Remember, it was the Greens’ choice to be in a confidence and supply agreement, not NZF. There’s no indications thus far that a three-way coalition is off the cards.
In a US survey they asked men and women what they most feared when going on a date. Men were most likely to say it was being laughed at, women were most likely to say being raped and murdered.
In the Dunedin longitudinal study it was found that female assaults male was more common than male assaults female
[please link and provide cut and pastes to back that up as well as provide the context e.g. how assault was measured. You are free to argue what you want here (within the limits of the Policy) but on something like DV you have to make some attempt to do so in ways that don’t mislead – weka]
OAB
I note that it should be colmar?… poll. But that isn’t about an idiot and
the link didn’t take me to a comment, just to the post, which is surprising.
[please reread the moderation note. Links on their own aren’t enough. You need to demonstrate what you are saying onsite here without expecting people to read a whole article and figure out what you mean. Also, this moderator doesn’t have the time so I suggest making it easier rather than harder. – weka]
Thanks VTO. Informative. I wonder if the difference is that male violence is more likely to inflict greater damage?
I do know of women who slap and/or scratch their partners when angry. I know a male who has learned to never turn his back when she is angry.
It’s a given that women can be violent towards men, but as you point out there are very real and important differences.
The problem with vto’s MRA-like position is that he’s misleading by trying to make out that DV isn’t gendered. I’d really welcome men here talking about all aspects of violence and how it affects them, but it’s not ok to have that conversation in the context of ‘women are just as bad as men’ because of how that impacts on women and the politics of violence.
Ms Balakrishnan said both studies used a wide definition of “violence”.
“Most people would consider it family violence where there is physical violence, where there is fear, where you are afraid for your safety,” she said.
She pointed to a national Justice Ministry survey of 5300 households in 2001 which found that 21.2 per cent of women, but only 14.4 per cent of men, said they had ever had a partner who “used force or violence on you, such as deliberately hit, kicked, pushed, grabbed or shoved you, or deliberately hit you with something, in a way that could have hurt you”.
Police statistics also show that men dominate the worst cases of family violence, including 31 out of 35 family homicides last year.
Professor Fergusson agreed that the homicide figures showed that the worst family violence was perpetrated by men. But that was such a small group that it did not show up in his sample of 1003 people.
And domestic violence does not cover all kinds of sexual violence or assault.
Far and away, most sexual assaults and sexual violence are perpetrated by men, and typically arise within asymmetrical power dynamics, where the perpetrator occupies a more powerful or dominant position in relation to the victim.
…
These men have what their victims, who are in less powerful positions, want and need: a job, good grades, a promotion, a recommendation, an audition, a role in a movie, a place close to the center of power. They confuse and control by dangling enticements with one hand and wielding threats, implied or explicit, with the other.
Thinking that part of the definition is kind of crucial – where there is fear, where you are afraid for your safety.
In adulthood, I’ve been assaulted* – physically, verbally, psychologically – mostly by women…actually. overwhelmingly so. But as I sit here, I can’t bring up an instance when I felt afraid for my safety.
But if I take the same overt expressions of assault* but reverse the roles, then I reckon I would have felt fearful on a number of those occasions because of the surrounding or broader cultural environment and how it had previously and continuously played out on me. (That make sense?)
* based on what I’m going to term ‘facile’ definitions – ie, any strike or blow or any verbal or psychological exchange intended to inflict harm.
Yep. Any “assault” or violence, needs to be considered in terms of it’s impact – and in terms of the power dynamics, and wider social, cultural, political and economic context.
At which point, and by “necessity” as it were, it all becomes subjective beyond very broad brush strokes that may or may not be useful in any given or particular instance.
And that can lead to all types of tangled messes where outsiders apply “accepted” social, cultural, political and economic contexts, with presumptions around the affects those have in a routine or matter of course way to every instance of “assault”…with the aim to then judge, condemn or excuse in light of…well, in light of their own bias.
I think I might not be being so clear any more 🙂
There are possible affects or even likely effects of social, cultural etc contexts,. But there are also individual psychologies and states of mind coming in at it from a different angle.
Putting the two together in an attempt to construct a “universal” framework to ‘guide’ behaviours, as some busy-body self appointed morally superior outsiders might be tempted to do? Yeah…nah.
All these studies downplaying violence against women using studies that define a scratch the same as a broken arm. They need to use data where the violence also includes severity of injury hospitalisation and death to get the real statistics.
Saying that, scarily, apparently violence is growing amongst young women not sure if violence is growing amongst young men.
There is also the situation where the perpetrator and the victim are of the same gender. I was covertly stalked and criminally targeted on and off for years by an insane woman.
Let’s remember, too, that the Dunedin study was focusing specifically on violence between partners in long term relationships. I would suggest that violence inflicted in other relationships or when there is no relationship as such is more likely to be male on female.
intentionally engages in conduct that, or omits to discharge or perform any legal duty the omission of which, is likely to cause suffering, injury, adverse effects to health, or any mental disorder or disability to a child or vulnerable adult (the victim) if the conduct engaged in, or the omission to perform the legal duty, is a major departure from the standard of care to be expected of a reasonable person.
Seems to cover verbal, physical and social violence (what’s that last one?) against children.
Assault also covers threat of force, not just use of force, so takes out a chunk of the verbal violence, too. And that’s just the crimes act.
Every one is justified in using such force as is necessary to suppress a riot, if the force used is not disproportionate to the danger to be apprehended from the continuance of the riot.
Rioting: it’s violence, and we’re doing it together.
Baby steps: other sections cover other situations. Like social violence (see above).
Perhaps if you could just articulate which sections you want to add or amend, that might save a lot of time. And energy. And hassle. And me having to look it all up for you.
I did not ignore that fact, I explicitly mentioned it.
BTW, Summary Offences Act includes intimidation.
FWIW, I’m not arguing the law is perfect, it could always do with improvement. But much of what you want seems to be already covered, or is redundant (how is “verbal violence” not “psychological violence” or “social violence”?). How would you draft a couple of example sections?
Yes, they are. To illustrate my point, you cannot articulate the answer to the question what sections will you add to the Crimes Act and how shall they be worded?
As you cannot define the crimes you want to outlaw, you are incapable of knowing whether they are covered by the Crimes Act.
Now’s your chance to prove me wrong: define them, say what new crimes you want to outlaw.
…intentionally engages in conduct that, or omits to discharge or perform any legal duty the omission of which, is likely to cause suffering, injury, adverse effects to health, or any mental disorder or disability to a child…
Assuming you disagree that this includes ‘smacking’*, how would you amend it to include ‘smacking’?
The Herald reproduces an article which fails to ask any hard question of industrial factory farming in the US.
No questions about animal cruelty or welfare.
No questions about the environmental impact of this form of farming.
No questions about the health impacts of eating dairy.
If my mama lived another 10 years I would have been a suite wearing higher education person and would not need my medicine as there would be no less stress my great grand father went to Te after college and so did his son. but this is fait I would no have the Mana of eco Maori. Corin Dan you were a different person when you appeared on breakfast a few years back what happened????. I’m fighting for equality for all mother earth as well and when I see people pissing on our people that have the same goals as me well I’m not going to be the nice guy any more as equality
And mother nature is to vital to our survival I say this gives me the blessing of mama to take the gloves off SO MSM Be warned. Now with colmar Braunton polls when I see truly independent audits of the process you take to get your figures an this shows no bias to national I will accept your figures. I say before we go and spend billions we should go down the route of minimiseing our use of water and waste water and don’t be like other countries that have gone down that route after exsorsting all other options and have spent billions we need to leave water for our fellow animals to have a humane life it’s there right make a law that everyone has efficient shower heads lets make a kiwi culture of being minimiseing people in every thing as this will save us big time one dollar save is like earning 2 dollars . As for a big company owning /controling most of our water assets is OK but it has to be made a asset of National security and can not be privatetise as national want to do with all our assets. I not a fan of alcohol as a lot of my whano have fallen into a bottle and it causes more damage to our society than other drugs yes alcohol is a drug. Sorry Hillary I did not mean to hurt your M8 but if he goes back to the fair man he was I will take it easy on him to my Maori culture people be proud of our culture and please make us proud as this will lift the Mana of all us Maori. Kia kaha
Protesters hit K Road to fight housing development
Sounds like the undemocratic unitary plan have put a SHA on stolen/confiscated land. As usual not much details from our news agencies but questions should be who is building the houses (aka is it council, government, private hands, private partnership?). Also what is the United Nation’s status on the land with the claim being put in?
No surprises that the environment court and Auckland Council are not recognising the indigenous rights and have taken away the grass roots Māngere Gateway Heritage project. The super city was designed to take away community rights, democracy and special areas.
These people are playing with themselves because I can read there every move lol the Rock keeps a smile on my face and keep the working man pumping. Kia kaha
‘Team NZ is a big business and not necessarily a good business.’
Nice to see someone in the media not falling for Team New Zealand’s bait.
Indeed Rattue’s article includes some truths you never see in the economy section of the paper.
‘The big lie was Rogernomics, the 1980s rush to free enterprise which inferred that health and wealth would trickle down. Ever since, the wealth has been gushing upwards, and real national health has plummeted. The original America’s Cup dream was actually funded by some of these new frontiersmen, a couple of bankers with – in my view – highly questionable attitudes around society values.’
No, when you live in a little country where the head of the local farming cooperative is earning more than $8m a year and gets an increase to give Beauden Barrett’s goalkicking success rate a decent nudge, all those top dogs are fair game. Big business will say anything to get its own way — take all inferences the good ship America’s Cup is vital for the country with a big vat of sea salt.’
This article shows more critical thinking than anything you’d read from Hosking, Soper, du Plessis Allen, Garner, Gower, Murphy, Young, Watkins, Tame, ….
Yes this was written in the sports section and actually shows up the bs we’ve been sold for 35 years,
Chris Rattue’s article is worth a thread.
Just read this section alone…..
‘Philosophy, heart, soul, culture and emotion has been replaced by a fake world in the debilitating efficiency age. This includes the pseudo patriotism that lines up before every test match, hand on heart, face grimacing, team mates clutched closely, anthem turned up loud.
But can you tell me again why it is so overwhelmingly important to beat Australia, when I don’t actually feel like that anymore?’
or this part….
‘(For instance, in the real world I believe all this fawning over the rich and famous may increase feelings of alienation in many people. This could nullify any alleged economic benefit.)
Mr Rattue would be a mo re useful read if he actually showed how much of a contributor sport is to New Zealand overall.
If a sport opinion-writer is going to slag off the economic contribution of sport, but then says it’s too hard to calculate, he would better to stop interviewing his keyboard and go talk to some actual sports economists.
It’s an opinion piece and a bloody good one. He does mention many obvious social trends but (horrors!) failed to cite references to academic literature.
My thoughts too. I was shocked but not surprised. Shocked because that shouldn’t be happening and depending on what is going on might be a bad sign in terms of GP kaupapa. Not surprised because I get the impression they are really stretched on a number of levels going into govt.
Although, again MSM, we don’t know the whole letter/context, or where it came from.
I assume the letter is from one disgruntled employee yet the article claims “however the letter reveals staff are unhappy”. Can’t see how they can make that claim based on the opinion of one staff member.
The article says the letter is from “staff” not just one staff member.
And the GP does need to elect a new co-leader as soon as. That will also indicate the future direction of the party – Genter or Davidson – indicates which direction the members want to go.
On the second I don’t think the direction of the party is dependent on who the leaders are. Unlike other parties the Greens don’t allow the leaders to determine policy. It will more come down to the personal qualities on offer.
Both main contenders have a strong raft of qualities.
The results will be tipped in the direction of which particular qualities the members tend to most value: Genter, strong on environment, transport, statistical analysis, gender issues, etc. Davidson strong on community engagement, Maori and Pacific engagement and supporting ethnic diversity, anti-poverty, gender….
Probably other things I haven’t included.
But the selection will indicate where the majority of members see the GP heading in future.
I was referring to personal qualities. You have responded with portfolio areas.
They are quite different people and I think the membership will look at who would be the best person for the job. This is what happened when James was elected. His leadership has not changed policy.
From the RNZ report:
“However the letter reveals staff are unhappy with the way they’ve been treated SINCE the party has become part of the government.” (my capitalisation)
I have to say that I began to notice something was beginning to change (morale-wise) at Garrett Street among the people slaving their arses off BEFORE they became ‘part of gubbamint’.
I think they know what they need to do though – and it probably isn’t calling in talking-head, political commentator, bullshit-artsist, media knob-head-friendly types as consultants. JAG would probably be a more reliable route, and probably a few more equipped with the baubles associated with oestrogen rather than testosterone.
Probably you won’t understand what I mean, but so be it – there’ll be a few super-tuff trolls along soon to explain what I DON’T mean
There are others @Weka, but my initial thoughts were her because she actually does give a shit, she doesn’t suffer from corporate taint (though she’s well familiar with it), and is intelligent and astute.
But as I say – there are others.
Marama for one. I’m just concerned others will open themselves up to vicious media onslaught from the likes of the Garner type blokes.
James does need help though, and toot sweat.
In six months the Green Party have have not one strong and positive media story.
This little one is definitely Beltway Lacrosse, but it was a deliberate leak making yet another reason for parliamentary and Wellington-based reporters to form more negative stories.
The Otago Daily Times has picked up on the RNZ story here:
The Greens need to start the New Year with an outstanding plan for delivering on their portfolios, electing a new Co-Leader, and having the internal capacity to sustain three years of attacks.
The irony there is that you seem incapable of talking about what they’re getting right and most of what I see in your comments is knocking them. That’s not the Green Party’s fault, it’s about how you choose to comment.
The impression I have is that you don’t like some of the GP politics and/or kaupapa. I also note that you are overwhelmingly critical of them. I think those things might be related.
Your analysis above is that the GP should enable the media to present more positive stories about them. But you’re not willing to make positive comments about them. Yes the Greens make mistakes and that’s not your responsibility. But that you focus almost solely on the faults to the exclusion of what they do well and good is *your choice, nothing to do with the GP.
I am critical of politicians who blame everyone else for their own mistakes.
I am well and truly soft on them compare to the rest of the MSM, and indeed every other political blog in NZ writing about them.
Still, their consistent lack of performance and litany of mistakes could simply be a complete mistunderstanding, which only the Green MPs (as distinct even from their own staff) understand, and it’s actually the rest of the world that is in the real chaos.
Helpfully, you are siding with the Green MPs against the Green staff.
I am critical of politicians who blame everyone else for their own mistakes.
Where have the Green MPs being doing that? Be specific.
Helpfully, you are siding with the Green MPs against the Green staff.
So we know where you stand Weka.
Solidarity forever.
And yet I haven’t expressed support for the Green MPs over the staff (my first comment about sorting their shit out was because of the impact on staff). You’re an idiot who appears to be making shit up.
My comments in this subthread are basically pointing out that while you expect other people to be perfect and take responsibility for everything bad that happens, you seem incapable of being honest about your own inability to say anything nice about the Greens and instead use most opportunities to pull them down.
THere’s nothing wrong with having a personal opinion based on dislike or whatever, I’d just prefer some criticism of the Greens that was based on evidence (seriously, it’s not that hard, I do it all the time). For instance, you claimed that there’d been no positive press coverage of a GP story in 6 months. I gave you some links that demonstrate otherwise.
You talk about accountability, but that’s not the same as slagging off.
Ad, I’ve seen plenty of positive commentary about James Shaw’s leadership, and about the allocation of portfolios playing to the Greens’s strengths.
They, like Labour, are still setting up their staff, reading all the documents that they didn’t get to see in opposition, settling in to the role of government. Back off a bit, eh?
What we need to see from the Greens, and others, is evidence that policy is being processed into legislation. But give them a chance to get moving.
Martyn Bradbury takes it far further than I did, and didn’t even list half the litany of mistakes since the election:
“The audacity of the Green Party tactics team complaining about the leadership needing to bring in talent from outside the Wellington clique is hilarious when you consider it was the total lack of anyone gaming out the damage from Metiria’s confession that cost the Greens half their vote.
This total lack of tactics has seen the Greens spend 3 years misstepping and being held hostage by the Wellington Twitteratti. The fact they almost fucked up the last election is utterly denied by everyone concerned.
The grim truth seems to be that no one inside there sees the opportunity of policy they could actually get through if they targeted specific Labour MPs and NZ First MPs for legislative gains.
The madness behind their Waka jumping legislation ‘strategy’ showed a level of incompetence that is bewildering.
Every time I see the Greens in the news headlines now it feels like the nervousness you get when the kids take the car out for a drive. You know it’s going to come back written off with a whole bunch of excuses and explanations that it was someone else’s fault.
The Greens don’t know if they are Arthur or Martha, and if they did it take a 6 month committee meeting to decide on pronouns.
The only hope now is that Marama Davidson is elected co-Leader and she can bring some stability to a Party that desperately needs to ask itself if it wants to wield real political power for real change or just be an exclusive club that makes those who are members feel special by their exclusion of others.
That it’s come to this is extremely embarrassing.”
The Greens were still right about the welfare announcement, even though they paid a big cost. That analysis is beyond the macho politics crowd I think.
The prevailing thought by the Greens is likely that they are misunderstood, and they are trying to be above the mangle of the politics, stay a bit aside rather than above, and get on with the kaupapa that the other parties overlook while they jockey for position.
If that is the case, and they give out the feeling that they are too good, of finer stuff, from the rest of their age group if middle aged, then they won’t be able to capitalise and inform the younger middle class though they weill probably connect with the strugglers and self-driven.
The Greens in the older age group may be a bit distant from the younger ones’ pressing problems of trying to make lives and relationships, get a living, get a house, and preoccupied with that plus the problems of CC and bad political management. The Greens may not be able to capitalise on their place in parliament, and get that wider and continuing support with a practical edge that is needed. Older members are probably better off and they need to keep close and be supportive and not spend too much time walking in the mountains, visiting Europe etc and be part of supporting the political scene here and not absent so much or thinking more of the community than their nearest family and friends.
You mean feed the media the info about what is going on with the Greens, of a positive sort, not leave it to the journos to lurk and like sparrows gang up, and peck holes in our lettuces!
“That was pretty positive wasn’t it”.
Given what the jobs are it is only positive for the wellbeing of the people getting them.
The only one that could have any power is Minister of Conservation. She may be able to do something, which is more than any of the others will be able to do. The others aren’t worth a tin of beans.
None of them were allowed into Cabinet, on Winston’s say if rumours I have heard are to be believed, and they don’t get any say in the overall Government strategy.
Associate Minister is the worst job of the lot. You only get assigned tasks that the Minister doesn’t want to touch. Then you catch the flak.
“James Shaw is going to oversee the production of information”.
That means precisely nothing. The Government Statistician has statutory independence and the Minister, or the Prime Minister for that matter have absolutely no power over what is in the material that is produced.
The Statistician tends to get very unhappy at the slightest hint that they may be subject to any control from the Government of the day. Have a look at this slap at Robertson last year when he suggested that the Government were making her produce particular results to order. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952737
The Minister can instruct the Statistician to produce, or stop producing, particular types of statistics. The cannot however tell them how to go about gathering the information needed, analysing it, nor how it is to be presented.
Ministers are likely to be extremely cautious about such instructions of course. The Statistician can, and almost certainly will, make such instructions public.
Of course he can.
He will just have to accept whatever they find though.
That could turn out to embarrassing to him, and worse, to the Labour Party.
H2 would have his balls if the Government Statistician came out with something embarrassing. It is very hard to say he (or she at the moment) doesn’t know what they are talking about.
I don’t really understand what you mean by the last sentence.
The Minister can instruct the Statistician to produce, or stop producing, particular types of statistics.
Indeed. And having stopped certain types of statistics, the Minister can get up in the House and quack on about it being impossible to measure poverty, homelessness, or whatever else it might be inconvenient to have information about. Which is exactly why having James Shaw as Minister of Statistics is one motherfucker of an improvement.
We can’t go on forever with suspicious minds Weka.
Can you name a strong and positive media story that the Greens have managed to get into the MSM in the last six months? Go right ahead.
I am sure you can give them all the rope they need, but at some point you need to apply the same level of accountability that you do to anyone running the country and expect them to sort their actual shit out and perform, just like the others.
“I am sure you can give them all the rope they need, but at some point you need to apply the same level of accountability that you do to anyone running the country and expect them to sort their actual shit out and perform, just like the others.”
Sure. I just said in this thread that I think if they have staffing problems of the kind in the RNZ piece then they need to sort their shit out pronto.
yep another media beat up. if you are looking for low morale look at National at the moment….well behind Lab/Gr in the radionz poll of polls since the election and Jacinda well ahead of Bill in preferred PM stakes…Bill will be gone in March
Oh my, my, my….I’m envisioning certain staunch and consistently outspoken former Green MPs and and how much more they could have achieved had they been occupying government benches.
Those older and bolder heads should be right in there, right now, with the good oil to calm these troubled waters.
I agree with you Rosemary McDonald. Personally feel it would have been good for some of the new Green MP’s to be placed lower in the list and then have had at least one election of campaigning to get the feel of it and used to the amount of work and what is involved. I believe in working your way upwards is fairer.
Greens had a new co leader and a resigned co leader and Marama is fairly new too so having so many inexperienced people as well as new people with their own branding has not been good.
Yes up to the Green members for the placement, but how much was influenced by Metro articles, MSM and fluff. Obviously all worked out for the MSM in the end when they saw the votes for the Greens. For whatever reason whatever happened took a lot of Green talent out of parliament.
I’m not a member of the Greens but did party vote them and have donated to the party. If I was a member I’d be voting Eugenie Sage as co leader because she’s the only one who seems to have any lengthy conservation experience left and has an air of Jeanette Fitzsimons. But I don’t think she’s the type to step forward for promotion. Pity.
I strongly doubt that the younger MPs in the Green Party would be able to speak…largely off the cuff since this Bill was rushed through the House under extreme urgency…with such authority and conviction.
The other issue, is in the age of dirty politics how many Green members are there and how many members could be faked or actually members of other parties to influence the list, opinion polls and party leader? We all know that governments have infiltrated Greenpeace, spied on Keith Locke and other social groups. We know from dirty politics that Mark Mitchell allegedly paid Slater to help increase his chances and smear the other’s in the running.
In the 21st century influencing politics seems to be just another way to keep the profits coming in and stop change. Are the Greens voting systems robust enough in the age of dirty politics?
Labour give unions voting rights for example for their party leader which might be why the leaders are still more left wing than many of the Labour MP’s – much to the MSM and Natz disgust.
If that was leaked by staff, then they aren’t suitable for continued employment with a political party and the MPs were perhaps right to be seeking external staff for certain key roles.
There is much to be done in adjusting to being in govt and having fewer MPs, but as a Green supporter I have been dismayed in the naivety of much that has happened and can’t help thinking they need far better advisors toot sweet.
How so?He has followed the process and it doesn’t sound fair at face value.Duke has been a big success in retail,turned Briscoes around and made himself a fortune.
Yep, at the end of the day if the council has given other’s 6 landings a week and he gets half not really fair. (if that is true). Anyway I think great they will all be making such a din with all the helicopter landings to each other – each to themselves.
“It’s just going to be a family residence. It’s going to be ready about August next year. I’m taking out external and internal walls and the roof and leaving the piles and floors. Everything else will change,” he said last year of the new home.
That, by the way, means that he doesn’t need to get consent because it’s a ‘renovation’, and not a new house despite the fact that it will be a new house.
On the issue, one wonders why we’re letting helicopters taking off and landing over a residential area. How are they doing traffic control?
“That, by the way, means that he doesn’t need to get consent because it’s a ‘renovation’, and not a new house despite the fact that it will be a new house”
that is inaccurate – he will still need consent for that.
“On the issue, one wonders why we’re letting helicopters taking off and landing over a residential area. How are they doing traffic control?”
Same way they do it now – they call into the nearest traffic control centre.
indeed – but Ed has made a couple of accusations this morning – as usual nothing to back them up, in fact his own link points to quite the opposite of Eds statements.
So is it not fair that if all the evidence provided points to Ed not telling the truth, then its fair to call him a liar?
To be fair, it does seem like the richlister is indeed staying within the rules – using every inch of them, and being able to afford to challenge them, but still within them.
Twice a day, and all that.
Lol, the desire for petty point scoring is turning james into quite the custodian of decency and accuracy in others 🙂
that is inaccurate – he will still need consent for that.
A family member is a builder and thus he actually knows the building code. Leave the floor and a wall or two standing and it becomes a renovation rather than a new house.
They’ll probably have to get some consents – moving plumbing requires consent for example – but it won’t be to the level of a new house despite it being an actual new house. This is a rather glaring injustice within the law.
Same way they do it now – they call into the nearest traffic control centre.
Seems that they’re flying under VFR so no control centre involved.
Yes have to say, I’d have a few safety concerns with all the helicopters being in a residential area. Helicopters have a higher failure rate than planes.
The wealth that James, BM and Indiana worship is created by exploiting workers.
It is by paying them peanuts and himself a fortune he can afford luxurious properties, helicopters and membership of exclusive golf courses.
2014.
‘Employees from the Briscoe Group, speaking anonymously, say the starting wage there is 30 cents above the minimum rate, and most sales assistants’ wages are between $14.55 and $16 an hour, even with long service.
At the other end of the spectrum, Briscoe chief executive Rod Duke’s salary has almost doubled over the past five years. The company’s latest annual report shows Duke was paid $891,000 for the year ending January 2014. In 2009, his pay was $458,000.’
“the rich is getting richer, so why we ain’t richer?
could it be we still thinking like niggas?
educate yourselves, make your world view bigger
visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture!”
‘”From time to time, I have got a golf membership up the coast. I don’t want to have to drive to Onehunga,” he said referring to Advanced Flight’s base there.’
The tasty blocks of land on Sarsfield, Herne Bay drop off into the Waitemata Harbour. I recall something about approaches/departures from an approved H site over water having different CAA requirements than over dwellings.
I’ve never done particularly well with slagging rich people for being rich, changes squat. I’d rather lobby the council to allow Rod to irritate the bejesus out of his neighbours whenever he wants and in return he installs a min wage at Briscoes of $17 per hour.
I think there are already too many helicopters flying over Auckland. I’m not near the landing sites, but they do drown out any audio I am listening to at home. Some days in the evening, there are several fly overhead – often early evening.
I do think the number flying over Auckland in the future need to be regulated.
I don’t know what the limit should be for any individual, but surely there will need to be flight course regulations in the future?
Hmmm, he wants six helicopter flights a week. He wants to turn a boatshed into a major entertainment venue. Sounds like he’s planning to be a somewhat noxious neighbour. Considering what kind of people are likely to be his neighbours on Sarsfield St, surely that’s something to chuckle about while quietly wishing him luck.
The rich neoliberal class care about no-one else than themselves.
They read Atlas Shruggged and believed its sociopathic message.
They think they are John Galt
Every day you spit on rich people. I get it, but it draws us no closer to a more favourable outcome.
I think we’re robbing ourselves of ammunition if it is our belief that the wealthy give a rats about nobody but themselves. Even if they don’t, many think they do, that’s what matters.
All of the wealthy and successful business people I’ve ever met have a few things in common. They love ‘The Deal’. They’re good at it. I have to go home, make phone calls, play with a whiteboard, before I’m remotely content with my SWOT analysis. These people run them in their heads in 10 seconds flat.
That’s their language, put any proposition on the table and that’s what they’re doing. Strengths: ‘How will going ahead with this make us stronger?’ Weaknesses: ‘What adverse effects will going ahead have on what we have now?’ Opportunities: ‘What roads open up for us if we go ahead?’ Threats: ‘How will going ahead leave us exposed to competitors?’
The best way to get Neo liberals to grow a more enhanced social conscious is to pitch our better way in manner they know and understand.
When we put on this cap other avenues start opening up.
We could look at winding the accom supplement down if share dividends started to replace it.
What would happen if our government approached Fletchers and said ‘We’d like to look at subsidising the purchase of Fletcher shares for Fletcher workers.’
Hands up everyone that wants to manage state housing.
The people that have such a poor history with paying their rent, nobody in the private sector wants to know them. The people with 8 pig dogs that are in actual fact ‘family’. The guy with ‘The Mob’ emblazoned across his face. Just got out after smashing 22 people over the head with a cricket bat, he needs a home, he’s yours.
If I was in government I’d be looking to chuck that hot potato ASAP.
Unlike the UK which has strict planning laws so that their 60 million people can live in a country similar size to NZ with reasonable harmony. In NZ planning however the developers and councils and resource pillagers, have struck out pretty much all amenity clauses like privacy, noise, light, height to boundary, nuisance clauses etc. You can even try to steal 1km of harbour without a resource consent or steal public water for private bottling across conservation land.
Planning does not rely on fairness or practicality in NZ, it’s all about some 100 page report from consultants voicing that anything will be of only minor effect. So as long as you have money, employ the right consultants or know someone at the council you are sweet as to do what ever obnoxious behaviour and steal as much resources as you want, in New Zealand. Anything goes.
This is what happens if you have to rely on private provision for old age, and user pays. There is likely to be to be a bad fit between the needs of people and what a company is willing to offer. Health insurance is a good example.
11/Dec/2017 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11957252
And when you as a human are just a bit of business product, there is no feeling from the company that they should make some change to meet the need and include the desire to be fair as well as profitable. There is an insurance advocate I think, certainly some sort of change should be able to be made, a limited liability for the insurance company against a hefty total payment.
I am paying for funeral cover myself and was interested in whether it would be paid if I chose managed demise (euthanasia) which would be regarded as suicide. I think that I would have to wait for two years or something. It isn’t a definite thing for me but that could prove a need for me in the near future.
Hal Crawford, Chief News Officer Newshub said: “Paddy is one of the best communicators I have ever worked with – his new role as national correspondent will see him unleashed on the whole of NZ, something I’m looking forward to immensely.
It means (from the blurb) that he gets to report on “stories of national significance” that will “play a key part in the Newshub Live at 6pm bulletin”.
Who decides what’s significant and what to ignore is an open question. But I can’t see Paddy having only a limited input into those decisions.
edit – and to reiterate what I’ve thought for quite a while, Paddy is Grant’s man.
Obviously saw which way the wind was blowing and Goodbye Gower. Never mind, I believe Joyce was following his career closely – I’m sure Gower will be well looked after.
Is he going back to the Herald? OR maybe he’s got a job with Fox, or more likely a job in political party spin doctoring or a gubbamint department/quango PR team.
Dunk’s probably thinking Christ! do I have to start training another little protege in the art of hand movements and camera positioning.
Actually that’s “Incredibly explosive, volatile and telling, and dramatic and devastating”. I’m in grief. Oh God I can’t cope!
What will we do?
Fascinating insight to trends in the Public Service versus Ministers:
“Newsroom- Political and public administration academics Chris Eichbaum and Richard Shaw researched the freeness and frankness of New Zealand’s public servants in 2005 and 2017.
One Respondent wrote:
“Ministers are welcome to have political advisers who play a minor role in ‘separately’ providing politically oriented advice. The problem is when they act as an intermediary between the Minister and public servants, who are trying to provide free, frank and politically neutral policy advice. They frequently filter what policy advice goes to the Minister, actively argue against policy advice in officials’ meetings and work hard to influence the topics and content of advice….” https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/12/10/66596/not-as-frank-and-free-as-we-thought
Some years back I was driven to email the late Tony Ryall as he spouted about the impending fiscal apocalypse that would come on the back of the Appeal Court ruling for Atkinson v MOH.
Apologies for not providing a link…but Ryall was banging on about the dire consequences of paying family carers and how if it extended to ACC ‘you can see how the costs would just go up and up…’. He did that hand over hand thing to demonstrate for the cameras.
NOTE…ACC had nothing to do with the Atkinson case other that to provide evidence to the Tribunal in 2008 that paying family carers did not result in shit care or isolation or any other of ‘the sky is falling’ scenarios put forward by the Ministry of Health and Crown Law. ACC had been paying family carers for years…
Clearly he had been given the wrong advice and information from some fwit or other in his orbit, and my email went along the lines of ‘the advice you’re getting is wrong and making you look like an idiot..’.
My partner and I went to Welly and set ourselves up outside the Big House and let Ryall office know we were there should he or one of his staff like to get a truer picture of the issue.
Three days later we got to see a staffer and yes, you guessed it, a senior adviser on disability issues from the Misery of Health. This senior adviser had already distinguished themselves in our eyes as being… how can I put this…less than well informed on basic disability issues.
And the ballsup of a new family carers policy we ended up with…we’re going back to court on the issue again.
Still not sure who is the dog and who is the tail and which wags what.
I was curious about the WaPo anecdote about @GOPChairwoman dropping her middle name at Trump's request. Check out her Twitter name in December vs. May. "Romney" was dropped. pic.twitter.com/QRAOWDXEjK— andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) December 10, 2017
‘Open Letter’ / OIA to Auckland Transport CEO Shane Ellison re:Transdev public subsidies and corruption risk assessment.
Dear Shane,
Can you please provide the following information:
1) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from Auckland Transport, on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
2) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
3) How much money have you, Shane Ellison, as new CEO of AT, the delegated authority to spend on awarding contracts.
4) A copy of Auckland Transport’s ‘corruption risk assessment’ – (or the like) regarding your appointment as CEO of Auckland Transport (AT), given that you have just left the employment of Transdev (Australia), and Transdev have the AT contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
“In a first, Shane was selected in an exemplar of a collaborative approach between a CCO and the Mayor, with the Mayor, AT Deputy Chairman, Wayne Donnelly and myself fully involved in the selection process from the outset.
Pippa Coom (Chair of the Waitemata Local Board) and Renata Blair (Member of the Independent Maori Statutory Board) were both involved in the final selection panel.
….”
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
Attendee: 2009 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2013 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2014 G20 Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2015 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2017 Transparency International Australia Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2017 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2017 World Justice Project International Rule of Law Forum – The Hague.
It was a surprise to find the glossy Natz pamphlet telling me doctors visits were free to under 13 yo but when I went to the doctor I think is was over $40 for a child. They forgot to put in SOME doctors visits were free in their leaflet.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
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Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
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[deleted]
[permanent ban – weka]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Remember, it was the Greens’ choice to be in a confidence and supply agreement, not NZF. There’s no indications thus far that a three-way coalition is off the cards.
“2 Smart 2 be Blocked” – well looking at the Bold – you might want a new name.
The idiot only had nine days of ban left anyway 😆
A suggestion to change our society’s punitive culture, which some wrongly keep pointing the finger exclusively at men over…
1. Legislate to criminalise verbal violence.
2. Legislate to criminalise psychological violence.
3. Legislate to criminalise social violence.
Section 195 of the Crimes Act.
Nope
Yep.
Unless you can actually be bothered to articulate exactly what you’re talking about, that is, but I expect it’s simply more monomania.
Come on, what sections will you add to the Crimes Act and how shall they be worded? This is your chance.
In a US survey they asked men and women what they most feared when going on a date. Men were most likely to say it was being laughed at, women were most likely to say being raped and murdered.
Vto lives in a world where eg: this prosecution didn’t happen. I’m pretty sure he blames mothers for the rapes and murders their sons commit too.
Attributed to Margaret Atwood.
edit:
http://people.com/crime/cruise-ship-woman-allegedly-killed-husband-not-stop-laughing-at-me/?
In the Dunedin longitudinal study it was found that female assaults male was more common than male assaults female
[please link and provide cut and pastes to back that up as well as provide the context e.g. how assault was measured. You are free to argue what you want here (within the limits of the Policy) but on something like DV you have to make some attempt to do so in ways that don’t mislead – weka]
please respond to moderator note above.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/thank-you-golriz/#comment-1420195
You might also want to do something about this idiot’s reappearance:
https://thestandard.org.nz/latest-comar-brunton-poll-result/#comment-1424640
Thanks, that was very helpfully done.
OAB
I note that it should be colmar?… poll. But that isn’t about an idiot and
the link didn’t take me to a comment, just to the post, which is surprising.
I suspect the link was to a comment that has been moderated out, therefore defaults to the post itself.
Ah ha. Thanks McFlock.
It’s at the top of today’s Open Mike – deleted by a Mod with a perma-ban attached. “The Real Matthew” won’t be around anymore.
Okay all good.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/81025573/domestic-violence-study-presents-challenging-picture
[please reread the moderation note. Links on their own aren’t enough. You need to demonstrate what you are saying onsite here without expecting people to read a whole article and figure out what you mean. Also, this moderator doesn’t have the time so I suggest making it easier rather than harder. – weka]
another moderation note to respond to.
Thanks VTO. Informative. I wonder if the difference is that male violence is more likely to inflict greater damage?
I do know of women who slap and/or scratch their partners when angry. I know a male who has learned to never turn his back when she is angry.
It’s a given that women can be violent towards men, but as you point out there are very real and important differences.
The problem with vto’s MRA-like position is that he’s misleading by trying to make out that DV isn’t gendered. I’d really welcome men here talking about all aspects of violence and how it affects them, but it’s not ok to have that conversation in the context of ‘women are just as bad as men’ because of how that impacts on women and the politics of violence.
And this article where the results of the Dunedin study are disputed.
And domestic violence does not cover all kinds of sexual violence or assault.
And the Dunedin study does not examine the findings to investigate issues of gender and power.
Thanks Carolyn.
Separating sexual violence from other kinds of physical violence is odd.
Thinking that part of the definition is kind of crucial – where there is fear, where you are afraid for your safety.
In adulthood, I’ve been assaulted* – physically, verbally, psychologically – mostly by women…actually. overwhelmingly so. But as I sit here, I can’t bring up an instance when I felt afraid for my safety.
But if I take the same overt expressions of assault* but reverse the roles, then I reckon I would have felt fearful on a number of those occasions because of the surrounding or broader cultural environment and how it had previously and continuously played out on me. (That make sense?)
* based on what I’m going to term ‘facile’ definitions – ie, any strike or blow or any verbal or psychological exchange intended to inflict harm.
Yep. Any “assault” or violence, needs to be considered in terms of it’s impact – and in terms of the power dynamics, and wider social, cultural, political and economic context.
At which point, and by “necessity” as it were, it all becomes subjective beyond very broad brush strokes that may or may not be useful in any given or particular instance.
And that can lead to all types of tangled messes where outsiders apply “accepted” social, cultural, political and economic contexts, with presumptions around the affects those have in a routine or matter of course way to every instance of “assault”…with the aim to then judge, condemn or excuse in light of…well, in light of their own bias.
I think I might not be being so clear any more 🙂
There are possible affects or even likely effects of social, cultural etc contexts,. But there are also individual psychologies and states of mind coming in at it from a different angle.
Putting the two together in an attempt to construct a “universal” framework to ‘guide’ behaviours, as some busy-body self appointed morally superior outsiders might be tempted to do? Yeah…nah.
All these studies downplaying violence against women using studies that define a scratch the same as a broken arm. They need to use data where the violence also includes severity of injury hospitalisation and death to get the real statistics.
Saying that, scarily, apparently violence is growing amongst young women not sure if violence is growing amongst young men.
Especially when they spend the rest of their time trying to prove how tuff they are
There is also the situation where the perpetrator and the victim are of the same gender. I was covertly stalked and criminally targeted on and off for years by an insane woman.
Physical rape, sexual assault and domestic violence most often, if not always, includes verbal, psychological and social violence.
Let’s remember, too, that the Dunedin study was focusing specifically on violence between partners in long term relationships. I would suggest that violence inflicted in other relationships or when there is no relationship as such is more likely to be male on female.
vto
1. Legislate to criminalise verbal violence.
2. Legislate to criminalise psychological violence.
3. Legislate to criminalise social violence.
That sounds like a more punitive culture, but one that suits your beliefs.
All the items on vto’s list are already covered by existing legislation.
No they are not. Here is a link to s.195 of the Crimes Act which you point to above
http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/DLM329384.html
Seems to cover verbal, physical and social violence (what’s that last one?) against children.
Assault also covers threat of force, not just use of force, so takes out a chunk of the verbal violence, too. And that’s just the crimes act.
social violence (what’s that last one?)
See section 43 of the Crimes Act for one example:
Rioting: it’s violence, and we’re doing it together.
You and oab are being deceptive by pretending to ignore the fact s.195 only covers children and vulnerable adults
Baby steps: other sections cover other situations. Like social violence (see above).
Perhaps if you could just articulate which sections you want to add or amend, that might save a lot of time. And energy. And hassle. And me having to look it all up for you.
No they don’t. The rioting one is heavily limited, like s.195. The facts don’t support your points. Stop being deceptive.
Why are you so afraid?
…limited…
Of course it is: that’s the thing with law: it has to be specific, hence we have lots of them, to cover lots of situations.
Why can’t you articulate exactly what sections of the crimes or other acts you would like to see amended or added?
Can you give an example of the behaviour you want to outlaw?
Can you read the Crimes and Summary Offences Acts first? cf: a waste of everyone’s time.
I did not ignore that fact, I explicitly mentioned it.
BTW, Summary Offences Act includes intimidation.
FWIW, I’m not arguing the law is perfect, it could always do with improvement. But much of what you want seems to be already covered, or is redundant (how is “verbal violence” not “psychological violence” or “social violence”?). How would you draft a couple of example sections?
Yes, they are. To illustrate my point, you cannot articulate the answer to the question what sections will you add to the Crimes Act and how shall they be worded?
As you cannot define the crimes you want to outlaw, you are incapable of knowing whether they are covered by the Crimes Act.
Now’s your chance to prove me wrong: define them, say what new crimes you want to outlaw.
There is a fourth legislative action we could take to change the violence culture in our society…
4. Legislate to criminalise smacking children.
Section 195 of the Crimes Act:
Assuming you disagree that this includes ‘smacking’*, how would you amend it to include ‘smacking’?
*it includes ‘smacking’ already.
The smacking legislation was heralded as, among other things, a strong and important signal that society does not tolerate any form of violence.
That work should continue into other forms of violence, as suggested at the top.
So you still can’t actually say which sections of the Crimes Act should be amended or added then.
And I bet you still haven’t actually read it or the Summary Offences Act to find out.
Lazy lazy lazy.
Edit: it occurs to me that you may be the victim of violence. If so, have you made a police complaint?
The Herald reproduces an article which fails to ask any hard question of industrial factory farming in the US.
No questions about animal cruelty or welfare.
No questions about the environmental impact of this form of farming.
No questions about the health impacts of eating dairy.
The Herald.
Owned by the finance industry.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=11948518
Were it independent, it might refer to this instead.
If my mama lived another 10 years I would have been a suite wearing higher education person and would not need my medicine as there would be no less stress my great grand father went to Te after college and so did his son. but this is fait I would no have the Mana of eco Maori. Corin Dan you were a different person when you appeared on breakfast a few years back what happened????. I’m fighting for equality for all mother earth as well and when I see people pissing on our people that have the same goals as me well I’m not going to be the nice guy any more as equality
And mother nature is to vital to our survival I say this gives me the blessing of mama to take the gloves off SO MSM Be warned. Now with colmar Braunton polls when I see truly independent audits of the process you take to get your figures an this shows no bias to national I will accept your figures. I say before we go and spend billions we should go down the route of minimiseing our use of water and waste water and don’t be like other countries that have gone down that route after exsorsting all other options and have spent billions we need to leave water for our fellow animals to have a humane life it’s there right make a law that everyone has efficient shower heads lets make a kiwi culture of being minimiseing people in every thing as this will save us big time one dollar save is like earning 2 dollars . As for a big company owning /controling most of our water assets is OK but it has to be made a asset of National security and can not be privatetise as national want to do with all our assets. I not a fan of alcohol as a lot of my whano have fallen into a bottle and it causes more damage to our society than other drugs yes alcohol is a drug. Sorry Hillary I did not mean to hurt your M8 but if he goes back to the fair man he was I will take it easy on him to my Maori culture people be proud of our culture and please make us proud as this will lift the Mana of all us Maori. Kia kaha
Many thanks to the people on the breakfast news show Ka pai
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/12/protesters-hit-k-road-to-fight-housing-development.html
Protesters hit K Road to fight housing development
Sounds like the undemocratic unitary plan have put a SHA on stolen/confiscated land. As usual not much details from our news agencies but questions should be who is building the houses (aka is it council, government, private hands, private partnership?). Also what is the United Nation’s status on the land with the claim being put in?
No surprises that the environment court and Auckland Council are not recognising the indigenous rights and have taken away the grass roots Māngere Gateway Heritage project. The super city was designed to take away community rights, democracy and special areas.
These people are playing with themselves because I can read there every move lol the Rock keeps a smile on my face and keep the working man pumping. Kia kaha
‘Team NZ is a big business and not necessarily a good business.’
Nice to see someone in the media not falling for Team New Zealand’s bait.
Indeed Rattue’s article includes some truths you never see in the economy section of the paper.
‘The big lie was Rogernomics, the 1980s rush to free enterprise which inferred that health and wealth would trickle down. Ever since, the wealth has been gushing upwards, and real national health has plummeted.
The original America’s Cup dream was actually funded by some of these new frontiersmen, a couple of bankers with – in my view – highly questionable attitudes around society values.’
No, when you live in a little country where the head of the local farming cooperative is earning more than $8m a year and gets an increase to give Beauden Barrett’s goalkicking success rate a decent nudge, all those top dogs are fair game.
Big business will say anything to get its own way — take all inferences the good ship America’s Cup is vital for the country with a big vat of sea salt.’
This article shows more critical thinking than anything you’d read from Hosking, Soper, du Plessis Allen, Garner, Gower, Murphy, Young, Watkins, Tame, ….
Yes this was written in the sports section and actually shows up the bs we’ve been sold for 35 years,
Chris Rattue’s article is worth a thread.
Just read this section alone…..
‘Philosophy, heart, soul, culture and emotion has been replaced by a fake world in the debilitating efficiency age. This includes the pseudo patriotism that lines up before every test match, hand on heart, face grimacing, team mates clutched closely, anthem turned up loud.
But can you tell me again why it is so overwhelmingly important to beat Australia, when I don’t actually feel like that anymore?’
or this part….
‘(For instance, in the real world I believe all this fawning over the rich and famous may increase feelings of alienation in many people. This could nullify any alleged economic benefit.)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11956948
Your link is broken: here it is.
Thank you – fixed it.
Rattue’s article is not what you’d expect in the sports pages – a damning critique of neo-liberal capitalism.
“Sport is simply another contributor.”
Mr Rattue would be a mo re useful read if he actually showed how much of a contributor sport is to New Zealand overall.
If a sport opinion-writer is going to slag off the economic contribution of sport, but then says it’s too hard to calculate, he would better to stop interviewing his keyboard and go talk to some actual sports economists.
Hey Mr Rattue, go insert a fact somewhere.
Don’t like it when your ideology is challenged?
Ed
I thought this was a place for discussion. Why get snippy about it when it happens?
Don’t like journalism without facts.
You might want to try it.
Plenty of facts about the negative impacts of neo-liberalism in New Zealand since the 1980s in this documentary.
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/someone-elses-country-1996
More on Fay Richwhite and their deals……
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3197208
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10446793
Show me where facts were cited in your article by Mr Rattue.
It’s an opinion piece and a bloody good one. He does mention many obvious social trends but (horrors!) failed to cite references to academic literature.
Here’s an old article (can’t find the original online) that I think is relevant. Team NZ values have eroded a long way from the ideal personified by Sir Peter Blake
https://medium.com/@ropata/where-the-new-zealand-experiment-went-wrong-3b41eb53e56c
Seriously, Green Party, sort this shit out….toot sweet.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/345887/greens-letter-reveals-damage-to-staff-morale
Another reason to lament the absence of some of those older, wiser and very possibly greener heads that are no longer present in the Big House.
“sort this shit out….toot sweet.”
My thoughts too. I was shocked but not surprised. Shocked because that shouldn’t be happening and depending on what is going on might be a bad sign in terms of GP kaupapa. Not surprised because I get the impression they are really stretched on a number of levels going into govt.
Although, again MSM, we don’t know the whole letter/context, or where it came from.
I assume the letter is from one disgruntled employee yet the article claims “however the letter reveals staff are unhappy”. Can’t see how they can make that claim based on the opinion of one staff member.
The article says the letter is from “staff” not just one staff member.
And the GP does need to elect a new co-leader as soon as. That will also indicate the future direction of the party – Genter or Davidson – indicates which direction the members want to go.
“A letter from disgruntled Green Party staff to its MPs has revealed complaints of low morale, bad communication and unfair treatment.”
Sounds like plural to me.
Right you are on the first point.
On the second I don’t think the direction of the party is dependent on who the leaders are. Unlike other parties the Greens don’t allow the leaders to determine policy. It will more come down to the personal qualities on offer.
Both main contenders have a strong raft of qualities.
The results will be tipped in the direction of which particular qualities the members tend to most value: Genter, strong on environment, transport, statistical analysis, gender issues, etc. Davidson strong on community engagement, Maori and Pacific engagement and supporting ethnic diversity, anti-poverty, gender….
Probably other things I haven’t included.
But the selection will indicate where the majority of members see the GP heading in future.
I was referring to personal qualities. You have responded with portfolio areas.
They are quite different people and I think the membership will look at who would be the best person for the job. This is what happened when James was elected. His leadership has not changed policy.
Yep. That was pretty much what I was thinking. No one I’ve met in the party has seem disgruntled in any way.
From the RNZ report:
“However the letter reveals staff are unhappy with the way they’ve been treated SINCE the party has become part of the government.” (my capitalisation)
I have to say that I began to notice something was beginning to change (morale-wise) at Garrett Street among the people slaving their arses off BEFORE they became ‘part of gubbamint’.
I think they know what they need to do though – and it probably isn’t calling in talking-head, political commentator, bullshit-artsist, media knob-head-friendly types as consultants. JAG would probably be a more reliable route, and probably a few more equipped with the baubles associated with oestrogen rather than testosterone.
Probably you won’t understand what I mean, but so be it – there’ll be a few super-tuff trolls along soon to explain what I DON’T mean
Why would JAG be a more reliable route?
There are others @Weka, but my initial thoughts were her because she actually does give a shit, she doesn’t suffer from corporate taint (though she’s well familiar with it), and is intelligent and astute.
But as I say – there are others.
Marama for one. I’m just concerned others will open themselves up to vicious media onslaught from the likes of the Garner type blokes.
James does need help though, and toot sweat.
In six months the Green Party have have not one strong and positive media story.
This little one is definitely Beltway Lacrosse, but it was a deliberate leak making yet another reason for parliamentary and Wellington-based reporters to form more negative stories.
The Otago Daily Times has picked up on the RNZ story here:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/rnz/greens-letter-reveals-damage-staff-morale
The Greens need to start the New Year with an outstanding plan for delivering on their portfolios, electing a new Co-Leader, and having the internal capacity to sustain three years of attacks.
Ad
Do you want the reporters to form more positive stories, not negative?
I want the Green Party to enable the media to generate more positive stories for the government.
It’s not a disaster because the polling looks solid for them.
On the other hand the Greens need to show that they are an actual part of government, not a reason to be consistently unpicked by the media.
The irony there is that you seem incapable of talking about what they’re getting right and most of what I see in your comments is knocking them. That’s not the Green Party’s fault, it’s about how you choose to comment.
Yeah it’s my fault they keep fucking up. Consistently.
Top work there.
The media have an agenda.
Which I sense you share.
The impression I have is that you don’t like some of the GP politics and/or kaupapa. I also note that you are overwhelmingly critical of them. I think those things might be related.
Your analysis above is that the GP should enable the media to present more positive stories about them. But you’re not willing to make positive comments about them. Yes the Greens make mistakes and that’s not your responsibility. But that you focus almost solely on the faults to the exclusion of what they do well and good is *your choice, nothing to do with the GP.
I am critical of politicians who don’t perform.
I am critical of politicians who blame everyone else for their own mistakes.
I am well and truly soft on them compare to the rest of the MSM, and indeed every other political blog in NZ writing about them.
Still, their consistent lack of performance and litany of mistakes could simply be a complete mistunderstanding, which only the Green MPs (as distinct even from their own staff) understand, and it’s actually the rest of the world that is in the real chaos.
Helpfully, you are siding with the Green MPs against the Green staff.
So we know where you stand Weka.
Solidarity forever.
a complete mistunderstanding [sic 😆 ]
Nah, they look more like malicious weasel words to me. A bit beige, if you know what I mean.
So we know where you
standkneel, Ad.I am critical of politicians who blame everyone else for their own mistakes.
Where have the Green MPs being doing that? Be specific.
Helpfully, you are siding with the Green MPs against the Green staff.
So we know where you stand Weka.
Solidarity forever.
And yet I haven’t expressed support for the Green MPs over the staff (my first comment about sorting their shit out was because of the impact on staff). You’re an idiot who appears to be making shit up.
My comments in this subthread are basically pointing out that while you expect other people to be perfect and take responsibility for everything bad that happens, you seem incapable of being honest about your own inability to say anything nice about the Greens and instead use most opportunities to pull them down.
THere’s nothing wrong with having a personal opinion based on dislike or whatever, I’d just prefer some criticism of the Greens that was based on evidence (seriously, it’s not that hard, I do it all the time). For instance, you claimed that there’d been no positive press coverage of a GP story in 6 months. I gave you some links that demonstrate otherwise.
You talk about accountability, but that’s not the same as slagging off.
Ad, I’ve seen plenty of positive commentary about James Shaw’s leadership, and about the allocation of portfolios playing to the Greens’s strengths.
They, like Labour, are still setting up their staff, reading all the documents that they didn’t get to see in opposition, settling in to the role of government. Back off a bit, eh?
What we need to see from the Greens, and others, is evidence that policy is being processed into legislation. But give them a chance to get moving.
Martyn Bradbury takes it far further than I did, and didn’t even list half the litany of mistakes since the election:
“The audacity of the Green Party tactics team complaining about the leadership needing to bring in talent from outside the Wellington clique is hilarious when you consider it was the total lack of anyone gaming out the damage from Metiria’s confession that cost the Greens half their vote.
This total lack of tactics has seen the Greens spend 3 years misstepping and being held hostage by the Wellington Twitteratti. The fact they almost fucked up the last election is utterly denied by everyone concerned.
The grim truth seems to be that no one inside there sees the opportunity of policy they could actually get through if they targeted specific Labour MPs and NZ First MPs for legislative gains.
The madness behind their Waka jumping legislation ‘strategy’ showed a level of incompetence that is bewildering.
Every time I see the Greens in the news headlines now it feels like the nervousness you get when the kids take the car out for a drive. You know it’s going to come back written off with a whole bunch of excuses and explanations that it was someone else’s fault.
The Greens don’t know if they are Arthur or Martha, and if they did it take a 6 month committee meeting to decide on pronouns.
The only hope now is that Marama Davidson is elected co-Leader and she can bring some stability to a Party that desperately needs to ask itself if it wants to wield real political power for real change or just be an exclusive club that makes those who are members feel special by their exclusion of others.
That it’s come to this is extremely embarrassing.”
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/12/11/audacity-of-green-party-staff-complaining/
Lovely line there about “…the nervousness you get when the kids take the car out for a drive.”
If Martyn Bradbury jumped off a cliff* would you “do it too”?
*Edit: that metaphor’s in poor taste. It’s insensitive and ill-considered. Mea culpa. D’oh!
Bradbury has been anti the GP for a long time now.
He seems to have jumped onto the Willie Jackson/Labour Party wagon.
Pretty much.
The Greens were still right about the welfare announcement, even though they paid a big cost. That analysis is beyond the macho politics crowd I think.
The prevailing thought by the Greens is likely that they are misunderstood, and they are trying to be above the mangle of the politics, stay a bit aside rather than above, and get on with the kaupapa that the other parties overlook while they jockey for position.
If that is the case, and they give out the feeling that they are too good, of finer stuff, from the rest of their age group if middle aged, then they won’t be able to capitalise and inform the younger middle class though they weill probably connect with the strugglers and self-driven.
The Greens in the older age group may be a bit distant from the younger ones’ pressing problems of trying to make lives and relationships, get a living, get a house, and preoccupied with that plus the problems of CC and bad political management. The Greens may not be able to capitalise on their place in parliament, and get that wider and continuing support with a practical edge that is needed. Older members are probably better off and they need to keep close and be supportive and not spend too much time walking in the mountains, visiting Europe etc and be part of supporting the political scene here and not absent so much or thinking more of the community than their nearest family and friends.
You mean feed the media the info about what is going on with the Greens, of a positive sort, not leave it to the journos to lurk and like sparrows gang up, and peck holes in our lettuces!
“In six months the Green Party have have not one strong and positive media story.”
I suspect your bias affects what you are seeing.
Yeah ummm they got ministerial roles didn’t they ad? That was pretty positive wasn’t it.
“That was pretty positive wasn’t it”.
Given what the jobs are it is only positive for the wellbeing of the people getting them.
The only one that could have any power is Minister of Conservation. She may be able to do something, which is more than any of the others will be able to do. The others aren’t worth a tin of beans.
None of them were allowed into Cabinet, on Winston’s say if rumours I have heard are to be believed, and they don’t get any say in the overall Government strategy.
Associate Minister is the worst job of the lot. You only get assigned tasks that the Minister doesn’t want to touch. Then you catch the flak.
Pretty sure Hekia Parata and Anne Tolley got all their associate minister’s ‘flak’.
LINZ and Stats have no power? Are you sure the deficit isn’t your imagination?
James Shaw is going to oversee the production of information. Nothing to see here 😆
“James Shaw is going to oversee the production of information”.
That means precisely nothing. The Government Statistician has statutory independence and the Minister, or the Prime Minister for that matter have absolutely no power over what is in the material that is produced.
The Statistician tends to get very unhappy at the slightest hint that they may be subject to any control from the Government of the day. Have a look at this slap at Robertson last year when he suggested that the Government were making her produce particular results to order.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11952737
The Minister can instruct the Statistician to produce, or stop producing, particular types of statistics. The cannot however tell them how to go about gathering the information needed, analysing it, nor how it is to be presented.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1975/0001/latest/DLM430776.html
Ministers are likely to be extremely cautious about such instructions of course. The Statistician can, and almost certainly will, make such instructions public.
A list of things he can’t do will not avail you.
He can ask them to measure poverty and a whole host of other items National wasn’t too keen to know about. Under-employment, for example.
He can also affect the transparency of information.
Of course he can.
He will just have to accept whatever they find though.
That could turn out to embarrassing to him, and worse, to the Labour Party.
H2 would have his balls if the Government Statistician came out with something embarrassing. It is very hard to say he (or she at the moment) doesn’t know what they are talking about.
I don’t really understand what you mean by the last sentence.
Funny how your authoritarian leader-worship shines out when you think you’re being erudite and knowledgeable.
Heather Simpson would not be so stupid as to risk Labour’s C&S arrangement, whether you project National’s no-mates ethics or not.
The Minister can instruct the Statistician to produce, or stop producing, particular types of statistics.
Indeed. And having stopped certain types of statistics, the Minister can get up in the House and quack on about it being impossible to measure poverty, homelessness, or whatever else it might be inconvenient to have information about. Which is exactly why having James Shaw as Minister of Statistics is one motherfucker of an improvement.
Good that you agree with me alwyn. Sure as hell better than not having those roles. But just in cake you want to trifle more with this, think.
What on earth does this comment mean?
Did you have a long lunch?
We can’t go on forever with suspicious minds Weka.
Can you name a strong and positive media story that the Greens have managed to get into the MSM in the last six months? Go right ahead.
I am sure you can give them all the rope they need, but at some point you need to apply the same level of accountability that you do to anyone running the country and expect them to sort their actual shit out and perform, just like the others.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11945026
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/an-historic-moment-for-the-green-party-james-shaw.html
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/21/49179/the-party-that-came-back-from-the-dead
“I am sure you can give them all the rope they need, but at some point you need to apply the same level of accountability that you do to anyone running the country and expect them to sort their actual shit out and perform, just like the others.”
Sure. I just said in this thread that I think if they have staffing problems of the kind in the RNZ piece then they need to sort their shit out pronto.
AHHHH! That proves it. ELVIS ISN’T DEAD!
He’s alive and well posting on The Standard as ~Ad~, with an enterage of fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb0Jmy-JYbA
Whoar! check out the side ‘burns’ and the chorus. One of them could be a teenage Jonathan Coleman
I knew someone would get it. 🙂
Not good.
However, be aware of the agenda of the finance owned media.
They have an agenda.
yep another media beat up. if you are looking for low morale look at National at the moment….well behind Lab/Gr in the radionz poll of polls since the election and Jacinda well ahead of Bill in preferred PM stakes…Bill will be gone in March
+ 1 yep always bound to be challenging. I hope they can navigate these rapids, they must do so because we need them there, aligned and in strength.
I hope also that the election is being analysed seriously from a Green perspective. Maybe get some ex MPs to be in on that.
“Maybe get some ex MPs to be in on that.”
Oh my, my, my….I’m envisioning certain staunch and consistently outspoken former Green MPs and and how much more they could have achieved had they been occupying government benches.
Those older and bolder heads should be right in there, right now, with the good oil to calm these troubled waters.
Now. Today. Quick.
Good oil is also good in stopping mozzies. It reduces surface tension and they can fly off the pooled water I believe.
I agree with you Rosemary McDonald. Personally feel it would have been good for some of the new Green MP’s to be placed lower in the list and then have had at least one election of campaigning to get the feel of it and used to the amount of work and what is involved. I believe in working your way upwards is fairer.
Greens had a new co leader and a resigned co leader and Marama is fairly new too so having so many inexperienced people as well as new people with their own branding has not been good.
Yes up to the Green members for the placement, but how much was influenced by Metro articles, MSM and fluff. Obviously all worked out for the MSM in the end when they saw the votes for the Greens. For whatever reason whatever happened took a lot of Green talent out of parliament.
I’m not a member of the Greens but did party vote them and have donated to the party. If I was a member I’d be voting Eugenie Sage as co leader because she’s the only one who seems to have any lengthy conservation experience left and has an air of Jeanette Fitzsimons. But I don’t think she’s the type to step forward for promotion. Pity.
I’ve been taking a stroll down Memory Lane this morning. reliving this traumatic day in 2013.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/50HansD_20130517_00000008/new-zealand-public-health-and-disability-amendment-bill
I strongly doubt that the younger MPs in the Green Party would be able to speak…largely off the cuff since this Bill was rushed through the House under extreme urgency…with such authority and conviction.
“I hope also that the election is being analysed seriously from a Green perspective”
There’s a review going on currently that includes the members.
The other issue, is in the age of dirty politics how many Green members are there and how many members could be faked or actually members of other parties to influence the list, opinion polls and party leader? We all know that governments have infiltrated Greenpeace, spied on Keith Locke and other social groups. We know from dirty politics that Mark Mitchell allegedly paid Slater to help increase his chances and smear the other’s in the running.
In the 21st century influencing politics seems to be just another way to keep the profits coming in and stop change. Are the Greens voting systems robust enough in the age of dirty politics?
Labour give unions voting rights for example for their party leader which might be why the leaders are still more left wing than many of the Labour MP’s – much to the MSM and Natz disgust.
If that was leaked by staff, then they aren’t suitable for continued employment with a political party and the MPs were perhaps right to be seeking external staff for certain key roles.
There is much to be done in adjusting to being in govt and having fewer MPs, but as a Green supporter I have been dismayed in the naivety of much that has happened and can’t help thinking they need far better advisors toot sweet.
I was going to do something on the drinking water report from last week, but Gordon Campbell does a useful primer here:
http://werewolf.co.nz/2017/12/gordon-campbell-on-how-the-drinking-water-crisis-has-been-a-failure-of-political-leadership/
The uber rich don’t play by the rules.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11957247
How so?He has followed the process and it doesn’t sound fair at face value.Duke has been a big success in retail,turned Briscoes around and made himself a fortune.
A defender of the 0.01%.
Quite a few here on the Standard nowadays……
I asked how he didn’t abide by the rules.
Ed – It is fair to ask you to back up accusations.
“The uber rich don’t play by the rules.”
What rule is he not playing by? He seems to have done everything correctly so far?
Another stalwart of the neoliberal elite arrives in their defence…….
and another post where you make accusations and cannot or refuse to back them up.
then try and attack people who call you out.
Yep, at the end of the day if the council has given other’s 6 landings a week and he gets half not really fair. (if that is true). Anyway I think great they will all be making such a din with all the helicopter landings to each other – each to themselves.
That, by the way, means that he doesn’t need to get consent because it’s a ‘renovation’, and not a new house despite the fact that it will be a new house.
On the issue, one wonders why we’re letting helicopters taking off and landing over a residential area. How are they doing traffic control?
We allow because we bow down to wealth in this country.
“That, by the way, means that he doesn’t need to get consent because it’s a ‘renovation’, and not a new house despite the fact that it will be a new house”
that is inaccurate – he will still need consent for that.
“On the issue, one wonders why we’re letting helicopters taking off and landing over a residential area. How are they doing traffic control?”
Same way they do it now – they call into the nearest traffic control centre.
Pity you don’t have the energy to advocate for the poor with the same energy you argue for multi- millionaires.
not arguing – just pointing out lies from the likes of yourself.
Careful. You’ve been warned before about these sorts of wild accusations.
indeed – but Ed has made a couple of accusations this morning – as usual nothing to back them up, in fact his own link points to quite the opposite of Eds statements.
So is it not fair that if all the evidence provided points to Ed not telling the truth, then its fair to call him a liar?
Are you a liar?
To be fair, it does seem like the richlister is indeed staying within the rules – using every inch of them, and being able to afford to challenge them, but still within them.
Twice a day, and all that.
Lol, the desire for petty point scoring is turning james into quite the custodian of decency and accuracy in others 🙂
He’s gone all pc and very quick to puff out his chest and scold others. It’s quite a good parody really.
A family member is a builder and thus he actually knows the building code. Leave the floor and a wall or two standing and it becomes a renovation rather than a new house.
They’ll probably have to get some consents – moving plumbing requires consent for example – but it won’t be to the level of a new house despite it being an actual new house. This is a rather glaring injustice within the law.
Seems that they’re flying under VFR so no control centre involved.
Yes have to say, I’d have a few safety concerns with all the helicopters being in a residential area. Helicopters have a higher failure rate than planes.
Couldn’t land on nicer people, I’m sure. Surely someone would give a thought about their safety…
The wealth that James, BM and Indiana worship is created by exploiting workers.
It is by paying them peanuts and himself a fortune he can afford luxurious properties, helicopters and membership of exclusive golf courses.
2014.
‘Employees from the Briscoe Group, speaking anonymously, say the starting wage there is 30 cents above the minimum rate, and most sales assistants’ wages are between $14.55 and $16 an hour, even with long service.
At the other end of the spectrum, Briscoe chief executive Rod Duke’s salary has almost doubled over the past five years. The company’s latest annual report shows Duke was paid $891,000 for the year ending January 2014. In 2009, his pay was $458,000.’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/10054448/So-wheres-the-payoff
2016
Executive directors Rod Duke and Alaister Wall were paid salaries of $972,000 and $465,000 respectively, which was separate to the fee pool.
Duke owns about 78 percent of Briscoe, which delivered him dividends of $24.6 million in the 2016 financial year.
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/krsone/2ndquarterfreethrows.html
“the rich is getting richer, so why we ain’t richer?
could it be we still thinking like niggas?
educate yourselves, make your world view bigger
visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture!”
Poor man doesn’t to be inconvenienced…
‘”From time to time, I have got a golf membership up the coast. I don’t want to have to drive to Onehunga,” he said referring to Advanced Flight’s base there.’
The tasty blocks of land on Sarsfield, Herne Bay drop off into the Waitemata Harbour. I recall something about approaches/departures from an approved H site over water having different CAA requirements than over dwellings.
I’ve never done particularly well with slagging rich people for being rich, changes squat. I’d rather lobby the council to allow Rod to irritate the bejesus out of his neighbours whenever he wants and in return he installs a min wage at Briscoes of $17 per hour.
I think there are already too many helicopters flying over Auckland. I’m not near the landing sites, but they do drown out any audio I am listening to at home. Some days in the evening, there are several fly overhead – often early evening.
I do think the number flying over Auckland in the future need to be regulated.
I don’t know what the limit should be for any individual, but surely there will need to be flight course regulations in the future?
Hmmm, he wants six helicopter flights a week. He wants to turn a boatshed into a major entertainment venue. Sounds like he’s planning to be a somewhat noxious neighbour. Considering what kind of people are likely to be his neighbours on Sarsfield St, surely that’s something to chuckle about while quietly wishing him luck.
The rich neoliberal class care about no-one else than themselves.
They read Atlas Shruggged and believed its sociopathic message.
They think they are John Galt
+111
Every day you spit on rich people. I get it, but it draws us no closer to a more favourable outcome.
I think we’re robbing ourselves of ammunition if it is our belief that the wealthy give a rats about nobody but themselves. Even if they don’t, many think they do, that’s what matters.
All of the wealthy and successful business people I’ve ever met have a few things in common. They love ‘The Deal’. They’re good at it. I have to go home, make phone calls, play with a whiteboard, before I’m remotely content with my SWOT analysis. These people run them in their heads in 10 seconds flat.
That’s their language, put any proposition on the table and that’s what they’re doing. Strengths: ‘How will going ahead with this make us stronger?’ Weaknesses: ‘What adverse effects will going ahead have on what we have now?’ Opportunities: ‘What roads open up for us if we go ahead?’ Threats: ‘How will going ahead leave us exposed to competitors?’
The best way to get Neo liberals to grow a more enhanced social conscious is to pitch our better way in manner they know and understand.
When we put on this cap other avenues start opening up.
We could look at winding the accom supplement down if share dividends started to replace it.
What would happen if our government approached Fletchers and said ‘We’d like to look at subsidising the purchase of Fletcher shares for Fletcher workers.’
Private ownership of state housing is a much easier pill to swallow when a 40% slice of the operation is owned by the people in the houses.
Watch those gardens bloom.
Hands up everyone that wants to manage state housing.
The people that have such a poor history with paying their rent, nobody in the private sector wants to know them. The people with 8 pig dogs that are in actual fact ‘family’. The guy with ‘The Mob’ emblazoned across his face. Just got out after smashing 22 people over the head with a cricket bat, he needs a home, he’s yours.
If I was in government I’d be looking to chuck that hot potato ASAP.
Unlike the UK which has strict planning laws so that their 60 million people can live in a country similar size to NZ with reasonable harmony. In NZ planning however the developers and councils and resource pillagers, have struck out pretty much all amenity clauses like privacy, noise, light, height to boundary, nuisance clauses etc. You can even try to steal 1km of harbour without a resource consent or steal public water for private bottling across conservation land.
Planning does not rely on fairness or practicality in NZ, it’s all about some 100 page report from consultants voicing that anything will be of only minor effect. So as long as you have money, employ the right consultants or know someone at the council you are sweet as to do what ever obnoxious behaviour and steal as much resources as you want, in New Zealand. Anything goes.
I was… kind of feeling sorry for the neighbours but I like your point Andre @ 11.3 😀
time to boycott Briscoes
Unlikely his neighbour’s shop there:)
This is what happens if you have to rely on private provision for old age, and user pays. There is likely to be to be a bad fit between the needs of people and what a company is willing to offer. Health insurance is a good example.
11/Dec/2017 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11957252
And when you as a human are just a bit of business product, there is no feeling from the company that they should make some change to meet the need and include the desire to be fair as well as profitable. There is an insurance advocate I think, certainly some sort of change should be able to be made, a limited liability for the insurance company against a hefty total payment.
I am paying for funeral cover myself and was interested in whether it would be paid if I chose managed demise (euthanasia) which would be regarded as suicide. I think that I would have to wait for two years or something. It isn’t a definite thing for me but that could prove a need for me in the near future.
The alcohol lobby wins.
Again.
Workers lose.
Again.
Families lose.
Again.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/345914/dunedin-council-says-yes-to-easter-sunday-trading
Voted in my the local council – no mention of any alcohol lobby.
But then Ed seems to be long on accusations and short on facts to back it up.
Just a tad like BM today james ah. If the corporate media don’t mention it then it’s not real.
Interesting point of view, but deeply flawed. Do I need to explain why?
Hey Ed – Please point to where the alcohol lobby has been involved in this. Here let me help:
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/council-online/currently-consulting-on/pre-hearings/local-easter-sunday-shop-trading-policy-pre-engagement-advice
None listed.
Patrick Gower’s leaving.
Any takers for the job?
Hal Crawford, Chief News Officer Newshub said: “Paddy is one of the best communicators I have ever worked with – his new role as national correspondent will see him unleashed on the whole of NZ, something I’m looking forward to immensely.
Christ.
Grant Robertson will be pleased. (That’s not sarcasm btw.)
I think lots of people will be pleased 😆
Way I’m reading it “National Correspondent” has the potential to be much more powerful and influential than a post tied to the Press Gallery.
I don’t know what national correspondent means.
It means (from the blurb) that he gets to report on “stories of national significance” that will “play a key part in the Newshub Live at 6pm bulletin”.
Who decides what’s significant and what to ignore is an open question. But I can’t see Paddy having only a limited input into those decisions.
edit – and to reiterate what I’ve thought for quite a while, Paddy is Grant’s man.
On your last point, I have been thinking that for a while, also.
But Gower also seems anti-GP, or anyone who strays away from the centre left, in a further leftwards direction.
I don’t see any conflict whatsoever between Gower being anti- Green/ anti-left and being Robertson’s man.
I’d have used “and” in lieu of “but” in your comment.
lol, they’re obviously not too bothered with ratings. Gower never seemed to me to be one made for tv.
Obviously saw which way the wind was blowing and Goodbye Gower. Never mind, I believe Joyce was following his career closely – I’m sure Gower will be well looked after.
Is he going back to the Herald? OR maybe he’s got a job with Fox, or more likely a job in political party spin doctoring or a gubbamint department/quango PR team.
Dunk’s probably thinking Christ! do I have to start training another little protege in the art of hand movements and camera positioning.
Actually that’s “Incredibly explosive, volatile and telling, and dramatic and devastating”. I’m in grief. Oh God I can’t cope!
What will we do?
Fascinating insight to trends in the Public Service versus Ministers:
“Newsroom- Political and public administration academics Chris Eichbaum and Richard Shaw researched the freeness and frankness of New Zealand’s public servants in 2005 and 2017.
One Respondent wrote:
“Ministers are welcome to have political advisers who play a minor role in ‘separately’ providing politically oriented advice. The problem is when they act as an intermediary between the Minister and public servants, who are trying to provide free, frank and politically neutral policy advice. They frequently filter what policy advice goes to the Minister, actively argue against policy advice in officials’ meetings and work hard to influence the topics and content of advice….”
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/12/10/66596/not-as-frank-and-free-as-we-thought
Oh god, yes!
Some years back I was driven to email the late Tony Ryall as he spouted about the impending fiscal apocalypse that would come on the back of the Appeal Court ruling for Atkinson v MOH.
Apologies for not providing a link…but Ryall was banging on about the dire consequences of paying family carers and how if it extended to ACC ‘you can see how the costs would just go up and up…’. He did that hand over hand thing to demonstrate for the cameras.
NOTE…ACC had nothing to do with the Atkinson case other that to provide evidence to the Tribunal in 2008 that paying family carers did not result in shit care or isolation or any other of ‘the sky is falling’ scenarios put forward by the Ministry of Health and Crown Law. ACC had been paying family carers for years…
Clearly he had been given the wrong advice and information from some fwit or other in his orbit, and my email went along the lines of ‘the advice you’re getting is wrong and making you look like an idiot..’.
My partner and I went to Welly and set ourselves up outside the Big House and let Ryall office know we were there should he or one of his staff like to get a truer picture of the issue.
Three days later we got to see a staffer and yes, you guessed it, a senior adviser on disability issues from the Misery of Health. This senior adviser had already distinguished themselves in our eyes as being… how can I put this…less than well informed on basic disability issues.
And the ballsup of a new family carers policy we ended up with…we’re going back to court on the issue again.
Still not sure who is the dog and who is the tail and which wags what.
Thanks ianmac for posting that link.
Fragile, petty and easily triggered.
FYI
11 December 2017
CEO
Auckland Transport
Shane Ellison
‘Open Letter’ / OIA to Auckland Transport CEO Shane Ellison re:Transdev public subsidies and corruption risk assessment.
Dear Shane,
Can you please provide the following information:
1) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from Auckland Transport, on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
2) How much have PRIVATE transport provider Transdev received in PUBLIC subsidies from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) on an annual basis since Transdev were awarded the AT rail contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
3) How much money have you, Shane Ellison, as new CEO of AT, the delegated authority to spend on awarding contracts.
4) A copy of Auckland Transport’s ‘corruption risk assessment’ – (or the like) regarding your appointment as CEO of Auckland Transport (AT), given that you have just left the employment of Transdev (Australia), and Transdev have the AT contract to run Auckland urban passenger trains.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Auckland Transport appoints new Chief Executive
https://at.govt.nz/about-us/news-events/auckland-transport-appoints-new-chief-executive/
“In a first, Shane was selected in an exemplar of a collaborative approach between a CCO and the Mayor, with the Mayor, AT Deputy Chairman, Wayne Donnelly and myself fully involved in the selection process from the outset.
Pippa Coom (Chair of the Waitemata Local Board) and Renata Blair (Member of the Independent Maori Statutory Board) were both involved in the final selection panel.
….”
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
Attendee: 2009 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2013 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2014 G20 Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2015 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2017 Transparency International Australia Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2017 Australia Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
Attendee: 2017 World Justice Project International Rule of Law Forum – The Hague.
When are cheaper ($8) visits to the doctor coming into effect? Anybody know?
It was a surprise to find the glossy Natz pamphlet telling me doctors visits were free to under 13 yo but when I went to the doctor I think is was over $40 for a child. They forgot to put in SOME doctors visits were free in their leaflet.
Is that right, National misleading voters again.
With the silly season coming upon us, I’m sure emergency departments would welcome it (cheaper doctor visits) sooner rather than later.
Moreover, with hospitals struggling to cope overall, one would assume ensuring cheaper access to GPs would be one of Labour’s top priorities.
I hope this isn’t going to be another policy that won’t take effect till 2021.
Ask Hoskings, he knows everything!
New Zealand’s regions now drier than Australian outback
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/12/new-zealand-s-regions-now-drier-that-australian-outback.html