‘Commercial banks have been moderating their growth forecasts, based on sharply lower dairy prices and on reports that the Christchurch rebuild is past its peak.’
Remember when Hosking said our high dollar was a sign we were doing really well?
Does that mean the dollar being much lower since then means we aren’t doing well anymore?
“It is hard to know what I am more excited about this week, our dollar or our houses. Records all over the place. But both signs of just how well we are doing.”
remember when Hosking (like fisiani on here at the time) were smug about the meaning of parity, the great golden summer for NZ our coming of age, our sign that we are doing well?
Yet, the dropping dollar, apparently, doesnt mean the opposite of a rising dollar.
“This little nation of four and a half million produces a dollar that is at least as appealing as that monstrous land to our left. When the traders can invest in whatever they like … they like us. And they like us for good reason.
Yes it makes a holiday cheaper, yes it makes imported TVs cheaper, and yes it makes selling our milk harder, but it is more than that, the dollar is our fiscal calling card. It is a huge number of policies, ideas, attitudes, outlooks and actions all encapsulated in a currency.
A freely floated currency can’t hide, it can’t trick, it can’t be a charade. It is judged on all its frailties and merits. And the call being made this week, the reason the word parity is in the vocab, is because at last we’ve nailed it.
The dollar is on a roll, housing is on a roll, we’re on a roll. These are golden days.”
Slight difference: Hager used the data in the public interest and thus doing so wasn’t a crime. Apparently Slater used it to defame someone for personal gain thus it was a crime.
If you live in Auckland, have any friends / relations / contacts in the Hawkes Bay region – you might care to pass on this suggestion?
‘Open Letter’ to the people of the Hawkes Bay region –
“Ask Aucklanders about our ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%!)”
“For those folk in the Hawkes Bay region, who have yet to cast their vote on the proposed Hawkes Bay amalgamation (‘Supercity’) – may I respectfully suggest that you consider the following?” asks Penny Bright, confirmed 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
“Try contacting ordinary Auckland citizens and ratepayers that you know – who are NOT big business private contractors / consultants, NOT overseas investors, NOT property developers, NOT speculators, NOT representatives of overseas-owned financial institutions – and ask how the (forced) Auckland ‘Supercity’ amalgamation has worked for them, their neighbours, workmates and local communities?”
(Votes need to be posted TODAY – to make the September 15th 2015 deadline!)
Accepting Norway’s freedom of speech prize via a video link from Moscow, due to Washington’s pressure for his extradition, whistleblower Edward Snowden noted that the US’ reputation is crumbling every year it stands against human rights, the rule of law and its own values.
Snowden said that as he became increasingly exposed to top secret material, he noted that the statements offered on a number of issues by the US establishment were not “simply untrue” but raised questions as to how the US was “interpreting the law.”
“And this is fundamentally dangerous. It is about more than just surveillance, I think. It is about democracy. It is about the relationship between the governed and the governing,” Snowden said.
Which, of course, is true. As long as the US stands as an oppressor it looses the any reputation it ever had for standing for freedom. Of course, it never really stood for freedom but for capitalism – the freedom of the rich to oppress and exploit the poor.
ISIS told the world they would infiltrate the West through a refugee crisis. Now we have one and Andrew Little is catering to the people who want to invite refugees to come to New Zealand and is calling for an increase in refugee numbers.
What he should be calling for is the arrest of the Western war criminals terrorizing these poor people into fleeing their countries when we bomb them back to the stone age of course.
So what will happen when the first false flag bombs go off in Europe or God forbid in New Zealand somewhere? Will that be the end of whatever we have left of an opposition as National can claim the refugees were here because of Labour and them softie left wing nampiepampies in the first place?
Could you identify the “Western war criminals” you imagine are terrorising the people of Syria? (Hint: the Syrian government, Da’esh and the Russian Federation are not “Western.”)
well syrias a tricky one, since the west aren’t seen openly to doin much, but I think you will find that most of the so-called ‘freedom fighters’ are heavillty financed, armed and trained by “the west” ie amerika. Funny to think that many of the groups are being fed with one hand in Syria yet are fought in other territories.
also if we broaden our gaze a little from Syria to other areas of conflict that are contributing to the refugee crisis we can see the heavy hand of the west at work. think Yemen, Libya, etc
Traveller, we’ll need to be more even-handed about determining who might be a terror threat.
Key will have to send Immigration and other border security profile agencies (the intelligence ones) to determine who would be a risk to the country. I don’t mind if the Cabinet gets manipulated by the public through tv images. If only they reacted with heart more often.
Ordinarily, New Zealanders who so much as visit Syria (or Somalia, or Yemen) get files made on them. No problem about welcoming them in, but we need to do so with our eyes open.
Refugees is a defined term with associated criteria. Anyone saying “I’m from Syria, let me in” and with nothing else to back a claim for refugee status won’t qualify.
“I’ve been waiting most of my life for the Left to make its glorious return. This is not what I’ve been waiting for. I’ve not changed my principles, and have only changed my views to fit the facts. I’m the one who feels abandoned – everything has moved around me. I lay down in a big tent, and I woke up in the rain.”
A fascinating and depressing read on Corbyn and the state of the left in Britian
Does it make a difference to you that Little doesn’t seem to have the kind of “baggage” that Corbyn has? Interm sof how you feel about the NZ LP I mean, as a comparisson to Labour UK?
I feel the same kind of tension that you express and is expressed in this article. And mostly I come to the same place;;;
vote for a blairish type and see the rot slowed but harm continuing, or vote for someone I can hope will gain support and will roll back the rot (as it were).
My biggest problem is that voting for the Blair-type means watching while some of the same old means are perpetuated but by the “good guys”.
And I feel sad when I consider that when the Right did (in 2007/2008) what Corbyn is criticised for below, it works, but it fails if the Left do it.
“All he’s done is offer up the very basic outline of a social democratic programme, and then waved his hands in place of explanations as to where he’d get the money – never mind what the holy hell he’d do about capital flight or uncontrolled inflation – but by God, these are filthy and desperate times, and if the things he said tonight were all he had to say, he’d have my vote tomorrow morning”
My personal experience, Ad, is that I closely-read the colourful first half then found myself resorting to skimming the article. Not because I’m lazy/time-poor (OK, I am both) but because the criticisms suddenly began feeling awfully re-heated, and some of the shots at the activists were hackneyed and cheap (albeit colourful).
Criticisms of Corbyn based around anti-semitism simply because he represents a departure from the British Oxbridge status quo on Israel and the Middle East are lazy. It will be delightful to see what is pulled from the “top drawer” to skewer him on this issue once leader, but I think it safe to say that they had credible material to portray him as a Jew-hater, they would have made a much better job of it thusfar.
Then again, with the formidable powers of Mossad et al. at their side, they might at least manage something as incontrovertibly damning as a Donghua Liu letter. /sarc
Well, I’m glad it gave you warm, fuzzy feelings, Ad.
Personally, I thought it was disingenuous beyond belief.
No surprise to me that the Phil Quin’s and Nick Cohens of this world are enthusiastically linking to it. And, of course, dear old affluent hand-wringing, Liberal Centrist, Russell Brown.
Essentially a mix of those who believe that Israel’s brutal 48-year Occupation and regular carpet-bombing and massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians is all down to the evil, bearded, bogeyman, Hamas and Hezbollah (you know, the 2 groups that emerged as a response to that brutal Occupation – Hamas initially financed and nurtured by Israel as a means to dissipating Palestinian national sentiment) …….and those smugly comfortable centrists like Brown who, deep down, believe the western, American, Neo-Liberal establishment really is a force for great good.
Personally, I thought it was disingenuous beyond belief.
I agree. And no amount of mealy mouthed “reasonableness” can alter the fact that when a big chunk of the constituency you take for granted starts looking for a saviour, your lot have failed. Moreover, you are lucky when those people end up placing their hope in someone like Corbyn – desperate people can turn to far more alarming leaders than he appears to be.
Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II for being the Uks longest ever benefits claimant!!
Going 63 years and 7 months without being sanctioned, falling foul of her Claimant Commitment, missing her Jobcentre Plus appointments,
not attending a Customer Service training course, missing any compulsory job interviews, or quitting any previous jobs because of her behaviour is a real achievement !
ouch Anno.
I think her destiny/jobs a bit shit really. Her Majesty seems to have made a good fist of it. I mean ..really? Her Majesty? you gotta laff 🙂
The royals are spreading like boils, it does your head in
We have no choice, we’re invoiced for the weddings
It’s like a soap, a Dallas or a Dynasty
We live in hope so put them out their misery
Fire the freaky family, we’re tired of the cheek
As you holiday your life away our futures look bleak
As your castle’s burning down you want the people to pay for it
Ask us to defend you, we’ve got nothing to say for it
Kicking at the gates like we think we’re on the guest list
We’re told to wait, too late, we’re getting restless
The crowd is swelling as they’re smelling the thrill
There’s dancing in the rubble and there’s trouble at the mill
There’s warning of the storming, news of the resistance
The peasants are revolting, advancing from the distance
There’s panic and there’s anarchy and breaking the rules
They’re making fake money and they’ve taken the jewels
All without a fuss, the coup has been victorious
The banners wave, proclaiming annus glorious !
1701 also largest beneficiery claiment
UK taxpayers fork out about a billion $ a year so she can maintain her platinum plated diamond encrusted lifestyle .
Her estimated wealth $20 billion+ its alright for some.
The Queen has given something a permanent dignified presence as leader to Britain as a reliable interested principled head of state unlike the motley collection of politicians. She had to put up with Margaret Thatcher queening about though and dominating the stage for some time. Eclipsed the Queen some thought. The Queen has outlasted her though.
Anno1701
In 1701 the Royal Family may have been this, In 1901 they may have been that. This Royal Family today, this Queen, has done very well. Don’t lay every royal wrongdoing on her shoulders.
Here are some interesting stories on royalty’s actual history. First, I noted the other day that the vicious Belgian monarch of the Congo sadistic regime was Queen Victorias uncle. Then also Germans have a big input into the British family..
The abdication of Edward VIII to marry Wallis was a fortunate avenue for the British in stepping down from the throne when he had unreliable attitudes to Germany, feeling that they should be left to fight communism. Fascism was acceptable.
It was apparently unwise to have had the susceptible British future king Edward VIII roaming around unmarried. After affairs with other women he met and became fascinated by Wallis who was a bit of a femme fatale and a very attractive, intelligent woman. Wikipedia –
In 1935, the head of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch told the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that Wallis was also having an affair with Guy Marcus Trundle, who was “said to be employed by the Ford Motor Company”.[50] Claims of an affair were doubted, however, by Captain Val Bailey, who knew Trundle well and whose mother had an affair with Trundle for nearly two decades,[51] and by historian Susan Williams.[52]
Like Princess Diana, Wallis before they married had to flee the British press, eager for a good royal story. Wikipedia – ” In November [1936] the King consulted with the British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, on a way to marry Wallis and keep the throne. The King suggested a morganatic marriage, where he would remain king but Wallis would not be queen, but this was rejected by Baldwin and the Prime Ministers of Australia and South Africa.[59] If the King were to marry Wallis against Baldwin’s advice, the Government would be required to resign, causing a constitutional crisis.[63]
Wallis’s relationship with the King had become public knowledge in the United Kingdom by early December. She decided to flee the country as the scandal broke, and was driven to the south of France in a dramatic race to outrun the press.”
“Here are some interesting stories on royalty’s actual history. First, I noted the other day that the vicious Belgian monarch of the Congo sadistic regime was Queen Victorias uncle. Then also Germans have a big input into the British family.. ”
If you dig a little deeper you will find the majority of European Monarchs are related to each other somehow, these ties even cross the Atlantic with blood ties to various American “royal family’s” as well
gods, please tell me this is misreporting and they wouldn’t be as stupid as to remove the civil defence air sirens?
Not enough people have signed on to a new emergency text alert system and Civil Defence heads fear it will take an emergency for people to recognise its importance.
The new alert system was established at the end of May to replace emergency sirens around the region.
What morons. People might not use the important texting system until they learn about it after an emergency. So Civil Defence are adopting the tried-and-true old NZ way of blaming people for lax behaviour instead of ensuring that safe reliable systems are in place. They are taking out the sirens that would have ensured the message did reach all. Technoaddicts at Civil Defence. I can feel a really uncivil response coming on. NZs are such a lot of preachy smarties, always ready to blame others for any holes the systems have in them. It’s always the hapless one’s fault, the ritual phrase is “They should have”.
I thought that part of it astounding. Also, how about explaining properly what is going on? I’m still assuming that if there is a civil emergency I’ll hear a siren. Has that been turned off, where? etc
They are taking out the sirens that would have ensured the message did reach all.
High probability that the sirens don’t actually everyone. In fact, I’d be surprised if they reached 10% of the population. On the other hand, better than 75% of people have cell-phones and they’re usually in range of a cell site thus making them the most reliable system.
Personally, I’d pass a law requiring that a cellphone responds to emergency messaging rather than asking people to sign up for a notification.
If it was my cellphone it probably would have been left at home or elsewhere or not have a recharged battery. Why couldn’t they leave the sirens and for those who haven’t a cellphone the 10% who hear the siren would account for a warning for that group. All this relying on having technology about you all the time is denying the possibility and the right to not have a cellphone, yet still be regarded as a citizen and a person of worth.
Why couldn’t they leave the sirens and for those who haven’t a cellphone the 10% who hear the siren would account for a warning for that group.
Chances are there will be someone within the group that will have a cell phone and be able to tell you what the problem is. Hell of a lot better than just hearing a siren that you probably don’t recognise and don’t know what the problem is.
All this relying on having technology
You do understand that sirens are technology don’t you?
about you all the time is denying the possibility and the right to not have a cellphone, yet still be regarded as a citizen and a person of worth.
Society has moved on and it’s now pretty much essential to have a cellphone to operate effectively in it. That’s just the way things are.
Rather than sending messages to phones individually (e.g. “tower to 021 12345, there’s a flood”, “tower to 021 12346, there’s a flood”, “tower to 021 12347, there’s a flood”), it is a separate type of message sent to everyone who can hear (“tower to everyone, there’s a flood”).
Individual sms messages involve lots of back and forth of confirming whether the phone got the message. That uses up traffic if you’re sending the same message to 5000 phones. So the tower just screams at the top of its lungs, and everyone in the area can hear it.
Just caught up with the right biased media report on NZF and its position on the refugee situation
The point Tracey Martin made completely subverted by these Key fascists putting a spin on it that was nothing like she intended
This is the crap like the stupid flag debate that gets people all fucked up and Key slips another one under the radar
Be very aware of the propaganda machine its finding new fuel
Martin defended NZ First’s policy as being about doing more for refugees, which should involve bringing women and children first, and said Peters had “added on” his comment about Syrian men defending their country.
Asked if the men would get military training under that idea, Martin said, “I don’t really know”.
“The comment was actually about a policy of women and children first.”
Seems like it may have been Winston misrepresenting the policy although the MSM would then have taken it for a ride.
At 30, the property entrepreneur from western Sydney has a staggering portfolio of more than 170 properties, earning rental income of $500,000 a year after expenses.
Birch caught the property investment bug at a tender age when he watched his older brothers buy houses…
Hailing from a blue collar background, Birch bought his first property at 18 for $248,000 in western Sydney. He pushed himself to buy 10 properties.
“By the time I was 24, I was able to exit the workforce. I had a passive income stream coming in at around $30,000 a year at that point.”..
Birch says he has made property investment his life’s work, sacrificing his youth, relationships, holidays and partying.
“One of the benefits of this business is you can start with a single property investment,” says Kelman, who trained to be a veterinary surgeon.
Some of the money you make on your deals can be put into your next property ventures, he says…
“I think if negative gearing was scrapped, rents will rise anyway, so investors will push up rents,” he says. “I think there will be a benefit to me if it got scrapped. I highly doubt that will happen because then the government would have to support public housing more.”
If only we could get people like him to go on with his vet training and not buy houses for his main job. The market would open up for those who wanted a house as a place to make their life in, not as a place to make your living out of.
Yes – it made a point of saying he was from a “blue collar background” but I did notice they seem to have very carefully left out the “how” of his first property “investment”.
From the radionz article on the OCR changes I found this nugget:
“Investors accounted for 33 percent of transactions in Auckland two years ago but that had risen to 41 percent, Mr Wheeler said.
So anyone know where this information came from, and why opposition parties have not used this to beat the government over the head for their lack of action?
“Conservation groups had asked for a formal inquiry, alleging MPI was allowing exporters to send raw timber and unfinished objects out of the country – contrary to the Forests Act.
Ms Provost released the findings of her investigation today, saying she had seen no evidence the ministry allowed the export of illegal timber products.
“But she said interpreting the law – in terms of what was and was not a finished product – was a matter for the courts.
Ms Provost said she had suggested the ministry and local councils carry out an estimate of the total amount of swamp kauri, and work more closely to make sure the kauri is not coming from indigenous wetlands.
Oh, okay then. Where are the non-indigenous wetlands?
ah, so the devil is in the legal interpretation… even if the intention of the law is clear. i see she has basically told forest and bird to sue if they want to get clarity. So, as long as you have money, you can test the behaviour
“We have suggested to the Ministry some changes that are intended to:
promote better oversight of swamp kauri;
increase transparency and public access to information; and
increase the Ministry’s understanding of the cultural, heritage, and scientific value of swamp kauri.
SUGGESTION ONE: The Ministry should, in co-operation with relevant councils, consider compiling, and making publicly available, information about estimates of the quantity/scarcity of the total swamp kauri resource. This could include the extent of current and potential mining areas.
SUGGESTION TWO: While we acknowledge the Ministry’s July 2015 release of new regulatory measures, the Ministry should work more closely with councils to ensure that extraction takes place from an “approved source” before issuing milling statements.
SUGGESTION THREE: The Ministry should, in co-operation with relevant councils, raise public awareness of improved site inspection and the consequences for milling of illegally sourced and illegally extracted swamp kauri to encourage future industry-wide compliance. Appropriate statistics on the results of those inspections and information on monitoring could be made publicly available by either the council or the Ministry.
SUGGESTION FOUR: In consultation with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and other relevant parties, and well before the resource is exhausted, the Ministry for Primary Industries should use information it has on the industry to initiate and inform discussions with relevant parties about the cultural, heritage, and scientific value some of the swamp kauri might have. This process should provide ways for that value to be retained for future New Zealanders. This information should be publicly released.”
Where do other 2016 Auckland (yet to confirm) Mayoral candidates stand on the current (forced) Auckland ‘Supercity’ amalgamation, and the proposed Hawke’s Bay ‘Supercity’ amalgamation?
I for one, have opposed the Auckland ‘Supercity’ (forced) amalgamation, since the day of the ‘failed Mayoral coup’ – 5 September 2006, and actively opposed the proposed Wellington and Northland ‘Supercity’ amalgamations.
Where is the ‘cost-benefit’ analysis of the Auckland ‘Supercity’ for the majority of citizens and ratepayers, particularly the CCO model, which has been the mechanism by which the Auckland region is now run – ‘like a business – by business – FOR business’?
Hawke’s Bay folks – if you’re still undecided about which way to vote on this amalgamation proposal – remember that in Auckland, 7 democratically elected Councils (warts and all) were replaced, through railroaded legislation, with 7 undemocratically selected Council (Corporate) Controlled Organisations (CCOs), with unelected Boards, and ‘governed’ through a ‘Statement of Intent’ in which the public have no say.
Check it out for yourselves – talk to ordinary Auckland citizens and ratepayers that YOU know, and ask how ‘super’ – this Auckland ‘Supercity’ has been for them?
At least you Hawke’s Bay folks are getting a vote .
Aucklanders didn’t.
In my considered opinion, if YOU don’t want a ‘super-sized’ DISASTER – regarding rates increases / ‘ cost-effectiveness’ / democracy / transparency and accountability – vote NO to the Hawke’s Bay amalgamation.
If National was serious about protecting the critically endangered Maui’s dolphins…
And that’s the thing. Government ministers are of the opinion that NZ Dolphins are beyond saving. I guess it’s a bit like that colonial tear that was shed over the imminent and unavoidable ‘fading’ of ‘the lesser races’.
By the way. If you eat elephant fish (common in fish and chips) , you might want to consider asking for something else. The dolphins are attracted to the nets that are used to catch them – I mean, it being one of their staples and all….
OCR has dropped, great for those in debt, they are now “less” poor, or can increase their indebtedness by paying even more for the 1/4 acre paradise in jafaland!! unfortunately many retirees are also now under greater financial stress. 6 years ago they were receiving over 8% interest less RWT now they are receiving 3% less RWT. And not a mention of this group and the impact the OCR has on this group in the news 😢
Can somebody please tell me why we aren’t putting climate change deniers in prison? We put holocaust deniers in prison and climate change deniers are more of a threat cos climate change deniers threaten our planet! All holocaust deniers threaten is the fascist state of Israel!!
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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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. ...
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Old news.
Fonterra abandons plan to dig for coal.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11510485
That was a typo .
Meant to say good news.
Good news.
Fonterra abandons plan to dig for coal.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11510485
Rock star economy.
What a lie NZ were told.
‘Commercial banks have been moderating their growth forecasts, based on sharply lower dairy prices and on reports that the Christchurch rebuild is past its peak.’
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11510305
Remember when Hosking said our high dollar was a sign we were doing really well?
Does that mean the dollar being much lower since then means we aren’t doing well anymore?
“It is hard to know what I am more excited about this week, our dollar or our houses. Records all over the place. But both signs of just how well we are doing.”
remember when Hosking (like fisiani on here at the time) were smug about the meaning of parity, the great golden summer for NZ our coming of age, our sign that we are doing well?
Yet, the dropping dollar, apparently, doesnt mean the opposite of a rising dollar.
“This little nation of four and a half million produces a dollar that is at least as appealing as that monstrous land to our left. When the traders can invest in whatever they like … they like us. And they like us for good reason.
Yes it makes a holiday cheaper, yes it makes imported TVs cheaper, and yes it makes selling our milk harder, but it is more than that, the dollar is our fiscal calling card. It is a huge number of policies, ideas, attitudes, outlooks and actions all encapsulated in a currency.
A freely floated currency can’t hide, it can’t trick, it can’t be a charade. It is judged on all its frailties and merits. And the call being made this week, the reason the word parity is in the vocab, is because at last we’ve nailed it.
The dollar is on a roll, housing is on a roll, we’re on a roll. These are golden days.”
Candlelit vigils for refugees this evening.
http://www.actionstation.org.nz/refugees_welcome
Good news, Cameron Slatter is being arm-twisted to go back into the ring.
I think, Irene should give him a good bout.
Thx for the chuckle on this grey morning ! 🙂
Heh heh! good one
Better news would be a private prosecution for his admitted use of hacked data as our police can’t be bothered enforcing the law.
I hadnt seen that – got a link?
How about prosecution of Hagar for the same crime?
Slight difference: Hager used the data in the public interest and thus doing so wasn’t a crime. Apparently Slater used it to defame someone for personal gain thus it was a crime.
Funny that people struggle with the legal definition of public interest… as opposed to
“I’m really interested in anything Slater says and therefore it is in the public interest”
“I’m rarely interested in anything Slater says and therefore it is not in the public interest”
Fixed your typos.
Oracle Hosking……essentially……TINOW……than the JohnKey, the Richie, the Mikey. Whoopee !
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11510463
Some oracles are so far up themselves they’re Wannabe gurus.
that has got to be the most sycophantic rant that I’ve ever read and he’s wrong on all counts.
wow some great comments under that article hoskings gets it socked to him big time !
FYI.
If you live in Auckland, have any friends / relations / contacts in the Hawkes Bay region – you might care to pass on this suggestion?
‘Open Letter’ to the people of the Hawkes Bay region –
“Ask Aucklanders about our ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%!)”
“For those folk in the Hawkes Bay region, who have yet to cast their vote on the proposed Hawkes Bay amalgamation (‘Supercity’) – may I respectfully suggest that you consider the following?” asks Penny Bright, confirmed 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
“Try contacting ordinary Auckland citizens and ratepayers that you know – who are NOT big business private contractors / consultants, NOT overseas investors, NOT property developers, NOT speculators, NOT representatives of overseas-owned financial institutions – and ask how the (forced) Auckland ‘Supercity’ amalgamation has worked for them, their neighbours, workmates and local communities?”
(Votes need to be posted TODAY – to make the September 15th 2015 deadline!)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11510151
Penny Bright
…………..
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
2009 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2010 Attendee Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
2014 Attendee G20 Anti-Corruption Conference
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate (polled 4th with 11,723 votes)
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
US reputation suffers when it stands against human rights & rule of law – Snowden
Which, of course, is true. As long as the US stands as an oppressor it looses the any reputation it ever had for standing for freedom. Of course, it never really stood for freedom but for capitalism – the freedom of the rich to oppress and exploit the poor.
ISIS told the world they would infiltrate the West through a refugee crisis. Now we have one and Andrew Little is catering to the people who want to invite refugees to come to New Zealand and is calling for an increase in refugee numbers.
What he should be calling for is the arrest of the Western war criminals terrorizing these poor people into fleeing their countries when we bomb them back to the stone age of course.
So what will happen when the first false flag bombs go off in Europe or God forbid in New Zealand somewhere? Will that be the end of whatever we have left of an opposition as National can claim the refugees were here because of Labour and them softie left wing nampiepampies in the first place?
Could you identify the “Western war criminals” you imagine are terrorising the people of Syria? (Hint: the Syrian government, Da’esh and the Russian Federation are not “Western.”)
well syrias a tricky one, since the west aren’t seen openly to doin much, but I think you will find that most of the so-called ‘freedom fighters’ are heavillty financed, armed and trained by “the west” ie amerika. Funny to think that many of the groups are being fed with one hand in Syria yet are fought in other territories.
also if we broaden our gaze a little from Syria to other areas of conflict that are contributing to the refugee crisis we can see the heavy hand of the west at work. think Yemen, Libya, etc
The execs of every single armaments corporation would be an excellent start.
Traveller, we’ll need to be more even-handed about determining who might be a terror threat.
Key will have to send Immigration and other border security profile agencies (the intelligence ones) to determine who would be a risk to the country. I don’t mind if the Cabinet gets manipulated by the public through tv images. If only they reacted with heart more often.
Ordinarily, New Zealanders who so much as visit Syria (or Somalia, or Yemen) get files made on them. No problem about welcoming them in, but we need to do so with our eyes open.
Bali was supposed to be safe.
“ISIS told the world they would infiltrate the West through a refugee crisis.”
“So what will happen when the first false flag bombs go off in Europe or God forbid in New Zealand somewhere?”
How will they be false flags if ISIS have infiltrated the west through refugees? I don’t get it.
Refugees is a defined term with associated criteria. Anyone saying “I’m from Syria, let me in” and with nothing else to back a claim for refugee status won’t qualify.
“I’ve been waiting most of my life for the Left to make its glorious return. This is not what I’ve been waiting for. I’ve not changed my principles, and have only changed my views to fit the facts. I’m the one who feels abandoned – everything has moved around me. I lay down in a big tent, and I woke up in the rain.”
A fascinating and depressing read on Corbyn and the state of the left in Britian
http://thequietus.com/articles/18714-jeremy-corbyn-labour-election-rally-policies
So be careful people, this is a long article.
But it is one of the best on the state of the Left in Britain and what lies before them if they choose Corbyn in the next couple of weeks.
I urge you all to read it. A lot of it made me feel that he understood where I am at.
Does it make a difference to you that Little doesn’t seem to have the kind of “baggage” that Corbyn has? Interm sof how you feel about the NZ LP I mean, as a comparisson to Labour UK?
I feel the same kind of tension that you express and is expressed in this article. And mostly I come to the same place;;;
vote for a blairish type and see the rot slowed but harm continuing, or vote for someone I can hope will gain support and will roll back the rot (as it were).
My biggest problem is that voting for the Blair-type means watching while some of the same old means are perpetuated but by the “good guys”.
And I feel sad when I consider that when the Right did (in 2007/2008) what Corbyn is criticised for below, it works, but it fails if the Left do it.
“All he’s done is offer up the very basic outline of a social democratic programme, and then waved his hands in place of explanations as to where he’d get the money – never mind what the holy hell he’d do about capital flight or uncontrolled inflation – but by God, these are filthy and desperate times, and if the things he said tonight were all he had to say, he’d have my vote tomorrow morning”
My personal experience, Ad, is that I closely-read the colourful first half then found myself resorting to skimming the article. Not because I’m lazy/time-poor (OK, I am both) but because the criticisms suddenly began feeling awfully re-heated, and some of the shots at the activists were hackneyed and cheap (albeit colourful).
Criticisms of Corbyn based around anti-semitism simply because he represents a departure from the British Oxbridge status quo on Israel and the Middle East are lazy. It will be delightful to see what is pulled from the “top drawer” to skewer him on this issue once leader, but I think it safe to say that they had credible material to portray him as a Jew-hater, they would have made a much better job of it thusfar.
Then again, with the formidable powers of Mossad et al. at their side, they might at least manage something as incontrovertibly damning as a Donghua Liu letter. /sarc
Corbyn or Sanders or Trump: they will be evaluated on what they actually said, all the way back, and be held to account for it.
There are no excuses, none whatsoever , if you are auditioning for the top job.
Well, I’m glad it gave you warm, fuzzy feelings, Ad.
Personally, I thought it was disingenuous beyond belief.
No surprise to me that the Phil Quin’s and Nick Cohens of this world are enthusiastically linking to it. And, of course, dear old affluent hand-wringing, Liberal Centrist, Russell Brown.
Essentially a mix of those who believe that Israel’s brutal 48-year Occupation and regular carpet-bombing and massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians is all down to the evil, bearded, bogeyman, Hamas and Hezbollah (you know, the 2 groups that emerged as a response to that brutal Occupation – Hamas initially financed and nurtured by Israel as a means to dissipating Palestinian national sentiment) …….and those smugly comfortable centrists like Brown who, deep down, believe the western, American, Neo-Liberal establishment really is a force for great good.
Personally, I thought it was disingenuous beyond belief.
I agree. And no amount of mealy mouthed “reasonableness” can alter the fact that when a big chunk of the constituency you take for granted starts looking for a saviour, your lot have failed. Moreover, you are lucky when those people end up placing their hope in someone like Corbyn – desperate people can turn to far more alarming leaders than he appears to be.
Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II for being the Uks longest ever benefits claimant!!
Going 63 years and 7 months without being sanctioned, falling foul of her Claimant Commitment, missing her Jobcentre Plus appointments,
not attending a Customer Service training course, missing any compulsory job interviews, or quitting any previous jobs because of her behaviour is a real achievement !
ouch Anno.
I think her destiny/jobs a bit shit really. Her Majesty seems to have made a good fist of it. I mean ..really? Her Majesty? you gotta laff 🙂
you know what the worst thing is
they keep on spitting out babies they cant afford !
Bludgers….
@Anno LOL
The royals are spreading like boils, it does your head in
We have no choice, we’re invoiced for the weddings
It’s like a soap, a Dallas or a Dynasty
We live in hope so put them out their misery
Fire the freaky family, we’re tired of the cheek
As you holiday your life away our futures look bleak
As your castle’s burning down you want the people to pay for it
Ask us to defend you, we’ve got nothing to say for it
Kicking at the gates like we think we’re on the guest list
We’re told to wait, too late, we’re getting restless
The crowd is swelling as they’re smelling the thrill
There’s dancing in the rubble and there’s trouble at the mill
There’s warning of the storming, news of the resistance
The peasants are revolting, advancing from the distance
There’s panic and there’s anarchy and breaking the rules
They’re making fake money and they’ve taken the jewels
All without a fuss, the coup has been victorious
The banners wave, proclaiming annus glorious !
What will it be?
FUNKY
It’ll be funky, it’ll be funky
Yeah it’ll be funky…
+1 pasupial 🙂
1701 also largest beneficiery claiment
UK taxpayers fork out about a billion $ a year so she can maintain her platinum plated diamond encrusted lifestyle .
Her estimated wealth $20 billion+ its alright for some.
The Queen has given something a permanent dignified presence as leader to Britain as a reliable interested principled head of state unlike the motley collection of politicians. She had to put up with Margaret Thatcher queening about though and dominating the stage for some time. Eclipsed the Queen some thought. The Queen has outlasted her though.
you should really look a little further into the history of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/windsors before you call them dignified or principled.
The original Familus horribilis……
Anno1701
In 1701 the Royal Family may have been this, In 1901 they may have been that. This Royal Family today, this Queen, has done very well. Don’t lay every royal wrongdoing on her shoulders.
Here are some interesting stories on royalty’s actual history. First, I noted the other day that the vicious Belgian monarch of the Congo sadistic regime was Queen Victorias uncle. Then also Germans have a big input into the British family..
The abdication of Edward VIII to marry Wallis was a fortunate avenue for the British in stepping down from the throne when he had unreliable attitudes to Germany, feeling that they should be left to fight communism. Fascism was acceptable.
It was apparently unwise to have had the susceptible British future king Edward VIII roaming around unmarried. After affairs with other women he met and became fascinated by Wallis who was a bit of a femme fatale and a very attractive, intelligent woman. Wikipedia –
In 1935, the head of the Metropolitan Police Special Branch told the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that Wallis was also having an affair with Guy Marcus Trundle, who was “said to be employed by the Ford Motor Company”.[50] Claims of an affair were doubted, however, by Captain Val Bailey, who knew Trundle well and whose mother had an affair with Trundle for nearly two decades,[51] and by historian Susan Williams.[52]
Like Princess Diana, Wallis before they married had to flee the British press, eager for a good royal story. Wikipedia –
” In November [1936] the King consulted with the British Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, on a way to marry Wallis and keep the throne. The King suggested a morganatic marriage, where he would remain king but Wallis would not be queen, but this was rejected by Baldwin and the Prime Ministers of Australia and South Africa.[59] If the King were to marry Wallis against Baldwin’s advice, the Government would be required to resign, causing a constitutional crisis.[63]
Wallis’s relationship with the King had become public knowledge in the United Kingdom by early December. She decided to flee the country as the scandal broke, and was driven to the south of France in a dramatic race to outrun the press.”
“Here are some interesting stories on royalty’s actual history. First, I noted the other day that the vicious Belgian monarch of the Congo sadistic regime was Queen Victorias uncle. Then also Germans have a big input into the British family.. ”
If you dig a little deeper you will find the majority of European Monarchs are related to each other somehow, these ties even cross the Atlantic with blood ties to various American “royal family’s” as well
https://www.royal.gov.uk/pdf/European_monarchs_family_tree.pdf
As for Queen Elizardbreth 2nd, I personally cant stand the old “Hun”…
gods, please tell me this is misreporting and they wouldn’t be as stupid as to remove the civil defence air sirens?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/69792808/Few-Southlanders-sign-up-for-disaster-alert-system
The bits down the bottom about centralising nationally doesn’t seem too bright either.
Wow. That text thing seems to be a system that was obsolete before it started.
I suspect the nationwide system will send broadcast messages to cellphones that handshake with towers in the affected areas.
What morons. People might not use the important texting system until they learn about it after an emergency. So Civil Defence are adopting the tried-and-true old NZ way of blaming people for lax behaviour instead of ensuring that safe reliable systems are in place. They are taking out the sirens that would have ensured the message did reach all. Technoaddicts at Civil Defence. I can feel a really uncivil response coming on. NZs are such a lot of preachy smarties, always ready to blame others for any holes the systems have in them. It’s always the hapless one’s fault, the ritual phrase is “They should have”.
I thought that part of it astounding. Also, how about explaining properly what is going on? I’m still assuming that if there is a civil emergency I’ll hear a siren. Has that been turned off, where? etc
High probability that the sirens don’t actually everyone. In fact, I’d be surprised if they reached 10% of the population. On the other hand, better than 75% of people have cell-phones and they’re usually in range of a cell site thus making them the most reliable system.
Personally, I’d pass a law requiring that a cellphone responds to emergency messaging rather than asking people to sign up for a notification.
If it was my cellphone it probably would have been left at home or elsewhere or not have a recharged battery. Why couldn’t they leave the sirens and for those who haven’t a cellphone the 10% who hear the siren would account for a warning for that group. All this relying on having technology about you all the time is denying the possibility and the right to not have a cellphone, yet still be regarded as a citizen and a person of worth.
Chances are there will be someone within the group that will have a cell phone and be able to tell you what the problem is. Hell of a lot better than just hearing a siren that you probably don’t recognise and don’t know what the problem is.
You do understand that sirens are technology don’t you?
Society has moved on and it’s now pretty much essential to have a cellphone to operate effectively in it. That’s just the way things are.
what are broadcast messages?
Isn’t it whereby civil defence can send a message through all radios, or cellphones regardless of what station you are tuned to?
Rather than sending messages to phones individually (e.g. “tower to 021 12345, there’s a flood”, “tower to 021 12346, there’s a flood”, “tower to 021 12347, there’s a flood”), it is a separate type of message sent to everyone who can hear (“tower to everyone, there’s a flood”).
Individual sms messages involve lots of back and forth of confirming whether the phone got the message. That uses up traffic if you’re sending the same message to 5000 phones. So the tower just screams at the top of its lungs, and everyone in the area can hear it.
Just caught up with the right biased media report on NZF and its position on the refugee situation
The point Tracey Martin made completely subverted by these Key fascists putting a spin on it that was nothing like she intended
This is the crap like the stupid flag debate that gets people all fucked up and Key slips another one under the radar
Be very aware of the propaganda machine its finding new fuel
NZ First MP: NZ has ‘unconscious bias’ to male refugees
Seems like it may have been Winston misrepresenting the policy although the MSM would then have taken it for a ride.
How to invest in housing in australia and possibly here.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/71895339/This-man-owns-170-properties-and-hes-only-30
At 30, the property entrepreneur from western Sydney has a staggering portfolio of more than 170 properties, earning rental income of $500,000 a year after expenses.
Birch caught the property investment bug at a tender age when he watched his older brothers buy houses…
Hailing from a blue collar background, Birch bought his first property at 18 for $248,000 in western Sydney. He pushed himself to buy 10 properties.
“By the time I was 24, I was able to exit the workforce. I had a passive income stream coming in at around $30,000 a year at that point.”..
Birch says he has made property investment his life’s work, sacrificing his youth, relationships, holidays and partying.
“One of the benefits of this business is you can start with a single property investment,” says Kelman, who trained to be a veterinary surgeon.
Some of the money you make on your deals can be put into your next property ventures, he says…
“I think if negative gearing was scrapped, rents will rise anyway, so investors will push up rents,” he says. “I think there will be a benefit to me if it got scrapped. I highly doubt that will happen because then the government would have to support public housing more.”
If only we could get people like him to go on with his vet training and not buy houses for his main job. The market would open up for those who wanted a house as a place to make their life in, not as a place to make your living out of.
Out of interest I couldn’t see how he financed his first property at 18 years of age? I wonder why they left that out, cos it’s quite important.
Yes – it made a point of saying he was from a “blue collar background” but I did notice they seem to have very carefully left out the “how” of his first property “investment”.
From the radionz article on the OCR changes I found this nugget:
“Investors accounted for 33 percent of transactions in Auckland two years ago but that had risen to 41 percent, Mr Wheeler said.
So anyone know where this information came from, and why opposition parties have not used this to beat the government over the head for their lack of action?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/283849/'no-evidence'-of-illegal-swamp-kauri-exports
“Conservation groups had asked for a formal inquiry, alleging MPI was allowing exporters to send raw timber and unfinished objects out of the country – contrary to the Forests Act.
Ms Provost released the findings of her investigation today, saying she had seen no evidence the ministry allowed the export of illegal timber products.
“But she said interpreting the law – in terms of what was and was not a finished product – was a matter for the courts.
Ms Provost said she had suggested the ministry and local councils carry out an estimate of the total amount of swamp kauri, and work more closely to make sure the kauri is not coming from indigenous wetlands.
Oh, okay then. Where are the non-indigenous wetlands?
ah, so the devil is in the legal interpretation… even if the intention of the law is clear. i see she has basically told forest and bird to sue if they want to get clarity. So, as long as you have money, you can test the behaviour
from the report
“We have suggested to the Ministry some changes that are intended to:
promote better oversight of swamp kauri;
increase transparency and public access to information; and
increase the Ministry’s understanding of the cultural, heritage, and scientific value of swamp kauri.
SUGGESTION ONE: The Ministry should, in co-operation with relevant councils, consider compiling, and making publicly available, information about estimates of the quantity/scarcity of the total swamp kauri resource. This could include the extent of current and potential mining areas.
SUGGESTION TWO: While we acknowledge the Ministry’s July 2015 release of new regulatory measures, the Ministry should work more closely with councils to ensure that extraction takes place from an “approved source” before issuing milling statements.
SUGGESTION THREE: The Ministry should, in co-operation with relevant councils, raise public awareness of improved site inspection and the consequences for milling of illegally sourced and illegally extracted swamp kauri to encourage future industry-wide compliance. Appropriate statistics on the results of those inspections and information on monitoring could be made publicly available by either the council or the Ministry.
SUGGESTION FOUR: In consultation with the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and other relevant parties, and well before the resource is exhausted, the Ministry for Primary Industries should use information it has on the industry to initiate and inform discussions with relevant parties about the cultural, heritage, and scientific value some of the swamp kauri might have. This process should provide ways for that value to be retained for future New Zealanders. This information should be publicly released.”
How about just properly implementing and enforcing the Public Records Act 2005?
Oh – and establishing a genuinely Independent Commission Against Corruption?
Penny Bright
Where do other 2016 Auckland (yet to confirm) Mayoral candidates stand on the current (forced) Auckland ‘Supercity’ amalgamation, and the proposed Hawke’s Bay ‘Supercity’ amalgamation?
I for one, have opposed the Auckland ‘Supercity’ (forced) amalgamation, since the day of the ‘failed Mayoral coup’ – 5 September 2006, and actively opposed the proposed Wellington and Northland ‘Supercity’ amalgamations.
Where is the ‘cost-benefit’ analysis of the Auckland ‘Supercity’ for the majority of citizens and ratepayers, particularly the CCO model, which has been the mechanism by which the Auckland region is now run – ‘like a business – by business – FOR business’?
Hawke’s Bay folks – if you’re still undecided about which way to vote on this amalgamation proposal – remember that in Auckland, 7 democratically elected Councils (warts and all) were replaced, through railroaded legislation, with 7 undemocratically selected Council (Corporate) Controlled Organisations (CCOs), with unelected Boards, and ‘governed’ through a ‘Statement of Intent’ in which the public have no say.
Check it out for yourselves – talk to ordinary Auckland citizens and ratepayers that YOU know, and ask how ‘super’ – this Auckland ‘Supercity’ has been for them?
At least you Hawke’s Bay folks are getting a vote .
Aucklanders didn’t.
In my considered opinion, if YOU don’t want a ‘super-sized’ DISASTER – regarding rates increases / ‘ cost-effectiveness’ / democracy / transparency and accountability – vote NO to the Hawke’s Bay amalgamation.
Penny Bright
2016 confirmed Auckland Mayoral candidate.
sigh
maui dolphins in trouble
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1509/S00191/minister-allows-proposal-for-drilling-in-dolphin-sanctuary.htm
From your link. Kevin Hague –
And that’s the thing. Government ministers are of the opinion that NZ Dolphins are beyond saving. I guess it’s a bit like that colonial tear that was shed over the imminent and unavoidable ‘fading’ of ‘the lesser races’.
By the way. If you eat elephant fish (common in fish and chips) , you might want to consider asking for something else. The dolphins are attracted to the nets that are used to catch them – I mean, it being one of their staples and all….
OCR has dropped, great for those in debt, they are now “less” poor, or can increase their indebtedness by paying even more for the 1/4 acre paradise in jafaland!! unfortunately many retirees are also now under greater financial stress. 6 years ago they were receiving over 8% interest less RWT now they are receiving 3% less RWT. And not a mention of this group and the impact the OCR has on this group in the news 😢
Agree with you mate 200%
Can somebody please tell me why we aren’t putting climate change deniers in prison? We put holocaust deniers in prison and climate change deniers are more of a threat cos climate change deniers threaten our planet! All holocaust deniers threaten is the fascist state of Israel!!