Dave looked like Bill Rowling reincarnated. He's right about the IRD. The American equivalent is considered by some to be the most powerful government office in the USA.
However, Dave's point, free from the tinkering of Rebecca's quest for meaning, was to put the IRD onto these gangsters.
That'd be a drawn out affair with the likes of the Mongrel Mob. But for the more sophisticated bikie gangs who run small business fronts, it could be a goldmine.
All this presupposes the IRD has the capacity to start such an endeavour . According to ex IRD employees who have rung talkback, the department now lacks experienced staff. This link hints at that scenario.
It is already a legal requirement for criminals to file tax returns and pay tax on their ill-gotten gains, and IRD do enforce that to some extent. Smart criminals pay tax because if they don't, IRD can do warrantless searches and seizures for information e.g. computers. IRD take the police with them for safety, and then the police can obtain a real warrant based on what they see while escorting IRD.
In defending the 1980 Pinochet-era constitution, The Economist, however, probably ought to note how much the magazine played an active role in not only overthrowing Chilean democracy 50 years ago, but how much it propped up and defended the subsequent dictatorship known for right-wing death squads and mass killings.
In his stellar 2019 book, Liberalism at Large: The World According to the Economist, historian Alexander Zevin describes in detail how The Economist was not a passive player in the 1973 right-wing coup against the democratically elected President Salvador Allende, but a meaningful and active participant.
The economist has been a cheer leader for Neo-Liberal disasters, corporate takeover, privatisation and abrogation of democracy, all around the world, including NZ, for decades.
The provisional net migration loss of 7,600 in the year ended February 2022 was driven by a net loss of 9,700 non-New Zealand citizens, partly offset by a net gain of 2,100 New Zealand citizens.
This continues a reversal of historical patterns. New Zealand has usually had an annual net migration gain of non-New Zealand citizens and an annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens.
This doesn't seem to agree with what you’re saying.
Then again you seem to have overlooked a certain global event that took place prior to 'year ended Feb 2022' that might just have driven these unusual migration patterns.
Compared to most other nations on earth, NZ remains one of the top 20 or so more desirable countries to live in. It certainly is no hell-hole. But Australia is better, and if recent announcements make residency in Aus more accessible and attractive, then it's not hard to see this Feb 2022 result reversing back to the historic pattern again. And fairly quickly.
Working in Italy, Singapore and Australia was what I did for the last 7 years – didn't mean that I had to move there. I had to visit for extended periods as the places I was working were off the net.
Changed jobs to get rid of the need to travel. Currently mostly working in the US market. Definitely not moving there, or even visiting.
There are large parts of the economy like that these days. It isn’t even unusual any more.
Yes – specific high end technical skills are truly global right now. If I cared to be chasing the big projects there is literally no place on earth where I probably could not find an attractive role. Even without moving employer I could move back to NZ and still do well.
But for the majority of kiwis, especially on the median income or less, Australia is still a very good bet if their cards line up right. I am still seeing wages 30% higher and a cost of living that is either much the same or even lower. And beyond that, for anyone with the smallest sense of wanting to do better, there is literally 10 times more opportunity for that here than in NZ.
Australia is still a very good bet if their cards line up right…
Sure, there are a number of relatives who have settled in Aussie for exactly those reasons over the decades. They're mostly involved in service industries of one form or another focused on the internal Aussie market. The same as if they were here. But there are risks, a common reason for seeing my resident relatives there is when they come back to NZ to get routine hospital care.
I have never had any particular reason to go there because I'm simply not that interested in money. I'm much more focused on what I'm working on. I realise that is more the exception than the rule. I have zero interest in the services or internal markets here or there. I like doing development for a international.
As far as I'm concerned, Aussie had and still has exactly the same structural economic problems as NZ had – it is just bigger and far more involved in their internal market.
Sure I can make more money in Aussie – in the order of 50% or more. But it is pretty much the same here, all I have to do is to change the type of work that I will accept.
Plus I looked at it decades ago when I was still deciding what I'd want to work on. Then I decided that I simply didn't like Aussie as a place to live in after being there for a while. There are some really obnoxious Aussies who seem to have their intellect firmly embedded up their own arse. It seems to be a common opinion on an international scale, everyone relaxes offshore when they realise that I or groups that I was with were kiwis rather than aussies – especially in Singapore.
I was planning on heading to somewhere like Canada or the US before the internet opened up in the early 1990s. Then I realised that it wouldn't be too long before I could work from here. So I stayed.
For many palliative care workers, the introduction of fully-funded euthanasia rubbed salt in the wound of neglect.
As at February, the Health Ministry had six full-time positions dedicated to assisted dying. It has no-one dedicated to palliative care. (The ministry says palliative care work is spread across multiple teams.)
The Government allocated $11.9m to fully fund assisted dying for an estimated 350 Kiwis a year.
Compared to…
New Zealand’s 32 hospices look after about 20,000 patients and their whānau a year, or about 30% of dying Kiwis. But of their 2021 running costs of about $176 million, only $88 million came from the government.
Is there another conclusion to draw other than that this government is actively encouraging assisted dying?
How the palliative care doctors interviewed for this piece avoided shouting "WE TOLD YOU SO!!!" … ???
Been through all of this very recently myself. The short answer is that enabling the frail and elderly to off themselves is one hell of a lot cheaper than allowing their lives to take it's course.
But then in a world where there are no absolute moral boundaries on the value of a human life, it is no surprise they keep on being shifted.
Is there some sadistic moral thrill in watching someone forced to endure a horrible painful humiliating drawn out death that I'm just not appreciating?
Many people disagree with euthanasia personally – their 'right' to the death they want is just as valid as the 'right' of the person who wants to shuffle off the mortal coil at a time that suits them.
I think the key is dignity. In all cases it should be maintained and the patient should have the last word.
What I observe is a brutalising of society with it the abject neglect and respect of the vulnerable. The consequence comes with an ethical decay and the loss of valuing life. So it should not come as a surprise that for every child that dies horrifically an excuse is found instead of a standard of behaviour reinforced. Some elderly persons are neglected to a degree that is disgusting in a so called "civilised" society. Again, excuses are found and judgements are made on behalf (how dare) for that neglected person because it is ..convenient. The lack of resources for key services and at the same time the waste of money for pet projects, political agendas etc.. is just reinforcing that it is ok to just don't give a damn.
And dignity goes well beyond mere physical considerations. My father made it clear a number of times in the past two years that he found the prospect of endless social isolation due to COVID regulations far more distressing than the prospect of a death he knew was not too far off.
In the end we were incredibly fortunate – he hung on with a grim determination and we all managed to be there with him on his last day. It all came together almost miraculously well, everyone who needed to be there was and we actually had a remarkably uplifting afternoon. Sudden death is quite different – there is shock at the unexpected loss – but for us we had gone through the grief little by little well before his last day.
So while his last two years were tough and difficult, in the end he left this world on his own terms with his dignity intact.
My father used to joke that he had a special 'parking gene' that worked so that wherever he went a magic parking spot would open up right outside the place he was going to. Same with pretty much any travel – good luck all the way.
Well we reckon he saved the best for the last – and all of us got very lucky just when we needed to.
Well having just gone through this myself this past fortnight – the answer is that you definitely feel immensely relieved when it is over. And there was no 'sadistic pleasure' either. None of us get out of this world scot-free, and dying is rarely an easy passage, although the staff took care to minimise the physical suffering.
In my father's case he went through a very bad patch 11 years ago, and the doctors told us he was going to die then. Instead he defied the odds and lived on another reasonably healthy six years, including one last trip to visit us in Australia. The euthanasia option taken back then would have robbed him of that.
It is very understandable that many of us fear death. Nor in our modern, very safe world we do not encounter it face to face often enough to come to terms with it. Paradoxically enough dying is one of life's last and enduring mysteries – and personally I am of a view we should not seek too much control over it.
Is there another conclusion to draw other than that this government is actively encouraging assisted dying?
Yes!
False dichotomies lead to wrong questions and wrong answers.
The service involves specific steps, medical assessments, and important safeguards. These are to ensure a person is eligible and that they are making the decision for themselves, without pressure from anyone else. The framework for the service, its eligibility criteria and safeguards, are set out in the law, called the End of Life Choice Act 2019. The Assisted Dying Service is overseen by the Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora.
An initiative to establish productive systems that are self sustaining, require little external inputs, and that focus on ecological cycles like those that build soil rather than mechanistic systems that artificially force growth and produce large amounts of pollution was a fucking crock?
The big takeaway is what happens when you stop industrial fertiliser in an abrupt or unplanned fashion. Successful transition to organics takes both skill and time – what this govt did was to take sledgehammer to their agricultural base and expect it to work better.
Well that is mostly the point of the clip I linked to above.
It is my sense that if done carefully and with enough time to correct the mistakes, that a transition to organic based agriculture does not have to be necessarily catastrophic. But many places are not going to get that luxury.
Having seen the kids going into the local dairies and supermarkets before school (and again after school, for that matter) – cutting out tuck shop pies and soft-drinks has been a total failure in diet management (the stated goal). The kids have the cash and control over where they spend it. They aren't listening to the Government (or the dietitians, for that matter).
Realistically, the ban only ever affected secondary schools (very, very few primary schools ever had tuck shops). And, by that age, the damage has already been done.
Those children choose that life, just as anti everything do. vax.. masks…. laws etc. That does not negate the government efforts nor make the actions less valuable.
Just saying that the policy demonstrably doesn't work: tons of kids buying junk food from shops bracketing schools; no decrease in childhood obesity; no improvement in health stats (though, admittedly, those might take some time to show up – but you'd expect to see some glimmers of change).
When a policy fails to achieve the stated goals, of course the actions are "less valuable". Unless you regard it as a 'moral imperative' rather than a piece of effective policy.
Really, the only change that will make any difference, is for families to be preparing and cooking good quality meals (5+ veg a day) at home; and cutting junk food (sugary drinks, lollies, chips, especially – the odd meat pie isn't such a bad thing) out of their household budgets.
That requires a whole raft of changes to our social structure: everything from increased budgets (those fruit/veges aren't exactly cheap), to education (how to cook flavourful & nutritional meals that kids will eat & how to transition family favourites or heritage meals (e.g. corned beef) to being treat food), to time and infrastructure costs (who can cook the meals, and do you have stove/equipment/electricity, etc.)., to more education (just why this change in diet/lifestyle is so important).
It's the kind of lifestyle change that simplistic 'ban the fizzy drink' doesn't even approach.
Some schools have outsourced the tuck shop, in part because profit margins tend to be rather marginal.
If kids continue to make bad choices is that an argument not to bother at all and bring back or provide them with bad food choices at school? It is not clear what you’re arguing for other than that you want to argue against something here.
Some kids spend an awful lot of money on food at school each and every day, money they get from their loving doting parents who don’t want to be perceived as stingy and considered cringy.
Some schools have outsourced the tuck shop, in part because profit margins tend to be rather marginal.
Well, yes. If you've removed the majority of the food that the kids want to buy – they'll be highly motivated to go elsewhere and buy it. Hence making the tuck shop highly marginal. Cause and effect.
So you're saying Belladonna that the school kids are going into shops and buying junk food outside of school hours and that means government attempts to introduce healthy foods into their lives through the schools are a failure and a waste of time? I suggest the 'failure' lies with the parents who give their children the money to buy the junk in the first place.
If so, hasn't worked. Pupils still making the shitty choices. Just that the money (which used to go to supporting school activities – like sports uniforms) now goes to businesses (dairies) and corporates (supermarkets)
Both things go together. You made blanket statements that removing tuck shops was a waste of time, and it stopped funding for sport. Lol. How diametrically opposed is that?
Schools with the lunch programme have it for all, and it reinforces tasty and nutritious foods and saves money. Oh, and I can not measure the junk food consumed in your neighbourhood. That is your concern you raised and used as proof, rather tenuously.
Just in case you ever get invited to colonise Mars with Elon Musk.
Watch the Black Mirror episode. USS Callister for a taste of what it would be like.
USS Callister
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
By day, Robert Daly is the CTO of a tech-entertainment company, but by night he is in his own private cinematic universe — based on a TV show he watched as a child — as the commander of a starship exploring new worlds.
I guess they think their main man's a blue eyed fella, too.
.
As our team interviewed Christians of color across the U.S., we heard a similar and painful story repeated: White Christians, by their actions, seem to favor being white over being Christian. Christians of color cited many instances of that type of behavior, national and local, communal and personal. We wondered if this was the case empirically and, if so, why. As we tested the hypothesis, we found a plethora of evidence substantiating what we heard.
My co-author Glenn Bracey and I are proposing a theory in our forthcoming book, The Grand Betrayal: Most church-attending white Christians are not bad Christians. This is because they are not Christian at all. Instead, we propose they are faithful followers of a different religion: the “religion of whiteness.”
[…]
We found this pattern over and over again: White practicing Christians differed from Christians of other racial groups and from non-Christian whites whenever the topic was race. For example, white practicing Christians are twice as likely as other whites to say “being white” is important to them and twice as likely as other whites to say they feel the need to defend their race. Through extensive statistical analyses, we found that two-thirds of practicing white Christians are following, in effect, a religion of whiteness. They repeatedly placed being white ahead of being Christian; the findings were not explained away by political affiliation, location, age, education, income, gender, or other factors.
Yup. The full monty requiem jobbie I attended a while back in Taranaki was a noticably salt and pepper affair. Mostly pepper in likely the saltiest community in the NI.
What's more likely, Poots uses nukes or crew of pissed Russian squadies trigger a nuclear accident?
The Russian army is transforming Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a military base overlooking an active front, intensifying a monthslong safety crisis for the vast facility and its thousands of staff.
[…]
The new infusion of weaponry effectively shields the plant from a counterattack by Ukrainian forces, and amounts to something the carefully regulated atomic-energy industry has never seen before: the slow-motion transformation of a nuclear power station into a military garrison. In a lesser-scrutinized aspect of its war strategy, the Russian army is day-by-day positioning the weaponry around a nuclear plant that is among the world’s largest, using it to cement control of the front line where their advance through southern Ukraine ground to a halt.
[…]
Last week, the United Nations’ nuclear regulator was in the dark for three days about conditions inside Zaporizhzhia, after its data connection to the plant went offline before being restored. That marked the second time since Russia’s invasion that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Vienna headquarters has lost its feed from the cameras and instruments that normally relay security footage and safety readings from the vast complex.
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Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
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Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
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In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, 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 ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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I enjoyed Rebecca Wright bringing smug Mr Seymore back down to earth .
Mr Luxon next please
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/07/act-party-leader-david-seymour-wants-to-set-inland-revenue-onto-gangs.html
Scotty, I remember her line to Judith Collins, "You went to Charm school didn't you?'
and at the result of the 2017 seats, "Tamatai Coffee, he was just a weatherman wasn't he?"
Dave looked like Bill Rowling reincarnated. He's right about the IRD. The American equivalent is considered by some to be the most powerful government office in the USA.
However, Dave's point, free from the tinkering of Rebecca's quest for meaning, was to put the IRD onto these gangsters.
That'd be a drawn out affair with the likes of the Mongrel Mob. But for the more sophisticated bikie gangs who run small business fronts, it could be a goldmine.
All this presupposes the IRD has the capacity to start such an endeavour . According to ex IRD employees who have rung talkback, the department now lacks experienced staff. This link hints at that scenario.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/335413/ird-plans-to-cut-one-third-of-its-workforce-by-2021
It is already a legal requirement for criminals to file tax returns and pay tax on their ill-gotten gains, and IRD do enforce that to some extent. Smart criminals pay tax because if they don't, IRD can do warrantless searches and seizures for information e.g. computers. IRD take the police with them for safety, and then the police can obtain a real warrant based on what they see while escorting IRD.
tl,dr: The Economist was all-in on throwing lefties out of helicopters.
https://twitter.com/adamjohnsonNYC/status/1545560478482677760
In defending the 1980 Pinochet-era constitution, The Economist, however, probably ought to note how much the magazine played an active role in not only overthrowing Chilean democracy 50 years ago, but how much it propped up and defended the subsequent dictatorship known for right-wing death squads and mass killings.
In his stellar 2019 book, Liberalism at Large: The World According to the Economist, historian Alexander Zevin describes in detail how The Economist was not a passive player in the 1973 right-wing coup against the democratically elected President Salvador Allende, but a meaningful and active participant.
https://thecolumn.substack.com/p/the-economist-magazine-which-helped
The economist has been a cheer leader for Neo-Liberal disasters, corporate takeover, privatisation and abrogation of democracy, all around the world, including NZ, for decades.
You can tell what kind of country you live in in they way children are born and raised and old people end their lives.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/129165802/shame-suffering-and-strawberry-sundaes–the-underfunded-invisible-mess-of-palliative-care
"New Zealand has one of the worst records of child abuse in the developed world – Unicef".
https://www.unicef.org.nz/in-new-zealand/safe-childhood
Seems only the rich will be able to afford a safe birth, life and dying time.
Millions are thrown at consultants, appointed by incompetent politicians allocated portfolios that you could give a monkey with the same outcome.
It is no surprise that the exodus of young and educated will only increase.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/international-migration-february-2022
"Annual net migration: loss of 7,600 (± 700), down from a net gain of 9,500 (± 30)"
Wakey wakey
omment @ 4 was in reply to this. Reply button didn't work. Thanks for posting this Fw.
From your link:
This doesn't seem to agree with what you’re saying.
LOL, thanks for clearing that up Incognito.
Maybe FW is just saying goodbye.
Not everybody thinks NZ is going to hell in handbasket.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300630526/in-their-own-words-why-these-young-bright-kiwis-have-no-plans-to-leave-aotearoa
But everybody is free to read and spout negative stuff without much analysis and purely based on emotive gut reactions.
Instead of sniggering, you should be thinking about the issues.
But then again, not surprised by this long lost art of boarding school behaviour.
And you should stop pretending you're God by claiming to know what others are thinking.
If you believe a monkey can become an MP you should try, you seem well suited.
Then again you seem to have overlooked a certain global event that took place prior to 'year ended Feb 2022' that might just have driven these unusual migration patterns.
Compared to most other nations on earth, NZ remains one of the top 20 or so more desirable countries to live in. It certainly is no hell-hole. But Australia is better, and if recent announcements make residency in Aus more accessible and attractive, then it's not hard to see this Feb 2022 result reversing back to the historic pattern again. And fairly quickly.
No
Working in Italy, Singapore and Australia was what I did for the last 7 years – didn't mean that I had to move there. I had to visit for extended periods as the places I was working were off the net.
Changed jobs to get rid of the need to travel. Currently mostly working in the US market. Definitely not moving there, or even visiting.
There are large parts of the economy like that these days. It isn’t even unusual any more.
Yes – specific high end technical skills are truly global right now. If I cared to be chasing the big projects there is literally no place on earth where I probably could not find an attractive role. Even without moving employer I could move back to NZ and still do well.
But for the majority of kiwis, especially on the median income or less, Australia is still a very good bet if their cards line up right. I am still seeing wages 30% higher and a cost of living that is either much the same or even lower. And beyond that, for anyone with the smallest sense of wanting to do better, there is literally 10 times more opportunity for that here than in NZ.
Sure, there are a number of relatives who have settled in Aussie for exactly those reasons over the decades. They're mostly involved in service industries of one form or another focused on the internal Aussie market. The same as if they were here. But there are risks, a common reason for seeing my resident relatives there is when they come back to NZ to get routine hospital care.
I have never had any particular reason to go there because I'm simply not that interested in money. I'm much more focused on what I'm working on. I realise that is more the exception than the rule. I have zero interest in the services or internal markets here or there. I like doing development for a international.
As far as I'm concerned, Aussie had and still has exactly the same structural economic problems as NZ had – it is just bigger and far more involved in their internal market.
Sure I can make more money in Aussie – in the order of 50% or more. But it is pretty much the same here, all I have to do is to change the type of work that I will accept.
Plus I looked at it decades ago when I was still deciding what I'd want to work on. Then I decided that I simply didn't like Aussie as a place to live in after being there for a while. There are some really obnoxious Aussies who seem to have their intellect firmly embedded up their own arse. It seems to be a common opinion on an international scale, everyone relaxes offshore when they realise that I or groups that I was with were kiwis rather than aussies – especially in Singapore.
I was planning on heading to somewhere like Canada or the US before the internet opened up in the early 1990s. Then I realised that it wouldn't be too long before I could work from here. So I stayed.
Time to do the maths….
Assisted dying – kicking us when we’re down
For many palliative care workers, the introduction of fully-funded euthanasia rubbed salt in the wound of neglect.
As at February, the Health Ministry had six full-time positions dedicated to assisted dying. It has no-one dedicated to palliative care. (The ministry says palliative care work is spread across multiple teams.)
The Government allocated $11.9m to fully fund assisted dying for an estimated 350 Kiwis a year.
Compared to…
New Zealand’s 32 hospices look after about 20,000 patients and their whānau a year, or about 30% of dying Kiwis. But of their 2021 running costs of about $176 million, only $88 million came from the government.
Is there another conclusion to draw other than that this government is actively encouraging assisted dying?
How the palliative care doctors interviewed for this piece avoided shouting "WE TOLD YOU SO!!!" … ???
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/underfunding-no-argument-for-assisted-dying
Been through all of this very recently myself. The short answer is that enabling the frail and elderly to off themselves is one hell of a lot cheaper than allowing their lives to take it's course.
But then in a world where there are no absolute moral boundaries on the value of a human life, it is no surprise they keep on being shifted.
Is there some sadistic moral thrill in watching someone forced to endure a horrible painful humiliating drawn out death that I'm just not appreciating?
Probably the same sadistic thrill in watching someone being hounded into 'voluntarily' asking for euthanasia to 'spare the family'
People are not always nice. Sometimes family members can be the most sadistic – as you can see here:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/opinion-adult-nappies-and-a-wetsuit-how-could-this-happen/I77GKOVY4GGB7QAXM3MKSYMO4U/?c_id=1&objectid=12535839&ref=rss
Many people disagree with euthanasia personally – their 'right' to the death they want is just as valid as the 'right' of the person who wants to shuffle off the mortal coil at a time that suits them.
Isn't it wonderful that one doesn't negate the other
I think the key is dignity. In all cases it should be maintained and the patient should have the last word.
What I observe is a brutalising of society with it the abject neglect and respect of the vulnerable. The consequence comes with an ethical decay and the loss of valuing life. So it should not come as a surprise that for every child that dies horrifically an excuse is found instead of a standard of behaviour reinforced. Some elderly persons are neglected to a degree that is disgusting in a so called "civilised" society. Again, excuses are found and judgements are made on behalf (how dare) for that neglected person because it is ..convenient. The lack of resources for key services and at the same time the waste of money for pet projects, political agendas etc.. is just reinforcing that it is ok to just don't give a damn.
Yes. I agree with this very much.
And dignity goes well beyond mere physical considerations. My father made it clear a number of times in the past two years that he found the prospect of endless social isolation due to COVID regulations far more distressing than the prospect of a death he knew was not too far off.
In the end we were incredibly fortunate – he hung on with a grim determination and we all managed to be there with him on his last day. It all came together almost miraculously well, everyone who needed to be there was and we actually had a remarkably uplifting afternoon. Sudden death is quite different – there is shock at the unexpected loss – but for us we had gone through the grief little by little well before his last day.
So while his last two years were tough and difficult, in the end he left this world on his own terms with his dignity intact.
.
Very pleased to hear that, RL. Pleased for both your father and for you & the family.
My father used to joke that he had a special 'parking gene' that worked so that wherever he went a magic parking spot would open up right outside the place he was going to. Same with pretty much any travel – good luck all the way.
Well we reckon he saved the best for the last – and all of us got very lucky just when we needed to.
My condolences, albeit belated. It sounds like your dad had a good farewell and you and your family can take comfort in that.
My best wishes.
Ta.
Well having just gone through this myself this past fortnight – the answer is that you definitely feel immensely relieved when it is over. And there was no 'sadistic pleasure' either. None of us get out of this world scot-free, and dying is rarely an easy passage, although the staff took care to minimise the physical suffering.
In my father's case he went through a very bad patch 11 years ago, and the doctors told us he was going to die then. Instead he defied the odds and lived on another reasonably healthy six years, including one last trip to visit us in Australia. The euthanasia option taken back then would have robbed him of that.
It is very understandable that many of us fear death. Nor in our modern, very safe world we do not encounter it face to face often enough to come to terms with it. Paradoxically enough dying is one of life's last and enduring mysteries – and personally I am of a view we should not seek too much control over it.
Yes!
False dichotomies lead to wrong questions and wrong answers.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/life-stages/assisted-dying-service
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/life-stages/palliative-care and https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/life-stages/palliative-care/key-palliative-care-organisations
Can you spot the difference?
Sri Lanka's experiment in Lysenkoism fails as Government falls.
https://twitter.com/ShivAroor/status/1545693026705719296?cxt=HHwWgIC-ycnns_MqAAAA
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/05/sri-lanka-organic-farming-crisis/
An initiative to establish productive systems that are self sustaining, require little external inputs, and that focus on ecological cycles like those that build soil rather than mechanistic systems that artificially force growth and produce large amounts of pollution was a fucking crock?
Who woulda thunk it.
//
They could not produce enough food to sustain their own diets,let alone sufficient exports for foreign exchange.
This is deglobalisation right under our noses.
The big takeaway is what happens when you stop industrial fertiliser in an abrupt or unplanned fashion. Successful transition to organics takes both skill and time – what this govt did was to take sledgehammer to their agricultural base and expect it to work better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Ea7u4RGKc
You also need to reduce the population to the new carrying capacity of the foodbase,and the economic constraints,of a munted export base. .
Well that is mostly the point of the clip I linked to above.
It is my sense that if done carefully and with enough time to correct the mistakes, that a transition to organic based agriculture does not have to be necessarily catastrophic. But many places are not going to get that luxury.
The bulk of the food sold in supermarkets is probably processed junk food in any case – too much sugar and insufficient fibre.
On that we both agree. Industrial ag and food systems have certainly delivered a lot of calories but still have a ways to go on the quality side.
So a National Act Government would bring back Charter Schools. Guess they would bring back Tuck Shops pies and fizzy drinks and School Fees as well.
And caning.
They aren't soft on crime!
Beyond irony and knowing amusement really, Baldrick going to UK to investigate Charter Schools!
Having seen the kids going into the local dairies and supermarkets before school (and again after school, for that matter) – cutting out tuck shop pies and soft-drinks has been a total failure in diet management (the stated goal). The kids have the cash and control over where they spend it. They aren't listening to the Government (or the dietitians, for that matter).
Realistically, the ban only ever affected secondary schools (very, very few primary schools ever had tuck shops). And, by that age, the damage has already been done.
Those children choose that life, just as anti everything do. vax.. masks…. laws etc. That does not negate the government efforts nor make the actions less valuable.
Just saying that the policy demonstrably doesn't work: tons of kids buying junk food from shops bracketing schools; no decrease in childhood obesity; no improvement in health stats (though, admittedly, those might take some time to show up – but you'd expect to see some glimmers of change).
When a policy fails to achieve the stated goals, of course the actions are "less valuable". Unless you regard it as a 'moral imperative' rather than a piece of effective policy.
Really, the only change that will make any difference, is for families to be preparing and cooking good quality meals (5+ veg a day) at home; and cutting junk food (sugary drinks, lollies, chips, especially – the odd meat pie isn't such a bad thing) out of their household budgets.
That requires a whole raft of changes to our social structure: everything from increased budgets (those fruit/veges aren't exactly cheap), to education (how to cook flavourful & nutritional meals that kids will eat & how to transition family favourites or heritage meals (e.g. corned beef) to being treat food), to time and infrastructure costs (who can cook the meals, and do you have stove/equipment/electricity, etc.)., to more education (just why this change in diet/lifestyle is so important).
It's the kind of lifestyle change that simplistic 'ban the fizzy drink' doesn't even approach.
Belladonna, apart from "your neighbourhood" what proof do you have that the system of lunches in schools is a failure?
Patricia. What proof do you have that it's a success?
Some schools have outsourced the tuck shop, in part because profit margins tend to be rather marginal.
If kids continue to make bad choices is that an argument not to bother at all and bring back or provide them with bad food choices at school? It is not clear what you’re arguing for other than that you want to argue against something here.
Some kids spend an awful lot of money on food at school each and every day, money they get from their loving doting parents who don’t want to be perceived as stingy and considered cringy.
Dietician academic says it's pretty much virtue signalling.
https://news.aut.ac.nz/news/school-ban-on-sugary-drinks-wont-help
That settles it then, thanks for clearing it up.
Well, yes. If you've removed the majority of the food that the kids want to buy – they'll be highly motivated to go elsewhere and buy it. Hence making the tuck shop highly marginal. Cause and effect.
Bring back cigarettes!
You'd like to increase marketing for corned beef? That's fine, but you also have to decrease marketing for Maccas.
Um, no. I haven't suggested marketing either.
So you're saying Belladonna that the school kids are going into shops and buying junk food outside of school hours and that means government attempts to introduce healthy foods into their lives through the schools are a failure and a waste of time? I suggest the 'failure' lies with the parents who give their children the money to buy the junk in the first place.
For all you know they have a paper route or a weekend job stocking shelves at the local supermarket and are spending their own money.
Yep. Pretty much. If the goal is for the kids not to be eating junk food on a daily basis then this policy has been a failure.
Agree about poor parenting decisions – but that that's not usually an opinion that flies well on TS.
Pretty sure the goal was to stop schools enabling the shitty choices their pupils make.
If so, hasn't worked. Pupils still making the shitty choices. Just that the money (which used to go to supporting school activities – like sports uniforms) now goes to businesses (dairies) and corporates (supermarkets)
Contributing to the poor health of some kids is okay because it benefits other kids?
No the goal Belladonna, was to take the stigma of no food at school away. Parents still need to monitor other food choices.
??? How can removing sweet drinks and pies from the tuckshop take the stigma of no food at school away?
Are you confusing this with the provision of free school lunches?
Both things go together. You made blanket statements that removing tuck shops was a waste of time, and it stopped funding for sport. Lol. How diametrically opposed is that?
Schools with the lunch programme have it for all, and it reinforces tasty and nutritious foods and saves money. Oh, and I can not measure the junk food consumed in your neighbourhood. That is your concern you raised and used as proof, rather tenuously.
I suspect Baldrick's gone to the UK to worship at the shrine of St Birbalsingh.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Birbalsingh
Yes just so, Joe90. Luxon shows a complete lack of original ideas and a huge reliance on the wacky baccy of his running mate Seymour..
If you have Netflix
Just in case you ever get invited to colonise Mars with Elon Musk.
Watch the Black Mirror episode. USS Callister for a taste of what it would be like.
I guess they think their main man's a blue eyed fella, too.
.
As our team interviewed Christians of color across the U.S., we heard a similar and painful story repeated: White Christians, by their actions, seem to favor being white over being Christian. Christians of color cited many instances of that type of behavior, national and local, communal and personal. We wondered if this was the case empirically and, if so, why. As we tested the hypothesis, we found a plethora of evidence substantiating what we heard.
My co-author Glenn Bracey and I are proposing a theory in our forthcoming book, The Grand Betrayal: Most church-attending white Christians are not bad Christians. This is because they are not Christian at all. Instead, we propose they are faithful followers of a different religion: the “religion of whiteness.”
[…]
We found this pattern over and over again: White practicing Christians differed from Christians of other racial groups and from non-Christian whites whenever the topic was race. For example, white practicing Christians are twice as likely as other whites to say “being white” is important to them and twice as likely as other whites to say they feel the need to defend their race. Through extensive statistical analyses, we found that two-thirds of practicing white Christians are following, in effect, a religion of whiteness. They repeatedly placed being white ahead of being Christian; the findings were not explained away by political affiliation, location, age, education, income, gender, or other factors.
https://sojo.net/magazine/july-2022/what-happens-when-white-identity-comes-christian-faith
White Europeans are a fast declining minority in the Auckland Catholic church. White by hair colour obviously 😀
It's all a black-haired immigrant majority.
Yup. The full monty requiem jobbie I attended a while back in Taranaki was a noticably salt and pepper affair. Mostly pepper in likely the saltiest community in the NI.
Sleaze,spad shaggers,and psychos,the race for the keys to no 10,The Michael Dobbs plots already laid out for a new triology.
https://twitter.com/holland_tom/status/1545831910227722242?cxt=HHwWhICyudT78vMqAAAA
https://twitter.com/Dominic2306/status/1545344985469444097
…. so all the candidates are politicians then?
Rotten to the Core ……
No surprises there!
Maurice that is like saying 'all voters are dopey" and about as useful.
Perhaps BOTH propositions have considerable truth in them?
What's more likely, Poots uses nukes or crew of pissed Russian squadies trigger a nuclear accident?
The Russian army is transforming Europe’s largest nuclear power plant into a military base overlooking an active front, intensifying a monthslong safety crisis for the vast facility and its thousands of staff.
[…]
The new infusion of weaponry effectively shields the plant from a counterattack by Ukrainian forces, and amounts to something the carefully regulated atomic-energy industry has never seen before: the slow-motion transformation of a nuclear power station into a military garrison. In a lesser-scrutinized aspect of its war strategy, the Russian army is day-by-day positioning the weaponry around a nuclear plant that is among the world’s largest, using it to cement control of the front line where their advance through southern Ukraine ground to a halt.
[…]
Last week, the United Nations’ nuclear regulator was in the dark for three days about conditions inside Zaporizhzhia, after its data connection to the plant went offline before being restored. That marked the second time since Russia’s invasion that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Vienna headquarters has lost its feed from the cameras and instruments that normally relay security footage and safety readings from the vast complex.
https://archive.ph/2022.07.05-185932/https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/russian-army-turns-ukraines-largest-nuclear-plant-into-a-military-base-11657035694
Definitely nuclear accident