“Global markets took a tumble on Monday, with Greece’s main index hitting a shocking 25-year low. Ameera David has the details. Edward Harrison then joins the program from Berlin to offer more insight on the state of the European economy and the troubles it’s facing as the union of nations faces a multitude of challenges. Then Steve Keen, professor of history, economics, and politics at Kingston University, gives his thoughts on the damage he believes Brussels is inflicting on Europe.
After the break, RT’s Anya Parampil sits down to discuss Wall Street’s growing worry over the possibility of a Sanders presidency. And finally, in The Big Deal, Manuel Rapalo discusses Washington DC’s proposed experiment to pay trouble makers thousands of dollars in an effort to keep them out of jail.
Minimising your impact on workers rights abuses is yet another good reason to belong to the dumb phone movement. The last time I brought a phone was 2009 – just a regular cell phone not a smart phone and it’s still going strong. I have no need for the extra technology a smartphone provides.
I wonder how many people have unnecessarily gone through a number of new smartphones in that time, just to satisfy their obsession with gadgets, and how has that affected workers around the world?
I don’t have a laptop. And when you consider what I use my iPhone for, it’s more accurate to describe it as a little computer that I occasionally use to talk with people.
Lols. My only computer is an ancient pc that gets rebuilt every now and then. It’s all I need.
Understand that people need updated technology for work, and to a lesser degree for socialising and networking, but otherwise our obsession with electronic gadgets puts other’s lives at risk, not to mention the socially unhelpful narcissistic culture growing around the use of smartphones, which interestingly enough German author Rudiger Safranski has recently discussed in an interview with DW TV about his new book, Zeit. (Time)
In the High Court in Whangarei, the national farming lobby, Federated Farmers, is challenging an Environment Court ruling from May 2015 that regional councils do have such a right to have a say as to whether their region is GE free or not under the Resource Management Act (RMA) .The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – especially crops is a particular threat to organic crop growers. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/296131/high-court-challenge-to-ge-ruling
Meanwhile in India
“Monsanto ‘faked’ data for approvals claims its ex-chief
Tiruvadi Jagadisan says the company ‘used to fake scientific data’.”
Before becoming Vice President of Federated Farmers, Dr Rolleston was Chairman of the Life Sciences Network, a pro-GM lobby group that spearheaded the campaign to get a GM moratorium in New Zealand lifted.
I am a Labour member looking for a more relevant party to support.
I listened to the debate on the PM’s statement. The Green’s James Shaw talked about National’s destruction of the Cullen superannuation fund. It’s not a vital environmental issue, but it is important.
Metiria Turei’s seven minute speech was entirely in Maori so 95% of us could not understand it.
I just crossed The Greens off my list. They ain’t goin’ nowhere.
IMO, NZ First’s Winston Peters and Ron Marks were the best speakers.
I have recently become a NZ First member after having become disillusioned with National. My main reasons were around their championing of rural NZ which I have long felt was being taken for granted by the Nats and needed to flex its electoral muscle. The Northland by election has proved the value of that, do you think Joyce and Guy would be up there with a regional development strategy if it wasn’t for the bloody nose in the by election. I also think a term away from Parliament has done Winston some good. He seems to have mellowed and be more focused on pushing issues rather than fighting the media which used to infuriate me. He has also been the only leader to consistently take Key/Nats on with any effect. For those on this site looking for a sign of a possible coalition with Lab/green/NZ1 I thought that James Shaw referencing immigration in his address was significant as was Winstons acknowledgement. Coincidence…?
+100 about rural NZ…farm sale off to foreigners is a BIG worry…and it would be good if the Greens and NZF could patch up their differences and work cooperatively together for a Left coalition with Labour
Cowboy, it’s always interesting to hear from former National supporters about their changing allegiances and the reason for that change. I agree with you too about Winston’s time away and how this may have been beneficial – he really is buckling down at the same time as mellowing.
I was previously uncomfortable with NZ First, mainly because of their social conservatism, and there was that appalling anti Muslim nut out by MP Richard Prosser awhile ago,
however, I am warming to the Party because of their intolerance for the status quo, their stance against the TPPA and their willingness to protect NZer’s from losing it’s sovereignty.
I’m a Labour member and would be really happy to see a coalition between Labour Greens and NZ First, genuinely happy, not just because it’s the only option we have to change the government.
Speaking to someone who works in Wellington for a government department, who ran across an old acquaintance last week – now working in a research unit for the PM.
According to the researcher, the Nats are not worried about the next election because there is no cohesive opposition at present.
In line with CV, I think Labour needs to wake up to the power of MMP instead of trying to coerce it into a pseudo, first past the post.
There are policies across the left that align.
All opposition parties need to start talking to other opposition parties now to form a stable opposition coalition platform. And use the next year or so to challenge the government with one coherent voice on these issues.
Use media training to handle issues where they disagree to put the focus back on government ie: “We don’t currently have an agreed position on this with the …. party, BUT the issue is one that needs to be addressed because of the failure of this current government… etc”.
To see how effective this is – look how the dismal party votes for United and ACT have allowed this government to leverage votes.
(Labour also needs to clarify it’s messages, and deal more effectively with discipline within its caucus and MP’s before getting my vote – but that is another issue.
I would much prefer a Labour led coalition than another three years of National and lackeys.)
We need more people to reiterate the very good points you make, a united and disciplined presentation is a minimum requirement, having said that, the looming global financial crisis may just be the catalyst for change anyway and we then will need “smart” policies to meet the challenge, across the spectrum of parties you mention, their is a wealth of experience with the potential to deal with these problems, they just need the opportunity.
@Expat – I think it is complacent for the opposition to think ‘eventually x will happen and they will vote for us”. Is not happening!!!
Look at ChCh – should have vote for someone else but also when chips were down they wanted the perception of stability not a rabble who fought amongst themselves.
In a crisis people want leadership and clarity and stability.
Infighting, odd policy and confusion lost the election for the opposition.
They need to unite, have clear policy that is consistent not punishing, and clarity for voters.
It could be as simple as putting clear messages (in English not Natz speak) on their websites.
Absolutely agree with you, the infighting, general lack of professionalism as an organisation, different members providing contrasting view points, discipline is required, as is consistency of the message from all members.
All the potential coalition partners need to form a consensus on all the policies they agree on so they can start spreading the same message, there should be no public attacks on policies they disagree with, rather, they need to negotiate their way through these disagreements successfully and amicably, in the public “eye”, then the public perception of a disorganized bunch will fade, they need to demonstrate to the public they can work “together” as a cohesive group.
All opposition parties need to start talking to other opposition parties now to form a stable opposition coalition platform. And use the next year or so to challenge the government with one coherent voice on these issues.
Translation: Greens need to do what Labour tells them, and nod obediently when Labour speaks on issues.
“Translation: Greens need to do what Labour tells them, and nod obediently when Labour speaks on issues.”No. Emphatically No.
As mentioned above: “Use media training to handle issues where they disagree to put the focus back on government ie: “We don’t currently have an agreed position on this with the …. party, BUT the issue is one that needs to be addressed because of the failure of this current government… etc”.”
Only form a coherent voice on issues where they agree, and put the blame for other unresolved issues where it belongs with the current government.
Like many others, I don’t appreciate the changing policies of parties in an effort to get into power.
It makes me despairing of making a vote in line with my values if that is the overriding intention of policy makers.
However, I also think a cooperative and inclusive approach which explores and works on contentious issues is a long-term better solution than the current bully and bluster government we have in place.
The collective left have nothing to lose and everything to gain by changing the current approach to elections.
You can always trust the RWNJ’s to misinterpret your point, they call it translation, but of course it’s just their limited intelligence and understanding of reality at work again, typical disruptive Keyism.
Expat
The term ‘Lost in Translation’ comes to mind. The government needs to learn other languages. Their frequent use of hand signals, one finger pointing upwards, is not a satisfactory substitute.
+1 to that Molly. Collaboration is the only way to win in an MMP environment. I hope those less forthcoming about working with other parties maybe swallow a bit of pride and come to this conclusion, the sooner the better.
Also, interesting about the comment from the staff member at the PM’s research unit but sadly not surprising.
@Molly – it is obvious Labour/Greens/NZ First need to collaborate and get together in private and work out all the things they agree on, and I also think Mana should not be forgotten. Last election, the opposition wasted more time on bagging InternetMana than the Natz. Just did not make sense.
Hi Rosie, I have had similar concerns to yourself in the past that has seen me not consider NZ1. I also have come to the realisation that unfetted globalisation is extremely damaging at a number of levels and there is room for some economic nationalism and centralised NZ inc strategy to guide the ship without going all Muldoon. We have many collective advantages that we are not exploiting particularly around creating more value for our primary products, which also links nicely with the environmental sustainability issue.
As an aside I thought James Shaw was excellent yesterday. Hit National hard at their perceived strength, the economy, took labours back re govt attacks that everything’s ‘Labours fault’, threw an immigration bone to Winston via Auckland housing demand and gave the base plenty of references to environmental issue. I see him as the key figure in portraying the centre left as a credible govt in waiting.
I’ve been away from politics for 8 weeks and am just back today so missed James Shaw in the house yesterday. Will check out the links further below in the thread if I get time later. James Shaw has done well to get confidently into his stride as a new leader from outside the parliamentary world.
PS: Was very impressed with Fletcher Tabuteau last year. He’s a brilliant speaker and has energy and intellect. Would like to see him replace Winston as leader when the day comes for him to step down – but thats in the future, in the meantime they need to keep up the pace and work with the other opposition parties so we can end these years of National misery in 2017.
The problem is not whether or not I understand Moari.
The problem is a party leader who makes a major public address in a language 95% of the population do not understand. That’s a surefire way to be ignored.
“If you call yourself The Greens, you focus on environmental issues.”
maybe for you – but i see that as foolishly narrow in scope and limiting your longevity – one trick parties dont last
“you don’t deliver an important speech in a language 95% of the general population don’t understand”
well – never mind most NZers wont hear it anyway – so what if its in maori? – its an official language and turei was likely making a point by doing that
also – the labour caucus and the greens caucus operate very differently
your free to your choice of course and i wont criticise you for it – despite my disagreement with the why
Yep, and back in the day people criticised the GP for only focussing on environmental issues (which was a false criticism because they’ve never done that).
Saying that green politics are only about the environment misrepresents what green politics are. They are instrinsically entwined with both the environment and social justice movements. This is apparent in both the deeper philososphy (you can’t have social justice without a good environment and vice versa), and also in the pragmatics (if you want high calibre people like Turei and Davidson you need a kaupapa where the environment and the people are part of the same understanding).
Ok, thanks. I wanted to see the context before I commented.
Turei was interviewed by Campbell this evening. She recently took a month off work to learn te reo, and this speech in parliament was her first in the reo. She’s a child of the 70s and talked about how that meant she is of the generation that fell between the earlier Māori who learned more easily from within their whānau and culture and the later ones who are learning as part of the renaissance. She talked about how she wants to be able to meet the expectations of her as a Māori leader and as one of the senior Māori in parliament, to be able to respond to Māori in te reo. Getting up today and speaking was very brave. It’s also an important political act.
Te reo is still an endangered language. As others have mentioned, it’s one of NZ’s official languages. If non-reo speakers can’t understand Turei today that is the fault of parlimentary services (who should be able to subtitle the video), not Turei. Māori have a legal right to speak their own language in this country.
I think your criticism of her, and using that to distance yourself from the Greens or make out that they’re not worthy of political support is superficial and, to be honest, bogus. By all means choose the party you want to support, but at least have some good reasons for dissing the others.
Note: A speaker of te reo Māori can hold a conversation about everyday things in the Māori language.
?
I view a political speech in Parliament as likely to contain vocabulary, concepts and be at a difficulty level significantly above daily conversational language.
Well by that definition all your common man voters won’t be able to understand the English version anyway. Yes, CV, that’s precisely how bigoted and petty you are coming across.
Turei’s SotN speech was in English. What’s your point?
If you call yourself The Greens, you focus on environmental issues.
And nothing to say about???
– The National Party,
– ACT – a misnomer if every there was one, perhaps PROP, DOORMAT or FREERIDE would be more appropriate,
– The Māori Party – Leader currently championing a bill to ease access to Māori land, using faux hui as consultation (So much for “Not one more acre”)
– Let’s not forget United Future – whose definition of “united” means sitting on the fence and jumping from one side to the other when it suits,
– And though it pains me to say so (even though I’m not a party member) The Labour Party, because the working class cannot rely on their support as a matter of course. (Unless of it refers to labour pains, which may mean we are on the threshold of the birth of a new left movement. Here’s hoping.)
In this respect Greens, NZFirst and Mana come out looking fairly good.
Agree, both Winston Peters and Ron Mark are fantastic speakers, and extremely capable politicians. But NZ First has never really fired. They just seem to not attract very many good supporting players. Maybe good potential candidates are more attracted to standing for National or Labour?
Also agree re your comment ‘more relevant party’. I used to support Labour, but it has increasingly lost its way. Just look at its current confused and hypocritical stance on TPPA. In fact, the left as a whole has lost its way. For example, Harre following the money to Dotcoms cause in last election. Increasingly difficult to trust or take many of the current crop of left leaning politicians seriously.
Hi Cv. I hope you are right. Certainly I pay them a lot more attention these days than in the past. And despite how my comment may have sounded, I acknowledge that they have at times punched way above their weight. For example, the Gold Card and so on.
Our overarching aim to democratise the European Union is intertwined with an ambition to promote self-government (economic, political and social) at the local, municipal, regional and national levels; to throw open the corridors of power to the public; to embrace social and civic movements; and to emancipate all levels of government from bureaucratic and corporate power.
+1 Peters is reading the mood well, I like the guy he is very approachable, never have any mayor issues getting him along to guest speak. Unlike the slow turning wheel of the Labour machine, where your made to jump through hoops to get one of the heavy hitters along.
Take last Fridays Have A Say On The TPPA rally our group hosted, while the crowd wasn’t large (due to being an outdoors event and it was bucketing down) the media turned up as there was a hunger after the big rally the day before, which we knew would be the case. Anyway Peters got (an opening) it and prepared a speech that touched a cord with discontent National & Labour voters, who watched the speech on a NZH facebook feed and stated they were now in his camp. Last I looked he had 124,000+ views of his speech.
Got to give it to the guy he is a master at self promotion.
No, Laila Harre did not ‘follow the money to Dotcoms cause’. If anyone cares to actually do a little research they’d find The Mana/Internet Party had the best socialist policies of all the parties on the left. That it was supported financially by Dotcom simply shows he supported their policies. Just as the Gnat and Labour financial supporters did their chosen party.
It would be good to not repeat the MSM lie that Mana/Internet Party was controlled by Dotcom. It wasn’t.
Sue Bradford was also a Maoist in her youth…and look how Maoism turned out!….those who are too purist are often too purely wrong
Kim Dotcom was a victim of Hollywood corporate and jonkey nact ( shades of what will happen to internet entrepreneurs under TPPA)
imo Dotcom was a sincere supporter of Mana/Int
….and Mana/ Int was defeated by a concerted action against Hone Harawira to defeat him his Electorate of TTT …and that includes a shameful collusion of Labour and NZF…as well as jonkey nactional
Well she has certainly gone very quiet now for someone who, according to you, was doing the job from personal commitment. Same goes for Mr Dotcom himself.
Well she has certainly gone very quiet now for someone who, according to you, was doing the job from personal commitment. Same goes for Mr Dotcom himself.
Hmmm, these people have personal and work lives to attend to, they aren’t on six figure tax payer sourced salaries and expense accounts like our professional Parliamentarians.
I find it hilarious that the the right were so scared of Internet Mana because they actually had a wealthy backer. (Who they illegally tried to steal his wealth).
I seriously doubt that the right gave them any more than a passing thought. Labour I am sure were very concerned, as Internet party almost certainly took many votes away from them.
@Pete – Internet Mana 2.5% party votes – yeah right!
Lost Labour the election….
…don’t think so
Labours stupidity and infighting and inconsistent policy lost the election.
Not standing behind their leader stopped labour winning the election. Why vote for a party when they all seem to disagree with each other? Not being able to get on with opposition lost labour the election.
Has not changed yet. Yes Little is trying, but the TPPA is a good example showing Labour have not resolved it AND have failed to discipline those out of order.
TPPA is going to be a defining issue next election. What is Labour going to have to say. Shearer their subcommittee guy supports TPPA too? But they are going to ignore it, will be an enraging position that the Natz are clearly facilitating and hoping for.
I just crossed The Greens off my list. They ain’t goin’ nowhere.
That’s my assessment as well. They are aiming for mainstream NZ yet are a poor cultural fit for those voters. They are less environmentally radical in their values than they were in the 70’s and 80’s, even though the environmental threat is clearly far greater and far more obvious now. The message that many will still maintain a comfortable middle class standard of living doesn’t jive with the likely reality of the next 20-30 years.
Yes, and the GP have been one of the main drivers of raising awareness and taking action on that. If you care about the waterways, support the GP, because they’re the only party in parliament doing anything serious about them.
Troll comment. You know very well that the GP can’t form a government alliance with National.
As for working with on policy, my understanding is that if National were willing to do anything half way decent on the environment then National and the GP would have an accord. But National aren’t interested and basically don’t give a shit about shit in the waterways if it makes their mates money. Just so it’s clear what kind of party you are voting for.
Make up your mind CV. Either they should become a better cultural fit, or have radical environmental policies/tell the truth about teotwawki. They can’t do both.
We just watched Shaw’s speech again…and if there were an election today…would vote GP if their policies were closely aligned with the content of his speech. Impressive…and rather witty.
Little was good…ish. Less ranty, more content…needs more confidence.
I felt Winston had a deal less fire…and kept looking to Marks as a foil. Maybe its time to hand more of the frontline stuff over to other NZ1 MPs?
FWIW. Having been forced under threat of legal action to involve myself in the democratic process…I guess I’ll have to vote. But for whom?
imo Shaw gave a good speech, particularly his deconstruction of Nactional’s economic performance (which is abysmal) and his reiteration of the Green focus on climate change ( not as confident or compelling as Russel Norman though)
Winston was his brilliant impromptu self !…no surprises on where NZF stands ….and he has certainly not lost his fire or his entertainment value, which Marks was obviously enjoying. He also rubbed it in that other parties have now come to accept what NZF has said all along on foreign ownership and too much immigration.
His critique of jonkey nact was trenchant….doubt very much Winston NZF will be joining the Nacts…fighting words for a change of government
That will be my dilemma, as a Northland voter, come next election. How can I vote for NZ First, not being 100% sure he won’t jump into bed with the Nacts? But if we don’t vote for him in the North are we handing the electorate back to the Nat Party and Mike Sabin’s supporter john Key anyway.
Give your electorate vote to Peters and your list vote to Labour or the Greens. Peters retaining the seat won’t increase the NZF number of MPs and can be balanced out by the list vote increasing Labour and GP chance of getting to form govt.
Yeah – voting for a lab or green candidate in northland will just give it back to the nats anyway. So worst case scenario you’d end up with a nat govt and a nat electorate mp.
At least if you vote peters the worst you’ll get is a nat govt and an electorate mp who likes to put the wind up ’em occasionally.
Thanks Weka & McFlock, sounds wise advice and what I’ll probably do, but if Winston does jump to the Nats I’ll still feel guilty and betrayed for having voted for him. Will drop him a line closer to the time telling him so.
This is precisely why I tell lefties who vote NZF that they’re risking Peters blocking a left wing govt. Peters won’t say before the election who they will support in govt.
Collection of signatures for the following petition was initiated at the Public Meeting on the Auckland Unitary Plan held at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama, last night, (Tuesday 9 February 2016), which was attended by over 700 people:
“That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the alleged failure of Auckland Council to comply with their statutory duties regarding spatial planning, particularly the requirement to involve and consult with the communities of Auckland, regarding amendments to the spatial plan, as outlined in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.”
Where were other Auckland Mayoral candidates at this SIGNIFICANT, in my view, Public Meeting?
The only Auckland Mayoral candidates who attended last night were myself and Mark Thomas.
You are in some nasty company there Penny Bright. I have not seen anything from that Auckland 2040 group that changes my view that they are mostly a bunch of old while conservatives who are terrified that different housing styles will bring different types of people to their neighbourhoods, and that these different people will be different colours to them, different races from them and different classes from them.
Yes, the diehards left at these consultation meetings are predominantly those of the demographic you describe.
Interestingly, no one points out that the change in zoning just makes it easier to redevelop at a higher density at some point in the future. Property owners are not compelled to immediately demolish their single dwelling on site and build apartments.
The issue in the inner suburbs is interesting, as many would support the meme that property owners should have the rights to do what they like. However, in this case they wish to stop their neighbourhoods being changed as a product of property owners selling to capitalise on increased value or developing. These are going to be personal decisions of property owners – not the requirement of council.
Inner city suburbs have infrastructure in place, access to services and facilities and transport. Future-proofing requires these suburbs to be identified as the best bang-for-buck in terms of increased density.
It’s not just old whities worrying about the zoning. It is not the zoning as such it is the abuse of the district plan and a handful of planners and lawyers enriching themselves while forcing on a system for a community that is not empowered in that process, more a reluctant step to be ignored. If anything the RMA disempowers the community and is designed to do so.
Other ethnic groups or younger people, don’t turn up to the meetings because they have families and people with multiple jobs and don’t have time to turn up to public meetings (use social media too to get the other groups involved).
Often ‘left’ people are so keen on increasing density but don’t seem to understand that actually it is the rich developers benefiting from it. They are not building affordable apartments – they are building million dollar apartments that infringe on their neighbours height to boundary but you can get anything through Auckland council as long as you get the bovine planner onside. They then charge Body corp fees to keep the rout going.
Issues like someone building a 4m high fence as a nuisance neighbour which deliberately blocks someones lovely view to spite them. Do we want that happening on mass? Should you have to ‘defend’ you own property because some council planner gave permission to have some idiotic structure like the 4m high fence and it costs you hundreds of thousands? There was also that multi million dollar beach house built for some Russian Investor that built up the ground along side the neighbours house so that they could look over into her house at all times taking away all her privacy , but increased their sea view. (Note privacy is NOT something in the RMA unlike in places like Britain which have much better heritage rules and keep their heritage and have massive density but still expect people to develop with their neighbours in mind!)
Bad council decisions and the lobbyists on the district plans are knocking out the ‘family’ houses of old like the villas and bungalows which have gardens and contribute to a different feel in the streets.
Density in the inner city fine – in the suburbs – no!
Planning in NZ is like Neoliberal at it’s finest. You can do anything you want – be as selfish as possible. It is all allowable! Screw you neighbours, screw your community because short term profit for an individual is more important!
I notice the Herald’s opinion pieces on the TPPA protest and Waitangi don’t have a comments section ( even dear Heather, who did have yesterday now doesn’t). I wonder why
@ Dialey…what the Herald has no comments section on TPPA protests and Waitangi Day?!
….a case of “see no evil , hear no evil, speak no evil” = ignoring the readership = captive msm not there to serve the readership but to indoctrinate in the interests of its owners politics ( neoliberalism and jonkey nact)
definition of indoctrinate
1. to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle
2. to teach (someone) to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions, and beliefs
Conclusion: cancel your subscription to the Herald and read the Standard
Below is a list of members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee
that will be “hearing” public submissions on the TPP.
What a farce that will be!!
Chairperson Mitchell, Mark National Party, Rodney
Deputy-Chairperson Reti, Shane National Party, Whangarei
Bennett, David National Party, Hamilton East
Tisch, Lindsay National Party, Waikato
Ross, Jami-Lee National Party, Botany
Yang, Jian National Party, List
Shearer, David Labour Party, Mt Albert
Woods, Megan Labour Party, Wigram
Tabuteau , Fletcher NZ First, List
Graham, Kennedy Green Party, List
I think that Labour should replace David Shearer from the subcommittee as his views on TPP are not consistent with those of the majority party view.
+100…”I think that Labour should replace David Shearer from the subcommittee as his views on TPP are not consistent with those of the majority party view.”
It is crazy to have Shearer!!!! I don’t know who chooses the committee but if Labour can choose using Shearer is stupidity! If not Shearer should step down anyway.
Woods, Megan, Labour Party, Wigram
Tabuteau , Fletcher, NZ First, List
Graham, Kennedy, Green Party, List
Bennett, Ross and Reti what a sick joke especially Reti who was caught out by appearing to tell porkies about the TPPA. Has anyone posted the very good and easy submission page of Action Station?
This is definitely worth a look – Glenda Jackson, in my opinion the greatest actress Britain ever produced, giving her account of the Margaret Thatcher experiment in the British parliament! The word “aspirational” was apparently used by Thatcher, so Key merely latched on to her coat tails over that one ! Bit like a leech really! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDtClJYJBj8
“Glenda Jackson, in my opinion the greatest actress Britain ever produced”
Is that really your opinion? You would put her ahead of Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Vivien Leigh, Vanessa Redgrave, etc, etc?
No way.
She made only two good films. This Sporting Life and Sunday, Bloody Sunday.
“Is that really your opinion?” I guess it is – because he said so.
alwyn, you do realise that in this case people can have different opinions without having to “win an argument” or are you so contrarian that even in this instance you need to disagree?
I’ll leave the racist origins behind of the original saying but the gist is: ” If everyone wanted the same virtues in a partner, everyone would want to be married to my wife/husband”.
I wonder – can you articulate your preferences without having to tear down others?
Of course I can. The bitchiness on this site makes it rather hard but I’ve never felt any need to knock the intelligent comments from Lanthanide, even if I might disagree with some of them.
It is the concept that Glenda Jackson could be considered a better actor that the immortal Helen Mirren I find so hard to accept.
It would be like saying that there was a better female Rock singer than Janis Joplin. Woe!
The USA primary elections really are weird. I prefer Sander to Clinton myself, but this method of; not only having early morning voting in some districts, but also allowing it to be reported to influence those who vote later in the day, does seem flawed.
Which if that was all the info you had (say because you were in a rush), might influence your vote. Until you realised that this was only; 17 votes for Sanders and 9 for each of the other four candidates.
I thought it was funny. Actually there wouldn’t have been any debate about who won New Hampshire in the program. Jeb was supposed to have been Governor there and I can’t imagine they would ever have considered him losing his own state.
Great program for the first four seasons. I thought they should have killed it after Sorkin left though. Wasn’t nearly as tightly written after that was it?
Astrology was used by Nancy Reagan to determine what she proposed to Ronnie though.
That was scary rather than funny though.
I think The West Wing still talked about it though because of the dynamic. Or maybe it was The Good Wife.
Turns out it’s an indicator of how the primary will go (not the presidential election),
There is consensus among scholars and pundits that the New Hampshire primary, because of the timing and the vast media attention, can have a great impact and may even make or break or revive a candidate.[7] Controlling for other factors statistically, a win in New Hampshire increases a candidate’s share of the final primary count in all states by 27 percentage points.[8]
Well, it does say “1% reporting” in the first link.
Anyway, I found this link off comments in an article from yesterday’s Guardian. It maps different polls and the bit i found interesting (okay – heartening 😉 ) is that Clinton would appear to be dipping in South Carolina. (Chart at bottom left hand side of page)
Ad and BM may get their joint wish of another Clinton presidency. While trying to understand the candidate selection process (mainly how NH is called the first primary when it is preceded by the Iowa caucus), my surfing drifted into superdelegate territory. Wikipedia is a bit out of date with all 2008 details (because the 2012 was uncontested, and 2016 hasn’t happened yet):
The weighting system obscures things a bit for this purpose, but I make Clinton’s; 14 Governors plus 39 Senators plus 131 congress reps to be equal to 194 delegate votes to Sanders’ 2. If it is correct that; “Each of the superdelegates’ votes is now equivalent to about 10,000 Democratic voters [in 2008]”, this means that Sanders is about 192 000 votes behind Clinton. With Iowa effectively tied, Sanders “yuge” win in NH is likely to get him a margin of around 50 000 votes ahead. A quarter of what is needed to start on level footing with Clinton. And that’s before factoring in the half of superdelegates who are appointed by virtue of their DNC position, or those elected reps who haven’t declared yet.
Once again; USA primary elections really are weird!
Thought this was interesting in 2016 , particularly the final sentence.
Extract from Fairburn a biography by Denys Trussell, Auckland University Press, 1984,
928.21 FairTru Takapuna Library.
William Thomas Fairburn b. Kent 1797 arr Korororeka (Russell) Bay of Islands in July1819, as a catechist or lay preacher for Samuel Marsden and the CMS (Church Missionary Society), he was the Great Great Grandfather of Rex Fairburn (A.R.D.) New Zealand writer and poet.
Page 9 .
In a letter he wrote to the Rev. William Jowett at the CMS on 15 July 1840 Fairburn stated the following.
I do not think they (Maori) understand fully the cession of their rights and privileges, ‘he wrote five months after the meeting of Governor Hobson & the Chiefs. He knew the the Maoris could be shrewd hagglers in specific transactions over items of trade, but the abstraction of a treaty involving questions of sovereignty was foreign to them. ‘Parting with the sovereign rights of a country is quite another thing, it seems to many of them inexplicable, and how can it be otherwise?’
Fairburn feared bitter contention over land after the proclamation of May 1840 that made New Zealand a British colony. Would the missionaries be able to prevent widespread exploitation of their temperamental flock?. William considered this was a duty: ‘I consider we are now called upon for a twofold watchfulness on behalf of the natives. European strangers will never agree with them , and they scruple not to say they wish this land was clear of natives as the are only a nuisance and in the way.
But would you be so happy had it been a Labour politician? After all, Andrew Little has agreed to keep the TPPA if it is signed.
[lprent: Completely off topic as the author obviously took care not to take a party political position. Moved to Open Mike. Banned two weeks for what looks to me to be a deliberate diversion comment, and because I had to expend time to reread the post to make sure that I was correct in my reaction. I don’t like wasting my time. ]
I don’t think it matters which politician was the recipient of the ‘fake dildo’, the message was clear and it is the message (regardless of political allegiances) that matters the most. New Zealand is not theirs to rape!
Must admit when I saw that she was identified as a nurse, I did wonder if she would be reprimanded for bringing her profession/employer into disrepute (or whatever wanky condition is likely to be in her contract) – Perhaps Stuff are inadvertently making any move by the employer to discipline her impossible due to potential public scrutiny and support (she does have a lot of fans now)?
“”There have been occasionally matters that we’ve referred back to the police where if we’d had the resource, we might have investigated, including, for example, excessive force cases.””
And with the cutbacks at the Human Rights Commission… Ombudsman overworked….
Pretty interesting watching what’s been going on. In Canada the fight back saw him being filmed and then thrown out of a night club where he tried his rapey hitting on a woman. Some guys went undercover to one of the events last week and filmed the organisers and posted that online. Not just social media, the MSM coverage of how appalling he is has been pretty universal.
btw Roosh isn’t just a rape apologist, he’s a rapist (or intends to be one) and an active rape supporter and promoter.
Trouble is, there are a lot of guys out there that think like him, and a fair few of them are judges.
That is one of the biggest fears of the next 50 years, that rape will be effectively decriminalised if the women is dressed remotely feminine, if not de jure, but de facto.
Im not supporter of whacking children, but the mothers of these guys need to give them a good clip round the ears.
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
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I wrote this post 2 weeks ago. ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’
http://thestandard.org.nz/keep-calm-and-carry-on/
Seems as if we are on the brink of a global recession.
Market turmoil: Wall Street down after FTSE 100 hits three-year low – business live
http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2016/feb/09/market-turmoil-nikkei-plunges-european-stocks-germany-ftse-live
‘Panic situation’: Asian stocks tumble amid fears of new global recession
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/09/panic-situation-as-asian-stocks-tumble-amid-fears-of-new-global-recession
http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2016/feb/09/market-turmoil-nikkei-plunges-european-stocks-germany-ftse-live
Deutsche Bank is shaking to its foundations – is a new banking crisis around the corner?
http://secularinvestor.com/deutsche-bank-shaking-foundations-new-banking-crisis-around-corner/13242/
Lending to emerging markets comes to a halt
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/07/lending-to-emerging-markets-comes-to-a-halt.html
What the Heck is Going On in the Stock Market?
http://wolfstreet.com/2016/02/07/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-stocks/
RNZ lead with the story at 6 a.m.
‘Panic hits world stock markets’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201788626/panic-hits-world-stock-markets
Even the Herald noticed….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11586938
Buckle up, people, it’s going to be a rough landing.
+100 …thanks for those links Paul…and here is another from ‘Boom Bust’
https://www.rt.com/shows/boom-bust/331812-greek-markets-low-index/
“Global markets took a tumble on Monday, with Greece’s main index hitting a shocking 25-year low. Ameera David has the details. Edward Harrison then joins the program from Berlin to offer more insight on the state of the European economy and the troubles it’s facing as the union of nations faces a multitude of challenges. Then Steve Keen, professor of history, economics, and politics at Kingston University, gives his thoughts on the damage he believes Brussels is inflicting on Europe.
After the break, RT’s Anya Parampil sits down to discuss Wall Street’s growing worry over the possibility of a Sanders presidency. And finally, in The Big Deal, Manuel Rapalo discusses Washington DC’s proposed experiment to pay trouble makers thousands of dollars in an effort to keep them out of jail.
Slavery. Coming to your house right now.
Probably time to defund Baptist World Aid.
Good film about it.
And this…
And this…
… another worth the watch.
Who Pays The Price? The Human Cost of Electronics.
Dogged work from a little ngo there
Yep. There was an article about cobalt mining for use in electronics and phones last month:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/294444/big-brand-phone-makers-use-child-labour-amnesty
and don’t forget the Samsung workers killed by their work environment:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2155000/samsung-offers-apology-for-workers-leukemia.html
Minimising your impact on workers rights abuses is yet another good reason to belong to the dumb phone movement. The last time I brought a phone was 2009 – just a regular cell phone not a smart phone and it’s still going strong. I have no need for the extra technology a smartphone provides.
I wonder how many people have unnecessarily gone through a number of new smartphones in that time, just to satisfy their obsession with gadgets, and how has that affected workers around the world?
I on the other hand buy a new iPhone once a year because it’s my most important computer.
And I on the other hand am using a 2008 laptop.
My cell phone, Like Rosie’s above, is a not- smart (flip) phone…admittedly newish as my old flip phone packed up after some seven years.
Somehow, I get by.
I don’t have a laptop. And when you consider what I use my iPhone for, it’s more accurate to describe it as a little computer that I occasionally use to talk with people.
Lols. My only computer is an ancient pc that gets rebuilt every now and then. It’s all I need.
Understand that people need updated technology for work, and to a lesser degree for socialising and networking, but otherwise our obsession with electronic gadgets puts other’s lives at risk, not to mention the socially unhelpful narcissistic culture growing around the use of smartphones, which interestingly enough German author Rudiger Safranski has recently discussed in an interview with DW TV about his new book, Zeit. (Time)
http://www.dw.com/en/arts21-the-cultural-magazine/av-19031614
In the High Court in Whangarei, the national farming lobby, Federated Farmers, is challenging an Environment Court ruling from May 2015 that regional councils do have such a right to have a say as to whether their region is GE free or not under the Resource Management Act (RMA) .The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – especially crops is a particular threat to organic crop growers.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/296131/high-court-challenge-to-ge-ruling
Meanwhile in India
“Monsanto ‘faked’ data for approvals claims its ex-chief
Tiruvadi Jagadisan says the company ‘used to fake scientific data’.”
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/Monsanto+'faked'+data+for+approvals+claims+its+ex-chief/1/83093.html
Organic Agriculture, Capitalism And The Parallel Reality Of The Pro-GM Evangelist
http://www.countercurrents.org/todhunter080216.htm
Neil Young is taking his campaign against Monsanto and GE crops on the road
http://www.salon.com/2016/02/09/neil_young_and_monsanto_partner/
Are monsanto funding the legal challenge by FF ?
Monsanto funded and defended a GE farm in Western Australia where an organic farmer lost his license due to contamination by the GE farm next door
The judge ruled in favor of the monsanto backed GE farmer
An interesting thought, One Two.
2/10/2014.
Farmer calls for debate on GM potential
A visit to an experimental farm run by the Monsanto Corporation and others in the Mississippi delta has changed the way Southland Federated Farmers’ president Russell MacPherson views genetic modification (GM).
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/10555565/Farmer-calls-for-debate-on-GM-potential
Before becoming Vice President of Federated Farmers, Dr Rolleston was Chairman of the Life Sciences Network, a pro-GM lobby group that spearheaded the campaign to get a GM moratorium in New Zealand lifted.
update
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1602/S00124/fed-farmers-misguided-in-push-for-gmos.htm
Keep researching Rollestons background. His funding will be extensively if not exclusively agri-chemical
The M.O is familiar infiltration and take over which is visible throughout most all industry
I am a Labour member looking for a more relevant party to support.
I listened to the debate on the PM’s statement. The Green’s James Shaw talked about National’s destruction of the Cullen superannuation fund. It’s not a vital environmental issue, but it is important.
Metiria Turei’s seven minute speech was entirely in Maori so 95% of us could not understand it.
I just crossed The Greens off my list. They ain’t goin’ nowhere.
IMO, NZ First’s Winston Peters and Ron Marks were the best speakers.
Listen for yourself: http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/41352
+100 AmaKiwi
I have recently become a NZ First member after having become disillusioned with National. My main reasons were around their championing of rural NZ which I have long felt was being taken for granted by the Nats and needed to flex its electoral muscle. The Northland by election has proved the value of that, do you think Joyce and Guy would be up there with a regional development strategy if it wasn’t for the bloody nose in the by election. I also think a term away from Parliament has done Winston some good. He seems to have mellowed and be more focused on pushing issues rather than fighting the media which used to infuriate me. He has also been the only leader to consistently take Key/Nats on with any effect. For those on this site looking for a sign of a possible coalition with Lab/green/NZ1 I thought that James Shaw referencing immigration in his address was significant as was Winstons acknowledgement. Coincidence…?
+100 about rural NZ…farm sale off to foreigners is a BIG worry…and it would be good if the Greens and NZF could patch up their differences and work cooperatively together for a Left coalition with Labour
In the 1990’s, NZ First’s platform included binding citizen initiated referendums.
(Sorry, I haven’t located a reference but I remember it well.)
It still does. Under the title Direct Democracy
http://nzfirst.org.nz/sites/nzfirst/files/manifesto_2014_final_version_3.pdf
@ The Chairman, I found it.
“New Zealand First will introduce legislation to enable the holding of binding referenda on key issues.”
Thanks for that.
Time for me to dump Labour.
Cowboy, it’s always interesting to hear from former National supporters about their changing allegiances and the reason for that change. I agree with you too about Winston’s time away and how this may have been beneficial – he really is buckling down at the same time as mellowing.
I was previously uncomfortable with NZ First, mainly because of their social conservatism, and there was that appalling anti Muslim nut out by MP Richard Prosser awhile ago,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10864924
however, I am warming to the Party because of their intolerance for the status quo, their stance against the TPPA and their willingness to protect NZer’s from losing it’s sovereignty.
I’m a Labour member and would be really happy to see a coalition between Labour Greens and NZ First, genuinely happy, not just because it’s the only option we have to change the government.
Speaking to someone who works in Wellington for a government department, who ran across an old acquaintance last week – now working in a research unit for the PM.
According to the researcher, the Nats are not worried about the next election because there is no cohesive opposition at present.
In line with CV, I think Labour needs to wake up to the power of MMP instead of trying to coerce it into a pseudo, first past the post.
There are policies across the left that align.
All opposition parties need to start talking to other opposition parties now to form a stable opposition coalition platform. And use the next year or so to challenge the government with one coherent voice on these issues.
Use media training to handle issues where they disagree to put the focus back on government ie: “We don’t currently have an agreed position on this with the …. party, BUT the issue is one that needs to be addressed because of the failure of this current government… etc”.
To see how effective this is – look how the dismal party votes for United and ACT have allowed this government to leverage votes.
(Labour also needs to clarify it’s messages, and deal more effectively with discipline within its caucus and MP’s before getting my vote – but that is another issue.
I would much prefer a Labour led coalition than another three years of National and lackeys.)
Hi Molly
We need more people to reiterate the very good points you make, a united and disciplined presentation is a minimum requirement, having said that, the looming global financial crisis may just be the catalyst for change anyway and we then will need “smart” policies to meet the challenge, across the spectrum of parties you mention, their is a wealth of experience with the potential to deal with these problems, they just need the opportunity.
@Expat – I think it is complacent for the opposition to think ‘eventually x will happen and they will vote for us”. Is not happening!!!
Look at ChCh – should have vote for someone else but also when chips were down they wanted the perception of stability not a rabble who fought amongst themselves.
In a crisis people want leadership and clarity and stability.
Infighting, odd policy and confusion lost the election for the opposition.
They need to unite, have clear policy that is consistent not punishing, and clarity for voters.
It could be as simple as putting clear messages (in English not Natz speak) on their websites.
savenz
Absolutely agree with you, the infighting, general lack of professionalism as an organisation, different members providing contrasting view points, discipline is required, as is consistency of the message from all members.
All the potential coalition partners need to form a consensus on all the policies they agree on so they can start spreading the same message, there should be no public attacks on policies they disagree with, rather, they need to negotiate their way through these disagreements successfully and amicably, in the public “eye”, then the public perception of a disorganized bunch will fade, they need to demonstrate to the public they can work “together” as a cohesive group.
well I agree with all this analysis, Labour need to do this, they need to do that, they need to look at things this way not that way, etc.
Thing is, they won’t, and even if they wanted to, they do not have the resources, power or ability to change.
Translation: Greens need to do what Labour tells them, and nod obediently when Labour speaks on issues.
“Translation: Greens need to do what Labour tells them, and nod obediently when Labour speaks on issues.”No. Emphatically No.
As mentioned above:
“Use media training to handle issues where they disagree to put the focus back on government ie: “We don’t currently have an agreed position on this with the …. party, BUT the issue is one that needs to be addressed because of the failure of this current government… etc”.”
Only form a coherent voice on issues where they agree, and put the blame for other unresolved issues where it belongs with the current government.
Like many others, I don’t appreciate the changing policies of parties in an effort to get into power.
It makes me despairing of making a vote in line with my values if that is the overriding intention of policy makers.
However, I also think a cooperative and inclusive approach which explores and works on contentious issues is a long-term better solution than the current bully and bluster government we have in place.
The collective left have nothing to lose and everything to gain by changing the current approach to elections.
Hi Molly
You can always trust the RWNJ’s to misinterpret your point, they call it translation, but of course it’s just their limited intelligence and understanding of reality at work again, typical disruptive Keyism.
Molly +1
Expat
The term ‘Lost in Translation’ comes to mind. The government needs to learn other languages. Their frequent use of hand signals, one finger pointing upwards, is not a satisfactory substitute.
+1 to that Molly. Collaboration is the only way to win in an MMP environment. I hope those less forthcoming about working with other parties maybe swallow a bit of pride and come to this conclusion, the sooner the better.
Also, interesting about the comment from the staff member at the PM’s research unit but sadly not surprising.
+2 re collaboration, good commentary in this thread.
@Molly – it is obvious Labour/Greens/NZ First need to collaborate and get together in private and work out all the things they agree on, and I also think Mana should not be forgotten. Last election, the opposition wasted more time on bagging InternetMana than the Natz. Just did not make sense.
Just concentrate on Knocking the Natz out!!
Hi Rosie, I have had similar concerns to yourself in the past that has seen me not consider NZ1. I also have come to the realisation that unfetted globalisation is extremely damaging at a number of levels and there is room for some economic nationalism and centralised NZ inc strategy to guide the ship without going all Muldoon. We have many collective advantages that we are not exploiting particularly around creating more value for our primary products, which also links nicely with the environmental sustainability issue.
As an aside I thought James Shaw was excellent yesterday. Hit National hard at their perceived strength, the economy, took labours back re govt attacks that everything’s ‘Labours fault’, threw an immigration bone to Winston via Auckland housing demand and gave the base plenty of references to environmental issue. I see him as the key figure in portraying the centre left as a credible govt in waiting.
I’ve been away from politics for 8 weeks and am just back today so missed James Shaw in the house yesterday. Will check out the links further below in the thread if I get time later. James Shaw has done well to get confidently into his stride as a new leader from outside the parliamentary world.
PS: Was very impressed with Fletcher Tabuteau last year. He’s a brilliant speaker and has energy and intellect. Would like to see him replace Winston as leader when the day comes for him to step down – but thats in the future, in the meantime they need to keep up the pace and work with the other opposition parties so we can end these years of National misery in 2017.
“Metiria Turei’s seven minute speech was entirely in Maori so 95% of us could not understand it.
I just crossed The Greens off my list. They ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
because of the speech? – or other reasons?
@ framu
If you call yourself The Greens, you focus on environmental issues. It’s not as if there aren’t enough of them.
If you want votes from the general population, you don’t deliver an important speech in a language 95% of the general population don’t understand.
I’ve wasted a lot of my time and money on a Labour party whose caucus was the party’s worst enemy. Been there. Done that. Don’t want to do it anymore.
Why just focus on one aspect of social policy when you can more effectively work on all of them?
Learn Māori. The best way to do that is to listen to it.
Draco
The problem is not whether or not I understand Moari.
The problem is a party leader who makes a major public address in a language 95% of the population do not understand. That’s a surefire way to be ignored.
It is HER language and an OFFICIAL language of this country – it all gets translated anyway doesn’t it?
I look forward to the Greens doing all their 2017 campaign ads with your points in mind.
no you don’t – fuck you anyway what the fuck would you know – smarmy wanker
I look forward to all the Greens success in 2017.
I’m wondering if CV has decided to include the GP in his smeary well poisoning strategy.
We’ll know that if he announces that he’s decided to become a GP member 😉
Faark, don’t even joke about it.
“If you call yourself The Greens, you focus on environmental issues.”
maybe for you – but i see that as foolishly narrow in scope and limiting your longevity – one trick parties dont last
“you don’t deliver an important speech in a language 95% of the general population don’t understand”
well – never mind most NZers wont hear it anyway – so what if its in maori? – its an official language and turei was likely making a point by doing that
also – the labour caucus and the greens caucus operate very differently
your free to your choice of course and i wont criticise you for it – despite my disagreement with the why
Yep, and back in the day people criticised the GP for only focussing on environmental issues (which was a false criticism because they’ve never done that).
Saying that green politics are only about the environment misrepresents what green politics are. They are instrinsically entwined with both the environment and social justice movements. This is apparent in both the deeper philososphy (you can’t have social justice without a good environment and vice versa), and also in the pragmatics (if you want high calibre people like Turei and Davidson you need a kaupapa where the environment and the people are part of the same understanding).
+1 weka
NZ sign language is our third official language so why not sign a speech and skip having any simultaneous translation?
It would be helpful to deaf people if everyone learned NZ sign language. Obviously it’s not going to happen.
What speech of Turei’s are you referring to? Please link.
Turei’s speech in the house yesterday:
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/41352
Ok, thanks. I wanted to see the context before I commented.
Turei was interviewed by Campbell this evening. She recently took a month off work to learn te reo, and this speech in parliament was her first in the reo. She’s a child of the 70s and talked about how that meant she is of the generation that fell between the earlier Māori who learned more easily from within their whānau and culture and the later ones who are learning as part of the renaissance. She talked about how she wants to be able to meet the expectations of her as a Māori leader and as one of the senior Māori in parliament, to be able to respond to Māori in te reo. Getting up today and speaking was very brave. It’s also an important political act.
Te reo is still an endangered language. As others have mentioned, it’s one of NZ’s official languages. If non-reo speakers can’t understand Turei today that is the fault of parlimentary services (who should be able to subtitle the video), not Turei. Māori have a legal right to speak their own language in this country.
I think your criticism of her, and using that to distance yourself from the Greens or make out that they’re not worthy of political support is superficial and, to be honest, bogus. By all means choose the party you want to support, but at least have some good reasons for dissing the others.
Let’s see, a state of the nation speech which can’t be fully understood by 99% of non-Maori, nor by 95% of Maori.
Nothing there to criticise you say?
Turei’s State of the Nation speech was in English. What are you on about? If you have a criticism, make it direct instead of expecting us to mindread.
your stats are lies too cv – can’t you even get the basics right fuckwit?
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/snapshots-of-nz/nz-social-indicators/Home/Culture%20and%20identity/maori-lang-speakers.aspx
?
I view a political speech in Parliament as likely to contain vocabulary, concepts and be at a difficulty level significantly above daily conversational language.
Do you not?
Well by that definition all your common man voters won’t be able to understand the English version anyway. Yes, CV, that’s precisely how bigoted and petty you are coming across.
Turei’s SotN speech was in English. What’s your point?
thanks for that link marty, pretty interesting chart comparisons there.
If you call yourself The Greens, you focus on environmental issues.
And nothing to say about???
– The National Party,
– ACT – a misnomer if every there was one, perhaps PROP, DOORMAT or FREERIDE would be more appropriate,
– The Māori Party – Leader currently championing a bill to ease access to Māori land, using faux hui as consultation (So much for “Not one more acre”)
– Let’s not forget United Future – whose definition of “united” means sitting on the fence and jumping from one side to the other when it suits,
– And though it pains me to say so (even though I’m not a party member) The Labour Party, because the working class cannot rely on their support as a matter of course. (Unless of it refers to labour pains, which may mean we are on the threshold of the birth of a new left movement. Here’s hoping.)
In this respect Greens, NZFirst and Mana come out looking fairly good.
Agree, both Winston Peters and Ron Mark are fantastic speakers, and extremely capable politicians. But NZ First has never really fired. They just seem to not attract very many good supporting players. Maybe good potential candidates are more attracted to standing for National or Labour?
Also agree re your comment ‘more relevant party’. I used to support Labour, but it has increasingly lost its way. Just look at its current confused and hypocritical stance on TPPA. In fact, the left as a whole has lost its way. For example, Harre following the money to Dotcoms cause in last election. Increasingly difficult to trust or take many of the current crop of left leaning politicians seriously.
You’re talking about past performance, and even if your analysis was correct, I suggest that looking at future potential may be more important.
By the way, John Key and National knifed Winston and NZ First in the back several times, and left their political bodies by the kerbside for dead.
My analysis is that not only is NZ First back, but they are ‘firing up’ in a big way.
Both Labour and National is going to lose more support to NZF come 2017.
Hi Cv. I hope you are right. Certainly I pay them a lot more attention these days than in the past. And despite how my comment may have sounded, I acknowledge that they have at times punched way above their weight. For example, the Gold Card and so on.
We need a peoples’ progressive movement to draw the left together similar to that being set up by Varoufakis in Europe: Democracy in Europe Movement 2025
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/09/varoufakis-leads-european-left-reclaim-democracy-authoritarian-technocrats
An extracts from the manifesto:
http://diem25.org/
Let’s start up a movement, state our goals and only endorse the political parties which meet OUR bottom lines.
We need some sort of alliance and we need it NOW!
+100
+1 Peters is reading the mood well, I like the guy he is very approachable, never have any mayor issues getting him along to guest speak. Unlike the slow turning wheel of the Labour machine, where your made to jump through hoops to get one of the heavy hitters along.
Take last Fridays Have A Say On The TPPA rally our group hosted, while the crowd wasn’t large (due to being an outdoors event and it was bucketing down) the media turned up as there was a hunger after the big rally the day before, which we knew would be the case. Anyway Peters got (an opening) it and prepared a speech that touched a cord with discontent National & Labour voters, who watched the speech on a NZH facebook feed and stated they were now in his camp. Last I looked he had 124,000+ views of his speech.
Got to give it to the guy he is a master at self promotion.
No, Laila Harre did not ‘follow the money to Dotcoms cause’. If anyone cares to actually do a little research they’d find The Mana/Internet Party had the best socialist policies of all the parties on the left. That it was supported financially by Dotcom simply shows he supported their policies. Just as the Gnat and Labour financial supporters did their chosen party.
It would be good to not repeat the MSM lie that Mana/Internet Party was controlled by Dotcom. It wasn’t.
+1.
The Mana/Internet Party had the best socialist policies of all the parties on the left.
That explains their electoral decimation.
Umm I prefer to take my steer from Sue Bradford who quit Mana sighting it was a mismatch of a hook up, and how correct she was.
Sue Bradford was also a Maoist in her youth…and look how Maoism turned out!….those who are too purist are often too purely wrong
Kim Dotcom was a victim of Hollywood corporate and jonkey nact ( shades of what will happen to internet entrepreneurs under TPPA)
imo Dotcom was a sincere supporter of Mana/Int
….and Mana/ Int was defeated by a concerted action against Hone Harawira to defeat him his Electorate of TTT …and that includes a shameful collusion of Labour and NZF…as well as jonkey nactional
+100 Brigid
+100
Well she has certainly gone very quiet now for someone who, according to you, was doing the job from personal commitment. Same goes for Mr Dotcom himself.
Here are their policies:
https://forum.internet.org.nz/?page_id=30
A dolphin policy? And you think this is all a msm conspiracy? No. They were a cynical joke and attempt at manipulating the electorate.
Hmmm, these people have personal and work lives to attend to, they aren’t on six figure tax payer sourced salaries and expense accounts like our professional Parliamentarians.
+1 Brigid and everyone else.
I find it hilarious that the the right were so scared of Internet Mana because they actually had a wealthy backer. (Who they illegally tried to steal his wealth).
I seriously doubt that the right gave them any more than a passing thought. Labour I am sure were very concerned, as Internet party almost certainly took many votes away from them.
@Pete – Internet Mana 2.5% party votes – yeah right!
Lost Labour the election….
…don’t think so
Labours stupidity and infighting and inconsistent policy lost the election.
Not standing behind their leader stopped labour winning the election. Why vote for a party when they all seem to disagree with each other? Not being able to get on with opposition lost labour the election.
Has not changed yet. Yes Little is trying, but the TPPA is a good example showing Labour have not resolved it AND have failed to discipline those out of order.
TPPA is going to be a defining issue next election. What is Labour going to have to say. Shearer their subcommittee guy supports TPPA too? But they are going to ignore it, will be an enraging position that the Natz are clearly facilitating and hoping for.
very true Brigid – the bullshit lies they have made up and continue to promulgate to dirty good reputations is disgusting.
That’s my assessment as well. They are aiming for mainstream NZ yet are a poor cultural fit for those voters. They are less environmentally radical in their values than they were in the 70’s and 80’s, even though the environmental threat is clearly far greater and far more obvious now. The message that many will still maintain a comfortable middle class standard of living doesn’t jive with the likely reality of the next 20-30 years.
Our waterways have become cesspools. A National disgrace.
Yes, and the GP have been one of the main drivers of raising awareness and taking action on that. If you care about the waterways, support the GP, because they’re the only party in parliament doing anything serious about them.
They could form an alliance with National and make that one of the bargaining chips.
Troll comment. You know very well that the GP can’t form a government alliance with National.
As for working with on policy, my understanding is that if National were willing to do anything half way decent on the environment then National and the GP would have an accord. But National aren’t interested and basically don’t give a shit about shit in the waterways if it makes their mates money. Just so it’s clear what kind of party you are voting for.
+100
Make up your mind CV. Either they should become a better cultural fit, or have radical environmental policies/tell the truth about teotwawki. They can’t do both.
So says you.
Fine argument there CV, I’m completely undone ;-p
Heh
Shaw highlighted National’s poor economic performance but Peters was on a roll.
https://youtu.be/DEUzmBfixdE
https://youtu.be/J9sPsTdf1Y0
We just watched Shaw’s speech again…and if there were an election today…would vote GP if their policies were closely aligned with the content of his speech. Impressive…and rather witty.
Little was good…ish. Less ranty, more content…needs more confidence.
I felt Winston had a deal less fire…and kept looking to Marks as a foil. Maybe its time to hand more of the frontline stuff over to other NZ1 MPs?
FWIW. Having been forced under threat of legal action to involve myself in the democratic process…I guess I’ll have to vote. But for whom?
Little’s speech was disappointing, especially after Key rubbed his nose in his two position party (TPP). For which Little had no comeback for.
Peters had them all running for cover. With his speech inspiring a number of associates (viewing it with me) to now vote for him.
Peters use of Marks was merely preparation, building up his role for future leadership change.
@ The Chairman…thanks for those links
imo Shaw gave a good speech, particularly his deconstruction of Nactional’s economic performance (which is abysmal) and his reiteration of the Green focus on climate change ( not as confident or compelling as Russel Norman though)
Winston was his brilliant impromptu self !…no surprises on where NZF stands ….and he has certainly not lost his fire or his entertainment value, which Marks was obviously enjoying. He also rubbed it in that other parties have now come to accept what NZF has said all along on foreign ownership and too much immigration.
His critique of jonkey nact was trenchant….doubt very much Winston NZF will be joining the Nacts…fighting words for a change of government
“I am a Labour member looking for a more relevant party to support.”
Anyone who supports NZF runs the risk of ensuring us not getting a left wing govt. If you want to take that risk it’s up to you, but I don’t.
NZF has a history of supporting right wing governments.
Peters has a history of refusing to work with the GP, and IMO is capable of undermining a Labour/GP/NZF or L/GP coalition.
@Weka the problem is voting for Labour might not get us a left wing government but a neoliberal one. That is something Labour needs to fix fast.
Of course, which is why I vote Green 😉 voting NZF will pull politics to the centre, voting Green will pull NZ left.
That will be my dilemma, as a Northland voter, come next election. How can I vote for NZ First, not being 100% sure he won’t jump into bed with the Nacts? But if we don’t vote for him in the North are we handing the electorate back to the Nat Party and Mike Sabin’s supporter john Key anyway.
Give your electorate vote to Peters and your list vote to Labour or the Greens. Peters retaining the seat won’t increase the NZF number of MPs and can be balanced out by the list vote increasing Labour and GP chance of getting to form govt.
Yeah – voting for a lab or green candidate in northland will just give it back to the nats anyway. So worst case scenario you’d end up with a nat govt and a nat electorate mp.
At least if you vote peters the worst you’ll get is a nat govt and an electorate mp who likes to put the wind up ’em occasionally.
Thanks Weka & McFlock, sounds wise advice and what I’ll probably do, but if Winston does jump to the Nats I’ll still feel guilty and betrayed for having voted for him. Will drop him a line closer to the time telling him so.
This is precisely why I tell lefties who vote NZF that they’re risking Peters blocking a left wing govt. Peters won’t say before the election who they will support in govt.
If you’re headed over to NZF can you ask Winston to get our forests back.
Like he said he would, and then didn’t when he had the power to do so.
Collection of signatures for the following petition was initiated at the Public Meeting on the Auckland Unitary Plan held at the ASB Stadium in Kohimarama, last night, (Tuesday 9 February 2016), which was attended by over 700 people:
“That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the alleged failure of Auckland Council to comply with their statutory duties regarding spatial planning, particularly the requirement to involve and consult with the communities of Auckland, regarding amendments to the spatial plan, as outlined in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.”
Where were other Auckland Mayoral candidates at this SIGNIFICANT, in my view, Public Meeting?
The only Auckland Mayoral candidates who attended last night were myself and Mark Thomas.
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
You are in some nasty company there Penny Bright. I have not seen anything from that Auckland 2040 group that changes my view that they are mostly a bunch of old while conservatives who are terrified that different housing styles will bring different types of people to their neighbourhoods, and that these different people will be different colours to them, different races from them and different classes from them.
Yes, the diehards left at these consultation meetings are predominantly those of the demographic you describe.
Interestingly, no one points out that the change in zoning just makes it easier to redevelop at a higher density at some point in the future. Property owners are not compelled to immediately demolish their single dwelling on site and build apartments.
The issue in the inner suburbs is interesting, as many would support the meme that property owners should have the rights to do what they like. However, in this case they wish to stop their neighbourhoods being changed as a product of property owners selling to capitalise on increased value or developing. These are going to be personal decisions of property owners – not the requirement of council.
Inner city suburbs have infrastructure in place, access to services and facilities and transport. Future-proofing requires these suburbs to be identified as the best bang-for-buck in terms of increased density.
EAstern suburbs nimbyism.
It’s not just old whities worrying about the zoning. It is not the zoning as such it is the abuse of the district plan and a handful of planners and lawyers enriching themselves while forcing on a system for a community that is not empowered in that process, more a reluctant step to be ignored. If anything the RMA disempowers the community and is designed to do so.
Other ethnic groups or younger people, don’t turn up to the meetings because they have families and people with multiple jobs and don’t have time to turn up to public meetings (use social media too to get the other groups involved).
Often ‘left’ people are so keen on increasing density but don’t seem to understand that actually it is the rich developers benefiting from it. They are not building affordable apartments – they are building million dollar apartments that infringe on their neighbours height to boundary but you can get anything through Auckland council as long as you get the bovine planner onside. They then charge Body corp fees to keep the rout going.
Issues like someone building a 4m high fence as a nuisance neighbour which deliberately blocks someones lovely view to spite them. Do we want that happening on mass? Should you have to ‘defend’ you own property because some council planner gave permission to have some idiotic structure like the 4m high fence and it costs you hundreds of thousands? There was also that multi million dollar beach house built for some Russian Investor that built up the ground along side the neighbours house so that they could look over into her house at all times taking away all her privacy , but increased their sea view. (Note privacy is NOT something in the RMA unlike in places like Britain which have much better heritage rules and keep their heritage and have massive density but still expect people to develop with their neighbours in mind!)
Bad council decisions and the lobbyists on the district plans are knocking out the ‘family’ houses of old like the villas and bungalows which have gardens and contribute to a different feel in the streets.
Density in the inner city fine – in the suburbs – no!
Planning in NZ is like Neoliberal at it’s finest. You can do anything you want – be as selfish as possible. It is all allowable! Screw you neighbours, screw your community because short term profit for an individual is more important!
I notice the Herald’s opinion pieces on the TPPA protest and Waitangi don’t have a comments section ( even dear Heather, who did have yesterday now doesn’t). I wonder why
@ Dialey…what the Herald has no comments section on TPPA protests and Waitangi Day?!
….a case of “see no evil , hear no evil, speak no evil” = ignoring the readership = captive msm not there to serve the readership but to indoctrinate in the interests of its owners politics ( neoliberalism and jonkey nact)
definition of indoctrinate
1. to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle
2. to teach (someone) to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions, and beliefs
Conclusion: cancel your subscription to the Herald and read the Standard
Below is a list of members of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee
that will be “hearing” public submissions on the TPP.
What a farce that will be!!
Chairperson Mitchell, Mark National Party, Rodney
Deputy-Chairperson Reti, Shane National Party, Whangarei
Bennett, David National Party, Hamilton East
Tisch, Lindsay National Party, Waikato
Ross, Jami-Lee National Party, Botany
Yang, Jian National Party, List
Shearer, David Labour Party, Mt Albert
Woods, Megan Labour Party, Wigram
Tabuteau , Fletcher NZ First, List
Graham, Kennedy Green Party, List
I think that Labour should replace David Shearer from the subcommittee as his views on TPP are not consistent with those of the majority party view.
+100…”I think that Labour should replace David Shearer from the subcommittee as his views on TPP are not consistent with those of the majority party view.”
What the hell is Little thinking of?
Shearer should have the integrity to withdraw because he knows he does not represent the caucus, to say nothing of the rank and file.
Fat chance of that. It never bothered him before.
I believe from itsourfuture.org.nz that they are looking to replace david shearer. You could contact them for a possible update
+100 Chocky & TMM.
It is crazy to have Shearer!!!! I don’t know who chooses the committee but if Labour can choose using Shearer is stupidity! If not Shearer should step down anyway.
The only 3 any good is;
Woods, Megan, Labour Party, Wigram
Tabuteau , Fletcher, NZ First, List
Graham, Kennedy, Green Party, List
Bennett, Ross and Reti what a sick joke especially Reti who was caught out by appearing to tell porkies about the TPPA. Has anyone posted the very good and easy submission page of Action Station?
Is that dirty politics Mark Mitchell!
What a creep.
This is definitely worth a look – Glenda Jackson, in my opinion the greatest actress Britain ever produced, giving her account of the Margaret Thatcher experiment in the British parliament! The word “aspirational” was apparently used by Thatcher, so Key merely latched on to her coat tails over that one ! Bit like a leech really! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDtClJYJBj8
“Glenda Jackson, in my opinion the greatest actress Britain ever produced”
Is that really your opinion? You would put her ahead of Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Vivien Leigh, Vanessa Redgrave, etc, etc?
No way.
She made only two good films. This Sporting Life and Sunday, Bloody Sunday.
“Is that really your opinion?” I guess it is – because he said so.
alwyn, you do realise that in this case people can have different opinions without having to “win an argument” or are you so contrarian that even in this instance you need to disagree?
I’ll leave the racist origins behind of the original saying but the gist is: ” If everyone wanted the same virtues in a partner, everyone would want to be married to my wife/husband”.
I wonder – can you articulate your preferences without having to tear down others?
Of course I can. The bitchiness on this site makes it rather hard but I’ve never felt any need to knock the intelligent comments from Lanthanide, even if I might disagree with some of them.
It is the concept that Glenda Jackson could be considered a better actor that the immortal Helen Mirren I find so hard to accept.
It would be like saying that there was a better female Rock singer than Janis Joplin. Woe!
IMO Pat Benetar is better if we’re talking rock, but Janis has the best female blues voice.
You have a good case.
Janis was my generation though.
To each their own.
The USA primary elections really are weird. I prefer Sander to Clinton myself, but this method of; not only having early morning voting in some districts, but also allowing it to be reported to influence those who vote later in the day, does seem flawed.
60.7% Sanders
32.1% Clinton
24.3% for each of Trump, Cruz & Kasich
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/feb/09/new-hampshire-primary-results-polls-us-election-2016-live-coverage
Which if that was all the info you had (say because you were in a rush), might influence your vote. Until you realised that this was only; 17 votes for Sanders and 9 for each of the other four candidates.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2016/feb/09/new-hampshire-primary-results-live-2016-presidential-election-county-by-county-map
Is New Hampshire the one that gets taken as a signal of what will happen in the Presidential Election?
The Guardian seems to think so.
I’m not sure I trust their method though.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/feb/09/astrology-new-hampshire-primary-presidential-election
Ha ha. I was trying to remember West Wing lore.
I thought it was funny. Actually there wouldn’t have been any debate about who won New Hampshire in the program. Jeb was supposed to have been Governor there and I can’t imagine they would ever have considered him losing his own state.
Great program for the first four seasons. I thought they should have killed it after Sorkin left though. Wasn’t nearly as tightly written after that was it?
Astrology was used by Nancy Reagan to determine what she proposed to Ronnie though.
That was scary rather than funny though.
I think The West Wing still talked about it though because of the dynamic. Or maybe it was The Good Wife.
Turns out it’s an indicator of how the primary will go (not the presidential election),
There is consensus among scholars and pundits that the New Hampshire primary, because of the timing and the vast media attention, can have a great impact and may even make or break or revive a candidate.[7] Controlling for other factors statistically, a win in New Hampshire increases a candidate’s share of the final primary count in all states by 27 percentage points.[8]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_primary#Significance
Well, it does say “1% reporting” in the first link.
Anyway, I found this link off comments in an article from yesterday’s Guardian. It maps different polls and the bit i found interesting (okay – heartening 😉 ) is that Clinton would appear to be dipping in South Carolina. (Chart at bottom left hand side of page)
Save us if New Hampshire is a signal of where either party is going.
You really are a Tory sometimes Ad.
Sanders is hardly left of center, and you talk like he is an extremist.
Why don’t you just go join the national party?
I agree, nutbars to the left of me, nut bars to the right.
Seriously, Sanders has this statement on his fucking website
Bring climate deniers to justice so we can aggressively tackle climate change.
https://berniesanders.com/issues/climate-change/
The man is a raving extremist who will plunge the USA into chaos if he gets elected.
Hillary Clinton is the only sane option out there.
Spoken like a true Tory.
Ad and BM may get their joint wish of another Clinton presidency. While trying to understand the candidate selection process (mainly how NH is called the first primary when it is preceded by the Iowa caucus), my surfing drifted into superdelegate territory. Wikipedia is a bit out of date with all 2008 details (because the 2012 was uncontested, and 2016 hasn’t happened yet):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Democratic_Party_superdelegates,_2008
This 538 piece is good, but deals more with present endorsements than the role of these elected endorsers as superdelegates in the convention.
http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/
The weighting system obscures things a bit for this purpose, but I make Clinton’s; 14 Governors plus 39 Senators plus 131 congress reps to be equal to 194 delegate votes to Sanders’ 2. If it is correct that; “Each of the superdelegates’ votes is now equivalent to about 10,000 Democratic voters [in 2008]”, this means that Sanders is about 192 000 votes behind Clinton. With Iowa effectively tied, Sanders “yuge” win in NH is likely to get him a margin of around 50 000 votes ahead. A quarter of what is needed to start on level footing with Clinton. And that’s before factoring in the half of superdelegates who are appointed by virtue of their DNC position, or those elected reps who haven’t declared yet.
Once again; USA primary elections really are weird!
“The man is a raving extremist who will plunge the USA into chaos if he gets elected.”
You could describe that about each of the GOP contenders.
Waitangi Day Comment 1840
Thought this was interesting in 2016 , particularly the final sentence.
Extract from Fairburn a biography by Denys Trussell, Auckland University Press, 1984,
928.21 FairTru Takapuna Library.
William Thomas Fairburn b. Kent 1797 arr Korororeka (Russell) Bay of Islands in July1819, as a catechist or lay preacher for Samuel Marsden and the CMS (Church Missionary Society), he was the Great Great Grandfather of Rex Fairburn (A.R.D.) New Zealand writer and poet.
Page 9 .
In a letter he wrote to the Rev. William Jowett at the CMS on 15 July 1840 Fairburn stated the following.
I do not think they (Maori) understand fully the cession of their rights and privileges, ‘he wrote five months after the meeting of Governor Hobson & the Chiefs. He knew the the Maoris could be shrewd hagglers in specific transactions over items of trade, but the abstraction of a treaty involving questions of sovereignty was foreign to them. ‘Parting with the sovereign rights of a country is quite another thing, it seems to many of them inexplicable, and how can it be otherwise?’
Fairburn feared bitter contention over land after the proclamation of May 1840 that made New Zealand a British colony. Would the missionaries be able to prevent widespread exploitation of their temperamental flock?. William considered this was a duty: ‘I consider we are now called upon for a twofold watchfulness on behalf of the natives. European strangers will never agree with them , and they scruple not to say they wish this land was clear of natives as the are only a nuisance and in the way.
thanx…interesting alright…this has been a bone of contention I believe
…a bit like the TPPA today…and the corporates taking legal power over the country and its laws….again issue of sovereignty
“Progressive Revolution Begins” !
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/09/progressive-revolution-begins-sanders-wins-new-hampshire
“The future of the Democratic Party,” she said, “lies with the message of tackling inequality and pushing for bold systemic change.”
The war on drugs and our freedoms rolls on.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/296210/aviation-industry-to-face-drug-tests
Maybe if we dealt with why people want to take drugs in the first place. Or took a responsible approach to drug taking.
But no, lets give up some more freedoms to the state, so they can test you to see if you have drugs in your system.
What happens when we give away all our hard won freedoms?
Drug tests are a jip….
They do not test whether the person is under the influence, they only test whether the person has taken drugs in the last few weeks.
Alcohol tests should be instigated in exactly the same form – namely, if you have had alcohol in the last few weeks then you fail.
Drug tests are a con and have absolutely no credibility. None.
But would you be so happy had it been a Labour politician? After all, Andrew Little has agreed to keep the TPPA if it is signed.
[lprent: Completely off topic as the author obviously took care not to take a party political position. Moved to Open Mike. Banned two weeks for what looks to me to be a deliberate diversion comment, and because I had to expend time to reread the post to make sure that I was correct in my reaction. I don’t like wasting my time. ]
I would still oppose her losing her job.
I don’t think it matters which politician was the recipient of the ‘fake dildo’, the message was clear and it is the message (regardless of political allegiances) that matters the most. New Zealand is not theirs to rape!
Must admit when I saw that she was identified as a nurse, I did wonder if she would be reprimanded for bringing her profession/employer into disrepute (or whatever wanky condition is likely to be in her contract) – Perhaps Stuff are inadvertently making any move by the employer to discipline her impossible due to potential public scrutiny and support (she does have a lot of fans now)?
IPCA….bouncing complaints back to the police because not enough funding to investigate.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/76745028/police-watchdog-ipca-skips-investigations-due-to-financial-pressures
“”There have been occasionally matters that we’ve referred back to the police where if we’d had the resource, we might have investigated, including, for example, excessive force cases.””
And with the cutbacks at the Human Rights Commission… Ombudsman overworked….
“And with the cutbacks at the Human Rights Commission… Ombudsman overworked….”
and judging by the results, massive under-funding of MFAT as well
Media tears rape apologist apart:
http://www.returnofkings.com/79972/roosh-destroys-media-at-washington-dc-press-conference
He reckons HE destroyed the media. Talk about out of touch with reality!!!
Pretty interesting watching what’s been going on. In Canada the fight back saw him being filmed and then thrown out of a night club where he tried his rapey hitting on a woman. Some guys went undercover to one of the events last week and filmed the organisers and posted that online. Not just social media, the MSM coverage of how appalling he is has been pretty universal.
btw Roosh isn’t just a rape apologist, he’s a rapist (or intends to be one) and an active rape supporter and promoter.
Trouble is, there are a lot of guys out there that think like him, and a fair few of them are judges.
That is one of the biggest fears of the next 50 years, that rape will be effectively decriminalised if the women is dressed remotely feminine, if not de jure, but de facto.
Im not supporter of whacking children, but the mothers of these guys need to give them a good clip round the ears.