As the French would say, quelle hypocrisie. Certainly, I am not without fault, but surely we should all be worried that someone as crude and vicious as QOT is able to set herself up as some kind of moral arbiter.
This message has been solicited and published by me as an act of support for my colleague and friend Morrissey.
Abusing the sysop or post writers on their own site – including telling us how to run our site or what we should write. This is viewed as self-evident stupidity, and should be added as a category to the Darwin Awards.
Morrissey was acting like a complete arsehole. But he isn’t the only one who can do that.
Oh and see that other nice self-martyrdom offence….
Generally wasting a moderators time is just not a good idea. We’re there to deal with isolated problems. People persistently sucking up our voluntary time won’t like the results.
Since you’re such a friend then please explain to him that you just got a two month ban and collected him another another month. I’m uninterested in people acting like complete fuckwits and wasting my time.
Besides, after he e-mailed with some pathetic idea about what constitutes “defamation”, I had another look at the first comment he left for QoT on her post. Seeing it again just got me even more irritated with the pretentious dildo. ]
Ta for that Lynn. No pressure. I openly admit that some of my output might be no better than drafts. As always off the record critiques are appreciated.
What’s it like for the elderly, the infirm, for those too poor to afford air conditioning?
What’s it like for those who have to work in it?
Sickening, dangerous, life threatening?
Though we only produce 0.2% of the world’s CO2 emissions, New Zealand has a chance to make a major contribution to stopping global climate change.
Sir Peter Gluckman the science adviser to the Prime Minister’s office has said that New Zealand’s greatest contribution to stopping climate change would be to set an example for the rest of the world to follow.
Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal, and as such is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.
It is very clear what example New Zealand should set.
I call on the Green Party to immediately, and without delay, put a private member’s bill in the ballot, calling for a total ban on all coal exports.
Will they do it? Will they heck! They might embarrass their Labour Party colleagues.
But that is the point.
If enough Labour MPs are sickened by what’s happening in Australia, and also sickened with voting alongside ACT and National to keep up this dirty and dangerous trade. Then they may be vulnerable to being lobbied to defy their party whips to vote for such a bill.
Would this be significant?
Yes. Because if they vote for it in opposition, they are then honour bound to vote for it in government.
Famously. It was this sort of private members bill, put up by the opposition Labour Party that helped make New Zealand Nuclear Free.
If India and China cannot buy coal from Australia they will simply go elsewhere. They may have to pay a slightly higher price for coal but will get their own pricing structure in time.
And the Australian dream will falter faster than it is now.
If New Zealand, in a world first, banned all export (and import) trade in coal what global political effect would this have?
Colonial Viper has asked me how could this make Australia give up coal exports as well.
I have thought long and hard on this. Personally I agree with Professor Gluckman in thinking a positive example should be enough. But if it is not, then the carrot should also be accompanied with the stick.
I would call on the Green Party to put up another private members bill. One that will start a firestorm of public debate, here and across the Tasman. Giving the issue of climate change the publicity and attention it needs.
This bill will be the threat and the stick to accompany the carrot.
No climate refugees will be accepted from Australia until they also give up coal exports.
I call on the Green Party to immediately, and without delay, put a further private members bill in the ballot. This bill calling for parliament to rescind Australian citizens free right of entry into New Zealand.
I’ll jump in jenny firstly by saying that you are doing well highlighting the disaster here with the effects of climate change being felt now.
This country since it was colonised has always accepted others from other countries for all sorts of reasons – some goodreasons, most bad and a few ugly. I’d probably put denying climate refugees entry here into the bad reason area simply because it is so unfair on those trying to protect their families and themselves. Maybe if individuals from companies, corporations and government both local and national that contributed to, or activelly worked against mitigating the disaster, were identifed and denied entry I’d be happier. Oh dear can’t see many getting through that net. might have to chuck a few back from here too 🙂
the climate refugee area must be debated and IMO huddling down with outwardly pointing pointed sticks is not the answer
the climate refugee area must be debated and IMO huddling down with outwardly pointing pointed sticks is not the answer
marty mars
I take your point marty, And I am quite happy to welcome climate change refugees from anywhere in the world. But why should the citizens of one of the countries most responsible for climate change have preferential treatment over all other immigrants? Free to come and go as they please, to work, or as visit as long as they like?
No other immigrant group has these rights!
I have suggested this course of action to goad Australian citizens to take action against climate change, (specifically against coal exports).
I am of the opinion that being aware that their escape hatch is being closed off and that they might have to endure the same sort of humiliation and detention that they mete out so readily to refugees themselves, might sharpen their minds to the problem.
How are CC refugees defined? I have no problem taking in Pacific Islanders who’s land has been swamped. Well off Australians shifting here once they’ve bled their own land dry while living off the carbon gravy train, not so much. We already have wealthy immigrants and people buying land from overseas because they see the future and figure NZ is one of the better places to be in when the shit hits the fan. How many are we going to take in though?
Weka, only by us taking action will that debate happen. It is called leadership. We don’t need to define climate refugees. We just need to take away Australian’s special privileges to come here and to say why.
“We just need to take away Australian’s special privileges to come here and to say why.”
And why would that be, Jenny? Especially since Australia allows freedom of movement for New Zealanders and that suits us just fine at the moment. There is a time for returning the favour. Especially since many thousands of of climate change refugees are going to have rights of citizenship in New Zealand.
And why would that be, Jenny? Especially since Australia allows freedom of movement for New Zealanders and that suits us just fine at the moment. There is a time for returning the favour.
rosy
There also is a time for returning the favour for recklessly destroying the biosphere for short term profits.
Australians may be less willing to continue down this path knowing they may have to live and die with the results of their actions, with no chance of an easy escape to a cooler country.
The sooner Australians stop the dirty coal export trade, the sooner their special immigration privileges may be returned.
“Australians may be less willing to continue down this path”
More like more willing to start a war (at least at the diplomatic level, at first).
If New Zealand opted out of buying all those Chinese goods made with energy from Australia’s coal, you might have a point about isolating ourselves. But we buy those goods and sell China product from our flatulent cows. We totally buy into the system that produces them so as a fully incorporated, paid up member of the climate change club we have no right to dictate terms over the fall-out, only to negotiate them.
I don’t see how New Zealand has a moral right to close of the legal right Australians have to live here, assuming the Aussie’s would want to. A little bit of arrogance creeping into your argument with the assumption that they would. Canada probably looks quite inviting from where they stand.
And all that is aside from the ethical and moral duty to help your neighbour when in need.
I don’t see how New Zealand has a moral right to close of the legal right Australians have to live here,
NZ might need to be gutsy and say, you can’t come over unless you have a confirmed job, or you have family here, or meet various strategic criteria.
We do what works for the people already here, which includes helping others, but we make sure that any sacrifices and compromises are very well signalled.
Sacrifices, compromise and sharing are the only way through this. Not some power-crazed fantasy of punishing people by leaving them to figuratively stew. I’m not sure there are any political or historical precedents that prove such punishment is a long-term solution to resource allocation (in this instance water and climate), especially when the people you’re punishing are socially and culturally so close but much more powerful.
So if not because it’s the right thing to do, negotiate, compromise and share to avoid being taken over by the bigger, more powerful neighbour because it’s in our self(ish)-interests.
Using an advertising spoof unrelated to climate change to evoke the fantasy of a brutal military takeover and invasion of this country through use of overwhelming powerful Australian military might in response to New Zealand legislators tinkering with our immigration laws, weird.
rosie, don’t you think tapping into fear of the sort of last measure, desperate responses that climate change will engender in governments and states as a counter to my suggestion a little bit over the top?
Can’t you think up something better than this to justify your arguement for doing nothing?
Though I admit that the crisis is upon us now. I think we still have a long way to go, before Australian military strikes will greet any symbolic New Zealand legislation against climate refugees.
If and when, Australia becomes largely uninhabitable due to climate change, no amount of legislation will stop the wave of desperate refugees heading for these shores.
I am only suggesting this move as a wake up call to start the necessary (figurative) firestorm of nationwide and trans-Tasman debate that will create the political environment which will allow the implemenatation of the solutions needed, that (hopefully) will avert the need for militaristic solutions.
All I can say about your contribution to this debate, rosie, is at least you think that climate change is such a serious problem that at some time in the future it will engender brutal military conflicts. You may have grounds for thinking this. But I don’t think we are there yet. I want us to make sure that we never get there. I would hope rosy that you would join me and others in this effort.
Jenny, I was simply taking your notion of using our legislative power to exclude to the next logical step for powerful refugees banging at New Zealand’s door. I’m sorry that you didn’t find a little humour illustrated this point. My mistake.
I thoroughly dislike your notion of denying Australian’s entry to NZ given our close ties and our own complicity in climate change and I see it as completely unfeasible because it’s a). morally wrong and b). they’re bigger than us 😉 (not just militarily, but also financially and diplomatically).
I’m sorry, but I have no wish to join any ‘solution’ that advocates people be excluded because of where they come from. We have truckloads of reasons to deny entry already without adding another completely discriminatory one to the list.
rosy, maybe you are right, compunction may not be the way to go. It was not my first choice anyway.
I was responding to critics and naysayers like Colonial Viper and weka who pooh, pooh any suggestion that New Zealand should set an example, or that it we did, it wouldn’t have any effect.
These two are both long standing apologists for BAU and I have butted heads with them many times over many threads.
I disagree strongly with their expressed opinions that we should do nothing, (or that nothing can be done).
In my considered opinion, if New Zealand did give a positive example of what could be done. Other countries, Australia in particular, would be put under considerable popular pressure to follow suit. (If Australia did this, then other countries would be under pressure to follow as well.)
There is some evidence coming out of Australia that may make this viewpoint more plausible to my critics.
“An uncomfortable time for Australians, especially climate-change sceptics”
Some climate experts are convinced the 2013 heatwave will prove a turning-point in how Australians respond to warnings about human-induced climate change. In a country that relies on fossil fuels for much of its well-being (coal is the second-biggest export and produces about four-fifths of electricity), climate-change sceptics have often swayed political debate.
When she visited areas devastated by fire in Tasmania, the prime minister, Julia Gillard, avoided blaming global warming directly. But she added that climate change would, over time, bring “more extreme weather events”. Aaron Coutts-Smith, of the Australian meteorology bureau, is less equivocal about the prospects. He says all six of the nation’s states over the past decade have had a “predominance” of new record temperatures.
I might mention here that the weakening of the monsoon, one of the factors that caused the build up of heat in central Australia, which created the heatwave, is one of the weather effects predicted by computer modeling of climate change. Climate change modeling predicts that if CO2 forcing continues, at some point the seasonal monsoon will in future years occasionally not make an appearance at all. This would be devastating for Australia, allowing tropical heatwaves to build up to unprecedented levels before sweeping south. This is what has happened in this case, with only just a “weakening of the monsoon“.
Apart from Australia, a complete failure of the monsoon would be devastating for the many south east Asian countries in the tropical regions which depend on the monsoon to sustain their agriculture. Resulting in drought and famine. If this failure was repeated over more than one growing season, we could be witness to one of the biggest famine disasters in human history. And which could see Australia becoming mostly uninhabitable.
I’m not an advocate of BAU, Jenny. I’m just noting that a righteous dictatorial approach will not work in our democracy.
Also, you fail to appreciate that politicians can only do what the electorate will allow them to do.
Jenny, you have a shocking tendency to talk down to people who challenge your positions and the realism of your strategies, instead of answering the serious concerns raised.
While you might get some window dressing, no government in the world is going to force upon their people steep cuts in energy use and consumer society activities until they are absolutely forced to.
Using an advertising spoof unrelated to climate change to evoke the fantasy of a brutal military takeover and invasion of this country through use of overwhelming powerful Australian military might in response to New Zealand legislators tinkering with our immigration laws, weird.
Jenny, it could happen quite quickly and smoothly eg. with political co-operation on both sides of the Tasman.
You need to look over what has happened previously during major famines and disasters in history. Resource wars, mass migrations and political/societal instability. Blurring of sovereignty.
One of my concerns with your approach Jenny is that you do not seem to have learnt any lessons from history (both contemporary and ancient).
It is in the above grim scenario, that your so called “joke” about a military takeover becomes something more, something much more serious.
Watch your clip again, rosy. Especially the second part. And think about the huge military investment and financial and sheer human cost involved in maintaining these forces over many years. And know in your vitals that these resources will not be sitting idle under such conditions.
The best humour (and advertising) always contains an essential truth, Jenny and what you were advocating when I posted that comment would lead to the use of state power, from a much more powerful state, against us.
CV @9:54 + 10:04 that’s about the sum of it. Thanks.
So Jenny, you think that rich people who want to live here because it’s getting too hot at home should be called refugees and treated as refugees alongside poor people who’ve lost their homes to rising sealevels created by the developed world? Where are we going to fit them all? And do you think by chance that the rich people will get preference over the poor people?
New Zealand is responsible for only 0.2% of green house gasses. Even if New Zealand magically cut our emissions to zero it would have negligible quantitive effect.
Our greatest contribution in the fight against climate change will be symbolic.
This is the considered opinion of New Zealand’s top science advisor to the government.
The single most contributing factor to climate change identified by James Hansen is coal. According to Hansen, if we cannot stop coal then we are doomed to a global temperature increase in excess of 6 degrees .
I would go even further and suggest that if we cannot even contemplate stopping this one easily stopped causative factor of climate change, then there is no chance of moving past this to other lesser causative factors.
Banning all coal exports and imports is the one concrete and achievable symbolic action that New Zealand can do, that would threaten an axe to one of the root causes of climate change.
If New Zealand put a ban on all coal exports and imports this would be a clarion call to all other countries, especially our greatest friend and nearest neighbor, Australia, to do the same.
If the contemplation of this positive example is not thought to be enough, then I suggested this should be followed up by a private members bill calling for the removal of all special immigration status this country gives to Australian citizens.
Especially since many thousands of of climate change refugees are going to have rights of citizenship in New Zealand.
As for all expat Kiwis fleeing the heat. Australian citizens seeing their expat kiwi friends neighbors and workmates taking this option and knowing that this escape is denied to them because of their country’s leading role in causing climate change. May find that this concentrates the mind no end. Giving them even further incentive to question whether their country can continue digging up all the coal it possibly can.
Of course this is all academic as not one of New Zealand’s three main political parties are contemplating taking any action at all against coal mining or use.
The fact that you a Green Party supporter are aghast at me daring to raise the idea as a possible course of action speaks volumes. You are angry that I am puncturing the narrative that there is nothing that could be done about climate change. Which is basically a defeatist argument and an excuse for doing nothing.
Here’s a new tactic by coalming protesters in Australia, and endorsed by several Green MPs.
Do you think this is a good idea for NZ as well?
“On Monday, anti-coal activist Jonathan Moylan issued a media release purportedly from the ANZ Bank withdrawing a $1.2 billion loan to Whitehaven Coal, which is developing a project in Maules Creek in the Gunnedah Basin.
The hoax wiped $314 million from the value of Whitehaven Coal before the company and ANZ confirmed the hoax, although the share prices recovered after the ruse was revealed.”
In answer to your question: Do I think this is a good idea for NZ as well? In my opinion, actions like this though amusing, not really that useful.
Personally I don’t think much of this sort of individualist guerilla action. Coal will only be stopped by a mass democratic movement that shifts the whole political spectrum to the left. Similar to that that stopped nuclear ships or racist sports teams visiting New Zealand.
“Although highly creative, the Whitehaven deception is not the first such action. In 2008, US environmental activist Tim DeChristopher attended an auction of oil and gas mining leases in Utah and outbid everyone else. When he could not pay the $1.8 million he was arrested and charged with defrauding the federal government. In July 2011 he was sentenced to two years in jail.
The Utah land auction was eventually abandoned by the Interior Department and a federal judge ruled that the administration of the sale was improper. DeChristopher’s action had the desired effect.”
“Recognising this new reality, perhaps Jonathan Moylan and Tim DeChristopher are pioneering a new phase of climate campaigning aimed at making it more difficult for coal and oil companies to do business. What might be dubbed “virtuous malfeasance” — hostile actions motivated by the public good aimed at damaging a company’s interests — may be a new form of civil disobedience practiced by a market-savvy generation of young activists.
Often those who engage in civil disobedience are otherwise the most law-abiding citizens. They are those who have most regard for the social interest and the keenest understanding of the democratic process, including its failures.”
Makes sense to me. While I agree that we also need mass action within the general population, it’s hard to argue against individuals willing to put their freedom on the line for such an urgent problem. Puts the rest of us to shame really, including you Jenny, who is unwilling to give up your western comfy lifestyle to mitigate CC, but who castigates the GP for making pragmatic choices that have real effect in the world.
Dodgy individualist actions are no alternative to building an open mass democratic political movement against climate change. Such individualist actions are easily countered, and are easily shrugged off by the fossil fuel industry backed by the state. The only final result from these individual actions will be more and harsher counter measures. The sort of measures we saw Solid Energy deploy against Happy Valley protestors.
There are no short cuts. But it requires leadership. Unfortunately it is this necessary political leadership that is missing.
Because of this missing leadership, no doubt we will get to see more of these brave individual type stunts which are often carried out at great personal cost, but which will all prove to be ultimately futile.
Also handing the struggle against climate change over to a few “brave individuals” lets the Green Party and other political parties and movements off the hook.
It is just another tired excuse by them for doing nothing themselves.
Nice idea Jenny, can you balance the books.
Value of coal to nZ, effects of the ban, employment replacement?
Provide a neutral solution and you might get traction.
From one climate change acceptor to another.
I think that Jenny’s suggestions are totally and completely unworkable, from a political and democratic perspective. In a previous comment she’s already said that thousands of coal mining related jobs need to be destroyed by lunch time. If the Greens do as she dictates, it’ll simply make martyrs of the Green Party at the polls.
Once they have exited Parliament, where too next?
Basically a 3-4 deg C temperature rise is already baked into the cake as far as I can see.
To get any real traction, you’d have to get a mass semi-spiritual style movement of people committing to living simpler less energy intensive lives, and opting out of the mainstream economy. Up to quarter of a million NZers to have any real impact.
Who here thinks that is going to happen any time soon? Jenny?
CV I can rely on you to continually come up with new excuses to do nothing about climate change.
What mineral being mined in Australia pays the workers to mine it, more than mining gold or opals or iron ore?
What is black, is more poisonous than yellow cake, and more dangerous than asbestos?
What gives off deadly suffocating and explosive fumes that when ignited collapse mines, and globally kills mine workers by the thousands?
What mineral gives off thick dust that when inhaled on a regular basis leads to silicosis of the lungs and emphysema, and is commonly known as miners lung?
What industry founded in 17th century should have been left in the 19th?
What fuel burned in London for heating houses first gave rise to the term smog?
What fuel when burned releases sulfur into the atmosphere that combines with water to become acid rain that sterilises mountain lakes and kills forests hundreds of miles away.
What singular mineral that if continued to be mined at the current rate will almost certainly guarantee runaway global climate change?
CV you may picture yourself as some kind of an advocate of the mine workers. In fact you are nothing but a dirty tool of the venal profit driven fossil fuel bosses. If you really had the interest of the workers at heart you would be fighting to get our coal miners the best possible exit packages and training to enable them to leave this sunset industry as soon as possible. Instead through your cowardice and apologist treachery you are ensuring, that when this industry finally collapses, which it will. Those workers it leaves behind, like the rest of us, will be suffering with a degraded environment that will be a living hell.
Nothings going to happen to change course politically until the world is actually being crippled by full blown climate crisis. Am I happy about this? No. But the Titanic has too much damn mass, and it’s going too damn fast, and the iceberg is far too close.
CV your analogy using the Titanic already on an unavoidable collision course with the iceberg, may be quite accurate as a description or the dilemma our world is in.
This still doesn’t excuse doing nothing.
Unlike the passengers on the Titanic we know what is happening to us.
To use another Titanic analogy your continual excuses for BAU is as irresponsible as organising for a game of soccer on the foredeck with the blocks of fallen ice.
To use another more famous and time worn Titanic analogy, The Green Party prioritising of social change over climate change will in the long run amount to no more than rearranging the deck chairs.
The Green Party need to heed the prophetic words of Naomi Kleine;
….Climate change has the ability to undo your historic victories and crush your present struggles. So it’s time to come together, for real, and fight to preserve and extend what you care most about — which means engaging in the climate fight, really engaging, as if your life and your life’s work, even life itself, depended on it. Because they do.
But its not going to happen that way Jenny. People do not generally band together and fight hard for immediate reductions in their lifestyles, convenience and consumption.
To get any real traction, you’d have to get a mass semi-spiritual style movement of people committing to living simpler less energy intensive lives, and opting out of the mainstream economy. Up to quarter of a million NZers to have any real impact.
Who here thinks that is going to happen any time soon? Jenny?
Colonial Viper
It will never happen without leadership.
And not a mass semi-spiritual style movement you imagine.
Not only are you abrogating the lack of political leadership on climate change, now you are trying to palm it off to some sort of mystical religious leadership?
Are you crazy?
CV, I think you have lost the plot.
To expect millions of people to ignore business and government leadership, to go in the opposite direction, spontaneously responding to some mystical spiritual movement (coming from nowhere) to move to a less energy intensive lifestyle, in opposition to the government policy direction is wacky even for you.
Social change requires leadership. By attempting to blame everyone else, for not spontaneously making these changes, you are hoping that people will not notice the criminal lack of leadership coming from the government, and in particular, the Labour Party in the face of this existential crisis.
Most working people caught in the 9 to 5 struggle to keep their jobs and pay the rent cannot afford the options available to middle class people to drop out and get back to nature. We don’t have the leisure time or the resources. We can’t use bicycles or walk to work because we would never be able to get to work that way. We can’t use public transport because it doesn’t exist or is painfully unreliable. We are stuck in dormitory suburbs with no other means of getting across the city than using private cars that we can barely afford to run.
We don’t have any resources or even the leisure to grow our own food because of the long hours we have to work, and so are reliant on super markets, even takeaways.
These so called “lifestyle choices” are all the result of policy direction by local and central government and business.
Serious action on climate change requires leadership, it requires state action, it requires political will and policy direction, it requires government resources put into it, and most of all it requires courageous leadership from those whose responsibility it is to deliver it.
Instead we get spineless scapegoating of citizenry as excuses for the lack of leadership. And Labour Party supporter CV wishing for some spiritual movement to take the terrible responsibility of leadership off their shoulders.
Instead of blaming everyone else, maybe CV could heed the political advice of Napoleon on leadership. He wrote:
There is no such thing as bad soldiers. Only bad generals.
I’m sorry Geoff but CCA stands for climate change apologist in my book.
Climate change is an existential threat on par with and even greater unfortunately, than a fascist takeover of the world.
Did people worry about the cost to jobs, when fascism threatened the world? Did they worry about the expense of waging world war, or balancing the books?
Is the world a better place for nations and governments ignoring those lessor concerns?
Links that haven’t made it to The Standard link roster yet, but that just might embarrass the Labour and Green MPs into taking immediate parliamentary action.*
‘‘We are well past the time of niceties, of avoiding the dire nature of what is unfolding, and politely trying not to scare the public. The unparalleled setting of new heat extremes is forcing the continual upwards trending of warming predictions for the future, and the timescale is contracting.’’
Liz Hanna convener of the human health division at the Australian National University’s Climate Change Adaptation Network.
“The scale has just been increased today and I would anticipate it is because the forecast coming from the bureau’s model is showing temperatures in excess of 50 degrees,” David Jones, head of the bureau’s climate monitoring and prediction unit, toldreporters.
Indicating that the worst may yet to come, Jones added that, “The air mass over the inland is still heating up – it hasn’t peaked.”
Climate scientists in Australia—with Jones among them—say the fires and the heat are unprecedented in scale and intensity, but that Australians should understand the destructive temperatures and ensuing fires across Tasmania and southern sections of the country are the new normal of runaway climate change.
“Most striking was the number of locations across the country that broke their average annual temperature record,” a statement from NOAA reads. “More than a dozen of these locations also experienced their driest year on record.”
“This disturbing news puts the heat on President Obama to take immediate action against carbon pollution,” said Dr. Shaye Wolf, climate science director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “The blazing temperatures that scorched America in 2012 are a bitter taste of the climate chaos ahead. Science tells us that our rapidly warming planet will endure more heat waves, droughts and extreme weather. The president needs to start making full use of the Clean Air Act to fight greenhouse gas emissions, before it’s too late.”
“The blazing temperatures that scorched America in 2012 are a bitter taste of the climate chaos ahead,”
Dr. Shaye Wolfe of the Center for Biological Diversity.
Certainly, it will take much more research to understand whether there’s a direct link between Sandy and climate change. But we do know that storm’s impact was made worse by rising sea levels, increasing ocean temperatures and unusual weather patterns, all of which are definitively connected to climate change.
2012 was the hottest year on record. Arctic sea ice is melting. Sea levels are rising faster than projected. And extreme weather events — droughts, storms, heat waves — are increasing in number and intensity, disproportionately harming the world’s most vulnerable populations.
* (But whose only affect so far, is to deprive me of sleep at night.)
The Australian bushfires current are of a disasterous proportion unprecented in “know” history – but that is only just over 200 years in a country which has lived by fire for hundreds of millions of years.
Is man to blame or is it just Australia ?
Similarly New Zealand is built on New Fold Volcanic structures which have produced volcanoes and with that earthquakes for hundreds of millions of years.
ps – my sisters house got wiped of the earth yestrday in NSW.
very sorry to hear that; prayer regrettably, I read this morning, will only change the person engaging in it. We had a front-page photo locally of the family sheltering under a pier in the sea in Tasmania , in prayer, must have been terrifying for the children.(Over the forty years that I have experienced HB weather, the frequencies of extremes, wind, rain, temp, do appear to have increased, yet that’s only my memory. Sure is hot today though.
Actually they aint, the most disastrous bushfires in ‘known’ history that is, There were fires in Tasmania in the 1960’s which killed 60 odd people, burnt a greater area, (including parts of the State Capital),
I flew by a bit of info on the Northern Territory fires the other day while looking at info on the fires in NSW and Tassy and from memory in the North fires burn across 1/3rd or 1/2 the land mass of the Territory every year,
“The irony is that the only way to get the attention of the voters you need to win over and earn their respect is to actually stand. for. something.”
Tim Watkins, 7th October 2012 in The Pundit.
“So, David Shearer’s planning a reshuffle of his front bench and folk such as John Tamihere and, well, just about everyone, reckons it’s about time. The carping has started, so the Labour leader had better get on with it. But what he needs to realise is a reshuffle is only the beginning. In many ways it’s the smallest part of the job.”
The membership wants a full reform of the party, not only the re-shuffle/retirement gig in the Caucus.
What are the changes we want?
The full implementation of the resolutions from the conference in word and in spirit: that is a membership connected with all sections of the community empowered to forge policies and leadership that will bring health and prosperity to all Kiwis.
Over the next few weeks we have too see evidence that changes are taking place that will implement this reform.
What we do not want to see is a re-shuffle that entrenches power in the few that are fighting the reform.
The membership should be permitted by caucus to confirm the Leader. It would energise the party, bring onboard new blood and new members, and fire up the on-the-ground activisits going into the 2014 campaign. It is a full on win scenario for Labour.
Yes, caucus IMO should pull the consitutional caucus trigger in Feb. Thereby allowing the wider membership to vote and confirm the leadership of the Labour Party. There are huge campaigning, momentum and growth advantages available to the party if it chooses that democratic road. IMO.
The other perspective is the one we have heard consistently from TRP – there’s nothing left to talk about, everyone please move on. That path IMO would leave Labour with a very half hearted activist base going into the 2014 campaign.
Can caucus just decide to have a membership vote without caucus voting on the current leader? Or does it require caucus to vote against the current leader, thereby triggering the membership vote?
If/when the membership vote gets triggered, how are the candidates for leadership selected?
This post explains a few of the points…some of the questions you are asking are matters of perspective and intent, however. Remember, the ABCs took Cunliffe breathing at Conference as evidence of an imminent coup.
My view is that both Shearer’s leadership position and Labour’s on-the-ground momentum would be greatly strengthened going into 2014 with a full membership confirmation.
Re-reading that link from last year, my understanding is still that giving the membership the chance to vote requires 40% +1 of caucus to actively vote against Shearer next month (and this is a once in a three year opportunity).
Where does it say it is possible for caucus to bypass that and just go straight to a membership vote? You are suggesting that caucus “pull the constitutional caucus trigger” in Feb, but how can they do that without essentially having a vote of no confidence in Shearer? It’s a nice idea that caucus should give the vote to the membership at this stage, I just don’t yet see how that can actually be done. Some specifics would be nice.
I think you got that right. The caucus vote would have to be technically “against Shearer” in order to enable a membership vote “for Shearer”. It won’t be hard for the MPs to realise that this pathway provides an opportunity to strengthen Shearer’s position, Labour’s democratic credentials, and the party’s momentum going into 2014.
What happens if more than 50% vote no confidence? Is it a caucus vote for replacement or straight to membership for the replacement?
What I’m thinking is if shearer publicly asks for a no confidence vote so it can be taken to the membership, that would be a cool way of bypassing the entire “ooo shearer’s in the shit/ party crisis” yellow journalism from certain TV news politics editors.
Yep. The issue re: Feb is simply one of whether caucus will let the members have a say to confirm the leadership, or whether they will choose not to give members that chance.
The caucus vote would have to be technically “against Shearer” in order to enable a membership vote “for Shearer”.
Just want to add – though I haven’t seen anyone cite the “but if they support Shearer how could they vote against him” – that the reasoning is a lot similar to (what I understand was) Chris Finlayson’s vote against marriage equality – it’s not that he doesn’t support treating same-sex couples equally, but he opposes State intervention in marriage at all. So a seemingly-illogical vote can be very easily justified.
Indeed, but hypothetically >60% of the Labour caucus could absolutely sincerely support him as leader, meaning the choice to send the decision to the membership would involve voting “against” their actual inclination.
Which is why I’m not sure that CV’s idea would work – asking for caucus to voluntarily give the membership the vote. It requires MPs to vote against their support of Shearer.
CW
Not if he asks them to turn the vote to the membership and affiliates. What they’d be voting for is that affiliates and membership should have a say as to who should be leader.
Not being a Labour party member I have no way of finding out, but I’m still not convinced that what you say is possible McFlock (Shearer instructing the MPs to vote against him in order to hand the vote to the members). Doesn’t it depend on what got written in the rule changes? Is it really ok for the leader to make it up as he goes along at this point? If I were a Labour party member, I would be wanting to know exactly what the processes were (not least because I don’t expect the ABCs to play fair). Just saying.
Bill’s idea about abstaining is interesting, but again, were I a member, I would want to know the processes and implications AHEAD of time (esp if I were lobbying my local MP).
this HAARP does play tunes (sample of one) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAARP (the caravan may act as an aerial) , fine, I’m between homes anyway, any way interesting construction, can you Send Me An Angel next time? Shall I tell you I had a dream?…na don’t wanna bore you with the details, suffice to say it was counter-motivational.
Feedback- “Well I stand up next to a mountain, and I chop it down with the edge of my hand…
Well I pick up all the pieces and make an Island, might even raise a little sand 🙂
We’re all gonna die so lets get High? I prefer Raw Power or Well my Baby she wrote me a letter, aint got no time to take a fast train (I’d make a good spook 😉 )
back to Fear and Trembling,
(and there were some interesting symbols, flange, inert gas, gearboxes, escort, hard to understand scottish accents off exercising for lunch, thinking for other people…)
anyway,
Restless Leg Syndrome, oh look, it’s all there in lovely Living Color. http://www.bpac.org.nz/magazine/2012/december/restlesslegs.asp
when we read the compilations put together by posters and comment providers on The Standard the “facts” of the matter are more than Beyond Belief, Objective lie speaking.
Dom
-60% of those folk surveyed did not exercise 30min / 5X week, up from 50% surveyed in 07-08 –
SpNZ
Reason? TIME-the winner, with “expense” and “convenience” close runner ups (gotta work on being less judgy / more on “perceptive” according to my “minders” ) soooo just the facts. TIME.
-the Ed Ministry employs and pays consultants to do their basic homework; speech writing and OIA assignments
-Corrections the naughtiest in school when it come to watching porn at work (cha know? a guy was openly staring as close to the screen at it here where I “work” earlier, noz Right up to the screen; I was more laid back when caught in that particular fly-trap)
-An anti-China moralizing editorial; and we know which broadsheets serve the function of propaganda officers here in the land of the long opaque cloud… apples and mandarins.
-Anti-Muslim advertisements paid to be placed on NY subway walls are the Graffiti Crimes allowed by “free speech” in the west.
-fortunately they published a letter by a Dr Anne Jenkins that identifies how they stir the racist pot; there is some foolish regular writer in the local paper who thinks it’s appropriate to lampoon “Engrish” or, alternatively ‘Chinglish”; it’s an uphill battle when students must look up to people like this.
Eden in The East? http://books.google.co.nz/books/about/Eden_in_the_East.html?id=C01yQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Reefer Madness is in the air again.
oh those British; the “Met Office” downplays planet warming (peas not mushy enough yet) ’til 2017 with an “experimental” computer model, one of ten internationally yet acknowledges warming trend has not gone away (who writes these twisty-turny articles?)
Living Dolls http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/31/living-dolls-natasha-walter
raising girls that are now a soft target for big business propaganda with concomitant mental health issue increases (why, thank so much Hollywood for the mammary )
I want money…thats what I want…the best things in life are free? lets just keep killing the birds and bees…in fact I want so much money…thats what I want-The Flying Lizards
1. What did Shearer think of Roger Douglas and the 4th Labour Government?
2. Will he advocate a neoliberal approach to NZ’s economic problems just as he advocated a neoliberal approach to building up peace keeping forces in the 1990s.
3. Says “The next genuine policy aggressor will be a politician possessing both the courage and the imagination to go beyond the maintenance of a discredited orthodoxy – someone willing to forge a new political, economic and social consensus” and obviously does not think this will be Shearer.
4. Says that the right believe that Shearer “will not only leave the neoliberal settlement intact, but that he may also, with Esko Aho’s example set firmly before him, seek to extend it into the spheres of welfare, health, housing and education. It will not have escaped their attention that Labour’s “Affordable Housing Plan” is really just a glorified PPP on behalf of the professional middle-class.”
5. Says that “the prognosis for those who entered Parliament with honest left-wing intentions is grim. Promotion to Cabinet will depend not only on making ritual obeisance to Shearer and his clique, but also, following the tragic precedent of the Rogernomics Era, on abandoning their former social-democratic ideals. Such self-inflicted injuries to the soul do not heal quickly.”
This makes grim, grim reading. I hope it is not true.
Oh dear… was starting to feel a little bit optimistic and now it’s gone. What to make of it? Trotter is a respected political historian – arguably the best we have.
I am sure Trotter would dearly love to be proven wrong, but he is right to put forward the hypothesis.
If someone appears as a virtual unknown, refuses to declare their position, and has predominantly right wing active supporters, then they must expect people to hypothesise from whatever facts they are able to access. Trotter has given Shearer something to answer to. Whether he will take up the challenge or not remains to be seen.
As I have said before, I would like the party to be able to eject those that break ranks with its values, even if they keep their plans under their hat until they have become prime minister. It seems to me a far graver offence to hijack a party by betraying its values than to put silly notes in mail boxes. I am not saying that Shearer does intend to betray the party’s values, since I am in no position to know such a thing, but we would all rest much easier if we had the tools to discourage such behaviour. It would also give the MPs themselves the necessary backing to resist outside pressure.
Well quite. Given that the Labour party (and NZ) was massively betrayed in the 80s, it stands to reason that transparency is a deal breaker. If Shearer (or any high ranking Labour MP or official) can’t respond to Trotter’s points openly and honestly, you’d have to wonder why.
Personally, I think SP’s synopsis of Trotter’s article is the clearest thing I’ve read on the whole Shearer issue. Come on Labour, stop wringing your hands and do what needs to be done. Are you really willing to trust that everything might be ok?
I noticed that PG thought that Clare Curran chased me off this site. Not bloody likely, not really scared of that ditsy cougar. I have dealt with worse…
No problem. Was bored waiting for a slow serial routine to run so I could debug the unpack. So I scanned my feeder and saw that pile of tripe and wrote a comment. Was meaning to mention it to you… but the usual interruptions happened.
Later, when I was scanning the wordpress notifications (useful that – shows up in the dashboard if you’re logged in and displays replies on this site and other wordpress sites), that he’d replied at least 3 times. But the first paragraphs looked more apoletic than informational, I had work, so I ignored them.
There’s not really any point in my saying this. I know how it sounds, I know I have no authority to say it. But I have to say it straight just once:
Shearer is a nasty piece of work and a very dangerous man.
I’ve seen a bit of shit in my life. Known a few wolves who disguised themselves as saints. It can be a very successsful strategy.
I genuinely hope I’m wrong about him, but I’ve been watching and listening pretty closely for a while now. The more I know of him, the stronger the conviction
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Thank you for your invitation to speak with you this afternoon about New Zealand Foreign Policy. After offering one or two general thoughts about the nature of foreign policy, the focus today will be the Pacific Reset and why its goals remain even more important today as when they were ...
National’s plan to cut policies that are reducing New Zealand’s climate emissions will result in a huge gap in the country’s emissions budgets and could see Kiwis paying significantly more at the petrol pump as a result of Christopher Luxon hiking the ETS price. ...
Labour’s plan to support rooftop solar is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what could be achieved through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...
Labour will double the number of houses with rooftop solar in New Zealand, lowering household power bills, reducing emissions and boosting renewable electricity generation. ...
A re-elected Labour Government will continue its proud tradition of advancing women’s health, employment, and legal rights Spokesperson for Women Jan Tinetti said. ...
Speaking at the E Tū Election Launch in Auckland today, Green Party co leader Marama Davidson outlined the Green Party’s manifesto commitment to ensure everyone has five weeks of annual leave. ...
A re-elected Labour Government will protect hard-fought workers’ rights and keep the momentum on wage growth to lift incomes for all New Zealanders, leader Chris Hipkins announced today. ...
New Zealand First is proud to announce the Party List for the upcoming 2023 General Election. We have had a great number of applicants and potential candidates moving through the selection process over the past few months. Our final selection for our list proves we have a wide range ...
Massive cuts to public service are on the cards as Nicola Willis has promised to resign if she doesn’t deliver tax cuts but is refusing to make the same commitment if she doesn’t raise enough income from her bungled foreign buyer’s tax. ...
Labour will help more victims of crime achieve justice faster by introducing a formal class-action regime, modernising consent laws and increasing the use of technology to speed up hearings. ...
Labour will deliver the largest ever increase to the number of doctors trained each year, adding an additional 335 doctors a year to our health workforce from 2027, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has announced. ...
Today’s PREFU has some alarming statistics showing an economy deteriorating and the cost of unaffordable government expenditure, mainly in the 2022 and 2023 budgets. Despite this alarming economic and fiscal picture, political parties are making unaffordable promises, talking about a surplus by 2027, or four years time, all of which ...
If re-elected Labour will make cervical screening services free to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 69 years, delivering better cancer care for over 1.4 million New Zealanders. ...
Labour is running a positive, forward-looking campaign that's focused on fixing the cost of living, keeping people and communities safe and investing in education, health and housing. ...
Statements from David Seymour and Winston Peters have called into question whether National would be able to lead a functional government if they were in a position to do so after the election. ...
The Green Party will protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, create an independent Ocean Commission to advise the government, and put a Green Minister for Oceans and Fisheries in charge of making it happen. ...
Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today. Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
$12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...
The 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced. “New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” Willow-Jean Prime said. “More than 4,000 of our native species are currently ...
Central and Local Government are today announcing a range of new measures to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in the Auckland CBD to complement Police scaling up their presence in the area. “Police have an important role to play in preventing and responding to crime, but there is more ...
The Government has confirmed $73.7 million over the next four years and a further $40.5m in outyears to continue to transform the disability support system, Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan has announced. “The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach is a framework which guides positive change for disabled people, ...
Standard and Poor’s is the latest independent credit rating agency to endorse the Government’s economic management in the face of a deteriorating global economy. S&P affirmed New Zealand’s long term local currency rating at AAA and foreign currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Fitch affirming New ...
Christchurch barrister Kelvin Reid has been appointed as a Judge of the Environment Court and the District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Mr Reid has extensive experience in Resource Management Act issues, including water quality throughout the South Island. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Group advising the ...
New Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today. The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of ...
Pokia ana te tihi Taiarahia e Hine-Pūkohu-rangi Hotu kau ana te manawa! Horahia ana te whārua o Ruātoki e te kapua pouri Tikaro rawahia ko te whatumanawa! Rere whakamuri kau ana te awa o Hinemataroa Ki te kawe i te rongo ki te mātāpuna i nga pōngaihu Maungapōhatu, tuohu ...
Police Minister Ginny Andersen has today congratulated Police in their efforts to crack down on gangs, after laying 50,000 charges against gang members and their associates through the hugely successful Operation Cobalt. As at 31 August, Police have: Laid 50,396 criminal charges against gang members and their associates Issued 64,524 ...
The Government has confirmed details of the tax changes to the bright-line test for cyclone-damaged properties, with the release of the required legislative amendments. Revenue Minister Barbara Edmonds has released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to be considered by the Finance and Expenditure Committee in the next Parliament, as it ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor has welcomed the CPTPP Panel’s ruling in favour of New Zealand in our dispute against Canada, a significant win for our primary sector exporters. The Panel found that Canada’s dairy quota administration is inconsistent with its obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Senior Lecturer in Resource & Environmental Planning, Massey University RMA – three letters that have struck fear into a generation of farmers, developers, politicians and anyone building a house. Or so legend would have it. Whatever its original goal of ...
Christopher Luxon has told reporters on the campaign trail in Matamata that he could manage a multi-party coalition with both Act and New Zealand First, if needed. In a social media video this morning, Luxon finally revealed that he was open to working with Winston Peters if the votes fell ...
This matter begins with the Pike River investigation being inadequate, inexplicably lengthy, and after millions of dollars, the evidence that should have been placed before the public still has not been. We have always believed that Pike River is ...
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders engage with the tertiary education sector each year. Here’s everything you need to know about funding, governance, student allowances, fees and research in two minutes. See more from our policy in two minutes series here.More than 300,000 New Zealanders are enrolled in programmes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The employment white paper, released on Monday, has outlined multiple measures the Albanese government will implement to assist the about three million people who want jobs or more hours of work. They include making ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The employment white paper, released on Monday, has outlined multiple measures the Albanese government will implement to assist the about three million people who want jobs or more hours of work. They include making ...
The biggest and most expensive diamond ring to be auctioned in New Zealand went under the hammer in Auckland on Sunday. In the name of luxury, Gabi Lardies went and tried it on.The bubbles are on ice, the scented candles are lit and I am quite explicit about not ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa says the Labour Party’s Climate Manifesto, launched today, reads like a shopping list of condiments that has missed off the main meal: action on New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter, intensive dairy. "There are many ...
Responding to the release of Labour’s Climate Manifesto, Taxpayers’ Union Deputy Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: "Yet again, we are seeing a swathe of policies that fail to recognise the genius and effectiveness of our existing Emissions ...
At his press conference to launch Labour’s climate manifesto in New Plymouth today, Chris Hipkins was quick to offer his thoughts on Christopher Luxon finally admitting National would work with New Zealand First to form the next government if it needed to. “I want to for once in my life ...
Chris Hipkins has released Labour’s “climate manifesto”, which brings together a range of existing policies plus adds a handful of new ones. These include a plan for a “minister for just transitions” to oversee New Zealand’s transition to a low-emissions economy, and to a plan to invest an additional $300 ...
What are you going to be watching this week? We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+.The biggies Neighbours: The Return (on Prime Video from September 25) Neighbours is back, baby. The long-running Australian soap that ended ...
Christopher Luxon has given the voters what they wanted – transparency on who National will work with. But, in doing so, some of his supporters worry he may have given New Zealand First a boost.Comment: National Party supporters at a meet and greet in Matamata with Christopher Luxon were ...
25 September 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Te Whatu Ora must stand by employees’ rights to freedom of thought and speech The Free Speech Union insists that Te Whatu Ora stand by their employees’ rights of freedom of thought and speech ...
The 2023 general election campaign must be the most hollow in living memory. There really isn’t much that is positive or attractive about the electoral options on offer. This is an election without inspiration. There is a definite gloominess among the public right now — with a perception that not ...
More severe weather and floods in regions demand voters’ attention. Floods in Queenstown and Southland, wildfires in South Canterbury, and further risk of flood in Gisborne, are a warning that the biggest issue in this election has to be climate ...
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 Newspoll, conducted September 18–22 from a sample of 1,239, gave Labor a 54–46 lead, a one-point gain for Labor since ...
Winston Peters has repeated his claim that Bill English said he was about to be rolled as National leader during negotiations after the 2017 election. According to the New Zealand First leader, English said during post-election negotiations that he was about to lose his position as leader of National. It’s ...
We’ve been waiting weeks months for a captain’s call from Christopher Luxon on whether or not he’d work with Winston Peters – and that finally came today. As I detailed this morning, Luxon, in a video shared to social media, finally admitted he would work with Peters if necessary after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia Fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, is promoted for a number of health benefits – from boosting our heart health, protecting our brain from dementia, ...
The 11th-hour decision to rule in Winston Peters if necessary leaves the National leader looking slow and expedient. When Chris Hipkins declared last week that National’s polling was beyond its peak, it seemed born more of hope than data. It is hard to avoid concluding, however, that Christopher Luxon has ...
A 17-year-old shares their reality living with the ‘doubting disease’. A version of this essay was first published on Emily Writes’ Substack. Every day I return to my house, gently closing the door behind me. Each time I unpack my bag, wash my lunch box and water bottle, place my ...
An ambitious initiative in Sāmoan early childhood centres is improving the health and wellbeing of children, families and teachers across Auckland – with aspirations to extend nationwide.The Seugagogo Aoga Amata Pre-School had humble beginnings. Situated close to the town centre of Auckland’s Ōtāhuhu and founded as a playgroup ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s election live updates for Monday, September 25. I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund: on deck today from the mighty Manawatū. Get in touch with me on [email protected]Find out more about the political parties at Policy.nz The agenda Christopher Luxon has confirmed he would work with Winston ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Formosa, Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy, and Co-Director of the Macquire University Ethics & Agency Research Centre, Macquarie University Australians will soon be asked to vote on whether we should “alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jared Mondschein, Director of Research, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney The US Congress has had no shortage of viral moments in recent months. Senator Dianne Feinstein seemingly became confused over how to vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell experienced two extended ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Ginns, Associate Professor in Educational Psychology, University of Sydney Oleksandr P/Pexels Around Australia, Year 12 students are heading into the final stretch of study before exams start in early term 4. This is typically seen as a very intense ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olympia Nelson, PhD Candidate in Modern Greek & Byzantine Studies specialising in Byzantine art and literature, University of Sydney Mary of Egypt, The Pantanassa Monastery, Mystras, Peloponnese, Greece Olympia Nelson, CC BY-ND Mary of Egypt, a fourth-century saint with a large ...
A beloved community group is shifting transport habits in this Manukau suburb.As I biked down Coronation Road in Māngere, a driver beeped and yelled, “Get off the road and onto the footpath!” When I didn’t get out of their way, they yelled again, telling me it was for my ...
Newshub’s next poll will be revealed at 6pm tonight, teased by political editor Jenna Lynch as one that shows the face of the election is “changing in more ways than one”. Is that a reference to New Zealand First, especially given National’s decision to commit to working with them (if ...
Andrea Vance has been on a tear of late, publishing a series of fired up columns about the dire state of political discourse as we head towards the election. This week’s Sunday Star-Times column (paywalled) is on the “stonking great elephant in the room” that none of the party leaders want to ...
The finance chiefs’ Q&A debate was some of the most compelling TV of the election season so far, 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. Tempers flare in the TVNZ studios Grant ...
“ACT and National are on the same page about a future coalition Government, with both parties working together in a strong coalition to overcome the significant challenges New Zealand faces,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Christopher Luxon confirmed ...
Pike River family members Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse have called on political leaders to agree to introduce a corporate manslaughter law following charges for Whakaari deaths being dropped. Anna Osborne, who lost her husband Milton in the Pike ...
“We need to get the politics and bureaucracy out of New Zealand’s education system, bring high standards for attendance and learning in, and treat the profession with respect. While Labour is responsible for lowering the bar and leaving kids even ...
After months of speculation and countless questions from journalists, Christopher Luxon has confirmed he would work with Winston Peters – if required to. In a video posted to social media, Luxon made it clear that his preference was for “strong and stable” two-party coalition between National and Act. “I believe ...
“Think before you speak” urges Ethnic and Faith Leaders to election candidates. The national network of ethnic and faith leaders of the Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish and African communities has urged civility and respect by politicians during ...
National and Labour are both promising to front up with their full fiscal plans this week, their rhetoric over the economy growing increasingly feisty. ...
National and Labour are both promising to front up with their full fiscal plans this week, their rhetoric over the economy growing increasingly feisty. ...
New Zealand has a massive deficit in state housing, but is that all National’s fault? Max Rashbrooke runs the numbers. It has become a truth universally acknowledged, at least on the left, that the last time National was in power, its only interest in state houses lay in selling them ...
Chlöe Swarbrick’s victory was one of the biggest surprises of the 2020 election, but in the past three years she’s made the seat her own. Can the high-profile Green hold on to Auckland Central, or will it flip to a National or Labour newbie?Read the other battleground electorate profiles ...
Missing out on the Commonwealth Games gave Tiana Metuarau the fire to work even harder for her Silver Ferns dream. She's back from an abrupt World Cup call-up and ready to keep growing. Tiana Metuarau lay shaking uncontrollably in her Cape Town bed, unsure what was happening to her. She'd ...
First edition masterpieces are up for grabs this week at an antiquarian book auction Three extremely rare first edition Jane Austen novels will be auctioned on Wednesday, with the top bid estimated at around $80,000. Jane Austen – one of the greats, so great that she is hardly ...
The risk of protesters and unwanted guests has spoiled the election campaign. Over back-to-back days in Auckland with the two Chrises, political editor Jo Moir observed increased security and vetting, and safe party-faithful crowds.Analysis: At Auckland’s Viaduct on Friday afternoon Luxon bounced from one restaurant to another chatting with ...
Tiny home living is cheap, good for the environment and encourages a simpler life. Getting there, however, can be a bureaucratic horror show and involve a huge financial leap of faith. You've probably seen the videos where you're walked through a picture-perfect tiny home on an idyllic section. The incredibly ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will commit $41 million for technical and further education and “higher apprenticeships” when it releases its white paper on employment on Monday. Of this, $31 million will be for new TAFE “centres ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will commit $41 million for technical and further education and “higher apprenticeships” when it releases its white paper on employment on Monday. Of this, $31 million will be for new TAFE “centres ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Yamin Kogoya Prominent West Papuan independence activist Victor Yeimo was yesterday released from prison in Jayapura, Indonesia’s occupied capital of West Papua, sparking a massive celebration among thousands of Papuans. His release has ignited a spirit of unity among Papuans in their fight against what they refer ...
COMMENTARY:By John Mitchell in Suva On Thursday, the whole world celebrated the International Day of Peace. Although the UN day is not as famous as others, like World Press Freedom Day, International Women’s Day or World Teacher’s Day, it is important nevertheless. The UN General Assembly has set aside ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ admission that he agrees with National’s policies on speed limits, but claims he can’t to do anything about them, shows how ineffective the Labour Government is, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says. ...
Halfway through the campaign period and with Labour still falling in the polls, Chris Hipkins has debuted a new and more aggressive approach at a rally in Wellington, Marc Daalder reportsAnalysis: In front of a crowd of around 80 supporters in a small room on Wellington's waterfront on Sunday, Chris ...
It was a far cry from the campaign rallies the Labour Party threw in Wellington at the last two elections, held in the St James Theatre and the Michael Fowler Centre, but Chris Hipkins nevertheless summoned an old-school energy at a central city conference room before 250 supporters this afternoon. ...
Speed limit reductions designed to make roads safer will be reversed under a National government, with state highways that had moved to 80km/h reverting to 100km/h and “many local roads” returning to 50km/h from 30km/h.“Under the guise of safety, Labour has let rip with its anti-car ideology,” said Christopher ...
Labour’s spending promises will see government debt skyrocket even further, with no funding set aside for $51 billion of policy commitments like Light Rail and Lake Onslow, National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says. “Labour’s economic ...
A National government will undo Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions, returning many state highways to 100 km/h from 80, and many local roads to 50 km/h from 30, while designing new highways for 110 km/h, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon ...
Morrissey: “I Shall Return”
[deleted]
As the French would say, quelle hypocrisie. Certainly, I am not without fault, but surely we should all be worried that someone as crude and vicious as QOT is able to set herself up as some kind of moral arbiter.
This message has been solicited and published by me as an act of support for my colleague and friend Morrissey.
[lprent: Oh piss off. The policy is clear on self-martyrdom offences
Morrissey was acting like a complete arsehole. But he isn’t the only one who can do that.
Oh and see that other nice self-martyrdom offence….
Since you’re such a friend then please explain to him that you just got a two month ban and collected him another another month. I’m uninterested in people acting like complete fuckwits and wasting my time.
Besides, after he e-mailed with some pathetic idea about what constitutes “defamation”, I had another look at the first comment he left for QoT on her post. Seeing it again just got me even more irritated with the pretentious dildo. ]
@lprent: Oh my sweet *headdesk*.
As an aside: I’m just puzzled by the date on the above comment.
Ah it might be a warning to ALL, could have sworn when i looked this morning that the first 3 comments were from ‘Jenny’,
Course if your in the ‘chair’ you probably get to move things about…
They sort on date/time.
Our Mozza was always a bit behind…
Yeah odd. There have been some other database oddities…
Maybe you could make it up to me by giving me a guest post.
🙂 I have been slack processing the e-mails. Been pretty busy looking at the server speeds and that dratted paid employment keeps interfering.
I will set aside some time either in the morning on on the weekend.
Ta for that Lynn. No pressure. I openly admit that some of my output might be no better than drafts. As always off the record critiques are appreciated.
The climate change refugees. Are on their way.
Ask yourself.
40 degree heat what’s that like?
50 degree heat what’s that like?
Uncomfortable?
Unbearable?
What’s it like for parents with small children?
What’s it like for the elderly, the infirm, for those too poor to afford air conditioning?
What’s it like for those who have to work in it?
Sickening, dangerous, life threatening?
Though we only produce 0.2% of the world’s CO2 emissions, New Zealand has a chance to make a major contribution to stopping global climate change.
Sir Peter Gluckman the science adviser to the Prime Minister’s office has said that New Zealand’s greatest contribution to stopping climate change would be to set an example for the rest of the world to follow.
Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal, and as such is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.
It is very clear what example New Zealand should set.
I call on the Green Party to immediately, and without delay, put a private member’s bill in the ballot, calling for a total ban on all coal exports.
Will they do it? Will they heck! They might embarrass their Labour Party colleagues.
But that is the point.
If enough Labour MPs are sickened by what’s happening in Australia, and also sickened with voting alongside ACT and National to keep up this dirty and dangerous trade. Then they may be vulnerable to being lobbied to defy their party whips to vote for such a bill.
Would this be significant?
Yes. Because if they vote for it in opposition, they are then honour bound to vote for it in government.
Famously. It was this sort of private members bill, put up by the opposition Labour Party that helped make New Zealand Nuclear Free.
If India and China cannot buy coal from Australia they will simply go elsewhere. They may have to pay a slightly higher price for coal but will get their own pricing structure in time.
And the Australian dream will falter faster than it is now.
But at least there will be an Australia.
‘
If New Zealand, in a world first, banned all export (and import) trade in coal what global political effect would this have?
Colonial Viper has asked me how could this make Australia give up coal exports as well.
I have thought long and hard on this. Personally I agree with Professor Gluckman in thinking a positive example should be enough. But if it is not, then the carrot should also be accompanied with the stick.
I would call on the Green Party to put up another private members bill. One that will start a firestorm of public debate, here and across the Tasman. Giving the issue of climate change the publicity and attention it needs.
This bill will be the threat and the stick to accompany the carrot.
No climate refugees will be accepted from Australia until they also give up coal exports.
I call on the Green Party to immediately, and without delay, put a further private members bill in the ballot. This bill calling for parliament to rescind Australian citizens free right of entry into New Zealand.
Too harsh?
What do you think
I’ll jump in jenny firstly by saying that you are doing well highlighting the disaster here with the effects of climate change being felt now.
This country since it was colonised has always accepted others from other countries for all sorts of reasons – some goodreasons, most bad and a few ugly. I’d probably put denying climate refugees entry here into the bad reason area simply because it is so unfair on those trying to protect their families and themselves. Maybe if individuals from companies, corporations and government both local and national that contributed to, or activelly worked against mitigating the disaster, were identifed and denied entry I’d be happier. Oh dear can’t see many getting through that net. might have to chuck a few back from here too 🙂
the climate refugee area must be debated and IMO huddling down with outwardly pointing pointed sticks is not the answer
I take your point marty, And I am quite happy to welcome climate change refugees from anywhere in the world. But why should the citizens of one of the countries most responsible for climate change have preferential treatment over all other immigrants? Free to come and go as they please, to work, or as visit as long as they like?
No other immigrant group has these rights!
I have suggested this course of action to goad Australian citizens to take action against climate change, (specifically against coal exports).
I am of the opinion that being aware that their escape hatch is being closed off and that they might have to endure the same sort of humiliation and detention that they mete out so readily to refugees themselves, might sharpen their minds to the problem.
How are CC refugees defined? I have no problem taking in Pacific Islanders who’s land has been swamped. Well off Australians shifting here once they’ve bled their own land dry while living off the carbon gravy train, not so much. We already have wealthy immigrants and people buying land from overseas because they see the future and figure NZ is one of the better places to be in when the shit hits the fan. How many are we going to take in though?
Most of us are culpable for CC.
I agree Marty, the debate needs to happen.
Weka, only by us taking action will that debate happen. It is called leadership. We don’t need to define climate refugees. We just need to take away Australian’s special privileges to come here and to say why.
“We just need to take away Australian’s special privileges to come here and to say why.”
And why would that be, Jenny? Especially since Australia allows freedom of movement for New Zealanders and that suits us just fine at the moment. There is a time for returning the favour. Especially since many thousands of of climate change refugees are going to have rights of citizenship in New Zealand.
There also is a time for returning the favour for recklessly destroying the biosphere for short term profits.
Australians may be less willing to continue down this path knowing they may have to live and die with the results of their actions, with no chance of an easy escape to a cooler country.
The sooner Australians stop the dirty coal export trade, the sooner their special immigration privileges may be returned.
“Australians may be less willing to continue down this path”
More like more willing to start a war (at least at the diplomatic level, at first).
If New Zealand opted out of buying all those Chinese goods made with energy from Australia’s coal, you might have a point about isolating ourselves. But we buy those goods and sell China product from our flatulent cows. We totally buy into the system that produces them so as a fully incorporated, paid up member of the climate change club we have no right to dictate terms over the fall-out, only to negotiate them.
I don’t see how New Zealand has a moral right to close of the legal right Australians have to live here, assuming the Aussie’s would want to. A little bit of arrogance creeping into your argument with the assumption that they would. Canada probably looks quite inviting from where they stand.
And all that is aside from the ethical and moral duty to help your neighbour when in need.
NZ might need to be gutsy and say, you can’t come over unless you have a confirmed job, or you have family here, or meet various strategic criteria.
We do what works for the people already here, which includes helping others, but we make sure that any sacrifices and compromises are very well signalled.
Yes, we do need to be gutsy.
Sacrifices, compromise and sharing are the only way through this. Not some power-crazed fantasy of punishing people by leaving them to figuratively stew. I’m not sure there are any political or historical precedents that prove such punishment is a long-term solution to resource allocation (in this instance water and climate), especially when the people you’re punishing are socially and culturally so close but much more powerful.
So if not because it’s the right thing to do, negotiate, compromise and share to avoid being taken over by the bigger, more powerful neighbour because it’s in our self(ish)-interests.
You’ve got it. We last through this by tapping into those things which have worked for millenia.
🙂 Exactly
Using an advertising spoof unrelated to climate change to evoke the fantasy of a brutal military takeover and invasion of this country through use of overwhelming powerful Australian military might in response to New Zealand legislators tinkering with our immigration laws, weird.
rosie, don’t you think tapping into fear of the sort of last measure, desperate responses that climate change will engender in governments and states as a counter to my suggestion a little bit over the top?
Can’t you think up something better than this to justify your arguement for doing nothing?
Though I admit that the crisis is upon us now. I think we still have a long way to go, before Australian military strikes will greet any symbolic New Zealand legislation against climate refugees.
If and when, Australia becomes largely uninhabitable due to climate change, no amount of legislation will stop the wave of desperate refugees heading for these shores.
I am only suggesting this move as a wake up call to start the necessary (figurative) firestorm of nationwide and trans-Tasman debate that will create the political environment which will allow the implemenatation of the solutions needed, that (hopefully) will avert the need for militaristic solutions.
All I can say about your contribution to this debate, rosie, is at least you think that climate change is such a serious problem that at some time in the future it will engender brutal military conflicts. You may have grounds for thinking this. But I don’t think we are there yet. I want us to make sure that we never get there. I would hope rosy that you would join me and others in this effort.
Jenny, I was simply taking your notion of using our legislative power to exclude to the next logical step for powerful refugees banging at New Zealand’s door. I’m sorry that you didn’t find a little humour illustrated this point. My mistake.
I thoroughly dislike your notion of denying Australian’s entry to NZ given our close ties and our own complicity in climate change and I see it as completely unfeasible because it’s a). morally wrong and b). they’re bigger than us 😉 (not just militarily, but also financially and diplomatically).
I’m sorry, but I have no wish to join any ‘solution’ that advocates people be excluded because of where they come from. We have truckloads of reasons to deny entry already without adding another completely discriminatory one to the list.
rosy, maybe you are right, compunction may not be the way to go. It was not my first choice anyway.
I was responding to critics and naysayers like Colonial Viper and weka who pooh, pooh any suggestion that New Zealand should set an example, or that it we did, it wouldn’t have any effect.
These two are both long standing apologists for BAU and I have butted heads with them many times over many threads.
I disagree strongly with their expressed opinions that we should do nothing, (or that nothing can be done).
In my considered opinion, if New Zealand did give a positive example of what could be done. Other countries, Australia in particular, would be put under considerable popular pressure to follow suit. (If Australia did this, then other countries would be under pressure to follow as well.)
There is some evidence coming out of Australia that may make this viewpoint more plausible to my critics.
“An uncomfortable time for Australians, especially climate-change sceptics”
I might mention here that the weakening of the monsoon, one of the factors that caused the build up of heat in central Australia, which created the heatwave, is one of the weather effects predicted by computer modeling of climate change. Climate change modeling predicts that if CO2 forcing continues, at some point the seasonal monsoon will in future years occasionally not make an appearance at all. This would be devastating for Australia, allowing tropical heatwaves to build up to unprecedented levels before sweeping south. This is what has happened in this case, with only just a “weakening of the monsoon“.
Apart from Australia, a complete failure of the monsoon would be devastating for the many south east Asian countries in the tropical regions which depend on the monsoon to sustain their agriculture. Resulting in drought and famine. If this failure was repeated over more than one growing season, we could be witness to one of the biggest famine disasters in human history. And which could see Australia becoming mostly uninhabitable.
I’m not an advocate of BAU, Jenny. I’m just noting that a righteous dictatorial approach will not work in our democracy.
Also, you fail to appreciate that politicians can only do what the electorate will allow them to do.
Jenny, you have a shocking tendency to talk down to people who challenge your positions and the realism of your strategies, instead of answering the serious concerns raised.
While you might get some window dressing, no government in the world is going to force upon their people steep cuts in energy use and consumer society activities until they are absolutely forced to.
Jenny, it could happen quite quickly and smoothly eg. with political co-operation on both sides of the Tasman.
You need to look over what has happened previously during major famines and disasters in history. Resource wars, mass migrations and political/societal instability. Blurring of sovereignty.
One of my concerns with your approach Jenny is that you do not seem to have learnt any lessons from history (both contemporary and ancient).
It is in the above grim scenario, that your so called “joke” about a military takeover becomes something more, something much more serious.
Watch your clip again, rosy. Especially the second part. And think about the huge military investment and financial and sheer human cost involved in maintaining these forces over many years. And know in your vitals that these resources will not be sitting idle under such conditions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RenRILqwhJs
Still laughing?
I thought you said a military takeover was a “fantasy” Jenny. Seems like you changed your tune fast. Good to see you getting a dose of realism.
The best humour (and advertising) always contains an essential truth, Jenny and what you were advocating when I posted that comment would lead to the use of state power, from a much more powerful state, against us.
CV @9:54 + 10:04 that’s about the sum of it. Thanks.
“We don’t need to define climate refugees.”
So Jenny, you think that rich people who want to live here because it’s getting too hot at home should be called refugees and treated as refugees alongside poor people who’ve lost their homes to rising sealevels created by the developed world? Where are we going to fit them all? And do you think by chance that the rich people will get preference over the poor people?
What on earth are you talking about weka?
I thought I made myself pretty clear.
New Zealand is responsible for only 0.2% of green house gasses. Even if New Zealand magically cut our emissions to zero it would have negligible quantitive effect.
Our greatest contribution in the fight against climate change will be symbolic.
This is the considered opinion of New Zealand’s top science advisor to the government.
The single most contributing factor to climate change identified by James Hansen is coal. According to Hansen, if we cannot stop coal then we are doomed to a global temperature increase in excess of 6 degrees .
I would go even further and suggest that if we cannot even contemplate stopping this one easily stopped causative factor of climate change, then there is no chance of moving past this to other lesser causative factors.
Banning all coal exports and imports is the one concrete and achievable symbolic action that New Zealand can do, that would threaten an axe to one of the root causes of climate change.
If New Zealand put a ban on all coal exports and imports this would be a clarion call to all other countries, especially our greatest friend and nearest neighbor, Australia, to do the same.
If the contemplation of this positive example is not thought to be enough, then I suggested this should be followed up by a private members bill calling for the removal of all special immigration status this country gives to Australian citizens.
Here’s a new tactic by coalming protesters in Australia, and endorsed by several Green MPs.
Do you think this is a good idea for NZ as well?
“On Monday, anti-coal activist Jonathan Moylan issued a media release purportedly from the ANZ Bank withdrawing a $1.2 billion loan to Whitehaven Coal, which is developing a project in Maules Creek in the Gunnedah Basin.
The hoax wiped $314 million from the value of Whitehaven Coal before the company and ANZ confirmed the hoax, although the share prices recovered after the ruse was revealed.”
http://www.leadingcompany.com.au/strategy/anz-hoax-marks-new-age-of-climate-tactics/201301093398
Thanks for this jayman.
In answer to your question: Do I think this is a good idea for NZ as well? In my opinion, actions like this though amusing, not really that useful.
Personally I don’t think much of this sort of individualist guerilla action. Coal will only be stopped by a mass democratic movement that shifts the whole political spectrum to the left. Similar to that that stopped nuclear ships or racist sports teams visiting New Zealand.
Of course you are aware that my job entails burning coal, so if there’s no coal I lose my job!
I have just the job for you. That will make full use of your special talents.
This goes for all other coal miners.
PS. How do you get your rebreather over that beard?
Green parties seem to have a habit of letting some idiot in a few minutes undo years of work by GP staffers..
Jonathon Moylan is a brave person.
“Although highly creative, the Whitehaven deception is not the first such action. In 2008, US environmental activist Tim DeChristopher attended an auction of oil and gas mining leases in Utah and outbid everyone else. When he could not pay the $1.8 million he was arrested and charged with defrauding the federal government. In July 2011 he was sentenced to two years in jail.
The Utah land auction was eventually abandoned by the Interior Department and a federal judge ruled that the administration of the sale was improper. DeChristopher’s action had the desired effect.”
“Recognising this new reality, perhaps Jonathan Moylan and Tim DeChristopher are pioneering a new phase of climate campaigning aimed at making it more difficult for coal and oil companies to do business. What might be dubbed “virtuous malfeasance” — hostile actions motivated by the public good aimed at damaging a company’s interests — may be a new form of civil disobedience practiced by a market-savvy generation of young activists.
Often those who engage in civil disobedience are otherwise the most law-abiding citizens. They are those who have most regard for the social interest and the keenest understanding of the democratic process, including its failures.”
Makes sense to me. While I agree that we also need mass action within the general population, it’s hard to argue against individuals willing to put their freedom on the line for such an urgent problem. Puts the rest of us to shame really, including you Jenny, who is unwilling to give up your western comfy lifestyle to mitigate CC, but who castigates the GP for making pragmatic choices that have real effect in the world.
Dodgy individualist actions are no alternative to building an open mass democratic political movement against climate change. Such individualist actions are easily countered, and are easily shrugged off by the fossil fuel industry backed by the state. The only final result from these individual actions will be more and harsher counter measures. The sort of measures we saw Solid Energy deploy against Happy Valley protestors.
There are no short cuts. But it requires leadership. Unfortunately it is this necessary political leadership that is missing.
Because of this missing leadership, no doubt we will get to see more of these brave individual type stunts which are often carried out at great personal cost, but which will all prove to be ultimately futile.
Also handing the struggle against climate change over to a few “brave individuals” lets the Green Party and other political parties and movements off the hook.
It is just another tired excuse by them for doing nothing themselves.
Nice idea Jenny, can you balance the books.
Value of coal to nZ, effects of the ban, employment replacement?
Provide a neutral solution and you might get traction.
From one climate change acceptor to another.
I think that Jenny’s suggestions are totally and completely unworkable, from a political and democratic perspective. In a previous comment she’s already said that thousands of coal mining related jobs need to be destroyed by lunch time. If the Greens do as she dictates, it’ll simply make martyrs of the Green Party at the polls.
Once they have exited Parliament, where too next?
Basically a 3-4 deg C temperature rise is already baked into the cake as far as I can see.
To get any real traction, you’d have to get a mass semi-spiritual style movement of people committing to living simpler less energy intensive lives, and opting out of the mainstream economy. Up to quarter of a million NZers to have any real impact.
Who here thinks that is going to happen any time soon? Jenny?
CV I can rely on you to continually come up with new excuses to do nothing about climate change.
What mineral being mined in Australia pays the workers to mine it, more than mining gold or opals or iron ore?
What is black, is more poisonous than yellow cake, and more dangerous than asbestos?
What gives off deadly suffocating and explosive fumes that when ignited collapse mines, and globally kills mine workers by the thousands?
What mineral gives off thick dust that when inhaled on a regular basis leads to silicosis of the lungs and emphysema, and is commonly known as miners lung?
What industry founded in 17th century should have been left in the 19th?
What fuel burned in London for heating houses first gave rise to the term smog?
What fuel when burned releases sulfur into the atmosphere that combines with water to become acid rain that sterilises mountain lakes and kills forests hundreds of miles away.
What singular mineral that if continued to be mined at the current rate will almost certainly guarantee runaway global climate change?
CV you may picture yourself as some kind of an advocate of the mine workers. In fact you are nothing but a dirty tool of the venal profit driven fossil fuel bosses. If you really had the interest of the workers at heart you would be fighting to get our coal miners the best possible exit packages and training to enable them to leave this sunset industry as soon as possible. Instead through your cowardice and apologist treachery you are ensuring, that when this industry finally collapses, which it will. Those workers it leaves behind, like the rest of us, will be suffering with a degraded environment that will be a living hell.
Workers have names for people like you.
Nothings going to happen to change course politically until the world is actually being crippled by full blown climate crisis. Am I happy about this? No. But the Titanic has too much damn mass, and it’s going too damn fast, and the iceberg is far too close.
*Shrug* I’m not here because I want to be liked.
CV your analogy using the Titanic already on an unavoidable collision course with the iceberg, may be quite accurate as a description or the dilemma our world is in.
This still doesn’t excuse doing nothing.
Unlike the passengers on the Titanic we know what is happening to us.
To use another Titanic analogy your continual excuses for BAU is as irresponsible as organising for a game of soccer on the foredeck with the blocks of fallen ice.
To use another more famous and time worn Titanic analogy, The Green Party prioritising of social change over climate change will in the long run amount to no more than rearranging the deck chairs.
The Green Party need to heed the prophetic words of Naomi Kleine;
But its not going to happen that way Jenny. People do not generally band together and fight hard for immediate reductions in their lifestyles, convenience and consumption.
Do you see how unrealistic your approach is?
You obviously haven’t got a clue about history CV.
This is exactly what people had to do to win the war against fascism.
Do you see how ignorant your approach is?
We’re not soldiers in your imaginary war, Jenny.
We’re not your soldiers in your imaginary war, Jenny.
I’m sorry Geoff but CCA stands for climate change apologist in my book.
Climate change is an existential threat on par with and even greater unfortunately, than a fascist takeover of the world.
Did people worry about the cost to jobs, when fascism threatened the world? Did they worry about the expense of waging world war, or balancing the books?
Is the world a better place for nations and governments ignoring those lessor concerns?
‘
We are well past the time of niceties
Links that haven’t made it to The Standard link roster yet, but that just might embarrass the Labour and Green MPs into taking immediate parliamentary action.*
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/get-used-to-recordbreaking-heat-bureau-20130108-2cet5.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/08
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2013/jan/08/australia-bush-fires-heatwave-temperature-scale?CMP=twt_fd
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/08-7
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/01/08-5
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/katrina-vanden-heuvel-a-climate-change-apocalypse/2013/01/07/f440d704-58e4-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html
* (But whose only affect so far, is to deprive me of sleep at night.)
The Australian bushfires current are of a disasterous proportion unprecented in “know” history – but that is only just over 200 years in a country which has lived by fire for hundreds of millions of years.
Is man to blame or is it just Australia ?
Similarly New Zealand is built on New Fold Volcanic structures which have produced volcanoes and with that earthquakes for hundreds of millions of years.
ps – my sisters house got wiped of the earth yestrday in NSW.
very sorry to hear that; prayer regrettably, I read this morning, will only change the person engaging in it. We had a front-page photo locally of the family sheltering under a pier in the sea in Tasmania , in prayer, must have been terrifying for the children.(Over the forty years that I have experienced HB weather, the frequencies of extremes, wind, rain, temp, do appear to have increased, yet that’s only my memory. Sure is hot today though.
Actually they aint, the most disastrous bushfires in ‘known’ history that is, There were fires in Tasmania in the 1960’s which killed 60 odd people, burnt a greater area, (including parts of the State Capital),
I flew by a bit of info on the Northern Territory fires the other day while looking at info on the fires in NSW and Tassy and from memory in the North fires burn across 1/3rd or 1/2 the land mass of the Territory every year,
Will see if i can dig out the link…
Here it be, the page title= Australia savanna fire regimes:context, scales patchiness,
fireecology.org/docs/journal/pdf/volume03/issue01/048.pdf
The land mass burned in the Northern territory EVERY YEAR is 21% of the Territory’s total land mass,
The page is a pdf. but it’s got a quick view’
Edit,damn made a mess of the link,(as usual), second attempt=
fireecology.org/docs/journal/pdf/volume03/048.pdf
Ask her this for me the next time you talk to her Fortran. “Are you thinking of immigrating to New Zealand?”
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/why-a-labour-reshuffle-just-aint-enough
“The irony is that the only way to get the attention of the voters you need to win over and earn their respect is to actually stand. for. something.”
Tim Watkins, 7th October 2012 in The Pundit.
“So, David Shearer’s planning a reshuffle of his front bench and folk such as John Tamihere and, well, just about everyone, reckons it’s about time. The carping has started, so the Labour leader had better get on with it. But what he needs to realise is a reshuffle is only the beginning. In many ways it’s the smallest part of the job.”
The membership wants a full reform of the party, not only the re-shuffle/retirement gig in the Caucus.
What are the changes we want?
The full implementation of the resolutions from the conference in word and in spirit: that is a membership connected with all sections of the community empowered to forge policies and leadership that will bring health and prosperity to all Kiwis.
Over the next few weeks we have too see evidence that changes are taking place that will implement this reform.
What we do not want to see is a re-shuffle that entrenches power in the few that are fighting the reform.
The membership should be permitted by caucus to confirm the Leader. It would energise the party, bring onboard new blood and new members, and fire up the on-the-ground activisits going into the 2014 campaign. It is a full on win scenario for Labour.
Do you mean the membership should be permitted by caucus to confirm Shearer as leader? Or something else?
Yes, caucus IMO should pull the consitutional caucus trigger in Feb. Thereby allowing the wider membership to vote and confirm the leadership of the Labour Party. There are huge campaigning, momentum and growth advantages available to the party if it chooses that democratic road. IMO.
The other perspective is the one we have heard consistently from TRP – there’s nothing left to talk about, everyone please move on. That path IMO would leave Labour with a very half hearted activist base going into the 2014 campaign.
How does that work with the new rules?
Can caucus just decide to have a membership vote without caucus voting on the current leader? Or does it require caucus to vote against the current leader, thereby triggering the membership vote?
If/when the membership vote gets triggered, how are the candidates for leadership selected?
This post explains a few of the points…some of the questions you are asking are matters of perspective and intent, however. Remember, the ABCs took Cunliffe breathing at Conference as evidence of an imminent coup.
My view is that both Shearer’s leadership position and Labour’s on-the-ground momentum would be greatly strengthened going into 2014 with a full membership confirmation.
http://thestandard.org.nz/labour-conference-day-2/
Re-reading that link from last year, my understanding is still that giving the membership the chance to vote requires 40% +1 of caucus to actively vote against Shearer next month (and this is a once in a three year opportunity).
Where does it say it is possible for caucus to bypass that and just go straight to a membership vote? You are suggesting that caucus “pull the constitutional caucus trigger” in Feb, but how can they do that without essentially having a vote of no confidence in Shearer? It’s a nice idea that caucus should give the vote to the membership at this stage, I just don’t yet see how that can actually be done. Some specifics would be nice.
I think you got that right. The caucus vote would have to be technically “against Shearer” in order to enable a membership vote “for Shearer”. It won’t be hard for the MPs to realise that this pathway provides an opportunity to strengthen Shearer’s position, Labour’s democratic credentials, and the party’s momentum going into 2014.
I fear Shearer’s methods of “punishment and reward” will yet again win the day.
What happens if more than 50% vote no confidence? Is it a caucus vote for replacement or straight to membership for the replacement?
What I’m thinking is if shearer publicly asks for a no confidence vote so it can be taken to the membership, that would be a cool way of bypassing the entire “ooo shearer’s in the shit/ party crisis” yellow journalism from certain TV news politics editors.
If the caucus trigger were pulled, it would then allow a 40/40/30 caucus + members + affiliates postal vote to confirm Shearer as Leader.
So all future elections of new leaders are under the new rules? Cool.
Yep. The issue re: Feb is simply one of whether caucus will let the members have a say to confirm the leadership, or whether they will choose not to give members that chance.
“If the caucus trigger were pulled, it would then allow a 40/40/30 caucus + members + affiliates postal vote to confirm Shearer as Leader.”
Or to replace him. Still don’t know how the rest of that process works.
In that respect you are in the same boat as everyone else. This has never been done before you see.
The caucus vote would have to be technically “against Shearer” in order to enable a membership vote “for Shearer”.
Just want to add – though I haven’t seen anyone cite the “but if they support Shearer how could they vote against him” – that the reasoning is a lot similar to (what I understand was) Chris Finlayson’s vote against marriage equality – it’s not that he doesn’t support treating same-sex couples equally, but he opposes State intervention in marriage at all. So a seemingly-illogical vote can be very easily justified.
Doesn’t it just require 40/1% of the caucus to vote against Shearer to trigger a full leadership contest?
Just 40%
Indeed, but hypothetically >60% of the Labour caucus could absolutely sincerely support him as leader, meaning the choice to send the decision to the membership would involve voting “against” their actual inclination.
Which is why I’m not sure that CV’s idea would work – asking for caucus to voluntarily give the membership the vote. It requires MPs to vote against their support of Shearer.
CW
Not if he asks them to turn the vote to the membership and affiliates. What they’d be voting for is that affiliates and membership should have a say as to who should be leader.
Not being a Labour party member I have no way of finding out, but I’m still not convinced that what you say is possible McFlock (Shearer instructing the MPs to vote against him in order to hand the vote to the members). Doesn’t it depend on what got written in the rule changes? Is it really ok for the leader to make it up as he goes along at this point? If I were a Labour party member, I would be wanting to know exactly what the processes were (not least because I don’t expect the ABCs to play fair). Just saying.
Bill’s idea about abstaining is interesting, but again, were I a member, I would want to know the processes and implications AHEAD of time (esp if I were lobbying my local MP).
Shearer needs the endorsement of 60% of caucus. There is no need to vote against him. Abstention would do.
Child In Time
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6869.The_Child_in_Time
RNZ- asbestos ceilings in CHCH being ripped out shit and busted breathing to flow on
Shattered Glass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Lacan#Mirror_stage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Bakunin_to_Lacan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-left_anarchy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Marxism
bbrrrrrrrrrrr All Shook Up (Elvis is still in the building)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n3ebuL1cPA
-Od onata Anisoptera (whose round, and whose paying?)
Back to the pelvic thrust…
Best Practice:
Restless Leg Syndrome 🙂
oops,From the Mountain (not under it)
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/mt-zion-2013
this HAARP does play tunes (sample of one)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAARP (the caravan may act as an aerial) , fine, I’m between homes anyway, any way interesting construction, can you Send Me An Angel next time? Shall I tell you I had a dream?…na don’t wanna bore you with the details, suffice to say it was counter-motivational.
Feedback- “Well I stand up next to a mountain, and I chop it down with the edge of my hand…
Well I pick up all the pieces and make an Island, might even raise a little sand 🙂
We’re all gonna die so lets get High? I prefer Raw Power or Well my Baby she wrote me a letter, aint got no time to take a fast train (I’d make a good spook 😉 )
-Iggy ( http://www.footsteps.co.nz/ footsteps in the sand)
back to Fear and Trembling,
(and there were some interesting symbols, flange, inert gas, gearboxes, escort, hard to understand scottish accents off exercising for lunch, thinking for other people…)
anyway,
Restless Leg Syndrome, oh look, it’s all there in lovely Living Color.
http://www.bpac.org.nz/magazine/2012/december/restlesslegs.asp
Oh well, better check out the Real News.
Some “entitlements”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entitlement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entitlement_%28fair_division%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entitlement_theory
oh well, off for a sausage now (hard habit to break)
oops, some Brewers Yeast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_superiority
-The Illusionist ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443543/)
The National party is just a corrupt subsidiary of Australian owned banks, their party supporters must be high on residual Pinochet fumes.
when we read the compilations put together by posters and comment providers on The Standard the “facts” of the matter are more than Beyond Belief, Objective lie speaking.
Dom
-60% of those folk surveyed did not exercise 30min / 5X week, up from 50% surveyed in 07-08 –
SpNZ
Reason? TIME-the winner, with “expense” and “convenience” close runner ups (gotta work on being less judgy / more on “perceptive” according to my “minders” ) soooo just the facts. TIME.
-the Ed Ministry employs and pays consultants to do their basic homework; speech writing and OIA assignments
-Corrections the naughtiest in school when it come to watching porn at work (cha know? a guy was openly staring as close to the screen at it here where I “work” earlier, noz Right up to the screen; I was more laid back when caught in that particular fly-trap)
-An anti-China moralizing editorial; and we know which broadsheets serve the function of propaganda officers here in the land of the long opaque cloud… apples and mandarins.
-Anti-Muslim advertisements paid to be placed on NY subway walls are the Graffiti Crimes allowed by “free speech” in the west.
-fortunately they published a letter by a Dr Anne Jenkins that identifies how they stir the racist pot; there is some foolish regular writer in the local paper who thinks it’s appropriate to lampoon “Engrish” or, alternatively ‘Chinglish”; it’s an uphill battle when students must look up to people like this.
Eden in The East?
http://books.google.co.nz/books/about/Eden_in_the_East.html?id=C01yQgAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Reefer Madness is in the air again.
oh those British; the “Met Office” downplays planet warming (peas not mushy enough yet) ’til 2017 with an “experimental” computer model, one of ten internationally yet acknowledges warming trend has not gone away (who writes these twisty-turny articles?)
Living Dolls http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/31/living-dolls-natasha-walter
raising girls that are now a soft target for big business propaganda with concomitant mental health issue increases (why, thank so much Hollywood for the mammary )
How about some New York Dolls.W O W
While locally they rabbit on about sarin loaded into bombs
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/article7151349.ece
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=298991
http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-rejects-israeli-offer-to-allow-refugees-from-syria-to-enter-west-bank-and-gaza/
p c plus http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/1/10/business/20130110122238&sec=business
asian markets advance
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/global-markets/asian-markets-advance-as-china-trade-data-beats-forecast/articleshow/17963975.cms
NZ / US $ was 83.80 when I last checked
I want money…thats what I want…the best things in life are free? lets just keep killing the birds and bees…in fact I want so much money…thats what I want-The Flying Lizards
Chris Trotter has posted again about Shearer at http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/behind-mask-whos-backing-david-shearer.html
Asks some interesting questions:
1. What did Shearer think of Roger Douglas and the 4th Labour Government?
2. Will he advocate a neoliberal approach to NZ’s economic problems just as he advocated a neoliberal approach to building up peace keeping forces in the 1990s.
3. Says “The next genuine policy aggressor will be a politician possessing both the courage and the imagination to go beyond the maintenance of a discredited orthodoxy – someone willing to forge a new political, economic and social consensus” and obviously does not think this will be Shearer.
4. Says that the right believe that Shearer “will not only leave the neoliberal settlement intact, but that he may also, with Esko Aho’s example set firmly before him, seek to extend it into the spheres of welfare, health, housing and education. It will not have escaped their attention that Labour’s “Affordable Housing Plan” is really just a glorified PPP on behalf of the professional middle-class.”
5. Says that “the prognosis for those who entered Parliament with honest left-wing intentions is grim. Promotion to Cabinet will depend not only on making ritual obeisance to Shearer and his clique, but also, following the tragic precedent of the Rogernomics Era, on abandoning their former social-democratic ideals. Such self-inflicted injuries to the soul do not heal quickly.”
This makes grim, grim reading. I hope it is not true.
These are is very strong accusations against the leader of the Labour Party.
David Shearer must respond to the allegations. Trotter is a respected and published political historian.
Shearer should call a press conference and dismiss, refute or whatever each point.
Beat me to it SP. Was about to link to the post.
Oh dear… was starting to feel a little bit optimistic and now it’s gone. What to make of it? Trotter is a respected political historian – arguably the best we have.
I am sure Trotter would dearly love to be proven wrong, but he is right to put forward the hypothesis.
If someone appears as a virtual unknown, refuses to declare their position, and has predominantly right wing active supporters, then they must expect people to hypothesise from whatever facts they are able to access. Trotter has given Shearer something to answer to. Whether he will take up the challenge or not remains to be seen.
As I have said before, I would like the party to be able to eject those that break ranks with its values, even if they keep their plans under their hat until they have become prime minister. It seems to me a far graver offence to hijack a party by betraying its values than to put silly notes in mail boxes. I am not saying that Shearer does intend to betray the party’s values, since I am in no position to know such a thing, but we would all rest much easier if we had the tools to discourage such behaviour. It would also give the MPs themselves the necessary backing to resist outside pressure.
Well quite. Given that the Labour party (and NZ) was massively betrayed in the 80s, it stands to reason that transparency is a deal breaker. If Shearer (or any high ranking Labour MP or official) can’t respond to Trotter’s points openly and honestly, you’d have to wonder why.
Personally, I think SP’s synopsis of Trotter’s article is the clearest thing I’ve read on the whole Shearer issue. Come on Labour, stop wringing your hands and do what needs to be done. Are you really willing to trust that everything might be ok?
interesting article
Big ups to LP re: the PG B.S.!
“Here I sit broken hearted,
Spent a penny, only farted”.
Lynn Prent? Pete George? Bull Shit??
Yeah, PG got caught over-reaching again over at Yawn NZ. LP put him right.
I noticed that PG thought that Clare Curran chased me off this site. Not bloody likely, not really scared of that ditsy cougar. I have dealt with worse…
😯
😀
No problem. Was bored waiting for a slow serial routine to run so I could debug the unpack. So I scanned my feeder and saw that pile of tripe and wrote a comment. Was meaning to mention it to you… but the usual interruptions happened.
Later, when I was scanning the wordpress notifications (useful that – shows up in the dashboard if you’re logged in and displays replies on this site and other wordpress sites), that he’d replied at least 3 times. But the first paragraphs looked more apoletic than informational, I had work, so I ignored them.
There’s not really any point in my saying this. I know how it sounds, I know I have no authority to say it. But I have to say it straight just once:
Shearer is a nasty piece of work and a very dangerous man.
I’ve seen a bit of shit in my life. Known a few wolves who disguised themselves as saints. It can be a very successsful strategy.
I genuinely hope I’m wrong about him, but I’ve been watching and listening pretty closely for a while now. The more I know of him, the stronger the conviction