‘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!!
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Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuel’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
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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!!