Oh dear how low can the NZH go. Now a whole article on the student flat he lived in! I guess the next scoop with be Uffindell's kindergarten exclusive photos!
The Herald's purpose is to trivialise it – turn it into just another example of youthful, hard-case scarfie-ism. The sort of thing that happens but kids grow out of – no lasting damage done, no deeper implications to be examined. Pretty much the same tack you have been taking on here for a few days. Whatever – the Herald's gonna Herald – the paper copy is an anorexic sliver of imbecility.
"As TDB has been saying for at last TWO YEARS, and the MSM have just only caught up, the morris-dancing, trans-philic, gender fluid Hobbits are very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very righteous when it comes to ring-destroying… but can we please talk about Smaug's gold profits now?"
"When governments are contractually incapable of solving their people’s problems, only one option remains: turning us against each other. This process is well under way: the purpose of culture wars is to distract us from inequality. But it will go much further. Truss and Sunak compete to promise ever greater retribution towards those seeking sanctuary from murderous regimes. Last week, Truss promised to legislate against “militant” trade unionists and environmental protesters, as if Johnson’s new laws were insufficiently draconian.
The more corrupt and less representative government becomes, the longer must be its list of enemies, and the more extreme the rhetoric with which it denounces them. As our crises escalate, as the government absents itself from public service, violence bubbles ever closer to the surface. This is how a country falls apart."
The decades of abdication of responsibility, the syphoning off of much needed investment to dividends, the lack of ability to implement action, the deflection of cause to worker laziness, the lie that more of the same will solve the problems.
The playbook is used by all the anglosphere governments (of all hues) the only difference being the area of emphasis….they have been reduced to figureheads.
Truss wants call in powers to over rule decisions by financial regulators,removing independence from the prudential regulation authority (BOE) oversight of the BOE, etc etc.
She has removed all doubt that she is a rambling idiot with tax cuts under a high inflation regime etc.
And yet apparently she leads….the elites have a self destructive streak a mile wide….all one can assume is they either think they can get out with their wealth intact or they are so unaware they dont understand the consequences.
The UK only survives on having a stable financial system with independent regulatory institutions,political intervention has seen the destruction of the middle classes in South America,as high inflation destroyed accumulated wealth.
I see the Ukraine has managed to destroy a dozen Russian jets and utterly devastate the Russian airbase at Novofedorivka in Crimea. This is a significant development as this base is almost 250km from the nearest Ukrainian positions and – as video showing horrified Russians (mostly Moscovites) fleeing their nearby beach holiday spots show – means the Ukraine now has the ability to carry the war deep into the Russian rear, shattering the sense of invulnerability the Russian population has had up to now.
Putin is discovering the truth of that old saying – "It ain't no fun if the rabbits got a gun."
It's all about timing Ad, it when the UkR Military attack in Sth'ern Ukraine.
The fact that the UkR Military are now conducting long range Joint Fires & Deep Strikes in the Sth.
Probably means we are not too far away from D Day? The more the UkR Military can degrade Russia's Airpower, Logistics, the various HQ's & Joint Fires?
Then there is more chance of success for the UkR, especially if its Intelligence, Recon in Russia's rear area are providing real time information like Battle Damage Assessments & Targeting of the above.
So far the UkR Military are making the Russians dance to their tune on the dance floor, while knowing when hold the poker chips & when to cash those chips in on the poker table.
Been very impressed with the way Ukraine has conducted itself since the start of Tsar Poot's so-called Special Military Operation.
Been a few hiccups (both Political & Military side of things largely due to FSU & GRU operations in the Sth prior to D Day) along the way, but that was a expected as "no plan excepts to survive 1st contact with the enemy" as the Great Prussia General Von Moltke the elder once said.
Israel has indicated that any supplying of weapons from Iran to Russia will see them dropping their objections to equipping the Ukrainians with Israeli weapons. And I’d put a pretty sum on Ukrainian pilots secretly undergoing training on US F-16s, six months into this war more and more US Weapons will appear on the Ukrainian side.
Everyday this war goes on, the chance of the war escalating to a wider conflict increases. For example, any Russian attempt to deliberately destroy the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia would be an act of war against Western Europe, given the fallout from these plants would be horrendous. The use ATACMS against the Crimea – according to the Russians their sovereign territory – when the Russians have issued all sorts of bloodcurdling nuclear threats about using nuclear weapons to protect their homeland is also a bit dicey.
any Russian attempt to deliberately destroy the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia
Russia's theft of Zaporizhzhia's 5,700MWs (NZ 9,800MW from all sources) involves disconnection from the Ukrainian grid and reconnecting to the Russian grid.
That would be a long, drawn out and enormously complex task during peace time. Right now, it's a recipe for disaster.
The secret arrival of ATACMS would explain why the Ukrainians have been so coy on how the attack was carried out. But I suspect on the basis of no concrete evidence so far the use of ATACMS – a system that the US has been reluctant to supply. However, to paraphrase Obi-Wan:
"And these blast points, too accurate for Russian weapons. Only US ATACMS are so precise.”
Anyway, if the Ruskies find bits of ATACMS in the wreckage we'll surely hear about it.
The other piece of the puzzle has been the confirmed delivery of AGM-88D HARM anti-radar missiles to the Ukraine. The "D" model is significant because it has a passive mode that combined with a GPS means it doesn't need to be integrated into the host platforms ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) systems. That makes it viable for the Soviet era jets of the Ukraine to use them, and I see that they've knocked out several Russian radar sites in the Kherson region in the last 72 hours, creating a hole in the Russian radar net – this would mean the Russian S-300 & S-400 SAM systems would be blind to a surface to surface missile attack. If you add to the equation the near constant presence of RAF and USAF RC-135W Rivet & RQ-4 Global Hawks in the Black Sea providing sophisticated electronic surveillance data in real time to the Ukrainians and you've basically got Uncle Sam completely owning the Russians.
As my old SQN 2ic, would say, as ex was an expat Kenyan & knew a thing or two about catching Monkey's.
He's now in the RAAC here in Oz causing mayhem in the field & making his Duntroon Trained Peers look a bit average as he was trained at NZ Army OCS in Waiberia. But he is unlikely to get his Colonels due to the Australian Army snobbish attitude of those not trained by RMC Duntroon.
The difference is the Horizon poll is only of those who expressed a clear intention to vote – so if you hate Jacinda and love Luxo, but tell the interviewer they are all bastards and you don't vote it just encourages them then you won't be counted.
The difference is the Horizon poll is only of those who expressed a clear intention to vote
Is that really all that different from the other, more established Polls ?
For example … 1News-Kantar only includes those saying they are 'quite likely' or 'very likely' to vote in its Party Vote results.
Indeed the New Zealand Political Polling Code explicitly suggests:
Those who say they are ineligible or unlikely to vote should be excluded from the analysis
Horizon’s point of difference appears to be that it only includes those who say they’re 100% certain to vote … which, in itself, may well skew their findings.
Gah – the 'woke' left doing what the 'real' left are meant to do? What next – will they make a demand for greater worker participation in management decisions and call it "co-governance"?
Another major failing of this legislation is that it…
… still does not incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic legislation. This would mean the convention rights would become part of the law of Aotearoa New Zealand.
One of the clear benefits of this would be that children's rights – especially their rights to health, housing and food – would be more readily enforceable through the national courts. In other words, it would be easier to hold the government to account for its actions or inaction. (my bold)
Perhaps the Labour Party flagwavers residing here on TS can explain this…because its looking increasingly like Labour has absolutely no commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children at all.
Labour are not getting rid of the Children's commissioner.
Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Again, this is why I am looking forward to the committee stage. I have been asked questions by the media and others that actually are not part of what is in this bill, questions like "Why are we dismantling the Children's Commission?" when that is clearly not happening; questions like "Why are we moving the monitoring mechanism out of the Children's Commission and into ERO?" when that's not happening, because the Independent Children's Monitor was established in the Ministry of Social Development and we're shifting that function to the Education Review Office from there. There are so many things that have been said about this bill that we need to be able to debate robustly in this House, and the committee stage will give us an opportunity to go through line by line and do that.
" because the Independent Children's Monitor was established in the Ministry of Social Development and we're shifting that function to the Education Review Office from there"
So we are pushing it from one accountable agency with a high profile and visuality to an outward agency with very little accountability and who is rather obscure. https://ero.govt.nz/
What ERO does
Ngā Mahi a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga
The Education Review Office | Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga (ERO) is the New Zealand government’s external evaluation agency. We evaluate and report on the education and care of learners in schools, kura, kohanga reo, puna reo, and early childhood services.
The links to the cabinet papers were in the link posted at 8.1.1.1
7 I consider the monitoring function should be placed within a departmental agency, led by a Statutory Officer, who will also be the agency’s Chief Executive. I further propose that the host agency for the departmental agency be the Education Review Office (ERO) given both entities have a focus on children, and there are potential opportunities for each agency to cooperate and learn from one another.
8 I note there are strong expectations that monitoring will balance a need to provide trusted, responsive advice to Ministers, while also supporting transparency and public accountability, particularly for Māori, by providing trusted evidence and insights to the public.
Not very helpful but the guru Barry Soper reckons that the Uffindell story is "a hit job" and that he has a good idea by whom, "but he is not saying yet."
One persons “hit job” may be another’s “justifiably being held to account”–something Soper should be personally acquainted with.
Natzos have been barrel scraping for candidates for years. The decline in mass public participation in political and community affairs during the neo liberal era has not just affected Labour.
Lowest house sales by volume in 12 years,with interest rate increase to come to remove core inflation to affordable levels,the wealth destruction to curb animal spirits will continue into 2023.
“The service is committed to patient safety. It works with every young person on a case-by-case basis, with no expectation of what might be the right pathway for them, and only the minority of young people who are seen in our service access any physical treatments while with us.”
tbf, that standard of housing now would have progressives up in arms. I notice the landlord hasn’t been named. But yeah, scarfie culture then was entitlement weird.
My first flat was a really old place super run down but super cheap at the same time. Was basically party central and the landlord didnt care given he was planning to demo it. There was competition with a decent prize for the nastiest flat run by the uni students association at the time, we entered somehow didnt win… in the end we were allowed to have a demolish the house party at end of the year…
Good times really and not that unusual 25 years ago…
I lived in a flat in the 80s with a hole in the floor in the bathroom so bad that we were never sure if the bath would collapse the floor when we filled it. I draw the line at not cleaning the toilet though.
TVNZ reporting that latest Poll , which one?, has NatAct can form a Govt on latest figures, and are going after the Greens to join Coalition. Which is true? I thought Labour Green were ahead.
The recent poll showing Lab/Greens ahead is the Horizon Poll which has Lab/Greens on 42%, Nat/Act on 42%. Their headline is "Among registered, definite voters election too close to call"
with NACT? Never ever going to happen. What that is is a Nact memo designed to stop people voting Green.
There have been two polls this week, one said Nact could form gov, the said L/G. We're over a year from the general election, the trend matters but not as much as what happens next year.
Yes it was their own poll – they like to drip feed bits of it over several nights as a form of self-promotion. Also in this case, maybe they see a Nat government as their only salvation from the RNZ merger and any unwelcome de-trivialisation of TV1 that might go with it?
And of course the same old censorious crap – " a responsible 'environmental' party would not rule out coalition with National". Same crap as from 2017. Interesting that no-one tries to shame ACT into coalescing with Labour – though it's obvious why: it would be self-evidently bonkers and the whole purpose of the ‘story’ is to prevent Labour governments, not enable them.
Many people have been unsatisfied for years that things have not improved for them, some as individuals, many more however because their families are clearly putting in more work, for less money – and certainly far less purchase on society. This general discontent has grown exponentially since the GFC. ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 9, 2025 thru Sat, February 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With the unembarrassed audacity parties show as an election nears, the government has stolen the opposition’s policy to ban foreign investors buying established homes. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Housing Minister Clare O’Neil have announced ...
The Jewish Council’s proposals are divisive, contrary to New Zealand’s human rights framework, and ignore the rights of other ethnic minorities in Aotearoa. ...
"This is shocking, and astounding," says Augusta Macassey-Pickard, spokesperson for the group. "We knew that this process was rushed, and flawed, but this is another level of compromised." ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark maintains that Cook Islands, a realm of New Zealand, should have consulted Wellington before signing a “partnership” deal with China. “[Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown] seems to have signed behind the backs of his own ...
COMMENTARY:By Saige England Mediawatch on RNZ today strongly criticised Stuff and YouTube among other media for using Israeli propaganda’s “Outbrain” service. Outbrain is a company founded by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) military and its technology can be tracked back to a wealthy entrepreneur, which in this case could ...
Luxon said protesters linked to Destiny Church "went too far" by disrupting Pride events in Auckland, while church leader Brian Tamaki said he told protesters, "I want you to storm the library they're in." ...
Hundreds of engineers are losing their jobs and leaving our shores due to infrastructure project delays, creating "significant" risk to our nation's development, says the head of New Zealand's engineering body. ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the deal with China “complements, not replaces” the relationship with New Zealand after signing it yesterday. Brown said “The Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-2030” provides a structured framework for engagement between the Cook Islands ...
The government should not set military style academies into youth justice law, the children's commissioner says, despite its first bootcamp getting a glowing report. ...
The infamous over-the-suit T-shirt worn by the PM at a Parliament barbecue has gone on sale to raise funds for children living in poverty, in a TradeMe auction. ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
The White Lotus star reflects on her life in TV, including the local ad reference that doesn’t work in Australia, and her bananas co-star on Neighbours.Morgana O’Reilly was scrolling her phone next to her sleeping son on an idle Saturday morning when she got the call confirming that she ...
Claire Mabey explores the pros and cons of puff quotes on book covers.In January, Publishers Weekly put out an article by Sean Manning – publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship US imprint – in which he said he’d “no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books”.The ...
New Zealand’s Entomological Society is hosting its annual bug of the year contest. Here are some of the insects in the running. For some reason – perhaps humans’ inherent competitiveness, the idealisation of democracy, the need to demarcate winners and losers – one of the best ways to get people ...
A journey along the border, with words and illustrations by Bob Kerr.The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.The Sunset Limited leaves Union Station New Orleans on time at nine in the morning. We ...
Neville Peat is the 2024 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in nonfiction. He’s written 56 books, mostly on natural history; this excerpt is from The Falcon and the Lark: A New Zealand High Country Journal, first published in 1992. The falcon wintering on the Rock and ...
It was a light-hearted gesture Greta Pilkington will be forever grateful for – thanks to an Aussie rival who jumped in when the Olympic sailor couldn’t be at her own graduation.Pilkington, then 20, had been leading a double life – while qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the ILCA ...
I was born in the back of my grandfather’s ute, by an overgrown windbreak in a remote place called Wahi-Rakauyou can’t find on a map. I was born a girl but given the man’s name Harvey, as my dad always wanted a violent-minded boy to one day help him ...
“We’re not here to interfere in people’s property rights,” Ngāi Tahu’s Te Maire Tau has told the High Court.Tau, a historian, Upoko (traditional leader) of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and a university professor of history, is the lead witness in a case designed to force the Crown to recognise the tribe’s rangatiratanga ...
Pacific Media Watch Trump administration officials barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from covering White House events this week because the US-based independent news agency did not change its style guide to align with the president’s political agenda. The AP is being punished for using the term “Gulf of Mexico,” ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin editor France’s top diplomat in the Pacific region says talks around the “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s highly controversial electoral roll are back on the table. The French government intended to make a constitutional amendment that would lift restrictions prescribed under the Nouméa Accord, which ...
By bringing these global voices to the fight for free expression in New Zealand, we’ll continue to protect and expand our culture of free speech, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech Union's Events Manager. ...
The issue is no longer a hypothetical one. US President Donald Trump will not explicitly suggest death camps, but he has already consented to Israel’s continuing a war that is not a war but rather a barbaric assault on a desolate stretch of land. From there, the road to annihilation is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cecelia Cmielewski, Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University To be selected as the artist and curator team to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale is considered the ultimate exhibition for an artistic team. To have your selection rescinded, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia is bearing down on the northwest coast of Australia and is likely to make landfall early Friday evening. It’s a monster storm of great concern to Western Australia. ...
Oh dear how low can the NZH go. Now a whole article on the student flat he lived in! I guess the next scoop with be Uffindell's kindergarten exclusive photos!
Sam Uffindell stood down: National MP's student flat was one of filthiest in Dunedin – NZ Herald
Yep I guess they want to keep it in the media as long as they can but surely the guys political career is over now.
Uphimself is all over rover. There's another political career in question now.
The Herald's purpose is to trivialise it – turn it into just another example of youthful, hard-case scarfie-ism. The sort of thing that happens but kids grow out of – no lasting damage done, no deeper implications to be examined. Pretty much the same tack you have been taking on here for a few days. Whatever – the Herald's gonna Herald – the paper copy is an anorexic sliver of imbecility.
I don't agree with that especially with the cartoon listing the last 8 candidates, I think the NZH are trying to do the exact opposite.
Exclusive photo of Uffindell as a baby just released!
Uffindell was a conjoined twin?
What happened to the other half?
Oh, please don't answer that!
@ Jimmy (1.2) … Is that the Te Puke kid Luxie having a laugh at Uffie throwing a wee tantie?
A flat with women's underwear up on a "trophy board".
Bout a low as it gets hard to believe an editor decided to lead the news with student lived in shit hole scarfie flat while in Dunedin…
They'll be checking his rubbish bin next and writing an expose on his failure to properly sort his recycling…
This is what will bring him down – he's a common punk.
Gang bashing kids? Fine!
Threatening and chasing women? Sweet!
Being a grotty, no-good, doity punk? Not fit for the National Party! 🧐
Martyn Bradbury on LOTR:
"I'm no fan of Sauron, but here's why forming a woke fellowship to raid Mount Doom and destroy the one ring is going to enrage his base."
🤣🤣🤣
"As TDB has been saying for at last TWO YEARS, and the MSM have just only caught up, the morris-dancing, trans-philic, gender fluid Hobbits are very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very righteous when it comes to ring-destroying… but can we please talk about Smaug's gold profits now?"
Great environmental win for Australia and subantarctic birds and flora at Macquarrie Island.
From 300,000 rabbits to none: a Southern Ocean island is reborn | Environment | The Guardian
Macquarie Island: from rabbits and rodents to recovery and renewal (dcceew.gov.au)
Surely this gives courage to Stewart Island to hurry up their own eradication project.
"When governments are contractually incapable of solving their people’s problems, only one option remains: turning us against each other. This process is well under way: the purpose of culture wars is to distract us from inequality. But it will go much further. Truss and Sunak compete to promise ever greater retribution towards those seeking sanctuary from murderous regimes. Last week, Truss promised to legislate against “militant” trade unionists and environmental protesters, as if Johnson’s new laws were insufficiently draconian.
The more corrupt and less representative government becomes, the longer must be its list of enemies, and the more extreme the rhetoric with which it denounces them. As our crises escalate, as the government absents itself from public service, violence bubbles ever closer to the surface. This is how a country falls apart."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/10/crisis-britain-leaders-inflation-energy-wages-conservative
Sound familiar?
Should it?
Does it?
What are you talking about?
read the article
I've read the article.
Why ought it sound familiar?
The decades of abdication of responsibility, the syphoning off of much needed investment to dividends, the lack of ability to implement action, the deflection of cause to worker laziness, the lie that more of the same will solve the problems.
The playbook is used by all the anglosphere governments (of all hues) the only difference being the area of emphasis….they have been reduced to figureheads.
Truss wants call in powers to over rule decisions by financial regulators,removing independence from the prudential regulation authority (BOE) oversight of the BOE, etc etc.
She has removed all doubt that she is a rambling idiot with tax cuts under a high inflation regime etc.
And yet apparently she leads….the elites have a self destructive streak a mile wide….all one can assume is they either think they can get out with their wealth intact or they are so unaware they dont understand the consequences.
The UK only survives on having a stable financial system with independent regulatory institutions,political intervention has seen the destruction of the middle classes in South America,as high inflation destroyed accumulated wealth.
They all only survive with a functioning economy
Pom's could move to Russia which is not having all theses problems. Ha!
I see the Ukraine has managed to destroy a dozen Russian jets and utterly devastate the Russian airbase at Novofedorivka in Crimea. This is a significant development as this base is almost 250km from the nearest Ukrainian positions and – as video showing horrified Russians (mostly Moscovites) fleeing their nearby beach holiday spots show – means the Ukraine now has the ability to carry the war deep into the Russian rear, shattering the sense of invulnerability the Russian population has had up to now.
Putin is discovering the truth of that old saying – "It ain't no fun if the rabbits got a gun."
All power to them. But.
Ukraine doesn't yet appear able to counter-attack and regain much lost territory.
It's all about timing Ad, it when the UkR Military attack in Sth'ern Ukraine.
The fact that the UkR Military are now conducting long range Joint Fires & Deep Strikes in the Sth.
Probably means we are not too far away from D Day? The more the UkR Military can degrade Russia's Airpower, Logistics, the various HQ's & Joint Fires?
Then there is more chance of success for the UkR, especially if its Intelligence, Recon in Russia's rear area are providing real time information like Battle Damage Assessments & Targeting of the above.
So far the UkR Military are making the Russians dance to their tune on the dance floor, while knowing when hold the poker chips & when to cash those chips in on the poker table.
Been very impressed with the way Ukraine has conducted itself since the start of Tsar Poot's so-called Special Military Operation.
Been a few hiccups (both Political & Military side of things largely due to FSU & GRU operations in the Sth prior to D Day) along the way, but that was a expected as "no plan excepts to survive 1st contact with the enemy" as the Great Prussia General Von Moltke the elder once said.
Looks like the rabbit's got the big gun.
https://twitter.com/noclador/status/1557457262297448452
https://twitter.com/franakviacorka/status/1557492757933039616
I have seen it suggested that anti-ship missiles may have been used (they have the range)
Also, suggestions of a new supplier of weapons not previously seen in Ukraine. The field narrows if Iran is supplying Russia.
Israel has indicated that any supplying of weapons from Iran to Russia will see them dropping their objections to equipping the Ukrainians with Israeli weapons. And I’d put a pretty sum on Ukrainian pilots secretly undergoing training on US F-16s, six months into this war more and more US Weapons will appear on the Ukrainian side.
Everyday this war goes on, the chance of the war escalating to a wider conflict increases. For example, any Russian attempt to deliberately destroy the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia would be an act of war against Western Europe, given the fallout from these plants would be horrendous. The use ATACMS against the Crimea – according to the Russians their sovereign territory – when the Russians have issued all sorts of bloodcurdling nuclear threats about using nuclear weapons to protect their homeland is also a bit dicey.
Russia's theft of Zaporizhzhia's 5,700MWs (NZ 9,800MW from all sources) involves disconnection from the Ukrainian grid and reconnecting to the Russian grid.
That would be a long, drawn out and enormously complex task during peace time. Right now, it's a recipe for disaster.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/08/6/7362180/
Say your pwayers, wabbit!
https://twitter.com/Darksniper911/status/1557419626732068865
The secret arrival of ATACMS would explain why the Ukrainians have been so coy on how the attack was carried out. But I suspect on the basis of no concrete evidence so far the use of ATACMS – a system that the US has been reluctant to supply. However, to paraphrase Obi-Wan:
"And these blast points, too accurate for Russian weapons. Only US ATACMS are so precise.”
Anyway, if the Ruskies find bits of ATACMS in the wreckage we'll surely hear about it.
The other piece of the puzzle has been the confirmed delivery of AGM-88D HARM anti-radar missiles to the Ukraine. The "D" model is significant because it has a passive mode that combined with a GPS means it doesn't need to be integrated into the host platforms ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) systems. That makes it viable for the Soviet era jets of the Ukraine to use them, and I see that they've knocked out several Russian radar sites in the Kherson region in the last 72 hours, creating a hole in the Russian radar net – this would mean the Russian S-300 & S-400 SAM systems would be blind to a surface to surface missile attack. If you add to the equation the near constant presence of RAF and USAF RC-135W Rivet & RQ-4 Global Hawks in the Black Sea providing sophisticated electronic surveillance data in real time to the Ukrainians and you've basically got Uncle Sam completely owning the Russians.
How's that Kherson offensive working out?
Don't know, I'm not there.
Slowly slowly catch the monkey
As my old SQN 2ic, would say, as ex was an expat Kenyan & knew a thing or two about catching Monkey's.
He's now in the RAAC here in Oz causing mayhem in the field & making his Duntroon Trained Peers look a bit average as he was trained at NZ Army OCS in Waiberia. But he is unlikely to get his Colonels due to the Australian Army snobbish attitude of those not trained by RMC Duntroon.
Don't know the background of this poll – just saw it on a twitter post – but hey, a better one than the Kantar!
https://twitter.com/alpine_bruce/status/1557264997377806337
31% for National is a big outlier.
As is 3.5% for NZFirst.
The difference is the Horizon poll is only of those who expressed a clear intention to vote – so if you hate Jacinda and love Luxo, but tell the interviewer they are all bastards and you don't vote it just encourages them then you won't be counted.
The trends are clear.
No sign yet that Labour's fall has hit bottom.
No sign yet that National has stabilised.
Spot on.
And NZF at 4%, without W. Peters esq being particularly engaged.
It's going to be a tight one.
Is that really all that different from the other, more established Polls ?
For example … 1News-Kantar only includes those saying they are 'quite likely' or 'very likely' to vote in its Party Vote results.
Indeed the New Zealand Political Polling Code explicitly suggests:
Horizon’s point of difference appears to be that it only includes those who say they’re 100% certain to vote … which, in itself, may well skew their findings.
these are people who intend to vote.
Therefore, all the more relevant. X% might not intend to vote and X% don't know, but those who intend to vote – well, there votes are countable.
Labour/Greens ahead! Add in TPM!
Today was not voting day, today was only pretend voting day for a few for a poll, keep that in mind.
Labour can not be happy about this poll.
Colonel Trotter will be choking on his Greggs.
https://twitter.com/Publicwrongs/status/1557491202362003456
The boot's certainly on the other foot.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/07/28/majority-of-u-s-workers-changing-jobs-are-seeing-real-wage-gains/
Gah – the 'woke' left doing what the 'real' left are meant to do? What next – will they make a demand for greater worker participation in management decisions and call it "co-governance"?
Why is Labour, and only Labour, so hellbent on getting rid of the Childrens Commissioner?
The Beattie Report does not recommend getting rid of the Children's Commissioner as Sepuloni implies.
Sepuloni would not consider slowing the bill's progress down, saying the Beatie report found the government needed to "act with some urgency".
And only Natrad seems to think this is something we should be informed about.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/470739/oranga-tamariki-changes-risk-weakening-children-s-rights-and-protections-what-should-be-done
Another major failing of this legislation is that it…
… still does not incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic legislation. This would mean the convention rights would become part of the law of Aotearoa New Zealand.
One of the clear benefits of this would be that children's rights – especially their rights to health, housing and food – would be more readily enforceable through the national courts. In other words, it would be easier to hold the government to account for its actions or inaction. (my bold)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/470739/oranga-tamariki-changes-risk-weakening-children-s-rights-and-protections-what-should-be-done
Perhaps the Labour Party flagwavers residing here on TS can explain this…because its looking increasingly like Labour has absolutely no commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children at all.
Labour are not getting rid of the Children's commissioner.
Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Again, this is why I am looking forward to the committee stage. I have been asked questions by the media and others that actually are not part of what is in this bill, questions like "Why are we dismantling the Children's Commission?" when that is clearly not happening; questions like "Why are we moving the monitoring mechanism out of the Children's Commission and into ERO?" when that's not happening, because the Independent Children's Monitor was established in the Ministry of Social Development and we're shifting that function to the Education Review Office from there. There are so many things that have been said about this bill that we need to be able to debate robustly in this House, and the committee stage will give us an opportunity to go through line by line and do that.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansD_20220803_20220803
" because the Independent Children's Monitor was established in the Ministry of Social Development and we're shifting that function to the Education Review Office from there"
what does that mean in plain english?
https://www.icm.org.nz/who-we-are/our-origins/
So we are pushing it from one accountable agency with a high profile and visuality to an outward agency with very little accountability and who is rather obscure. https://ero.govt.nz/
oh well, what could go wrong. lol
Never mind the children……..
The links to the cabinet papers were in the link posted at 8.1.1.1
7 I consider the monitoring function should be placed within a departmental agency, led by a Statutory Officer, who will also be the agency’s Chief Executive. I further propose that the host agency for the departmental agency be the Education Review Office (ERO) given both entities have a focus on children, and there are potential opportunities for each agency to cooperate and learn from one another.
8 I note there are strong expectations that monitoring will balance a need to provide trusted, responsive advice to Ministers, while also supporting transparency and public accountability, particularly for Māori, by providing trusted evidence and insights to the public.
https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/cabinet-papers/2021/paper-one-arrangements-for-the-monitor-of-the-oranga-tamariki-system.pdf
Separate Ministries. The MSD serves adults, OT serves children and the ERO reviews and reports on the education and care of children. I think.
Not very helpful but the guru Barry Soper reckons that the Uffindell story is "a hit job" and that he has a good idea by whom, "but he is not saying yet."
( Can't link to it but MariaSherwood2 knows.)
Bazza's out of touch. The frontrunner for the "by whom" is widely known already: it's Sam Uffindell
I think Soper is more a soothsayer than a guru
why can't you link?
One persons “hit job” may be another’s “justifiably being held to account”–something Soper should be personally acquainted with.
Natzos have been barrel scraping for candidates for years. The decline in mass public participation in political and community affairs during the neo liberal era has not just affected Labour.
Median house prices fall on annual basis for the first time since 2011.This sees the capital gains of the last 12 months removed.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/129528289/auckland-prices-down-200k-from-peak-another-soggy-month-for-market
Lowest house sales by volume in 12 years,with interest rate increase to come to remove core inflation to affordable levels,the wealth destruction to curb animal spirits will continue into 2023.
About time the dam broke. Suing the Tavistock Clinic over transing kids.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/4e7fc538-18dc-11ed-b1f4-627a202c7457
yes, this is going to be quite interesting to watch.
This might have been the reason for the closure?
GIDS person telling porkies at the end there,
paywall-free version https://archive.ph/5iwD9#selection-1035.172-1039.280
The bit about only a minority of people get meds and surgery will be true, but I hope that some of the social transitioners join the lawsuit.
Meanwhile,
https://twitter.com/Kinnon_Ross/status/1556665369686843392
What I want to know from that is how many people on the books of those services weren't followed up/couldn't be contacted?
a guess?
most.
The question that i have, how many have we got here in NZ that were equally rushed into treatment and now regret it.
edit: funny phrasing.
most depends on if the research takes into account people that don't respond (and analyses that).
pre-question. Do NZ health services keep statistics on children and youth transitioning?
That is a good question innit?
Is Luxon about to announce that should the Natz win the next election ….
Trevor Mallard will be replaced by Sam Uffindell as Ambassador to Ireland?
That would be a simple confusion between bastards and assholes.
Surely just a simple substitution?
OK so now I'm going to do an entire post on the difference between bastards and assholes.
So said Sam Upffendoff about the flat he occupied in Dunedin. (In the 2004 article on the disgusting state of one student accommodation).
It sort of sums up the man, doesn't it – and surely qualified him to be a Natz MP.
tbf, that standard of housing now would have progressives up in arms. I notice the landlord hasn’t been named. But yeah, scarfie culture then was entitlement weird.
My first flat was a really old place super run down but super cheap at the same time. Was basically party central and the landlord didnt care given he was planning to demo it. There was competition with a decent prize for the nastiest flat run by the uni students association at the time, we entered somehow didnt win… in the end we were allowed to have a demolish the house party at end of the year…
Good times really and not that unusual 25 years ago…
I lived in a flat in the 80s with a hole in the floor in the bathroom so bad that we were never sure if the bath would collapse the floor when we filled it. I draw the line at not cleaning the toilet though.
TVNZ reporting that latest Poll , which one?, has NatAct can form a Govt on latest figures, and are going after the Greens to join Coalition. Which is true? I thought Labour Green were ahead.
If it is TVNZ doing the reporting it is almost certainly their own poll which went to air on Monday.
That had National/ACT with (I think) 62 seats and Labour/Greens/Maori Party with 58.
The TV stations almost never mention any poll except their own. The keep their blinkers on very tightly as far as the existence of other stations go.
When did you hear this item of news?
The recent poll showing Lab/Greens ahead is the Horizon Poll which has Lab/Greens on 42%, Nat/Act on 42%. Their headline is "Among registered, definite voters election too close to call"
with NACT? Never ever going to happen. What that is is a Nact memo designed to stop people voting Green.
There have been two polls this week, one said Nact could form gov, the said L/G. We're over a year from the general election, the trend matters but not as much as what happens next year.
Yes it was their own poll – they like to drip feed bits of it over several nights as a form of self-promotion. Also in this case, maybe they see a Nat government as their only salvation from the RNZ merger and any unwelcome de-trivialisation of TV1 that might go with it?
And of course the same old censorious crap – " a responsible 'environmental' party would not rule out coalition with National". Same crap as from 2017. Interesting that no-one tries to shame ACT into coalescing with Labour – though it's obvious why: it would be self-evidently bonkers and the whole purpose of the ‘story’ is to prevent Labour governments, not enable them.
Alwyn. Latest poll results showing Natact in front was on 6 o’clock news on One by the ever dapper Simon Callow.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-08-2022/#comment-1904962