As the old saying goes “Every cloud has a silver lining”
How Trump made political engagement great again:
The 2018 midterms had the highest turnout since before World War I!
Americans are more civically engaged than they have been in more than 100 years.
The two years between President Donald Trump’s win in 2016 and the 2018 midterms ushered in a new era of political engagement in America, not seen since the early 1900s and the 1960s civil rights and anti-war movements.
That culminated in November’s midterm elections. While House Democrats picked up 40 seats in a wave election (they didn’t fare nearly as well in the Senate), an important number to focus on is the sheer number of people who voted in 2018, compared to past midterms.
Read the link. The actual turnout was over 50% which for a mid – term is the greatest turnout in 100 years and well above the last mid-term which was around 38%. It may not sound very impressive but remember that these polling days are held on a working day, and while in some states it is a requirement for employers to give their employees time off to vote – this is met more in word than in deed. Furthermore in poorer districts there are few polling booths and it can take several hours to cast a vote.
Presidential elections score between 50 – 60%. However you need to take into account the very active voter suppression that occurs in a large majority of states where certain sectors of society are actively discouraged by a wide range of legalities from voting.
This is a surprisingly good result considering all the obstacles that state politicians put in the way of the majority.
Thanks for posting that graph Lprent. I have been following the daily train crash in the US for a while now on WTF and some of the commentators there have been very actively involved in the mid-terms and were very heartened by the (for them) massive turnout and the blue wave that resulted in the House – the forecast had been for around a 35 seat swing at best. When the results came through and the Dems kept picking up seats they well elated.
When I saw that graph on Vox – I thought it was something that needed to be seen here, because there have been a few commentators here, who have been rather disparaging of the efforts of the Democratic party. And while you can’t change an institution overnight the vibes I’m picking up from the on-line community at WTF (hosted by Matt Kiser) are very positive. I have faith that the activism I am seeing there will translate in the future to a much more progressive and viable Left.
And all thanks to Trump 😉
If there is one left wing writer you should follow, it is John Wight.
Add him to your Twitter feed.
Here is an excerpt from his most recent article, where he provides insight you rarely see in the corporate media on the events in France.
This is a war against neoliberalism and austerity
“Macron’s European army has arrived. It goes by the name Gilets Jaunes
The French capital is now, for all intents, the frontline in a growing struggle against neoliberalism and its bastard child, austerity, across a European Union whose foundations are crumbling. They are crumbling not due to the devilish machinations of Vladimir Putin (as an increasingly unhinged and out of touch Western liberal commentariat maintains), but instead as the result of a neoliberal status quo that provides far too few with unending comfort and material prosperity at the expense of far too many, for whom dire misery and mounting pain are its grim fruits.
Not only is this mass grassroots movement of Yellow Vest protesters a problem for Macron, but it is also increasingly a problem for an EU political and economic establishment that is yet to wake up to the fact that the world has changed, and changed utterly.
Throughout human history hubris has been the undoing of the rich and powerful, along with the empires forged in their name; and hubris is currently well on the way to being the undoing of an EU whose proponents have embraced the unity not of its peoples but of its banks, corporations, and elites.”
The fact you think France is a poster child for neoliberalism is laughable. France’s issues are in fact the result of failing to implement any meaningful policies that equate even remotely with neoliberalism.
You obviously don’t know much about the French economy. France has always stood apart from what they regard as the Anglo neo-liberal consensus.
Equating all forms of capitalism to neo-liberalism is a serious mistake.
The basic tenents of neo-liberalism are low barriers to trade, not much state ownership, relatively free labour markets, low regulation, relatively low taxes, and a relatively low share of the state as a share of GDP (less than 35%). France basically doesn’t have any of this. These features are very much the domain of the anglosphere, including NZ. The EU basically resists all these things.
Dr Marek Neuman explains the consequences of European economic integration on the economic and political powers of member states and why some scholars, practitioners, and citizens have been criticising the EU as a neoliberal project.
The author advances the literature on the role of the state in the decentralization of industrial relations in France by providing a political economic analysis of Right- and Left-backed governments in recent decades. While both have pursued reforms to reduce regulation and to increase labor market flexibility, they have used the state apparatus in different ways to achieve these goals.
The tragedy of Macron is that he is a highly articulate upholder of an illusion that has been dispelled time and time again since the subprime crisis. That the defence of an economic system that has exerted such centrifugal pressure on society as to nearly dissolve it can still pass as “pragmatic” is truly staggering, and shows that what goes by the name “pragmatism” has become the most deeply entrenched of ideologies.
I know some leftists have criticised the EU as a neo-liberal project. They are wrong.
The EU has its origins in the 1950’s and was designed to make Western Europe a single economy. All about eliminating the threat of war from Germany. Obviously no real barriers between each of them. But they were (and are) all high tax economies with massive welfare networks and massive infrastructure spending. That is why France has the amazing TGV trains, amazing roads, and many dozens of nuclear reactors, and may companies under the control of the state. All built with central planning.
As a general rule, informed commentators make a distinction between the anglo economies and the European economies, with many Europeans being critical of what they perceive as the US pushing their model onto them. One of the reasons for Brexit is that the UK economy doesn’t easily fit the European model. Many Brits resented the excessive level of micro control that is the norm of the EU.
Having said that I do know there has been a fear that Macron wanted to introduce more economic flexibility into France and was accused of being a closet neoliberal. He basically succeeded with employment law reform and reducing business regulation, with many French people recognising the current practices were way too restrictive. But that was clearly the limit of what he could do.
The EU has its origins in the 1950’s and was designed to make Western Europe a single economy.
Which was a bad move as the PIIGs found out. Can’t have a single economy on one currency when all the sub-economies have different taxes, workers rights, different productivity rates etc, and have their ability to control their currency removed.
Obviously no real barriers between each of them.
Yes. Neo-liberalism.
But they were (and are) all high tax economies with massive welfare networks and massive infrastructure spending. That is why France has the amazing TGV trains, amazing roads, and many dozens of nuclear reactors, and may companies under the control of the state. All built with central planning.
So, you’re now praising a command economy?
He basically succeeded with employment law reform and reducing business regulation, with many French people recognising the current practices were way too restrictive.
So, that would make him a neo-liberal and France getting neo-liberal policies despite the fact that the French don’t actually want them. You know, like the article I posted on it said.
Yeah, I’m getting your argument. Mostly because it seems to be made up out of whole cloth.
A big issue at this time of year – I think most of us waste food – we have chickens and a friend with pigs – but every time I scrape the plate or pot I cringe a little and feel ashamed that we are wasting food.
“We’re wasting food that can be utilised by some of our whānau” says Whangārei community trust CEO, Martin Kaipo, who is challenging the government to tackle New Zealand’s food wastage problem…
… Latest statistics show that 14,000 tonnes of food waste is sent to New Zealand landfills annually. That equates to 3kgs per person annually, a statistic Kaipo says can easily help those most in need.
“One of the supermarkets, they were throwing out dozens of eggs and they had to break them and we say ‘why don’t you save it? We can give it away’. They say they can’t, they’re not allowed,” says Kaipo, who has been working in the community development sector for over 20 years.
A 2015 study showed that $900mil of food is wasted by New Zealanders annually.
“You’re talking about a social accord and meeting the needs of our whānau. I think we should be challenging wastage,” he says.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that, each year, one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world (around 1.3 billion tons) is lost or wasted. This includes 45% of all fruit and vegetables, 35% of fish and seafood, 30% of cereals, 20% of dairy products and 20% of meat.
The most waste is, of course, in the highly efficient Developed Nations:
Not surprisingly, most of this wastage occurs in the developed world; per capita food waste by consumers (not including the production process) in Europe and North America is around 95-115kg per year, compared to just 6-11kg in sub-Saharan Africa and South/South-East Asia.
This wastage happens because, on average, we’re paid too much. We throw stuff out because we can afford to.
Like the waste that is personal vehicles this is another symbol of how rich we are. A symbol of how stupid and blasé we’ve become.
And the best before dates are usually a crock of shit.
We opened a still sealed tub of Greek yoghurt that had been sitting in the fridge for a year the other week. BB was November 2017. A year later, still sealed, and kept cool, it was still good to eat.
You can blame BB dates on consumers themselves. They’d buy processed food and expect it to last forever. They’d then open stuff and find it had gone off and ZOMG, they didn’t know that it had to be used by certain time so should get a refund. Some people would eat it anyway because its canned and should be good right?
For health and safety of the public BB dates became mandatory.
Yes, some foods will keep well beyond the BB date but that’s because the BB dates are very conservative and some foods will simply keep longer.
What is dumb is someone suggesting that because the PM on an issue said “Read between the line” that she cannot suggest to “Not read between the lines” on a completely different, absolutely no connection, months apart issue. Perhaps it is comments like this that highlight the skill and multi tasking ability of our brilliant PM compared to the desperate and talentless detractors.
On THAT issue, can you not see the difference? two separate issues. Are you being purposely dense or does it just come naturally. I will treat your subtle attack on the baby with the silence and contempt it deserves.
Chris T
I know I know. You would do a much better job than the PM. Possibly you put your CV forward to be an advisor and got turned down. Now you are giving her the coaching she needs from TS sidelines. Don’t know if she will welcome it. I certainly don’t. Sniping from a protected place is a low task. that doesn’t result in awards. Why not find another one?
I’m intrigued @ Chris T. What is it that makes you want to come and comment on TS?
Is it a a genuine desire to counter the politics of the left, or
Is it more to do with the size of your penis?
If it’s the latter, Maria Muldaur can offer you some solace (It ain’t the meat, it’s the motion)
Btw, your mate Matty is having a bit of an epiphany (or maybe a mid-life crisis -take your pick). He’s back from his voyage of discovery in Eurip and could probably offer you some good advice.
For one thing, the ability to recognise that different topics have different contexts, and “reading between the lines” might be advisable for one topic but reckless speculation for another.
She’s only been in the background of m ‘mind this year — I account her a talker of the talk but not a walker. ‘Brilliant’ — nay. Her feeling isn’t as good as the work that took up the lives of our founders. She still thinks her feeling matters as much as struggle, work, sacrifice, MJS.
Have you found any actual evidence that Sroubek’s estranged wife was/is under police protection as TRP asked you to provide when you continued to dispute that issue with me?
Don’t seem to have seen it here yet.
Also a warning to anyone clicking on the 14+ minute audio link Chris T provided at 4, the first 7+ mins are a news bulletin and the Hoskiing/Ardern interview does not start until after that.
Also, Ardern’s remark re not encouraging anyone to read between the lines has to be put into the context of her following comments that the Barclay situation is an employment matter that she cannot comment on.
LOL. You mean you won’t accept the Parliamentary video and Hansard transcript of what Peters said, because it does not fit with your claims – but you cannot provide any proof for your claim.
And here you go again, taking Ardern’s comment out of context and made in relation to a completely different issue as has been pointed out to you above.
He’s struggling for sure. Sad these wingnuts are going low but they are desperate for ANYthing other than the eternal-leakee-I-did-everything-right Simon. It’s also funny imo.
“Have you found any actual evidence that Sroubek’s estranged wife was/is under police protection as TRP asked you to provide when you continued to dispute that issue with me?”
How about this:
“Police Minister Stuart Nash says police should not have shared information with Immigration NZ about the location of the police safe house where the estranged wife of Karel Sroubek is staying.”
I think one or two ‘officials’ would have to be “thrown under a bus” – that’s if you’re hoping for a reply.
And we can’t do that @ Naki man! It would undermine EVERYTHING our public service (and its codes of conduct) stands for.
(/sarc)
And if we were to do that, there’d be no opportunity anymore for a pompous Wodehouse, or a finger-pumping specimen in a leapoard skin suit feigning outrage, or a struggling Soi-man to ask ‘the hard questions’ as Her Majesty’s Opposishun in Parliament – that’s without appearing like complete hypocritical shmuks.
(It’s no wonder, I ‘spose) that when I walked past MoBIE yesterday, there were one or two senior ‘officials’ standing outside, desperately sucking on their vape machines inhaling as much flavoured steam as they could get down their throats whilst they were dreaming up the next round of bullshit and spin – have you received any memo yet?)
Oh, btw @ Naki man, I stumbled across this little gem that could be used in the next election campaign and it could draw together a Tolley, a Collins, a Bennett and Barry ( let alone the male aspirants with their woifies behind them ALL THE WAY): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew
That article dated 5 December at 1.19pm and Nash’s statements etc predated the more informed information provided by Ardern, Peters and Galloway in the House in Question Time that afternoon and the following two days, Weds 6 Dec, and Thurs, 6 Dec.
I suspect/hope that Nash was possibly carpeted for those statements, and told to pull his head in as his statement that police should not have shared information with Immigration NZ about the estranged wife’s whereabouts have since been refuted on several counts, as have the statement in that article that “She is now staying in a police safe house because of fears to her safety.”
In Question Time on Thursday, 6 Dec, in questions 1 and 2 Peters refuted much of what Nash had said. In brief:
— Under Question 1, Peters advised that the wife had been offered police protection three times but had declined the offers, and hence she was not in police protection.
— Under Question 2, Galloway repeatedly stated that Police had not supplied Immigration NZ with the wife’s address as Immigration NZ already knew her address/whereabouts.
Chris T and I had a lengthy ‘discussion’ on these issues under the thread at 13 on the “Double down – protect parliament – ban Bridges for a month” post by lprent filed at 10.30pm on 5 Dec.
I am not going to repeat my very detailed responses to him with links and quotes to Peters and Galloway’s replies in the House. These can be seen in the above-mentioned thread starting with Chris T’s 13.2.2.1.1 and continuing for some days resulting in TRP telling him to pull his head in and provide evidence that she was in police protection.
As well as referencing the information provided in the House by Peters and Galloway, in one of my responses I also provided a very rough summary of the provisions of Part 8 of the Immigration Act 2009 covering the powers of entry, seizure etc of Immigration Officers in relation to possible immigration fraud etc – AND the procedures whereby Police are able under law to work closely with Immigration on such matters including the powers of – and requirements on – both agencies to share information on such matters. (There are also similar requirements for information sharing with and between other government agencies etc). As I noted in that comments, these powers etc were widened considerably under the last Nat govt.)
Going back to the Nash article, Nash did not seem to know/understand the provisions of the Immigration Act 2009 (and the Search and Surveillance Act 2012) re these powers and requirements to share relevant information between Immigration NZ and NZ Police in making the statement he did.
As Ianmac has noted below at 4.1.1.2.3, this subject is up again today in Question Time at Q3.
“It would be very axiomatic that if on three occasions the police had offered protection and she hadn’t availed herself of it, then maybe when the police came with the immigration officer, she wasn’t under protection.”
“Have you found any actual evidence that Sroubek’s estranged wife was/is under police protection?”
Mitchell is thinking of taking Winston to the Privileges Committee but Mitchell said, “”She’s been taken away to a safe home in a different part of the country that is subject to a police safety plan, and then, unannounced, two police detectives and an Immigration NZ official turned up at the front door.
“She was asked to do something she felt would make her an even bigger target for Sroubek, felt very uneasy and asked for a support person.”
That is not the same thing as a Safe House.
That great questioner Bridges is yet again having a go re Sroubek at the PM today at QT. Q3.
Ianmac – did you watch Q1 and 2 on Thursday last week – a lot revealed there as mentioned in my reply to Naki above at 4.1.2.2.3. I did extensive replies to chris t last week on this and my reply above has links to that info.
Mitchell has no real grounds to take Peters to the Privileges Committee – imo he is just posturing and may come a cropper if he persists with that line.
I also now know a lot more re the wife and her family etc and not everything is as it seems but cannot say more. It is a bit of a Through the Looking Glass situation where down seems up and vice versa – and who is the real victim/fall guy/ taking one for the team …………..
Following the money can lead to interesting results.
“It would be very axiomatic that if on three occasions the police had offered protection and she hadn’t availed herself of it, then maybe when the police came with the immigration officer, she wasn’t under protection.”
We are short on leaders, but I guess dirty politics also plays it’s part. Also the unions have become very process orientated a bit like the Green Party. But maybe dirty politics also play their part here. We are after all, under mass surveillance and you kinda lose your job or funding if you speak out in NZ.
Save NZ you have got it wrong it’s the support from the middle classes and small businesses who are getting squeezed Macron a cardboard cut out of John Key gave tax cuts to the rich and raised taxes for everyone else the wealthy people and companies pay no tax Macron is one of these uber rich. He got into power promising tax cuts for the over taxed middle classes he didn’t follow through on his promises but still claimed he was a man of his word. So the middle classes are supporting the non violent protest’s outside Paris by feeding and financing protesters. That won’t happen in NZ. The Fascists are causing the violence in Paris because of Bannon is helping the far right racist movement fill a power vacuum the left under Mitterand failed to get the French economy working now Macron is failing Le Pen is stirring up hatred to gain support like Trump. It
A few crumbs of Cake but he will make cuts elsewhere. Except for the non tax paying uber rich.
The Gilet Gaunes have won this battle Macron has caved in so that has emboldened the Yellow Jackets now they will push for more concessions.
And i am sure they will be back on the streets if the need arises.
btw, i think people should refer this not as a ‘french’ movement even tho that france is the one in the news but the gilet jaune/yellow jackets are also active in Belgium, Spain and other places in Europe.
I don’t thing it will just go away with a 100 Euro per month, but for some families it will mean another week of food.
A French person was telling me you can buy a 2 bedroom apartment in Nice for 50,000 euros. So the other issue is that cars over 10 years are being scrapped or taxed more, but there is a 10,000 euro between the compensation and the new car they need to buy. So they need to come up with a considerable amount of money aka 20% of the amount of an apartment to meet the rules. Meanwhile the oil company apparently pays no tax at all, and the government is doing nothing to tax the big oil who are creating the environmental problems in the first place???
I have always admired how the french can ensure a decent quality of life for themselves and plenty of benefits because they go crazy when their government tries to take it away and stop the economy working by blocking the streets. Once you do that, you tend to get your way fairly quickly.
The rental market in the Cote d’Azur reflects the fact that it is high value properties over run by tourists from March – October. Most people i knew lived if they could in an HLM – French Social Housing, especially families with kids.
As for the cars, some cars in France really should not be on the road :), but in saying that, it is a problem that we need to affront at some stage namely that we can’t continue to drive in our single serve boxes, and keep driving really old cars that have terrible exhausts etc.
As anywhere else in hte world the big corporations pay no more taxes in France then they pay in the US or elsewhere…… is that not what they -pay accountants for?
Generally this strike really comes down to the fact that the worker in France can’t be squeezed anymore, that the government spends as if they could squeeze the workers some more and that the increase on Gasoline via taxes was the last drop.
But don’t ever think you can buy an appartment in Nice for 50.000 Euro.
50,000euro would be a year’s rent for a cheap apartment these days I looked at a few real estate office windows thinking the same thing then my French speaking daughter explained that was the rental section.
But other areas of France land and property prices have fallen since Macron took power the cost of living has gone up considerably and people can’t afford to pay for housing.
Western Springs bush is under threat from councils inept planning. Plans to clear fell the pines and replant in natives ignores the already established and ecologically important native bush regenerating on site. A bush decades old.
My objection is that the bush is a host area for many native fungi, unsung heroes in an important range of ecosystem services. But there’s many plants, birds and insects there that need our help too.
The bush sits above a stream that flows directly into the Waitemata harbor, so removing vegetation is also risky in this regard. This stream and its tributaries are host to native banded kokopu, bullies, eel, and paratya.
You may object with a signature, and even a comment, should you wish.
In my view a lot of the rise of mental illness really goes hand in hand with society dysfunction and that is across the board from high to low socio economic groups but with different issues. The problem can be families are working too much and are not strong enough family supports to encourage strong mental health. Nowadays people seem to be fobbed off with a phone line or some external agency that probably does little to nothing. Neoliberalism has made money more important than society.
With state care, any kid who is abused then has to endure 30 different homes in 3 years? if you were mentally ok before as a kid, good chance you wouldn’t be after! By fobbing off bad agency systems, onto ‘metal health’ is also an issue because how the state care system seems to function is the bigger problem causing the mental health issues then and later on top of whatever trauma the kids suffered before they were taken away.
Also hope James Shaw is able to do something about actually creating real data that can be analysed and then better government decisions made. (see video, as the women says, be brave, don’t cover you own ass).
The need for much better statistics is across the board from justice to social welfare, immigration and state care. I even noticed that police keep ethnicity data on victims but not the perpetrators, or at least not in the information I was looking for online?
Weird, is this some woke sop type idea so that they don’t actually do anything about it? They analyse the victims but not detailed data on the criminals so that that they can perhaps try to prevent crimes by being clearer on what is the demographic of criminals increasing or decreasing and the types of crimes?
There are two actions that would reduce our mental health crisis to a manageable level. 1. Stop emotionally, physically and sexually abusing children, it makes for disturbed adults. 2. Stop taking illicit drugs, it makes you mad, if already mad, madder. Remove 1 as above from the equation and 2 will not be an issue.
I completely agree with you Psych nurse, but also think a good look at how we are raising our children, our values and our society in general needs a good look at, too.
Not good enough. We are constantly lowering our standards in NZ and then giving the wrong people too many chances. For a start if a company is not compliant then they should get a massive fine aka $100,000, never be allowed migrant workers sponsored there if they have any, and if they are non compliant again, they get a bigger fine, third time they have license taken away. Also the WOF should have ratings like the restaurants aka A – D ratings so the public can see if they are competent or not.
Like wise with Labour inspectors. 2 fines, no migrants workers allowed and if they get caught again, their ability to hire any workers is taken away.
NZTA inspectors tried to warn of non-compliance issues
For a start if a company is not compliant then they should get a massive fine aka $100,000
The problem with that is that the company just shuts up shop and never pays the fine. The owners walk away with their ill-gotten gains.
Need to make the fine far larger and have it land on the owners. The right-wing should celebrate the personal responsibility and so this government shouldn’t have any problems getting bipartisanship on the bill.
I was only commenting on the ineffectiveness of fining a business when that business can simply deregister and not pay it as we’ve seen time and time again.
You are right so obviously that is the first thing that should be changed aka not being able to shut up shop when you get a fine to avoid your debts. They need to make people bankrupt unable to own a business for 10 years and also be forced to pay what they owe personally especially if it is employment related.
On the constant employment issues for the government, (Barclay, Handley).
You have to wonder how they can justify some of these salaries in particular the Auckland university chancellor who was closing specialist libraries to save money but the third highest paid public servant on over $700,000!
All these public servants should not be paid more than PM, and the money from McCutcheon bloated un deserved salary (Auckland university gone backwards in international ratings) could have been spent on libraries and saving the 20 jobs and not reducing the quality of Auckland university courses!
University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon to step down
“He is the country’s third highest-paid public official whose salary is fixed by the State Services Commission, earning between $710,000 and $719,999 in the year to June 2017, behind only the heads of the Accident Compensation Corporation ($830,000-$839,999) and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ($800,000-$809,999).
For comparison, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earns only $471,000, although former NZ Superannuation Fund head Adrian Orr, whose salary was fixed by the super fund’s board, earned more than any of these at $1.2 million in 2016-17.”
While they are about it, the council CEO and exec team should not be paid more than the Mayor in councils. I don’t even think we should have a council CEO. We all got better council services before the bloat of councils, their poorly performing but highly paid lawyers and less leaky buildings.
I think after Fonterra we can see that a bloated salary does nothing to ensure better candidates and outcomes for our organisations here in NZ.
The title of this link is Peter Hitchens and World War 1.
However, the 15 minute clip looks at the whole history between Germany and Russia, and the Ukraine.
I recommend you watch it all, but if you’re interested in current affairs in Ukraine, I highly recommend you listen to the clip from 10:55
It is Hitchens contention that the NATO and the EU is the aggressor- not Putin.
He parallels the treatment of the Germans by the Allies in the early 1920s to the treatment of Russia by NATO in the 1990s.
He notes the betrayal of Russia by NATO when they expanded to the western borders of the truncated Russia.
I totally agree with him.
NATO (unlike the defunct Warsaw Pact) is a voluntary mutual defence pact. Nations are no coerced to join. If nations that are close to Russia want to join it is not Nato’s fault but Russia’s. Russia should reexamine it’s behaviour rather than seek to blame others.
It’s about nations NOT joining gozzer. If the yankers agreed no ex warpaccers in nato, and then reneged on that, the ruskers might just be a bit pissed off.
The Soviets would be pissed. But why wouldn’t the jolly nice Russians, who are a completely different government, want to join NATO some time in the future?
Where democracy goes the other democracies must support. It is the only way power can be held up to account. Singapore relies on the fellow-feeling Lee Kuan Yew instituted into the ruling class. Japan — no one knows, except we muchly appreciate the resistance to an aggressive army. America, a republic with a democratic element much like the Roman Republic on which their constitution was modelled. Dictatorships tend to offload the cost on to later and others.
Why councils should stick to their knitting and NOT enter into development projects. Another interesting question is, if a building is oversized and nobody approved it, surely they can work out who did the mistake, and then get them to pay for it?
Meanwhile councils seem incapable of doing what they should be with water quality. Maybe less development projects and more keeping an eye and spending their budget on what the ratepayers are paying them for aka keep the water clean for example so they are safe?
It is interesting that poor water quality influenced the local election towards the democrats. Farmers hoist by their own petard.
Obviously bringing down stock numbers to carrying capacity is an important first step. On top of this we can plant not only riparian edges, but extensively contoured shelter through farms adding water security, flood mitigation, secondary products, fodder, nitrogen fixation and other ecosystem services to offset/nullify various input costs.
The trees (and accompanying earthworks to store water in the land) are planted in a manner to provide deep access for water as well via species that tap deep through hard substrates. The whole shebang slows water down, thus erosion, thus fertiliser losses and topsoil losses. This saves money on fertiliser requirements and subsequently reduces overall fertilisers used in the environment. The trees, biodiversity, and nitrogen fixing species add to fertiliser requirement reductions.
Effluent goes to biodigestors to make biogas to power milking machines, heat water, pump water etc. This greatly reduces pathogens. The solids are then composted for a high value soil amendment, further reducing fertiliser requirements. The liquid remainder is polished in wetlands which can also provide various products and ecosystem services.
With a marked reduction in input costs and some variety in income streams the ‘reduced production’ for farmers, through shifting some land use to tree crops and reducing chemicals, can be just as profitable or even more so. But not so for big oil, big ag, Fonterra et al who all take a cut of the land’s productivity while everyone else pays for it.
Sadly I don’t think it was the poor environmental aspects of the water that made them mad at the Republicans, but the reduction of their property values….
Rod oram on business in NZ:
Fonterra
Tip Top
Trademe (Interesting possible line here with advice on private equity floating companies so investors beware) – about 13-15 mins in.
Big Changes at Fonterra
From Nine To Noon, 11:09 am today
Listen duration 15′ :51″
Business commentator, Rod Oram says there are bigger things happening at Fonterra than putting Tip Top up for sale. The coop has changed its auditors, the first change in 17 years. He’s also been looking into the winners and losers involved in the Metro Glass story.
You should be aware that this is what Opposition parties do in Parliament. The last Labour lead opposition did the same. Check Hansard if you don’t believe me.
If anyone is interested, the third reading of the above bill is underway in the House. David Clark has just done the opening speech – and big surprise, Simon Bridges has appeared and is now speaking.
If I heard rightly (Will check later) , he started by saying that this is the first Bill hearing he has spoken in during this Parliamentary session
AND he is now claiming that the Bill will allow loose leaf cannabis to be smoked openly in public !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?????????????????????
They wait until the local police shut shop normally around 4pm in places of high P manufacture like Helensville. In spite of this the police/government don’t think it is a good idea to keep the police open 24 hours in those places and keep a police presence there at night… I posted an article a while ago about monthly burglaries of local business and thy grab what they want cos they know the police are 40 mins away. Probably the same in Clutha.
mind, the shop next to mine in West AKL got done three times in a year. We got really good at taking down details to give to the local copper brigade. Not sure if it helped.
Kia ora Newshub Ka pai to Time Magazine for putting Jamal Khashoggi up and naming him person of the year we can not let them kill our truth tellers off.
Good fantasy it is men who are to blame for the way the world treats wahine all the men in power who cheat and lie to keep wahine out of leadership roles they know the wahine will keep them honest.Ingrid NZ treats our Wahine a lot better than most other country’s I do get what you mean about wahine having to be alerted to dangers of our society everytime they step outside .
The Salvation Army does a great job YES PEE is a big problem in maori communitys it hooks the user and makes them do anything for there next hit hence my anti CRACK word . Who’s on the air nz board this has the same tune as the digger cutting the fuel pipe . gold smith you would prefer to cut all the trees down and ruin our environment.
We have reports that the regions have been starved of resources for years poverty big health problem’s .Ka kite ano
Ka pai to the London Mayor for implementing a strategy to drastically reduce carbon use this is what is needed to save our future .The climate change deniers can not see past there hip pockets Muppet.
Catastrophic climate breakdown might be as little as 12 years away,” she said. “This would have profound impacts on every aspect of our lives in London from flooding and overheating in summers, disruption in our food supply chains as well as in the wider natural world.
“The mayor needs to be at the forefront of this challenge, declaring a climate emergency and an urgent updating of his carbon reduction targets to make London carbon neutral by 2030, decades ahead of his current plans, setting a precedent for other major and world cities.”
Khan said he had already introduced a series of measures to tackle climate breakdown – from investing £500m in low carbon technologies to divesting pension funds from fossil fuels. On Sunday 100 academics, philosophers and authors wrote to the Guardian to back a new civil disobedience group – Extinction Rebellion – and called for people around the world to rise up and organise against the “paralysis” of political leaders. Ka kite ano. links below
Here you go trump and his go oil party are deliberately destroying any chance of there being a positive out come at the UN climate summit ka pai to Vanuatus minister for calling them out over there bulling tact ticks dump trump
The United States and other high carbon dioxide-emitting developed countries are deliberately frustrating the UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland, Vanuatu’s foreign minister has said. His warning came as Pacific and Indian ocean states warned they faced annihilation if a global climate “rule book” could not brokered.
In a bruising speech before ministers and heads of state, Vanuatu’s foreign minister, Ralph Regenvanu, singled out the US as he excoriated major CO2-emitting developed countries for deliberately hindering negotiations.
“It pains me deeply to have watched the people of the United States and other developed countries across the globe suffering the devastating impacts of climate-induced tragedies, while their professional negotiators are here at COP24 putting red lines through any mention of loss and damage in the Paris guidelines and square brackets around any possibility for truthfully and accurately reporting progress against humanity’s most existential threat,” links below ka kite ano.
Eco Maori says when one person makes a call that if he is impeached it tells me that he believes he is guilty NO.
Former national security adviser to President Donald Trump Michael Flynn has asked a federal judge to spare him from prison time, according to his defense team’s memo before his sentencing
Flynn is the highest-ranking Trump official to face charges in the Mueller probe. He pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the then-Russian ambassador to the US. Flynn initially denied — but eventually said — that they had discussed sanctions and a United Nations resolution during the presidential transition. The saga led to his early exit from the White House. Ana to kai links below
P.S I would not be so focused on this subject if they were not trying to destroy Papatuanuku and all her creatures just for power and money.
Kia ora Newshub
That’s the way Winston banning smoking in homes is a stupid move the smoke tax’s caused the poor to become even poorer and shonky new this its a pity the maori party did not figure that out.
Air NZ engineer strike is totally unexceptionable at this time of the year they make heaps of profits to pay for good staff it just a neo stunt never had these problems when shonky was in.
Just depends who is doing the berthing study on the increased risk of getting cancer as they will make the results suit there agenda there is a motive to put Wahine off child birth. I have seen a studys saying marg is better than butter eggs are bad for you ECT any one with a brain can work out the bull from the facts.
Lloyd the towel need to be thrown in A.
Ka pai to Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer trying to stop the USA government shut down .
Personally I strongly discourage Wahine from dating people from dating sights there is to much risk for Wahine.
Reduced speed limit on the speed limits on the intercity limits of Auckland will save lives and minimize traffic jams .
Ka kite ano
Kia ora James & Mulls from the Crowd Goes Wild .
Its good news Ardie staying in Aotearoa playing rugby.
Anna I enjoy the company of a horse had many advencers on a horse good luck to Jonelle & Tim in the Badminton in Aotearoa
I say there will be a good boxing match in Christchurch this weekend guys .
Kane had a good batting match in the Black caps win Ka pai guys better stick to serfing ka kite ano
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
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Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
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Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
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The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
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In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
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 ...
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
Karl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
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. ...
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. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
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Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
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New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
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In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
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When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
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The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
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As the old saying goes “Every cloud has a silver lining”
How Trump made political engagement great again:
The 2018 midterms had the highest turnout since before World War I!
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/12/10/18130492/2018-voter-turnout-political-engagement-trump
I would think Brexit has done the same in Britain.
The referendum for Scotland seemed also to generate a whole new groundswell of political engagement.
Percentage-wise?
Read the link. The actual turnout was over 50% which for a mid – term is the greatest turnout in 100 years and well above the last mid-term which was around 38%. It may not sound very impressive but remember that these polling days are held on a working day, and while in some states it is a requirement for employers to give their employees time off to vote – this is met more in word than in deed. Furthermore in poorer districts there are few polling booths and it can take several hours to cast a vote.
Presidential elections score between 50 – 60%. However you need to take into account the very active voter suppression that occurs in a large majority of states where certain sectors of society are actively discouraged by a wide range of legalities from voting.
This is a surprisingly good result considering all the obstacles that state politicians put in the way of the majority.
Yeah it was probably the most awesome mid-term election in many years. Ummm. lets try this from
https://www.fairvote.org/voter_turnout#voter_turnout_101
Yeah. That make the 2018 turnout a bit clearer. It was the highest in a century.
Thanks for posting that graph Lprent. I have been following the daily train crash in the US for a while now on WTF and some of the commentators there have been very actively involved in the mid-terms and were very heartened by the (for them) massive turnout and the blue wave that resulted in the House – the forecast had been for around a 35 seat swing at best. When the results came through and the Dems kept picking up seats they well elated.
When I saw that graph on Vox – I thought it was something that needed to be seen here, because there have been a few commentators here, who have been rather disparaging of the efforts of the Democratic party. And while you can’t change an institution overnight the vibes I’m picking up from the on-line community at WTF (hosted by Matt Kiser) are very positive. I have faith that the activism I am seeing there will translate in the future to a much more progressive and viable Left.
And all thanks to Trump 😉
If there is one left wing writer you should follow, it is John Wight.
Add him to your Twitter feed.
Here is an excerpt from his most recent article, where he provides insight you rarely see in the corporate media on the events in France.
This is a war against neoliberalism and austerity
“Macron’s European army has arrived. It goes by the name Gilets Jaunes
The French capital is now, for all intents, the frontline in a growing struggle against neoliberalism and its bastard child, austerity, across a European Union whose foundations are crumbling. They are crumbling not due to the devilish machinations of Vladimir Putin (as an increasingly unhinged and out of touch Western liberal commentariat maintains), but instead as the result of a neoliberal status quo that provides far too few with unending comfort and material prosperity at the expense of far too many, for whom dire misery and mounting pain are its grim fruits.
Not only is this mass grassroots movement of Yellow Vest protesters a problem for Macron, but it is also increasingly a problem for an EU political and economic establishment that is yet to wake up to the fact that the world has changed, and changed utterly.
Throughout human history hubris has been the undoing of the rich and powerful, along with the empires forged in their name; and hubris is currently well on the way to being the undoing of an EU whose proponents have embraced the unity not of its peoples but of its banks, corporations, and elites.”
Whole article here.
https://t.co/HQy75hZTHD?amp=1
And in a world of global consumerism expansion being the base of capitalism, austerity left people with less to spend. Duh.
The fact you think France is a poster child for neoliberalism is laughable. France’s issues are in fact the result of failing to implement any meaningful policies that equate even remotely with neoliberalism.
Wow, you do come out with some whoppers.
France, being a part of the EU, has had to put in place full neo-liberalism BS and it’s hurting the poor – as it has done throughout history.
Wonder if we’ll see a Frexit.
Draco,
You obviously don’t know much about the French economy. France has always stood apart from what they regard as the Anglo neo-liberal consensus.
Equating all forms of capitalism to neo-liberalism is a serious mistake.
The basic tenents of neo-liberalism are low barriers to trade, not much state ownership, relatively free labour markets, low regulation, relatively low taxes, and a relatively low share of the state as a share of GDP (less than 35%). France basically doesn’t have any of this. These features are very much the domain of the anglosphere, including NZ. The EU basically resists all these things.
So, neo-liberalism is pretty much what the EU was all about then and France followed the failed ideology.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/european-culture/0/steps/23527
The Political Economy of the Neoliberal Transformation of French Industrial Relations
Macron’s tragedy is that he still believes in a discredited economic system
I know some leftists have criticised the EU as a neo-liberal project. They are wrong.
The EU has its origins in the 1950’s and was designed to make Western Europe a single economy. All about eliminating the threat of war from Germany. Obviously no real barriers between each of them. But they were (and are) all high tax economies with massive welfare networks and massive infrastructure spending. That is why France has the amazing TGV trains, amazing roads, and many dozens of nuclear reactors, and may companies under the control of the state. All built with central planning.
As a general rule, informed commentators make a distinction between the anglo economies and the European economies, with many Europeans being critical of what they perceive as the US pushing their model onto them. One of the reasons for Brexit is that the UK economy doesn’t easily fit the European model. Many Brits resented the excessive level of micro control that is the norm of the EU.
Having said that I do know there has been a fear that Macron wanted to introduce more economic flexibility into France and was accused of being a closet neoliberal. He basically succeeded with employment law reform and reducing business regulation, with many French people recognising the current practices were way too restrictive. But that was clearly the limit of what he could do.
Which was a bad move as the PIIGs found out. Can’t have a single economy on one currency when all the sub-economies have different taxes, workers rights, different productivity rates etc, and have their ability to control their currency removed.
Yes. Neo-liberalism.
So, you’re now praising a command economy?
So, that would make him a neo-liberal and France getting neo-liberal policies despite the fact that the French don’t actually want them. You know, like the article I posted on it said.
Yeah, I’m getting your argument. Mostly because it seems to be made up out of whole cloth.
Gossipboy your attempts to be Relevant are a complete joke its like your on a different planet . Rumplestilskin go back to sleep.
A big issue at this time of year – I think most of us waste food – we have chickens and a friend with pigs – but every time I scrape the plate or pot I cringe a little and feel ashamed that we are wasting food.
https://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/maori-ceo-calls-out-nzs-food-wastage-problem
Wastage is a an issue, but the numbers are odd and not consistent.
3 kg per person per year doesn’t seem much seem much.
AND
The monetary cost is $180 per person- thus the food cost $50 per kg.
Or have I just too much time on my hands!!!!
Yes the numbers need more work – thanks for pointing that out dV.
Thanks Marty.
Which countries waste the most food?
The most waste is, of course, in the highly efficient Developed Nations:
This wastage happens because, on average, we’re paid too much. We throw stuff out because we can afford to.
Like the waste that is personal vehicles this is another symbol of how rich we are. A symbol of how stupid and blasé we’ve become.
And the best before dates are usually a crock of shit.
We opened a still sealed tub of Greek yoghurt that had been sitting in the fridge for a year the other week. BB was November 2017. A year later, still sealed, and kept cool, it was still good to eat.
You can blame BB dates on consumers themselves. They’d buy processed food and expect it to last forever. They’d then open stuff and find it had gone off and ZOMG, they didn’t know that it had to be used by certain time so should get a refund. Some people would eat it anyway because its canned and should be good right?
For health and safety of the public BB dates became mandatory.
Yes, some foods will keep well beyond the BB date but that’s because the BB dates are very conservative and some foods will simply keep longer.
Ardern on Hosking this morning
Hosking – Asking questions about a possible pay out to Kiwibuild’s Barclay
Ardern – “I wouldn’t encourage anyone to read between the lines”
Lol
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/ZB/auckland/2018.12.11-07.30.00-D.mp3
Such a great sense of humour the PM lol – the righties will be up in arms as they are humourless and rightly so.
If claiming humour makes it less of a dumb thing to say for her, she can roll with that, I guess.
It would just mean she finds the Sroubek case a laugh
What is dumb is someone suggesting that because the PM on an issue said “Read between the line” that she cannot suggest to “Not read between the lines” on a completely different, absolutely no connection, months apart issue. Perhaps it is comments like this that highlight the skill and multi tasking ability of our brilliant PM compared to the desperate and talentless detractors.
Probably the fact that isn’t what she said
She said
“I wouldn’t encourage anyone…..”
After encouraging it the other day, and it being pointed out how ridiculous the statement was at the time
On THAT issue, can you not see the difference? two separate issues. Are you being purposely dense or does it just come naturally. I will treat your subtle attack on the baby with the silence and contempt it deserves.
Chris t is a natural bowel motion.
You mean, green? Or what mothers used to say, Karitane yellow?
I didn’t make any attack on any baby
I asked what made her particularly talented at multi-tasking and asked if you meant juggling the needs of her baby
Chris T
I know I know. You would do a much better job than the PM. Possibly you put your CV forward to be an advisor and got turned down. Now you are giving her the coaching she needs from TS sidelines. Don’t know if she will welcome it. I certainly don’t. Sniping from a protected place is a low task. that doesn’t result in awards. Why not find another one?
Just as another point
What makes her particular talented at multi tasking?
The baby?
I’m intrigued @ Chris T. What is it that makes you want to come and comment on TS?
Is it a a genuine desire to counter the politics of the left, or
Is it more to do with the size of your penis?
If it’s the latter, Maria Muldaur can offer you some solace (It ain’t the meat, it’s the motion)
Btw, your mate Matty is having a bit of an epiphany (or maybe a mid-life crisis -take your pick). He’s back from his voyage of discovery in Eurip and could probably offer you some good advice.
Far out grasping at straws big time today chris t.
“What makes her particular talented at multi tasking?”
Probably because she is a mum and that’s what we do, multi-task. It’s quite a talent.
Ask any mum, ask your own mum.
Anything else you would like to know about being a working mum with a young baby?
For one thing, the ability to recognise that different topics have different contexts, and “reading between the lines” might be advisable for one topic but reckless speculation for another.
Thank you McFlock, that was my inference about multi tasking. Chris T, of course, chose to misinterpret it in their desperation to be negative.
Perfectly worded, thank you.
She’s only been in the background of m ‘mind this year — I account her a talker of the talk but not a walker. ‘Brilliant’ — nay. Her feeling isn’t as good as the work that took up the lives of our founders. She still thinks her feeling matters as much as struggle, work, sacrifice, MJS.
Have you found any actual evidence that Sroubek’s estranged wife was/is under police protection as TRP asked you to provide when you continued to dispute that issue with me?
Don’t seem to have seen it here yet.
Also a warning to anyone clicking on the 14+ minute audio link Chris T provided at 4, the first 7+ mins are a news bulletin and the Hoskiing/Ardern interview does not start until after that.
Also, Ardern’s remark re not encouraging anyone to read between the lines has to be put into the context of her following comments that the Barclay situation is an employment matter that she cannot comment on.
You posted a direct reply to a question from Winston at question time
The reply you posted bore no resemblance to any answer Winston gave
ie You made it up
LOL. You mean you won’t accept the Parliamentary video and Hansard transcript of what Peters said, because it does not fit with your claims – but you cannot provide any proof for your claim.
And here you go again, taking Ardern’s comment out of context and made in relation to a completely different issue as has been pointed out to you above.
We deserve better trolls here than you.
Nothing in Winston answer to the questions bore any resemblance to what you made up, no matter how much you want to “magic” it there
He’s struggling for sure. Sad these wingnuts are going low but they are desperate for ANYthing other than the eternal-leakee-I-did-everything-right Simon. It’s also funny imo.
“Have you found any actual evidence that Sroubek’s estranged wife was/is under police protection as TRP asked you to provide when you continued to dispute that issue with me?”
How about this:
“Police Minister Stuart Nash says police should not have shared information with Immigration NZ about the location of the police safe house where the estranged wife of Karel Sroubek is staying.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12171765
I think one or two ‘officials’ would have to be “thrown under a bus” – that’s if you’re hoping for a reply.
And we can’t do that @ Naki man! It would undermine EVERYTHING our public service (and its codes of conduct) stands for.
(/sarc)
And if we were to do that, there’d be no opportunity anymore for a pompous Wodehouse, or a finger-pumping specimen in a leapoard skin suit feigning outrage, or a struggling Soi-man to ask ‘the hard questions’ as Her Majesty’s Opposishun in Parliament – that’s without appearing like complete hypocritical shmuks.
(It’s no wonder, I ‘spose) that when I walked past MoBIE yesterday, there were one or two senior ‘officials’ standing outside, desperately sucking on their vape machines inhaling as much flavoured steam as they could get down their throats whilst they were dreaming up the next round of bullshit and spin – have you received any memo yet?)
What a load of bullshit. Give up the drugs you rambling fool.
Yes Naki Man doesn’t OwT ramble on with his thoughts. You, instead, are very short and snappy, probably because you don’t have many thoughts to share.
Oh, btw @ Naki man, I stumbled across this little gem that could be used in the next election campaign and it could draw together a Tolley, a Collins, a Bennett and Barry ( let alone the male aspirants with their woifies behind them ALL THE WAY):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwBirf4BWew
“…after all he’s just a man…”
are you looking to wind some folk up?
Well if you want four female politicians singing you’ll love this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOGQ-4fR0YQ
Thanks for that, Tim! One brilliant country song not butchered by the crass Whitney “Leather Lungs” Houston.
That article dated 5 December at 1.19pm and Nash’s statements etc predated the more informed information provided by Ardern, Peters and Galloway in the House in Question Time that afternoon and the following two days, Weds 6 Dec, and Thurs, 6 Dec.
I suspect/hope that Nash was possibly carpeted for those statements, and told to pull his head in as his statement that police should not have shared information with Immigration NZ about the estranged wife’s whereabouts have since been refuted on several counts, as have the statement in that article that “She is now staying in a police safe house because of fears to her safety.”
In Question Time on Thursday, 6 Dec, in questions 1 and 2 Peters refuted much of what Nash had said. In brief:
— Under Question 1, Peters advised that the wife had been offered police protection three times but had declined the offers, and hence she was not in police protection.
— Under Question 2, Galloway repeatedly stated that Police had not supplied Immigration NZ with the wife’s address as Immigration NZ already knew her address/whereabouts.
Chris T and I had a lengthy ‘discussion’ on these issues under the thread at 13 on the “Double down – protect parliament – ban Bridges for a month” post by lprent filed at 10.30pm on 5 Dec.
I am not going to repeat my very detailed responses to him with links and quotes to Peters and Galloway’s replies in the House. These can be seen in the above-mentioned thread starting with Chris T’s 13.2.2.1.1 and continuing for some days resulting in TRP telling him to pull his head in and provide evidence that she was in police protection.
https://thestandard.org.nz/double-down-protect-parliament-ban-bridges-for-a-month/#comment-1559094
As well as referencing the information provided in the House by Peters and Galloway, in one of my responses I also provided a very rough summary of the provisions of Part 8 of the Immigration Act 2009 covering the powers of entry, seizure etc of Immigration Officers in relation to possible immigration fraud etc – AND the procedures whereby Police are able under law to work closely with Immigration on such matters including the powers of – and requirements on – both agencies to share information on such matters. (There are also similar requirements for information sharing with and between other government agencies etc). As I noted in that comments, these powers etc were widened considerably under the last Nat govt.)
Here is the link to that comment – https://thestandard.org.nz/double-down-protect-parliament-ban-bridges-for-a-month/#comment-1559387
Going back to the Nash article, Nash did not seem to know/understand the provisions of the Immigration Act 2009 (and the Search and Surveillance Act 2012) re these powers and requirements to share relevant information between Immigration NZ and NZ Police in making the statement he did.
As Ianmac has noted below at 4.1.1.2.3, this subject is up again today in Question Time at Q3.
“and hence she was not in police protection.”
Again that is not what you wrote his answer was.
Nor what he actually said
Give it up.
You made it up
What you posted he answered
” She is not in police protection; Q 1″
What Hansard says
“It would be very axiomatic that if on three occasions the police had offered protection and she hadn’t availed herself of it, then maybe when the police came with the immigration officer, she wasn’t under protection.”
“Have you found any actual evidence that Sroubek’s estranged wife was/is under police protection?”
Mitchell is thinking of taking Winston to the Privileges Committee but Mitchell said, “”She’s been taken away to a safe home in a different part of the country that is subject to a police safety plan, and then, unannounced, two police detectives and an Immigration NZ official turned up at the front door.
“She was asked to do something she felt would make her an even bigger target for Sroubek, felt very uneasy and asked for a support person.”
That is not the same thing as a Safe House.
That great questioner Bridges is yet again having a go re Sroubek at the PM today at QT. Q3.
lmao, just saw that Ian re Qtime today.
The general ublic are so over it, as they feel closure has already happened.
But hey if he want’s to keep on going there because he believes said subject is good for nat party polling, then am happy to watch the entertainment.
Ianmac – did you watch Q1 and 2 on Thursday last week – a lot revealed there as mentioned in my reply to Naki above at 4.1.2.2.3. I did extensive replies to chris t last week on this and my reply above has links to that info.
Mitchell has no real grounds to take Peters to the Privileges Committee – imo he is just posturing and may come a cropper if he persists with that line.
I also now know a lot more re the wife and her family etc and not everything is as it seems but cannot say more. It is a bit of a Through the Looking Glass situation where down seems up and vice versa – and who is the real victim/fall guy/ taking one for the team …………..
Following the money can lead to interesting results.
What you posted he answered
” She is not in police protection; Q 1″
What Hansard says
“It would be very axiomatic that if on three occasions the police had offered protection and she hadn’t availed herself of it, then maybe when the police came with the immigration officer, she wasn’t under protection.”
Yeah, we get you’re a pedant, Chris. Congratulations, you win TS’s Gripper of the Week prize. Now move on or be moved on.
I’m not the one who keeps bringing it up……….Or making shit up
Or she’s realised that when some people read between the lines they come up with pretty weird shit christy.
LOLOL!!
Lol
Macron – minimum wage to increase by 100 euros a month, tax relief for pensioners/low income workers.
https://www.france24.com/en/live
French style protest works.
He’s thrown a bone from the top table.
/
better than NZ, where we get nothing at all and never listened to.
And the last time we took to the streets….oh, that’s right, we don’t.
We post long, verbose, wittering tracts in lieu ….because we’re a craven, I’m all right Jack, ladder pulling mob.
We are short on leaders, but I guess dirty politics also plays it’s part. Also the unions have become very process orientated a bit like the Green Party. But maybe dirty politics also play their part here. We are after all, under mass surveillance and you kinda lose your job or funding if you speak out in NZ.
Save NZ you have got it wrong it’s the support from the middle classes and small businesses who are getting squeezed Macron a cardboard cut out of John Key gave tax cuts to the rich and raised taxes for everyone else the wealthy people and companies pay no tax Macron is one of these uber rich. He got into power promising tax cuts for the over taxed middle classes he didn’t follow through on his promises but still claimed he was a man of his word. So the middle classes are supporting the non violent protest’s outside Paris by feeding and financing protesters. That won’t happen in NZ. The Fascists are causing the violence in Paris because of Bannon is helping the far right racist movement fill a power vacuum the left under Mitterand failed to get the French economy working now Macron is failing Le Pen is stirring up hatred to gain support like Trump. It
A few crumbs of Cake but he will make cuts elsewhere. Except for the non tax paying uber rich.
The Gilet Gaunes have won this battle Macron has caved in so that has emboldened the Yellow Jackets now they will push for more concessions.
gotta love the french.
And i doubt they are done as of now.
And i am sure they will be back on the streets if the need arises.
btw, i think people should refer this not as a ‘french’ movement even tho that france is the one in the news but the gilet jaune/yellow jackets are also active in Belgium, Spain and other places in Europe.
I don’t thing it will just go away with a 100 Euro per month, but for some families it will mean another week of food.
A French person was telling me you can buy a 2 bedroom apartment in Nice for 50,000 euros. So the other issue is that cars over 10 years are being scrapped or taxed more, but there is a 10,000 euro between the compensation and the new car they need to buy. So they need to come up with a considerable amount of money aka 20% of the amount of an apartment to meet the rules. Meanwhile the oil company apparently pays no tax at all, and the government is doing nothing to tax the big oil who are creating the environmental problems in the first place???
I have always admired how the french can ensure a decent quality of life for themselves and plenty of benefits because they go crazy when their government tries to take it away and stop the economy working by blocking the streets. Once you do that, you tend to get your way fairly quickly.
i lived in Nice from 1992 – 1998, you never could buy anything for 50.000 euros in Nice.
sorry, you have been told porkies.
https://www.french-riviera-property.com/en/apartments-for-sale.cfm?idvl2=10
The rental market in the Cote d’Azur reflects the fact that it is high value properties over run by tourists from March – October. Most people i knew lived if they could in an HLM – French Social Housing, especially families with kids.
As for the cars, some cars in France really should not be on the road :), but in saying that, it is a problem that we need to affront at some stage namely that we can’t continue to drive in our single serve boxes, and keep driving really old cars that have terrible exhausts etc.
As anywhere else in hte world the big corporations pay no more taxes in France then they pay in the US or elsewhere…… is that not what they -pay accountants for?
Generally this strike really comes down to the fact that the worker in France can’t be squeezed anymore, that the government spends as if they could squeeze the workers some more and that the increase on Gasoline via taxes was the last drop.
But don’t ever think you can buy an appartment in Nice for 50.000 Euro.
Maybe ‘special price’ if you are not French.
Nope there is no special price for anyone.
high population density coupled with only so much land especially Nice which is wedged inbetween the Mediteranee and the Alpes Maritimes.
You could try and find something in the Ardeches mind, see here all under 50 grand.
https://www.completefrance.com/french-property/buying-property/you-could-buy-these-french-properties-for-less-than-50-000-1-5443462
50,000euro would be a year’s rent for a cheap apartment these days I looked at a few real estate office windows thinking the same thing then my French speaking daughter explained that was the rental section.
But other areas of France land and property prices have fallen since Macron took power the cost of living has gone up considerably and people can’t afford to pay for housing.
Just read on the Nice Matin that the smic will not be increased by 100 euros per month ,but that the increase is actually a top up to a benefit some who are on the smic will receive and that that will happen in steps, i.e. first augmentation of the prime d’activité (similar to our working for families) will be 30 euros, then 20 then 20 etc until a hundred is received.
In saying that not all workers who only gain smic (minimum wage) will receive la prime d’activite.
https://www.nicematin.com/politique/non-le-smic-naugmentera-pas-vraiment-de-100-euros-par-mois-284450?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&#Echobox=1544511407
So they took all the meat off the bone, and then threw it.
Western Springs bush is under threat from councils inept planning. Plans to clear fell the pines and replant in natives ignores the already established and ecologically important native bush regenerating on site. A bush decades old.
My objection is that the bush is a host area for many native fungi, unsung heroes in an important range of ecosystem services. But there’s many plants, birds and insects there that need our help too.
The bush sits above a stream that flows directly into the Waitemata harbor, so removing vegetation is also risky in this regard. This stream and its tributaries are host to native banded kokopu, bullies, eel, and paratya.
You may object with a signature, and even a comment, should you wish.
https://www.toko.org.nz/petitions/save-western-springs-native-forest
Done
ditto.
Worth watching.
Children in state care fragile after ‘trauma upon trauma’
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018674984/children-in-state-care-fragile-after-trauma-upon-trauma
In my view a lot of the rise of mental illness really goes hand in hand with society dysfunction and that is across the board from high to low socio economic groups but with different issues. The problem can be families are working too much and are not strong enough family supports to encourage strong mental health. Nowadays people seem to be fobbed off with a phone line or some external agency that probably does little to nothing. Neoliberalism has made money more important than society.
With state care, any kid who is abused then has to endure 30 different homes in 3 years? if you were mentally ok before as a kid, good chance you wouldn’t be after! By fobbing off bad agency systems, onto ‘metal health’ is also an issue because how the state care system seems to function is the bigger problem causing the mental health issues then and later on top of whatever trauma the kids suffered before they were taken away.
Also hope James Shaw is able to do something about actually creating real data that can be analysed and then better government decisions made. (see video, as the women says, be brave, don’t cover you own ass).
The need for much better statistics is across the board from justice to social welfare, immigration and state care. I even noticed that police keep ethnicity data on victims but not the perpetrators, or at least not in the information I was looking for online?
Weird, is this some woke sop type idea so that they don’t actually do anything about it? They analyse the victims but not detailed data on the criminals so that that they can perhaps try to prevent crimes by being clearer on what is the demographic of criminals increasing or decreasing and the types of crimes?
There are two actions that would reduce our mental health crisis to a manageable level. 1. Stop emotionally, physically and sexually abusing children, it makes for disturbed adults. 2. Stop taking illicit drugs, it makes you mad, if already mad, madder. Remove 1 as above from the equation and 2 will not be an issue.
I completely agree with you Psych nurse, but also think a good look at how we are raising our children, our values and our society in general needs a good look at, too.
Not good enough. We are constantly lowering our standards in NZ and then giving the wrong people too many chances. For a start if a company is not compliant then they should get a massive fine aka $100,000, never be allowed migrant workers sponsored there if they have any, and if they are non compliant again, they get a bigger fine, third time they have license taken away. Also the WOF should have ratings like the restaurants aka A – D ratings so the public can see if they are competent or not.
Like wise with Labour inspectors. 2 fines, no migrants workers allowed and if they get caught again, their ability to hire any workers is taken away.
NZTA inspectors tried to warn of non-compliance issues
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018674668/nzta-inspectors-tried-to-warn-of-non-compliance-issues
The problem with that is that the company just shuts up shop and never pays the fine. The owners walk away with their ill-gotten gains.
Need to make the fine far larger and have it land on the owners. The right-wing should celebrate the personal responsibility and so this government shouldn’t have any problems getting bipartisanship on the bill.
Barclay’s broken down under the pressure of sudden expectations of usefulness. That’s not what he took the job to be.
WTF?
I was only commenting on the ineffectiveness of fining a business when that business can simply deregister and not pay it as we’ve seen time and time again.
FIIK draccy, I was commenting on minister Twyford’s managers all buggering off.
You are right so obviously that is the first thing that should be changed aka not being able to shut up shop when you get a fine to avoid your debts. They need to make people bankrupt unable to own a business for 10 years and also be forced to pay what they owe personally especially if it is employment related.
On the constant employment issues for the government, (Barclay, Handley).
You have to wonder how they can justify some of these salaries in particular the Auckland university chancellor who was closing specialist libraries to save money but the third highest paid public servant on over $700,000!
All these public servants should not be paid more than PM, and the money from McCutcheon bloated un deserved salary (Auckland university gone backwards in international ratings) could have been spent on libraries and saving the 20 jobs and not reducing the quality of Auckland university courses!
University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon to step down
“He is the country’s third highest-paid public official whose salary is fixed by the State Services Commission, earning between $710,000 and $719,999 in the year to June 2017, behind only the heads of the Accident Compensation Corporation ($830,000-$839,999) and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ($800,000-$809,999).
For comparison, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earns only $471,000, although former NZ Superannuation Fund head Adrian Orr, whose salary was fixed by the super fund’s board, earned more than any of these at $1.2 million in 2016-17.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12144784
While they are about it, the council CEO and exec team should not be paid more than the Mayor in councils. I don’t even think we should have a council CEO. We all got better council services before the bloat of councils, their poorly performing but highly paid lawyers and less leaky buildings.
I think after Fonterra we can see that a bloated salary does nothing to ensure better candidates and outcomes for our organisations here in NZ.
I think a bloated salary is indicative of the wrong priorities for public service.
The title of this link is Peter Hitchens and World War 1.
However, the 15 minute clip looks at the whole history between Germany and Russia, and the Ukraine.
I recommend you watch it all, but if you’re interested in current affairs in Ukraine, I highly recommend you listen to the clip from 10:55
It is Hitchens contention that the NATO and the EU is the aggressor- not Putin.
He parallels the treatment of the Germans by the Allies in the early 1920s to the treatment of Russia by NATO in the 1990s.
He notes the betrayal of Russia by NATO when they expanded to the western borders of the truncated Russia.
I totally agree with him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LNg80XtsHU
NATO (unlike the defunct Warsaw Pact) is a voluntary mutual defence pact. Nations are no coerced to join. If nations that are close to Russia want to join it is not Nato’s fault but Russia’s. Russia should reexamine it’s behaviour rather than seek to blame others.
It’s about nations NOT joining gozzer. If the yankers agreed no ex warpaccers in nato, and then reneged on that, the ruskers might just be a bit pissed off.
The Soviets would be pissed. But why wouldn’t the jolly nice Russians, who are a completely different government, want to join NATO some time in the future?
Where democracy goes the other democracies must support. It is the only way power can be held up to account. Singapore relies on the fellow-feeling Lee Kuan Yew instituted into the ruling class. Japan — no one knows, except we muchly appreciate the resistance to an aggressive army. America, a republic with a democratic element much like the Roman Republic on which their constitution was modelled. Dictatorships tend to offload the cost on to later and others.
Why councils should stick to their knitting and NOT enter into development projects. Another interesting question is, if a building is oversized and nobody approved it, surely they can work out who did the mistake, and then get them to pay for it?
$4.5 million build blowout surprise
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/45-million-build-blowout-surprise
Meanwhile councils seem incapable of doing what they should be with water quality. Maybe less development projects and more keeping an eye and spending their budget on what the ratepayers are paying them for aka keep the water clean for example so they are safe?
US water scientist shocked by NZ’s water quality
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/377890/us-water-scientist-shocked-by-nz-s-water-quality?fbclid=IwAR2-PcO80jmPxCCWvC0rX7c1qdTUZGcbKNuG5mXQdUo69Z7vwwctRkgpcYY
It is interesting that poor water quality influenced the local election towards the democrats. Farmers hoist by their own petard.
Obviously bringing down stock numbers to carrying capacity is an important first step. On top of this we can plant not only riparian edges, but extensively contoured shelter through farms adding water security, flood mitigation, secondary products, fodder, nitrogen fixation and other ecosystem services to offset/nullify various input costs.
The trees (and accompanying earthworks to store water in the land) are planted in a manner to provide deep access for water as well via species that tap deep through hard substrates. The whole shebang slows water down, thus erosion, thus fertiliser losses and topsoil losses. This saves money on fertiliser requirements and subsequently reduces overall fertilisers used in the environment. The trees, biodiversity, and nitrogen fixing species add to fertiliser requirement reductions.
Effluent goes to biodigestors to make biogas to power milking machines, heat water, pump water etc. This greatly reduces pathogens. The solids are then composted for a high value soil amendment, further reducing fertiliser requirements. The liquid remainder is polished in wetlands which can also provide various products and ecosystem services.
With a marked reduction in input costs and some variety in income streams the ‘reduced production’ for farmers, through shifting some land use to tree crops and reducing chemicals, can be just as profitable or even more so. But not so for big oil, big ag, Fonterra et al who all take a cut of the land’s productivity while everyone else pays for it.
Sadly I don’t think it was the poor environmental aspects of the water that made them mad at the Republicans, but the reduction of their property values….
Looks a wee bit like a ratepayer subsidy for favoured local businesses. Sure there’s no conflict of interest though.
and favoured local business didn’t actually want the favour by the look of it, because they do not have 100% occupancy anyway…
Well they don’t want to share with just any riffraff.
Rod oram on business in NZ:
Fonterra
Tip Top
Trademe (Interesting possible line here with advice on private equity floating companies so investors beware) – about 13-15 mins in.
business
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018675082/big-changes-at-fonterra
Big Changes at Fonterra
From Nine To Noon, 11:09 am today
Listen duration 15′ :51″
Business commentator, Rod Oram says there are bigger things happening at Fonterra than putting Tip Top up for sale. The coop has changed its auditors, the first change in 17 years. He’s also been looking into the winners and losers involved in the Metro Glass story.
Oh boy….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25bjbocskMU
Wow simon is this the best you can do?
How many questions have now been asked on the subject, at least 20.
Got any new material simon?
3. Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her statements, answers, and actions in relation to Karel Sroubek?
Yes that is his best and he is the best gnat, their leader and lord, his bidding they do…
What happens if the PM answers ‘nup’?
I would have laughed even harder Gabby.
PS I love your wit on here, am constantly cracking up with your comments. Thanks for the on going laughs, very much appreciated.
You should be aware that this is what Opposition parties do in Parliament. The last Labour lead opposition did the same. Check Hansard if you don’t believe me.
I’m just impressed he managed to include a specific topic in that question. Obviously plans to spend the day flogging a dead horse.
That’s not flogging ,hes giving it CPR hoping it will come back to life
He’s a right wing politician. Better double-check that’s CPR he’s performing…
MEDICINAL CANNABIS BILL
If anyone is interested, the third reading of the above bill is underway in the House. David Clark has just done the opening speech – and big surprise, Simon Bridges has appeared and is now speaking.
If I heard rightly (Will check later) , he started by saying that this is the first Bill hearing he has spoken in during this Parliamentary session
AND he is now claiming that the Bill will allow loose leaf cannabis to be smoked openly in public !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?????????????????????
Is this his last stand????
Chloe Swarbrick. Well impressed.
How does the mayor of Clutha know when the tinny houses open?
Has he passed his information on to the local police?
tinny houses have opening hours?
oh my what is the world coming too.
They wait until the local police shut shop normally around 4pm in places of high P manufacture like Helensville. In spite of this the police/government don’t think it is a good idea to keep the police open 24 hours in those places and keep a police presence there at night… I posted an article a while ago about monthly burglaries of local business and thy grab what they want cos they know the police are 40 mins away. Probably the same in Clutha.
i live a sheltered life.
mind, the shop next to mine in West AKL got done three times in a year. We got really good at taking down details to give to the local copper brigade. Not sure if it helped.
Bienvenido al infierno, Señor Betancur
George H.W. Bush wasn’t the only blood-soaked American POS to kick the bucket recently.
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2018/12/11/colombia-the-real-and-bloody-legacy-of-belisario-betancur/
Kia ora Newshub Ka pai to Time Magazine for putting Jamal Khashoggi up and naming him person of the year we can not let them kill our truth tellers off.
Good fantasy it is men who are to blame for the way the world treats wahine all the men in power who cheat and lie to keep wahine out of leadership roles they know the wahine will keep them honest.Ingrid NZ treats our Wahine a lot better than most other country’s I do get what you mean about wahine having to be alerted to dangers of our society everytime they step outside .
The Salvation Army does a great job YES PEE is a big problem in maori communitys it hooks the user and makes them do anything for there next hit hence my anti CRACK word . Who’s on the air nz board this has the same tune as the digger cutting the fuel pipe . gold smith you would prefer to cut all the trees down and ruin our environment.
We have reports that the regions have been starved of resources for years poverty big health problem’s .Ka kite ano
Ka pai to the London Mayor for implementing a strategy to drastically reduce carbon use this is what is needed to save our future .The climate change deniers can not see past there hip pockets Muppet.
Catastrophic climate breakdown might be as little as 12 years away,” she said. “This would have profound impacts on every aspect of our lives in London from flooding and overheating in summers, disruption in our food supply chains as well as in the wider natural world.
“The mayor needs to be at the forefront of this challenge, declaring a climate emergency and an urgent updating of his carbon reduction targets to make London carbon neutral by 2030, decades ahead of his current plans, setting a precedent for other major and world cities.”
Khan said he had already introduced a series of measures to tackle climate breakdown – from investing £500m in low carbon technologies to divesting pension funds from fossil fuels. On Sunday 100 academics, philosophers and authors wrote to the Guardian to back a new civil disobedience group – Extinction Rebellion – and called for people around the world to rise up and organise against the “paralysis” of political leaders. Ka kite ano. links below
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/11/london-mayor-sadiq-khan-city-climate-emergency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2UVmqrdC4I
Here you go trump and his go oil party are deliberately destroying any chance of there being a positive out come at the UN climate summit ka pai to Vanuatus minister for calling them out over there bulling tact ticks dump trump
The United States and other high carbon dioxide-emitting developed countries are deliberately frustrating the UN climate summit in Katowice, Poland, Vanuatu’s foreign minister has said. His warning came as Pacific and Indian ocean states warned they faced annihilation if a global climate “rule book” could not brokered.
In a bruising speech before ministers and heads of state, Vanuatu’s foreign minister, Ralph Regenvanu, singled out the US as he excoriated major CO2-emitting developed countries for deliberately hindering negotiations.
“It pains me deeply to have watched the people of the United States and other developed countries across the globe suffering the devastating impacts of climate-induced tragedies, while their professional negotiators are here at COP24 putting red lines through any mention of loss and damage in the Paris guidelines and square brackets around any possibility for truthfully and accurately reporting progress against humanity’s most existential threat,” links below ka kite ano.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/11/us-accused-of-obstructing-talks-at-un-climate-change-summit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh0SOnAAk7k
Eco Maori says when one person makes a call that if he is impeached it tells me that he believes he is guilty NO.
Former national security adviser to President Donald Trump Michael Flynn has asked a federal judge to spare him from prison time, according to his defense team’s memo before his sentencing
Flynn is the highest-ranking Trump official to face charges in the Mueller probe. He pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the then-Russian ambassador to the US. Flynn initially denied — but eventually said — that they had discussed sanctions and a United Nations resolution during the presidential transition. The saga led to his early exit from the White House. Ana to kai links below
P.S I would not be so focused on this subject if they were not trying to destroy Papatuanuku and all her creatures just for power and money.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/11/politics/flynn-attorneys-response-sentence/index.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGEb4dTIAg
Kia ora Newshub
That’s the way Winston banning smoking in homes is a stupid move the smoke tax’s caused the poor to become even poorer and shonky new this its a pity the maori party did not figure that out.
Air NZ engineer strike is totally unexceptionable at this time of the year they make heaps of profits to pay for good staff it just a neo stunt never had these problems when shonky was in.
Just depends who is doing the berthing study on the increased risk of getting cancer as they will make the results suit there agenda there is a motive to put Wahine off child birth. I have seen a studys saying marg is better than butter eggs are bad for you ECT any one with a brain can work out the bull from the facts.
Lloyd the towel need to be thrown in A.
Ka pai to Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer trying to stop the USA government shut down .
Personally I strongly discourage Wahine from dating people from dating sights there is to much risk for Wahine.
Reduced speed limit on the speed limits on the intercity limits of Auckland will save lives and minimize traffic jams .
Ka kite ano
Kia ora James & Mulls from the Crowd Goes Wild .
Its good news Ardie staying in Aotearoa playing rugby.
Anna I enjoy the company of a horse had many advencers on a horse good luck to Jonelle & Tim in the Badminton in Aotearoa
I say there will be a good boxing match in Christchurch this weekend guys .
Kane had a good batting match in the Black caps win Ka pai guys better stick to serfing ka kite ano