.05 (to 10.35) The leadership of change: Mary Robinson and Jacinda Ardern
Former President of Ireland and human rights campaigner Mary Robinson in conversation with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Kathryn Ryan.
[Photo – Former President of Ireland and human rights campaigner Mary Robinson in conversation with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Kathryn Ryan Photo: Ray Tiddy]
The former President of Ireland, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discuss working for change at local, national and international levels. Some changes come easily and quickly, and an act of Parliament can formalise a major shift in people’s thinking. Other changes can be glacially slow, for instance achieving peace in Northen Ireland or reaching a global solution on climate change. The conversation was facilitated by Kathryn Ryan at the Aspiring Conversations event in Wanaka.”
I will post the recording as soon as it is up on the RNZ website.
Here is the recording for the above discussion – I highly recommend it as one of the best, most open insights into Ardern’s values and thinking I have heard.
Robinson was also excellent, as was Ryan (and I am not a great Ryan fan usually).
I would rate this as one of the best discussions I have heard on Nine to Noon – alongside some of the best lectures/discussions usually reserved for Sunday’s 4pm slot, The Sunday Feature – a lost slot probably with little patronage, which has some excellent ” documentaries, discussions and lectures of note from New Zealand and beyond.”
Very good article in the ODT on freshwater issues particularly in Otago but some damning statistics on Nationals environmental destruction, over intensification, degradation, farmers using archaic sluicing rights to irrigate.
Let’s hear what labour are going to do- in same publication David Parker says fresh water is number 1 priority as environment minister- let’s see some action! https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/stream-conscience
Well wonders will never cease. Hoskings has just crashed his Alpha Romeo at Hampton Downs Raceway – the car isn’t insured – way to go Mike – the article says he has crashed into his garage a few times – what the hell – the man shouldn’t get a licence for a wheel barrow.
Boy will there be some comments on this – the guy is just a bloody twit of the first order.
According to a quote I saw on Twitter, Hosking said previously car crashes are not caused by idiot roads, or idiot rules, or something similar, but they are due to idiot drivers.
Mike Hosking: Road crashes aren’t speed-related or tourist-related. It’s idiot-related
…
but it’s idiots and speed that’s the combination, not speed by itself. Any experienced, professional operator behind the wheel will tell you speed in isolation is not an issue.
…
Since joining Hampton Downs and taking my car round a track at 220km/h I have not crashed, will not crash, and have concluded I am vastly less likely to be in trouble on a track than I am on a road. Why? Because there are no idiots. There is respect and concentration and rules are adhered to, and – oh the irony – ever safer cars.
Yes the moralising hypocrite deserves all the shit he gets.
As far as everybody thinking everybody else is the problem, there is only a small subset of truly dangerous drivers most full license holders are not those causing fatal high speed crashes.
There are many inconsiderate drivers however – slow and not pulling left or the converse, fast and pushy and a lot of frustration because of it.
Removing driver frustration would be money better spent than the failing strategy of speed targets – more passing lanes less trucks better control of foreign drivers.
Personally I’d push for the death penalty for anyone texting of speaking on their phone while driving and don’t get me started on woman putting their makeup on while driving to work in the morning….
Just checking – since its a subjective insult (ie you believe that they are a noisome cunt) – are you OK with people using it for Grant Robertson or Jacinda?
Anyone involved in tracking cars faces this risk- its all part of the package.
Its popular with a ton of people – go any weekend and you will see people there. Not all in expensive sports cars – plenty of track days open to all sorts.
A lot smarter than driving like an idiot on the road.
I find car racing incredibly dull. But I know lots of others who love it and as you say have cars that they race. They can’t get crash insurance just fire and theft due to the type of car and how it’s modified. They accept that and the risk.
I am not a fan of Hosking but I agree with your above comment re making fun of his misfortune. His crashing into the garage wouldn’t be news if he was t in the public eye.
Do cars have to be scrutineered like drag cars prior to racing, unless one has a special certificate?
Awesome that people have a track up there that the public can use, car racing is super boring to watch, but a hell of a lot of fun when you’re behind the wheel.
Thanks James, for explaining, appreciate that. I know with the drags it is highly recommended to have a secondary braking system.
Brakes failing, change gears. No gears, I would have yanked on the handbrake if I was the only one on the track, possibly resulting in a mean as donut at the least, lololololz 🙂
Sweet, I haven’t been up that way in years. Mental note….. if driving to Auckland have some fun in the car on the track; that would be epic.
Gravel run off, good safety feature.
James, the drags here in Motueka are at the local airport on one of the runways, it’s a real hard case, skydivers falling back to earth in the background. Worth a visit if you enjoy drags, just for the small town novelty factor 🙂
Shit yeah, all those skills Hosking has developed so long as there are no corners or braking involved.
What a toolbag.
Don’t get me wrong , I love him, he’s so representative. Also when I picture him, it’s his election night face.
Thank you.
‘Normal brake pads’, have a little metal nipple which starts grinding / squealing when your brakes are getting low …. it’s a warning feature. …. and plain to hear if this was happening…. and the car still has brakes / braking at this point
So Hosking is saying a catastrophic failure …. which in non maintained vehicles usually means a blown brake hose …. followed by more rare O ring failures.
I suspect Hoskings mouth was simply to fast for his ability … or brakes
They do, but on the Track you can get insurance for your cars and your bikes. I volunteered enough as a marshall (usually for bikes) and you can get insurance.
Track day insurance they call it. And while the type of car he drives is a super car and a fast one, i would not call it a ‘race car. Its a car someone with too much money and a profound lack of life.
Mind the insurance might be a bit costly, and who knows maybe he was our of pin money?
They should profile all the Asian & Russian money launderers, who were allowed to enter this country because of their wealth, them bring in the whole tribe (whanau) who have never paid tax in NZ & get free medical care and the rest.
Bad move which she is doing nothing about for fear of being called a racist.
Coming from a 3rd world country to a soft touch like NZ is, the Asians and the Indians know how to manipulate the system in NZ.
TOUGHEN UP LABOUR. !!!!
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Tori Sullivan: Taxman’s robots to hunt out cash jobs
Taxpayers beware! The roll-out of Inland Revenue’s new $1.9 billion transformation project will significantly increase the risk of detecting cash jobs, under-reporting income or over-claiming deductions.
But it could also see significantly increase compliance costs for small and medium-sized businesses, which comprise a large chunk of New Zealand’s economy.
OMG, people may actually have to pay the taxes that they owe. OMG, THE Humanity.
Or something like that. Imagine NZ business managers and owners actually having to become good enough just to obey the law.
And if businesses find that their record keeping costs goes up that actually means that there weren’t doing it right in the first place.
Second, innocent taxpayers will often lack the records to explain any departure from what IR says is the industry norm.
If they don’t have the records then they’re not innocent as they’re breaking the law.
And in tax disputes, the taxpayer must disprove an IR allegation. That means increased record-keeping is required, creating an increased compliance cost for all businesses if they are to prove their innocence.
Keeping accurate records is a requirement of law. If they don’t have accurate records then they’re breaking the law.
But hey, it appears this prick thinks that breaking the law is AOK if you’re a business.
Is it possible that Mike Hosking was not able to get insurance on his fancy car from any Insurance company ‘cos No company thought that his driving skills were up to the standard that they require for driving at speed on a track?
No evidence, just saying.
No Insurance on expensive car ,maybe the insurance industry thinks that the owner is not a good risk driving at speed on a race track.
No evidence, just saying.
Now that the former Minister of Health (blunderer-plunderer Coleman) has buggered off to the private healthcare sector, who in the National party will take responsibility for the Middlemore hospital debacle?
So much wrecked during National’s eyes wide shut ‘management’ of health, education, the environment, housing etc.
Aimless Adams is off-target with her ‘crying wolf’ comment.
Ms Adams said rather than crying wolf the government should be thanking National for inheriting such a strong economy.
Prime News it gives me a smile that the Auckland council has closed 75 % of the walking tracks that are affected by the Kauri die back virus.
It will be great music from fleetwood mac and Neil Finn I enjoy the music from both.
Ka kite ano P.S tawhiti has been going hard today
Newshub I wonder if this weather is going to convince the money men that man made Global warming is a reality .
There you go a young brown man wins a gold medal ka pai David Liti for your great effort and winning your gold medal.
The Wahine disaster was a sad occasion 53 people died what a waste of lives I have had a bit of fun when I ended up in the drink lucky it was a fine day it was my crew-mate fault he let something go and there you go I’m in the drink I spat my false teeth out swearing at him strait to the bottom of the sea the teeth went LOL .
I believe what Mark Zuckerberg is saying Face Book does a lot of good for the community most TV company’s that have live streaming TV on the Internet use Facebooks soft ware to complete that feat thats a fact and many more use there platform for live streaming.I say that because of this fact the powers that be are trying to undermine Facebooks credibility can not have live stream videos getting out to the Papatuanuku world with the money men editing it KNOW. Ana to kai Ka kite ano P.S its good the neighbour has stop stuffing with sky i can watch The Crowd Goes Wild on Prime TV
Mulls about time I seen you on The Crowd Goes Wild on Prime TV e hoa.
We have had a good nite and day of sports OUR Wahine have been stepping up to the mark Mana Wahine.
Thats a good name for Blake Green from the Warriors balaka I say use Kakariki ka pai .
Thats the way Mulls tell it like it is lets just enjoy the success of The Warriors and cut out all the bull—–.
Ka kite ano . P,S good show to-nite James I can remember
when Danny Morrison first started his international Cricket career now he looks like me long in the tooth
Good morning Newshub Tawhiti Mataaho Whaitiri were mahi last nite in Auckland . Good on OUR Queen for letting her English humor shine Ka pai.
I would have preferred the Auckland Council to close off all the walking tracks around OUR precious ancient Kauri till they find a cure to that Kauri die back virus.
Amanda I have changed many CV joints on vehicles I taught my self before the internet I would go and ask a mechanic what was wrong and how to fix it.
Now one has youtube well its all on there how to fix most things I like working on Nissan’s and Toyota’s as they are built with the mechanic in mind easy to work on. Dancan that’s one way to tow a car not for me thought .
Kia Kaha sports stars Ka kite ano P.S Gut cancer is a major problem we have about a kilo of waste sitting in our boules one time I used a jack hammer for to days going hard I lost about a kilo of waste it got vibrated out it was disgusting lucky I figured out the cause .
Here a link to the video on my Pa having the Carving unvailed
Watch “Ngāti Porou hapūb celebrate completion of carving restorations” on YouTube https://youtu.be/mxg1bEJ5VEA
Kia kaha Ka kite ano
The Cafe yes its a pheromone you should avoid favoritism of children I observed it while I was growing up and still do now .
I have one but I make sure to override it and sheer my attention with the others as they will let me know when they grow up also its bad for the children’s wairua that miss out on your attention . I have been on both sides of that pheromone enough said . Ka kite ano
Newshub there need to be more archaeology going on in New Zealand theres a lot of our history being covered over with roads ECT.
trump will start a war and people will be killed just to hold on to his job what a idiot .
Good on OUR Queen for acknowledging man made Climate Change publicly
and her common wealth forest she is getting planted the trees are OUR lungs and they can live for hundreds of years it sad that our Kauri is suffering a virus at the minute . Kia kaha Katrina Grant captain of the Silver Ferns Netball team Mana Wahine. Ka kite ano P.S someone has stuffed with my computa idiots . Ha I know when the ECO MAORI effect has happened they start advertising because te Kumara never tells how sweet it is Ana to kai
The Crowd Goes Wild James we have simler taste in sports teams .
Yep Jenny May is cool One sports person tryed to bait me it bit him on the ass he ended up in the principals office she the new CEO of that organisation I have alread thanked the powers that be for her appointment . Funny WAI Josh was a machine in his day hope his head does not get to big for you guys . Ka kite ano P.S O your are a hard case Mulls with the reff comment
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
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In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
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New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
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This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
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Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
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This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
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There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
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This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
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Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
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This is scary scary stuff.
And this is the reason why it is SO important for the media not to be under corporate control.
With lies about spies, a lot of rushing to judgement and now a false flag in Syria, we find ourselves at the brink of WW3 – thanks to a media that supports the interests of the military industrial complex – not us.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-syria-chemical-weapons-attack-latest-assad-regime-douma-a8296581.html
So the head-chopping Jihadis of Al Nusra and ISIS are not even to be considered as suspects.
Just Syria, Russia and Iran.
A kangaroo court.
Instigated by two madmen.
Trump and Bolton.
And with a media gunning for war.
What could possibly go wrong?
In his unbalanced and bigoted manner Ed asks us to consider, (and as is usual with Ed, without any evidence at all), that the rebels are gassing their own people to make the Assad regime look bad.
The “rebels” have a history of chopping the heads off of their”own people” exactly as Ed says and documenting it on video. So yes quite easy to believe that they have done this
It seems that the air strike on the Assad regime’s airbase was carried out by the Israeli Airforce, and not the Americans as the regime have claimed.
A simple error?
Or something else?
If indeed this strike on the regime airbase was carried out by the Israelis, similar to past Israeli airstrikes, it will only serve to fulfil Israel’s limited strategic interest, which is; the targeting of arms shipments, especially missiles, from the regime to regime ally Hezbollah.
Previously before the civil war, the Assad regime was a close ally of Israel just as the regime of El Sisi and before him Mubarak still are.
It is likely that some regime insiders still maintain covert links with Israel and help provide the Israeli airforce with the intelligence of these weapons movements to allow their precise targetting.
Just like previously, for similar limited and targeted Israeli airstrikes, there will be no response or reprisal raids carried out on the Israeli airforce assets by the regime to deter these attacks.
A fact that no doubt rankles with Hezbollah.
Which is possibly why the regime is pointing the finger at the US rather than the Israelis.
But what about the Americans?
Currently President Trump is making noises about the gassing of civilians, especially children in the Douma attack, similar to those he made after the Khan Shaykhun gas attack a year ago. Words that Trump followed up with a cruise missile attack on the Ash-Shayrat airbase.
However that attack may have had more to do with Trump trying to intimidate the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, than any real concern for the Syrian people. At the time Trump was hosting the Chinese Premier at his Key Largo resort. Trump had ordered the air strike before he sat down for dinner with Xi, it was only during desert, when he Trump was in the act of offering Xi a piece of chocolate cake, that Trump reportedly casually remarked to Xi, “Oh by the way, I have just launched 59 cruise missiles into Syria.”
So even if Trump does make some sort of military strike on the regime in response to the chemical weapons massacre in Douma, it will be purely theatrical and not likely to intimidate the regime.
After Khan Shaykhun gassing, Trump hit a very small part of the Ash-Shayrat airbase and only after giving the Russian ally of Assad prior warning of the attack. Predictably it had little effect. Apart from killing 6 civilians in a community near the airbase no regime troops were hurt, and the airbase was up and running again within days.
The US nor anyone else is intent on aiding Syrians. It the US does strike the Regime, it will be another limited one off. It won’t save lives. It won’t the stop genocide, it is not intending to. The intention is to show that Trump is a hard man, and give a demonstration of US firepower for the benefit of the Russians.
“Russia says Israel was behind Syria airstrike; 14 reported dead”
Washington Post, April 9, 2018
Israel bombs Syria,
Syria bombs Syria,
America bombs Syria,
Russia bombs Syria,
Turkey bombs Syria.
None of those doing the bombing can tolerate a free Syria.
Or indeed a free Middle East.
None of those doing the bombing can tolerate a free Syria.
Or indeed a free Middle East.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lprk3Treixk
US armed mercenary “rebels”, some from far flung parts of the world have little to do with Syrian civilians however.
Jenny your comment ” (and as is usual with Ed, without any evidence at all),”, is, dare I say, a blatant lie.
Ed often backs his reports with links.
Could you provide links from a credible source that shows the head-chopping Jihadis of Al Nusra and ISIS have been considered as suspects?
They’d be the prime suspects because like, you know, it was they who controlled the area. So there should be no dearth of publications questioning their involvement.
Yid think
Wondering if there has been a lull in arms sales in the USA after the outcry re school shootings. War will boost their coffers.
Bolton…. Game of Thrones springs to mind, nasty bunch they were.
Agent orange aka Trump, his longtime personal lawyer has just had his office searched by the FBI re Stormy Daniels. All this war talk, makes for a media distraction from that circus.
And while people are pointing the finger in all directions as to the gas attack, more are dying. Money, power, and greed are killing humanity.
What is often overlooked in the kettling of over 1.5million Palestinians in Gaza by the Israelis, is that this only possible with the active support and involvement of the counter revolutionary dictatorship in Egypt.
“Blood Brothers”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/army-blows-up-houses-egyptians-evacuate-near-gaza/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/11196738/Thousands-forced-from-homes-as-Egypt-clears-Gaza-border-area-after-bombing.html
https://hummusforthought.com/2016/10/12/on-the-allies-were-not-proud-of-a-palestinian-response-to-troubling-discourse-on-syria/
No Arab state has much interest in the Palestinian Arabs now.
Sure they all stay on record supporting the cause, but after 70 years backing them and several very unsuccessful wars to seek to wipe israel off the map by joining their armies together, and no results for the Palestinians, the Arab countries are shifting their focus more and more away.
They are beginning to appreciate the idea that it is better to have Israel there, that not. They make the equation about the Palestinians from there.
Wow! Ed on one side and Jenny on the other?
Is there a middle? Can people be rational about Syria and Gaza and . . . the Skripal case?
A Labour MP urging caution and an evidence based foreign policy:
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/04/09/a-labour-mps-blistering-video-sums-up-the-conservative-hot-heads-running-the-skripal-affair/
‘God heard the embattled nations sing and shout
“Gott strafe England” and “God save the King!”
God this, God that, and God the other thing –
“Good God!” said God, “I’ve got my work cut out!”
Sir John Collings Squire.’
NB – not from RT so lots of commenters can view it without contaminating their principles!
The middle ground would look like a nasty Skripal-Syria-Palestine-Yemen-Ukraine-Putin-Trump soup.
For which there will be plenty of tasters, and not a lot of nutrition.
What did I type that was not reasoned?
Like the Labour MP you quote, I am ‘urging caution and an evidence based foreign policy.’
Agreed, Ed. I was, perhaps over-, reacting to Jenny’s “In his unbalanced and bigoted manner Ed” comment – anything about the Middle East tends to polarise people!
Ed is right. Jenny is wrong. Apologies Jenny.
The rational middle ground would be for all foreigners to pack up their armies, their pet dictators and their artificial puppet-states, get the fuck out of the Middle East and stay the fuck out for at least two generations until the people who actually live there have reached some sort of equilibrium again.
Syria is a sacrifice to great power and regional ambitions. If Assad gains an advantage, the US pumps up the support of it’s rag tag alliance and eases off the squeeze on ISIS. If ISIS shows signs of recovery, everyone pummels it again. Shia militias from Iran alongside Russians fight Shiite Militias from Iraq backed by the USA. The United States funds the Kurds, the Iraqis and the Turks even though those three groups are locked into a three way war. Israel wants to keep Syria in perpetual war, to keep it’s opponents weak. Israel tolerates Russian forces in Syria as a brake on Iranian help for Assad, while the Russians in turn seek to use the conflict to further their prestige and power in the region.
The only solution to the agony of Syria is to let Assad win. Half a million people have died so far in Syria. 20-25% of the population has fled the country. Another 25% are refugees in their own land. Someone needs to end it, no matter how brutal the vengeance of the post war regime it isn’t going to match the starvation of millions and deaths of hundreds of thousands this dragging on war has produced. Just give the vast majority of Syrians peace and order with an Assad victory. He is going to eventually win anyway.
Bosnia gives an alternative. Stabilise, then federalise.
With both candidates for the Green Party co-leadership expressing doubts about signing up to the Budget Responsibility Rules, do you think the Greens will now pressure Labour to loosen them?
Just seen Jacinda on the telly saying Labour will cut spending in other areas to cover the extra cost of repairing Middlemore, etc. Hence, it doesn’t sound like Labour is willing to loosen them.
Robertson told reporters “It’s always a balance … New Zealanders want us to strike that balance and I believe we’ve done that.”
You’re behind the eight ball, which is surprising for someone who follows politics and particularly the Greens like a blowfly. As far as I know the co-leader has been selected and as far as I know the Greens were always sceptical about BRR. Obviously, Labour is not going to give up the ‘balance the books’ mantra any time soon because TINA. What do you want to them, the Greens, to do, specifically? Grandstanding and arm-waving your concerns around don’t count for much; constructive criticism does IMHO.
I’m aware Marama has won. I was merely stating both candidates running for co-leader openly expressed doubts.
After hearing them openly expressing their doubts, it’s not unreasonable for supporters to now have an expectation they may act on these doubts.
I think they should at least have a discussion with Labour (putting their best arguments forward) and see if there is any willingness to loosen them.
Should be irrelevant anyway. DHB possibly knew about the relatively minor building maintenance issues, sounds like Coleman wasn’t informed. Possibly Labour were and decided to play politics with peoples health. DHB had been underspending budget anyway so why wouldn’t they just get it fixed – again perhaps playing politics. Looks like an excuse anyway – Govt should have kept some in the kitty for issues such as this instead of blowing it on wealthy students and PI Countries. Tweet from Patrick Smellie
“Is pedantic to question the narrative about under-investment at Middlemore when today’s DHB stats show the capital budget is significantly underspent? I.e., under-funding can’t be the issue if money for capital upgrades is going unspent.
— Pattrick Smellie (@pjsmellie) April 9, 2018
This will blow up in JA’s face, maybe she is being white – anted (again)??
So wtf is wrong with that board and the ceo dudie? Had the money but like you thought shitty walls was no drama?
@faroutdude
On March 27, the DHB told RNZ it did not do repairs because Minister Coleman wanted it to stay in surplus.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/354681/middlemore-hospital-a-timeline-of-building-issues
And it’s far more than relatively minor building maintenance issues. Again on March 27, the DHB said it may be easier to demolish than fix its buildings.
Labour can’t have it both ways. Blame National for everything, then say their fiscal responsibility rules prevent them from really fixing it. Labour is the government, they have choices.
If there really is a gross crisis (which I don’t really believe, a lot of it is shroud waving) then they should fix it. Run a small deficit, borrow some more. After all they are not the National Party, no-one expects them to run as tight a ship as National.
Much of Labour’s problem is that their promises around the size of the public sector, plus their intent to substantially raise public sector salaries, especially for teachers and nurses, which will have flow on effects, makes everything else unaffordable. Increasing public sector wages by 5% or more will have virtually zero effect on actually increasing outputs. Then add in say a 5 to 10% increase in the total size of the public sector (another 25,000 people) then Labour’s promises around fiscal responsibility simply don’t work.
But Labour can’t raise taxes, that really was a cast iron promise to the electorate.
I know people here will use the example of increasing GST to 15% shows you can increase taxes without political difficulty, but that increase was fully offset by income tax reductions, across all the rates plus increases in working for families. There was no net change.
In contrast Labour would need a real increase in taxes to afford everything they promised. All of this is the reason why Steven Joyce referred to the $11 billion fiscal hole. Labour (Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson) are affirming the truth of it every time they speak about fiscal issues.
“All of this is the reason why Steven Joyce referred to the $11 billion fiscal hole”
He referred to it, because National were the architects of creating the hole and hiding within it necessary maintenance and investment in public services.
The murderer always knows where the body is buried.
But strangely enough, agree with you on the tax promise. But disagree on the solution.
I think they need to be upfront and say that taxes for those that have the ability to pay will have to be raised. For a start, that includes corporations, those juggling businesses, trusts and accounts to reduce taxable income, and those landbanking or holding residential houses empty in the middle of a housing crisis.
After all, how much is going to be enough for those comfortably off, before they will start addressing the cost of failing to keep investment going in our public services and social communities?
I’m guessing, there is never enough for many of those who are doing very well. So the government needs to provide that balance.
Yeah, pretty happy with the idea of a progressive company tax. Small family businesses struggle with 28% while big business has a culture of dodging tax entirely!
A well run business doesn’t pay any tax and shouldn’t do. So, if a small business is having trouble with the tax it’s paying then it’s doing it wrong.
The people who get the profits from the business should be paying personal tax on the PAYE scale. We need to question why they’re not.
A well run business should generate it’s own profit, pay some tax on it, and keep cash reserves for emergencies, investment opportunities, working capital etc. Shareholders (ie the people, generally working in the business who get the profits) are required to pay tax, and often this is PAYE via a shareholder salary.
“We need to question why they’re not”
Aren’t they?
As we have seen, your knowledge of business is minimal, and comments regarding business generally ignorant (to be charitable) or just dishonest.
I guess the reason you spend so much time here is that you don’t have the clues to operate a business, or that no business will take you on.
Lift your game.
Nope. A well run business will generate an income. Some of that income will be spent maintaining and running the business which is all tax deductible.
What’s left after that is the profits which should go out to shareholders. The business won’t pay tax on those either as the shareholders will be paying at PAYE rates.
Or, perhaps, I should say should be. Unfortunately we have a corrupt system designed to minimise taxes paid by the rich while maximising taxes paid by the poor. But I’m not surprised to find you defending that corrupt system.
Middlemore didn’t even spend its capital budget. Seems like the blame lies with the Board and CEO.
There is direction, and there is misdirection in management.
Creating a culture where there is never enough money to effectively provide services to your patients, and ensure a high-level of care, will ensure that money not immediately required will be held onto with tight fists. A false economy in the long run, but understandable.
The Ministry creates that culture, and reinforces it.
But of course with National – the buck stops… there.
Lester Levy did put a temporary freeze on all new capital expenditure when he took over as chairman across all three Auckland DHB’s.
This was to coordinate planning across the three DHB’s.
However I agree, the CMDHB board is at fault here.
Of course you do – you’ll never accept that National is wrong.
National get things wrong plenty of times.
However in this case, unless someone can point to evidence that CMDHB informed National of the issue (last year when in Government), then its what my leftie friends call dirty politics 🙂
The Auckland DHB chair was recently down in Wellington at a select committee hearing. Why did he not raise the issue then?
If the issues were known, do you not think for one second that when Labour was in opposition they would not have screamed blue murder?
Anette King would have jumped all over it.
Ardern has taken a gamble on this, caught with no spare change in her piggy bank.
Southern DHB showed all the others what happens when you inform National of inconvenient facts like funding being inadequate to keep people alive: you get replaced by people who will ship down frozen meals from auckland.
Between friendly DHB board members and the health sector unions (receiving complaints re – moldy buildings from its members), Labour would have been given the heads up so to attack National in parliament (when National was governing).
Would have been great ammo for Ardern in the debates during the election.
The National government’s underfunding of public services is legendary. They prided themselves on it.
The public know this and that’s exactly what lost them the election.
For the Nats PR machine to now claim they didn’t underfund public services is simply not going to wash with voters.
“because National were the architects of creating and hiding necessary maintenance and investment in public services.”
Molly, can you point to evidence of National “hiding maintenance and investment” If you can then that will be a big deal…heads will roll.
This current Government has spent all the spare $ on election promises does leave the cupboard bare. And as Joyce pointed out nothing for a rainy day or pay increases etc.
“Molly, can you point to evidence of National “hiding maintenance and investment” If you can then that will be a big deal…heads will roll. “
Chuck, given my lack of access to Government accounts, and the ability of National MP’s to prevaricate, I cannot provide you with the forensic accounts necessary to take to whatever court you seem to think this would apply. But thanks for the laugh, implying that the previous government was so invested in public services that all that was necessary to ensure their high performance was being done. (Can you provide evidence of that, Chuck? Apart from the political press releases I mean.)
However, the values culture of the National party and the legislative changes they made over the years, gives an indication of the level of underinvestment they give to public services and infrastructure. (Unless of course, there is a by-election in Northland.)
If you have followed the spending and cuts to funding over the last three terms, then you will have ample evidence of services being run down to the ground by culture as well as underinvesting. If not, get reading.
Also note: increase in budget does not necessarily mean investment in essentials. An increase that pays for consultants, and dismantling current good practices is not an “investment” – whether it is in health, ACC, or social welfare.
You don’t need forensic accountants…you can’t “hide maintenance and investment”.
“then you will have ample evidence of services being run down to the ground by culture as well as underinvesting”
Have a look at the DHB’s performance target measurements over the last 10 years. And then try to link “underinvesting” to the results that most DHB’s have been achieving in patient care.
National has run down our health system to “pay” for its election promises…
National’s shit wasn’t all that tight wayney, they just kept the loo door shut and said I’d give that 3-6 years if I were you.
It’s looking pretty directionless from this government in finance at the moment.
They had the PREFU. They did their mini-budget in December.
Blaming the previous team has the hallmark of Key’s timid managerial order .
The aww-shucks routine is such a terrible approach.
They are five weeks before budget and should be neck-deep rolling out announcements by now, not making excuses.
‘They are five weeks before budget and should be neck-deep rolling out announcements by now, not making excuses.’
Or maybe they are softening the electorate up for a stretching of the fiscal cap…a sensible solution IMO,though one i note that has had some luke warm water applied….we shall see.
Labour can’t have it both ways…
National couldn’t have it both ways but they sure as hell tried. Remember the tax cuts for the wealthy? They paid for it by cutting back on the public sector. Now, we are all paying the price.
If there really is a gross crisis… then they should fix it. Run a small deficit, borrow some more.
According to Shamubeel Eaqub (an economist who can think outside the square and not afraid to say so) now is the exact right time to borrow when international lending rates are apparently at an all time low. So, hopefully this government will have the nous to take advantage of it.
Increasing public sector wages by 5% or more will have virtually zero effect on actually increasing outputs.
Pay a worker well, and that worker will repay his/her employer double time by way of loyalty and hard work. It applies equally to public and private sectors.
people here will use the example of increasing GST to 15% shows you can increase taxes without political difficulty, but that increase was fully offset by income tax reductions, across all the rates plus increases in working for families.
The Nat govt. deductions favoured all those who earned above the average wage and next to nothing for those below it. The Lab govt. plans to do the opposite. Higher excise and fuel taxes will be offset by significant increases in the average hourly rate plus big income rises for families and beneficiaries (including pensioners). Fair? I think so.
… Steven Joyce referred to the $11 billion fiscal hole. Labour (Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson) are affirming the truth of it every time they speak about fiscal issues.
Oh, pull the other one. He told a whopping lie and thought he could get away with it. He didn’t.
Well said. Coleman is a liar a bully or incompetent.
Middlemore is a hufe part of the Health portfolio. It is not a shack in westport masquerading as a clinic.
Dunedin hospital promised for 9 years…
Christchurch hospital built of low numbers to keep costs down but the DHBs figures turn out to be correct. That hospital will open unable to supply sufficient beds for its community.
Coleman didnt know about those as well?
Imagine if this were a legacy of a 9 year Labour government Wayne. Would you have come here and defended them and blamed their underlings or would you just not have posted?
Middlemore is a substantial asset in the Health portfolio. Kind of like you not knowing the Waiuru camp was falling apart.
@Wayne
If it has merit (which I believe it does) there is nothing wrong with Labour blaming National’s shortcomings while highlighting their inability to fix it (without making cuts elsewhere) due to their self imposed fiscal constraint.
I agree it gives them scope (by providing a valid argument) to loosen their self imposed fiscal constraint.
I disagree with your assertion their intent to raise public sector salaries makes everything else unaffordable. While increasing salaries is a cost they will have to contend with, what’s pressuring the budget is the unexpected repair costs.
All Government spending fell as a share of GDP under National and Labour are having to come to terms with the fiscal impact of that.
With their self imposed fiscal constraint, it’s clear Labour can’t afford to address it all in one budget. As a result, it will be interesting to see who will miss out and have to wait. That will test their assertion they have the balance right.
Nationals party operative Gluon Espinner was very busy this morning on Radio New Zealand reading out swingeing texts from nationals toadys slagging off Jacinda Adern.
This is politicing pure and simple and espinner must go.
I do not regard him as a right wing sympathiser. Didnt John Key start bypassing RNZ for pop radio?
Hmmmm I see the tin-foil hat brigade are out in force again this morning.
Is this what LPrent had in mind when he created The Standard? That it would become a mouth-piece for Russian propaganda fostered by RT and Sputnik, and alt-right memes promulgated by 21st Century Wire*?
I shall not be replying to any responses to this comment as I have far more better things to do than engage in mindless argument about what is, and isn’t, fact wrt the continuing atrocities around the globe, in which the Kremlin obviously has a hand.
I have enjoyed reading and participating in the debate here on The Standard for a long time – longer than I care to remember – but over recent months there has been a growing element of commentating and moderating by one which show a clear bias to Russian influence, and now it as a stage where one is very hesitant to express any view whatsoever, wrt world events without fear of banishment.
*Patrick Henningsen, the founder, is a former editor of Infowars.
And yes Alex Jones has also taken up the conspiracy theory that the White Helmets are an “al-Qaida affiliated group funded by George Soros”. But this is the sort of nonsense that some commentators are prone to repeat here.
The White Helmets have never received funding from George Soros or any of his foundations.
Have to agree with your notion about a reluctance to comment on certain subjects.
Part of this reluctance is because of terms like ‘tin foil hat brigade’.
There is a tendency to ignore and belittle any opinion that either cites RT or doesn’t regurgitate The Guardian’s angle.
What is also common recently, is the attacking of the opinion writer rather than discussing (debating, arguing) the issues. Willy waving in other words.
We are also keen to throw a blanket over folk and all sorts of subtleties are willfully swept under the carpet. E.g. I get called a right winger for questioning the ‘official narrative’ around 9/11.
I would like to add in regards to moderation I have found it to be reasonable, tolerant and even handed,
heh
I’ve been reading an Iliad-based book lately, and the intervention of divine and diabolical beings on the battlefield reminded me a bit of recent moderation – often sudden and terrible to behold, laying waste to both sides in great numbers… 🙂
And, of course, the flipside to the tinfoil hat allegation is the suggestion that the only alternatives available are to say nothing against Russia or to be eagerly provoking WW3.
“I shall not be replying to any responses to this comment”
So if you’re not willing to enter into a debate, I’m wondering why you wrote anything.
I’ll do my best at doing a fair assessment of Henningsen’s work. I’ve seen a bit of his work over time and two of the major subject areas he covers are geo-politics and critiquing the media.
I’m not sure if I’ve seen him do racist rants, support the NRA or whatever else the worst of the right do. But you appear to have put him in the same category as the ‘raving right wing loons’ who can’t find a space in the same-stream mediaz.
Something I’ve found is that people appearing in alternate media are not always 100% wrong, and it’s worth being open minded when listening to them. Particularly someone like Henningsen who provides a very detailed picture of what’s going on around the world. His detailed picture makes more sense to me than what comes from the other side.
Nice comment. I don’t know Henningsen, and am not particularly following the Russia/US etc debates apart from as a moderator. More comments like yours, evenhanded and explanatory, would do much to improve the debate.
Thanks weka, although I probably changed tack because I thought I could win the argument that way 🙂 It certainly is difficult to leave your bias at the door though. Everyone’s got an opinion. I think this debate could be going on for some time…
Can you please be careful in how you frame comments about moderators and moderation? There are very good reasons why Lynn established that one can ask about moderation but when one starts challenging how the site is run or criticising moderators we tend to crack down on it. I’ve spent a fair amount of time explaining that this year and will go into it again if needed, but it’s important to understand that there are ways to raise these issues that are useful and ways that cause problems.
I tend to agree with gsays about the use of the term tinfoil hat. There is a lot of aggravation in these convos and reducing it to sides where one are framed as loonies just entrenches the aggro imo.
I do agree there are issues. One thing that has come up a few times now is whether we should have a dedicated thread for these discussions so they’re not taking up Open Mike (we did this during the US election). An issue there is what would the boundaries be for topics. US/Russia? Syria? Foreign wars? All international comments?
I’m in two minds about it, but am wondering if it is worth trialling. Probably not daily, but maybe a bi-weekly thread that gets bumped up each morning. Am weighing up the value vs the amount of work in that.
I don’t agree a separate thread is needed – improved commentary with less abuse would solve the problem. It is Open Mike and these are important current issues. Anybody should be able to post contentious, but polite, views. Impolite and abusive comments should result in a ban. No warning. Scan comments for inflammatory words like ‘tinfoil hat’ and implement automatic bans. Your moderation is accompanied by polite reason Weka, make that the norm for all moderation.
Please do find a way to quarantine the incessant focus by a handful of commenters on a couple of narrow topics that are peripheral to the kaupapa of this site.
I encourage those folk to go set up their own site if that is all they want to talk about. Or maybe they can start and moderate their own whole posts here dedicated to those topics.
Still here Sacha…
Still requesting that others be reprimanded or worse…can you understand that taking a dive the way you repeatedly do…is no way to carry on…you get that , right…
How is the setup of your own blog site coming along by the way…
Redflagrusskies.com is going just fine, comrade.
Macro, in case you’ve not self assessed your form…here it what it reads like…consistently…
* Throw disparaging and dismissive clichés around…
* Stumble around while another dump by calling out sites which you don’t like because they carry a narrative and information you find confronting…
* Pick up ball…go home…
And you say that others are lowering the bar…
Senior Manager material, that is…
FBI raids Trumps main lawyer Cohen.
Sweet work Muller.
Keep at it.
Looks like the ball is not only rolling but gaining speed
At a press conference about Syria tRump’s had a glorious melt down, on camera. He’s all folded arms and tucked chin, squealing about break ins, blaming Sessions, crying witch hunt, ranting about Hillary, repeating himself, etc, etc.
The Republican National Committee’s finance chair Steve Wynn was forced out over #MeToo allegations.
RNC sure has shady AF characters looking after the books.
-Tracey Watkins
Lol.
Well Tracey nailed it this time Muttonbird. In so few words too.
For 9 years National claimed that it built Blenheim’s new hospital which was opened a little while after they came to power in 2008.
It was designed , substantially built, and paid for under the Clark Government.
National are, and always have been dirty lying fuckers.
As a small hospital the Wairau Hospital in Blenheim is brilliant. Efficient. Friendly. Easy to navigate. Friendly staff. Great work the Clark Government.
(Wasn’t it the Waterview tunnel being claimed by Bridges yesterday, actually another project designed by Labour?)
Yes. By the time the Nats took office the project was pretty much ready to go.
The world’s most moral army.
/
https://twitter.com/benabyad/status/983429404805263362
The world’s most moral army.
/
(mods – machine ate my first attempt to post, please delete any double)
https://twitter.com/benabyad/status/983429404805263362
Close the bloody gate on all of them, this Govt has too much to do to repair the half million the Gnats let in.
I’m over the lazy attitude of this So called coalition, it’s a joke, let’s hope the baby hormones disappear asap. And she can make a Nuclear free decision, or whatever she said.
I’m voting green come 2020. Yes it may be a wasted vote, but I have lost faith in both major parties.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I don’t think it will be a wasted vote Bob-the Greens have a solid 7-8% because no other party matches them on clear visionary environmental and social justice thinking.
The meme being put forward by people like Hooton-that they are bound to fall below 5% because of their association with the coalition-is complete self-serving bollocks.
“I don’t think it will be a wasted vote Bob-the Greens have a solid 7-8% ….”
Except on election night – when they were only 6.3.
Below 5% isnt impossible.
being the majority party isn’t impossible either 🙂
Of course.
As you note, the 2017 general election percentage was 6.3% and then it rose in the first poll (Roy Morgan) after the election back up to 11% in the period 2 – 10 Oct 2017 before the coalition negotiations had been completed.
Since the coalition government was established, however, the GP vote percentages has steadily declined in the four subsequent polls taken – 10%, 7%, 6% and then 5% in the last poll, the One News Colmar Brunton Poll in the first half of Feb 2018.
So while the average of the election result plus the five polls taken to date averages out at 7.5%, the downward trend is not looking good, but we don’t know what the non-public polls are showing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election
But the Green “brand”, to use that horrible word, is very strong and clear.
The 6.3% election result was majorly influenced by all the ordure flying around after the MT affair, and Bill English and Jacinda’s attempts to paint the election as a 2 horse race. Labour did the Greens no favours in the campaign.
I know people who tactically voted Green and people who realised this was a good idea but ended up tribally voting Labour.
The key point here is that as things stand Labour is unlikely to be ever able to form a government without the Greens. A new Left-wing party might change that equation.
Halt the forced sale of Penny Bright’s house. | TOKO
Petition to Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.
Please SIGN and SHARE?
Thanks!
Penny Bright 🙂
https://www.toko.org.nz/petitions/halt-the-forced-sale-of-penny-bright-s-house
I think you are on a losing battle Penny.
Just pay your rates and then you can keep your house.
Penny doesn’t see how much peril she is she is just as stuck in her Dogmatic windmill tilting as you James.
Her house is worth more than $1.5million.
So she will have plenty of cash.
But James I thought it would be right up your street to pay no tax
Penny seems he’ll bent on cutting off her nose to spite her face.
The self sabotage is not a mentally healthy thing.
“Her house is worth more than $1.5million.
So she will have plenty of cash.”
No – she may have lots of equity – that’s different to cash.
“But James I thought it would be right up your street to pay no tax”
Really ? because I pay tons of it.
Agreed James.
OK now I have to have a sit down after saying that.
Journalist Marie Colvin’s family allege the Syrian government hunted her down, murdered her and cried false flag.
The Colvin family filed the video and nearly 2,000 pages of documents, including military intelligence memoranda and testimony from Syrian defectors, as part of a federal civil lawsuit against the Syrian government. The documents provide detailed and unprecedented evidence to support the claim that Colvin was deliberately hunted and killed as part of a policy by the Assad regime to eliminate journalists. They also offer an insider account of the death of French journalist Gilles Jacquier, who, according to one regime defector, was assassinated in a government attack staged to look like a rebel assault while Jacquier was reporting in Syria under official approvals. The Syrian government declined to comment on the allegations, according to a spokesperson for the Syrian Mission to the United Nations.
https://theintercept.com/2018/04/09/marie-colvin-syria-assad/
It’s never safe being a journalist in a war zone but how much of a chance is there that a Washington court will provide justice for Yasser Murtaja.
Thread.
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https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
https://twitter.com/ABarnardNYT/status/983426518838861825
Unrolled https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/983426518838861825.html
Context.
https://twitter.com/SaaSpro/status/983471345550815232
Syria’s citizen journalists: ‘We expect to be killed’
23 Feb 2012
Rami al-Sayed dies documenting the genocide committed by the regime in Homs, the city called the “Capital of the Revolution”
It is the documenting of this genocide and other crimes against humanity committed by the Assad regime, that regime apologists try to deny and want silenced.
Every single one of them has refused to answer this question
Who did this?
And is it not evidence of genocide?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/feb/04/drone-footage-homs-syria-utter-devastation-video
Penny doesn’t see how much peril she is in, she is just as stuck in her Dogmatic windmill tilting as you James.
Her house is worth more than $1.5million.
So she will have plenty of cash.
But James I thought it would be right up your street to pay no tax
Penny seems he’ll bent on cutting off her nose to spite her face.
The self sabotage is not a mentally healthy thing.
RADIO ALERT
I have only come into this in the last ten minutes, but this is currently on Nine to Noon on RNZ National – and is an excellent discussion, well worth listening to.
“10.05 (to 10.35) The leadership of change: Mary Robinson and Jacinda Ardern
Former President of Ireland and human rights campaigner Mary Robinson in conversation with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Kathryn Ryan.
[Photo – Former President of Ireland and human rights campaigner Mary Robinson in conversation with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Kathryn Ryan Photo: Ray Tiddy]
The former President of Ireland, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discuss working for change at local, national and international levels. Some changes come easily and quickly, and an act of Parliament can formalise a major shift in people’s thinking. Other changes can be glacially slow, for instance achieving peace in Northen Ireland or reaching a global solution on climate change. The conversation was facilitated by Kathryn Ryan at the Aspiring Conversations event in Wanaka.”
I will post the recording as soon as it is up on the RNZ website.
Here is the recording for the above discussion – I highly recommend it as one of the best, most open insights into Ardern’s values and thinking I have heard.
Robinson was also excellent, as was Ryan (and I am not a great Ryan fan usually).
I would rate this as one of the best discussions I have heard on Nine to Noon – alongside some of the best lectures/discussions usually reserved for Sunday’s 4pm slot, The Sunday Feature – a lost slot probably with little patronage, which has some excellent ” documentaries, discussions and lectures of note from New Zealand and beyond.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018639887/the-leadership-of-change-mary-robinson-and-jacinda-ardern
(33 minutes)
Thanks for posting this.
Very good article in the ODT on freshwater issues particularly in Otago but some damning statistics on Nationals environmental destruction, over intensification, degradation, farmers using archaic sluicing rights to irrigate.
Let’s hear what labour are going to do- in same publication David Parker says fresh water is number 1 priority as environment minister- let’s see some action!
https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/stream-conscience
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/shocking-how-bad-waterways-have-become
Well wonders will never cease. Hoskings has just crashed his Alpha Romeo at Hampton Downs Raceway – the car isn’t insured – way to go Mike – the article says he has crashed into his garage a few times – what the hell – the man shouldn’t get a licence for a wheel barrow.
Boy will there be some comments on this – the guy is just a bloody twit of the first order.
http://spy.nzherald.co.nz/spy-news/mike-hosking-crashes-80-000-sports-car/
In the famous words of Nelson Muntz…Ha ha !
What were the odds of the first comment being laughing at someones misfortune simply because you dont like their political views.
According to a quote I saw on Twitter, Hosking said previously car crashes are not caused by idiot roads, or idiot rules, or something similar, but they are due to idiot drivers.
Edit: ah, here’s the article:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12025579
Yes the moralising hypocrite deserves all the shit he gets.
As far as everybody thinking everybody else is the problem, there is only a small subset of truly dangerous drivers most full license holders are not those causing fatal high speed crashes.
There are many inconsiderate drivers however – slow and not pulling left or the converse, fast and pushy and a lot of frustration because of it.
Removing driver frustration would be money better spent than the failing strategy of speed targets – more passing lanes less trucks better control of foreign drivers.
Personally I’d push for the death penalty for anyone texting of speaking on their phone while driving and don’t get me started on woman putting their makeup on while driving to work in the morning….
Political views.
Personality.
Face.
His car doesn’t make me laugh so much as his blubbing about the change in government.
Karma is especially delightful when it befalls an egomaniac. The only bruises are to his ego and his thumb.
Come on James – he crashes (plural) into his garage – the man shouldn’t have permission to be behind the wheel.
Nothing to do with his political views, more the fact he’s a noisome cunt.
Classy as always Stunned Mullet.
Always a pleasure.
Just checking – since its a subjective insult (ie you believe that they are a noisome cunt) – are you OK with people using it for Grant Robertson or Jacinda?
But they aren’t. Hosking is.
you struggle with the concept of people disagreeing with you dont you?
Um, it’s actually a fact. People don’t like Hosking because he’s a jumped up prat without the remotest sense of compassion nor empathy.
Even most of the mild rabid right think he’s a dick. They’ll quietly nod at his racist and antisocial reckons but they still think he’s a dick.
Muttonbird – self appointed expert on what other people think since ages ago.
yep – I’m sure they’d give as much of a damn as Hosking would in regards to an anonymous poster on a little blog giving them a gobful.
Crashing a car isn’t ‘misfortune’ – it’s usually either poor driving or poor maintenance.
Yeah. That’s what happens in formula 1 also.
Ffs it was a track day. It happens. A lot.
It does in Hoskings garage by the sound of it.
Most people it happens to don’t go and have a good cry in public about it.
Should have maintained his brakes better.
I was going to say he drives cars like Paul Holmes used to flys planes … mind the bump
Anyone involved in tracking cars faces this risk- its all part of the package.
Its popular with a ton of people – go any weekend and you will see people there. Not all in expensive sports cars – plenty of track days open to all sorts.
A lot smarter than driving like an idiot on the road.
I find car racing incredibly dull. But I know lots of others who love it and as you say have cars that they race. They can’t get crash insurance just fire and theft due to the type of car and how it’s modified. They accept that and the risk.
I am not a fan of Hosking but I agree with your above comment re making fun of his misfortune. His crashing into the garage wouldn’t be news if he was t in the public eye.
Do cars have to be scrutineered like drag cars prior to racing, unless one has a special certificate?
Awesome that people have a track up there that the public can use, car racing is super boring to watch, but a hell of a lot of fun when you’re behind the wheel.
It was a track day – so they are not racing.
the cars are checked over – but its just a basic check – not like motorsports requirements – thats why you can use a normal road car.
Same with the “run what you brung” drag days.
Thanks James, for explaining, appreciate that. I know with the drags it is highly recommended to have a secondary braking system.
Brakes failing, change gears. No gears, I would have yanked on the handbrake if I was the only one on the track, possibly resulting in a mean as donut at the least, lololololz 🙂
Probably not the idea to go with – good way to end up on your roof 😉 Still hard to think when things go wrong fast.
Best option is to just use the gravel run off – that’s what it is there for.
Hampton’s is just down the road from the drags – its well worth checking out.
Sweet, I haven’t been up that way in years. Mental note….. if driving to Auckland have some fun in the car on the track; that would be epic.
Gravel run off, good safety feature.
James, the drags here in Motueka are at the local airport on one of the runways, it’s a real hard case, skydivers falling back to earth in the background. Worth a visit if you enjoy drags, just for the small town novelty factor 🙂
Shit yeah, all those skills Hosking has developed so long as there are no corners or braking involved.
What a toolbag.
Don’t get me wrong , I love him, he’s so representative. Also when I picture him, it’s his election night face.
Thank you.
“No brakes”. What a liar.
of course you must know more than him.
but his comment makes sense if he was using standard brake pads – they simply dont hold up on track days.
plenty of others have made the same mistake – or lied according to Muttonbird – expert on everything (backed up with nothing)
“if he was using standard brake pads”
well-deserved, if so.
Maybe someone tampered with them?
I’d buy them a beer if so 🙂
Disgusting comment. But hey – this days more about you than anything.
Oh dear. Someone’s had a sense of humour failure.
It just wasn’t funny.
‘Normal brake pads’, have a little metal nipple which starts grinding / squealing when your brakes are getting low …. it’s a warning feature. …. and plain to hear if this was happening…. and the car still has brakes / braking at this point
So Hosking is saying a catastrophic failure …. which in non maintained vehicles usually means a blown brake hose …. followed by more rare O ring failures.
I suspect Hoskings mouth was simply to fast for his ability … or brakes
I’m drowning in schadenfreude…… send help, immediately!.
Some nice news from Pack and Save.
Pak’nSave has taken its $2 deals to a whole new level — providing a community centre for Kaitaia’s youth for a single gold coin.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12029503
How sad. Mike Hosking damaged his Alfa Romeo 4C car on the race track and no insured.
http://spy.nzherald.co.nz/spy-news/mike-hosking-crashes-80-000-sports-car/
yesterday someone asked the question when is someone too rich,
i guess when someone has a spare car worth an annual wage and a half and does not see it fit to insure it before going on the track.
Cheap, useless, dumbarse, fuckwit, thy name is Mike Hoskings.
You may find Insurance coys are not interested in insuring race cars.Apparently they crash quite often.
They do, but on the Track you can get insurance for your cars and your bikes. I volunteered enough as a marshall (usually for bikes) and you can get insurance.
Track day insurance they call it. And while the type of car he drives is a super car and a fast one, i would not call it a ‘race car. Its a car someone with too much money and a profound lack of life.
Mind the insurance might be a bit costly, and who knows maybe he was our of pin money?
http://www.platinumautoinsurance.co.nz/wawcs0144583/Track-and-Training-Days.html
Watch this truckie drive through a tornado and be scared:
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/102964499/live-an-april-storm-hits
Confluence of a northwester and a southeaster.
https://www.windy.com/?-38.690,176.539,7,i:pressure
They should profile all the Asian & Russian money launderers, who were allowed to enter this country because of their wealth, them bring in the whole tribe (whanau) who have never paid tax in NZ & get free medical care and the rest.
Bad move which she is doing nothing about for fear of being called a racist.
Coming from a 3rd world country to a soft touch like NZ is, the Asians and the Indians know how to manipulate the system in NZ.
TOUGHEN UP LABOUR. !!!!
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Tori Sullivan: Taxman’s robots to hunt out cash jobs
Taxpayers beware! The roll-out of Inland Revenue’s new $1.9 billion transformation project will significantly increase the risk of detecting cash jobs, under-reporting income or over-claiming deductions.
But it could also see significantly increase compliance costs for small and medium-sized businesses, which comprise a large chunk of New Zealand’s economy.
OMG, people may actually have to pay the taxes that they owe. OMG, THE Humanity.
Or something like that. Imagine NZ business managers and owners actually having to become good enough just to obey the law.
And if businesses find that their record keeping costs goes up that actually means that there weren’t doing it right in the first place.
If they don’t have the records then they’re not innocent as they’re breaking the law.
Keeping accurate records is a requirement of law. If they don’t have accurate records then they’re breaking the law.
But hey, it appears this prick thinks that breaking the law is AOK if you’re a business.
A little Grace Jones:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/grace-jones-on-her-one-big-regret-if-you-give-up-your-power-you-have-no-one-to-blame-but-yourself?source=TDB&via=FB_Page
Wow, this is cool:
They’ve basically admitted that the public and iwi are pissed off about the wastefulnes of bottled water.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/354674/company-at-centre-of-poroti-water-dispute-sells-to-crown
THAT IS FANTASTIC!
Thanks so much for bringing this to attention. Fine they did well out of the sale, but what a great outcome.
Totally, hopefully many more will fall – water sent offshore in plastic, but “no one owns it”. The absurdity alone hurts my brain.
Just brilliant, and the land surrounding the springs is SO important to their health.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/…/kanoa-lloyd-taika-waititi-isn-t-sabotaging-new-zealand-he-s-tr..
Well said, Kanoa !
Idiot drivers cause car crashes, according to the oh so wise Mike Hosking.
Well and truly proved his point at Hampton Down didn’t he?
Congratulations Mikey. Correct for once. However not so smart Mikey … no insurance for his big bucks Alfa Romeo … tsk tsk.
Is it possible that Mike Hosking was not able to get insurance on his fancy car from any Insurance company ‘cos No company thought that his driving skills were up to the standard that they require for driving at speed on a track?
No evidence, just saying.
All that hot air must add risk, eh.
No Insurance on expensive car ,maybe the insurance industry thinks that the owner is not a good risk driving at speed on a race track.
No evidence, just saying.
Now that the former Minister of Health (blunderer-plunderer Coleman) has buggered off to the private healthcare sector, who in the National party will take responsibility for the Middlemore hospital debacle?
So much wrecked during National’s eyes wide shut ‘management’ of health, education, the environment, housing etc.
Aimless Adams is off-target with her ‘crying wolf’ comment.
Winter’s coming.
Prime News it gives me a smile that the Auckland council has closed 75 % of the walking tracks that are affected by the Kauri die back virus.
It will be great music from fleetwood mac and Neil Finn I enjoy the music from both.
Ka kite ano P.S tawhiti has been going hard today
Newshub I wonder if this weather is going to convince the money men that man made Global warming is a reality .
There you go a young brown man wins a gold medal ka pai David Liti for your great effort and winning your gold medal.
The Wahine disaster was a sad occasion 53 people died what a waste of lives I have had a bit of fun when I ended up in the drink lucky it was a fine day it was my crew-mate fault he let something go and there you go I’m in the drink I spat my false teeth out swearing at him strait to the bottom of the sea the teeth went LOL .
I believe what Mark Zuckerberg is saying Face Book does a lot of good for the community most TV company’s that have live streaming TV on the Internet use Facebooks soft ware to complete that feat thats a fact and many more use there platform for live streaming.I say that because of this fact the powers that be are trying to undermine Facebooks credibility can not have live stream videos getting out to the Papatuanuku world with the money men editing it KNOW. Ana to kai Ka kite ano P.S its good the neighbour has stop stuffing with sky i can watch The Crowd Goes Wild on Prime TV
Mulls about time I seen you on The Crowd Goes Wild on Prime TV e hoa.
We have had a good nite and day of sports OUR Wahine have been stepping up to the mark Mana Wahine.
Thats a good name for Blake Green from the Warriors balaka I say use Kakariki ka pai .
Thats the way Mulls tell it like it is lets just enjoy the success of The Warriors and cut out all the bull—–.
Ka kite ano . P,S good show to-nite James I can remember
when Danny Morrison first started his international Cricket career now he looks like me long in the tooth
Good morning Newshub Tawhiti Mataaho Whaitiri were mahi last nite in Auckland . Good on OUR Queen for letting her English humor shine Ka pai.
I would have preferred the Auckland Council to close off all the walking tracks around OUR precious ancient Kauri till they find a cure to that Kauri die back virus.
Amanda I have changed many CV joints on vehicles I taught my self before the internet I would go and ask a mechanic what was wrong and how to fix it.
Now one has youtube well its all on there how to fix most things I like working on Nissan’s and Toyota’s as they are built with the mechanic in mind easy to work on. Dancan that’s one way to tow a car not for me thought .
Kia Kaha sports stars Ka kite ano P.S Gut cancer is a major problem we have about a kilo of waste sitting in our boules one time I used a jack hammer for to days going hard I lost about a kilo of waste it got vibrated out it was disgusting lucky I figured out the cause .
Here a link to the video on my Pa having the Carving unvailed
Watch “Ngāti Porou hapūb celebrate completion of carving restorations” on YouTube
https://youtu.be/mxg1bEJ5VEA
Kia kaha Ka kite ano
The Cafe yes its a pheromone you should avoid favoritism of children I observed it while I was growing up and still do now .
I have one but I make sure to override it and sheer my attention with the others as they will let me know when they grow up also its bad for the children’s wairua that miss out on your attention . I have been on both sides of that pheromone enough said . Ka kite ano
Newshub there need to be more archaeology going on in New Zealand theres a lot of our history being covered over with roads ECT.
trump will start a war and people will be killed just to hold on to his job what a idiot .
Good on OUR Queen for acknowledging man made Climate Change publicly
and her common wealth forest she is getting planted the trees are OUR lungs and they can live for hundreds of years it sad that our Kauri is suffering a virus at the minute . Kia kaha Katrina Grant captain of the Silver Ferns Netball team Mana Wahine. Ka kite ano P.S someone has stuffed with my computa idiots . Ha I know when the ECO MAORI effect has happened they start advertising because te Kumara never tells how sweet it is Ana to kai
Ingrid there is snow on te maunga in Rotorua ka kite ano
P.S I will watch The Crowd Goes Wild on Prime TV now Ana to kai
The Crowd Goes Wild James we have simler taste in sports teams .
Yep Jenny May is cool One sports person tryed to bait me it bit him on the ass he ended up in the principals office she the new CEO of that organisation I have alread thanked the powers that be for her appointment . Funny WAI Josh was a machine in his day hope his head does not get to big for you guys . Ka kite ano P.S O your are a hard case Mulls with the reff comment
YEP Mulls and James ECO MAORI will always be grinding for his causes
to much Portia Woodman Mana Wahine ka kite ano.
P.S you guys gave me a sore face