He took a holiday for eight years. He did nothing to stop the depredations against the Standing Rock tribe. He did nothing to stop the Republicans ganging up against him and reducing his Affordable Care legislation to a farce. He did nothing to stop Israel attacking the captive population of Gaza, or killing peace activists in international waters.
Yes, he’s certainly earned his time off kite-surfing and horsing around with Richard Branson. He wisely leaves it to saps like Bernie Sanders to waste their time marching with common folk.
What happened at that Kauri Rescue meeting in Titirangi last night:
Bad news first: there is no treatment ready yet to introduce to the public or councils to treat their own trees, and the treatment that looks most promising is not a full cure but something that helps the tree fight back. It’s unknown yet how often and what repeat doses will be needed in the future. I got the impression it’s likely to be several years away before there will be a general recommendation and treatment materials available to go out the general public.
The good news is that treatment using phosphite is showing promising results. So the meeting was about recruiting motivated property owners with infected trees to volunteer as “citizen scientists” to do a much wider study refining dose rates and schedules. Think of it as clinical trials for new meds, or beta software testing.
It sounds like the team is planning to do this program in all areas affected by kauri dieback. So if you have infected kauri on your property and want to participate, the first thing to do is contact your council and have soil samples taken to confirm the disease is present.
Overnight power cut for maintenance drained the UPS batteries. Unfortunately the power bill isn’t in my name so I didn’t get a warning until the UPSes started beeping. Some body forgot to tell me until 0030
Also left the mail server off and inaccessible this morning. Had to do some work to get everything back on line.
Cables and open computer cases this morning. All operating now. I will clean the mess up tonight.
The operational cost at present is $194 per month running 24/7 at more than 99% uptime and moving about 600gb to 800gb per month. Average cpu runs on 8 cores and peaks at about 20% average during the day. Ie lots of room for expansion.
Everything I have seen so far indicates that we’d be paying at least 2.5x to get anything with half the capacity inside nz. And more at election time.
That means actually needing to spend time raising funds compared to just letting people donate what they feel like.
because he’s a rwnj , he doesn’t understand that some one could enjoy doing something themselves on the cheap when they could outsource and go for a profit.
The only way to Tory proof anything is to take back everything they steal, with punitive sanctions, and zero compensation. Do that every single time it happens and the bludgers will think twice, and realise that they need to learn how to do an honest day’s work instead.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The same way they do it: get elected then impose un-announced policies under urgency.
I’d start small, too: cancel a few contracts, start bringing public services back into public hands. Reverse all the creeping privatisation, then fry the bigger fish.
Relevant is a word the programmer chose when he kindly gave the authors a way to move comments out of their posts. I think off-topic is closer to it this time. You’d probably have gotten away with it if you’d related it back to the post.
Seeing as how I wrote the post, I think my opinion is probably relevant 😉 But a conversation for another time (the strategy stuff).
Nature leaves many signs for us. Hot cold weather, full moon, whale stranding. Hope I’m wrong. Making sure water bottles are full etc here.
The whales that stranded are pilot whales, not sperm whales like what washed up at Rabbit Island a few weeks back.
Pilot whale strandings are common at the Spit. But this one is alarming, due to the sheer volume of the whales. It is estimated that around 70% of them have died. High tide is almost here and the air is buzzing with air traffic at the moment.
If you live in Motueka please don’t forget to VOTE for the COMMUNITY BOARD.
There are four choices, here is what I have discovered about the candidates, yes i’ve been asking people around town and ex TDC councillors about the candidates.
Two of the candidates are older men, one failed to be re-elected to the TDC last year, another has failed twice to become the Mayor. Old boys club. One of them is super dodgy, and one day that truth may come out in a public forum, can’t disclose what I was told, but dang! Someone has some skeletons in their closet.
There is a woman standing, she is an ultra conservative christian, i won’t hold that against her, but IMHO it’s not what Motueka needs, we are way to diverse for another conservative community board member.
Then there is a young fella, he owns one of our local cafes, is full of enthusiasm, has many bright forward thinking ideas, loves Motueka and is energetic and optimistic.
Special Votes will also be available in the TDC Motueka office (7 Hickmott Place) between 10am-12 noon on 1, 3, 8, 10 and 15 February 2017, and between 9am and 12 noon on Friday 17 February 2017.
Special Votes can be posted out directly to electors. The completed voting paper, however, must be in the hands of the Electoral Officer or the Deputy Electoral Officer, at either the Richmond or Motueka Council office, by noon on election day, Friday 17 February 2017. Please contact the Council on 03 543 8554 for assistance.
PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO VOTE 😀 THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY 😀
Are you able to help? Grab your wetsuit and some warm clothes, sunscreen, insect repellent and food. Please don’t come to rubber neck, help is what is needed.
Sorry if anyone takes offence, but I think it’s a perfect time for people to take meat and whale bone for personal/family or community use but this probably isn’t allowed under DOC and the don’t touch nature approach. I just think it is a huge resource wasted and another sign we aren’t connected with nature as much as we used to be. I can’t imagine the american indians watching a herd of bison rot away in similar circumstances. This is what we could do, like modern day bison harvesting (vegetarians might want to look away…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuZrmodoX5M
Bone too pourous for carving. In the old days it was feast time. The settlers would render them down too in their day for oil. It is different now. Can’t imagine after spending so much time trying to save them that people are going to go back to their car for the chainsaw and buckets to get a feed for later.
Sometimes it is best to just leave alone. When I did the spit tours I would often stop and show the punters a decomposing pilot whale. Facinating and unforgetable in many ways.
I’m compiling a list of NZ MPs who have spoken out against their party on matters of principle or conscience. So far I’ve got Marilyn Waring and Tariana Turia. Who else?
oh yes – David Lange did too. In fact, I spoke out in support of what he was saying. And yes – his was a matter of conscience. He had been trying for months during 1987 to get Douglas to slow down, or reduce, or even stop the momentum that was build on neo-liberal economics. And in early 1988 (during January I think) he spoke out against them. And I followed suit (being a new MP and not realising how punishing such an action could be).
I think Shane Jones found himself in the wrong party. What did he speak out about?
Just remembered – David Lange spoke overseas – in USA – about NZ leaving the ANZUS agreement and apparently he did so without running it past Cabinet first. There was a huge ruckus in the caucus about that. Does Wikipedia have details of that ?
Jones frequently had a go at the Green Party in a way not done by the NZLP MPs, and spoke for commercial fishing, as I recall – speaking against environmental policies.
Damo sure did and Rino too, and kudos to them for doing so. The reason they crossed the floor was to protect the West Coast from being exploited.
“Mr O’Connor said he would be “scrutinising the process” to ensure the Coast benefited, and the logs were not just trucked or flown out of the region.”
“While I am disappointed Conservation Minister Nick Smith will not amend the legislation to guarantee West Coasters get much-needed jobs and revenue, I still believe this timber should be utilised,” he said.
David C was sweet as with it at the time, no division, just an amazing MP (Damien) who deeply loves his electorate, and listens to, respects and looks after his constituents.
That’s because they do not sign up to a clause which states they will not speak out in opposition to anything their govt is doing. Labour MPs (and candidates) sign up to obeying the direction of the Leader and Cabinet, and to keeping any arguments “inside the tent”. ie caucus. The Nat MPs have a greater freedom of speech I suppose you could say, but do they ever speak out on behalf of the poor, the disadvantaged, or vulnerable ?
I did, too. Against Rogernomics – but I didn’t leave the Party. I stayed, and have continued to work with the Party over the years in the hope that Labour would return to its roots – which it is now doing.
Mr Minogue also spoke out against the Nats. Might have been on the same subject as Marilyn Waring, but I think he also spoke out about other matters.
@ weka (9) … then there was also Michael Minogue. He and colleague Marilyn Waring were more often than not crossing the floor to vote with the opposition during the last Muldoon government. In fact, it was Waring and Minogue who together helped bring down Muldoon in the mid 1980s. Despite being members of a National government, both were damn good MPs, sticking firmly to their principles.
Derek Quigley spoke out against Muldoon’s financial policies in the 1980s. Muldoon fired him. He left National and later he and Roger Douglas became co-leaders of the newly formed ACT Party.
Alamein Kopu was Jenny Shipleys puppet and the reason “waka jumping” legislation came about. She went in as a left winger and propped up a right wing government that was falling apart.
the stealthy approach to destroying a culture must also be opposed vigorously
Former Māori Party co-leader Dame Tariana Turia is threatening to march to Parliament again and voice her concerns regarding the Children, Young Persons and their families (Oranga Tamariki) legislation currently before Parliament. She’s concerned that the proposed amendments give CYPFS the legal power to determine who will raise Māori children who have been uplifted from family.
People are frustrated, angry and ready to support Tariana Turia in her march to Parliament.
Dame Tariana Turia told Te Kaea, “It is timely for the government to be listening to Tangata whenua about these issues, after all, these issues impact on our whānau long term, and we know that there’s a negative down trend when you take children out of their families.”
more detailed background and an open letter to read
“Tēnā koutou i ngā tini āhuatanga o te ao,
On Wednesday, October 12, a hui in Ōtaki discussed the changes Anne Tolley has proposed to the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act, removing the clauses that consider the effects of decisions on whānau, and that prioritise placing a child within their hapū or iwi.
Those clauses came out of the 1988 report Puao-te-ata-tu. After extensive research around the nation, Puao-te-ata-tu found that ‘institutional racism’ was at the root of Māori social welfare problems, and predicted that the Crown would continue to fail Māori unless this was fixed. The report found that Māori succeed when rangatiratanga is recognised and supported, and recommended that Māori should be resourced to solve the problems Māori are facing.”
The argument as I recall – and I can’t find any link – just heard in passing on RNZ 9 to noon I think – was that it was better to place children at risk in “better care” than could be offered by some whanau. It made me think at the time – this isn’t going to go down well!
It’s all about cost really – probably “cheaper”* to place children elsewhere rather than provide proper support.
*Cheaper meaning the cost today – the long term effects of course are never factors considered by a National govt.
every care giver is given the same scrutiny so that is not actually a reason to disregard international studies and persistent advice and evidence that keeping children within (as much as is possible) their culture is better for them.
How about all the whanau and neighbours etc in the Nia Glassie case who didn’t lift a finger to stop it, or even notify the authorities? The further the kids are taken from those sort of communities, the better.
Again, the reflexive ideological backlash whenever a key buzzword is mentioned (Maori, woman etc) seems to trump practical reality.
Are you saying that because of that case Maori can’t be trusted? Why would you judge Maori on the worst situation you can think of? By that’s criteria we shouldn’t trust Cyfs, the govt, or Pakeha either. Frankly if you think the Glassie situation is representative of Maori, that’s weird.
I wish all those in the know about the PM’s ponytail pulling, setting up NZ as the equivalent of a tax haven, and all those in the know about the amount of tax avoidance specific companies do, would step up and say something.
Otherwise, maybe we should just take people away from those jobs and put them somewhere where there is more ethical over sight.
Bit hypocritical of Turia to complain here when she’s been supporting the government that has been pulling this sort of shit for 9 years. She could always, you know, start opposing the government.
The climate scientists view of what happened. In short, the deniers found something in a legitimate report that they could sensationally misrepresent to manufacture a faux-scandal.
Yet, Dr Bates said: ‘They had good data from buoys. And they threw it out and “corrected” it by using the bad data from ships. You never change good data to agree with bad, but that’s what they did – so as to make it look as if the sea was warmer.’
See double dipper go-in shearing tomorrow. Supportive of agriculture etc etc ,(-in the herald.) Wonder if he could show to how pollute rivers/ streams next — -episode I’ll call it.–or maybe how not to pollute??
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The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
Hope and Change.
Yeah, Right.
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2017/02/08/while-bernie-speaks-at-the-womens-march-in-washington-grills-de-vos-debates-ted-cruz-on-healthcare-heres-what-the-prophet-is-up-to/
By ‘hope and change’ are you referring to this citizen taking a holiday?
He took a holiday for eight years. He did nothing to stop the depredations against the Standing Rock tribe. He did nothing to stop the Republicans ganging up against him and reducing his Affordable Care legislation to a farce. He did nothing to stop Israel attacking the captive population of Gaza, or killing peace activists in international waters.
Yes, he’s certainly earned his time off kite-surfing and horsing around with Richard Branson. He wisely leaves it to saps like Bernie Sanders to waste their time marching with common folk.
What happened at that Kauri Rescue meeting in Titirangi last night:
Bad news first: there is no treatment ready yet to introduce to the public or councils to treat their own trees, and the treatment that looks most promising is not a full cure but something that helps the tree fight back. It’s unknown yet how often and what repeat doses will be needed in the future. I got the impression it’s likely to be several years away before there will be a general recommendation and treatment materials available to go out the general public.
The good news is that treatment using phosphite is showing promising results. So the meeting was about recruiting motivated property owners with infected trees to volunteer as “citizen scientists” to do a much wider study refining dose rates and schedules. Think of it as clinical trials for new meds, or beta software testing.
It sounds like the team is planning to do this program in all areas affected by kauri dieback. So if you have infected kauri on your property and want to participate, the first thing to do is contact your council and have soil samples taken to confirm the disease is present.
In the meantime, keep on eye on:
http://www.kaurirescue.org.nz/
http://www.kauridieback.co.nz/
I think I counted one environmental trust per person last night.a great green get-together.
Overnight power cut for maintenance drained the UPS batteries. Unfortunately the power bill isn’t in my name so I didn’t get a warning until the UPSes started beeping. Some body forgot to tell me until 0030
Also left the mail server off and inaccessible this morning. Had to do some work to get everything back on line.
Cables and open computer cases this morning. All operating now. I will clean the mess up tonight.
Oh well off to paid work.
Thank you
Time to get it hosted somewhere decent.
Why?
The operational cost at present is $194 per month running 24/7 at more than 99% uptime and moving about 600gb to 800gb per month. Average cpu runs on 8 cores and peaks at about 20% average during the day. Ie lots of room for expansion.
Everything I have seen so far indicates that we’d be paying at least 2.5x to get anything with half the capacity inside nz. And more at election time.
That means actually needing to spend time raising funds compared to just letting people donate what they feel like.
”Why”
because he’s a rwnj , he doesn’t understand that some one could enjoy doing something themselves on the cheap when they could outsource and go for a profit.
The only way to Tory proof anything is to take back everything they steal, with punitive sanctions, and zero compensation. Do that every single time it happens and the bludgers will think twice, and realise that they need to learn how to do an honest day’s work instead.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
How would you achieve that OAB? Shoot all the National Party voters? Maybe try and put your plan in the context of the post to eh?
The same way they do it: get elected then impose un-announced policies under urgency.
I’d start small, too: cancel a few contracts, start bringing public services back into public hands. Reverse all the creeping privatisation, then fry the bigger fish.
A constitution that enshrined the rights of Nature is probably the only way to Tory-proof that.
How do you propose to stop them amending it? Or indeed, to sign up to it in the first place?
Look how much has already been lost by attrition. I’m sure my opinion on this isn’t relevant to the post. Is yours?
Relevant is a word the programmer chose when he kindly gave the authors a way to move comments out of their posts. I think off-topic is closer to it this time. You’d probably have gotten away with it if you’d related it back to the post.
Seeing as how I wrote the post, I think my opinion is probably relevant 😉 But a conversation for another time (the strategy stuff).
Despite recent articles considering the impact of oil exploration on whales and dolphins, one of which mentions mentioning current exploration around Farewell Spit, the Herald fails to mention this in an article this morning regarding 300 dead whales in that area.
Nature leaves many signs for us. Hot cold weather, full moon, whale stranding. Hope I’m wrong. Making sure water bottles are full etc here.
The whales that stranded are pilot whales, not sperm whales like what washed up at Rabbit Island a few weeks back.
Pilot whale strandings are common at the Spit. But this one is alarming, due to the sheer volume of the whales. It is estimated that around 70% of them have died. High tide is almost here and the air is buzzing with air traffic at the moment.
Please go over and help if you can.
If you live in Motueka please don’t forget to VOTE for the COMMUNITY BOARD.
There are four choices, here is what I have discovered about the candidates, yes i’ve been asking people around town and ex TDC councillors about the candidates.
Two of the candidates are older men, one failed to be re-elected to the TDC last year, another has failed twice to become the Mayor. Old boys club. One of them is super dodgy, and one day that truth may come out in a public forum, can’t disclose what I was told, but dang! Someone has some skeletons in their closet.
There is a woman standing, she is an ultra conservative christian, i won’t hold that against her, but IMHO it’s not what Motueka needs, we are way to diverse for another conservative community board member.
Then there is a young fella, he owns one of our local cafes, is full of enthusiasm, has many bright forward thinking ideas, loves Motueka and is energetic and optimistic.
Link here for the profiles of the candidates
Voting closes at noon on 17 February
Special Votes will also be available in the TDC Motueka office (7 Hickmott Place) between 10am-12 noon on 1, 3, 8, 10 and 15 February 2017, and between 9am and 12 noon on Friday 17 February 2017.
Special Votes can be posted out directly to electors. The completed voting paper, however, must be in the hands of the Electoral Officer or the Deputy Electoral Officer, at either the Richmond or Motueka Council office, by noon on election day, Friday 17 February 2017. Please contact the Council on 03 543 8554 for assistance.
PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO VOTE 😀 THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY 😀
There has been a MASSIVE whale stranding out on the Spit.
Are you able to help? Grab your wetsuit and some warm clothes, sunscreen, insect repellent and food. Please don’t come to rubber neck, help is what is needed.
More info on what to take with you if you are going over to the Spit to help can be found here.
Sorry if anyone takes offence, but I think it’s a perfect time for people to take meat and whale bone for personal/family or community use but this probably isn’t allowed under DOC and the don’t touch nature approach. I just think it is a huge resource wasted and another sign we aren’t connected with nature as much as we used to be. I can’t imagine the american indians watching a herd of bison rot away in similar circumstances. This is what we could do, like modern day bison harvesting (vegetarians might want to look away…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuZrmodoX5M
I was thinking this too especially if it was done in conjunction with having locals studying the whales and the strandings. Matauranga Māori.
Great vid btw, thanks for that.
Bone too pourous for carving. In the old days it was feast time. The settlers would render them down too in their day for oil. It is different now. Can’t imagine after spending so much time trying to save them that people are going to go back to their car for the chainsaw and buckets to get a feed for later.
Sometimes it is best to just leave alone. When I did the spit tours I would often stop and show the punters a decomposing pilot whale. Facinating and unforgetable in many ways.
I’m of a similar mindset Maui, interesting clip, thanks for posting. So much logic in your words.
Toby Manhire nails Trump’s first 20 days-sooo funny.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11797687
FFS we have another 1441 days of this to go.
I’m compiling a list of NZ MPs who have spoken out against their party on matters of principle or conscience. So far I’ve got Marilyn Waring and Tariana Turia. Who else?
Hone Harawira – in starting the Mana Party
Was the whole Lange disaffection with Roger Douglas a speaking out on a matter of conscience, or as wikipedia says, a fracturing of the Labour Party?
then there was the Chris Carter business: though that was more clandestine.
Shane Jones (a conscience?), and Katherine Rich.
oh yes – David Lange did too. In fact, I spoke out in support of what he was saying. And yes – his was a matter of conscience. He had been trying for months during 1987 to get Douglas to slow down, or reduce, or even stop the momentum that was build on neo-liberal economics. And in early 1988 (during January I think) he spoke out against them. And I followed suit (being a new MP and not realising how punishing such an action could be).
I think Shane Jones found himself in the wrong party. What did he speak out about?
Just remembered – David Lange spoke overseas – in USA – about NZ leaving the ANZUS agreement and apparently he did so without running it past Cabinet first. There was a huge ruckus in the caucus about that. Does Wikipedia have details of that ?
Thanks, Jenny.
Jones frequently had a go at the Green Party in a way not done by the NZLP MPs, and spoke for commercial fishing, as I recall – speaking against environmental policies.
Anderton et al and the formation of the Alliance?
Didn’t Damien O’Conner cross the floor on the wind-blown logs thing?
Damo sure did and Rino too, and kudos to them for doing so. The reason they crossed the floor was to protect the West Coast from being exploited.
“Mr O’Connor said he would be “scrutinising the process” to ensure the Coast benefited, and the logs were not just trucked or flown out of the region.”
O’Connor, the West Coast Tasman MP, asked the Government to amend the bill to ensure locals would get preferential access and the major benefits of the extraction of windblown trees.
“While I am disappointed Conservation Minister Nick Smith will not amend the legislation to guarantee West Coasters get much-needed jobs and revenue, I still believe this timber should be utilised,” he said.
David C was sweet as with it at the time, no division, just an amazing MP (Damien) who deeply loves his electorate, and listens to, respects and looks after his constituents.
Winston Peters frequently spoke out against the National Party when he was in their caucus. not sure if conscience was involved.
So far I can think of more right wingers who have spoken out against their party than left wingers.
That’s because they do not sign up to a clause which states they will not speak out in opposition to anything their govt is doing. Labour MPs (and candidates) sign up to obeying the direction of the Leader and Cabinet, and to keeping any arguments “inside the tent”. ie caucus. The Nat MPs have a greater freedom of speech I suppose you could say, but do they ever speak out on behalf of the poor, the disadvantaged, or vulnerable ?
I did, too. Against Rogernomics – but I didn’t leave the Party. I stayed, and have continued to work with the Party over the years in the hope that Labour would return to its roots – which it is now doing.
Mr Minogue also spoke out against the Nats. Might have been on the same subject as Marilyn Waring, but I think he also spoke out about other matters.
@ weka (9) … then there was also Michael Minogue. He and colleague Marilyn Waring were more often than not crossing the floor to vote with the opposition during the last Muldoon government. In fact, it was Waring and Minogue who together helped bring down Muldoon in the mid 1980s. Despite being members of a National government, both were damn good MPs, sticking firmly to their principles.
Derek Quigley spoke out against Muldoon’s financial policies in the 1980s. Muldoon fired him. He left National and later he and Roger Douglas became co-leaders of the newly formed ACT Party.
Alamein Kopu was Jenny Shipleys puppet and the reason “waka jumping” legislation came about. She went in as a left winger and propped up a right wing government that was falling apart.
Sounds familiar.
the stealthy approach to destroying a culture must also be opposed vigorously
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/if-we-can-fight-our-land-we-can-fight-our-tamariki-dame-tariana-turia
more detailed background and an open letter to read
http://starspangledrodeo.blogspot.co.nz/2016/10/open-letter-from-hands-off-our-tamariki.html
Plus my take on the whole sordid and desperate situation
http://mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2017/02/nah-children-stay-with-us.html
What’s the rationale given by the govt? Hard to see this as anything other than racist.
The argument as I recall – and I can’t find any link – just heard in passing on RNZ 9 to noon I think – was that it was better to place children at risk in “better care” than could be offered by some whanau. It made me think at the time – this isn’t going to go down well!
It’s all about cost really – probably “cheaper”* to place children elsewhere rather than provide proper support.
*Cheaper meaning the cost today – the long term effects of course are never factors considered by a National govt.
The idea is to get children out of toxic environments by any means necessary.
every care giver is given the same scrutiny so that is not actually a reason to disregard international studies and persistent advice and evidence that keeping children within (as much as is possible) their culture is better for them.
I agree, putting Maori kids into a Pakeha system that is way to often toxic is a bad idea, like this legislation.
How about all the whanau and neighbours etc in the Nia Glassie case who didn’t lift a finger to stop it, or even notify the authorities? The further the kids are taken from those sort of communities, the better.
Again, the reflexive ideological backlash whenever a key buzzword is mentioned (Maori, woman etc) seems to trump practical reality.
Are you saying that because of that case Maori can’t be trusted? Why would you judge Maori on the worst situation you can think of? By that’s criteria we shouldn’t trust Cyfs, the govt, or Pakeha either. Frankly if you think the Glassie situation is representative of Maori, that’s weird.
I wish all those in the know about the PM’s ponytail pulling, setting up NZ as the equivalent of a tax haven, and all those in the know about the amount of tax avoidance specific companies do, would step up and say something.
Otherwise, maybe we should just take people away from those jobs and put them somewhere where there is more ethical over sight.
Thanks for this info, marty. Sounds unacceptable on the part of the government.
Bit hypocritical of Turia to complain here when she’s been supporting the government that has been pulling this sort of shit for 9 years. She could always, you know, start opposing the government.
rubbish – she isn’t in parliament for a start – jeeze – pity you can’t address the issue just got to go for a cheap shot
OMG! Security Expert Advises “President” that White House has been Hacked!”
Has this been covered here?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4192182/World-leaders-duped-manipulated-global-warming-data.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIrDkHs_hBY
The climate scientists view of what happened. In short, the deniers found something in a legitimate report that they could sensationally misrepresent to manufacture a faux-scandal.
https://skepticalscience.com/bates-knew-people-would-misuse-accusations-to-attack-climate-science.html
Yet, Dr Bates said: ‘They had good data from buoys. And they threw it out and “corrected” it by using the bad data from ships. You never change good data to agree with bad, but that’s what they did – so as to make it look as if the sea was warmer.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4192182/World-leaders-duped-manipulated-global-warming-data.html#ixzz4YFcDxGAV
Seems the misrepresentation didn’t come from deniers. But the info is rather sensational.
Oh noes! Scandal! Or not, as the case may be…
Gavin Schmidt, NASA.
See double dipper go-in shearing tomorrow. Supportive of agriculture etc etc ,(-in the herald.) Wonder if he could show to how pollute rivers/ streams next — -episode I’ll call it.–or maybe how not to pollute??