Most recently enjoyed watching her on Detectorists, playing mother to her real life daughter, Rachael Stirling.
Good role, could have been a typical Mother In Law beat up, but well written and well played, with genuine affection and warmth apparent within the irritation.
looks like Ardern and Robertson are tax trauma victims. Having seen John Key and Bill English wipe out Helen Clark and Michael Cullen’s 39 percent rate in a single blow and watched Phil Goff, David Shearer, David Cunliffe and Andrew Little all eviscerated by various versions of “show me the money!”, they are now cowered.
Clark and Cullen’s 39 percent rate cut in at $60,000; around $90,000 in today’s money. Labour this time has brought it in at twice that amount. Sure, they hope to say they succeeded where Goff, Shearer, Cunliffe and Little all failed, but it’s the most pyrrhic of victories. It’s estimated to bring in a measly $550m a year. Robertson said that would go into health, education and covid debt.
That’s nonsense. That amount will buy you today a sum total of one week’s worth of wage subsidy. Yep, one week. The government budgeted $50 billion to save the economy this year; half a billion achieves next to nothing in that context.
Then he alerts us to a potential upside for the Greens:
I suspect this position does the Greens some favours. This tax timidity gives space the Greens can exploit to Labour’s left, arguing they are the only voice for change that has a chance of being in government after this election.
So we will wait & see if all those lower-class folk the Greens are trying to represent will actually get up and vote for them! It could even be remotely possible that Grant & Ardern have ditched them for precisely that reason – to measure the numbers of losers who are willing to participate in democracy. A social science experiment.
Yeah, he did write cowered, as quoted. If commentators such as myself adopted a policy of refusing to quote illiteracy, how could we quote msm journalists?? You set too high a bar for contemporary society, Stuart.
There's also the fact that cowering often shows up. Which tends to suggest that past tense usage does actually have grammatical logic…
A funny ESL story came from a cop – a witness to the crime had english as a second language.
In court, the defense lawyer asked the witness how they came to be at the scene. "I was proceeding into town to do some shopping, and as I proceeded down the street towards the corner I saw that man proceeding to hit the other man". The lawyer's ears pricked up:
"Mr X, for how long have you been learning english?"
"Ever since I came to New Zealand, a year".
"And yet you use words like 'proceeding'"? [lawyer glances meaningfully at cop who took the witness statement]
"Yes, we learned it last week in language class and I use new words as much as I can".
seriously Dennis, i read what you said, and these insults were literally just bashing down to the working poor, dis-regarded poor on the benefit and the even less regarded poor that have given up on work and on Winz.
Fact is the non voters that i know are well to do white people sitting in nice and expensive houses in Auckland who can't even be bothered to vote for their children, cause "Non of hte parties do anything for me' and fact is also that if the highly paid critters that screw us over year by year can get to 'abstain' from voting then people can get also to 'abstain' from rubber stamping another government that gives about as much of fuck as hte previous one.
You want better participation in the rubber stamping model of democracy we have then maybe get better people in to the parties that you and others so support here.
No I don't want them to endorse representative democracy. The concept hasn't seemed even remotely valid during my lifetime.
Their freedom to choose will determine the outcome. The interesting bit is whether the Greens get voter support for the wealth tax or not. The election result will measure that. Let's await the verdict of the electorate.
yep, and insulting them is what is gonna get you there.
Maybe call the political parties losers for not giving these people any ANY reason at all to vote.
And yes, there is about a million + people who don't vote, and you know why? Because they don't have a reason to. Heck, i don't have a reason to vote for any of the current clown brigade trying desperately to hold on their 180.000 NZD plus jobs.
So don't blame the people, blame the 'elite' for being tone deaf, whimpy, with no guts what so ever to speak of , that think that tinkering on the sides is a vote getter. And that includes the Labour Party, the Green Party, NZFirst, Conservaties, Hannah Tamaki and the Church party and the No mates Party.
All just in there for a job that they would otherwise not get anywhere in private industry.
If anything the non voters are the ones who have it correct, 'Non of the above' right now is about the most honest vote anyone could cast.
but but … judith will be worse. Lol. Fucking lol, that is a vote getter, right?
Yeah, nah, you just insulted a whole bunch of people who vote. And you were not even funny doing it.
People who don't make a collective effort to play a constructive role in our political system deserve to be called losers. The cap fits them, therefore I will put it firmly on their heads!
Complain all you like, you can't hide from this reality. You know they've got the numbers to make themselves a substantial political force.
DF has a commenting style that tends to be a bit obscure at first read. In this instance I think the comment can be read as sarcasm rather than dissing working and underclass people as losers.
Or it can be read as indicating the thinking behind Labour's policy design. Remember Labour politicians are wannabe control-system operatives. As such, they must relegate the role of compassion for sufferers into a less-influential part of their minds. Their political advisors get this.
The cynicism involved is relative to the individual psyche, but a certain amount of elitism pervades their political culture – likely often in the minds of political commentators who remind us that Labour are middle-class (pseudo)intelligentsia, not the working class reps they were a century ago.
No, it influences them tacitly. Tacit beliefs are known to be more powerful determinants of behaviour than beliefs advocated, usually, because they are habitual. There's an entitlement syndrome, due to social class origins & habitat providing a niche of base support. More evident in the Nats, of course!
Framing can have a subconscious basis but is usually overt – expressed as design. So the utility factor is more important with framing. What works.
unconscious belief in people as losers makes more sense. My point stands. Often your commenting style is not straightforward, and requires additional parsing that many don’t so. I tend to agree with Sabine, it was easy to misread the comment. If you are going to do that kind of convoluted inference, some care is required.
Maybe next time ad a sarcasm tag here, cause anyone reading this is entitled to their opinion that dear Dennis is another one of these chardoney swoilling liberals/labourites/greens that have nothing but contempt for the ones that are considered the 'essential worker' or 'low wage losers'. /s
Barfly You are outraged at someone describing what we can see plainly for ourselves? You are too sensitive to be involved in plain discussion about our politics. What makes me anxious is the number of losers out there who are not getting any help with their living standards, to get regular work, medical and hospital treatment when needed etc. They are definitely losing out on the services that wealthier people get partly because they are lower-class folk and haven't learned the ways to improve their lot. No use putting angry faces about it., be abusive for saying what is, that you apparently don't want to know. Don't get angry, get busy trying to help – put the energy of your anger to some useful action to help people at the bottom of the ladder.
yeah, how dare he be outraged that some schmuck call people that have been left behind by the system losers for not participating in a system that have left them behind.
maybe dennis needs to channel his outrage at the non voting loser by working to get them to the polls. I am sure insults work a great deal.
btw, todays losers were yesterdays 'essential workers'. Just saying.
I feel no such outrage. Those who refuse to vote for a party that is endeavouring to represent them are understandable, imo. Not rational.
One must have spent a significant part of one's life in similar oppression to feel for them. I fall into that category. However deep the hole, one always has the choice of trying to climb out. Loser is the term for one who gets defeated by the system and stops trying. It is a technical term only.
That said, I get your emotional reaction. Emotional intelligence is usually not factored into politics, but it ought to be.
God helps those who help themselves. Old saying. Losers who refuse to help themselves by voting Green this election deserve the label!
However deep the hole, one always has the choice of trying to climb out. Loser is the term for one who gets defeated by the system and stops trying. It is a technical term only.
And winner is the term for one who gets rewarded by the system and keeps trying to get more. It is a technical term only.
Technical term only Dennis? Really. Maybe this will help…
Sandel is determined to aim a broadside squarely at a left-liberal consensus that has reigned for 30 years. Even a perfect meritocracy, he says, would be a bad thing. “The book tries to show that there is a dark side, a demoralising side to that,” he says. “The implication is that those who do not rise will have no one to blame but themselves.” Centre-left elites abandoned old class loyalties and took on a new role as moralising life-coaches, dedicated to helping working-class individuals shape up to a world in which they were on their own.
The Tyranny of Merit is the latest salvo in Sandel’s lifelong intellectual struggle against a creeping individualism that, since the Reagan and Thatcher era, has become pervasive in western democracies. “To regard oneself as self-made and self-sufficient. This picture of the self exerts a powerful attraction because it seems on the face of it to be empowering – we can make it on our own, we can make it if we try. It’s a certain picture of freedom but it’s flawed. It leads to a competitive market meritocracy that deepens divides and corrodes solidarity.”
I appreciate your link. There's deep thought consequent. Although I've always preferred meritocracy to democracy, I have always opposed the establishment's privilege system of vested interests.
I've never seen neoliberalism as offering much credible meritocracy: gaming the system when you're competitive and able merely provides personal benefits (perhaps trickling down to partner & family).
What Money Can’t Buy sealed Sandel’s status as perhaps the most formidable critic of free-market orthodoxy in the English-speaking world. But as an age of violently polarised, partisan and poisonous politics has taken hold, it is that early encounter with Reagan that has begun to play on his mind.
“It taught me a lot about the importance of the ability to listen attentively,” he says, “which matters as much as the rigours of the argument. It taught me about mutual respect and inclusion in the public square.”
Consensus politics teaches the same. But only to those who actually do the leg-work of that! It probably remains pie in the sky idealism to all others. So as someone who made it work for the Greens initially, I see those shrill sectarians who now pollute our social ecosystem as exhibitors of shadow narcissism, busy betraying real Greens. I do wish them luck with the wealth tax, though, since it would be a useful corrective…
No Contest stands as the definitive critique of competition. Contrary to accepted wisdom, competition is not basic to human nature; it poisons our relationships and holds us back from doing our best. In this new edition, Alfie Kohn argues that the race to win turns all of us into losers.
More and more the research is showing how capitalism, and the individualism it promotes, fails us.
Likewise, except that I have owned a paperback of the original edition since the '90s and still not got around to it!
I'm comfortable with that since adopting the synthesis frame (competition plus collaboration). I've always been an individualist, so didn't acquire a collectivist self easily, competitive by nature yet keen to collaborate on a credible basis.
If you look at it from the perspective of ethos, the competitive ethic is a survival skill (enhancing fitness & merit) plus reputation-building, but the collaborative ethic is likewise. Hunter-gatherers proved their matrix resilient & sustainable and those who proved themselves good at teamwork got enhanced reputations within clan or tribe.
Yup – The use of the term losers by the representative class indicates that they have usurped the people's franchise and see themselves as rulers.
People don't want to be losers, they want a government that represents their interests – that doesn't steal public assets or free education or fishery rights or any of the other ladders that used to allow NZ people to succeed.
"If the Greens or any party want to go after voters by saying that they will tax them much harder that Labour will, they are welcome to it."
Yep. Labour are doing a really good job of showing us what a sane and civilised centre-right government looks like. Their strategically near-flawless Covid response is setting about saving as much of BAU as possible. They are rocking few boats with tax or climate change initiatives. Who but those mentally vitiated by habit and the psychopathology of culture wars needs National now? Labour is opening significant space on their left – if there is a genuine constituency there, someone can take it.
Increased taxation on the middle class is not (or shouldnt be) the goal, that is the area of most discretionary spend within the economy….about the only thing Labour got right with its tax policy was its target and is why the Greens policy is far superior.
Increased taxation on the middle class is not (or shouldnt be) the goal, that is the area of most discretionary spend within the economy
To a degree I agree with that. I've even pointed out that we should be able to do without income tax altogether but, IMO, we could only do that if we had a minimum and maximum income. The former ensures everyone has enough to live on and the latter ensures that people don't have too much.
People having too much is, of course, the bigger problem.
"On the face of it, the promise from Labour that it would make New Zealand's electricity system fully renewable by 2030 seems a bold climate pledge.
In reality, it is little more than a red herring to distract from the woeful lack of policy to reduce emissions in sectors that pollute far more than the energy industry."
'Red herring' was the first thought I had, closely followed by 'eating Greens lunch'…the closing comment however nails it.
"So long as we are unwilling to commit to the hard work needed to decarbonise our society, political parties like Labour will continue to get away with offering stingy emissions reductions as if they're game-changing climate policies."
"Our plan will start by rolling out the recently announced $70m Government investment to support large businesses to replace the use of fossil fuel in industrial heat processes and connect to the grid. This includes transmission line upgrades, and direct support to industrial users to convert their coal boilers to electricity or other renewable alternatives," the policy fact sheet reads.
I do hope that means that the government will be buying back the power shares rather than giving the bludgers millions of dollars so that they can bludge better.
Given that a post-Brexit UK is quietly trying to negotiate a free-trade deal with the USA right now … a deal that will not be concluded until the Yanks have more or less crushed the Brits will to live … then yes political considerations will likely trump legal ones.
As a historical review it's fine. But at best it just barely touches on alternatives to Waikato River water for the water supply situation Auckland is now in, and what the infrastructure implications of those alternatives might be.
Briefly, one issue is that drinking quality water is supplied for everything – toilet flushing, golf course irrigation, industrial cleaning etc, as well as actual drinking. But the infrastructure implication of going to a two-tier quality water supply means effectively a double-up on water supply infrastructure.
Another related issue is the use once and dump we have for almost all users. While there is some water recycling in individual businesses – car washes are just the first that comes to mind – re-using grey water in general implies a lot of doubling up on waste-water infrastructure.
There is mention and references in the article about how drinkable quality water is utilised for everything, where many other muncipal or state systems have had a dual tier system for water for industrial use, and water for consumption.
The investment in a double up in this case, is an investment in public health outcomes, and a reduction in use and dump situations if possible. Taking water from the Waikato has been a strategy pursued for years, without any alternative option being proposed.
NZers are used to having lots of land, lots of water, lots of fuel and the consequences of this largesse is that sometimes use and planning – at personal and institutional level – does not result in these resources being used efficiently.
Other places that have gone to dual-tier supply, and reuse and recycling systems, tend to be in places where water really truly is a very scarce resource. For instance, Windhoek Namibia, and southwestern US are just the first two I'm directly aware of. None of them have a massive river flowing into the sea right where water is needed, and the need could be supplied from under 2% of that flow.
The overwhelming impression I've developed of opposition to taking Waikato water is that opponents have zero conception of how small Auckland's take really is compared to the general flow of the river, nor how close the intake is to where the river becomes tidal and salty, meaning there simply is almost zero length of river run where ecological effects or other users could conceivably be affected by the miniscule reduction in flow. Then there's the woo-woo objections on the basis of water is precious with no other arguments attached.
Then, when it comes to ideas about disturbing the historic flow of the river, the Tongariro power scheme diverted a lot of water into the Waikato that used to flow down the Rangitikei, Whangaehu and Whanganui rivers starting in the early 80s. That extra flow amounts to around 10% of the Waikato flow at the river mouth – about 5 times Auckland's proposed maximum take.
Having worked in the water supply industry for a considerable period I can only confirm this comment 100% Andre.
The superficial reasons given for objections to the increased take for Auckland are absurd. The actual motivations can have nothing to do with the health of the river.
Time for the government to step and sort this out.
NZers are used to having lots of land, lots of water, lots of fuel and the consequences of this largesse is that sometimes use and planning – at personal and institutional level – does not result in these resources being used efficiently.
I recall when Labour were going to put in place shower head restrictions. National and its supporters got really upset about but what really stood out, to me, was some idiot journalist going on about how we have infinite water, that it just falls from the sky, and thus we didn't need to restrict people's use of it.
He'd obviously missed all the droughts that NZ keeps having and Auckland's last water crisis in the 1990s.
Labour's move to outflank National on the right seems shrewd on the basis that the number of people who see that are politically insignificant. Most suckers believe Labour is the party of the left, not the party of the rich.
the real winners from Labour’s policy are real estate agents and wealthy people themselves. That is because the tax change is likely to send property prices even higher.
The real problem with our tax system is the different tax treatment of property compared with other investments. People with money in other forms of investments – KiwiSaver, bank deposits and businesses – pay some of the highest tax rates in the world on the returns from those investments. Meanwhile, property investments – especially the family home – pay some of the lowest taxes in the world.
This provides a massive incentive to speculate on property. That is why we put more of our money into property than any other country in the world. That means we put less into businesses (which actually create jobs and exports) than any other country. This is also one reason why we have some of the most unaffordable housing in the world. Increasing the top tax rate to 39c will make the problem worse.
Since the worsening of the problem will not become apparent until the medium-term future, Labour's deceit strategy is likely to be effective. A clever ploy.
Simmons isn't wrong on the general point that NZ tax is very low on returns from capital and wealth.
But Simmons is very wrong that taxes in NZ are comparatively very high on returns from businesses in particular. The complete absence of capital gains taxes in NZ means the biggest form of returns from business is completely untaxed – unlike the US, UK, Australia, China etc.
Company profits in NZ are also effectively only taxed once on the way to individual pockets, unlike at least the US where profits are taxed first at the company level, then dividends distributed from profits are then taxed at the individual level.
Are you an economist? Your comment reads as if. Re Simmons; takes one to know one. I get your logic though and it seems valid.
If so, then it is a status quo historically co-created by Labour & National: this left/right collusion makes us more business-friendly than those other countries.
Will we see Labour supporters go public and explain why they support capitalism? Hell will freeze over before that happens. Hypocrisy is better than honesty for them.
No I'm not an economist. I'm an engineer that has lived and worked in NZ, the US, and Mexico, and paid a broad range of taxes in all three of those jurisdictions. Plus the state income taxes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and California.
As for why I support some capitalism as part of a mixed economy, I've travelled through places that don't have a healthy private capitalist sector. Fuck that for jokes of places to live.
In any society there will always be those compelled to somehow flaunt "success". So they can have sex with the most attractive partners, enjoy the most interesting experiences, eat the tenderest tastiest food, live in the biggest house, have others pander to their whims. Capitalism provides a good avenue for the likes of Jobs, Musk etc to fulfill that urge by creating stuff the rest of us value.
Capitalism works well where there's low barriers to entry, there's genuine product differentiation, consumers can reasonably evaluate in choose among competitors. Food, clothing, transport, recreational activity etc.
Capitalism doesn't work well where there are natural monopolies (eg electricity, water), where the consumer can't reasonably evaluate different options and make reasonable choices and life effects may be disproportionate (healthcare, education).
Hence the value of a mixed economy in being able to take advantage of the strengths of different systems.
also 'for the greater good' should be made the underlying basis of said social market society.
But NZ what stills ails the country imo, is a very old fashioned system in which two thirds of the country peasants working for a few Landlords to whom the political class either belongs, or wants to belong to, or is indebted too, and a bunch of highly paid stenographers that don't even want to pretend to being journalists, lest it costs them access to the landlord class.
That's a solid framework to work with. Markets are useful tools which we can use in selected areas to meet pre-existing social/ethical goals, and avoid using in other areas where they would undermine those goals. Once that is established, then we can get down to arguing about which bucket (market/non-market) things should be in – and we will have taken the insanity of markets as ends in themselves off the table.
That means we put less into businesses (which actually create jobs and exports) than any other country.
No business has ever created a job.
Job creation is always dependent upon demand for the product/service in the community thus we can say that it is the community that creates jobs. If there is no demand there are no jobs.
Other than that, he's probably right. Capitalists always look for the easiest way to scam the rest of us and property in NZ is a very easy way to become a rentier.
I may have missed it, but where are the united voices of the leadership of our opposition parties condemning the fundamentalists for their conspiracy theories. Perhaps they see some votes being lost. Or do Collins and Peters believe Covid is not a threat?
Not sure I understand your response Red. Unfortunately the loons are gaining traction (spreading-like-a-virus amongst their fellow loons). And their actions are the current outbreak spreaders of covid. Why are we pussyfooting around with them and not shaming them and their leaders. A chance for Collins to show some leadership as well.
"Shaming them" feeds their furnace, unfortunately. Naming their issues gives those issues coverage and credibility, in the eyes of the devoted, so alluding to them is the only way. The devotees have been primed to expect resistance from the "establishment" and will thrill to noise made, accusations levelled and individuals blamed; they are seeking martyrdom and have already embedded the possibility in the minds of their followers. Logical appeals to those flighty-folk are met with Gish gallop and shared glances of delight as they bolster each others cleverness in knowing that "this was going to happen". It's a tricky situation. The best approach seems to be "extinguish by ignoring" but that's frustrating when you are watching that contagion seemingly spread and hear them boast of their up-coming landslide victory!
There is no need for Labour to be concerned about the Future. It has taken the amazing stand of clearing up the appalling mess given by national, decade after decade.
National are a grotty bunch of money grubbers, who go out of their American way, year after year, to destroy the livings and the necessities of the New Zealand population.
National have made sure never to build a house for the people. The People are made to crawl daily to get food from decent respectable people.
Nothing, but nothing adequate has been given to the Population by the money thieves.
National love suicide. Love poor Literacy. Adore Poverty. They are good at it.
The difference between National and labour for the majority is paper thin, for those in struggle town even less Both simply manage to the centre with a couple of scraps to keep their rabid base happy re differentiation and that’s about it
Has any Party so far posted something up in regards to the 11.000 covid unemployed of whom 90% are women? Something anything? Or is Carmel Sepuloni the only one who spoke of the dear 'unfortunate' that can't get better benefits as they have right now but might be pressured into 'voluntary work' cause indentured servitude is now a thing with the Labour Party.
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni wants to look at ways the welfare system can encourage volunteering to prepare people for work.
But officials have warned against making it compulsory.
Trevor McGlinchey from the Council of Christian Social Services was on the Welfare Expert Advisory Group which produced a report on restoring dignity to social security.
Also is Carmel Sepuloni so far removed from reality that she really thinks that 'volunteering' for the benefit is getting people ready for work that is not there?
Is Carmel Sepuloni saying that the people that lost jobs since January 2020 due to Covid, need 'volunteering' to get them to understand the value of work?
And is Carmel Sepuloni saying that people who are currently on a benefit – unemployment, social welfare, single parents, illness etc do not at all, never, or currently are not volunteering in their community.\
and last but least, when has Carmel Sepuloni last volunteered for anything else then a government pay for which she has to do absolutely nothing and be served chardonnay with her dinner for free?
fuck, is there anyone in our current government that actually gives a flying fuck about the misery that is currently starting to blanket the country, or are shovel ready jobs for the rich and connected the only ones that are worth their time?
Seriously think about it, 11.000 Covid unemployed (by their own statistics), 90% of whom are women, and who now can look forward to a life of 'bene bashing' forced 'volunteering' and starvation benefits. Does anyone give a shit?
” Indentured servitude
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An indenture signed by Henry Mayer, with an “X”, in 1738. This contract bound Mayer to Abraham Hestant of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who had paid for Mayer to travel from Europe.
An indentured servant or indentured laborer is an employee (indenturee) within a system of unfree labor who is bound by a signed or forced contract (indenture) to work without pay for the owner of the indenture for a period of time. The contract often lets the employer sell the labor of an indenturee to a third party. Indenturees usually enter into an indenture for a specific payment or other benefit (such as transportation to a new place), or to meet a legal obligation, such as debt bondage. On completion of the contract, indentured servants were given their freedom, and occasionally plots of land. Indentured servitude was often brutal, with a high percentage[vague] of servants dying prior to the expiration of their indentures. In many countries, systems of indentured labor have now been outlawed, and are banned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a form of slavery.”
Last, if there is work to be done – then the Government can start hiring these unemployed people on the benefit and pay them minimum wage. And if they don’t want to do that, than they should hang their heads in eternal shame.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says people in the city are, by and large, following the rules and prosecution shouldn't be ruled out for those who break them or spread misinformation.
Good on you Phil. Its time prosecution was threatened for those who are peddling disinformation and conspiracy theories. We can't do a lot about ignorance and naivety, but we can stop the bastards who feed on it and create so much damage and fear in the process.
Why can't the SIS and the GCSB pool their resources and dig them out of their metaphorical caves? They have the tools to do the job. A visit from the police ordering them to desist accompanied with the threat of prosecution if they don't comply should shut most of them up. And exposing the identities of the worst offenders would do no harm either.
The me too movement has many tentacles and what you raise is one of them. Sexual harassment is finally being exposed for the damage it causes. That there is no avenue for complaint that works. Taking a complaint against an employer for sexual harassment is a bit like an ACC sensitive claim. You are on your own, you need a lawyer, the legislation is not fit for purpose especially an historical case.
I was disappointed in Dowie as she could have done a private members bill/ballot to address the hurdle of the Limitations Act and the dysfunctional ACC Act. For a historical schedule 3 ACC claim when you have complained there should be no Limitations Act date when a serious error occurred by an organisation. Now that would fix an organisation. Historical cases are being discriminated against compared to a current case as no right to sue.
Go to stuff news and look at the Mariya Taylor update today. Please do a link for it.
It would be good if the smart leaders at the top listened to the smart workers who make it all happen. Make them part of the process and there will be less demand, and more effectiveness for everybody.
The Chair of Dunedin Holdings Limited (DHL) has refused to allow union representation on an important stakeholder group on the future of Dunedin Railways Limited (DRL).
The RMTU wrote to DRL on 1 September requesting membership of the Council’s reference group charged with overseeing submissions into the future of the council-owned company.
The union letter was signed by RMTU Otago Branch Secretary Dave Kearns, as well as Unions Otago Convenor Andrew Tait and Unions Otago Secretary Malcolm Deans, on behalf of local affiliates of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.
It's been hard to have a former hero of mine be repeatedly revealed to be one I have little respect for.
Way back in the day I saw Bad Taste on the big screen in Palmy. A feature film made in the weekends by a bunch of guys in and around Wellys. Funny and gory.
Fast forward to 'The Hobbitt Law' and the lies Mr and Mrs Jackson told, besmirching a true hero's name, Helen Kelly, all to serve greed and Warners.
From 9 November, the NZ Government is intending to remove this provision, so non-qualifying partners will no longer be able to be included! The closure will have an immense impact on many people who are about to retire, and without any warning, people will not have time to re-set their retirement plans! For example, a younger wife who is looking after an older man with health needs will, under the new law, no longer be applicable for the “non-qualifying partner” payment and will have to look for paid employment.
ahh, yeah, the 'wellbeing' budget, the kinder gentler bullshit that will leave all a bit poorer, but never mind the Queen and her consorts are all in this together. Why vote fro the no – mates party when Labour does it so well.
Actually super not being on an individual basis was causing a lot of problems. Particularly for anyone who had an overseas partner from some countries who were not eligible despite being so if they were single.
Nor do I think super should be used as a de facto payment for individual nursing.
It was also propping up a lot of the internet bride market – where very young women could be included in the claim and then when the male partner died they would have to transit onto some thing else. if they had any skills
It also had a funny downside where if the couple of not too different ages claimed – one over and one under and the older partner died then the not quite 65 year old had to attempt to go back to or find work or go onto an unemployment benefit for a few years. However, a single person under 65 has no choice but continue to work or be on unemployment benefit so at least it isn't discriminating on the basis of partnership status
But I don't like the hard edge cut off that they did Personally if a partner was under say 50 or under I would have given them 18 months to 2 years to get themselves off super and into employment or unemployment.
As the non eligible partner got older a sliding scale to maintain some level of eligibility for those within in say 5 years of retiring would have been a fairer take.
Any way most retirement policy doesn't do a lot for women who live longer and are more likely to go into retirement alone or to live alone in retirement.
i know full well that retirement for women means in many cases abject poverty, but then so does being a women on the benefit – specially if your partner actually has an income as the benefit then reduces to nothing. So that is hte other side.
But women tend to be younger then their male partners, and they also tend to look after their partners and or sick children/parents etc. So again, its women that are being hit the hardest with this change of rules.
Nevermind, when it comes to benefits and beneficiaries all the parties are full of shit. All of them.
I agree with the move to prevent younger partners piggybacking on much older partners/husbands super. it is part of a series of moves to treat people in marriages etc as individuals. And it has been well signalled since the Wellbeing budget in in May 2019, the previous cut-off was July 2020 so it has been extended because of Covid-19 I guess.
'Pensioners who are currently including their partner will be able to continue to do so. But if their partner is not already included in their payment at July 1, they will not be able to be included.
A spokeswoman for Minster of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said non-qualified partners of pensioners would be able to access support through the welfare system in the same way as other people.'
Stuff Jan 25 2020
The previous system was rife with abuse from older men with much younger overseas spouses, who were often in very short duration marriages because of the death of the very much older spouse, had no real ties to NZ and were then able to receive various benefits without having to work, pay tax etc.
As the changes are not retrospective those receiving this piggybacking will continue to receive it until the younger one qualifies for super.
If the younger spouse is entitled to receive pension from overseas then the rule that saw it deducted from the spouses pension here in NZ has been dropped.
'From 1 July 2020, the direct deduction of a government-administered overseas pension received by a superannuitant’s partner from that superannuitant’s New Zealand Super or Veteran’s Pension will be removed.'
and
'The Spousal Provision clearly has been a source of extreme distress for so long for the 500 or so couples affected and the removal will greatly improve their financial situation, say the retirement experts.'
So it fixed up the genuine problem with super payments that younger overseas pension qualified spouses had while tightened the loophole, with plenty of notice 18months or more, for the other set.
We have assurances that the safety net will remain and those affected will be able to access support through our welfare system.
Good, but to finish the job they need to have enough money for food when they get there, and a train/bus to get home. No use dumping them in their country and bye bye. Many of these people have no resources left after just existing for months while no-one knew what would happen next.
Be good to get a list of the countries who are refusing to help their own citizens and leaving us with the financial hit – NZ advances money to it's citizens stuck overseas with no funds
I listened to the first 17 minutes. I usually use powdered milk with Vitamin D3 added. I realise a level and the absorption of vitamin D3 is required. There probably is a safe level of Vitamin D3. Just like folate is added to bread, adding Vitamin D3 to milk would be one way of getting some of the vitamin. Ordinary milk could still be purchased.
There needs to be a larger study. I personally think getting ahead of Covid is the way to go just by ensuring your diet has plenty of Vitamin D3.
Yes the trial numbers are low, but the statistical significance is still extremely strong. And as Campbell says it also it aligns strongly with a substantial body of empirical evidence from clinicians all over the world.
By all means larger and better trials should be run to confirm this study; indeed if they’re not conducted it would truly bring into question the integrity of the entire system.
Of course I can only hope that Trump doesn't come out and endorse it; if that happens next thing there will be a scam study showing that historically safe doses of Vitamin D3 are now dangerously toxic and WHO will recommend banning any clinical use of it. And govts will start making it illegal to sell OTC.
Disclaimer; These media including videos, book, e book, articles, podcasts are not peer-reviewed. They should never replace individual clinical judgement from your own health care provider. No media-based material on this channel is suitable for using as professional medical advice. All comments are also for educational purposed only and must never replace advice from your own health care provider.
Oh FFS it's a commentary on a well designed clinical study that is reporting exactly what anyone who had been paying attention knew since March sometime … that Vitamin D is strongly involved in protecting from the worst of this disease.
If this had been taken seriously six months ago it looks like many hundreds of thousands of deaths could have been avoided.
Vitamin D loading dosing for supportive treatment of covid is certainly interesting and more study is warranted.
Normal Vitamin D supplementation of individuals is not going to do the vast majority of the population any harm whatsoever.
Nonsense comments such as ……
'If this had been taken seriously six months ago it looks like many hundreds of thousands of deaths could have been avoided.'
are pretty pointless.
There are a number of shortcomings with the spanish study which I'm sure you're aware of this doesn't mean that Vitamin D supplementation or active high dose treatment in the acute phase are a bad idea just that more study is warranted before making bold statements of efficacy or protective effect of any intervention.
It always helps to include a link and some comment, even with presumed self-explanatory quotes and ‘obvious’ self-evident copy & paste jobs. Moderators on this site have been droning on about this forever, for a reason.
The only obvious shortcoming is the number of patients in the trial. 76 is midrange, neither large nor small.
However this limitation is largely nullified by the astoundingly strong p value in the results. If you are aware of any other problems how about telling us.
It's very good news if the result can be replicated.
As you have noted the study is with a vey small number of patients, there is no information on the degree of severity of Covid-19 in the patients at admission, and there is no information on their clinical progress other than ICU admission and death – although these are certainly worth measuring.
The study doesn't specify the co-morbidities particularly well for instance an obese patient is more likely have a poor outcome.
The usual care group had more people with high blood pressure and diabetes
There was no measurement of vitamin D levels before or after administering the hormone.
To be fair the researchers acknowledge that the study does not provide definitive answers on whether calcifediol can be beneficial for all Covid-19 patients.
Well labour does seem to be selling out. Nothing resembling a decent tax policy and with the move to allow 10% of incomers to be skilled visa holders 1400 visas a month are coming back in – plus they will check essential skills. There are only around 10,000 that have been here longer than 4 years so that should only be about 6 months worth.
So much for retraining and jobs for locals. Looks like absolutely no immigration reset.
and just yesterday a nurse at the shop told me that we have received 100 ventilators, now we only need to import the nurses that can actually work these machines becasue we don't have that talent and skill here in NZ .
Yeah, but instead of free training for nurses to bond them to NZ for a few years it must still be more profitable to charge an arm a leg and a first born to NZ'lers who would like to work in the profession and then import from overseas when the same NZ trained nursed disappear overseas for better wages and less hassle with the student loan repayments and high living costs.
Did!in!t dislike Cunliffe, he would have had a cleanout, see the change them egit engineers replaced, same like the Nat!s mistake, replacing, Spud, with their appointed first female leader, and New Zealand!s first MANOUVERED without those working outside the farm fence, female Prime Minister, who when the people decided the First ever New Zealand Female appointed Prime Minister to deliver the biggest ()ever) National Party defeat at the ballot box.
Great to see shareholder revolt forcing the Board of Rio Tinto to get the resignations of CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques, the head of iron ore mining, and the head of corporate affairs, after massively damaging an aboriginal cave occupied 40,000 years ago.
Shouldn't need shareholders to revolt on a board to do it, but good result.
Blew it up didn't he? (Off piste – for those who would like a rest thinking about the present and the future, with foreboding.)
French like blowing up things apparently. Panama Canal. The Rainbow Warrior. What will be the next French venture?
google fact: There was approximately about 30,000,000lbs of explosives used to help clear the way for the canal.
(Some would have been those of USA though. And it is interesting that the Frenchman was not an engineer but a diplomat. He could talk the talk but not walk the walk. I wonder how many big ideas are agreed to on the basis of the rhetoric?)
De Lesseps then decided that another ceremony should inaugurate the section of the canal that would have the deepest excavation, the cut through the Continental Divide at Culebra. A ceremony was arranged, and on January 10, 1880, appropriate officials and guests gathered at Cerro Culebra (later known as Gold Hill) for the ceremony, which included witnessing the blast from an explosive charge set to break up a basalt formation just below the summit. After blessings by the local bishop, young Ferdinande again performed the honors, pushing the button of the electric detonator that set off the charge that hurled a highly satisfactory amount of rock and dirt into the air.
As de Lesseps was a trained diplomat and not an engineer, a fact that he should perhaps have more often remembered during canal design decisions, his son Charles took on the task of supervising the daily work. De Lesseps himself handled the important work of promoting and raising money for the project from private subscription.
Not having the least scientific or technical bent, de Lesseps relied upon a rather naive faith in the serendipitous nature of emerging technology. Thus he worried little about the problems facing this gigantic undertaking, feeling sure that the right people with the right ideas and the right machines would somehow miraculously appear at the right time and take care of them. His boundless confidence and enthusiasm for the project and his consummate faith in the miracles of technology attracted stockholders.
Not having the least scientific or technical bent, de Lesseps relied upon a rather naive faith in the serendipitous nature of emerging technology. Thus he worried little about the problems facing this gigantic undertaking, feeling sure that the right people with the right ideas and the right machines would somehow miraculously appear at the right time and take care of them. His boundless confidence and enthusiasm for the project and his consummate faith in the miracles of technology attracted stockholders.
And there we have the quintessence of managerialism which has found its way onto our shores and is now blighting our government and private business.
Jan.3/20Up on the ridge, a Malaysian logging company named Gallego Resources had begun carving great scores through the forest— its men felling the tall, grey-barked kwila and the akwa strung with fruit, then dragging them off the slopes for export, leaving nothing to stop the rains from taking the topsoil…
The rivers burst their banks not long after, flooding the flatland where the coconuts, mangoes, and yams grew, and laying down impermeable clay that made the earth unusable.
So the villagers walked to the little patches of cell phone reception and called Philip Manakako, a son of Marasa who lived 30 miles across the mountains in Honiara, the capital. His father, Philip Senior, told him that there were no more fish in the rivers. The water was making children sick, an uncle said. A woman who lived nearby explained how her plants all died three days after the floods first came, and the ground around them smelled of petrol….
Resurgence of infections prompts stricter curbs, including bar and restaurant curfews and 'Covid-secure marshals'
In the UK Boorish will lead them out of the depths, playing his flute and with any luck the mountains will close behind him and we will never see him again. You may be able to see a vid clip from the above or look up on google news.
Bad timing for the Labour party….and is yet another example of the disconnect between the rhetoric and the act.
"Some questions are too sensitive for Gullery and White.
They won’t say if they’re surprised this has happened under a Labour Government. There’s silence when they’re asked if it’s galling to watch the Government splash Covid-19 stimulus cash around the country, and spend wads of money around Christchurch on things like new sports stadiums, when they’re having to cut health services."
"spend wads of cash on Christchurch like stadiums and things" while I agree dhb's desperately need cash the spending on infrastructure is non negotiable and is miles away from what it should be for a center of around half a million people. This is replacing what was broken and the rebuild job by both Labour and national (it's been three years so Labour is just as guilty ) has been horrendous. East chch left to rot because it's a labour safe seat so why bother, a city the size of chch deserves a stadium and functioning roads and infrastructure, it's been a decade and that city is still a bloody mess. Damn right , they deserve every penny they get and more and it's not extra spending it's replacing what was taken. A decade. It's appalling. Labour mayor, labour council every electorate bar one is labour and sweet bugger all has happened in three years. I honestly can't believe anyone in my home town has to pay rates to live there half the cbd is still full of rubble and half the building that need to come down are just standing supported by crates cos some do gooder thinks it's heritage. I digress don't act like money going into Chch for stadiums is extra spending, extra spending would be giving that city light rail or luxuries. It's still broken as hell despite govt of all kinds praising the rebuild progress.
Sorry for the rant every time I visit home I get furious and people seem to think chch is getting stuff it doesn't deserve
From CHumm "Damn right , they deserve every penny they get and more and it's not extra spending it's replacing what was taken. A decade. It's appalling. "
A decade!! Labour has only been in three years and been under constant attack by National. Give over Pat.
You miss the point (as does Corey)….after a decade of National the sector was promised some relief only to find that not only was the relief not forthcoming but the burden was to be increased….meanwhile the sector observes the apparent plenty for others.
The journalist observes this and unsuccessfully seeks opinion…..that opinion may not be expressed publicly but the voting booth is private.
Thank you for fixing the cell phone reply issue. I still like to find time to comment. I was absent for several months from late last year until lockdown. It took me returning to realise how much you do and you do it so well. Your main authors as well deserve a big thank you.
Edit if you are still working on the reply issue it appears to be fixed for me.
It looks like there was a fix in wp-includes/js/comment-reply.js which is where the problem is. Can’t be bothered to install smartsvn, dig out the repo and diff to see what changed.
In fact I haven’t used svn since 2014. I switched to git and smartgit then, and never returned. Mind you it isn’t as bad as pvcs. I dug out some 20 yera old boot loaders from a pvcs archive virtual machine earlier this year. Now that was terrifying experience.
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Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
RIP Diana Rigg.
Best Bond girl ever.
And an excellent baddie on Game of Thrones.
I think she was a better feminist role model than most too.
Sure she was sexy and seemed deadly – but she was always smart as a whip, in a time when a lot of actresses just made tea for the male leads.
Most recently enjoyed watching her on Detectorists, playing mother to her real life daughter, Rachael Stirling.
Good role, could have been a typical Mother In Law beat up, but well written and well played, with genuine affection and warmth apparent within the irritation.
What a woman!.
Tim Watkin isn't impressed by the party he usually supports. https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/labours-tax-trauma-victims-and-how-they-might-help-the-greens
Then he alerts us to a potential upside for the Greens:
So we will wait & see if all those lower-class folk the Greens are trying to represent will actually get up and vote for them! It could even be remotely possible that Grant & Ardern have ditched them for precisely that reason – to measure the numbers of losers who are willing to participate in democracy. A social science experiment.
"they are now cowered"
That's cowed Watkin, you illiterate bumpkin.
That's cowed Watkin, you illiterate bumpkin.
Yeah, he did write cowered, as quoted. If commentators such as myself adopted a policy of refusing to quote illiteracy, how could we quote msm journalists?? You set too high a bar for contemporary society, Stuart.
There's also the fact that cowering often shows up. Which tends to suggest that past tense usage does actually have grammatical logic…
Old ESL teacher – couldn't help myself 😉 I miss the effect of subediting.
You're right about the logic though.
A funny ESL story came from a cop – a witness to the crime had english as a second language.
In court, the defense lawyer asked the witness how they came to be at the scene. "I was proceeding into town to do some shopping, and as I proceeded down the street towards the corner I saw that man proceeding to hit the other man". The lawyer's ears pricked up:
"Mr X, for how long have you been learning english?"
"Ever since I came to New Zealand, a year".
"And yet you use words like 'proceeding'"? [lawyer glances meaningfully at cop who took the witness statement]
"Yes, we learned it last week in language class and I use new words as much as I can".
Defendant found guilty.
lol
It is quite simple, Watkin, use [sic] in the quote.
Indeed, stuning odiousity from Watkin their.
If the cowed cower, are they cowards?
"lower-class folk"……
"numbers of losers who are"
Go stuff yourself
Ought I to apologise for usage of marxist class analysis here? Nope. How about the lingo of the land? Nope. Therefore I'll remain unstuffed…
seriously Dennis, i read what you said, and these insults were literally just bashing down to the working poor, dis-regarded poor on the benefit and the even less regarded poor that have given up on work and on Winz.
Fact is the non voters that i know are well to do white people sitting in nice and expensive houses in Auckland who can't even be bothered to vote for their children, cause "Non of hte parties do anything for me' and fact is also that if the highly paid critters that screw us over year by year can get to 'abstain' from voting then people can get also to 'abstain' from rubber stamping another government that gives about as much of fuck as hte previous one.
You want better participation in the rubber stamping model of democracy we have then maybe get better people in to the parties that you and others so support here.
No I don't want them to endorse representative democracy. The concept hasn't seemed even remotely valid during my lifetime.
Their freedom to choose will determine the outcome. The interesting bit is whether the Greens get voter support for the wealth tax or not. The election result will measure that. Let's await the verdict of the electorate.
yep, and insulting them is what is gonna get you there.
Maybe call the political parties losers for not giving these people any ANY reason at all to vote.
And yes, there is about a million + people who don't vote, and you know why? Because they don't have a reason to. Heck, i don't have a reason to vote for any of the current clown brigade trying desperately to hold on their 180.000 NZD plus jobs.
So don't blame the people, blame the 'elite' for being tone deaf, whimpy, with no guts what so ever to speak of , that think that tinkering on the sides is a vote getter. And that includes the Labour Party, the Green Party, NZFirst, Conservaties, Hannah Tamaki and the Church party and the No mates Party.
All just in there for a job that they would otherwise not get anywhere in private industry.
If anything the non voters are the ones who have it correct, 'Non of the above' right now is about the most honest vote anyone could cast.
but but … judith will be worse. Lol. Fucking lol, that is a vote getter, right?
Yeah, nah, you just insulted a whole bunch of people who vote. And you were not even funny doing it.
The people in power love the non-vote as it means that things don't change.
People who don't make a collective effort to play a constructive role in our political system deserve to be called losers. The cap fits them, therefore I will put it firmly on their heads!
Complain all you like, you can't hide from this reality. You know they've got the numbers to make themselves a substantial political force.
No need to apologise for what you are, dizzwiddizz as the yankistanis say.
DF has a commenting style that tends to be a bit obscure at first read. In this instance I think the comment can be read as sarcasm rather than dissing working and underclass people as losers.
Or it can be read as indicating the thinking behind Labour's policy design. Remember Labour politicians are wannabe control-system operatives. As such, they must relegate the role of compassion for sufferers into a less-influential part of their minds. Their political advisors get this.
The cynicism involved is relative to the individual psyche, but a certain amount of elitism pervades their political culture – likely often in the minds of political commentators who remind us that Labour are middle-class (pseudo)intelligentsia, not the working class reps they were a century ago.
You think Labour policy designers think the underclass are losers? I mean I can see how you get there but I doubt Labour would use that framing.
No, it influences them tacitly. Tacit beliefs are known to be more powerful determinants of behaviour than beliefs advocated, usually, because they are habitual. There's an entitlement syndrome, due to social class origins & habitat providing a niche of base support. More evident in the Nats, of course!
Framing can have a subconscious basis but is usually overt – expressed as design. So the utility factor is more important with framing. What works.
unconscious belief in people as losers makes more sense. My point stands. Often your commenting style is not straightforward, and requires additional parsing that many don’t so. I tend to agree with Sabine, it was easy to misread the comment. If you are going to do that kind of convoluted inference, some care is required.
Its pretty much impossible to do subtle in text.
yeah, right.
Maybe next time ad a sarcasm tag here, cause anyone reading this is entitled to their opinion that dear Dennis is another one of these chardoney swoilling liberals/labourites/greens that have nothing but contempt for the ones that are considered the 'essential worker' or 'low wage losers'. /s
Barfly You are outraged at someone describing what we can see plainly for ourselves? You are too sensitive to be involved in plain discussion about our politics. What makes me anxious is the number of losers out there who are not getting any help with their living standards, to get regular work, medical and hospital treatment when needed etc. They are definitely losing out on the services that wealthier people get partly because they are lower-class folk and haven't learned the ways to improve their lot. No use putting angry faces about it., be abusive for saying what is, that you apparently don't want to know. Don't get angry, get busy trying to help – put the energy of your anger to some useful action to help people at the bottom of the ladder.
yeah, how dare he be outraged that some schmuck call people that have been left behind by the system losers for not participating in a system that have left them behind.
maybe dennis needs to channel his outrage at the non voting loser by working to get them to the polls. I am sure insults work a great deal.
btw, todays losers were yesterdays 'essential workers'. Just saying.
I feel no such outrage. Those who refuse to vote for a party that is endeavouring to represent them are understandable, imo. Not rational.
One must have spent a significant part of one's life in similar oppression to feel for them. I fall into that category. However deep the hole, one always has the choice of trying to climb out. Loser is the term for one who gets defeated by the system and stops trying. It is a technical term only.
That said, I get your emotional reaction. Emotional intelligence is usually not factored into politics, but it ought to be.
God helps those who help themselves. Old saying. Losers who refuse to help themselves by voting Green this election deserve the label!
However deep the hole, one always has the choice of trying to climb out. Loser is the term for one who gets defeated by the system and stops trying. It is a technical term only.
And winner is the term for one who gets rewarded by the system and keeps trying to get more. It is a technical term only.
Technical term only Dennis? Really. Maybe this will help…
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/06/michael-sandel-the-populist-backlash-has-been-a-revolt-against-the-tyranny-of-merit
I appreciate your link. There's deep thought consequent. Although I've always preferred meritocracy to democracy, I have always opposed the establishment's privilege system of vested interests.
I've never seen neoliberalism as offering much credible meritocracy: gaming the system when you're competitive and able merely provides personal benefits (perhaps trickling down to partner & family).
Consensus politics teaches the same. But only to those who actually do the leg-work of that! It probably remains pie in the sky idealism to all others. So as someone who made it work for the Greens initially, I see those shrill sectarians who now pollute our social ecosystem as exhibitors of shadow narcissism, busy betraying real Greens. I do wish them luck with the wealth tax, though, since it would be a useful corrective…
A book that I've been meaning to read:
More and more the research is showing how capitalism, and the individualism it promotes, fails us.
Likewise, except that I have owned a paperback of the original edition since the '90s and still not got around to it!
I'm comfortable with that since adopting the synthesis frame (competition plus collaboration). I've always been an individualist, so didn't acquire a collectivist self easily, competitive by nature yet keen to collaborate on a credible basis.
If you look at it from the perspective of ethos, the competitive ethic is a survival skill (enhancing fitness & merit) plus reputation-building, but the collaborative ethic is likewise. Hunter-gatherers proved their matrix resilient & sustainable and those who proved themselves good at teamwork got enhanced reputations within clan or tribe.
Winners never quit and quitters never win.
This is one of my mantras.
IME, the 'winners' are usually the people who've stepped on others to get there.
I do not regard a person as being a winner if they stepped on others to get there. That would be cheating.
Yup – The use of the term losers by the representative class indicates that they have usurped the people's franchise and see themselves as rulers.
People don't want to be losers, they want a government that represents their interests – that doesn't steal public assets or free education or fishery rights or any of the other ladders that used to allow NZ people to succeed.
If the Greens or any party want to go after voters by saying that they will tax them much harder that Labour will, they are welcome to it.
But it will just be another weight that pulls them under 5%.
You mean "not nearly so softly", surely.
"If the Greens or any party want to go after voters by saying that they will tax them much harder that Labour will, they are welcome to it."
Yep. Labour are doing a really good job of showing us what a sane and civilised centre-right government looks like. Their strategically near-flawless Covid response is setting about saving as much of BAU as possible. They are rocking few boats with tax or climate change initiatives. Who but those mentally vitiated by habit and the psychopathology of culture wars needs National now? Labour is opening significant space on their left – if there is a genuine constituency there, someone can take it.
Increased taxation on the middle class is not (or shouldnt be) the goal, that is the area of most discretionary spend within the economy….about the only thing Labour got right with its tax policy was its target and is why the Greens policy is far superior.
The purpose is redistribution and incentive
To a degree I agree with that. I've even pointed out that we should be able to do without income tax altogether but, IMO, we could only do that if we had a minimum and maximum income. The former ensures everyone has enough to live on and the latter ensures that people don't have too much.
People having too much is, of course, the bigger problem.
"On the face of it, the promise from Labour that it would make New Zealand's electricity system fully renewable by 2030 seems a bold climate pledge.
In reality, it is little more than a red herring to distract from the woeful lack of policy to reduce emissions in sectors that pollute far more than the energy industry."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/100-percent-renewable-energy-is-a-red-herring
'Red herring' was the first thought I had, closely followed by 'eating Greens lunch'…the closing comment however nails it.
"So long as we are unwilling to commit to the hard work needed to decarbonise our society, political parties like Labour will continue to get away with offering stingy emissions reductions as if they're game-changing climate policies."
I do hope that means that the government will be buying back the power shares rather than giving the bludgers millions of dollars so that they can bludge better.
Will the vassal U.K. state have the courage to resist the Trump regime?
Under British law, no one may be extradited for political reasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFEXvyZdyU
Given that a post-Brexit UK is quietly trying to negotiate a free-trade deal with the USA right now … a deal that will not be concluded until the Yanks have more or less crushed the Brits will to live … then yes political considerations will likely trump legal ones.
Good post on Auckland's water care woes on Joel Cayford's planning blog:
Auckland Water Shortages and Watercare
Goes into the history and detail of the formation of Watercare, and the consequences of that.
As a historical review it's fine. But at best it just barely touches on alternatives to Waikato River water for the water supply situation Auckland is now in, and what the infrastructure implications of those alternatives might be.
Briefly, one issue is that drinking quality water is supplied for everything – toilet flushing, golf course irrigation, industrial cleaning etc, as well as actual drinking. But the infrastructure implication of going to a two-tier quality water supply means effectively a double-up on water supply infrastructure.
Another related issue is the use once and dump we have for almost all users. While there is some water recycling in individual businesses – car washes are just the first that comes to mind – re-using grey water in general implies a lot of doubling up on waste-water infrastructure.
There is mention and references in the article about how drinkable quality water is utilised for everything, where many other muncipal or state systems have had a dual tier system for water for industrial use, and water for consumption.
The investment in a double up in this case, is an investment in public health outcomes, and a reduction in use and dump situations if possible. Taking water from the Waikato has been a strategy pursued for years, without any alternative option being proposed.
NZers are used to having lots of land, lots of water, lots of fuel and the consequences of this largesse is that sometimes use and planning – at personal and institutional level – does not result in these resources being used efficiently.
Other places that have gone to dual-tier supply, and reuse and recycling systems, tend to be in places where water really truly is a very scarce resource. For instance, Windhoek Namibia, and southwestern US are just the first two I'm directly aware of. None of them have a massive river flowing into the sea right where water is needed, and the need could be supplied from under 2% of that flow.
The overwhelming impression I've developed of opposition to taking Waikato water is that opponents have zero conception of how small Auckland's take really is compared to the general flow of the river, nor how close the intake is to where the river becomes tidal and salty, meaning there simply is almost zero length of river run where ecological effects or other users could conceivably be affected by the miniscule reduction in flow. Then there's the woo-woo objections on the basis of water is precious with no other arguments attached.
Then, when it comes to ideas about disturbing the historic flow of the river, the Tongariro power scheme diverted a lot of water into the Waikato that used to flow down the Rangitikei, Whangaehu and Whanganui rivers starting in the early 80s. That extra flow amounts to around 10% of the Waikato flow at the river mouth – about 5 times Auckland's proposed maximum take.
Having worked in the water supply industry for a considerable period I can only confirm this comment 100% Andre.
The superficial reasons given for objections to the increased take for Auckland are absurd. The actual motivations can have nothing to do with the health of the river.
Time for the government to step and sort this out.
I recall when Labour were going to put in place shower head restrictions. National and its supporters got really upset about but what really stood out, to me, was some idiot journalist going on about how we have infinite water, that it just falls from the sky, and thus we didn't need to restrict people's use of it.
He'd obviously missed all the droughts that NZ keeps having and Auckland's last water crisis in the 1990s.
Labour's move to outflank National on the right seems shrewd on the basis that the number of people who see that are politically insignificant. Most suckers believe Labour is the party of the left, not the party of the rich.
Geoff Simmons is a former Treasury economist, and leader of The Opportunities Party. He examines the likely reality created by Labour's tax policy: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122723279/election-2020-wholl-gain-from-labours-plan-to-tax-the-rich-the-rich
Since the worsening of the problem will not become apparent until the medium-term future, Labour's deceit strategy is likely to be effective. A clever ploy.
Remind us of your stance on a Capital Gains Tax, or an Asset Tax, Dennis?
I agree with both, in principle, since they enhance equity. Not sure it's relevant to how the ex-Treasury dude sees Labour's policy operating though…
Simmons isn't wrong on the general point that NZ tax is very low on returns from capital and wealth.
But Simmons is very wrong that taxes in NZ are comparatively very high on returns from businesses in particular. The complete absence of capital gains taxes in NZ means the biggest form of returns from business is completely untaxed – unlike the US, UK, Australia, China etc.
Company profits in NZ are also effectively only taxed once on the way to individual pockets, unlike at least the US where profits are taxed first at the company level, then dividends distributed from profits are then taxed at the individual level.
Are you an economist? Your comment reads as if. Re Simmons; takes one to know one. I get your logic though and it seems valid.
If so, then it is a status quo historically co-created by Labour & National: this left/right collusion makes us more business-friendly than those other countries.
Will we see Labour supporters go public and explain why they support capitalism? Hell will freeze over before that happens. Hypocrisy is better than honesty for them.
No I'm not an economist. I'm an engineer that has lived and worked in NZ, the US, and Mexico, and paid a broad range of taxes in all three of those jurisdictions. Plus the state income taxes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and California.
As for why I support some capitalism as part of a mixed economy, I've travelled through places that don't have a healthy private capitalist sector. Fuck that for jokes of places to live.
In any society there will always be those compelled to somehow flaunt "success". So they can have sex with the most attractive partners, enjoy the most interesting experiences, eat the tenderest tastiest food, live in the biggest house, have others pander to their whims. Capitalism provides a good avenue for the likes of Jobs, Musk etc to fulfill that urge by creating stuff the rest of us value.
Capitalism works well where there's low barriers to entry, there's genuine product differentiation, consumers can reasonably evaluate in choose among competitors. Food, clothing, transport, recreational activity etc.
Capitalism doesn't work well where there are natural monopolies (eg electricity, water), where the consumer can't reasonably evaluate different options and make reasonable choices and life effects may be disproportionate (healthcare, education).
Hence the value of a mixed economy in being able to take advantage of the strengths of different systems.
+1
a social market economy is actually a thing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_market_economy#:~:text=The%20social%20market%20economy%20(SOME,market%20and%20a%20welfare%20state.
also 'for the greater good' should be made the underlying basis of said social market society.
But NZ what stills ails the country imo, is a very old fashioned system in which two thirds of the country peasants working for a few Landlords to whom the political class either belongs, or wants to belong to, or is indebted too, and a bunch of highly paid stenographers that don't even want to pretend to being journalists, lest it costs them access to the landlord class.
That's a solid framework to work with. Markets are useful tools which we can use in selected areas to meet pre-existing social/ethical goals, and avoid using in other areas where they would undermine those goals. Once that is established, then we can get down to arguing about which bucket (market/non-market) things should be in – and we will have taken the insanity of markets as ends in themselves off the table.
No business has ever created a job.
Job creation is always dependent upon demand for the product/service in the community thus we can say that it is the community that creates jobs. If there is no demand there are no jobs.
Other than that, he's probably right. Capitalists always look for the easiest way to scam the rest of us and property in NZ is a very easy way to become a rentier.
I may have missed it, but where are the united voices of the leadership of our opposition parties condemning the fundamentalists for their conspiracy theories. Perhaps they see some votes being lost. Or do Collins and Peters believe Covid is not a threat?
It's more that they're so desperate they'd love a few votes from the loons.
I'd like to hear comments about this also, Logie97.
Why even credit them with a response, they are loons you do not need to convince non loons of that.
Not sure I understand your response Red. Unfortunately the loons are gaining traction (spreading-like-a-virus amongst their fellow loons). And their actions are the current outbreak spreaders of covid. Why are we pussyfooting around with them and not shaming them and their leaders. A chance for Collins to show some leadership as well.
"Shaming them" feeds their furnace, unfortunately. Naming their issues gives those issues coverage and credibility, in the eyes of the devoted, so alluding to them is the only way. The devotees have been primed to expect resistance from the "establishment" and will thrill to noise made, accusations levelled and individuals blamed; they are seeking martyrdom and have already embedded the possibility in the minds of their followers. Logical appeals to those flighty-folk are met with Gish gallop and shared glances of delight as they bolster each others cleverness in knowing that "this was going to happen". It's a tricky situation. The best approach seems to be "extinguish by ignoring" but that's frustrating when you are watching that contagion seemingly spread and hear them boast of their up-coming landslide victory!
The government set an instant fine of NZD 300 for people caught not wearing a mask on a bus.
The government could revoke the tax exempt status of the church/es, or could just start issuing instant fines for disregarding covid instructions.
Any day now, for sure.
Should do that anyway. After all, the churches are no longer the government mandated centres for welfare distribution (it didn't work).
Nationals Killers
There is no need for Labour to be concerned about the Future. It has taken the amazing stand of clearing up the appalling mess given by national, decade after decade.
National are a grotty bunch of money grubbers, who go out of their American way, year after year, to destroy the livings and the necessities of the New Zealand population.
National have made sure never to build a house for the people. The People are made to crawl daily to get food from decent respectable people.
Nothing, but nothing adequate has been given to the Population by the money thieves.
National love suicide. Love poor Literacy. Adore Poverty. They are good at it.
What a ridiculous rant
The difference between National and labour for the majority is paper thin, for those in struggle town even less Both simply manage to the centre with a couple of scraps to keep their rabid base happy re differentiation and that’s about it
Has any Party so far posted something up in regards to the 11.000 covid unemployed of whom 90% are women? Something anything? Or is Carmel Sepuloni the only one who spoke of the dear 'unfortunate' that can't get better benefits as they have right now but might be pressured into 'voluntary work' cause indentured servitude is now a thing with the Labour Party.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/425029/cautious-approach-taken-to-avoid-beneficiary-volunteering-becoming-work-for-the-dole-scheme
Also is Carmel Sepuloni so far removed from reality that she really thinks that 'volunteering' for the benefit is getting people ready for work that is not there?
Is Carmel Sepuloni saying that the people that lost jobs since January 2020 due to Covid, need 'volunteering' to get them to understand the value of work?
And is Carmel Sepuloni saying that people who are currently on a benefit – unemployment, social welfare, single parents, illness etc do not at all, never, or currently are not volunteering in their community.\
and last but least, when has Carmel Sepuloni last volunteered for anything else then a government pay for which she has to do absolutely nothing and be served chardonnay with her dinner for free?
fuck, is there anyone in our current government that actually gives a flying fuck about the misery that is currently starting to blanket the country, or are shovel ready jobs for the rich and connected the only ones that are worth their time?
Seriously think about it, 11.000 Covid unemployed (by their own statistics), 90% of whom are women, and who now can look forward to a life of 'bene bashing' forced 'volunteering' and starvation benefits. Does anyone give a shit?
” Indentured servitude
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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An indenture signed by Henry Mayer, with an “X”, in 1738. This contract bound Mayer to Abraham Hestant of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who had paid for Mayer to travel from Europe.
An indentured servant or indentured laborer is an employee (indenturee) within a system of unfree labor who is bound by a signed or forced contract (indenture) to work without pay for the owner of the indenture for a period of time. The contract often lets the employer sell the labor of an indenturee to a third party. Indenturees usually enter into an indenture for a specific payment or other benefit (such as transportation to a new place), or to meet a legal obligation, such as debt bondage. On completion of the contract, indentured servants were given their freedom, and occasionally plots of land. Indentured servitude was often brutal, with a high percentage[vague] of servants dying prior to the expiration of their indentures. In many countries, systems of indentured labor have now been outlawed, and are banned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a form of slavery.”
Last, if there is work to be done – then the Government can start hiring these unemployed people on the benefit and pay them minimum wage. And if they don’t want to do that, than they should hang their heads in eternal shame.
No government can afford to pay the minimum wage for unpaid work.
Why do people do unpaid work?
Job experience, because there is a need in the family, to have purpose and construction in your life, help fill the day by being occupied, rewarding.
I draw the line in the government becoming involved as it is a person's choice, just like if you go to church.
When is the next poll out?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/425782/covid-19-scepticism-a-failing-of-intellect-phil-goff-says
Good on you Phil. Its time prosecution was threatened for those who are peddling disinformation and conspiracy theories. We can't do a lot about ignorance and naivety, but we can stop the bastards who feed on it and create so much damage and fear in the process.
Why can't the SIS and the GCSB pool their resources and dig them out of their metaphorical caves? They have the tools to do the job. A visit from the police ordering them to desist accompanied with the threat of prosecution if they don't comply should shut most of them up. And exposing the identities of the worst offenders would do no harm either.
This isn't good.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/worlds-most-beautiful-toxic-waste-dump-weta-digital-employees-claim-sexism-bullying-and-harassment
and ACT are using it as an excuse to call for it to be closed down. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2009/S00127/turn-off-sir-peter-jacksons-welfare-tap-while-allegations-of-wide-scale-sleaze-are-investigated.htm
The me too movement has many tentacles and what you raise is one of them. Sexual harassment is finally being exposed for the damage it causes. That there is no avenue for complaint that works. Taking a complaint against an employer for sexual harassment is a bit like an ACC sensitive claim. You are on your own, you need a lawyer, the legislation is not fit for purpose especially an historical case.
I was disappointed in Dowie as she could have done a private members bill/ballot to address the hurdle of the Limitations Act and the dysfunctional ACC Act. For a historical schedule 3 ACC claim when you have complained there should be no Limitations Act date when a serious error occurred by an organisation. Now that would fix an organisation. Historical cases are being discriminated against compared to a current case as no right to sue.
Go to stuff news and look at the Mariya Taylor update today. Please do a link for it.
It would be good if the smart leaders at the top listened to the smart workers who make it all happen. Make them part of the process and there will be less demand, and more effectiveness for everybody.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2009/S00112/council-bureaucrats-block-rail-workers-input-to-working-group.htm
The Chair of Dunedin Holdings Limited (DHL) has refused to allow union representation on an important stakeholder group on the future of Dunedin Railways Limited (DRL).
The RMTU wrote to DRL on 1 September requesting membership of the Council’s reference group charged with overseeing submissions into the future of the council-owned company.
The union letter was signed by RMTU Otago Branch Secretary Dave Kearns, as well as Unions Otago Convenor Andrew Tait and Unions Otago Secretary Malcolm Deans, on behalf of local affiliates of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.
Reply to grey @ 12.
It's been hard to have a former hero of mine be repeatedly revealed to be one I have little respect for.
Way back in the day I saw Bad Taste on the big screen in Palmy. A feature film made in the weekends by a bunch of guys in and around Wellys. Funny and gory.
Fast forward to 'The Hobbitt Law' and the lies Mr and Mrs Jackson told, besmirching a true hero's name, Helen Kelly, all to serve greed and Warners.
Now there is this.
are these guys for realz? why yes they are.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2009/S00109/are-you-close-to-retirement-and-aware-of-upcoming-changes-to-the-nz-superannuation-legislation.htm
ahh, yeah, the 'wellbeing' budget, the kinder gentler bullshit that will leave all a bit poorer, but never mind the Queen and her consorts are all in this together. Why vote fro the no – mates party when Labour does it so well.
You can scrub and get the surface free of the neolib bullshit, nice seeming, shiny, but it soaks through the skin and stays. You never get rid of it.
Actually super not being on an individual basis was causing a lot of problems. Particularly for anyone who had an overseas partner from some countries who were not eligible despite being so if they were single.
Nor do I think super should be used as a de facto payment for individual nursing.
It was also propping up a lot of the internet bride market – where very young women could be included in the claim and then when the male partner died they would have to transit onto some thing else. if they had any skills
It also had a funny downside where if the couple of not too different ages claimed – one over and one under and the older partner died then the not quite 65 year old had to attempt to go back to or find work or go onto an unemployment benefit for a few years. However, a single person under 65 has no choice but continue to work or be on unemployment benefit so at least it isn't discriminating on the basis of partnership status
But I don't like the hard edge cut off that they did Personally if a partner was under say 50 or under I would have given them 18 months to 2 years to get themselves off super and into employment or unemployment.
As the non eligible partner got older a sliding scale to maintain some level of eligibility for those within in say 5 years of retiring would have been a fairer take.
Any way most retirement policy doesn't do a lot for women who live longer and are more likely to go into retirement alone or to live alone in retirement.
i know full well that retirement for women means in many cases abject poverty, but then so does being a women on the benefit – specially if your partner actually has an income as the benefit then reduces to nothing. So that is hte other side.
But women tend to be younger then their male partners, and they also tend to look after their partners and or sick children/parents etc. So again, its women that are being hit the hardest with this change of rules.
Nevermind, when it comes to benefits and beneficiaries all the parties are full of shit. All of them.
They have had from 30/5/19. It is not retrospective so those who were on the books as at July 2020 will cary-on.
There is a safety net.
The outlook is far bleaker for singles whether male or female.
I agree with the move to prevent younger partners piggybacking on much older partners/husbands super. it is part of a series of moves to treat people in marriages etc as individuals. And it has been well signalled since the Wellbeing budget in in May 2019, the previous cut-off was July 2020 so it has been extended because of Covid-19 I guess.
'Pensioners who are currently including their partner will be able to continue to do so. But if their partner is not already included in their payment at July 1, they will not be able to be included.
A spokeswoman for Minster of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said non-qualified partners of pensioners would be able to access support through the welfare system in the same way as other people.'
Stuff Jan 25 2020
The previous system was rife with abuse from older men with much younger overseas spouses, who were often in very short duration marriages because of the death of the very much older spouse, had no real ties to NZ and were then able to receive various benefits without having to work, pay tax etc.
As the changes are not retrospective those receiving this piggybacking will continue to receive it until the younger one qualifies for super.
If the younger spouse is entitled to receive pension from overseas then the rule that saw it deducted from the spouses pension here in NZ has been dropped.
'From 1 July 2020, the direct deduction of a government-administered overseas pension received by a superannuitant’s partner from that superannuitant’s New Zealand Super or Veteran’s Pension will be removed.'
and
'The Spousal Provision clearly has been a source of extreme distress for so long for the 500 or so couples affected and the removal will greatly improve their financial situation, say the retirement experts.'
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2019/06/04/praise-for-amendment-to-superannuation-.html
So it fixed up the genuine problem with super payments that younger overseas pension qualified spouses had while tightened the loophole, with plenty of notice 18months or more, for the other set.
We have assurances that the safety net will remain and those affected will be able to access support through our welfare system.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/425810/govt-to-help-stranded-immigrants-fly-home
Good, but to finish the job they need to have enough money for food when they get there, and a train/bus to get home. No use dumping them in their country and bye bye. Many of these people have no resources left after just existing for months while no-one knew what would happen next.
Be good to get a list of the countries who are refusing to help their own citizens and leaving us with the financial hit – NZ advances money to it's citizens stuck overseas with no funds
NZ Hasn't always been perfect in this. We hear about the good things.
COVID and Vitamin D.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Ks9fUh2k8
I listened to the first 17 minutes. I usually use powdered milk with Vitamin D3 added. I realise a level and the absorption of vitamin D3 is required. There probably is a safe level of Vitamin D3. Just like folate is added to bread, adding Vitamin D3 to milk would be one way of getting some of the vitamin. Ordinary milk could still be purchased.
There needs to be a larger study. I personally think getting ahead of Covid is the way to go just by ensuring your diet has plenty of Vitamin D3.
Yes the trial numbers are low, but the statistical significance is still extremely strong. And as Campbell says it also it aligns strongly with a substantial body of empirical evidence from clinicians all over the world.
By all means larger and better trials should be run to confirm this study; indeed if they’re not conducted it would truly bring into question the integrity of the entire system.
Of course I can only hope that Trump doesn't come out and endorse it; if that happens next thing there will be a scam study showing that historically safe doses of Vitamin D3 are now dangerously toxic and WHO will recommend banning any clinical use of it. And govts will start making it illegal to sell OTC.
Disclaimer; These media including videos, book, e book, articles, podcasts are not peer-reviewed. They should never replace individual clinical judgement from your own health care provider. No media-based material on this channel is suitable for using as professional medical advice. All comments are also for educational purposed only and must never replace advice from your own health care provider.
Oh FFS it's a commentary on a well designed clinical study that is reporting exactly what anyone who had been paying attention knew since March sometime … that Vitamin D is strongly involved in protecting from the worst of this disease.
If this had been taken seriously six months ago it looks like many hundreds of thousands of deaths could have been avoided.
Shove your sanctimony up your arse.
I second that.
I have read the benefits of Vitamin D3 else where to fight off Covid.
Umm the disclaimer is John Campbell's.
Vitamin D loading dosing for supportive treatment of covid is certainly interesting and more study is warranted.
Normal Vitamin D supplementation of individuals is not going to do the vast majority of the population any harm whatsoever.
Nonsense comments such as ……
'If this had been taken seriously six months ago it looks like many hundreds of thousands of deaths could have been avoided.'
are pretty pointless.
There are a number of shortcomings with the spanish study which I'm sure you're aware of this doesn't mean that Vitamin D supplementation or active high dose treatment in the acute phase are a bad idea just that more study is warranted before making bold statements of efficacy or protective effect of any intervention.
It always helps to include a link and some comment, even with presumed self-explanatory quotes and ‘obvious’ self-evident copy & paste jobs. Moderators on this site have been droning on about this forever, for a reason.
https://www.youtube.com/c/Campbellteaching/about
The only obvious shortcoming is the number of patients in the trial. 76 is midrange, neither large nor small.
However this limitation is largely nullified by the astoundingly strong p value in the results. If you are aware of any other problems how about telling us.
It's very good news if the result can be replicated.
The full citation is as below
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764#
As you have noted the study is with a vey small number of patients, there is no information on the degree of severity of Covid-19 in the patients at admission, and there is no information on their clinical progress other than ICU admission and death – although these are certainly worth measuring.
The study doesn't specify the co-morbidities particularly well for instance an obese patient is more likely have a poor outcome.
The usual care group had more people with high blood pressure and diabetes
There was no measurement of vitamin D levels before or after administering the hormone.
To be fair the researchers acknowledge that the study does not provide definitive answers on whether calcifediol can be beneficial for all Covid-19 patients.
Well if you want a different sort of study around Vitamin D with much larger numbers from Israel:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.04.20188268v1.full.pdf
A lot of interesting discussion included. I won't copy and paste, but again the results have an extremely strong p value.
Martensens coverage of both studies here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZuCrwYa80s
Well labour does seem to be selling out. Nothing resembling a decent tax policy and with the move to allow 10% of incomers to be skilled visa holders 1400 visas a month are coming back in – plus they will check essential skills. There are only around 10,000 that have been here longer than 4 years so that should only be about 6 months worth.
So much for retraining and jobs for locals. Looks like absolutely no immigration reset.
why yes, dear Cunliffe did a whole write up about that one.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12363202
behind the pay wall of course.
and just yesterday a nurse at the shop told me that we have received 100 ventilators, now we only need to import the nurses that can actually work these machines becasue we don't have that talent and skill here in NZ .
Yeah, but instead of free training for nurses to bond them to NZ for a few years it must still be more profitable to charge an arm a leg and a first born to NZ'lers who would like to work in the profession and then import from overseas when the same NZ trained nursed disappear overseas for better wages and less hassle with the student loan repayments and high living costs.
National/Labour cause neither one of them cares.
Did!in!t dislike Cunliffe, he would have had a cleanout, see the change them egit engineers replaced, same like the Nat!s mistake, replacing, Spud, with their appointed first female leader, and New Zealand!s first MANOUVERED without those working outside the farm fence, female Prime Minister, who when the people decided the First ever New Zealand Female appointed Prime Minister to deliver the biggest ()ever) National Party defeat at the ballot box.
RBCV is there a link for that bit about the visa holders please. This is very disappointing.
Looks like the screechy ones (tourist ops, farmers, horticulturalists) have had an influence then.
Afternoon show on RNZ – farmers talking about getting people back
Plus this i found on Stuff
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122737787/election-2020-labour-promises-10-per-cent-quota-at-border-facilities-for-critical-workers?rm=a
Great to see shareholder revolt forcing the Board of Rio Tinto to get the resignations of CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques, the head of iron ore mining, and the head of corporate affairs, after massively damaging an aboriginal cave occupied 40,000 years ago.
Shouldn't need shareholders to revolt on a board to do it, but good result.
Blew it up didn't he? (Off piste – for those who would like a rest thinking about the present and the future, with foreboding.)
French like blowing up things apparently. Panama Canal. The Rainbow Warrior. What will be the next French venture?
google fact: There was approximately about 30,000,000lbs of explosives used to help clear the way for the canal.
(Some would have been those of USA though. And it is interesting that the Frenchman was not an engineer but a diplomat. He could talk the talk but not walk the walk. I wonder how many big ideas are agreed to on the basis of the rhetoric?)
https://www.pancanal.com/eng/history/history/french.html
De Lesseps then decided that another ceremony should inaugurate the section of the canal that would have the deepest excavation, the cut through the Continental Divide at Culebra. A ceremony was arranged, and on January 10, 1880, appropriate officials and guests gathered at Cerro Culebra (later known as Gold Hill) for the ceremony, which included witnessing the blast from an explosive charge set to break up a basalt formation just below the summit. After blessings by the local bishop, young Ferdinande again performed the honors, pushing the button of the electric detonator that set off the charge that hurled a highly satisfactory amount of rock and dirt into the air.
As de Lesseps was a trained diplomat and not an engineer, a fact that he should perhaps have more often remembered during canal design decisions, his son Charles took on the task of supervising the daily work. De Lesseps himself handled the important work of promoting and raising money for the project from private subscription.
Not having the least scientific or technical bent, de Lesseps relied upon a rather naive faith in the serendipitous nature of emerging technology. Thus he worried little about the problems facing this gigantic undertaking, feeling sure that the right people with the right ideas and the right machines would somehow miraculously appear at the right time and take care of them. His boundless confidence and enthusiasm for the project and his consummate faith in the miracles of technology attracted stockholders.
And there we have the quintessence of managerialism which has found its way onto our shores and is now blighting our government and private business.
Greed and determination to take.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/425823/loggers-fake-gazette-notice-harvest-protected-solomons-tree-species
Sep.11/20A foreign logging company in Solomon Islands is being investigated for using fake government documents to gain access to and cut down a protected tree species.
Local media reported the government was moving to seize a consignment of Queen Ebony, known locally as Tubi, harvested in Isabel Province.
.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/deforestation-in-the-solomon-islands/
Jan.3/20Up on the ridge, a Malaysian logging company named Gallego Resources had begun carving great scores through the forest— its men felling the tall, grey-barked kwila and the akwa strung with fruit, then dragging them off the slopes for export, leaving nothing to stop the rains from taking the topsoil…
The rivers burst their banks not long after, flooding the flatland where the coconuts, mangoes, and yams grew, and laying down impermeable clay that made the earth unusable.
So the villagers walked to the little patches of cell phone reception and called Philip Manakako, a son of Marasa who lived 30 miles across the mountains in Honiara, the capital. His father, Philip Senior, told him that there were no more fish in the rivers. The water was making children sick, an uncle said. A woman who lived nearby explained how her plants all died three days after the floods first came, and the ground around them smelled of petrol….
Capitalism at its finest. Some shareholders got quite good payouts on that – guaranteed.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/09/do-new-covid-rules-mean-gyms-pubs-restaurants-universities/
What do the new Covid rules mean for gyms, pubs, restaurants and universities?
Resurgence of infections prompts stricter curbs, including bar and restaurant curfews and 'Covid-secure marshals'
In the UK Boorish will lead them out of the depths, playing his flute and with any luck the mountains will close behind him and we will never see him again. You may be able to see a vid clip from the above or look up on google news.
Bad timing for the Labour party….and is yet another example of the disconnect between the rhetoric and the act.
"Some questions are too sensitive for Gullery and White.
They won’t say if they’re surprised this has happened under a Labour Government. There’s silence when they’re asked if it’s galling to watch the Government splash Covid-19 stimulus cash around the country, and spend wads of money around Christchurch on things like new sports stadiums, when they’re having to cut health services."
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/why-we-left-ex-dhb-bosses-speak-out
"spend wads of cash on Christchurch like stadiums and things" while I agree dhb's desperately need cash the spending on infrastructure is non negotiable and is miles away from what it should be for a center of around half a million people. This is replacing what was broken and the rebuild job by both Labour and national (it's been three years so Labour is just as guilty ) has been horrendous. East chch left to rot because it's a labour safe seat so why bother, a city the size of chch deserves a stadium and functioning roads and infrastructure, it's been a decade and that city is still a bloody mess. Damn right , they deserve every penny they get and more and it's not extra spending it's replacing what was taken. A decade. It's appalling. Labour mayor, labour council every electorate bar one is labour and sweet bugger all has happened in three years. I honestly can't believe anyone in my home town has to pay rates to live there half the cbd is still full of rubble and half the building that need to come down are just standing supported by crates cos some do gooder thinks it's heritage. I digress don't act like money going into Chch for stadiums is extra spending, extra spending would be giving that city light rail or luxuries. It's still broken as hell despite govt of all kinds praising the rebuild progress.
Sorry for the rant every time I visit home I get furious and people seem to think chch is getting stuff it doesn't deserve
"They won’t say if they’re surprised this has happened under a Labour Government. There’s silence when they’re asked if it’s galling…"
From CHumm "Damn right , they deserve every penny they get and more and it's not extra spending it's replacing what was taken. A decade. It's appalling. "
A decade!! Labour has only been in three years and been under constant attack by National. Give over Pat.
You miss the point (as does Corey)….after a decade of National the sector was promised some relief only to find that not only was the relief not forthcoming but the burden was to be increased….meanwhile the sector observes the apparent plenty for others.
The journalist observes this and unsuccessfully seeks opinion…..that opinion may not be expressed publicly but the voting booth is private.
Will be doing a quick shutdown and restart at 2130 (9:30pm) to change to a UPS with fresh batteries.
Less quick than I'd like.
Thank you for fixing the cell phone reply issue. I still like to find time to comment. I was absent for several months from late last year until lockdown. It took me returning to realise how much you do and you do it so well. Your main authors as well deserve a big thank you.
Edit if you are still working on the reply issue it appears to be fixed for me.
Yeah – looks like it got fixed elsewhere – probably in the wordpress 5.5.1 update that came through last week. I just turned off the JQuery Migration plugin
It looks like there was a fix in wp-includes/js/comment-reply.js which is where the problem is. Can’t be bothered to install smartsvn, dig out the repo and diff to see what changed.
In fact I haven’t used svn since 2014. I switched to git and smartgit then, and never returned. Mind you it isn’t as bad as pvcs. I dug out some 20 yera old boot loaders from a pvcs archive virtual machine earlier this year. Now that was terrifying experience.
If you can tweak something without too much trouble, it would be good if the search could be on again. At present I get one thing from 2014.
Good point. I noticed that early in the week. I suspect that there is a problem with the sphinxsearch server running.
Nope, and the issue is only with the comments. Ok gotta get some food down.
Grumble.. It is something about how it is figuring out comments to add to the search interface
Nice one Treetop, always good to get some positive feedback.
Also a big thank you to the moderators.