It seems that all he wanted was Southern Response to communicate.
“They [police] told me this could be seen as harassing them [Southern Response],” he said.
He was surprised his requests for information had been perceived as harassment as he took “tremendous care that I never lose my patience and stay polite”.
He had sent daily emails to the company “because they never respond”.
Not a nutter either- imagine he would like an intelligent answer to a claim that is now 5 years old.
Since when did asking a corporate to do the job they are supposed to mean they could allege they are harassing you. Does that mean corporate debt collectors are harassing people and the debt collector can expect a visit to the police?
Funny how corporates can do what they like to the people they deal with, possibly plenty of the coercive behaviour there that Amy’s been talking of, but how dare that person answer back. And how dare they use my taxpayer money to fund this sort of trash
without seeing the emails it’s hard to say what’s gone on there. Could be the police being arses, could be the guy was getting intimidating, could be both.
The photo of the man being aggressive to the insurance dude doesn’t help his claims.
the photo is a deliberate misrepresentative shot from some years ago at a protest and has been previously explained….the photographer was either incredibly lucky or remarkably gifted to capture that particular shot.
thanks for link. I still think he is angry and intimidating (the only mitigating thing in the explanation is that he’s pointing down the road not at the insurance man. But everything else about his body language suggests a state that goes with anger or intimidation). I’m not saying he’s not entitled to be, I’m sure he is. I’m saying that that we don’t know if he was intimidating in the emails or not.
With or without the photo, how can we know what happened here?
“With or without the photo, how can we know what happened here?”
by knowing the organisation that laid the complaint with the police….there is ample evidence of Southern Responses modus operandi if you care to google.
SR have been in a running battle with CameronPreston for years…he has been pulling apart their (and the other ICs) press releases and progress data AND financials very effectively for years..not once have they been able to refute his numbers so now they are reverting to their usual methodology…shades of dirty politics ? He is effectively doing the work of our so called opposition
Could well be SR using their influence in dirty ways. Wouldn’t surprise me at all. Whether the police are complicit in that, I can’t tell. It’s also possible that SR and the police are dirty, and that Preston has been sending intimidating emails. This doesn’t mean he hasnt’ done other good, important work. That’s all I was getting at with my original comment.
see how simple and effective it is….one out of context photo and a convenient story in the press (that is short on substance and heavy on innuendo) and you’re not sure, maybe he is a head case? and maybe those other things he’s been saying arn’t quite right?…..whats not quite right , no bugger it,is a downright disgrace is that the opposition parties have left this work to private individuals.
I think McCully is referring to advice he received from legal eagles within Mfat. Which is another matter altogether and not the same as advice from the Auditor-general or Treasury. Good try Murray !
if only there was some official government office of law available to the crown who could have been asked for advice,
something like a Crown Law Office
This is National so, yeah, you can expect that they’d act against the advice if they didn’t like it. Either that or keep asking for advice from different people until they got the advice that they wanted.
Perhaps Lyn could help me. I’m confused as to the powers of the Speaker, in particular with reference to the Saudi “affair”. Carter was donkey deep in the matter when he was minister of agriculture and the decision was made not to renew live sheep shipments whilst at the same time leading the Saudis to believe that the ban would in fact, be lifted.
Does not the Speaker have a massive conflict of interest ? I’m thinking of the Opposition trying to elicit some answers from Key and Co. at question time. Should not perhaps Lindsay Tisch control this matter ?
Had to laugh at Matthew Hooton’s comments yesterday about the Saudi sheepgate affair. He tried to turn the issue into one of ineffectual leadership by Andrew Little if he can’t or won’t capitalise on the incompetence of McCully and the discomfort of the PM.
The ineptitude belongs solely to Minister McCully and his boss- not the leader of the Labour party.
That’s one conclusion. Another might be that Labour no longer has sufficient societal leverage independent of the MSM to “press this to its natural conclusion.”
I don’t know. As far as I am aware the speaker is more of an internal organisational position of parliament than anything else. I have always avoided knowing too much about NZ parliament in case I start getting the urge to get too involved with it (and stop building code). But I will give my view on the role.
But from what I have seen there are a lot of polite myths and/or guidelines that the speaker is meant to adhere to and very few hard and fast rules. A bit like what our policy reads like in fact, and for much of the same reasons. Each speaker makes their own rules based on the guides of previous speakers and whatever duties are expected of them. However they largely serve at the will of parliament in a wierd way.
Piss too many MPs and party leaders off and they just stop working with the speaker and with the parliament and cause mayhem with the legislative process. The speaker can force things through, but they are likely to die of a heart attack or ulcers if they have to do it for any length of time.
Since the primary role of a speaker is to protect parliament and to progress its work, they tend to be not push the limits. After all in the nature of things, eventually the government and speaker will change and the protection of the oppositions will be done by someone else.
The history of the speaker in the english parliament after the restoration is instructive and in particular Arthur Onslow in the early 18th century.
Many of us who watch Question Time occasionally agree that the current Speaker is making a mockery of how the role is meant to work. His party have also proved they do not care about conflicts of interest, so I wouldn’t hold my breath for an outbreak of integrity.
Boooooooooring. (not you, the 40 “long listed” flags) It’s like Buck Rogers was one of the judges – bringing old ideas… into the nineties!
I spent ten minutes of my valuable life sifting through 10,000 of them last night. I quite liked the variations on “Maori Cross” which for some reason reminded me of Ulster crosses, but not anything particularly “Maori”. To my eye, quite appealing. Then when that theme of the UNZT flag had been pushed right out to the modern/normative, it became the old flag for the Devonport Ferry Service. haha. Other short listed (my list) flags included a pencil sketch on refill of a platypus/duck type creature.
NZ should have 2 official flags: UNZT and the Maori sovereignty flag. Never really bonded with the blue southern cross/Union Jack version. It makes me feel like that extra room in the house that has aging and uninspiring – but not offensive – wallpaper, that you should really get around to painting one summer, but no one uses the room anyway so it just gets left.
Yes, the only legitamite alternate flag for NZ is the United Tribes Flag.
Any other flag is a chessy corporate logo. Its no different to councils spending ratepayers money on these flash logos when their old school coat of arms is sufficent.
I have been going on and on about the United Tribes Flag with my friends, I’m sure they’re sick of it but it really is the only alternative and that it hasn’t been included is egregious.
As soon as I saw the 40 flags and a sea of stars, koru and ferns I started to think they may as well just give us one flag to choose from with all those things.
They are called fossil fuels for a reason – the oil industry has made their money digging up dinosaurs and selling them to us to power our cars. Yet even six major oil companies have realised the writing on the wall and are calling for a price on carbon. That’s right, back in June BG Group, BP, Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Total sent a letter to the United Nations saying:
Our companies are already taking a number of actions to help limit emissions … For us to do more, we need governments across the world to provide us with clear, stable, long-term, ambitious policy frameworks. We believe that a price on carbon should be a key element of these frameworks.
And they mean a real price on carbon – one that is strong enough to change behaviour. Not a carbon price that hands out free credits, two for one deals and encourages trading in cheap and nasty international credits like our Government has. By contrast France as a new climate plan which will boost their carbon tax to 56 euros by 2020. Maybe Tim Groser should get his advice from the oil companies, given he doesn’t listen to the science community. His attachment to high emissions has him standing shoulder to shoulder with Fonterra only it seems.
There’s actually two problems with Fonterra’s continued use of coal for it’s milk drying operation:
1. The use of coal in the face of climate change
2. The fact that they’re still looking to produce huge amounts of milk solids despite the fact that there’s never again going to be a high enough demand from the rest of the world to pay for the costs of producing all that bloody milk
This waste is a direct result of chasing profits and we can see it across society. We see it in supermarkets where home delivery could save up to 90% of the emissions from cars but we’re not doing it because the greedys want to make a profit from it.
Well, the petroleum industry could pay for the +US$5 trillion global subsidy they currently receive from the public purse. (Oil ain’t dinosaurs btw, although you might argue that cars are from the age of dinosaurs).
And what clearer plan is there than the instruction to stop burning the shit!
I am keen on the one with the Union Jack in the corner, blue background with the red stars. In other words our existing flag.
Frankly I could not give a shit what the flag is, but what I do care about is, once again, hype by the obedient media over nothing, costing money that should be spent in other areas (but I forgot National are the natural leaders and the only ones with financial prudence) That’s a laugh..
This is so the fucking spiv can screw us more behind a smokescreen.
I wonder what the next miracle play for the peasantry this shower of shit will put on?
I notice that the only existing flag in the final 40 is the sports silver-fern-on-black-background one. No Maori flag, no United Tribes flag, and the only sober-looking one, the red stars on blue without the union jack, seems unlikely to end up in the final four. So what Key is pitching for looks to be either a history-free corporate logo, or a corporate logo with sporting associations – a weightless flag open to whatever meaning he wants to give it.
On Backbenchers this week Trevor Mallard strongly asserted that Steven Joyce and English and Key will be choosing the last four. Certain to be the Key silver fern.
In an effort to reduce loading on The Herald website, I’ve re-created the basic feel of the paper here, for those who can’t do without. Feel free to link to any of the stories.
NZ Herald – Readers Digest Edition (good for 2015 thru to 2099)
Opinion:
“Today something happened that challenged my views. As a senior journalist, I don’t like dealing with the outside World. However, the report came from a source I can’t easily ignore and now I have to go about finding ways to eliminate the existence of the everything. Perhaps my source was too young, smart, or heaven forbid poorer than me, or female. That’ll do it. Therefore nothing has changed and everything reinforces my present mental equilibrium that shall rule forever.”
Politics:
“Those dirty sneaky commies are up to something because something was said that deviated from the script I have in front of me. They want to stop us getting rich. They have no vision. They did something worse, fifteen years ago. Not our fault, we are just the government. Someone else says something in reply, but it makes no sense. The end.”
Sport:
“So this guy, right, he has some girlfriends in the hockey team and his team want to pay him to not drink so much. In July he changed codes and now the score is 25/46.”
Rugby:
“All black shirts not getting any whiter, says laundress. Despite claims to the contrary, the new jerseys are doing the job of appearing to be Dark Black. Earlier complaints to the Rugby Advisory Board stated that spectators were concerned their national identity was being undermined by rough handling during laundry service. Sources inside the locker room say most jerseys dissolve in water and are replaced on a game-by-game basis. A man with a beard wearing a white shirt was mistaken for an All Black, and later, ignored.”
Lifestyle:
“You know, too much of a bad thing is actually good, a recent report says. If you don’t have too much, and only a miniscule amount, then look at his picture of a woman doing pilates for no reason.”
National:
“Won’t someone save the children? Yes, The Save the Children Fund charity truck drove into the side of a community building last week. The owners of the house were unavailable for comment, but neighbours say they are nice people and that they only throw stones at stray dogs. The driver is fine, and Police had cake and tea afterwards.”
Business:
“My furrowed brow should prove that employees are the bane of our existence. Right now, in Hong Kong, brokers notes are being used as cashflow against the advice of EurAtom. Austerity now, and after innovative re-mortgaging, will stabilise the see-saw effect of income protection within the OECD. It’s hard to argue with that, and I don’t say it’ll work, but the TPPA will go some ways to improving the overall feel of the piece I just wrote. Greece. Here is a picture of a graph.”
World:
“A large whale has been sighted off the coast of Iceland. Large whales live in the sea. Small ones are called Whale Children, but often they end up dead or eaten by villagers. You should be concerned. Here is a link to our source: a comments section on a Facebook page.”
I wish certain members of the public who have no visible professional sports prowess, or legitimate business acumen, would stop writing letters to the editor.
As the number one publication in NZ, the Herald should at least stop printing these missives and consign them to the round filing bin in the corner. Need I remind you, they get a chance every three years to have their democratic say, and anyway they are all just left-wing screaming commie conspiracy bastards and should fund their own national newspaper. The reason they don’t is because the market.
Signed,
by someone who could’ve been an All Black but was busy failing a few businesses to get to be where I am today.
Great rhino.
Sounds familiar. Cut to an empty street in the dark where yesterday some un-named fellow threw stones at a cat. Reporter says it was near here that some fellow threw stones at a cat. Cut to a neighbour who says she never expected anything like that around here as her neighbours are actually Scottish. There you have it and now back to the studio.
“Is this the end of LOL?”
Breakfast television in New Zealand is nothing more than a bad joke
Television One Breakfast, TV3 Paul Henry
These are the impressions I gained from a quick perusal of both channels this morning. To be fair, I did not subject myself to the ordeal of watching all or even most of the morning’s programs, so it is possible that I missed something intelligent, thoughtful and stimulating. But, based on what I did manage to see this morning, and also on what I’ve seen in the past, these programs are banal at best [1], an insult to the intelligence on most days [2], and occasionally outrageous and revolting [3].
Shortly after seven o’clock, both channels are filled with the lugubrious mug of Professor John Burrows, the unknown minor academic plucked from obscure retirement to head the all star cast (Julie Christie, Kate Di Goldi, some old soldier and some sports people) that comprises John Key’s “Flag Consideration Panel.” The alternative flags have been whittled down to the final forty, but nobody cares—least of all Rawdon Christie’s offsider Ali Pugh, who openly expresses her disinterest in the farce. As always, the old trougher Burrows has nothing interesting to say, on either channel.
Some time after 7 o’clock, Paul Henry checks in with the woman in the “tech bunker” who monitors social media for him. Occasionally this segment is quite amusing—those occasions are when she spurns Henry’s ham-fisted attempts to flirt with her. Usually, however, this is nothing more than two minutes of chat about the most mind-numbing trivia. Today the topic is another bit of Facebook inanity: what was so good about the 80s? For a moment, Henry gets serious and solemnly intones: “Back in the 1980s, you didn’t need signs saying ‘Hot’ on a cup of coffee.” Since 1994, the story of the McDonald’s scalding case has been part of the rhetorical arsenal for the extreme right. It’s a distorted, extreme misconstruing of what actually happened, but that doesn’t matter to political ideologues like Paul Henry. [4]
8:20 a.m. TV3 Paul Henry’s daily Panel—just like Jim Mora’s Panel on National Radio, only shorter. This morning, the guests are TV3 reporter Sarah Hall and a dapper fellow named Julian Andrews, who looks and talks like one of those “creatives” from an advertising agency, but is billed grandly as a “business strategist.” The first topic is the future (or non-future) of rail in New Zealand. Henry, of course, reiterates yet again how he is dead-set opposed to rail, Julian Andrews mutters something about the public good, and Sarah Hall looks perplexed, frowns to show how troubled she is, and then says: “I’m just glad I’m not in Treasury!” Then the conversation takes a bizarre yet optimistic turn….
JULIAN ANDREWS: Do we really want 27,000 more trucks on the roads? Anyway, self-drive cars are going to render all this a non-issue!
PAUL HENRY: Tell Len Brown about driverless cars! I’ve tried to!
JULIAN ANDREWS: I was talking the other day to someone from Singularity University about driverless c—-
PAUL HENRY: What?!? “Singularity University”!!?!? Where’s THAT?
JULIAN ANDREWS: In Silicon Valley.
PAUL HENRY: Oh of COURSE it’s in Silicon Valley!
SARAH HALL: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Also at the table, silent throughout this scintillating conversation, are newsreader Hillary Barry and sports guy Jim Kayes. They both strain to maintain their rictus smiles.
Meanwhile, at 8:27 a.m. on Television One….
RAWDON CHRISTIE: Is this the end of “LOL”? Next up, the modern language merry-go-round!
We will be looking for other savings too, and other ways of increasing revenue. We have, for example, property that has for too long returned only a peppercorn rental or none at all. The Government, on behalf of taxpayers, should be getting a better return on that investment.
well, if people would just continue to have interest in their lives and properties, mortgage sales would obviously not happen.
” “People lose interest in their properties, they lose interest in their lives and the bank senses that, and that’s when you have distressed sales,” Harcourts agent and mortgagee specialist David Savery said.
let me translate that for ya’ll:
Suckers lost their jobs, their gonna loose their houses, their lives and the banks are gonna claw back and out of them what they can. And then when the last drop of blood was squeezed out of the looser banks are gonna foreclose, but its all good says Harcourts agent and mortgagee specialist David Savey, cause we are gonna take the property and sell it to another sucker in no time, for a hefty fee of course.
Bank and mortgagee specialists laughing all the way to the bank. Sucker is off to live in a ditch with the missus and kids.
Earlier in the week the government finally announced the appointment of the Stakeholder Advisory Group required under the Open Government Partnership, with not a former National MP in sight! It also announced that it was beginning public consultation on its Midterm Self-Assessment Report, which is due at the end of September. But there’s a hitch: they’re doing it wrong.
I assume that it has to do with this government being the most dishonest and least open government we’ve had in a long time as shown by their use of manipulating the OIA for political gain while trying so hard not to actually answer so many of those OIAs.
The refusal by Anne Tolley “to treat vulnerable newborns as “lab rats” by sitting back for two years to see if they were abused” generated a long discussion thread here on TS.
Obviously, child abuse is a huge problem in our society, which sadly won’t go away any time soon. This is one reason why I want pick up this topic again.
The other reason is that a few days later a very good (IMO) opinion piece appeared by Associate Professor Time Dare who had undertaken the ethical analysis of the canned study Anne Tolley’s ‘lab rats’ call inflammatory political rhetoric. I have not seen any reference to this here in TS.
For good measure, here’s a link to the material (a lot!) on the MSD website, incl. Tim Dare’s Ethical ReviewPredictive Modelling. [Note the typo in the hyperlink]
A third reason to post this is that this is just another example of how any much-needed debate in this country of ours is avoided or killed off. Not only lay-people, i.e. ordinary Kiwis like you and I, but also experts and the likes are dismissed offhand if it does not suit the narrative or framing.
This is worrisome because not only do experts provide expert knowledge, but they also tend to use less ambiguous language although this may not always be evident to the general public. Particularly science relies on unequivocal and unambiguous (AKA neutral and objective) language; the ultimate example of this is mathematics that relies on precise semantic meanings, etc.
Often politically-sensitive debate, which can include almost anything, sounds more like a Babylonic Confusion of Tongues, which is why the simplification of meanings (!) through input from scientists is often a helpful if not necessary contribution.
It seems to me that the powers that be do everything to preserve the Status Quo. By dismissing or even excluding scientific experts they leave free reign to the Confusion of Tongues, which diminishes any chances of reaching meaningful consensus or compromise, and solutions, i.e. ‘mission accomplished’.
In the same long discussion thread here on TS some interesting comments were made on correlation vs. causation.
An old well-known example of this is the correlation between people carrying matches in their pocket and the chance of these people getting lung cancer. Obviously, matches in one’s pocket, or anywhere else for that matter, do not cause lung cancer but smoking does!
There was a strange yet unexplained anomaly in that correlation in the 60s; the average long-haired human had a zero chance of getting pregnant!? Rumour is that Donald Trump donned is signature ‘hair style’ in that period once he realised it did not involve “bleeding” as there happened to be another odd correlation with long hair that has puzzled scientists ever since. The correlation between Bigfoot sightings and Donald Trump visits is near perfect; the latter also has a near-perfect record of putting his Big Foot into his Big Mouth. Sorry, how did we get here again?
I guess this is one way to ensure inequality is eliminated. Pay the most talented individuals next to nothing
“I’m earning the same as someone who works in McDonald’s,” said 28-year-old math professor Anthonny Arias in the city of Merida, an expert in mathematical logic who makes the equivalent of $4 per week at the black market exchange rate.”
“Fast food workers in NY just won a $15/hr wage.
I’m a paramedic. My job requires a broad set of skills: interpersonal, medical, and technical skills, as well as the crucial skill of performing under pressure. I often make decisions on my own, in seconds, under chaotic circumstances, that impact people’s health and lives. I make $15/hr.”
Gosman if that was meant to be a swipe at socialism in Venezuela, you get a D- for poor effort. Perhaps you might care to expound on the glories of capitalism in the USA and China, where manipulating and hiding the real economy has become an art form.
iSN’T amazing Gets some guts Key doesn’t have to table the Nat govt documents on the Saudi sheep deal and can stand and lie about the Labour party in parliament and cant be made to tell the truth
Theres a Song for Labour in that TELL THE TRUTH TELL ME WHO’S BEEN FOOLING U
John Key who else -try adding that to your rockstar economy John mite make all your BS lip sync lies crash your BS crosby Textor software
Then it was back to the Seven Sharp hosts, one of whom was highly amused. “You can understand his frustration!” giggled Toni Street. Next to her, Mike Hosking affected his default expression of disdain and disinterest.
Meanwhile, across on TV3, Heather Du Plessis-Allan and Duncan Garner—she calls him, with toe-culrling over-familiarity, “Duncs”—continued the horrible process, begun last night, of dying in front of an ever-diminishing audience. These two presenters are the most unlikeable pairing since Sarah Ferguson and Justin Timberlake. Apparently this dog of a program got one hundred thousand curious Seven Sharp viewers to switch over last night; I doubt that most of them will be back this evening.
By the way, Du Plessis was also involved in the first ever Seven Sharp, and she was crap there as well. The role of the unfunny conceited prick was at that time filled by Greg Boyed….
Watched a little bit of Story, Moz. An interview with a security guard who only had anecdotal stories to tell, followed by the hosts qualifying even that dribble by saying it wasn’t a specific security company they’d previously featured, the guy hadn’t worked in the prisoner guarding industry for years etc, etc.
Also noticed that Dunkin’ gets to lead the items, but then he is a man, so fair enough.
btw, did you post a comment this morning about breakfast TV? It’s in the spam queue, probably too many links. I can let it out, if you want.
Thanks very much te reo. I’ve just posted the same item, with a different title. I wonder if you’d use the one I’ve just sent in. Sorry about the links—-I’ll keep them to a minimum in future.
I try to give new things a chance, people have to earn a living but…so far I would have to say it would be better called “Sorry” than Story. Have to admit I am holding it up to Campbell Live, which they have said they don’t want to be compared to, but does Mediaworks really believe the public want to be titillated rather than invigorated?
“Is this the end of LOL?”
NZ has possibly the two worst breakfast TV programmes in the world Breakfast (Television One), Paul Henry (TV3)
Tuesday 11 August 2015
dire /ˈdʌɪə/ adjective of a very poor quality, dreadful, terrible
Following are the impressions I gained from a quick perusal of both channels this morning. To be fair, I did not subject myself to the ordeal of watching all or even most of the morning’s programs, so it is possible that I missed something intelligent, thoughtful and stimulating. But, based on what I did manage to see this morning, and also on what I’ve seen in the past, these programs are banal at best [1], an insult to the intelligence on most days [2], and occasionally outrageous and revolting [3].
Shortly after seven o’clock, both channels are filled with the lugubrious mug of the Professor John Burrows, the unknown minor academic plucked from obscure retirement to head the all star cast (Julie Christie, Kate Di Goldi, some old soldier and some sports people) that comprises John Key’s “Flag Consideration Panel.” The alternative flags have been whittled down to the final forty, but nobody cares—least of all Rawdon Christie’s offsider Ali Pugh, who openly expresses her disinterest in the farce. As always, the old trougher Burrows has nothing interesting to say, on either channel.
Some time after 7 o’clock, Paul Henry checks in with the woman in the “tech bunker” who monitors social media for him. Occasionally this segment is quite amusing—those occasions are when she spurns Henry’s ham-fisted attempts to flirt with her. Usually, however, this is nothing more than two minutes of chat about the most mind-numbing trivia. Today the topic is another bit of Facebook inanity: what was so good about the 80s? For a moment, Henry gets serious and solemnly intones: “Back in the 1980s, you didn’t need signs saying ‘Hot’ on a cup of coffee.” Since 1994, the story of the McDonald’s scalding case has been part of the rhetorical arsenal for the extreme right. It’s a distorted, extreme misconstruing of what actually happened, but that doesn’t matter to political ideologues like Paul Henry. [4]
8:20 a.m. TV3 Paul Henry’s daily Panel—this is like Jim Mora’s Panel on National Radio, only shorter. This morning, the guests are TV3 reporter Sarah Hall and a dapper fellow named Julian Andrews, who looks and talks like a “creative” from an advertising agency, though he is billed grandly as a “business strategist.” The first topic is the future (or non-future) of rail in New Zealand. Henry, of course, reiterates how he is dead-set opposed to rail, Julian Andrews mutters something about the public good, and Sarah Hall looks perplexed, frowns to show how troubled she is, and then says: “I’m just glad I’m not in Treasury!” Then the conversation takes a bizarre yet optimistic turn….
JULIAN ANDREWS: Do we really want 27,000 more trucks on the roads? Anyway, self-drive cars are going to render all this a non-issue! PAUL HENRY: Tell Len Brown about driverless cars! I’ve tried to! JULIAN ANDREWS: I was talking the other day to someone from Singularity University about driverl—- PAUL HENRY: What?!? “Singularity University”!!?!? Where’s THAT? JULIAN ANDREWS: In Silicon Valley. PAUL HENRY: Oh of COURSE it’s in Silicon Valley! SARAH HALL: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Also at the table, silent throughout this scintillating conversation, are newsreader Hillary Barry and sports guy Jim Kayes. They both strain to maintain their rictus smiles.
Meanwhile, at 8:27 a.m. on Television One….
RAWDON CHRISTIE: Is this the end of “LOL”? Next up, the modern language merry-go-round!”
“The US didn’t interfere with the rise of anti-government jihadist groups in Syria that finally degenerated into Islamic State, claims the former head of America’s Defense Intelligence Agency, backing a secret 2012 memo predicting their rise….
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Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“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 ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
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, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
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. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
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 ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
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, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
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The Herald
What happens to a newspaper when you allow your journalists’ Facebook feeds to lead the news.
for those of us that don’t actually read the Herald, can you give us a clue?
Reading The Herald reduces any clues anyone may co-incidentally hold.
so does reading Paul’s comment ;-p
No police state in NZ….?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/70984990/cop-visit-for-sending-daily-emails-to-insurer
Yet another example of people being intimidated into keeping their mouths shut. Sickening.
It seems that all he wanted was Southern Response to communicate.
“They [police] told me this could be seen as harassing them [Southern Response],” he said.
He was surprised his requests for information had been perceived as harassment as he took “tremendous care that I never lose my patience and stay polite”.
He had sent daily emails to the company “because they never respond”.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/71004496/Man-arrested-after-Palmerston-North-police-stations-shot-at
In the us they would shot this nutter so maybe its not so bad here A?
only if he was afro american…..and if things carry on the way they have been we will end up as dysfunctional as the US.
Not a nutter either- imagine he would like an intelligent answer to a claim that is now 5 years old.
Since when did asking a corporate to do the job they are supposed to mean they could allege they are harassing you. Does that mean corporate debt collectors are harassing people and the debt collector can expect a visit to the police?
Funny how corporates can do what they like to the people they deal with, possibly plenty of the coercive behaviour there that Amy’s been talking of, but how dare that person answer back. And how dare they use my taxpayer money to fund this sort of trash
except they are not a corporate….they are an arm of this government
without seeing the emails it’s hard to say what’s gone on there. Could be the police being arses, could be the guy was getting intimidating, could be both.
The photo of the man being aggressive to the insurance dude doesn’t help his claims.
the photo is a deliberate misrepresentative shot from some years ago at a protest and has been previously explained….the photographer was either incredibly lucky or remarkably gifted to capture that particular shot.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/10003806/Hes-Southern-Responses-no-1-enemy
thanks for link. I still think he is angry and intimidating (the only mitigating thing in the explanation is that he’s pointing down the road not at the insurance man. But everything else about his body language suggests a state that goes with anger or intimidation). I’m not saying he’s not entitled to be, I’m sure he is. I’m saying that that we don’t know if he was intimidating in the emails or not.
With or without the photo, how can we know what happened here?
“With or without the photo, how can we know what happened here?”
by knowing the organisation that laid the complaint with the police….there is ample evidence of Southern Responses modus operandi if you care to google.
ok, so SR are shit. That still doesn’t tell us much about what happened.
SR have been in a running battle with CameronPreston for years…he has been pulling apart their (and the other ICs) press releases and progress data AND financials very effectively for years..not once have they been able to refute his numbers so now they are reverting to their usual methodology…shades of dirty politics ? He is effectively doing the work of our so called opposition
Could well be SR using their influence in dirty ways. Wouldn’t surprise me at all. Whether the police are complicit in that, I can’t tell. It’s also possible that SR and the police are dirty, and that Preston has been sending intimidating emails. This doesn’t mean he hasnt’ done other good, important work. That’s all I was getting at with my original comment.
see how simple and effective it is….one out of context photo and a convenient story in the press (that is short on substance and heavy on innuendo) and you’re not sure, maybe he is a head case? and maybe those other things he’s been saying arn’t quite right?…..whats not quite right , no bugger it,is a downright disgrace is that the opposition parties have left this work to private individuals.
..
Bumbling McCully is now claiming to have received “independent” legal advice about the Saudi sheep bribe. Let’s see it then, big guy. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281027/labour-calls-for-saudi-sheep-deal-investigation
I think McCully is referring to advice he received from legal eagles within Mfat. Which is another matter altogether and not the same as advice from the Auditor-general or Treasury. Good try Murray !
if only there was some official government office of law available to the crown who could have been asked for advice,
something like a Crown Law Office
According to RNZ his statement mentions both “internal” and “independent” advice. Only the former can be MFAT.
I recall a comment that the legal advice came from within MFAT. Hardly what you would call independent …
EDIT: Wyndham bet me to it.
Even then was the legal advice for or against the deal? Surely McCulley would not act against the advice? Would he?
This is National so, yeah, you can expect that they’d act against the advice if they didn’t like it. Either that or keep asking for advice from different people until they got the advice that they wanted.
This seems like a development on his earlier statements.
Perhaps Lyn could help me. I’m confused as to the powers of the Speaker, in particular with reference to the Saudi “affair”. Carter was donkey deep in the matter when he was minister of agriculture and the decision was made not to renew live sheep shipments whilst at the same time leading the Saudis to believe that the ban would in fact, be lifted.
Does not the Speaker have a massive conflict of interest ? I’m thinking of the Opposition trying to elicit some answers from Key and Co. at question time. Should not perhaps Lindsay Tisch control this matter ?
Had to laugh at Matthew Hooton’s comments yesterday about the Saudi sheepgate affair. He tried to turn the issue into one of ineffectual leadership by Andrew Little if he can’t or won’t capitalise on the incompetence of McCully and the discomfort of the PM.
The ineptitude belongs solely to Minister McCully and his boss- not the leader of the Labour party.
and yet he was correct…if Labour cant press this to its natural conclusion they are inept.
That’s one conclusion. Another might be that Labour no longer has sufficient societal leverage independent of the MSM to “press this to its natural conclusion.”
which is another way of saying inept
I don’t know. As far as I am aware the speaker is more of an internal organisational position of parliament than anything else. I have always avoided knowing too much about NZ parliament in case I start getting the urge to get too involved with it (and stop building code). But I will give my view on the role.
But from what I have seen there are a lot of polite myths and/or guidelines that the speaker is meant to adhere to and very few hard and fast rules. A bit like what our policy reads like in fact, and for much of the same reasons. Each speaker makes their own rules based on the guides of previous speakers and whatever duties are expected of them. However they largely serve at the will of parliament in a wierd way.
Piss too many MPs and party leaders off and they just stop working with the speaker and with the parliament and cause mayhem with the legislative process. The speaker can force things through, but they are likely to die of a heart attack or ulcers if they have to do it for any length of time.
Since the primary role of a speaker is to protect parliament and to progress its work, they tend to be not push the limits. After all in the nature of things, eventually the government and speaker will change and the protection of the oppositions will be done by someone else.
The history of the speaker in the english parliament after the restoration is instructive and in particular Arthur Onslow in the early 18th century.
Many of us who watch Question Time occasionally agree that the current Speaker is making a mockery of how the role is meant to work. His party have also proved they do not care about conflicts of interest, so I wouldn’t hold my breath for an outbreak of integrity.
looking at the 40 flags in the ‘final’…it appears there will be no change in the end.Ones I liked never even made it.
I’m quite keen on the design by Kyle Lockwood Silver Fern (black, white and blue)
Nothing with a silver fern thanks. Since JK is pushing it so hard, that is good enough reason to reject it.
Boooooooooring. (not you, the 40 “long listed” flags) It’s like Buck Rogers was one of the judges – bringing old ideas… into the nineties!
I spent ten minutes of my valuable life sifting through 10,000 of them last night. I quite liked the variations on “Maori Cross” which for some reason reminded me of Ulster crosses, but not anything particularly “Maori”. To my eye, quite appealing. Then when that theme of the UNZT flag had been pushed right out to the modern/normative, it became the old flag for the Devonport Ferry Service. haha. Other short listed (my list) flags included a pencil sketch on refill of a platypus/duck type creature.
NZ should have 2 official flags: UNZT and the Maori sovereignty flag. Never really bonded with the blue southern cross/Union Jack version. It makes me feel like that extra room in the house that has aging and uninspiring – but not offensive – wallpaper, that you should really get around to painting one summer, but no one uses the room anyway so it just gets left.
Yes, the only legitamite alternate flag for NZ is the United Tribes Flag.
Any other flag is a chessy corporate logo. Its no different to councils spending ratepayers money on these flash logos when their old school coat of arms is sufficent.
I have been going on and on about the United Tribes Flag with my friends, I’m sure they’re sick of it but it really is the only alternative and that it hasn’t been included is egregious.
The United Tribes Flag is a flag for Northland Maori. I really like it personally, but it won’t wash with any other iwi in the country.
Im pretty sure South Island iwi fly it…?
As soon as I saw the 40 flags and a sea of stars, koru and ferns I started to think they may as well just give us one flag to choose from with all those things.
There’s actually two problems with Fonterra’s continued use of coal for it’s milk drying operation:
1. The use of coal in the face of climate change
2. The fact that they’re still looking to produce huge amounts of milk solids despite the fact that there’s never again going to be a high enough demand from the rest of the world to pay for the costs of producing all that bloody milk
This waste is a direct result of chasing profits and we can see it across society. We see it in supermarkets where home delivery could save up to 90% of the emissions from cars but we’re not doing it because the greedys want to make a profit from it.
Well, the petroleum industry could pay for the +US$5 trillion global subsidy they currently receive from the public purse. (Oil ain’t dinosaurs btw, although you might argue that cars are from the age of dinosaurs).
And what clearer plan is there than the instruction to stop burning the shit!
I am keen on the one with the Union Jack in the corner, blue background with the red stars. In other words our existing flag.
Frankly I could not give a shit what the flag is, but what I do care about is, once again, hype by the obedient media over nothing, costing money that should be spent in other areas (but I forgot National are the natural leaders and the only ones with financial prudence) That’s a laugh..
This is so the fucking spiv can screw us more behind a smokescreen.
I wonder what the next miracle play for the peasantry this shower of shit will put on?
I notice that the only existing flag in the final 40 is the sports silver-fern-on-black-background one. No Maori flag, no United Tribes flag, and the only sober-looking one, the red stars on blue without the union jack, seems unlikely to end up in the final four. So what Key is pitching for looks to be either a history-free corporate logo, or a corporate logo with sporting associations – a weightless flag open to whatever meaning he wants to give it.
+100 half crown
On Backbenchers this week Trevor Mallard strongly asserted that Steven Joyce and English and Key will be choosing the last four. Certain to be the Key silver fern.
In an effort to reduce loading on The Herald website, I’ve re-created the basic feel of the paper here, for those who can’t do without. Feel free to link to any of the stories.
NZ Herald – Readers Digest Edition (good for 2015 thru to 2099)
Opinion:
“Today something happened that challenged my views. As a senior journalist, I don’t like dealing with the outside World. However, the report came from a source I can’t easily ignore and now I have to go about finding ways to eliminate the existence of the everything. Perhaps my source was too young, smart, or heaven forbid poorer than me, or female. That’ll do it. Therefore nothing has changed and everything reinforces my present mental equilibrium that shall rule forever.”
Politics:
“Those dirty sneaky commies are up to something because something was said that deviated from the script I have in front of me. They want to stop us getting rich. They have no vision. They did something worse, fifteen years ago. Not our fault, we are just the government. Someone else says something in reply, but it makes no sense. The end.”
Sport:
“So this guy, right, he has some girlfriends in the hockey team and his team want to pay him to not drink so much. In July he changed codes and now the score is 25/46.”
Rugby:
“All black shirts not getting any whiter, says laundress. Despite claims to the contrary, the new jerseys are doing the job of appearing to be Dark Black. Earlier complaints to the Rugby Advisory Board stated that spectators were concerned their national identity was being undermined by rough handling during laundry service. Sources inside the locker room say most jerseys dissolve in water and are replaced on a game-by-game basis. A man with a beard wearing a white shirt was mistaken for an All Black, and later, ignored.”
Lifestyle:
“You know, too much of a bad thing is actually good, a recent report says. If you don’t have too much, and only a miniscule amount, then look at his picture of a woman doing pilates for no reason.”
National:
“Won’t someone save the children? Yes, The Save the Children Fund charity truck drove into the side of a community building last week. The owners of the house were unavailable for comment, but neighbours say they are nice people and that they only throw stones at stray dogs. The driver is fine, and Police had cake and tea afterwards.”
Business:
“My furrowed brow should prove that employees are the bane of our existence. Right now, in Hong Kong, brokers notes are being used as cashflow against the advice of EurAtom. Austerity now, and after innovative re-mortgaging, will stabilise the see-saw effect of income protection within the OECD. It’s hard to argue with that, and I don’t say it’ll work, but the TPPA will go some ways to improving the overall feel of the piece I just wrote. Greece. Here is a picture of a graph.”
World:
“A large whale has been sighted off the coast of Iceland. Large whales live in the sea. Small ones are called Whale Children, but often they end up dead or eaten by villagers. You should be concerned. Here is a link to our source: a comments section on a Facebook page.”
Please, submit this as a guest post!
http://thestandard.org.nz/contribute-post/
Letters to the Editor:
Jolly good Charles. 🙂
Brilliant! You’re now the new editor.
🙂
Charlie Brooker on the “serious” newzak:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI
Thanks rhinocrates, that was awesome!
Great rhino.
Sounds familiar. Cut to an empty street in the dark where yesterday some un-named fellow threw stones at a cat. Reporter says it was near here that some fellow threw stones at a cat. Cut to a neighbour who says she never expected anything like that around here as her neighbours are actually Scottish. There you have it and now back to the studio.
“Is this the end of LOL?”
Breakfast television in New Zealand is nothing more than a bad joke
Television One Breakfast, TV3 Paul Henry
These are the impressions I gained from a quick perusal of both channels this morning. To be fair, I did not subject myself to the ordeal of watching all or even most of the morning’s programs, so it is possible that I missed something intelligent, thoughtful and stimulating. But, based on what I did manage to see this morning, and also on what I’ve seen in the past, these programs are banal at best [1], an insult to the intelligence on most days [2], and occasionally outrageous and revolting [3].
Shortly after seven o’clock, both channels are filled with the lugubrious mug of Professor John Burrows, the unknown minor academic plucked from obscure retirement to head the all star cast (Julie Christie, Kate Di Goldi, some old soldier and some sports people) that comprises John Key’s “Flag Consideration Panel.” The alternative flags have been whittled down to the final forty, but nobody cares—least of all Rawdon Christie’s offsider Ali Pugh, who openly expresses her disinterest in the farce. As always, the old trougher Burrows has nothing interesting to say, on either channel.
Some time after 7 o’clock, Paul Henry checks in with the woman in the “tech bunker” who monitors social media for him. Occasionally this segment is quite amusing—those occasions are when she spurns Henry’s ham-fisted attempts to flirt with her. Usually, however, this is nothing more than two minutes of chat about the most mind-numbing trivia. Today the topic is another bit of Facebook inanity: what was so good about the 80s? For a moment, Henry gets serious and solemnly intones: “Back in the 1980s, you didn’t need signs saying ‘Hot’ on a cup of coffee.” Since 1994, the story of the McDonald’s scalding case has been part of the rhetorical arsenal for the extreme right. It’s a distorted, extreme misconstruing of what actually happened, but that doesn’t matter to political ideologues like Paul Henry. [4]
8:20 a.m. TV3 Paul Henry’s daily Panel—just like Jim Mora’s Panel on National Radio, only shorter. This morning, the guests are TV3 reporter Sarah Hall and a dapper fellow named Julian Andrews, who looks and talks like one of those “creatives” from an advertising agency, but is billed grandly as a “business strategist.” The first topic is the future (or non-future) of rail in New Zealand. Henry, of course, reiterates yet again how he is dead-set opposed to rail, Julian Andrews mutters something about the public good, and Sarah Hall looks perplexed, frowns to show how troubled she is, and then says: “I’m just glad I’m not in Treasury!” Then the conversation takes a bizarre yet optimistic turn….
JULIAN ANDREWS: Do we really want 27,000 more trucks on the roads? Anyway, self-drive cars are going to render all this a non-issue!
PAUL HENRY: Tell Len Brown about driverless cars! I’ve tried to!
JULIAN ANDREWS: I was talking the other day to someone from Singularity University about driverless c—-
PAUL HENRY: What?!? “Singularity University”!!?!? Where’s THAT?
JULIAN ANDREWS: In Silicon Valley.
PAUL HENRY: Oh of COURSE it’s in Silicon Valley!
SARAH HALL: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Also at the table, silent throughout this scintillating conversation, are newsreader Hillary Barry and sports guy Jim Kayes. They both strain to maintain their rictus smiles.
Meanwhile, at 8:27 a.m. on Television One….
RAWDON CHRISTIE: Is this the end of “LOL”? Next up, the modern language merry-go-round!
[1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09102014/#comment-906840
http://thestandard.org.nz/tuwhera-mike-06022014/#comment-769085
[2] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10102014/#comment-907745
[3] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20122012/#comment-564961
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052015/#comment-1021090
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkL9UlmCOE
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/70978250/Why-railways-are-valuable-to-New-Zealand
Trains are good !,its a pity we’re being governed buy a bunch of morons who can’t work it out.
Interesting article. Anyone know what this means?
We will be looking for other savings too, and other ways of increasing revenue. We have, for example, property that has for too long returned only a peppercorn rental or none at all. The Government, on behalf of taxpayers, should be getting a better return on that investment.
Foreign ‘investors’ can build more apartments alongside rail lines?
I know there’s a lot of rail corridor land being grazed around the country but have know idea what they pay for it.
Nah you are all wrong The Fucking spiv wants them for Cycle Tracks
I wondered if it was old yards land etc, but would have thought they’d have sold that off a long time ago.
Is this the beginning? Mortgagee sales jump as economy starts to come off boil.
well, if people would just continue to have interest in their lives and properties, mortgage sales would obviously not happen.
” “People lose interest in their properties, they lose interest in their lives and the bank senses that, and that’s when you have distressed sales,” Harcourts agent and mortgagee specialist David Savery said.
let me translate that for ya’ll:
Suckers lost their jobs, their gonna loose their houses, their lives and the banks are gonna claw back and out of them what they can. And then when the last drop of blood was squeezed out of the looser banks are gonna foreclose, but its all good says Harcourts agent and mortgagee specialist David Savey, cause we are gonna take the property and sell it to another sucker in no time, for a hefty fee of course.
Bank and mortgagee specialists laughing all the way to the bank. Sucker is off to live in a ditch with the missus and kids.
this was supposedly a response to Incognito at comment Nr. 11
doh
doh
doh
I got your comment; don’t be too hard on yourself – one “doh” would have sufficed 😉
Old but good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZvAvNJL-gE
“The Republican Hunger Games.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpHRmV-ngF4
Is anybody really surprised by this?
I assume that it has to do with this government being the most dishonest and least open government we’ve had in a long time as shown by their use of manipulating the OIA for political gain while trying so hard not to actually answer so many of those OIAs.
URGENT! TPPA – WALK AWAY! ACTION!
If you’re concerned about the TPPA – here’s a petition that you can sign?
Another 12,000 signatures are being sought before it is presented to Parliament tomorrow.
http://www.actionstation.org.nz/tppa
(Please feel free to sign and share …. )
Penny Bright
And, according to the NZHerald, the Greens are now the government.
The refusal by Anne Tolley “to treat vulnerable newborns as “lab rats” by sitting back for two years to see if they were abused” generated a long discussion thread here on TS.
Obviously, child abuse is a huge problem in our society, which sadly won’t go away any time soon. This is one reason why I want pick up this topic again.
The other reason is that a few days later a very good (IMO) opinion piece appeared by Associate Professor Time Dare who had undertaken the ethical analysis of the canned study Anne Tolley’s ‘lab rats’ call inflammatory political rhetoric. I have not seen any reference to this here in TS.
A couple of days later again another good perspective appeared CYF software study raised same ethical dilemmas as medical trials, academic says, which raised another red flag, i.e. “big data”, that can turn the most sensible person into a raving radical anti-government berserker.
For good measure, here’s a link to the material (a lot!) on the MSD website, incl. Tim Dare’s Ethical Review Predictive Modelling. [Note the typo in the hyperlink]
A third reason to post this is that this is just another example of how any much-needed debate in this country of ours is avoided or killed off. Not only lay-people, i.e. ordinary Kiwis like you and I, but also experts and the likes are dismissed offhand if it does not suit the narrative or framing.
This is worrisome because not only do experts provide expert knowledge, but they also tend to use less ambiguous language although this may not always be evident to the general public. Particularly science relies on unequivocal and unambiguous (AKA neutral and objective) language; the ultimate example of this is mathematics that relies on precise semantic meanings, etc.
Often politically-sensitive debate, which can include almost anything, sounds more like a Babylonic Confusion of Tongues, which is why the simplification of meanings (!) through input from scientists is often a helpful if not necessary contribution.
It seems to me that the powers that be do everything to preserve the Status Quo. By dismissing or even excluding scientific experts they leave free reign to the Confusion of Tongues, which diminishes any chances of reaching meaningful consensus or compromise, and solutions, i.e. ‘mission accomplished’.
some interesting links there, thanks.
I have real suspicions about the ability of MSD to avoid turning the “predictive model” into a method of abuse.
In the same long discussion thread here on TS some interesting comments were made on correlation vs. causation.
An old well-known example of this is the correlation between people carrying matches in their pocket and the chance of these people getting lung cancer. Obviously, matches in one’s pocket, or anywhere else for that matter, do not cause lung cancer but smoking does!
There is a strong correlation between humans with long hair and those that get pregnant..
So ……
indeed – less indirect causation than the matches example.
If you smoke after sex there will be correlation between having matches or a lighter and …
lol
My favourite was someone who did a comparison of the European migration routes of storks and birth rates nine months later.
Found a positive correlation 🙂
I used to be a packet a day man.
lol
You must have a strong handshake then…
There was a strange yet unexplained anomaly in that correlation in the 60s; the average long-haired human had a zero chance of getting pregnant!? Rumour is that Donald Trump donned is signature ‘hair style’ in that period once he realised it did not involve “bleeding” as there happened to be another odd correlation with long hair that has puzzled scientists ever since. The correlation between Bigfoot sightings and Donald Trump visits is near perfect; the latter also has a near-perfect record of putting his Big Foot into his Big Mouth. Sorry, how did we get here again?
a nice read here
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11495479
I guess this is one way to ensure inequality is eliminated. Pay the most talented individuals next to nothing
“I’m earning the same as someone who works in McDonald’s,” said 28-year-old math professor Anthonny Arias in the city of Merida, an expert in mathematical logic who makes the equivalent of $4 per week at the black market exchange rate.”
http://www.businessinsider.com/headhunters-are-taking-advantage-of-venezuelas-decaying-economy-2015-8?IR=T
Stinking Maths professors. Always lording it over the rest of society. They need to be taken down a peg or several /sarc
http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/a-paramedics-rant-about-why-burger-flippers-should-earn-the#.wn6rDXjnBl This might interest you…
“Fast food workers in NY just won a $15/hr wage.
I’m a paramedic. My job requires a broad set of skills: interpersonal, medical, and technical skills, as well as the crucial skill of performing under pressure. I often make decisions on my own, in seconds, under chaotic circumstances, that impact people’s health and lives. I make $15/hr.”
Yes, it’s amazing how people complain about people worse off they are rather than complaining about the capitalists keeping them poor.
Gosman – math professors aren’t worth jack shit unless they are good enough to be hired by Wall Street.
The one you quote is clearly too stupid to realise why he is being so poorly paid and he probably doesn’t even have the smarts to belong to a union.
Gosman if that was meant to be a swipe at socialism in Venezuela, you get a D- for poor effort. Perhaps you might care to expound on the glories of capitalism in the USA and China, where manipulating and hiding the real economy has become an art form.
iSN’T amazing Gets some guts Key doesn’t have to table the Nat govt documents on the Saudi sheep deal and can stand and lie about the Labour party in parliament and cant be made to tell the truth
Theres a Song for Labour in that TELL THE TRUTH TELL ME WHO’S BEEN FOOLING U
John Key who else -try adding that to your rockstar economy John mite make all your BS lip sync lies crash your BS crosby Textor software
Which is worse—One’s crap 7 o’clock show or TV3’s?
Seven Sharp (Television One) and Story (TV3), Tuesday 11 August 2015
Tonight’s Seven Sharp started off with a brief item about Orlando Fox News host John Brown walking off the set, refusing to talk any more about the Kardashians. The story, obviously much too frivolous for an intellectual forum such as Fox News, concerned Kylie Jenner’s new pet rabbit Bruce….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/celebrities/71014190/newsreader-cant-take-any-more-kardashians
Then it was back to the Seven Sharp hosts, one of whom was highly amused. “You can understand his frustration!” giggled Toni Street. Next to her, Mike Hosking affected his default expression of disdain and disinterest.
Meanwhile, across on TV3, Heather Du Plessis-Allan and Duncan Garner—she calls him, with toe-culrling over-familiarity, “Duncs”—continued the horrible process, begun last night, of dying in front of an ever-diminishing audience. These two presenters are the most unlikeable pairing since Sarah Ferguson and Justin Timberlake. Apparently this dog of a program got one hundred thousand curious Seven Sharp viewers to switch over last night; I doubt that most of them will be back this evening.
By the way, Du Plessis was also involved in the first ever Seven Sharp, and she was crap there as well. The role of the unfunny conceited prick was at that time filled by Greg Boyed….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-04022013/#comment-584162
Watched a little bit of Story, Moz. An interview with a security guard who only had anecdotal stories to tell, followed by the hosts qualifying even that dribble by saying it wasn’t a specific security company they’d previously featured, the guy hadn’t worked in the prisoner guarding industry for years etc, etc.
Also noticed that Dunkin’ gets to lead the items, but then he is a man, so fair enough.
btw, did you post a comment this morning about breakfast TV? It’s in the spam queue, probably too many links. I can let it out, if you want.
Thanks very much te reo. I’ve just posted the same item, with a different title. I wonder if you’d use the one I’ve just sent in. Sorry about the links—-I’ll keep them to a minimum in future.
Good as gold. I see this version made it through without a problem.
Edit: Spoke too soon! I’ll let it out now.
Wonderful! This is like being at the birth of a baby, kind of.
I try to give new things a chance, people have to earn a living but…so far I would have to say it would be better called “Sorry” than Story. Have to admit I am holding it up to Campbell Live, which they have said they don’t want to be compared to, but does Mediaworks really believe the public want to be titillated rather than invigorated?
“Is this the end of LOL?”
NZ has possibly the two worst breakfast TV programmes in the world
Breakfast (Television One), Paul Henry (TV3)
Tuesday 11 August 2015
dire /ˈdʌɪə/ adjective of a very poor quality, dreadful, terrible
Following are the impressions I gained from a quick perusal of both channels this morning. To be fair, I did not subject myself to the ordeal of watching all or even most of the morning’s programs, so it is possible that I missed something intelligent, thoughtful and stimulating. But, based on what I did manage to see this morning, and also on what I’ve seen in the past, these programs are banal at best [1], an insult to the intelligence on most days [2], and occasionally outrageous and revolting [3].
Shortly after seven o’clock, both channels are filled with the lugubrious mug of the Professor John Burrows, the unknown minor academic plucked from obscure retirement to head the all star cast (Julie Christie, Kate Di Goldi, some old soldier and some sports people) that comprises John Key’s “Flag Consideration Panel.” The alternative flags have been whittled down to the final forty, but nobody cares—least of all Rawdon Christie’s offsider Ali Pugh, who openly expresses her disinterest in the farce. As always, the old trougher Burrows has nothing interesting to say, on either channel.
Some time after 7 o’clock, Paul Henry checks in with the woman in the “tech bunker” who monitors social media for him. Occasionally this segment is quite amusing—those occasions are when she spurns Henry’s ham-fisted attempts to flirt with her. Usually, however, this is nothing more than two minutes of chat about the most mind-numbing trivia. Today the topic is another bit of Facebook inanity: what was so good about the 80s? For a moment, Henry gets serious and solemnly intones: “Back in the 1980s, you didn’t need signs saying ‘Hot’ on a cup of coffee.” Since 1994, the story of the McDonald’s scalding case has been part of the rhetorical arsenal for the extreme right. It’s a distorted, extreme misconstruing of what actually happened, but that doesn’t matter to political ideologues like Paul Henry. [4]
8:20 a.m. TV3 Paul Henry’s daily Panel—this is like Jim Mora’s Panel on National Radio, only shorter. This morning, the guests are TV3 reporter Sarah Hall and a dapper fellow named Julian Andrews, who looks and talks like a “creative” from an advertising agency, though he is billed grandly as a “business strategist.” The first topic is the future (or non-future) of rail in New Zealand. Henry, of course, reiterates how he is dead-set opposed to rail, Julian Andrews mutters something about the public good, and Sarah Hall looks perplexed, frowns to show how troubled she is, and then says: “I’m just glad I’m not in Treasury!” Then the conversation takes a bizarre yet optimistic turn….
JULIAN ANDREWS: Do we really want 27,000 more trucks on the roads? Anyway, self-drive cars are going to render all this a non-issue!
PAUL HENRY: Tell Len Brown about driverless cars! I’ve tried to!
JULIAN ANDREWS: I was talking the other day to someone from Singularity University about driverl—-
PAUL HENRY: What?!? “Singularity University”!!?!? Where’s THAT?
JULIAN ANDREWS: In Silicon Valley.
PAUL HENRY: Oh of COURSE it’s in Silicon Valley!
SARAH HALL: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Also at the table, silent throughout this scintillating conversation, are newsreader Hillary Barry and sports guy Jim Kayes. They both strain to maintain their rictus smiles.
Meanwhile, at 8:27 a.m. on Television One….
RAWDON CHRISTIE: Is this the end of “LOL”? Next up, the modern language merry-go-round!”
[1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09102014/#comment-906840
http://thestandard.org.nz/tuwhera-mike-06022014/#comment-769085
[2] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-10102014/#comment-907745
[3] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20122012/#comment-564961
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052015/#comment-1021090
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkL9UlmCOE
So why are our troops there again?
‘US ex-intelligence chief on ISIS rise: It was ‘a willful Washington decision’
https://www.rt.com/usa/312050-dia-flynn-islamic-state/
“The US didn’t interfere with the rise of anti-government jihadist groups in Syria that finally degenerated into Islamic State, claims the former head of America’s Defense Intelligence Agency, backing a secret 2012 memo predicting their rise….