Maybe you should address the question ‘doc’ – just what is it about trolling that is so important to you? Why not put your vacuous views to loons and morons who will applaud you?
Oh dear another Marty Mars who takes the view that anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a tr0ll.
Funny, that looks like a trolly comment to me.
How about you link to support your assertion that MM believes that all people who disagree with him are trolls, or say something that puts your comment in context? Otherwise you look like you are just trying to wind people up.
Yes I found the discussion (I assume that your comment about marty has been moved from there to Open Mike for being off topic). You have avoided answering my question. Nevermind, it’s pretty clear from your behaviour here and in the other thread that marty was right, you are being a troll.
Just ignore the trolls like NorthShoreDoc – they are doing it to add volume and derail the issues so that people can’t be bothered reading the feeds through.
[lprent: After he called BLip ‘Blimp’ (why do the dickheads want to provide clear violations of the policy like that – attention seeking masochists?), I had a read through his comments on the post and decided that was exactly what he was doing. Too low a standard to keep around in the debate. ]
You have such double standards. You allow people to call me SSLands, the implication being that I am a Nazi. I also told you that two frequent posters here were stalking me and tracking down my identity.
[lprent: You’re not an author. You are a commenter. We need authors far more than we need commenters. So we have more protections and exert more effort in protecting them, and we insist that commenters respect the job that authors do in providing this site with posts for commenters to argue in. This is reflected in the policy.
For commenters we don’t provide the same protections. Name calling isn’t that interesting to us unless it starts interfering with the flow of discussion in the comments.
With the IRL identity thing, what we protect on is where people make absolute statements (or statements that directly infer) about who a particular individual is in real life.
We don’t try to control the reaction when people state that they have particular experience or insight or authority on a particular topic. Then it is part of a robust debate that others can speculate about their actual experience and understanding. I see a lot of the latter from and about you, and I can’t recall ever seeing the former.
You’re welcome to link to specific examples identifying you. But remember that I will be looking at it with my knowledge – not yours. In other words I’d look at it based on what is actually there rather than what you with your greater knowledge about yourself might infer what is there. Much of the time I find that people tend to be overly self-centred about their own level of visibility. ]
But you are not an author. NorthShoreDoc appears to have been binned for his attitude towards an author which, if you have read it, violates the policy.
@ Dont worry.be happy (1) – doubt it, because Trump is a big money man and we all know how FJK just adores playing with the big powerful movers and shakers of the world.
However, here’s an interesting point to consider. If Trump had his way, Muslims would not be allowed to enter the US, not to live or as visitors. So where would this place NZ Ambassador to be to the US, Tim Groser who is Muslim, should in the dreadful event of Trump becoming President?
Check out Groser’s details on Wikipedia, which lists his religion as Islam, apparently having converted during the mid 1990s after marrying his Indonesian wife.
To quote one small section:
“ . . . . . .its provisions do little to nothing to protect our rights online or our autonomy over our own devices. For example, everything in the TPP that increases corporate rights and interests is binding, whereas every provision that is meant to protect the public interest is non-binding and is susceptible to get bulldozed by efforts to protect corporations.”
An interesting side-issue is this:
Assuming the TPP is eventually signed into law, will it apply retrospectively? (I’m guessing that it will.)
For example if I posted something on Youtube, say, 5 years ago, and it is subsequently found to breach copyright under the new TPP provisions, will I become liable?
That could get interesting because as far as I am aware, once you post something to Youtube, you cannot take it down at a later date – only Youtube seems to be able to do that. If i recall correctly, whatever you post there becomes, in some sense, the property of Youtube – but I could be wrong about that.
i’d appreciate the chance to read the collective wisdom of Standardistas on this.
(At this point I’d LOVE to paste here a picture of Alfred E Neumann from “Mad” magazine, along with a quote of his famous “What? Me worry?”. But perhaps I can’t do that now – at least not according to the new TPP rules . . . )
“That could get interesting because as far as I am aware, once you post something to Youtube, you cannot take it down at a later date – only Youtube seems to be able to do that. If i recall correctly, whatever you post there becomes, in some sense, the property of Youtube – but I could be wrong about that.”
It is possible to delete your content.
You still own the content but have given YT a license to distribute to other users, they (YT) can do (more or less) what they want with it as you will have noticed in the T&C’s when signing up.
A more detailed answer here from an actual lawyer: http://www.tubefilter.com/2010/08/27/ask-the-attorney-videos-youtube-who-owns-them/
@ Chooky, Yep now Labour has had some time to reflect on TPP (and looking at country of Labeling COOL, WTO decision etc, and TPP txt is much worse, border control and food biosecurity and so forth, not to mention Health, charter schools etc).
Are Labour prepared to actually have a clear view of Yes or No on TPP?
Are Labour prepared to actually have a clear view of Yes or No on TPP?
Whats happened is they’ve had a good look at it and they’ve realised that its not a bad deal for NZ, not great but not bad either so what they’ll be hoping is that if they ignore it then maybe their supporters will forget what Labour have said about the TPP in the past
Going on past history they’ll probably get away with it as well
Mentioned this yesterday but way down Open Mike. As excellent The Spinoff writer Alex Casey points out, not one woman was among Massey University’s most memorable quotes of the year. They do get a mention indirectly for being harrassed by the Prime Minister and farting on a beach. David Seymour’s pretty lame quote about the French loving the cock is supposedly one of the most amazing quotes of last year. As Guy Williams said on the Jono and Ben Show last Friday – is that the best they can come up with? This says more about the political and media environment that has been created under this government than anything else. About half of New Zealand (the half that doesn’t like this government and is progressive) is being locked out of mainstream discourse, or at least seen as being outside it.
On The Panel the other day, the giggling “liberal” Tim Watkin praised David Seymour’s “performance”, and asserted that Seymour “has had a very good year.”
Regarding the question of compliance with the OIA.
In my view – the answer is REALLY simple.
Fully implement and enforce the Public Records Act 2005.
That way information will not have to be sought through OIA or LGOIMA requests – public records will already be available for public scrutiny.
I did not find ANY reference in the Ombudsman’s report on the OIA to the Public Records Act.
How can you have transparency or accountability without proper written records which are available for public scrutiny?
How about splitting responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of the Public Records Act 2005?
Give the responsibility for the ‘creation and maintenance’ of Public Records to the Ombudsman.
Change the orientation of the Office of the Ombudsman from focusing on dealing with complaints from those who have been unable to access ‘official information’ – to proactively ensuring that ‘public offices’ have the proper systems in place so that public records ARE created, maintained and available for public scrutiny.
Arguably, the Office of the Ombudsman would need to ‘rejig’ and hire information management systems experts in order to assist public offices setting up systems to ‘create and maintain’ public records, because that role would be quite different to investigating complaints.
Wouldn’t that be WIN / WIN?
Arguably, the more work and effort put into the creation and maintenance of public records – the less work in dealing with complaints for alleged ‘non-compliance’ with the OIA?
In my view – the secret is to focus on the Public Records Act 2005 – and that will sort out the issue of compliance with the OIA.
As you have been advised here before (including linked evidence), the Public Records Act does not affect the *release* of information other than for archives over 25 years old. The OIA does. Don’t be a braying dunce.
(a) to provide for the continuation of the repository of public archives called the National Archives with the name Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga); and
(b) to provide for the role of the Chief Archivist in developing and supporting government recordkeeping, including making independent determinations on the disposal of public records and certain local authority archives; and
(c) to enable the Government to be held accountable by—
(i) ensuring that full and accurate records of the affairs of
central and local government are created and maintained;
and
(ii) providing for the preservation of, and public access to,
records of long-term value; and
(d) to enhance public confidence in the integrity of public records and local
authority records; and
(e) to provide an appropriate framework within which public
offices and local authorities create and maintain public
records and local authority records, as the case may be; and
(f) through the systematic creation and preservation of public
archives and local authority archives, to enhance the
accessibility of records that are relevant to the historical and
cultural heritage of New Zealand and to New Zealanders’
sense of their national identity; and
(g) to encourage the spirit of partnership and goodwill envisaged
by the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), as provided
for by section 7; and
(h) to support the safekeeping of private records.
_________________________________________________________________________________
How can you have transparency and accountability, without proper written records which are available for public scrutiny?
There is a law called the Public Records Act. It says state agencies have to create and store records. They do this.
There is another law called the Official Information Act (OIA) that manages how state agencies are meant to *release* information. This is where the problem is.
Please do the most basic research before you shoot your mouth off.
Show where I haven’t. I really cannot abide people polluting public discourse with falsehoods. You have had every opportunity to understand this and other topics. Yet you choose to keep flapping your gums instead. Find another hobby, eh.
As mentioned I’ve already provided your highness with a credible accounting of its contents. Perhaps you could cease your ornamental crochet and actualy read it. Toodle pip.
I had a look at it out of interest today Penny. The Public Records Act sets out the mandate and role of Archives New Zealand (formerly National Archives) and the Chief Archivist, as well as the requirements & standards for public records to be created & maintained by public offices and local authorities, the definition of public and local authority records, and provisions under which they’re to be archived and/or otherwise disposed of.
Also rules under which Archives NZ may accept deposit of Parliamentary records, Ministers’ papers, and private or other records of historical events, public offices or organisations, or any persons of historical, political or cultural significance – and any conditions as agreed between the Chief Archivist and the Clerk of the House, Minister or controlling public office as appropriate.
It provides for some classes of local of authority records to be declared “protected”. It also requires that public office records 25 years old more, or which or are being archived, must be classified as open access or restricted access. It similarly provides that a local authority record becomes a local authority archive when it is no longer in current use or has been in existence for 25 years, or more, and that it must also be classified as either open access or restricted access, regardless of where held. What is restricted is determined by the Chief Archivist or legistlation. Max restriction 25 years, renewable.
It then provides for archived open access records to be made available to the public for inspection free of charge (or subject to whatever reasonable charge the Chief Archivist specifies for research, copying, or other services provided to a requestor). And it also says local authorities must similarly provide free inspection of any archive not restricted (subject to any similar charge for services such as photocopying, research, transcription etc allowed under the Local Government Act 2002).
The Public Records Act is about the requirements & rules for creating & keeping public records, and for their subsequent archiving for posterity and/or disposal, Penny. It allows public access to “open” archived records. It doesn’t provide access to current (i.e. non-archived) public or local authority records, or to restricted archives. And it reposes responsibility for ensuring organisations meet these legal obligations for record-keeping, archiving and classification) in the Chief Archivist.
The general purpose of the Act as summarised in s.3 is specified more precisely in its succeeding sections, s,3 doesn’t override them in some way.
Sacha is right. This Act does not give a right of and rules around public access to current official information, the Official Information Act does that.
British War Vets have thrown their medals outside Downing Street in protest against the Government’s decision to bomb Syria and to bust the “mythology” of heroism connected to the military.
“Mr Griffin, who won his medal for serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Macedonia, said it was a “powerful” and “incredible experience,” adding: “These are things we once treasured, so it’s a difficult thing to give away but we think it’s really important that we do that – both in protest against this war but also because want to get rid of the mythology around these things.” “
Myths and the military go hand in hand all over the place. After all, their very arena of operation, war, is the epitome of bullshit and lies. First casualty of war is truth. Who operates wars? The military.
Two popular myths;
One, that Anzac day is about the military. Well, f&%k the military, they are the pricks who sent the men to their useless deaths. Anzac day is about the people who died. The military should be shunted out of the annual commemorations.
Two, that the military fights to defend our freedoms etc etc crappy etc. The military answers to the crown, not us. It is there to protect the crown not us. And this is what the history shows, including here in NZ.
I have no idea why people respect the military. Probably same reason they vote for Donald Trump and John Key. The military should be feared, not respected. Feared because they more often turn their guns on the citizens than anyone else.
So killing doctors, nurses and patients is “liberating” them.
The most repellent propaganda masquerades as news on Al-Jazeera
Al Jazeera News, Thursday 10 December 2015, 8:00 a.m.
The Qatari dictatorship is, together with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom, the chief sponsor and supporter of Daesh/ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusra and al Qaeda, collectively known by the mendacious title of “the moderate Syrian opposition”. Al Jazeera is the mouthpiece of the Qatari dictatorship. There is a sometimes subtle, but more often crude and audacious, bias in its news reportage and its selection of guests for its discussions.
First item up on this morning’s news was the most recent Afghani resistance attack, this time on a heavily fortified civilian and military airfield in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. At least 37 people, including many children, have been killed.
The “reporter” (one Rob Matheson, who is yet another of the ex-BBC hacks who infest Al Jazeera) then went on to say this:
The city of Kunduz was over-run by the Taliban in September. It was liberated after a series of coalition airstrikes.”
Of course, any viewer with a degree of sentience above that of a zombie would have been aware that the “coalition” (i.e. the U.S. military) went about “liberating” Kunduz by bombing Kunduz Hospital between 2:08 and 3:15 a.m. on Saturday October 3rd. When the Americans stopped their bombing, they had killed 31 patients, nurses and doctors. To deliberately ignore that, and to pretend that the Americans are “liberating” anyone, is propaganda at its most ruthless.
British war veterans have thrown away their medals outside Downing Street in protest against the Government’s decision to bomb Syria and to bust the “mythology” of heroism connected to the military.
To Tracey at 8.1
On same line of thought, what can be done about the disgusting ignorant insolence of our incoming minister of Climate Change, who according to TV One on screen said that the index ( of measures to reduce use of fossil fuels etc) is “by a bunch of environmentalists who criticise what any country’s doing”??!!! The peculiar grammar is as reported and not mine.
To Tracey at 8.1
On same line of thought, what can be done about the disgusting ignorant insolence of our incoming minister of Climate Change, who according to TV One on screen said that the index ( of measures to reduce use of fossil fuels etc) is “by a bunch of environmentalists who criticise what any country’s doing”??!!! The grammar is as reported and not mine.
while i am at the keyboard, i want to share with y’all the feelings of pride and enthusiasm for the future that i have.
went to prize-giving at my boys high school.
the calibre and achievements on display were inspiring.
the dux runner-up got a+ on 3 level 300 papers (calculus, physics) and he is in year 11!
the new head prefect was winner of the open korero, impromptu speech and a few other accolades.( my head was spinning at the list of achievements listed)
numerous sporting and other cultural highs as well.
its a small counterpoint to all the bad news stories we hear about our young men, time and time again.
Sorry, doesn’t count unless it’s at a charter school!
That’s what I’ve learned from reading a couple of other blog sites. Something not so good goes on at a non-charter school, the boot goes in hard and heavy. Good stuff happens but is ignored.
Microscopes and search parties are out though seeking something positive happening in a charter school and it’s BIG news.
Corruption happens in the Ministry of Education or Education Review Office and they don’t want to know.
Day to day there are immense successes in ‘ordinary’ schools with ‘extraordinary’ efforts and achievements.
Well done to the young men you mention, the adults who helped get them there and their peers who pushed and encouraged them to their success.
INteresting u-turn by National on the criminalisation of cartel behaviour by NZ businesses. Interestingly the “one law for all” ACT party doesn’t want criminlisation because it will be deterimental. And yet, beneficiaries and others,s craping by, need this kind of hammer posied over their heads… punishments yes, but prison? No, no no?
Yes, Guyon Espiner really held Goldsmith’s feet to the fire on this one.
And Goldsmith seemed to realise right from the start of the interview that he didn’t have a leg to stand on. He was hesitant and back footing it right from the beginning – his heart was nowhere near in it.
The only line he’d been given to defend the u-turn was some ridiculous claim that prison sentences would have a chilling effect on business innovation – of all things – and so be harmful to competition.
Some kind of straw-clutching at ‘co-opetition‘ presumably. Must have been a bit of a bright spark Ministerial advisor who gave him that one to run with. Went down like a lead balloon.
That rationale was never going to fly – far, far too subtle (in the sense of dancing on the head of a pin) and suspect for the average (and above average) listener.
If public records were CREATED and MAINTAINED and readily available for public scrutiny, then the information would not need to be requested under the OIA or LGOIMA ?
That’s my considered opinion.
You don’t have to agree with it.
FYI – having raised directly with the Board of Watercare earlier this year, the absence of any information on either their bills or their website that explains where monies received for water and wastewater services is actually SPENT, there has been a development.
Some details of awarded contracts are now available on their website, which was not previously the case.
It was Watercare’s alleged failure to comply with the Public Records Act which I brought to their attention, which, in my opinion, has resulted in this improvement, regarding ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ in the spending of public money.
The number of oligopolies that do us all in with grossly overpriced goods and services, barely regulated in this country, this move to not even lift a parliamentary finger is disgusting:
Poor people conspire in deceit to trick people out of their money – criminal charges, prison and opprobrium are rained down upon them.
Business people conspire in deceit to trick people out of their money – a measly fine, if you’re lucky, one day, sometime.
Why the difference Nacts?
Why the difference?
Why the difference?
What difference is there?
Shouldn’t business in fact operate to higher standards, not lower?
What a frikkin joke…
Know why our houses cost so much more than in Australia ? The anti-competitive behaviour of Fletchers. It is bullshit. The politicians I have met even openly acknowledge this, yet do nothing about it.
bullshit
bullshit
bullshit
Pay $350,000 to build your new house, rather than $250-300,000. That is the hard cold reality….
That is the difference
That is the difference that this government is happy for people to pay.
Liars, cheats and bullshit artists. Snakeoil merchants. Wide boys and grandma vendors. Nasty, greedy, selfish, individualists. Scam artists. Merchant bankers. Ponytail pullers. They all own shares in Fletchers. They all make the rules for Fletchers. Scum.
Crikey! From reading that Karen it seems OK for anyone to destroy anything that may harm your defence. Had the Chisolm enquiry been in a Courtroom would evasions/deletions be acceptable?
For Slater to be “broke” it seems that he/they must have had some pretty powerful legal support to be able tododge the bullets. Wonder who his legal team were and who paid for the 10s of thousands of dollars.
Delete this and that. Deny memory of this and that. Refer to the narrow frames of reference rather than the intent of the enquiry.
I think people have conveniently forgotten that Collinss did not cooperate and appears to have destroyed evidence… this nothing to hide nothing to fear former Minister for Justice and Police…
A bit in the enquiry had phone calls from Collins to Slater but not one from Slater to Collins according to the records. so no evidence of collusion. Yeah right.
Interesting to note how involved our PM is in GSB thse days. How knowledgeable he has become since relinquishing all responsibility and accountability for the secret services. Cortex, presumably paid for by taxpayers, is something he now wants to offer to all small and medium businesses. It may be a good idea, I don’t know, but it is a redirection of taxpayer money from say, health, to businesses. I assume the Taxpayers Union will be OUTRAGED at this form of subsidy? ACT will vote against it?
when I click on the reply button, my cursor now loads in the Name (Required) field instead of the Your Comment field. Any chance it could be set back to the comment field?
On my phone it’s doing that on the desktop theme. On the mobile theme it drops me to the comment box at bottom of page with the cursor not inserted anywhere.
the other thing that changed overnight is that when I click on a comment in the Comments list that is for a page I am already on, instead of it just jumping down the page to the comment, it now reloads the page to go to comment. Bit of a pain for those of still on rural broadband speeds.
(I haven’t checked another browser, this one is Firefox mac).
Ah drat. That was something that I’d disabled in the desktop theme to prevent bots, but had to enable to get the mobile theme to do replies.
That is something I should be able to hack in functions or the theme.
I’ll change it to do the same thing to the mobile theme as the desktop theme has. Just use javascript to move the comment section to the comment being replied to.
test iOS
..theme is pretty groovy on the iPhone
..interesting choice of font
..also the right sidebar is a slight annoyance but easily zoomed out of sight
I happen to like that particular font. It is whatever the font is used on Ubuntu.
I find it really fast and clear to read. Consequently I’ve changed all of my code editors to use it across linux, windows, and mac. Also on FBReader on my phone for reading ePubs.
There is a lot of reading in this site…
Ok, this is probably a problem in your browser if it is a desktop.
The comment reply on a desktop theme depends on using javascript to set the comment section to the appropriate place in the HTML and internally setting the right comment to reply to.
However if the javascript fails or has been disabled, it falls back to doing it the old fashioned way and loading comment. In this case what you will see is a reload of the page and somewhere in the address bar is a replytocomm=number where the number is that of the comment you are replying to.
It doesn’t do that on my firefox / linux or firefox / windows or even Lyn’s firefox / mac.
What it used to do before I changed the mobile theme was that when doing a reply, it would return a Gone screen because I’d disabled to replytocomm to limit pesky bots.
I’ll force a reload of the DCN caches just to make it isn’t server side. But it looks like something on the client side.
Javascript is enabled on my firefox. I just tried a safe mode restart to disable all addons, but that hasn’t changed anything.
The URL stays the same except the number changes as the page reloads.
This page reloading thing happened after the upgrade you just did, so if it’s my side does that mean that there is an incompatibility between my version of Firefox (42.0) and WordPress? Or do you mean that it’s actually my particular copy of Firefox that is the problem?
Apparently Cameron Slater’s Whaleoil site has been biting one of the hands that feeds him.
Xero’s boss said he has withdrawn funds from advertising on Whaleoil after what what he says a campaign critical of Xero steered by Rodney Hide on the site.
I guess if you lay down with wild dogs, don’t be surprised if you get up covered in flea bites or get bitten a few times!
I agree having a 500 year old tree is worth more than a slab of concrete.
I was reading a book today though about early european explorers visiting areas around Taupo and finding a lot of forest had already been burnt down by Maori. From what I could gather by burning off forest and scrubland reappearing where they could harvest fern root and where it was possibly easier to hunt birds, was vital for survival. Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa were similarly burnt, scrubby landscapes I think.
If you could transport pre-european Maori back to today, it would be interesting to get their take on what parts of the land they would leave (sacred) and what parts they would use to their full advantage. I’m putting my own interpretation of traditional Maori there from a white perspective, and it’s probably a lot more complex and different.
@maui..from my limited knowledge( and speaking as a Pakeha with some Maori ancestry)…there are quite a few books out there on what plants and trees the old Maori looked after…generally they were conservationists, much more so than the early European settlers….some Maori Tohunga know a lot about all this…ie the old Maori were polytheistic and there were gods and spirituality in all nature and in their landscapes
Elsden Best ‘Forest Lore of the Maori ‘ is a detailed account and a great read …(I bought my copy years ago but it has gone up in price, judging from below ….not sure if there are new pbs editions)
Can also highly recommend Geoff Park’s classic, ‘Nga Uru Ora — the Groves of Life: Ecology and History in a New Zealand Landscape’ written by an ecologist on tour in his canoe ( you feel you are with him)
This book gives a great feel for the history and reverence the Maori felt towards their special places
There are books on edible plants and medicinal herbs
Anything on Maori spirituality by Rev. Dr. Maori Marsden is worth reading eg.
Maori Marsden , “The Natural World and Natural Resources: Maori Value Systems and perspectives” ( paper for Ministry for Environment,1989)and ‘Maori Values and Environmental Management'( New Zealand Natural Resources Unit, Manata Maori,1991)
All this just scratches the surface of a forgotten history and spirituality which is very Gaia/ Papatuanuku centred and relevant today
I was reading “Forest Lore of the Maori”, so you nailed it! I was looking up what food sources Maori traditionally used and find it quite interesting. Thanks for the links, I have thought about buying Nga Uru Ora for ages.
Nga Uru Ora is fantastic…I think it is out of print by Victoria University( they should reprint because it is a classic)….but you can get it on Amazon and I expect from various secondhand book shops
While I don’t dispute that there is considerable credentials to Maori conservation it is important to note that there was quite considerable clearance of native forest prior to the arrival of European settlers.
The trees were meant to be cut down to create car parking on the site which the council supported. The council planners could asked for the house to be built around the trees – but why do their job when you can just rubber stamp everything?
The consultants noted the trees as ‘high value vegetation’ burying it within a 70 page report. The developers then have gone to court to downgrade the environmental conditions on other sites they own.
Don’t worry, Auckland property developers are not developing for the local market that might enjoy the trees!
Um, yes any new development in that near area really does need off-street parking. It’s very narrow and windy, and even as it is I wouldn’t be surprised if rubbish trucks are sometimes blocked from getting through. But the right way to do it is follow the example set by the neighbouring property (number44) and several others on the street and build a parking deck out on poles just off the street at street level.
I’m only a few houses down the street from the place in question, BTW.
in Wellington single lanes up the sides of very steep inner city treed hills adds to the frisson and character of the place…(and yes they do build pole garage platforms where they can if lucky)
Aucklanders need to get some CLASS and STYLE and put the trees first…before their cars
Auckland was a beautiful area …now trashed by the roads and cars and car parks
“Recent claims that the US bombed a Syrian military installation may be a telling example of how Washington and its allies intend to escalate their war on the Syrian regime and NOT against terrorists. It would appear Assad remains target number one.
CrossTalking with Martin Jay, Marcus Papadopoulos, and Ivan Eland.”
Many citizens and residents across the Auckland region are deeply concerned about proposed zoning changes that may lead to non-notified multi-story developments, in which they will potentially have no say, but will potentially have a huge impact on their lives and immediate environment.
Has lawful ‘due process’ been followed regarding the Auckland ‘Spatial Plan’ and subsequent amendments?
Were the Auckland population growth projections which spawned legislation such as that for the ‘Special Housing Areas’ (SHAs), lawfully and evidentially based?
Will proposed changes to the RMA make things worse?
Groups and concerned citizens who want to meet to discuss these issues, and co-ordinate ideas and action to help stop the Auckland region effectively becoming a ‘dictatorship for developers’, are most welcome to attend.
Meeting convened by Penny Bright, assisted by fellow concerned citizens.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
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Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
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Oh dear another Marty Mars who takes the view that anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a tr0ll.
100+ comments a day on a blog site that broadly speaking finds your views inane or offensive and you think you’re not a troll…
Why not hang out on Whale oil or kiwiblog with the rest of the toxic waste?
100+ comments a day…….I don’t think so, do you have me confused with someone else ?
Why do you suggest my views are inane and offensive ?
Maybe you should address the question ‘doc’ – just what is it about trolling that is so important to you? Why not put your vacuous views to loons and morons who will applaud you?
As I’ve suggested to others on this thread Stuart, why don’t you answer my question ?
Why do you suggest my views are inane and offensive ?
Why have you accused me of making 100+ comments a day at this site ?
I do not suggest ‘doc’ – I state.
Answer the question – why all this trolling? RL issues?
“I do not suggest ‘doc’ – I state.”
You may not suggest but you certainly lie.
my views are inane and offensive ?
On this subject, they look like bog-standard ignorance to me. Nothing to be ashamed of. You’re much more incisive on matters medical but.
Oh dear another Marty Mars who takes the view that anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a tr0ll.
Funny, that looks like a trolly comment to me.
How about you link to support your assertion that MM believes that all people who disagree with him are trolls, or say something that puts your comment in context? Otherwise you look like you are just trying to wind people up.
Yes I found the discussion (I assume that your comment about marty has been moved from there to Open Mike for being off topic). You have avoided answering my question. Nevermind, it’s pretty clear from your behaviour here and in the other thread that marty was right, you are being a troll.
Just ignore the trolls like NorthShoreDoc – they are doing it to add volume and derail the issues so that people can’t be bothered reading the feeds through.
[lprent: After he called BLip ‘Blimp’ (why do the dickheads want to provide clear violations of the policy like that – attention seeking masochists?), I had a read through his comments on the post and decided that was exactly what he was doing. Too low a standard to keep around in the debate. ]
You have such double standards. You allow people to call me SSLands, the implication being that I am a Nazi. I also told you that two frequent posters here were stalking me and tracking down my identity.
[lprent: You’re not an author. You are a commenter. We need authors far more than we need commenters. So we have more protections and exert more effort in protecting them, and we insist that commenters respect the job that authors do in providing this site with posts for commenters to argue in. This is reflected in the policy.
For commenters we don’t provide the same protections. Name calling isn’t that interesting to us unless it starts interfering with the flow of discussion in the comments.
With the IRL identity thing, what we protect on is where people make absolute statements (or statements that directly infer) about who a particular individual is in real life.
We don’t try to control the reaction when people state that they have particular experience or insight or authority on a particular topic. Then it is part of a robust debate that others can speculate about their actual experience and understanding. I see a lot of the latter from and about you, and I can’t recall ever seeing the former.
You’re welcome to link to specific examples identifying you. But remember that I will be looking at it with my knowledge – not yours. In other words I’d look at it based on what is actually there rather than what you with your greater knowledge about yourself might infer what is there. Much of the time I find that people tend to be overly self-centred about their own level of visibility. ]
But you are not an author. NorthShoreDoc appears to have been binned for his attitude towards an author which, if you have read it, violates the policy.
It’s from another post where the doc is working – I have corrected his bogus assumption.
Will the Key government stand up and tell Trump he cannot enter NZ ? Hate speech and all that…..
@ Dont worry.be happy (1) – doubt it, because Trump is a big money man and we all know how FJK just adores playing with the big powerful movers and shakers of the world.
However, here’s an interesting point to consider. If Trump had his way, Muslims would not be allowed to enter the US, not to live or as visitors. So where would this place NZ Ambassador to be to the US, Tim Groser who is Muslim, should in the dreadful event of Trump becoming President?
Check out Groser’s details on Wikipedia, which lists his religion as Islam, apparently having converted during the mid 1990s after marrying his Indonesian wife.
With Tim Groser handling our diplomacy, there’s a reasonable chance we’ll be at war with the USA by then so he’ll be recalled anyway,
/yes, joking
Curioser and curioser ! Aren’t there some well documented Groser/alcohol incidents about?
Not much of a Muslim.
Bar tabs while travelling IIRC.
@Mary_a
That explains his economic terrorism of our country then by signing us up to TPP in between drinks ….
And watching rugby games!
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2015/12/09/gordon-campbell-on-tim-grosers-new-job-in-washington/
very interesting read ….
Read all about how to stuff up the TPPA negotiations with particular respect to Pharmac AND insult the Japanese at the same time!
And this is the man chosen to be our representative in Washington!
There is an interesting summary of “How the TPP Will Affect You and Your Digital Rights” at:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/12/how-tpp-will-affect-you-and-your-digital-rights
To quote one small section:
“ . . . . . .its provisions do little to nothing to protect our rights online or our autonomy over our own devices. For example, everything in the TPP that increases corporate rights and interests is binding, whereas every provision that is meant to protect the public interest is non-binding and is susceptible to get bulldozed by efforts to protect corporations.”
All-in-all its pretty sobering reading!
An interesting side-issue is this:
Assuming the TPP is eventually signed into law, will it apply retrospectively? (I’m guessing that it will.)
For example if I posted something on Youtube, say, 5 years ago, and it is subsequently found to breach copyright under the new TPP provisions, will I become liable?
That could get interesting because as far as I am aware, once you post something to Youtube, you cannot take it down at a later date – only Youtube seems to be able to do that. If i recall correctly, whatever you post there becomes, in some sense, the property of Youtube – but I could be wrong about that.
i’d appreciate the chance to read the collective wisdom of Standardistas on this.
(At this point I’d LOVE to paste here a picture of Alfred E Neumann from “Mad” magazine, along with a quote of his famous “What? Me worry?”. But perhaps I can’t do that now – at least not according to the new TPP rules . . . )
“That could get interesting because as far as I am aware, once you post something to Youtube, you cannot take it down at a later date – only Youtube seems to be able to do that. If i recall correctly, whatever you post there becomes, in some sense, the property of Youtube – but I could be wrong about that.”
It is possible to delete your content.
You still own the content but have given YT a license to distribute to other users, they (YT) can do (more or less) what they want with it as you will have noticed in the T&C’s when signing up.
A more detailed answer here from an actual lawyer:
http://www.tubefilter.com/2010/08/27/ask-the-attorney-videos-youtube-who-owns-them/
For more on T&C’s and what you are signing away (netwide), watch this:
https://freedocumentaries.org/documentary/terms-and-conditions-may-apply
Thanks for the advice and links Grumpystilskin – I’ll have a look at that.
Yes and the NZ Labour Party supports this…because it is not opposing it like the Greens and NZF
‘Flouting The Rules: Why has Andrew Little rejected a winning TPPA strategy for a guaranteed loser? ‘
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/10/14/flouting-the-rules-why-has-andrew-little-rejected-a-winning-tppa-strategy-for-a-guaranteed-loser/
@ Chooky, Yep now Labour has had some time to reflect on TPP (and looking at country of Labeling COOL, WTO decision etc, and TPP txt is much worse, border control and food biosecurity and so forth, not to mention Health, charter schools etc).
Are Labour prepared to actually have a clear view of Yes or No on TPP?
Sort of, doesn’t have a winning ring to it.
Are Labour prepared to actually have a clear view of Yes or No on TPP?
Whats happened is they’ve had a good look at it and they’ve realised that its not a bad deal for NZ, not great but not bad either so what they’ll be hoping is that if they ignore it then maybe their supporters will forget what Labour have said about the TPP in the past
Going on past history they’ll probably get away with it as well
@Puckish Rogue
If you look at Labour election history you might find they are not ‘getting away with sitting on the fence on neoliberal issues’.
Instead they are haemorrhaging their existing voters and putting them off voting.
But at least we seem to agree nobody knows whether Labour agree with TPP or not.
By not being clear and firm on the TPP issue they are doing the Labour equivalent of Natz Panda, cancer treatments anyone?
@ Puckish Rogue…so you are PR advocating for the Labour Party now?
….that is a bit of a worry because you are a right wing Nact supporter are you not?
….show the depths to which Labour has sunk…it is now a lighter version of jonkey nact
….time for a new REAL Labour Party with Mana
I do vote right but Seymours performance thus far may well make me consider voting Act
If Act get a couple of seats it might mean the demise of Peter Dunne and I think that’s something we can all get behind
Pucky you are naughty
Mentioned this yesterday but way down Open Mike. As excellent The Spinoff writer Alex Casey points out, not one woman was among Massey University’s most memorable quotes of the year. They do get a mention indirectly for being harrassed by the Prime Minister and farting on a beach. David Seymour’s pretty lame quote about the French loving the cock is supposedly one of the most amazing quotes of last year. As Guy Williams said on the Jono and Ben Show last Friday – is that the best they can come up with? This says more about the political and media environment that has been created under this government than anything else. About half of New Zealand (the half that doesn’t like this government and is progressive) is being locked out of mainstream discourse, or at least seen as being outside it.
http://thespinoff.co.nz/09-12-2015/media-are-new-zealands-quotes-of-the-year-really-all-by-men/
Yeah, I was fairly underwhelmed by about 1/2 the list, particularly David Seymour’s.
On The Panel the other day, the giggling “liberal” Tim Watkin praised David Seymour’s “performance”, and asserted that Seymour “has had a very good year.”
More Tim Watkin…..
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05012015/#comment-947247
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15092014/#comment-888127
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-071113/#comment-723658
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18072013/#comment-664471
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-31032011/#comment-314772
Regarding the question of compliance with the OIA.
In my view – the answer is REALLY simple.
Fully implement and enforce the Public Records Act 2005.
That way information will not have to be sought through OIA or LGOIMA requests – public records will already be available for public scrutiny.
I did not find ANY reference in the Ombudsman’s report on the OIA to the Public Records Act.
How can you have transparency or accountability without proper written records which are available for public scrutiny?
How about splitting responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of the Public Records Act 2005?
Give the responsibility for the ‘creation and maintenance’ of Public Records to the Ombudsman.
Change the orientation of the Office of the Ombudsman from focusing on dealing with complaints from those who have been unable to access ‘official information’ – to proactively ensuring that ‘public offices’ have the proper systems in place so that public records ARE created, maintained and available for public scrutiny.
Arguably, the Office of the Ombudsman would need to ‘rejig’ and hire information management systems experts in order to assist public offices setting up systems to ‘create and maintain’ public records, because that role would be quite different to investigating complaints.
Wouldn’t that be WIN / WIN?
Arguably, the more work and effort put into the creation and maintenance of public records – the less work in dealing with complaints for alleged ‘non-compliance’ with the OIA?
In my view – the secret is to focus on the Public Records Act 2005 – and that will sort out the issue of compliance with the OIA.
Anyone else share that view?
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
As you have been advised here before (including linked evidence), the Public Records Act does not affect the *release* of information other than for archives over 25 years old. The OIA does. Don’t be a braying dunce.
Have you actually READ the Public Records Act 2005 Sacha?
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
In order to assist Sacha – the ‘Purposes’ of the Public Records Act 2005.
(Particularly s. 3 (c) (i) ? )
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345536.html
3 Purposes of Act
The purposes of this Act are—
(a) to provide for the continuation of the repository of public archives called the National Archives with the name Archives New Zealand (Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga); and
(b) to provide for the role of the Chief Archivist in developing and supporting government recordkeeping, including making independent determinations on the disposal of public records and certain local authority archives; and
(c) to enable the Government to be held accountable by—
(i) ensuring that full and accurate records of the affairs of
central and local government are created and maintained;
and
(ii) providing for the preservation of, and public access to,
records of long-term value; and
(d) to enhance public confidence in the integrity of public records and local
authority records; and
(e) to provide an appropriate framework within which public
offices and local authorities create and maintain public
records and local authority records, as the case may be; and
(f) through the systematic creation and preservation of public
archives and local authority archives, to enhance the
accessibility of records that are relevant to the historical and
cultural heritage of New Zealand and to New Zealanders’
sense of their national identity; and
(g) to encourage the spirit of partnership and goodwill envisaged
by the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), as provided
for by section 7; and
(h) to support the safekeeping of private records.
_________________________________________________________________________________
How can you have transparency and accountability, without proper written records which are available for public scrutiny?
Hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
There is a law called the Public Records Act. It says state agencies have to create and store records. They do this.
There is another law called the Official Information Act (OIA) that manages how state agencies are meant to *release* information. This is where the problem is.
Please do the most basic research before you shoot your mouth off.
ka-ching!
“Please do the most basic research before you shoot your mouth off.”
I respectfully suggest that you follow your own advice ‘Sacha’.
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Show where I haven’t. I really cannot abide people polluting public discourse with falsehoods. You have had every opportunity to understand this and other topics. Yet you choose to keep flapping your gums instead. Find another hobby, eh.
As mentioned I’ve already provided your highness with a credible accounting of its contents. Perhaps you could cease your ornamental crochet and actualy read it. Toodle pip.
I had a look at it out of interest today Penny. The Public Records Act sets out the mandate and role of Archives New Zealand (formerly National Archives) and the Chief Archivist, as well as the requirements & standards for public records to be created & maintained by public offices and local authorities, the definition of public and local authority records, and provisions under which they’re to be archived and/or otherwise disposed of.
Also rules under which Archives NZ may accept deposit of Parliamentary records, Ministers’ papers, and private or other records of historical events, public offices or organisations, or any persons of historical, political or cultural significance – and any conditions as agreed between the Chief Archivist and the Clerk of the House, Minister or controlling public office as appropriate.
It provides for some classes of local of authority records to be declared “protected”. It also requires that public office records 25 years old more, or which or are being archived, must be classified as open access or restricted access. It similarly provides that a local authority record becomes a local authority archive when it is no longer in current use or has been in existence for 25 years, or more, and that it must also be classified as either open access or restricted access, regardless of where held. What is restricted is determined by the Chief Archivist or legistlation. Max restriction 25 years, renewable.
It then provides for archived open access records to be made available to the public for inspection free of charge (or subject to whatever reasonable charge the Chief Archivist specifies for research, copying, or other services provided to a requestor). And it also says local authorities must similarly provide free inspection of any archive not restricted (subject to any similar charge for services such as photocopying, research, transcription etc allowed under the Local Government Act 2002).
The Public Records Act is about the requirements & rules for creating & keeping public records, and for their subsequent archiving for posterity and/or disposal, Penny. It allows public access to “open” archived records. It doesn’t provide access to current (i.e. non-archived) public or local authority records, or to restricted archives. And it reposes responsibility for ensuring organisations meet these legal obligations for record-keeping, archiving and classification) in the Chief Archivist.
The general purpose of the Act as summarised in s.3 is specified more precisely in its succeeding sections, s,3 doesn’t override them in some way.
Sacha is right. This Act does not give a right of and rules around public access to current official information, the Official Information Act does that.
British War Vets have thrown their medals outside Downing Street in protest against the Government’s decision to bomb Syria and to bust the “mythology” of heroism connected to the military.
“Mr Griffin, who won his medal for serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Macedonia, said it was a “powerful” and “incredible experience,” adding: “These are things we once treasured, so it’s a difficult thing to give away but we think it’s really important that we do that – both in protest against this war but also because want to get rid of the mythology around these things.” “
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/veterans-throw-away-their-war-medals-in-disgust-at-british-air-strikes-in-syria-a6765446.html
+100 Manuka AOR…very moving
the “mythology” of heroism connected to the military.
Busted by Kipling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_the_Light_Brigade
Agree completely with the British vets.
Myths and the military go hand in hand all over the place. After all, their very arena of operation, war, is the epitome of bullshit and lies. First casualty of war is truth. Who operates wars? The military.
Two popular myths;
One, that Anzac day is about the military. Well, f&%k the military, they are the pricks who sent the men to their useless deaths. Anzac day is about the people who died. The military should be shunted out of the annual commemorations.
Two, that the military fights to defend our freedoms etc etc crappy etc. The military answers to the crown, not us. It is there to protect the crown not us. And this is what the history shows, including here in NZ.
I have no idea why people respect the military. Probably same reason they vote for Donald Trump and John Key. The military should be feared, not respected. Feared because they more often turn their guns on the citizens than anyone else.
So killing doctors, nurses and patients is “liberating” them.
The most repellent propaganda masquerades as news on Al-Jazeera
Al Jazeera News, Thursday 10 December 2015, 8:00 a.m.
The Qatari dictatorship is, together with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom, the chief sponsor and supporter of Daesh/ISIL, Jabhat al-Nusra and al Qaeda, collectively known by the mendacious title of “the moderate Syrian opposition”. Al Jazeera is the mouthpiece of the Qatari dictatorship. There is a sometimes subtle, but more often crude and audacious, bias in its news reportage and its selection of guests for its discussions.
First item up on this morning’s news was the most recent Afghani resistance attack, this time on a heavily fortified civilian and military airfield in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. At least 37 people, including many children, have been killed.
The “reporter” (one Rob Matheson, who is yet another of the ex-BBC hacks who infest Al Jazeera) then went on to say this:
Of course, any viewer with a degree of sentience above that of a zombie would have been aware that the “coalition” (i.e. the U.S. military) went about “liberating” Kunduz by bombing Kunduz Hospital between 2:08 and 3:15 a.m. on Saturday October 3rd. When the Americans stopped their bombing, they had killed 31 patients, nurses and doctors. To deliberately ignore that, and to pretend that the Americans are “liberating” anyone, is propaganda at its most ruthless.
http://antiwar.com/blog/2015/12/08/kunduz-msf-hospital-us-bombing-survivor-i-want-my-story-to-be-heard/
British war veterans have thrown away their medals outside Downing Street in protest against the Government’s decision to bomb Syria and to bust the “mythology” of heroism connected to the military.
“Mr Griffin, who won his medal for serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Macedonia, said it was a “powerful” and “incredible experience,” adding: “These are things we once treasured, so it’s a difficult thing to give away but we think it’s really important that we do that – both in protest against this war but also because want to get rid of the mythology around these things. “ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/veterans-throw-away-their-war-medals-in-disgust-at-british-air-strikes-in-syria-a6765446.html
Good for them. I dare cameron to call them “rent-a-crowd”
To Tracey at 8.1
On same line of thought, what can be done about the disgusting ignorant insolence of our incoming minister of Climate Change, who according to TV One on screen said that the index ( of measures to reduce use of fossil fuels etc) is “by a bunch of environmentalists who criticise what any country’s doing”??!!! The peculiar grammar is as reported and not mine.
To Tracey at 8.1
On same line of thought, what can be done about the disgusting ignorant insolence of our incoming minister of Climate Change, who according to TV One on screen said that the index ( of measures to reduce use of fossil fuels etc) is “by a bunch of environmentalists who criticise what any country’s doing”??!!! The grammar is as reported and not mine.
while i am at the keyboard, i want to share with y’all the feelings of pride and enthusiasm for the future that i have.
went to prize-giving at my boys high school.
the calibre and achievements on display were inspiring.
the dux runner-up got a+ on 3 level 300 papers (calculus, physics) and he is in year 11!
the new head prefect was winner of the open korero, impromptu speech and a few other accolades.( my head was spinning at the list of achievements listed)
numerous sporting and other cultural highs as well.
its a small counterpoint to all the bad news stories we hear about our young men, time and time again.
well done gentlemen.
Fantastic gsays.
I agree the calibre of so many of the young men and women coming out of our schools is quite outstanding.
Sorry, doesn’t count unless it’s at a charter school!
That’s what I’ve learned from reading a couple of other blog sites. Something not so good goes on at a non-charter school, the boot goes in hard and heavy. Good stuff happens but is ignored.
Microscopes and search parties are out though seeking something positive happening in a charter school and it’s BIG news.
Corruption happens in the Ministry of Education or Education Review Office and they don’t want to know.
Day to day there are immense successes in ‘ordinary’ schools with ‘extraordinary’ efforts and achievements.
Well done to the young men you mention, the adults who helped get them there and their peers who pushed and encouraged them to their success.
Great Stuff GSays
INteresting u-turn by National on the criminalisation of cartel behaviour by NZ businesses. Interestingly the “one law for all” ACT party doesn’t want criminlisation because it will be deterimental. And yet, beneficiaries and others,s craping by, need this kind of hammer posied over their heads… punishments yes, but prison? No, no no?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1512/S00293/goldsmith-drops-bid-to-criminalise-cartel-behaviour.htm
Paul Goldsmith gave an appallingly poor interview about this on Morning Report. It was on Monday morning I think, and I would guess has been archived.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201782073/criminal-sanctions-exit-cartel-bill-is-a-govt-u-turn
Yes, Guyon Espiner really held Goldsmith’s feet to the fire on this one.
And Goldsmith seemed to realise right from the start of the interview that he didn’t have a leg to stand on. He was hesitant and back footing it right from the beginning – his heart was nowhere near in it.
The only line he’d been given to defend the u-turn was some ridiculous claim that prison sentences would have a chilling effect on business innovation – of all things – and so be harmful to competition.
Some kind of straw-clutching at ‘co-opetition‘ presumably. Must have been a bit of a bright spark Ministerial advisor who gave him that one to run with. Went down like a lead balloon.
That rationale was never going to fly – far, far too subtle (in the sense of dancing on the head of a pin) and suspect for the average (and above average) listener.
My point is simple.
If public records were CREATED and MAINTAINED and readily available for public scrutiny, then the information would not need to be requested under the OIA or LGOIMA ?
That’s my considered opinion.
You don’t have to agree with it.
FYI – having raised directly with the Board of Watercare earlier this year, the absence of any information on either their bills or their website that explains where monies received for water and wastewater services is actually SPENT, there has been a development.
Some details of awarded contracts are now available on their website, which was not previously the case.
It was Watercare’s alleged failure to comply with the Public Records Act which I brought to their attention, which, in my opinion, has resulted in this improvement, regarding ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ in the spending of public money.
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
The hypocrisy is eye-watering, agreed.
The number of oligopolies that do us all in with grossly overpriced goods and services, barely regulated in this country, this move to not even lift a parliamentary finger is disgusting:
– Building products
– Banking
– Airport landing charges
– Airlines (now slightly better)
– Supermarkets
– Insurers
– Water suppliers
– Electricity generators
– (and more)
And you wonder where the Nats get their donations from …
+100
Poor people conspire in deceit to trick people out of their money – criminal charges, prison and opprobrium are rained down upon them.
Business people conspire in deceit to trick people out of their money – a measly fine, if you’re lucky, one day, sometime.
Why the difference Nacts?
Why the difference?
Why the difference?
What difference is there?
Shouldn’t business in fact operate to higher standards, not lower?
What a frikkin joke…
Know why our houses cost so much more than in Australia ? The anti-competitive behaviour of Fletchers. It is bullshit. The politicians I have met even openly acknowledge this, yet do nothing about it.
bullshit
bullshit
bullshit
Pay $350,000 to build your new house, rather than $250-300,000. That is the hard cold reality….
That is the difference
That is the difference that this government is happy for people to pay.
Liars, cheats and bullshit artists. Snakeoil merchants. Wide boys and grandma vendors. Nasty, greedy, selfish, individualists. Scam artists. Merchant bankers. Ponytail pullers. They all own shares in Fletchers. They all make the rules for Fletchers. Scum.
Peter Aranyi has written a fantastic article about the content of the Chisholm Report that “cleared ” Judith Collins.
It will be the first of a series:
http://www.thepaepae.com/the-chisholm-inquiry-who-was-actually-on-trial/36207/
Crikey! From reading that Karen it seems OK for anyone to destroy anything that may harm your defence. Had the Chisolm enquiry been in a Courtroom would evasions/deletions be acceptable?
For Slater to be “broke” it seems that he/they must have had some pretty powerful legal support to be able tododge the bullets. Wonder who his legal team were and who paid for the 10s of thousands of dollars.
Delete this and that. Deny memory of this and that. Refer to the narrow frames of reference rather than the intent of the enquiry.
Yes, someone paid for a QC to help keep Dirty Politics out of the last few weeks of the election period.
I think people have conveniently forgotten that Collinss did not cooperate and appears to have destroyed evidence… this nothing to hide nothing to fear former Minister for Justice and Police…
🙄
A bit in the enquiry had phone calls from Collins to Slater but not one from Slater to Collins according to the records. so no evidence of collusion. Yeah right.
The majority of red herrings being flopped around are by the likes of you and blimp.
Can you stop trolling on this site please?
+1
Interesting to note how involved our PM is in GSB thse days. How knowledgeable he has become since relinquishing all responsibility and accountability for the secret services. Cortex, presumably paid for by taxpayers, is something he now wants to offer to all small and medium businesses. It may be a good idea, I don’t know, but it is a redirection of taxpayer money from say, health, to businesses. I assume the Taxpayers Union will be OUTRAGED at this form of subsidy? ACT will vote against it?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11558741
[r0b: Your comments are going into moderation because of extra text in the name field, which I am deleting…]
17 horrifying mental health facts that have been delivered to Jeremy Hunt
And those policies will also be increasing the number of suicides that are mentioned at 1. and 2. of the article.
And National are implementing the same or similar punitive policies here.
There were two major updates that went into the site last night.
WordPress upgraded to version 4.4
The mobile display had an upgrade and a change to a theme that allowed replies to comments rather than just comments to a post
when I click on the reply button, my cursor now loads in the Name (Required) field instead of the Your Comment field. Any chance it could be set back to the comment field?
Same happens on both counts for me weka. Am in Auck. PC and mobile.
Is that in the mobile theme like Tracey or the desktop theme?
It should be easy to fix either way.
That’s on my laptop. Will have a look on both themes on phone later.
Happening to me on the desktop theme too, with cookies to remember my name.
On my phone it’s doing that on the desktop theme. On the mobile theme it drops me to the comment box at bottom of page with the cursor not inserted anywhere.
Very odd. I can see that it is meant to be setting it in the code…..
Looks like I will have to fix this during the weekend
the other thing that changed overnight is that when I click on a comment in the Comments list that is for a page I am already on, instead of it just jumping down the page to the comment, it now reloads the page to go to comment. Bit of a pain for those of still on rural broadband speeds.
(I haven’t checked another browser, this one is Firefox mac).
Ah drat. That was something that I’d disabled in the desktop theme to prevent bots, but had to enable to get the mobile theme to do replies.
That is something I should be able to hack in functions or the theme.
I’ll change it to do the same thing to the mobile theme as the desktop theme has. Just use javascript to move the comment section to the comment being replied to.
Hopefully tonight.
test iOS
..theme is pretty groovy on the iPhone
..interesting choice of font
..also the right sidebar is a slight annoyance but easily zoomed out of sight
I happen to like that particular font. It is whatever the font is used on Ubuntu.
I find it really fast and clear to read. Consequently I’ve changed all of my code editors to use it across linux, windows, and mac. Also on FBReader on my phone for reading ePubs.
There is a lot of reading in this site…
curiously I find it easier to read as body text than headings. often the reverse with many fonts.
Which font?
TS mobile site uses this font: http://font.ubuntu.com (or a clone of it)… it’s kinda retro cool
To be precise it is in the google fonts as
baumans
https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Baumans
It was one of the fonts around in ubuntu
Ok, this is probably a problem in your browser if it is a desktop.
The comment reply on a desktop theme depends on using javascript to set the comment section to the appropriate place in the HTML and internally setting the right comment to reply to.
However if the javascript fails or has been disabled, it falls back to doing it the old fashioned way and loading comment. In this case what you will see is a reload of the page and somewhere in the address bar is a replytocomm=number where the number is that of the comment you are replying to.
It doesn’t do that on my firefox / linux or firefox / windows or even Lyn’s firefox / mac.
What it used to do before I changed the mobile theme was that when doing a reply, it would return a Gone screen because I’d disabled to replytocomm to limit pesky bots.
I’ll force a reload of the DCN caches just to make it isn’t server side. But it looks like something on the client side.
Javascript is enabled on my firefox. I just tried a safe mode restart to disable all addons, but that hasn’t changed anything.
The URL stays the same except the number changes as the page reloads.
This page reloading thing happened after the upgrade you just did, so if it’s my side does that mean that there is an incompatibility between my version of Firefox (42.0) and WordPress? Or do you mean that it’s actually my particular copy of Firefox that is the problem?
I’ll go test Safari.
hmm, going into moderation now.
Outstanding work Lyn.
Much easier commenting from the cellphone.
Thankyou.
hear, hear, cheers lprent
Apparently Cameron Slater’s Whaleoil site has been biting one of the hands that feeds him.
Xero’s boss said he has withdrawn funds from advertising on Whaleoil after what what he says a campaign critical of Xero steered by Rodney Hide on the site.
I guess if you lay down with wild dogs, don’t be surprised if you get up covered in flea bites or get bitten a few times!
More like advertising doesn’t get you a free pass
Xero story – note further unsavory connections on the political right – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11559030
Why are these ancient trees of Aotearoa allowed to be cut down?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/74965502/kauri-tree-saved-at-11th-hour-again
Yes, even if they have no aesthetic or ecological or Maori forest lore sense, those developers (John Lenihan and Jane Greensmith) are stupid!
The land is is worth so much more with ancient trees on it!.
In some places (eg in Sydney and USA) architects build around trees rather than cut them down. It gives their buildings a unique edge and focus
http://blazepress.com/2015/07/10-beautiful-buildings-that-have-incorporated-trees-instead-of-cutting-them-down/
http://www.theonlinecentral.com/inventive-buildings-whose-architects-refused-to-cut-down-local-trees/
http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=16695
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/trees-shrubs/protecting-trees-from-construction-damage/
I agree having a 500 year old tree is worth more than a slab of concrete.
I was reading a book today though about early european explorers visiting areas around Taupo and finding a lot of forest had already been burnt down by Maori. From what I could gather by burning off forest and scrubland reappearing where they could harvest fern root and where it was possibly easier to hunt birds, was vital for survival. Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa were similarly burnt, scrubby landscapes I think.
If you could transport pre-european Maori back to today, it would be interesting to get their take on what parts of the land they would leave (sacred) and what parts they would use to their full advantage. I’m putting my own interpretation of traditional Maori there from a white perspective, and it’s probably a lot more complex and different.
@maui..from my limited knowledge( and speaking as a Pakeha with some Maori ancestry)…there are quite a few books out there on what plants and trees the old Maori looked after…generally they were conservationists, much more so than the early European settlers….some Maori Tohunga know a lot about all this…ie the old Maori were polytheistic and there were gods and spirituality in all nature and in their landscapes
Elsden Best ‘Forest Lore of the Maori ‘ is a detailed account and a great read …(I bought my copy years ago but it has gone up in price, judging from below ….not sure if there are new pbs editions)
http://www.smithsbookshop.co.nz/bookshop/5102307.php
Can also highly recommend Geoff Park’s classic, ‘Nga Uru Ora — the Groves of Life: Ecology and History in a New Zealand Landscape’ written by an ecologist on tour in his canoe ( you feel you are with him)
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nga_uruora
This book gives a great feel for the history and reverence the Maori felt towards their special places
There are books on edible plants and medicinal herbs
Anything on Maori spirituality by Rev. Dr. Maori Marsden is worth reading eg.
Maori Marsden , “The Natural World and Natural Resources: Maori Value Systems and perspectives” ( paper for Ministry for Environment,1989)and ‘Maori Values and Environmental Management'( New Zealand Natural Resources Unit, Manata Maori,1991)
All this just scratches the surface of a forgotten history and spirituality which is very Gaia/ Papatuanuku centred and relevant today
I was reading “Forest Lore of the Maori”, so you nailed it! I was looking up what food sources Maori traditionally used and find it quite interesting. Thanks for the links, I have thought about buying Nga Uru Ora for ages.
Nga Uru Ora is fantastic…I think it is out of print by Victoria University( they should reprint because it is a classic)….but you can get it on Amazon and I expect from various secondhand book shops
While I don’t dispute that there is considerable credentials to Maori conservation it is important to note that there was quite considerable clearance of native forest prior to the arrival of European settlers.
“Why are these ancient trees of Aotearoa allowed to be cut down?”
because money doesn’t grow on trees, so what use are they?
The trees were meant to be cut down to create car parking on the site which the council supported. The council planners could asked for the house to be built around the trees – but why do their job when you can just rubber stamp everything?
The consultants noted the trees as ‘high value vegetation’ burying it within a 70 page report. The developers then have gone to court to downgrade the environmental conditions on other sites they own.
Don’t worry, Auckland property developers are not developing for the local market that might enjoy the trees!
car parks with trees look good too….but better not to have the car park
Um, yes any new development in that near area really does need off-street parking. It’s very narrow and windy, and even as it is I wouldn’t be surprised if rubbish trucks are sometimes blocked from getting through. But the right way to do it is follow the example set by the neighbouring property (number44) and several others on the street and build a parking deck out on poles just off the street at street level.
I’m only a few houses down the street from the place in question, BTW.
in Wellington single lanes up the sides of very steep inner city treed hills adds to the frisson and character of the place…(and yes they do build pole garage platforms where they can if lucky)
Aucklanders need to get some CLASS and STYLE and put the trees first…before their cars
Auckland was a beautiful area …now trashed by the roads and cars and car parks
This makes sense:
‘Syrian chessboard’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/325182-syrian-chessboard-us-syria/
“Recent claims that the US bombed a Syrian military installation may be a telling example of how Washington and its allies intend to escalate their war on the Syrian regime and NOT against terrorists. It would appear Assad remains target number one.
CrossTalking with Martin Jay, Marcus Papadopoulos, and Ivan Eland.”
Maybe they’ve decided to copy the Russian Federation’s example of escalating its war on the Syrian regime’s opponents and NOT against terrorists…
?…link?
Essential reading for NZ’ers wanting to be less ignorant about the state of their Nation…
http://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/annual-update-key-results-2014-15-nzhs-dec15-1.docx
FYI.
___________________________________________________________________________________
In Auckland – is it ‘DEMOCRACY’ just for developers, and a DICTATORSHIP for the rest of us?
URGENT! Pre-Christmas Public Meeting to inform, network and organise re: proposed Auckland Unitary Plan / zoning/ RMA changes.
WHEN: Saturday 12 December 2015
TIME: 10.30am – 12.30pm
WHERE: Tamaki Ex-Services Assn Hall
Corner Turua St / Polygon Rd
ST HELIERS
MAP: http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/venue/auckland-tamaki-ex-services-hall
Many citizens and residents across the Auckland region are deeply concerned about proposed zoning changes that may lead to non-notified multi-story developments, in which they will potentially have no say, but will potentially have a huge impact on their lives and immediate environment.
Has lawful ‘due process’ been followed regarding the Auckland ‘Spatial Plan’ and subsequent amendments?
Were the Auckland population growth projections which spawned legislation such as that for the ‘Special Housing Areas’ (SHAs), lawfully and evidentially based?
Will proposed changes to the RMA make things worse?
Groups and concerned citizens who want to meet to discuss these issues, and co-ordinate ideas and action to help stop the Auckland region effectively becoming a ‘dictatorship for developers’, are most welcome to attend.
Meeting convened by Penny Bright, assisted by fellow concerned citizens.
So what changes to Auckland’s proposed Unitary Plan would you instigate Penny?
Are you for or against the proposed changes to the RMA that are going before the House, which enable huge numbers more activities to be non-notified?
Couple of easy ones for you, since you’re holding a public meeting on the subject.
For anyone interested in an informed view on Auckland’s population projections: http://voakl.net/2013/06/15/population-trends/
That link and others previously drawn to Ms Bright’s attention here.