Back in the early 80s Ruthenasia Richardson was promoting border dyke irrigation on the Canterbury Plains to be done by the MOW (Ministry of Works for those too young to remember the state used to have a public works capability) and paid for by the tax payer (Ruth the free marketeer had no problem with looting the public purse….for her mates the farmers). The whole concept was more sheep, for which the farmers received SMPs (a per head price subsidy paid for by the taxpayer). So to sum up we the citizens paid taxes that were to be used to pay for a scheme to grow more grass, more sheep and to pay a priveleged sector for a product we could not sell.
Last night Key announced a $400 million irrigation fund for a Crown irrigation company to grow more grass for more cows paid for by (you guessed it) the taxpayer. Sectoral venality at your expense. Pollution and salination at your expense. Two free marketeers ripping off the public purse.
It is seldom remembered that it was National during the early 90s who relaxed the building regulations as a sort of Free Market rules. This caused the Leaky buildings. National caused the problem. They must own both the cause and the solution.
“It was a combination of building products and building practices – and new home builders price priorities also played a part.”
Yes, it was what emerged from an unregulated/’self-regulating’ free market (i.e., National Party policy priority ‘Number One’), as you so succinctly put it, Pete George.
If the Government says you can drive at whatever speed you want and all traffic enforcers are withdrawn and then there is a pileup of cars travelling at 150kmh across town would you blame the cars or the lack of speed limit?
Of course we would blame the drivers, but do you not think that the disaster could have been prevented with a bit of Governmental common sense? Government absolved do you think?
…and new home builders price priorities also played a part.
Was it the purchasers pricing or the profit motive? Because looking at history I don’t see prices for houses going down but I do see developers making higher profits.
Perhaps this displays best what the building industry is like and how sub-servient our govt is towards them. A $900k is no punishment, I would imagine thatthe profit margins were still excessive even allowing for the fine. http://www.constructionnews.co.nz/articles/dec10/Carter-Holt-Harvey-warned.php http://www.comcom.govt.nz/fair-trading-media-releases/detail/2007/carterholtharveyexecutivefinedover
And even Labour failed to see this issue for what it was and now we have a $20+b issue. At least this will increase our GDP- and what a waste of resources, time and stress http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3006431
Just because building standards were lowered- is that any excuse for the govt to reduce theirs. The schools could have been built using alternative cladding e.g. tilt slab.
And ianmac- Nat were the govt yet it was the building regulators that said it was all ok e.g. Brandz and supposed “experts” many representing the building suppliers. All care and no responsibility
what a load of bullshit PG Deregulation caused the problem Shifting the blame is Nationals solution.Band aid solution .National have come up with $500million to fix a $32 billion dollar problem typical National party.
As I recall they allowed members of suppliers to the industry onto the group that defines material codes. Then blamed the existence of amateur owner builders for the failure of commercial builds and formed professional registers to prove they weren’t cowboys themselves. It was like watching a bunch of slow-witted toddlers trying to conceal the turd in their pants.
Yes. Saw that. The narrative is building, and JK won’t be very much of a poster boy by the end of a second term… if he makes it that far. It wil also undermine him somewhat this election.
Contradictory though – how do people know he’s a safe pair of hands with the economy if they can’t trust what he says?
In my view, what has emerged is the unthinkable. Goff has managed to “tear the teflon” right off Key and the liar brand is sticking. Theyve been given a gift this morning with Nick Smith annoucing 100% Pure Brand essentially will be scrapped in favour of irrigation and intensive dairying – lets see if Labour can claw a few points out of this?
I went to the Whenuapai meet the candidates meeting last night. Key was there along with Labour’s Jeremy Greenbrook-Held, the greens Jeanette Elley, some guy from ALCP who made lot of sense at times, an ACT candidate who is not going to vote for himself and an unfortunate Conservative Party candidate who promised to actually do what he promises unless a binding referendum said otherwise.
Jeremy performed really well and Jeanette was also impressive. They both knew their stuff and spoke from the heart.
Key was superficially impressive. He is like a little kid with a stick trying to upset a hive of bees. He relishes any sort of argument.
But I kept thinking of what he said and I have to conclude that he keeps saying fibs.
On unemployment he said National had created 60,000 jobs over the last year. He did not acknowledge the promise to create 170,000 or that under his watch unemployment has doubled.
And fiscal responsibility was one of his main themes. Without being embarrassed he kept saying National was responsible and Labour was irresponsible with the finances.
He promised $400 million for the irrigation fund Bored mentioned. Yesterday National also promised the delay in some sectors coming into the ETS at a cost I understand of $500 million.
So where is the money coming from John? And when is the MSM going to call him for what he is, a fibber?
Radio NZ reported this morning that work has been going for months getting our state assets ready for sale and Key has said they will start selling straight after election if they are the govt.
I don’t understand why the majority of NZers who value holding on to our state assets are so keen to vote for the man who is hellbent on selling them as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Could someone please confirm, the petrol price did hardly change the last four weeks?
The reason, I ask this question, is the oil price increased somewhere around 15 to 20% to 97 US Dollar per barrel recently and the exchange rate against the US Dollar improved only marginal. Begin of the year, this would have meant a significant price increase at the petrol pump.
Why is the change of the oil price not reflected at the petrol pump?
Surely, a 10 cent increase a couple of week before an election would cause a complete outrage.
Also the World Energy Outlook 2011 by the International Energy Agency was released yesterday:
– Expected oil crises around 2015 unless significant investments of 100 Billion US Dollar anually are done… Mainly in not so stable countries in the Mid-East and North Afrika.
– In the next 20 years additional 2/3 of today’s output has to be found and come “online” so it covers the decline and we still have approximately 67 Million barrels per day of conventional oil consumed globally. We are not even talking about meeting the increased demand by developing countries!
And a bit of a joke… Big success story: In Brasil they found another “huge” oil field with a total reserve of over 600 Million barrel or, taking the 87 Million barrel consumed daily into account, around 7 to 8 days of global oil consumption.
NZ petrol is sourced from Dubai Crude, which is different from Brent and WTI. Also the price that matters is actually refined product, not crude. They usually move in tandem, but not always.
Also, the recent flooding Thailand may have caused a drop in demand, which decreases the price for the rest of us.
If you look into the price of Dubai Crude, it’ll probably match up with the pump price a lot better.
You need to ignore the price of oil and focus on the cost of refined fuel out of Singapore.
We use lots of different oil grades, mostly heavier sour Arabian crudes which is why NZRC has a dirty great hydrocracker, but also lighter Malaysian/Indonesian and local ones too, and blendstocks to balance things out. The price of these affects us over the medium term. But it is the price of refined fuel ex Singapore and the margins over that that really drives our day to day pricing. MED has it on their website and it is relatively up to date.
I saw the petrol price at the pump this morning and thought the same.
The corporates are absorbing oil price rises currently IMO, for whatever reason.
BTW for those referring to WTI, Brent, Dubai crude – all valid points, but very little of the worlds oil are traded through visible exchanges so all of them are very indicative only.
A convincing rebuttal of recent allegations of bias (/sarc) has played out in the letters to the editor section of the Herald after a couple of letters were published accusing the paper of favoritism for National. Subsequently another letter was published accusing the paper of favoritism for the left. A final letter letter was published today asserting that all the complaints were just ‘bleating’ and that the paper has got the balance ‘about right’ because there was a complaint from both sides.
The Herald itself had no comment to make on the matter.
This latest victory for National comes on the heels of Key’s three-handshake at the World Cup presentation ceremony which won the social retard vote, and his “show me the money” jibe at the town hall debate which saw both Jerry Maguire fans and Scientologists declare for National.
A good election forum in Dunedin tonight – a Sustainable Dunedin and Forest & Bird sponsored look at candidate and party views on sustainability and environmental issues.
7.30pm, Hutton Theatre, Otago Museum
You’re welcome to say hello – or heckle if you prefer.
Hey, I saw your glorious leader on Breakfast this morning – has he ever been described to you as a leech?
He seems to want to cling to whoever he fancies at the time. Please can you advise exactly what is the significance of United Future? Frankly I see it as a pointless exercise, other than keeping your leader in a job.
Duncan Garner arced up on TV3 this morning apparently, said the underclass had grown undeniably under National and the gap between rich and poor had widened massively. Hidden in the Chch quake news in the Herald is ” Labour ahead in the South’. Hidden because nothing in the story justifies it being in quake news and that will only be read by Cantaburians. There is a slight seachange in the MSM, except for boofhead Alexander who has obviously been offered the job Garner thought he was getting.
(Mainstream media are blocking this info.
If anything is useful – please ‘help yourselves’. 🙂
PRESS RELEASE: Penny Bright Independent Candidate for Epsom
“Does ACT Leader Don Brash have a PhD in ‘Hypocrisy’?
“Does ACT Leader (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, have a PhD in ‘Hypocrisy’?” asks Penny Bright Independent Candidate for Epsom, responding to reported comments in his latest speech, where Mr Brash said Act “remains committed to equality before the law for all New Zealanders”.
“How come ACT’s ‘one law for all’ doesn’t appear to apply to ‘white collar criminals’ – only Maori?”, continues Ms Penny Bright.
“Does ACT Leader , (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, agree that this ‘one law for all’ policy should equally apply to himself, and ACT candidate for Epsom (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks?
Does ACT Leader , (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, agree that this ‘one law for all’ policy should equally apply to himself, and ACT candidate for Epsom (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks, and that both should equally face criminal charges for misleading investors when former Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, as did fellow former Director Peter Huljich?
If not – why not?”
“Why should the voting public trust a word from the lips of ACT Leader, (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, and ACT candidate for Epsom (formally National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks, when the ‘one law for all’ that they espouse – does not equally apply to themselves?”
“Are ACT Leader, (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, and ACT candidate for Epsom (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks going to support the Finance Markets Authority (FMA) equally filing criminal charges against each of them for allegedly misleading investors when former Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd. – or not?”
“Does the ACT candidate for Epsom, (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) really think that National Party Leader, and NZ Prime Minister John Key should publicly endorse an alleged ‘white collar’ criminal, such as himself, who has yet to be charged, let alone convicted, because the ‘one law for all’ principle has yet to apply to John Banks, former fellow Director of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd?”
“ACT’s leadership supports ‘one law for all? – yeah right”, concludes Ms Penny Bright.
Penny Bright
Independent Candidate for Epsom.
Campaigning against ‘white collar’ crime, corruption (and its root cause – privatisation), and ‘corporate welfare’.
Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference 2009
Attendee: Transparency International’s 14th International Anti-Corruption Conference 2010
Keys insider trading should be brought before the courts .Merrill Lynchs $79 trillion US in toxic derivatives has Keys hands all over it this debt didn’t build up overnight Key was an instrumental part of it being in charge of currency trading
11.27 LATEST: A slippery scallop is blamed for a minor injury to Prime Minister John Key on the election trail in New Plymouth today. “It’s nothing actually,” Key told journalists outside Taranaki District Health Board’s emergency department. “Just a nick. I’ve had plenty of those.” A spokesman for National’s campaign downplayed the incident. “They knew the Prime Minister was in town and knew exactly what to do. Minister Ryall has ensured that all ED’s in the country are well prepared to deal with a forked tongue.”
In other news, volunteers at Port Taranaki were relieved after a false alarm sparked a callout to a nearby beach. “We thought for a minute it might be another Rena,” said Morris Heyhey, the retired engineer who first noticed a suspicious oily slick along the tidal mark. “but then they told us John Key had just walked along that morning.”
In his distinct and colourful manner, he analyses the Arab Spring, the eurozone crisis, the “Occupy Wall Street” movement and the rise of China. Concerned about the future of the existing western democratic capitalism Zizek believes that the current “system has lost its self-evidence, its automatic legitimacy, and now the field is open.”
It should be remembered that earlier this year Zizek ranted against young people taking part in the London “riots”. And as this article explains:
Zizek has a political history as a founder and candidate of Slovenia’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDS), which oversaw the reorganization of the former Yugoslav Republic along free market capitalist lines.
Interestingly, he is also apparently something of an admirer of Joseph Stalin.
Per capita, New Zealand is currently third at producing non-organic and non-recyclable waste. Auckland alone creates 180,000 tonnes of waste each year… 14% of this being potentially hazardous…
I wonder if this is due to lack of recycling/organic bin programmes around the country.
For example in CHCH we had green recycling tubs for quite a while, and then 3 years ago they introduced 3 wheeley bins for organic, recyclable and landfill waste. I believe this has cut down the amount of waste going to landfill quite a lot.
In Oamaru however, they just have rubbish bags that everything gets put into.
introduced 3 wheeley bins for organic, recyclable and landfill waste.
We’re getting something like that in Auckland over the next few years. My landlord/flatmate is complaining about it because the bins are going to be chipped and charged on a per weight basis I believe. Personally, I think it’s great as it will encourage people to produce less waste and start people to question why they’re paying so much for the junk mail* they get that they don’t want and don’t read.
* Junk mail is the original spam and should have been banned along with the electronic version.
A good idea in essence, perhaps. Not sure how it will work in practice. For example, how will you prevent others from adding their waste to your bin without your permission?
For most people that would imply someone actually sneaking onto your property and finding your bins around the back of your house. Not sure that’s a huge issue really.
In other situations where your bins have to be in a public area there’s no reason they couldn’t have a padlock on the lid.
The graph Proportion of ‘other’ waste in OECD countries on this Ministry of Environment webpage shows that New Zealand produces the third most overall waste. However their preamble says that New Zealand ranks 28th worst out of 30 OECD countries.
“New Zealand ranks 28th out of 30 OECD countries in the ‘other’ category; with our proportion being one-and-a-half times the OECD average. The high proportion of ‘other’ waste in New Zealand is likely to reflect the relatively large proportions of rubble from landscaping waste and timber from residential waste. Australia has a much lower proportion of ‘other’ waste than New Zealand and ranks seventh out of the OECD countries.”
“Overall, New Zealand has comparatively low proportions of paper waste disposal, average proportions of glass, organic, metal and plastic waste disposal and high proportions of ‘other’ waste disposal compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.”
I don’t think you can make the comment you have, however, there is no doubt that there is considerable room for improvement.
Ever wondered whats behind it? Its not ideology (neo lib is too discredited) and its neither good nor rational economics (no semi comatose business would sell off its key income earners).
Think this way, the Euro is crashing ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/09/european-debt-crisis-eurozone-breakup ) cash is escaping Europe into US Treasury bonds and into the US stock markets which have risen steadily in the last months (but started crashing last night)….so where is a safe haven for the cash? Chinas economy is at a standstill as demand falters…..and they hold huge US debt notes which will soon be worthless.
Where can Key and the international money junKeys find a safe haven, a sure thing for their millions to be invested in? Not in stocks anywhere, Treasury Bonds depend upon the country not defaulting or being able to pay, so where?
Where indeed is “safe”? Good “monopoly” rentals from you and me are available fby stripping our necessary assets. Electricity SOEs, coal SOEs etc. Ma and Pa NZers consisting our own 1%ers….
On a side note, the article you link to states that Italy is thought “too big to rescue”.
That’s an interesting switch from banks that are “too big to fail”. Of course, Italy is only a country with people in it. Banks are pivotal transnational corporates with lots of capital in them. No contest, really, when it comes to taxpayer bailouts.
The world of fantasy digits meets the world of real people…..too big to fail was always a chimera, an impossible fantasy. “Occupy” signals a broader intention, a seminal zeitgeist emerging…we aint going to take it. The resurrected spirit of the inner Jacobin.
Democracy tamed by the owners of digital promises to pay will transform into the mob versus the digit holders.
State assets sales have never been about efficiency but about giving our assets to the rentiers so that they have a nice, safe, government guaranteed income from other peoples work.
Thanks for that Bored. Been wondering lately… what exactly is the link between the global financial crisis… the rapidly spreading Occupy Movement (and it’s off shoots)… and the almost desperate desire by Key and co. to sell off our biggest assets. The last ditch attempt by the global rich-pricks at holding on to their power and their wealth?
Yes Anne, the lack of awareness of the larcenous nature of the “corporate state / big finance nexus” is a tribute to their propaganda powers, the common consent manufactured by an owned media and compliant state. To regain our democracy we need to break “big media” as well.
Having a go at what is mine and yours too, is there no low to which Key wont stoop? His holidays, our assets. Burglars and larcenists normally get state funded holidays.
Didn’t you know Brett? Key works 19hrs a day, 7 days a week for us! He is such a marvelous man he must also be magical to be able to fit holidays to Hawaii in there too! When does he sleep? Is he trying to one up Maggie?
What I have found farcial with Key is that he was intent upon becoming Minister of Tourism from day one – but at every opportunity he heads off overseas and particularly to Hawaii for his holidays. Certainly not walking the talk.
For a start Brett, I doubt there is anything that Goff does that would impress you so you missed a few important things in your rush to denigrate Goff.
Family doesn’t enter into. Goff never attacked his family and (despite what you think of him) Goff is just not that sort of guy.
However, it is a valid political move to compare the circumstances of people trapped in poverty with someone who, even outside his PM’s salary, has such freedoms that his wealth affords him, that he can escape whatever situation he may find himself in in NZ by holidaying at his own home in Hawaii.
It is a valid political comparison because the very people affected by his policies, unlike him, are unable to break out of their context and have to take whatever shit policies Key decides to deliver to them. I’m sure the poor would just love to take their families to Hawaii for a holiday – even just once – even in a ratty hotel – let alone every year or whenever the whim takes them!
It is also valid for an opposition to question whether such wealth, and the freedom of choice it brings, blinds Key to the true mental and emotional prison that people in poverty endure.
It is no longer acceptable for people to give Key a break on the Crosby/Textor crafted narrative of poor boy made good. He has not been that poor boy for many years.
And most importantly, that story has not translated into action for the poor. On his watch the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer. He had three years to help the poor out of their situation but he has not only failed but shown every sign of being the right wing fat cat bastard we suspected that he was underneath.
He, like Bennett, have pulled the ladder after him. Tax breaks for the rich, hob-nobing with the rich and famous while driving a knife into the poor and neglecting the economy.
I see the eager beaver steven joyce delayed the introducyion of important legislation on April 1 in case people thought it was a joke.
well that just about takes the cake.
what does he take us for.
ninnies like him and his national cabinet.
deosn’t he think kiwis know how to doa nything unless it is spoon fed.
gahhhhhhhhh. this government gets more and more horibbler by the minute.
out with them.
How patronising can Joyce be? The man is a totally arrogant pompous ass!
This decision and it’s reasoning is an insult to the NZdrs he expects to vote for him and his elitist wankers.
I was just called at home by Research International and asked if I would be willing to do a political poll. I was more than happy to as I had never been called before.
The questioner asked which electorate I was enrolled in. Answer – Ilam.
Questioner – Where is that?
Me – Ilam in Christchurch.
Questioner – Is that Christchurch east?
Me – No.
Questioner – Is that Waimakiriri?
Me – No, it’s Gerry Brownlee’s electorate. Have you heard of him?
Questioner – No I haven’t. I need to talk to someone enrolled in Waimakiriri. The MP is Catherine, umm, Catherine someone in that electorate.
Me – I don’t know a Catherine anyone but the MP in Waimak is Clayton Cosgrove.
Questioner – Sorry, Clayton who?
Me – Clayton Cosgrove, from Labour.
Questioner – Oh right, I don’t think you can do the poll. It’s got to be a person enrolled in Waimak.
Me – Maybe you should call homes that are actually in the Waimakiriri electorate then.
Questioner – Oh yeah. Thanks for your time
Whoever is paying research international should get their money back.
This must have slipped past the Herald censors. Someone there will get sacked! Herald Online:
“Grant Robertson has accused Prime Minister John Key of “ducking the tough questions”
and: “He (Key)has refused to go head-to-head in a live debate with Labour Leader Phil Goff for the Herald; with Morning Report because he was ‘too busy to prepare’; with Close Up twice; and Radio Live.
“He (Key)continues to give Campbell Live the cold shoulder and Radio New Zealand confirmed last month it had only been able to get him on its programmes a handful of times in the past year. ”
Just in time for the first anniversary, charges get laid against those responsible for killing 29 miners at Pike River. No names yet, but here’s hoping Peter Whittall is prominent among them.
The evidence of this Japanese engineer in another four or five days should be interesting and informative. He made a rational decision to leave based on known factors likely to result in an explosion. We have short-changed our miners and ourselves in NZ with our she’ll be right approach. It wasn’t so easy for our people to leave, they just worked on and hoped for the best, and that wasn’t wise.
If they had gone on strike would anything have been done to improve conditions?? Or would it have been a case of ‘put these blokes in their place’, cosh a few if necessary and get them back to work instead of wasting time over their endless grievances and demands. I think it would have been the last.
Emil Zola – we need you. Emil ZOLA’s novel Germinal is the heading to get on to his novel about coal mining in northern France with miners being paid for output and having to shore up the mines themselves. Their working conditions and safety were their own problem. When the price of coal fell of course they got paid less for their output but still had the same hazards.
I am really brassed off. The road rules are being changed at the end of March next year back to how they used to be. On a whim and a theory that it would be better, we were forced to change some time ago from left having right of way, now the bureaucrats want to change back and I bet on no better arguments than for the original change.
And it will cause more accidents for some time I think. And our roads will have to be remarked, in some cases redesigned and traffic lights recalibrated or whatever, and how can we afford this unnecessary carry-on. How can we stop this waste of money?
…now the bureaucrats want to change back and I bet on no better arguments than for the original change.
Actually, my quick reading of the literature awhile back showed a couple of good reasons:
1.) It’s actually more logical
2.) We’re the last place on Earth to have such backward road rules and so it confuses drivers from other countries
3.) The change will result in less accidents see 1.)
Does that mean we went through the original kerfuffle for an illogical reason? It has been made to work, and assists those turning right to achieve their requirements. So that is illogical is it.
Yes, because people behind the left turning car but going straight ahead aren’t giving way to the right turning car which results in accidents when the right turning car pulls across in front of them.
I am getting vengeful in my old age. Where are the people who made us change our original driving patterns to give way to the right turning? I would like to have a few words with them, and also get payment for all the road and sign changes made then, and to be done in the next few months. And also kick them up the bum.
If I remember correctly the change to give way to right turning traffic was made to prevent huge queues forming in the middle of the roads when right-turning traffic had to give way and there was not enough room for cars from behind to pass safely along the left of them. To me, and a few international friends I’ve discussed this with, the NZ system works well.
However, the research seems to have been done and the conclusion is that it apparently causes more accidents so it’s being changed back. I hope they have it right because it would piss me off intensely if the change was being made simply to fall in line with international practice and a different set of intersection accidents increase (thinking here, in particular, of long queues on high-speed rural roads that might be have quite different characteristics to the international rural roads that may have been used in comparative studies).
The change from the original rule happened when I was overseas. After a couple of decades overseas, all using the rule the way it used to be in NZ, it was very hard to change to the “new” NZ rule when I came back. It took 2-3 years to be able to follow the rule without thinking. I used to curse it. Because I’d remind myself about the rule when I set out driving somewhere, but when I did a left turn, decades of driving habit kicked in and I’d turn without waiting for the cars in the middle of the road.
Yeah, I reckon that difference is part of the problem with the accidents. I’m just worried that NZ’s difficult rural roads might end up with more serious accidents. C’est la vie.
The Department of Labour says the rise will cost 6000 jobs. But Treasury has a counter view; “This has not been true in the past. The balance of probabilities is that a higher minimum wage does not cost jobs.”
Not all employers are worried about a hike either. Andy Martin runs a pub, employing 26 people in Oamaru.
He says put the wage up and people just spend more money – everyone wins.
“$15 is fair,” he says.
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
SIR GEOFFREY PALMER is worried about democracy. In his Newsroom website post of 27 January 2025 he asserts that “the future of democracy across the world now seems to be in question.” Following a year of important electoral contests across the world, culminating in Donald Trump’s emphatic recapture of the ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin FelletIf you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...
The funnyman takes us through his life in television, including Jono and Ben mayhem, live Telethon flubs, and funnelling all those experiences into his new comedy Vince. There’s an inciting incident in Three’s new comedy Vince where morning television presenter Vince Walters (Jono Pryor) is visiting sick kids in hospital ...
People often claim they just want Waitangi Day to be a celebration. At Waitangi, away from the headlined political acrimony and the marae ātea, celebrating is what most people are doing. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous ...
Is there anything more fashionable than a Māori get together? One of the best things about Northland is that nobody cares what they look like — probably because they’re all naturally more stylish than the rest of us, famously. Māori from the Far North, especially. In 27 degree heat, wearing ...
Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, edited by Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira has just been released by Otago University Press. In this essay, Books are Taonga, Jeanette Wikaira explores her personal relationship to books and their value.For me, books are taonga. The knowledge ...
I’ve been in love with him since last July, but it’s only now in this tepid hotel room that I find myself wondering why. The first thing he does when we arrive is smoke a cone in the bathroom – he emerges, hacking up a lung, fists thrust into his ...
MONDAY“Name,” barked a representative of the lower orders.I regarded him with a look of stern disapproval, and told him from up high, “May I remind you that I have name suppression. I shall also thank you to ask with more respect as befits a former president of the Act Party, ...
Get to know Tara, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Tara’s human for their support! Dog name: Tara Age: Two Breed: Mostly Border Collie and a little bit Catahoula Leopard dog If dog ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member.ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Western Australian state election will be held on March 8. A Newspoll, conducted January 29 to February 4 from a sample ...
She’s back behind the wheel, and this time, she wants to find out what it is that makes us tick. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. After a prolific career on stage and screen, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is on the road again. ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel. Real Poet Every word earned its place and so did he, so should you. Real poet lives in the capital but writes himself into the Mackenzie country golden hour, man of the paper land, he neglects to mention his pollen ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Press, $25) No better time to get ...
The committee has published this list to inform the public about its work, and to give clarity to submitters who have contacted the committee asking if they will be invited to make an oral submission. ...
Alex Casey and Gabi Lardies dissect their Laneway 2025 experience. Gabi Lardies: Hi Alex :))))))) Congratulations on not getting sunburnt. Everyone I talked to at Laneway yesterday was braving the sun for one thing. Charli XCX. How was your brat experience?Alex Casey: We will talk about the rest of ...
The US President's suggestion, which sparked enormous debate globally, has been labelled as a threat, not a proposal, by the Federation of Islamic Associations. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Interior of Auckland South Men’s Prison.Getty Images Prisons are not colourful places. Typically, they are grey or some variation of a monochrome colour scheme. But increasingly, ...
FICTION1Tree of Nourishment (Kāwai 2) by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)Interesting to note that the author of the biggest-selling New Zealand novel in Waitangi Week is Māori (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tai, and Ngāti Kahungunu).2 Kāwai: For Such a Time as This (Kāwai 1) by Monty Soutar (David ...
Remembering the renowned New Zealand writer, who died on February 5, 2025. The Stopover When the trout rise like compassion It is worth watching when the hinds come down from the hills with a new message it will be as well to listen. – Brian Turner Poet, environmentalist, sportsman, journalist, ...
Survivors can choose to have former High Court judge Paul Davison assess their individual claims to tailor payments to their personal circumstances. ...
Are we too modest when it comes to celebrating our putrid plant life?She’s beauty. She’s grace. She smells like a decaying corpse and lurks in the backrooms of Auckland Zoo, wallowing tragically in a bucket. In recent weeks an Australian corpse plant named Putricia has captured the noses and ...
Politicians from the coalition government received a frosty reception at Waitangi this year, but Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says the pōwhiri that received so much attention was just one part of many events throughout the week. ...
History never repeats…well it does.
Back in the early 80s Ruthenasia Richardson was promoting border dyke irrigation on the Canterbury Plains to be done by the MOW (Ministry of Works for those too young to remember the state used to have a public works capability) and paid for by the tax payer (Ruth the free marketeer had no problem with looting the public purse….for her mates the farmers). The whole concept was more sheep, for which the farmers received SMPs (a per head price subsidy paid for by the taxpayer). So to sum up we the citizens paid taxes that were to be used to pay for a scheme to grow more grass, more sheep and to pay a priveleged sector for a product we could not sell.
Last night Key announced a $400 million irrigation fund for a Crown irrigation company to grow more grass for more cows paid for by (you guessed it) the taxpayer. Sectoral venality at your expense. Pollution and salination at your expense. Two free marketeers ripping off the public purse.
They announced a potentially $400m investment fund in the Budget in March. Is this the same thing?
Looks like it.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10764979
Leaky schools. Labour blamed for not doing enough. Questions: when were the leaks discovered? What did Labour do? And whose fault is this really if we’re finger pointing?
It is seldom remembered that it was National during the early 90s who relaxed the building regulations as a sort of Free Market rules. This caused the Leaky buildings. National caused the problem. They must own both the cause and the solution.
No. It was a combination of building products and building practices – and new home builders price priorities also played a part.
Can’t wait to see you with the silverware on your head after you take the leadership from Dunne there Petey.
Close but lacking din – my primary focus is leadership for Dunedin.
Getting a very good response via candidate meetings – from individuals, groups, other party candidates and even MPs.
Well then you will be able to thank all the kind people who voted for you and all the others who said they would!
National allowed the combination to begin with.
“It was a combination of building products and building practices – and new home builders price priorities also played a part.”
Yes, it was what emerged from an unregulated/’self-regulating’ free market (i.e., National Party policy priority ‘Number One’), as you so succinctly put it, Pete George.
If the Government says you can drive at whatever speed you want and all traffic enforcers are withdrawn and then there is a pileup of cars travelling at 150kmh across town would you blame the cars or the lack of speed limit?
I’d primarily blame stupid drivers. Wouldn’t you?
No. I’d see it as a failure of collective decision making (i.e., a political failure).
A simple reduction of the social to the individual is pretty poor thinking.
Of course we would blame the drivers, but do you not think that the disaster could have been prevented with a bit of Governmental common sense? Government absolved do you think?
Primarily – maybe.
Secondarily – the dick who created the systemic problem.
Or do you assign blame exclusively to those at the point of contact?
Was it the purchasers pricing or the profit motive? Because looking at history I don’t see prices for houses going down but I do see developers making higher profits.
Perhaps this displays best what the building industry is like and how sub-servient our govt is towards them. A $900k is no punishment, I would imagine thatthe profit margins were still excessive even allowing for the fine.
http://www.constructionnews.co.nz/articles/dec10/Carter-Holt-Harvey-warned.php
http://www.comcom.govt.nz/fair-trading-media-releases/detail/2007/carterholtharveyexecutivefinedover
And even Labour failed to see this issue for what it was and now we have a $20+b issue. At least this will increase our GDP- and what a waste of resources, time and stress
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3006431
Just because building standards were lowered- is that any excuse for the govt to reduce theirs. The schools could have been built using alternative cladding e.g. tilt slab.
And ianmac- Nat were the govt yet it was the building regulators that said it was all ok e.g. Brandz and supposed “experts” many representing the building suppliers. All care and no responsibility
what a load of bullshit PG Deregulation caused the problem Shifting the blame is Nationals solution.Band aid solution .National have come up with $500million to fix a $32 billion dollar problem typical National party.
*sighs*
Never let it be said that neo-liberals take responsibility for anything.
Beneficiaries – yes.
Neo-libs – no. It was someone else whut done it.
As I recall they allowed members of suppliers to the industry onto the group that defines material codes. Then blamed the existence of amateur owner builders for the failure of commercial builds and formed professional registers to prove they weren’t cowboys themselves. It was like watching a bunch of slow-witted toddlers trying to conceal the turd in their pants.
All those who voted National; in the 90’s should be levied for leaky buildings.
OR maybe we should charge politicians, with criminal negligence, as any other profession would be if they were in charge of such a major fuckup.
John Key – Safe hands, Forked tongue
On Stuff! no less!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/fairfax-media-poll/5939285/John-Key-Safe-hands-forked-tongue
Yes. Saw that. The narrative is building, and JK won’t be very much of a poster boy by the end of a second term… if he makes it that far. It wil also undermine him somewhat this election.
Contradictory though – how do people know he’s a safe pair of hands with the economy if they can’t trust what he says?
In my view, what has emerged is the unthinkable. Goff has managed to “tear the teflon” right off Key and the liar brand is sticking. Theyve been given a gift this morning with Nick Smith annoucing 100% Pure Brand essentially will be scrapped in favour of irrigation and intensive dairying – lets see if Labour can claw a few points out of this?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10764987
Even more interesting was this comment piece by Vernon Small.
Online it is headed: ‘John Key finds ready answers to queries’
In the print edition it was headed “Bend it like Key” (as in ‘bending the truth’).
By Hartevelt not Small. Small writes to praise Ceasar not to point at the borer infesting Key’s feet.
Ooops! You’re right of course. Too many ‘V’s and ‘e’s in their names …
That’s because the MSM have been having a love-in with NAct rather than doing their job of investigation and reporting.
Wine being released nationally. Supply available to 26 November. Then remaindered.
Pinot Cchio vintages 2009, 2010, 2011.
The PM’s favourite, with a nose that is steadily developing.
Better still – someone at Fairfax can’t count! This was picked up by Mathew, one of our commentators: http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/someone-at-fairfax-cant-count/
I went to the Whenuapai meet the candidates meeting last night. Key was there along with Labour’s Jeremy Greenbrook-Held, the greens Jeanette Elley, some guy from ALCP who made lot of sense at times, an ACT candidate who is not going to vote for himself and an unfortunate Conservative Party candidate who promised to actually do what he promises unless a binding referendum said otherwise.
Jeremy performed really well and Jeanette was also impressive. They both knew their stuff and spoke from the heart.
Key was superficially impressive. He is like a little kid with a stick trying to upset a hive of bees. He relishes any sort of argument.
But I kept thinking of what he said and I have to conclude that he keeps saying fibs.
On unemployment he said National had created 60,000 jobs over the last year. He did not acknowledge the promise to create 170,000 or that under his watch unemployment has doubled.
And fiscal responsibility was one of his main themes. Without being embarrassed he kept saying National was responsible and Labour was irresponsible with the finances.
He promised $400 million for the irrigation fund Bored mentioned. Yesterday National also promised the delay in some sectors coming into the ETS at a cost I understand of $500 million.
So where is the money coming from John? And when is the MSM going to call him for what he is, a fibber?
I just saw a short clip of the meeting on the news, Jeremy did have a bit of the ‘possum caught in the headlights’ look about him.
That’s the usual TV ‘show the candidate picking his nose’ editing.
“And when is the MSM going to call him for what he is, a fibber? ”
Vernon Small comes pretty close. See my link in the comment above.
Make that ‘John Hartevelt’
What happened to to $50? payment by people convicted to their victims?
How much has been collected, how much distributed?
Radio NZ reported this morning that work has been going for months getting our state assets ready for sale and Key has said they will start selling straight after election if they are the govt.
I don’t understand why the majority of NZers who value holding on to our state assets are so keen to vote for the man who is hellbent on selling them as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Country is disconnected with itself presently. Its waking up but too slow.
As reported, they have been pressing ahead regardless. This was also “lost” in Stuff’s business news yesterday
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5886811/Govt-appoints-Lazard-for-asset-sale-advice
Accordiang to the one comment on the article, Lazard have also been advising the Greek government!
This is Duncan Garner’s take on it.
It’s been said many times before, but a significant number of people don’t appear to be voting for Naitonal (or its policies) but, instead, for Key.
Stephen Franks welcomed the emphasis on personalities at interest.co.nz a few weeks ago.
Yep. A lot of National supporters I talk to buy into Brand Key. Brand National’s actual policies? Way less so.
Could someone please confirm, the petrol price did hardly change the last four weeks?
The reason, I ask this question, is the oil price increased somewhere around 15 to 20% to 97 US Dollar per barrel recently and the exchange rate against the US Dollar improved only marginal. Begin of the year, this would have meant a significant price increase at the petrol pump.
Why is the change of the oil price not reflected at the petrol pump?
Surely, a 10 cent increase a couple of week before an election would cause a complete outrage.
Also the World Energy Outlook 2011 by the International Energy Agency was released yesterday:
– Expected oil crises around 2015 unless significant investments of 100 Billion US Dollar anually are done… Mainly in not so stable countries in the Mid-East and North Afrika.
– In the next 20 years additional 2/3 of today’s output has to be found and come “online” so it covers the decline and we still have approximately 67 Million barrels per day of conventional oil consumed globally. We are not even talking about meeting the increased demand by developing countries!
And a bit of a joke… Big success story: In Brasil they found another “huge” oil field with a total reserve of over 600 Million barrel or, taking the 87 Million barrel consumed daily into account, around 7 to 8 days of global oil consumption.
What oil price are you referring to?
NZ petrol is sourced from Dubai Crude, which is different from Brent and WTI. Also the price that matters is actually refined product, not crude. They usually move in tandem, but not always.
Also, the recent flooding Thailand may have caused a drop in demand, which decreases the price for the rest of us.
If you look into the price of Dubai Crude, it’ll probably match up with the pump price a lot better.
You need to ignore the price of oil and focus on the cost of refined fuel out of Singapore.
We use lots of different oil grades, mostly heavier sour Arabian crudes which is why NZRC has a dirty great hydrocracker, but also lighter Malaysian/Indonesian and local ones too, and blendstocks to balance things out. The price of these affects us over the medium term. But it is the price of refined fuel ex Singapore and the margins over that that really drives our day to day pricing. MED has it on their website and it is relatively up to date.
Note fuel prices dropped this week about 3cpl.
Thanks insider.
I saw the petrol price at the pump this morning and thought the same.
The corporates are absorbing oil price rises currently IMO, for whatever reason.
BTW for those referring to WTI, Brent, Dubai crude – all valid points, but very little of the worlds oil are traded through visible exchanges so all of them are very indicative only.
That said they will have a benchmark value for inter/intra company trades or will reflect the off market trading values.
Note that Countdown are promoting a 25cpl discount this weekend. No doubt P&S will be matching
Wellington’s Women’s Trade Union Choir Choir Pants on Fire singing about election policies
Been removed by User.
http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/odious-debt-john-keys-legacy/ Enjoy!
“World headed for irreversible climate change in five years, IEA warns”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/nov/09/fossil-fuel-infrastructure-climate-change
Allegations of Herald political bias disproved:
A convincing rebuttal of recent allegations of bias (/sarc) has played out in the letters to the editor section of the Herald after a couple of letters were published accusing the paper of favoritism for National. Subsequently another letter was published accusing the paper of favoritism for the left. A final letter letter was published today asserting that all the complaints were just ‘bleating’ and that the paper has got the balance ‘about right’ because there was a complaint from both sides.
The Herald itself had no comment to make on the matter.
Well nothing to see here then I guess.
I like how if “both sides complain, there’s no bias” is somehow seen as a reasonable argument.
John Key’s baby-killing spree has no effect on poll numbers
This latest victory for National comes on the heels of Key’s three-handshake at the World Cup presentation ceremony which won the social retard vote, and his “show me the money” jibe at the town hall debate which saw both Jerry Maguire fans and Scientologists declare for National.
A good election forum in Dunedin tonight – a Sustainable Dunedin and Forest & Bird sponsored look at candidate and party views on sustainability and environmental issues.
7.30pm, Hutton Theatre, Otago Museum
You’re welcome to say hello – or heckle if you prefer.
Hey, I saw your glorious leader on Breakfast this morning – has he ever been described to you as a leech?
He seems to want to cling to whoever he fancies at the time. Please can you advise exactly what is the significance of United Future? Frankly I see it as a pointless exercise, other than keeping your leader in a job.
John sez “It really is all about me”
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/election/a/-/11526953/criticism-of-pms-breach-of-mourning-moment/
Duncan Garner arced up on TV3 this morning apparently, said the underclass had grown undeniably under National and the gap between rich and poor had widened massively. Hidden in the Chch quake news in the Herald is ” Labour ahead in the South’. Hidden because nothing in the story justifies it being in quake news and that will only be read by Cantaburians. There is a slight seachange in the MSM, except for boofhead Alexander who has obviously been offered the job Garner thought he was getting.
(Mainstream media are blocking this info.
If anything is useful – please ‘help yourselves’. 🙂
PRESS RELEASE: Penny Bright Independent Candidate for Epsom
“Does ACT Leader Don Brash have a PhD in ‘Hypocrisy’?
“Does ACT Leader (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, have a PhD in ‘Hypocrisy’?” asks Penny Bright Independent Candidate for Epsom, responding to reported comments in his latest speech, where Mr Brash said Act “remains committed to equality before the law for all New Zealanders”.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10764866
“How come ACT’s ‘one law for all’ doesn’t appear to apply to ‘white collar criminals’ – only Maori?”, continues Ms Penny Bright.
“Does ACT Leader , (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, agree that this ‘one law for all’ policy should equally apply to himself, and ACT candidate for Epsom (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks?
Does ACT Leader , (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, agree that this ‘one law for all’ policy should equally apply to himself, and ACT candidate for Epsom (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks, and that both should equally face criminal charges for misleading investors when former Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, as did fellow former Director Peter Huljich?
If not – why not?”
“Why should the voting public trust a word from the lips of ACT Leader, (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, and ACT candidate for Epsom (formally National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks, when the ‘one law for all’ that they espouse – does not equally apply to themselves?”
“Are ACT Leader, (former National Party Leader) Dr Don Brash, and ACT candidate for Epsom (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) John Banks going to support the Finance Markets Authority (FMA) equally filing criminal charges against each of them for allegedly misleading investors when former Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd. – or not?”
“Does the ACT candidate for Epsom, (former National Government Minister for Police and Local Government) really think that National Party Leader, and NZ Prime Minister John Key should publicly endorse an alleged ‘white collar’ criminal, such as himself, who has yet to be charged, let alone convicted, because the ‘one law for all’ principle has yet to apply to John Banks, former fellow Director of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd?”
“ACT’s leadership supports ‘one law for all? – yeah right”, concludes Ms Penny Bright.
Penny Bright
Independent Candidate for Epsom.
Campaigning against ‘white collar’ crime, corruption (and its root cause – privatisation), and ‘corporate welfare’.
Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference 2009
Attendee: Transparency International’s 14th International Anti-Corruption Conference 2010
Ph (09) 846 9825 Mob 021 211 4 127 [email deleted]
Keys insider trading should be brought before the courts .Merrill Lynchs $79 trillion US in toxic derivatives has Keys hands all over it this debt didn’t build up overnight Key was an instrumental part of it being in charge of currency trading
KEY’S CUTLERY CLANGER NO WORRY SAY DOCS
11.27 LATEST: A slippery scallop is blamed for a minor injury to Prime Minister John Key on the election trail in New Plymouth today. “It’s nothing actually,” Key told journalists outside Taranaki District Health Board’s emergency department. “Just a nick. I’ve had plenty of those.” A spokesman for National’s campaign downplayed the incident. “They knew the Prime Minister was in town and knew exactly what to do. Minister Ryall has ensured that all ED’s in the country are well prepared to deal with a forked tongue.”
In other news, volunteers at Port Taranaki were relieved after a false alarm sparked a callout to a nearby beach. “We thought for a minute it might be another Rena,” said Morris Heyhey, the retired engineer who first noticed a suspicious oily slick along the tidal mark. “but then they told us John Key had just walked along that morning.”
Do you need to be slickly oiled in order to speak with a forking tongue?
Al Jazeera interview with Slavoj Zizek
Hey Draco, any chance of re posting that link. Just takes me to Standard home page. Would love to see it.
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/talktojazeera/2011/10/2011102813360731764.html
Brilliant, thank you! I shall watch that now.
It should be remembered that earlier this year Zizek ranted against young people taking part in the London “riots”. And as this article explains:
Interestingly, he is also apparently something of an admirer of Joseph Stalin.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/zizek/
Smiths Environmental Failures
Per capita, New Zealand is currently third at producing non-organic and non-recyclable waste. Auckland alone creates 180,000 tonnes of waste each year… 14% of this being potentially hazardous…
I wonder if this is due to lack of recycling/organic bin programmes around the country.
For example in CHCH we had green recycling tubs for quite a while, and then 3 years ago they introduced 3 wheeley bins for organic, recyclable and landfill waste. I believe this has cut down the amount of waste going to landfill quite a lot.
In Oamaru however, they just have rubbish bags that everything gets put into.
We’re getting something like that in Auckland over the next few years. My landlord/flatmate is complaining about it because the bins are going to be chipped and charged on a per weight basis I believe. Personally, I think it’s great as it will encourage people to produce less waste and start people to question why they’re paying so much for the junk mail* they get that they don’t want and don’t read.
* Junk mail is the original spam and should have been banned along with the electronic version.
A good idea in essence, perhaps. Not sure how it will work in practice. For example, how will you prevent others from adding their waste to your bin without your permission?
For most people that would imply someone actually sneaking onto your property and finding your bins around the back of your house. Not sure that’s a huge issue really.
In other situations where your bins have to be in a public area there’s no reason they couldn’t have a padlock on the lid.
I was thinking of when your bins are outside waiting for collection.
Ah so
The bin would be full, anyway, when put out for collection?
‘Per capita, New Zealand is currently third at producing non-organic and non-recyclable waste. ‘
Have you got a link for that Jackal ? I’d be interested to have a read.
The graph Proportion of ‘other’ waste in OECD countries on this Ministry of Environment webpage shows that New Zealand produces the third most overall waste. However their preamble says that New Zealand ranks 28th worst out of 30 OECD countries.
I think you’re reading the dataset incorrectly.
“New Zealand ranks 28th out of 30 OECD countries in the ‘other’ category; with our proportion being one-and-a-half times the OECD average. The high proportion of ‘other’ waste in New Zealand is likely to reflect the relatively large proportions of rubble from landscaping waste and timber from residential waste. Australia has a much lower proportion of ‘other’ waste than New Zealand and ranks seventh out of the OECD countries.”
“Overall, New Zealand has comparatively low proportions of paper waste disposal, average proportions of glass, organic, metal and plastic waste disposal and high proportions of ‘other’ waste disposal compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.”
I don’t think you can make the comment you have, however, there is no doubt that there is considerable room for improvement.
Yes timber waste is a huge problem but just identifying it doesn’t mean you get to subtract it from the total.
It’s a bit like saying “Yes officer I’ve had about 20 drinks tonight but quite a few of them were wine, so we’re sweet yeah?”
Asset sales…..asset sales.
Ever wondered whats behind it? Its not ideology (neo lib is too discredited) and its neither good nor rational economics (no semi comatose business would sell off its key income earners).
Think this way, the Euro is crashing ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/09/european-debt-crisis-eurozone-breakup ) cash is escaping Europe into US Treasury bonds and into the US stock markets which have risen steadily in the last months (but started crashing last night)….so where is a safe haven for the cash? Chinas economy is at a standstill as demand falters…..and they hold huge US debt notes which will soon be worthless.
Where can Key and the international money junKeys find a safe haven, a sure thing for their millions to be invested in? Not in stocks anywhere, Treasury Bonds depend upon the country not defaulting or being able to pay, so where?
Where indeed is “safe”? Good “monopoly” rentals from you and me are available fby stripping our necessary assets. Electricity SOEs, coal SOEs etc. Ma and Pa NZers consisting our own 1%ers….
I feel a Jacobin moment coming on.
On a side note, the article you link to states that Italy is thought “too big to rescue”.
That’s an interesting switch from banks that are “too big to fail”. Of course, Italy is only a country with people in it. Banks are pivotal transnational corporates with lots of capital in them. No contest, really, when it comes to taxpayer bailouts.
The world of fantasy digits meets the world of real people…..too big to fail was always a chimera, an impossible fantasy. “Occupy” signals a broader intention, a seminal zeitgeist emerging…we aint going to take it. The resurrected spirit of the inner Jacobin.
Democracy tamed by the owners of digital promises to pay will transform into the mob versus the digit holders.
+1
State assets sales have never been about efficiency but about giving our assets to the rentiers so that they have a nice, safe, government guaranteed income from other peoples work.
Thanks for that Bored. Been wondering lately… what exactly is the link between the global financial crisis… the rapidly spreading Occupy Movement (and it’s off shoots)… and the almost desperate desire by Key and co. to sell off our biggest assets. The last ditch attempt by the global rich-pricks at holding on to their power and their wealth?
Yes Anne, the lack of awareness of the larcenous nature of the “corporate state / big finance nexus” is a tribute to their propaganda powers, the common consent manufactured by an owned media and compliant state. To regain our democracy we need to break “big media” as well.
Having a go at Key’s private FAMILY holidays now, is there no low Goff wont stoop too.
Having a go at what is mine and yours too, is there no low to which Key wont stoop? His holidays, our assets. Burglars and larcenists normally get state funded holidays.
Didn’t you know Brett? Key works 19hrs a day, 7 days a week for us! He is such a marvelous man he must also be magical to be able to fit holidays to Hawaii in there too! When does he sleep? Is he trying to one up Maggie?
Goff should argue policies not having a go at where someone takes their family on holiday.
What I have found farcial with Key is that he was intent upon becoming Minister of Tourism from day one – but at every opportunity he heads off overseas and particularly to Hawaii for his holidays. Certainly not walking the talk.
For a start Brett, I doubt there is anything that Goff does that would impress you so you missed a few important things in your rush to denigrate Goff.
Family doesn’t enter into. Goff never attacked his family and (despite what you think of him) Goff is just not that sort of guy.
However, it is a valid political move to compare the circumstances of people trapped in poverty with someone who, even outside his PM’s salary, has such freedoms that his wealth affords him, that he can escape whatever situation he may find himself in in NZ by holidaying at his own home in Hawaii.
It is a valid political comparison because the very people affected by his policies, unlike him, are unable to break out of their context and have to take whatever shit policies Key decides to deliver to them. I’m sure the poor would just love to take their families to Hawaii for a holiday – even just once – even in a ratty hotel – let alone every year or whenever the whim takes them!
It is also valid for an opposition to question whether such wealth, and the freedom of choice it brings, blinds Key to the true mental and emotional prison that people in poverty endure.
It is no longer acceptable for people to give Key a break on the Crosby/Textor crafted narrative of poor boy made good. He has not been that poor boy for many years.
And most importantly, that story has not translated into action for the poor. On his watch the rich have got richer and the poor have got poorer. He had three years to help the poor out of their situation but he has not only failed but shown every sign of being the right wing fat cat bastard we suspected that he was underneath.
He, like Bennett, have pulled the ladder after him. Tax breaks for the rich, hob-nobing with the rich and famous while driving a knife into the poor and neglecting the economy.
William Joyce:
Goff was having a cheap shot, talking to people in south auckland, saying “this guy is rich he goes to hawaii, bad man bad man”
I guess he forgot to them he took his family to Europe.
shhhhhh.
Next thing you’ll say it was envy – go away troll
I see the eager beaver steven joyce delayed the introducyion of important legislation on April 1 in case people thought it was a joke.
well that just about takes the cake.
what does he take us for.
ninnies like him and his national cabinet.
deosn’t he think kiwis know how to doa nything unless it is spoon fed.
gahhhhhhhhh. this government gets more and more horibbler by the minute.
out with them.
How patronising can Joyce be? The man is a totally arrogant pompous ass!
This decision and it’s reasoning is an insult to the NZdrs he expects to vote for him and his elitist wankers.
I was just called at home by Research International and asked if I would be willing to do a political poll. I was more than happy to as I had never been called before.
The questioner asked which electorate I was enrolled in. Answer – Ilam.
Questioner – Where is that?
Me – Ilam in Christchurch.
Questioner – Is that Christchurch east?
Me – No.
Questioner – Is that Waimakiriri?
Me – No, it’s Gerry Brownlee’s electorate. Have you heard of him?
Questioner – No I haven’t. I need to talk to someone enrolled in Waimakiriri. The MP is Catherine, umm, Catherine someone in that electorate.
Me – I don’t know a Catherine anyone but the MP in Waimak is Clayton Cosgrove.
Questioner – Sorry, Clayton who?
Me – Clayton Cosgrove, from Labour.
Questioner – Oh right, I don’t think you can do the poll. It’s got to be a person enrolled in Waimak.
Me – Maybe you should call homes that are actually in the Waimakiriri electorate then.
Questioner – Oh yeah. Thanks for your time
Whoever is paying research international should get their money back.
That’s hilarious. 🙂
The person making the calls is obviously out of his/her depth. Research International ought to put in a bit more effort in their business.
Did they have a hint of a Bangalore accent?
Just a plain old kiwi accent. They did say that their supervisor could be listening in to see how they were going.
It will just be poor staff training. Kind of felt sorry for her and disappointed that I didn’t get to answer the questions.
This must have slipped past the Herald censors. Someone there will get sacked! Herald Online:
“Grant Robertson has accused Prime Minister John Key of “ducking the tough questions”
and: “He (Key)has refused to go head-to-head in a live debate with Labour Leader Phil Goff for the Herald; with Morning Report because he was ‘too busy to prepare’; with Close Up twice; and Radio Live.
“He (Key)continues to give Campbell Live the cold shoulder and Radio New Zealand confirmed last month it had only been able to get him on its programmes a handful of times in the past year. ”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10765098
Just in time for the first anniversary, charges get laid against those responsible for killing 29 miners at Pike River. No names yet, but here’s hoping Peter Whittall is prominent among them.
The evidence of this Japanese engineer in another four or five days should be interesting and informative. He made a rational decision to leave based on known factors likely to result in an explosion. We have short-changed our miners and ourselves in NZ with our she’ll be right approach. It wasn’t so easy for our people to leave, they just worked on and hoped for the best, and that wasn’t wise.
If they had gone on strike would anything have been done to improve conditions?? Or would it have been a case of ‘put these blokes in their place’, cosh a few if necessary and get them back to work instead of wasting time over their endless grievances and demands. I think it would have been the last.
Emil Zola – we need you. Emil ZOLA’s novel Germinal is the heading to get on to his novel about coal mining in northern France with miners being paid for output and having to shore up the mines themselves. Their working conditions and safety were their own problem. When the price of coal fell of course they got paid less for their output but still had the same hazards.
If National get in for a second term one of the biggest casualties will be education.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2011/11/education-is-investment-in-our-future.html
Oh dear…
http://tvnz.co.nz/election-2011/drop-in-support-national-and-labour-poll-4520729
I think the best way to arrest this slide is to keep attacking Key, maybe even point out he has holidays in Hawaii
Yep that’ll work
That would be why Key etc look so confident and in no way worried, then. /sarc
All or nothing – the money-trader’s gamble, because they don’t have a stake in it themselves.
Gotta be a rogue poll Chris73 by those naughty people from the MSM
I am really brassed off. The road rules are being changed at the end of March next year back to how they used to be. On a whim and a theory that it would be better, we were forced to change some time ago from left having right of way, now the bureaucrats want to change back and I bet on no better arguments than for the original change.
And it will cause more accidents for some time I think. And our roads will have to be remarked, in some cases redesigned and traffic lights recalibrated or whatever, and how can we afford this unnecessary carry-on. How can we stop this waste of money?
Actually, my quick reading of the literature awhile back showed a couple of good reasons:
1.) It’s actually more logical
2.) We’re the last place on Earth to have such backward road rules and so it confuses drivers from other countries
3.) The change will result in less accidents see 1.)
Oh OK. I’ll just lie down and think of England.
Have a cup of tea first. 🙂
I don’t know which is right or left now. Should I have English Breakfast or Gumboot and erupt kicking and shouting?
Green
Does that mean we went through the original kerfuffle for an illogical reason? It has been made to work, and assists those turning right to achieve their requirements. So that is illogical is it.
Yes, because people behind the left turning car but going straight ahead aren’t giving way to the right turning car which results in accidents when the right turning car pulls across in front of them.
I am getting vengeful in my old age. Where are the people who made us change our original driving patterns to give way to the right turning? I would like to have a few words with them, and also get payment for all the road and sign changes made then, and to be done in the next few months. And also kick them up the bum.
If I remember correctly the change to give way to right turning traffic was made to prevent huge queues forming in the middle of the roads when right-turning traffic had to give way and there was not enough room for cars from behind to pass safely along the left of them. To me, and a few international friends I’ve discussed this with, the NZ system works well.
However, the research seems to have been done and the conclusion is that it apparently causes more accidents so it’s being changed back. I hope they have it right because it would piss me off intensely if the change was being made simply to fall in line with international practice and a different set of intersection accidents increase (thinking here, in particular, of long queues on high-speed rural roads that might be have quite different characteristics to the international rural roads that may have been used in comparative studies).
The change from the original rule happened when I was overseas. After a couple of decades overseas, all using the rule the way it used to be in NZ, it was very hard to change to the “new” NZ rule when I came back. It took 2-3 years to be able to follow the rule without thinking. I used to curse it. Because I’d remind myself about the rule when I set out driving somewhere, but when I did a left turn, decades of driving habit kicked in and I’d turn without waiting for the cars in the middle of the road.
Yeah, I reckon that difference is part of the problem with the accidents. I’m just worried that NZ’s difficult rural roads might end up with more serious accidents. C’est la vie.
I feel so dirty.
Quick…someone hose me down !
🙂
pollywog I’m not with you. What are you feeling so dirty about? Do tell.
Pig wrestling with nutjobs down at the ‘bog.
Nice, Patrick Gower…. Raising minimum wage won’t cost jobs