YEAH ROCK ON!!!! Meet up with our amazing local MP and fellow labour supporters this morning, waving signs on the main road, heaps of toots and waves, my youngest had a blast. A great way to start the day.
Taking the kids to vote once school is finished, family tradition, mum would always take me to the voting booth so I could see democracy in action 😀
I will be going into town tomorrow with my daughter anyway and will vote then (as it’s a couple of ks to the nearest voting place). Which leaves me free for scrutineering on the day (a boring but necessary part of our democracy). Green Party, Labour Electorate, vote.
I had my voting pack come on the weekend, so have my easyvote card (though the perforations were really meagre, and I had to use scissors to get it off the page). For those who haven’t registered yet (which you can do at the time during the advance period, but not on the 23rd), and so didn’t get the printed copy of polling places; this will tall you where your local advance polling stations are:
Never listened to ZB in 40 odd years but have seen references to Larry ‘ fuckwit’ Williams. After hooking into ZB for the Jacinda interview, I now understand!!!! Not sure if it was deliberate but it seemed as though at one stage Jacinda was giving him the two fingered salute – if on purpose, it was much deserved, if not, it was deserved anyway.
Barry Soper muses on the last time a NZ prime minister was elected on the “sheer force of their personality”. It would appear, however, that he has not visited NZ since 2008. Either that, or he is in accord with all thinking New Zealanders that there was no force whatsoever to Key’s personality.
That attitude of Soper et al has been infuriating me the last weeks! As if we haven’t had personality politics for the last 9 years!! I doubt that a vast chunk of people who voted National in the last three elections could name a single policy. except tax cuts….grrr. I find it quite a mosigynist viewpoint actually when it keeps being stated about Jacinda.
Jacinda holding her own with far right Larry William’s aggressive biased interviewing on ZB in a Leader’s breakfast. Goes until 8.30am if your blood pressure can cope.
have all agreed to suspend (but not remove) some of the most controversial intellectual property provisions that hiked the price of medicines. Other countries want parts of the actual text and countries’ schedules reopened. Each country has to come back with its wish-list at another meeting in Japan in late September, probably while the New Zealand government is in caretaker mode.
…
Jacinda Adern recently defended Labour’s ‘bloody minded’ opposition to the agreement. But its only firm position is an objection to a single, very specific provision in the entire 30-chapter deal: the right to discriminate against foreign purchasers of residential property in the schedule on investment. Does Labour really intend to agree to the TPPA-11 if that minor matter is changed (as it has been in a leaked copy I have of New Zealand’s proposed schedule to the now-suspended Trade in Services Agreement negotiations)?
…
Labour’s leadership needs to go on record before the election with some more detailed and convincing answers to these questions, and its position on other toxic provisions affecting the right to regulate on state-owned enterprises, government procurement, financial services and taxation.
Above all, Labour needs to commit now to a genuine consultation about what position New Zealand should take on the TPPA-11
…
Jacinda, Grant, David, anyone in the Labour leadership – can we know your real position on the TPP-11 before the election please?
Parker dismisses the suggestion that fears about a loss of sovereignty are overblown, saying other countries in the TPP retained the right to keep restrictions on foreign homebuyers.
Labour trade spokesman David Parker said his party supported TPP-11 as long as some revisions were made.
“TPP was obviously more important with America in it. It remains beneficial into Japan, particularly, but we expect our negotiators to renegotiate the provisions relating to land and we want in TPP-11 the same rights that Australia currently has under TPP-11, which is to ban foreign buyers of [existing] New Zealand homes.
The article claims Ardern’s Labour would withdraw from TPPA-11 if they weren’t allowed to restrict foreign buyers of NZ homes. But, it seems that is already in the TPPA-11 draft according to Kelsey having seen a leaked version – so, when it’s made public, Labour would presumably then claim a win.
This seems to be the main focus of articles I have seen that were published in the last month. Labour leadership seems to be silent on any other provisions in TPPA-11.
Thanks. That Newsrooms article appears to be saying that Labour are ok with the TPPA on their five bottom lines except that one re foreign house buying. That’s not what I’ve gotten from the conversation on the weekend about Labour, but again that unclarity.
That was Andrew Little on the 5 bottom lines on the Newsroom article – while he was still leader. So we need to be clear where Labour stands under the Ardern leadership.
I agree. My take is that they oppose it unless they can renegotiate the bits they don’t like (the five bottom lines aren’t on the website statement anymore). At least two problems with that generally. One is that we don’t know what they will do if they can’t renegotiate or can only renegotiate partially. The others is that their bottom lines aren’t likely to be enough.
I’m willing to trust Labour on developing their tax policy via a review next year, but I don’t trust them on this. They need to earn that trust.
Winston is up to his old tricks again. No coalition with Labour without more detail on tax. I’ll say this for him……he is utterly reliable for putting a spanner in the works.
How will Jacinda deal with this, or is it Robertsons job to give more clarity?
I’ve got to admit, after hearing Ron Mark last night on the news talking about the amount of dead rats any party that “NZF choose to put into government” would have to eat, and after hearing Winston Peters “clarifying his position” about support for Labour, I have to assume that NZF either really don’t want to be in Government, or don’t really want to be in Government with Labour.
They’re just trying to shore up their conservative vote, and perhaps hoover up some votes from National. The basis of their sales pitch is that they could go with either main party. Up until now, they’ve been having a bob each way by dint of their default position of negotiating with the largest party first, while implying that they want to change the government by criticising National.
Now that the polls tell us that cleaving to the largest party and changing the government will both mean the same thing, they need to go hard at Labour in order to prevent voters from concluding that a vote for NZ First is a vote for Labour.
At the end of the day, a vote for NZ First is a vote for nothing in particular.
Yep and I’ve watched a few Māori Party videos and the big question – ‘Do you want Winston or us to be the Kingmaker?’ – along side ‘we can work with both sides’ – the fight is real and desperate.
I think winnie will drag in a few gnat voters who just hate to be on the losing side – it just doesn’t fit their distorted self image.
My partner was going to vote for Winnie – this morning on hearing this news he turned to me and said “that’s it – Winnie has been unstable recently and lording it over everybody – he isn’t getting my vote” – he will vote Labour or the Greens – this I do know so I wonder how many other people will now give him a miss.
I have never considered Winnie because of his attitude about who his preferences would be – couldn’t trust him on such an important decision. Incidently I am voting Greens for their climate policies and their compassion for the vulnerable and poor.
And if I was GR, there’d be no bloody way this close to 23/9 that I would change tack and start trying to make a positioning statement for the Tax Working Group.
And have any of the other parties been asked to promise that they will not introduce ANY new taxes?
I don’t find the policy on tax too difficult to understand.
The Tax Working Group will be given a completely clear mandate to look at all tax, with one major exception – nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.
I am ‘apparently’ both of those things and it’s no concern to me, so best not to generalise. Personally I vote for all kiwis, a fairer society and a better future for my children, not for what’s best for my pocket.
I agree. On the other hand, I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency. They have decided that it is a lesser electoral risk to give their opponents a broad, vague target, compared to providing a whole lot of specifics, and having some policy analyst from National pull some misguided irrelevancy out of his arse and have the National leader confound them with it, as Key did in one of the debates in 2014.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Labour’s strategy is the right one (and the blame lies more with the media landscape than with either of the major parties), but it is what it is.
“I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency.”
I’m not sure of that….I suspect it is a genuine case of seeking the mandate (and the resources of government especially) to have a wide ranging look at the entire tax system, something they have been unable to do while in opposition due to the revolving door of leadership and financial constraint……they have a broad goal but haven’t determined the detail…….the same could be said of the future of work working group….lots of ideas and no resources.
I think they probably have a good idea of what they want to do but are more going to use the working group to add detail and flesh to it. As any party would they will pick and choose what they want to do from a working group. They could release those loose idea’s of where they think they can make some change but going half way is probably worse than what they are doing.
if you don’t have the detail then don’t fall into the trap of letting National miss characterise what you are going to do and look indecisive.
As to Ron Mark and his dead rat line. How bad must you be as a party when both sides would consider the policies you hold as a bottom line to be that bad?
I agree that setting up a working group is a good idea, and I don’t have a problem with their leaving their options open; Ardern has also stated that their goal is to shift the tax base onto wealth as well as earnings, which is really quite enough to make a decision on when comparing their proposals to National’s. However, I do think they could say more about their leanings if they so wished, and I think the reason is electoral expediency.
Labour have been saying for a long time that they would have a tax review in their first time (they talked about it last year during the Future of Work thing). You’re probably right about the expediency too.
expedient….no, political yes…inclined to agree with crashcart…if they put forward some of their hoped for detail without a total interconnected package (which doesn’t as yet exist) it opens them up to all sorts of charges when those hoped for details may end up not being implemented at all….if everyone is honest about it,the detail of implementation of any proposed policy is seldom known nor unchanged irrespective of who’s proposing it….this (and all) election will be decided on trust.
John Key was going to have a job summit. No details demanded. A do fest he said, not a talk fest. Whst they did was use it to pretend a mandate for zero contracts, casualisation of the work force and 90 day trials… I do not recall the level of scrutiny being demanded now of Labour
I tend to agree. We saw what happened when they costed spending. It is not like the media have yet to demand independant costings from Bill, and he must have them, cos today he said the extra money for first home buyers(but not of apartments) is not a knee jerk but something in the wings for a while. So let us see them and where is the media scrutiny of this mounting spending from tight fisted Bill.
[nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.]
In other words she is unwilling to address the massive inequity from not taxing imputed rent, but she is willing to tax the capital gains of those ¨evil¨ speculators which will have them laughing all the way to the bank.
mikesh
Oh dear, what a fault that ordinary people can actually accumulate a bit of wealth for themselves in having a home. Disgraceful. Unfair. If there is an upper limit on a valuation perhaps that would make a division between the ordinary person who has a nice home and someone who is using it to escape reasonable investment taxes. What tax would work for the ‘evil’ speculators best in your opinion?
You sound like the government that provides a food voucher for someone who is poor, but denies them a packet of chocolate biscuits. They might get something other than plain rations and some enjoyment.
Peters is flailing about for any publicity he can get. The fact of the matter is Labour in now going to be the biggest party, and if it can get to mid-high forties and the Greens can keep their shit together and get over the threshold they won’t need him, and thank Christ for that.
Caught the last 30 minutes of Larry Williams Newstalk ZB leaders breakfast in which Jacinda Ardern eloquently rebuffed, corrected and informed Mr Williams on many counts of misinformation placed in the public arena about Labours policy and intentions by persons opposed to a change in Government.
Have to say that the manner in which Jacinda presented herself, with honesty, integrity and humor was uplifting and proof that Jacinda if elected into the position of prime minister on 23 September 2017 will do our country proud, and currently is IMHO by far the most suited person to lead New Zealand down the path of a more fairer and equitable positive future.
It would be refreshing to have such an inspiring and positive role model championing New Zealand’s and our Pacific Nation’s goals and dream on the world stage…..keeping it positive…..well done Jacinda and the Labour team, supporters and voters.
I am confident that the Greens will come in comfortably above the 5% threshold and poll stronger than has been recently reported and will be a valued asset within a potential new government lead by Labour.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Thanks Carolyn_nth….yes I praise and support the 11 initiatives outlined in the Greens Climate Protection Plan, each of the recommendations is well thought out and gives proper direction for which a supportive Government can tackle the increasing issues associated with Climate Change going forward.
I am also glad that the Labour party who hopefully stand to be the largest elected party elected come 23 September, released their Climate Change Policy last week. I see this reflecting Jacinda’s strength of leadership, in that she has fronted first the major climate change issues which Labour have brought to the country during the lead up to the polls closing, to ensure complete transparency.
A lot of the initiatives are shared between the Greens and the Labour Party, although I appreciate that the Green’s Plan is more comprehensive, and thus will have a wider impact on New Zealanders, businesses and primary producers.
In an ideal result come 23 Sept 2017, Labour and the Greens would hold a majority, in order to be able to govern alone, placing the Greens in a position to be able to seek possible concessions and variations to Labour’s climate policy initiatives.
Having said that, if Labour are in the position to form a coalition government, I would also like to see Labour seek memorandum’s of understandings, and or formal coalition talks with the Maori Party and also New Zealand First, for which there are a broad range of shared values and beliefs between all four parties.
If Labour, Greens, the Maori Party and New Zealand formed the Government based on the last Colmar Brunton poll, they would have a solid 59% of the vote and a dominant mandate to effect the changes that are required to redirect National’s past 9 years of management that has favored the more well off sectors of NZ society, and that has opened up cracks in essential social services due to punitive policy and underfunding by National and it’s coalition supporters.
So Yes, the Greens climate plan is awesome and hopefully over the next 9 years the bulk of the Green Policy has been assimilated into legislation for the betterment of New Zealanders and the planet as a whole.
Thanks…my apologies about that….I did not know about Open Mike and appreciate your assistance, and note that your comments were valid as the post was not on topic in the article it was posted in…sorry to anyone who this may have upset….but rest assured that I hope that the Greens help shape the next Government negotiated by Labour, and I have my fingers crossed that the Green’s current polling increases.
Bill English on TV this am talking about suicide…. “We need to try something more and different”. It sounded like “more indifferent”. Which option would you believe from National?
Once again he was flailing around. Time we put him out of his misery.
Simon O’Connor trained to be a Catholic priest but decided against it.
O’Connor voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_O%27Connor
Another conservative Catholic? How many are the Nats piling up of the ‘hooked on incense’ bunch. I’m incensed by snide remarks about important matters like euthanasia and suicide. They spell a cold-hearted and authoritarian attitude resulting from dogma and personal choice and party politics rather than rational discussion on moral issues. In fact is it immoral for a deeply religious person to make jibes about such matters?
“Speaking to Fran O’Sullivan for the Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom series, Campbell said the Jacinda effect of the new Labour leader had “changed the game significantly” and the business and wider community was relaxed about the prospect of a change in Government.”
Big business only works if theres an economy/society to consume their product so this is more about their bottom line than any moral or social outcome.
I have to disagree. Bob Campbell is something of a shining light amongst Directors precisely because he accepts that profits are not the only responsibility of businesses. And yes I know he is a Chair of Somerset and aged care employers must improve.
By the time farmers were paying for 100 per cent of their emissions, the federation said it would cost the primary industry more than $830 million per year.
In other words, farmers (mostly pastoral agriculture) are benefiting by $830m per year by having everyone else pay for their emissions. What does MSD Minister Anne Tolley have to say about that?
Yep. However National and in particular the current PM designated the ETS as trying to tax cow farts. So lets leave the National stupids in ignorance of reality. It takes too much effort to explain the physical world to people who prefer to believe in silly myths.
I usually monitor RNZ every morning from 6 am on then transmit to networks.
But I have been caught up with the Florida Hurricane activities for two days now and missed it. (I used to reside there 7 yrs and very familiar with this peninsular even as a kiwi.)
Ahh.. the bleating begins.
Leading rnz rural news segments: sth island Fed farmers leader grizzling about ‘some political parties kicking cockies around’, followed by more tax-mongering, re cgt: is my farm my home?
As predicted by some here as part of the desperate thrashing about of an ‘election strategy’.
I think the shatting was from old monKey – ditched the ship and left a bozo in charge – bill doing his best but making mistakes across the board and instead of accepting he wasn’t up to it like last time he has hung on and and shat all over the party and his MP’s and now they are looking down the gurgler he backs dildo joyce and his lies – and that is after bill was caught out lying about todd and that affair. ffs is there any such thing as a trustworthy gnat – no there ain’t. Basically the whole gnat crew are shatters and shattees and they love it!!!
To news hub I like fish but not with hooks in it kapai.
I made comments on Marae about the other people respecting Korako Nuk for his seniority in age well I read that wrong Korako had already captivated his ordinance with his kick in the private parts to Shane Jones twice.Now Shane 80 percent of men DO this and the other 20 percent of men that DON’T admit to this are liers like Korakos and his national so Shane DON’T be to hard on yourself because I no Korako thinks like nationals Muppets do and does not give a shit about my privacy rights.
So my remarks about Korako are well placed kapai
Eureka now bill english said so himself that he was happy that there is no constitution signed into law in NZ. So he And national can shit allover our human rights privacy rights and OUR SOCIETY AND environment and they will never be held accountable for there crimes. And this is the reason that national are undermining TOPS and the Greens because they want the principles of the treaty signed into law and this will stop all the bull shit that has been going on in our beautiful country and that is what the snakey bill and his puppets are up to.
Yes Joe90 the national party are idiots and O-Conner is one of bills boys to try and create histera and hate.
But everyone knows what they are up to. We’re do they find them.
Well working 13 hour days trying to catch up with the bills working 2 jobs.
I’m very carefull who I write about as I’m not into upsetting other people life’s but for the cause of changing government some people I will write my point of view on them especially these people whom live in a glass bubbles and lie that our country and our environment and say it’s all good
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If the sight of schoolkids striking for a future has been filling you with hope, good news: they want you to join them on September 27:Students will take to the streets again demanding action on climate change, and this time ...
The People's "Friend": In this masterpiece of revolutionary propaganda, the homicidal political psychopath, Jean-Paul Marat, has been transformed by Jacques-Louis David, the French Revolution's most accomplished artist, into a martyred hero of the ordinary people of Paris. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, ...
The principle of one person, one vote doesn’t apply for local elections. In fact, you don’t even need to be a person to have voting rights. Welcome to the ratepayer roll. While the ratepayer roll accounts for less than 1% ...
I have been working my way through a 47,000 document tranche of declassified US government communications related to Argentina and the “Dirty War” of 1976-83. I grew up in Argentina in the period leading up to the March 24, 1976 ...
To express concern about foreign ownership and control in New Zealand is often to invite accusations of xenophobia and economic illiteracy. It is worthwhile, therefore, to rehearse the grounds for that concern, and to explore the various forms it can ...
It must be a day ending in Y because the Guardian - remember when it used to be a good paper1 - is running another spurious story about Corbyn's leadership being threatened over anti-Semitism.The headline the Guardian runs is: "MPs tell ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 23 through Sat, June 29, 2019 Editor's Pick When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez met Greta Thunberg: 'Hope is contagious'Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ...
A new digital platform aims to make it easier for small businesses to access services from multiple government agencies, leaving them more time to focus on their own priorities. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Small Business Stuart Nash ...
Million-dollar start to gun collection eventsPolice Minister Stuart Nash says a solid start has been made to the gun buyback and amnesty after the first weekend of community collection events. “Gun owners will walk away with more than ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash has praised Police and gun owners after the first firearms collection event saw a busy turnout at Riccarton Racecourse in Christchurch. “Police officers and staff have put a tremendous effort into planning and logistics for the ...
Seventy-eight new Police constables are heading out to the regions following today’s graduation of a new recruit wing from the Royal New Zealand Police College. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the record high number of new Police officers being recruited, ...
July 19 (BusinessDesk) - The government is looking to tighten control and impose harsher penalties after the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak revealed cracks in the country's stock management system. ...
Kia Anga Mua Ngā Hapū o Ngāpuhi (KAM) has reached a pivotal milestone following a hui yesterday at Waitangi with the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little. ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the Government spent $133,530 on producing its ‘Wellbeing Budget’ document, a cost blowout largely driven by spending on graphic design and photography. The $133,530 price tag compares to $86,268 ...
Kahungunu Māori Language Awards. Nominations closed on 5 July 2019, and were judged by the Senior Management Team of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated. The judges wish to acknowledge the very high calibre of all nominations received making it a very ...
High Court of Australia Judge, Justice Stephen Gageler, will address recent criticism of court judgment delays in Australia, at the University of Canterbury (UC) on 23 July at 6.15pm. ...
This summary is provided to assist in the understanding of the Inquiry’s proceedings but does not constitute the official record. The full Minute is available at the link below. ...
The Tertiary Education Commission is laying charges under section 292A of the Education Act 1989 against three individuals for making a false representation for the purpose of receiving, or continuing to receive, free tertiary education from a tertiary education ...
New Zealand food businesses today welcomed a trio of new food safety tools, designed to make it faster, easier and more affordable to follow the rules and keep consumers safe. ...
AUT research shows that Māori children are almost four times more likely than those of European descent to be placed out of home by child protection services ...
The Government announced today that grants of up to $2,500 for energy efficient heaters are now available as part of the Government’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme. ...
Fonterra’s use of coal has been the target of numerous grassroots campaigns in recent years. Last year 350 Aotearoa affiliated groups, Fossil Free Aoraki and 350 Nelson launched a petition dismissing the dairy giant’s initial target of no new ...
Information sessions on proposals for The Medicinal Cannabis Scheme take place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch over the next fortnight. The sessions are open to anyone with an interest in learning more about the proposed scheme. ...
“Our children are our most vulnerable, most innocent victims and we do not want to see any more children harmed by these ‘known sex offenders’. The safety of our community must be the paramount consideration.” ...
“The announcement that Fonterra will immediately stop installing any new coal boilers or increasing capacity to burn coal is the signal that the biomass fuel supply industry welcomes” said Brian Cox, Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association. ...
18 July 2019-- Coal Action Network Aotearoa (CANA) today welcomed Fonterra’s commitment to build no new coal plants, a “no brainer” for the climate crisis the world faces. The group has been urging this transition for six years now and ...
The increase in demand for cage-free eggs is set to continue according to animal rights organisation SAFE, who says the egg industry should expect this and prepare. ...
Wellington, New Zealand – 350 Pacific made a formal submission to the New Zealand Government’s Environment Parliamentary Select Committee on the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, led by the Pacific Climate Warriors (PCWs) based in ...
There used to be a school of thought on the centre right side of politics that the best way to neuter the Greens as a political force would be to let them have a spell in government. Then, according to ...
Today (18 July) is Nelson Mandela International Day when the United Nations highlights the importance of humane conditions of imprisonment. In New Zealand our prisons are overcrowded and understaffed. At 214 prisoners per 100,000 people, we have the fifth ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa will take legal action over the lengthy delay in implementing pay increases for teachers. Novopay announced yesterday that teachers would have to wait until 11 September to see pay increases that they won when they settled ...
EDS has filed its submission on the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill. The Bill sets targets for greenhouse gas reductions, provides for the government to set a series of carbon budgets, and sets up a new, independent, Climate ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has identified an absurd case of mission creep at Wellington City Council: the decision to spend $21,750 on two Consumer NZ investigations into different brands of bike lights. ...
The Motor Trade Association is welcoming the release of the Government’s new draft road safety strategy. MTA Chief Executive Craig Pomare says the association is pleased to see vehicle safety has been made a priority in the Road to Zero ...
The Department of Conservation continue to repeat the same old story about attacks on staff and how it is affecting their role in protecting our precious wildlife. NZ herald https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12249704 ...
The government's silence on the fact that the country's second-largest milk processor is on the brink of becoming 25% Chinese Government owned has been deafening. ...
School Strike 4 Climate NZ welcomes the coalition Government’s endeavour to take action on reducing agricultural emissions but is disappointed at the weak stance that the Government has taken on the issue. ...
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has issued a formal warning under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (AML/CFT Act) to seven reporting entities within the Regus Management Limited (RNZML) designated business ...
The Northland Regional Council (NRC) has voted to exclude all GM/GE precautionary provisions in its regional plan, despite years of community engagement showing support for such protection. There is a sense of betrayal following the way the NRC Chairman ...
New Zealand’s ‘mission-driven’ charities working in international aid are showing early signs of changing the way they work, in particular prioritising building the capacity and resilience of local communities to do their own development. ...
Teachers will have to wait until 11 September for pay increases won as part of their collective agreement negotiations settled in June, according to an update sent to schools today from Novopay. ...
July 16 (BusinessDesk) - Energy Minister Megan Woods says the government “won’t die in a ditch” if its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity generation isn't reached by 2035. ...
The Electricity Networks Association (ENA) is welcoming the Government’s response to the Interim Climate Change Committee (ICCC) Report released today. Graeme Peters, chief executive of the ENA, said one of the key recommendations, endorsed by the ...
An article* published this month in the Journal of Health Organization and Management raises questions over the way health board members are elected and whether the boards are even needed. ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa's kindergarten teacher members will vote on a proposed settlement to their collective agreement after four days of negotiations with the Ministry of Education and kindergarten employers. ...
Vector has today welcomed the ICCC’s report on Accelerated Electrification . Vector agrees that accelerating the electrification of transport and process heat will play a major role in reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives to ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Porirua City Council to cancel its underwriting of a proposed Canadian-led privately owned adventure park slated for public land after a similar project created a huge liability for Christchurch ...
Youth climate change campaigners Generation Zero welcome the Interim Climate Change Committee’s (ICCC’s) reports: Accelerated Electrification and Action on agricultural emissions ; which were finally released by the Government today, almost three months ...
Fish & Game New Zealand notes the announcement today that the Government and the intensive agriculture leadership have reached a ‘historic consensus’ and are exploring using a formal sector-government agreement instead of bringing agriculture ...
The independent Interim Climate Change Committee’s report on Accelerated Electrification was released today by the Minister for Energy and Resources, Hon Dr Megan Woods. ...
The independent Interim Climate Change Committee’s report Action on agricultural emissions was released today by the Minister for Climate Change, Hon James Shaw and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Damien O’Connor. ...
Please find attached embargoed copies of two media statements from the Interim Climate Change Committee http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1907/Embargoed_Interim_Climate_Change_Committee_Accelerated_electrification_MEDIA_STATEMENT.pdf ...
Greenpeace Executive Director, Dr Russel Norman, has reacted with disbelief that the Government’s latest climate proposal includes an option for dairy to voluntarily deal with their emissions over the next six years. ...
This week’s “Youth Parliament” is an expensive waste of time that promotes taxpayer-funded junketeering, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . “We shouldn’t be training kids on the joys of the trough,” says Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones admitted on Q+A tonight that the state of New Zealand’s infrastructure planning is “dismal” and the government needs to get on with building “rather than writing more reports about it.” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Deep Saini discusses the week in politics with Michelle Grattan – one with a reduced pace, despite the 24 ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and ...
Jacinda Ardern’s Melbourne trip wrapped up with nothing to show on longstanding trans-Tasman concerns, but was a potent reminder of her international appeal. ...
Pricing agricultural emissions first at the processor level - such as Fonterra - rather than right down at farm level stacks up as a gap measure says Catherine Leining. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher: Children and Technology, Western Sydney University Instagram is running a social media experiment in Australia and elsewhere to see what happens when it hides the number of likes on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Cross, Research Fellow, Curtin University Sign up to the Beating Around the Bush newsletter here, and suggest a plant we should cover at batb@theconversation.edu.au. Billabongs in the northern Kimberley are welcome ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling You’ve probably heard that this week marks 50 years since humans first set foot on the Moon – a feat that still boggles the mind given ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Gentilin, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University As strange as it might sound, whistleblowers in Australia have reason to rejoice – so long as they are in the private sector. Thanks to new ...
The fourth season of Queer Eye drops today on Netflix. Sam Brooks reflects on his difficult relationship with the show, and where it sits in mainstream culture.For depressingly many people, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was an introduction not just to ...
The collapse of a multi-billion dollar deal to sell AMP's life insurance division to a British company for $3.6 billion is the fault of the companies, according to the Reserve Bank. ...
A poem by Miramar poet Geoff Cochrane.Channel HoppingStupa or Stuka?Weet-Bix or Welsh rabbit?Galactic aerodrome or Matchbox truck?*I’m young in my dreams, still young.*Beautiful Keanu’s wearing shades—antique shades with iodine-coloured lenses.*I’m young in my dreams, still young,and I still have some ...
For the month of July, Josie Adams is taking on the challenge of being low-waste. That means minimising plastics, emissions, and even recyclables. Each week we release her diary. This is week two.Read week one here.I’ll be honest, week two ...
By Royson Willie in Port Vila Two Vanuatu Daily Post journalists were literally given a pat-down by the police criminal investigation unit yesterday over a story they had written about the vehicle of the Chairman of the Public Service ...
By Gorothy Kenneth in Port Moresby Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape will visit Australia this weekend for a week-long state visit and the Bougainville independence referendum in less than three months is expected to be high on ...
Tougher laws governing the movement of animals and harsher penalties for non-compliance are on the table under an overhaul of two key pieces of legislation. ...
Wtf did we just watch?That sound you heard was a million furries screaming in ecstasy as their fantasy and everyone else’s nightmare came to life in the form of the first trailer for the live action version of Cats.Is it ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Three Women by Lisa Taddeo (Bloomsbury, $35)Fucking ...
Tougher laws governing the movement of animals and harsher penalties for non-compliance are on the table under an overhaul of two key pieces of legislation. ...
As we mark the fiftieth anniversary the July 20th Moon landing Dr Nick Long reflects on what that's meant for New Zealand and considers the space 'gold rush' ahead. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Griebsch, Specialist and Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine, University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Sydney, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney Recently reported cases of the often fatal bacterial infection ...
My selection of the eight best morning news links from here and overseas, along with eight lunchtime lean-back long reads. Also, the full list of links, including Jacinda Ardern's trip to Australia, the big emissions report, Fonterra's coal move and a new ...
Heaven is a place on earth, and June is saving the world one ’80s pop hit at a time. Tara Ward recaps season 4, episode 9 of The Handmaid’s Tale. Praise be, for there was a tiny bit of good news ...
Finance companies say they shouldn’t have to be ‘fit and proper’ even though in some cases they charge more than the planned clampdown on high cost lending. A group of finance companies that charges well over the government’s proposed cap on ...
An ANZ shareholder is demanding the bank disclose more information about the sale of an Auckland residential property to its former chief executive and his family. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentForeign Affairs and trade Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): The new, ...
Tara Ward sets out on a valiant quest to find the best apple in Aotearoa. The idea that every apple is a good apple is fake news. We’ve all got stories about shit experiences with apples, when it looked good on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Sarkissian, Operations Scientist, CSIRO The role Australia played in relaying the first television images of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the Moon 50 years ago this July features in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lyndal Sleep, Research Fellow, Griffith University In Australia’s social security laws, the “couple rule” is used to determine if a person is in a relationship, tying access to Centrelink payments to the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Walker, Lecturer (Management), Victoria University of Wellington We live in a society obsessed with performance. For both young and old, competitions, awards and rankings are an inescapable feature of life. How ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan O’Connell, Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne One-third of all preschools may lack a qualified teacher in the next four years if nothing changes, my new modelling shows. Currently, half of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsty Volz, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Of all the mantras for modernism, the one I think most befitting for Australian mid-century modern houses is L’esprit Nouveau – The New Spirit. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Skifield snowmaking a sign of the future, vaccination rates fall alarmingly, and construction industry encouraged to lower emissions.Snowmaking has saved the ski industry from disaster this year, after the weather ...
Joel Rindelaub explains why it's so important for those weighing on climate science to be transparent about their funding sources and conflicts of interest. ...
Neil Armstrong may have been the first man on the moon, but if we define the ‘space race’ as spaceflight capability, the Soviets won it hands down, writes Jennifer Frost. ...
Our government and leaders are (still) divided on the question of compulsory te reo Māori. Who’s for it, who’s against it, and who’s flip flopping around in the middle?Under article two of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the government pledges to ...
When teenagers today are being called upon to solve the problems of tomorrow, why aren’t they given the right to participate in democracy? Fourteen-year-old Oli Morphew makes the case for lowering the voting age. If you’re going to deprive someone of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University Australia’s relations with China will be further complicated by the news that Australian citizen Yang Hengjun is set to be charged with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Kyne, Senior Research Fellow in conservation biology, Charles Darwin University More than 28,000 species around the world are threatened, according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clive Hamilton, Professor of Public Ethics, Centre For Applied Philosophy & Public Ethics (CAPPE), Charles Sturt University Two Australian universities, University of Technology Sydney and Curtin University, are conducting internal reviews of ...
Open Mike 11/09/2017 
Our conversations and push against specific supremacist and ultra-Nationalist groups, and the pseudo-intellectual underpinnings of them, need to mature at all levels. But in doing so, it’s going to have to include a more thorough and brutally honest self-examination ...3 hours ago
This week, in the wake of National's opposition to even talking about reducing agricultural emissions and Simon Bridges' refusal to recognise that there is a climate emergency, I've been saying that National is unfit to govern. And it looks like ...5 hours ago
Something I missed: not only did Youth MPs declare a climate emergency; they also launched a campaign to lower the voting age to 16:Youth Parliament week in Parliament has seen the establishment of Make it 16, a campaign to ...8 hours ago
I have been reading and listening to the aftermath of Trump’s comments about the four female first term Democratic representatives, all of whom are “people of color.” I found the US coverage interesting both as evidence of partisanship and the ...1 day ago
The proposed Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill treats biogenic methane emissions differently from all other carbon emissions. The latter are to be measured net so that emissions from fossil fuels can be offset by carbon stored in trees. ...2 days ago
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh This article aims to answer a simple question, whether the conflict is only a rural one or whether it is also urban. The verb ‘to be’ is conjugated in the present tense as ,despite what some ...2 days ago
2 days ago
On Sunday July 7, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter announced their intention to review the Ministry of Health’s Funded Family Care policy and repeal Part 4Aof the 2000 NZ Public Health and Disability Act. These are festering injustices ...3 days ago
Belle is a lovely fifteen year-old border collie who belongs to our friends and neighbours at Bryan’s Beach, Michael and Judy Corboy. Belle, in her old age, can hardly see or hear, but – as a constant participant at social ...3 days ago
A Woman’s Place is on the Podium was a public meeting in London on 10 July to discuss women’s sports and the impact of transwomen competing against women. The venue was sold out with a packed hall of 750 people. ...5 days ago
An occasional series where I will ponder allegations of anti-Semitism directed at the British Labour Party and its members.In this case, we are thinking about an allegedly anti-Semitic image shared by a Labour Party member. Its origins appear to be ...1 week ago
1 week ago
2 weeks ago
Welcome to another heaping helping of research publications related to climate change drivers and mechanisms, the effects of climate change and how we might yet grope our way into systems approaches to dealing with the mess we're making, despite ourselves. ...2 weeks ago
The People's "Friend": In this masterpiece of revolutionary propaganda, the homicidal political psychopath, Jean-Paul Marat, has been transformed by Jacques-Louis David, the French Revolution's most accomplished artist, into a martyred hero of the ordinary people of Paris. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, ...2 weeks ago
The principle of one person, one vote doesn’t apply for local elections. In fact, you don’t even need to be a person to have voting rights. Welcome to the ratepayer roll. While the ratepayer roll accounts for less than 1% ...3 weeks ago
Image Credit: Blog Writing Tips. I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the ... 3 weeks ago
A new digital platform aims to make it easier for small businesses to access services from multiple government agencies, leaving them more time to focus on their own priorities. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Small Business Stuart Nash ...3 days ago
July 19 (BusinessDesk) - The government is looking to tighten control and impose harsher penalties after the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak revealed cracks in the country's stock management system. ...4 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Deep Saini discusses the week in politics with Michelle Grattan – one with a reduced pace, despite the 24 ...54 mins ago
The Air Force's Boeing 757 has broken down in Melbourne, stranding media and forcing the Prime Minister on to last minute commercial flights. ...3 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherie Hugo, Teaching Fellow, Nutrition & Dietetics, Bond University The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety this week turned its attention to food and nutrition. The testimony of maggots in ...3 hours ago
Jacinda Ardern’s Melbourne trip wrapped up with nothing to show on longstanding trans-Tasman concerns, but was a potent reminder of her international appeal. ...4 hours ago
Pricing agricultural emissions first at the processor level - such as Fonterra - rather than right down at farm level stacks up as a gap measure says Catherine Leining. ...4 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Cross, Research Fellow, Curtin University Sign up to the Beating Around the Bush newsletter here, and suggest a plant we should cover at batb@theconversation.edu.au. Billabongs in the northern Kimberley are welcome ...5 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis Gentilin, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University As strange as it might sound, whistleblowers in Australia have reason to rejoice – so long as they are in the private sector. Thanks to new ...6 hours ago
The fourth season of Queer Eye drops today on Netflix. Sam Brooks reflects on his difficult relationship with the show, and where it sits in mainstream culture.For depressingly many people, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was an introduction not just to ...6 hours ago
The collapse of a multi-billion dollar deal to sell AMP's life insurance division to a British company for $3.6 billion is the fault of the companies, according to the Reserve Bank. ...6 hours ago
A poem by Miramar poet Geoff Cochrane. Channel Hopping Stupa or Stuka?Weet-Bix or Welsh rabbit?Galactic aerodrome or Matchbox truck?*I’m young in my dreams, still young.*Beautiful Keanu’s wearing shades—antique shades with iodine-coloured lenses.*I’m young in my dreams, still young,and I still have some ...7 hours ago
For the month of July, Josie Adams is taking on the challenge of being low-waste. That means minimising plastics, emissions, and even recyclables. Each week we release her diary. This is week two.Read week one here.I’ll be honest, week two ...7 hours ago
By Royson Willie in Port Vila Two Vanuatu Daily Post journalists were literally given a pat-down by the police criminal investigation unit yesterday over a story they had written about the vehicle of the Chairman of the Public Service ...7 hours ago
By Gorothy Kenneth in Port Moresby Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape will visit Australia this weekend for a week-long state visit and the Bougainville independence referendum in less than three months is expected to be high on ...7 hours ago
Tougher laws governing the movement of animals and harsher penalties for non-compliance are on the table under an overhaul of two key pieces of legislation. ...8 hours ago
Wtf did we just watch?That sound you heard was a million furries screaming in ecstasy as their fantasy and everyone else’s nightmare came to life in the form of the first trailer for the live action version of Cats.Is it ...8 hours ago
As we mark the fiftieth anniversary the July 20th Moon landing Dr Nick Long reflects on what that's meant for New Zealand and considers the space 'gold rush' ahead. ...9 hours ago
My selection of the eight best morning news links from here and overseas, along with eight lunchtime lean-back long reads. Also, the full list of links, including Jacinda Ardern's trip to Australia, the big emissions report, Fonterra's coal move and a new ...9 hours ago
John Banks' former lives, vegetable-based insults in Auckland's mayoral race and metaphorical cabbage - James Elliott has it all. ...9 hours ago
Heaven is a place on earth, and June is saving the world one ’80s pop hit at a time. Tara Ward recaps season 4, episode 9 of The Handmaid’s Tale. Praise be, for there was a tiny bit of good news ...10 hours ago
An ANZ shareholder is demanding the bank disclose more information about the sale of an Auckland residential property to its former chief executive and his family. ...11 hours ago
Tara Ward sets out on a valiant quest to find the best apple in Aotearoa. The idea that every apple is a good apple is fake news. We’ve all got stories about shit experiences with apples, when it looked good on ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan O’Connell, Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne One-third of all preschools may lack a qualified teacher in the next four years if nothing changes, my new modelling shows. Currently, half of ...13 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsty Volz, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Of all the mantras for modernism, the one I think most befitting for Australian mid-century modern houses is L’esprit Nouveau – The New Spirit. ...13 hours ago
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Skifield snowmaking a sign of the future, vaccination rates fall alarmingly, and construction industry encouraged to lower emissions.Snowmaking has saved the ski industry from disaster this year, after the weather ...14 hours ago
A former MP and shock jock says Queenstown council’s making excuses in seeking a 35-year approval for sewer overflows. ...15 hours ago
Joel Rindelaub explains why it's so important for those weighing on climate science to be transparent about their funding sources and conflicts of interest. ...15 hours ago
Emma Espiner takes a look at a deadly inequity happening in our poorest communities. ...15 hours ago
Rebecca Mahoney is about to make rugby history as the first woman to referee a Ranfurly Shield challenge. ...15 hours ago
Neil Armstrong may have been the first man on the moon, but if we define the ‘space race’ as spaceflight capability, the Soviets won it hands down, writes Jennifer Frost. ...15 hours ago
At three weeks in, how is New Zealand coping with the plastic bag ban? ...16 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Kyne, Senior Research Fellow in conservation biology, Charles Darwin University More than 28,000 species around the world are threatened, according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International ...22 hours ago
Making a difference starts today with early voting commencing.
YEAH ROCK ON!!!! Meet up with our amazing local MP and fellow labour supporters this morning, waving signs on the main road, heaps of toots and waves, my youngest had a blast. A great way to start the day.
Taking the kids to vote once school is finished, family tradition, mum would always take me to the voting booth so I could see democracy in action 😀
I will be going into town tomorrow with my daughter anyway and will vote then (as it’s a couple of ks to the nearest voting place). Which leaves me free for scrutineering on the day (a boring but necessary part of our democracy). Green Party, Labour Electorate, vote.
I had my voting pack come on the weekend, so have my easyvote card (though the perforations were really meagre, and I had to use scissors to get it off the page). For those who haven’t registered yet (which you can do at the time during the advance period, but not on the 23rd), and so didn’t get the printed copy of polling places; this will tall you where your local advance polling stations are:
http://www.elections.org.nz/events/2017-general-election/information-voters-who-when-and-where
Never listened to ZB in 40 odd years but have seen references to Larry ‘ fuckwit’ Williams. After hooking into ZB for the Jacinda interview, I now understand!!!! Not sure if it was deliberate but it seemed as though at one stage Jacinda was giving him the two fingered salute – if on purpose, it was much deserved, if not, it was deserved anyway.
Barry Soper muses on the last time a NZ prime minister was elected on the “sheer force of their personality”. It would appear, however, that he has not visited NZ since 2008. Either that, or he is in accord with all thinking New Zealanders that there was no force whatsoever to Key’s personality.
Nicely put, Hanswurst.
He is one of the Key cheerleaders that thinks Key was pure talent
That attitude of Soper et al has been infuriating me the last weeks! As if we haven’t had personality politics for the last 9 years!! I doubt that a vast chunk of people who voted National in the last three elections could name a single policy. except tax cuts….grrr. I find it quite a mosigynist viewpoint actually when it keeps being stated about Jacinda.
Jacinda holding her own with far right Larry William’s aggressive biased interviewing on ZB in a Leader’s breakfast. Goes until 8.30am if your blood pressure can cope.
Jane Kelsey is asking for some clear answers from Labour, on their position about a revived TPPA (with 11 countries), before the election:
All of the 11 countries now
Do you know if Parker has said anything recently.
David Parker on 7 July (when Little was leader):
Focus on restrictions of foreign home buyers (which seems is already excluded from the TPPA-11 draft):
Parker on 4 Sept: (again on foreign home ownership)
Audrey Young reports on Labour and Nat positions on the TPPA-11 (again for Labour the focus is on foreign home buyers).
The article claims Ardern’s Labour would withdraw from TPPA-11 if they weren’t allowed to restrict foreign buyers of NZ homes. But, it seems that is already in the TPPA-11 draft according to Kelsey having seen a leaked version – so, when it’s made public, Labour would presumably then claim a win.
This seems to be the main focus of articles I have seen that were published in the last month. Labour leadership seems to be silent on any other provisions in TPPA-11.
Thanks. That Newsrooms article appears to be saying that Labour are ok with the TPPA on their five bottom lines except that one re foreign house buying. That’s not what I’ve gotten from the conversation on the weekend about Labour, but again that unclarity.
That was Andrew Little on the 5 bottom lines on the Newsroom article – while he was still leader. So we need to be clear where Labour stands under the Ardern leadership.
I agree. My take is that they oppose it unless they can renegotiate the bits they don’t like (the five bottom lines aren’t on the website statement anymore). At least two problems with that generally. One is that we don’t know what they will do if they can’t renegotiate or can only renegotiate partially. The others is that their bottom lines aren’t likely to be enough.
I’m willing to trust Labour on developing their tax policy via a review next year, but I don’t trust them on this. They need to earn that trust.
It is interesting that a year ago Labour was a part of a ralkying call….
Winston is up to his old tricks again. No coalition with Labour without more detail on tax. I’ll say this for him……he is utterly reliable for putting a spanner in the works.
How will Jacinda deal with this, or is it Robertsons job to give more clarity?
I’ve got to admit, after hearing Ron Mark last night on the news talking about the amount of dead rats any party that “NZF choose to put into government” would have to eat, and after hearing Winston Peters “clarifying his position” about support for Labour, I have to assume that NZF either really don’t want to be in Government, or don’t really want to be in Government with Labour.
All the more reason to not vote for them I guess.
Which news?
Sorry weka – should have been clearer. Television 1 news last night for Ron Mark. Winston Peters this morning with Guyon Espiner on RNZ.
cheers.
They’re just trying to shore up their conservative vote, and perhaps hoover up some votes from National. The basis of their sales pitch is that they could go with either main party. Up until now, they’ve been having a bob each way by dint of their default position of negotiating with the largest party first, while implying that they want to change the government by criticising National.
Now that the polls tell us that cleaving to the largest party and changing the government will both mean the same thing, they need to go hard at Labour in order to prevent voters from concluding that a vote for NZ First is a vote for Labour.
At the end of the day, a vote for NZ First is a vote for nothing in particular.
Yep and I’ve watched a few Māori Party videos and the big question – ‘Do you want Winston or us to be the Kingmaker?’ – along side ‘we can work with both sides’ – the fight is real and desperate.
I think winnie will drag in a few gnat voters who just hate to be on the losing side – it just doesn’t fit their distorted self image.
Interesting, that sounds like a clear indication he is considering supporting a National 4th term. Where did you hear that?
Radio New Zealand this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/339145/peters-labour-must-spell-out-tax-plans
My partner was going to vote for Winnie – this morning on hearing this news he turned to me and said “that’s it – Winnie has been unstable recently and lording it over everybody – he isn’t getting my vote” – he will vote Labour or the Greens – this I do know so I wonder how many other people will now give him a miss.
I have never considered Winnie because of his attitude about who his preferences would be – couldn’t trust him on such an important decision. Incidently I am voting Greens for their climate policies and their compassion for the vulnerable and poor.
And if I was GR, there’d be no bloody way this close to 23/9 that I would change tack and start trying to make a positioning statement for the Tax Working Group.
And have any of the other parties been asked to promise that they will not introduce ANY new taxes?
I don’t find the policy on tax too difficult to understand.
The Tax Working Group will be given a completely clear mandate to look at all tax, with one major exception – nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.
The concern about Labour’s tax plans surely must be a middle-upper class and/or home owners’ concern.
I doubt it is of much concern to those on low incomes, whether working or on a benefit.
And that is why it’s getting so much coverage from journalists – all middle-upper class.
Good point.
I am ‘apparently’ both of those things and it’s no concern to me, so best not to generalise. Personally I vote for all kiwis, a fairer society and a better future for my children, not for what’s best for my pocket.
I agree. On the other hand, I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency. They have decided that it is a lesser electoral risk to give their opponents a broad, vague target, compared to providing a whole lot of specifics, and having some policy analyst from National pull some misguided irrelevancy out of his arse and have the National leader confound them with it, as Key did in one of the debates in 2014.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Labour’s strategy is the right one (and the blame lies more with the media landscape than with either of the major parties), but it is what it is.
“I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency.”
I’m not sure of that….I suspect it is a genuine case of seeking the mandate (and the resources of government especially) to have a wide ranging look at the entire tax system, something they have been unable to do while in opposition due to the revolving door of leadership and financial constraint……they have a broad goal but haven’t determined the detail…….the same could be said of the future of work working group….lots of ideas and no resources.
I think they probably have a good idea of what they want to do but are more going to use the working group to add detail and flesh to it. As any party would they will pick and choose what they want to do from a working group. They could release those loose idea’s of where they think they can make some change but going half way is probably worse than what they are doing.
if you don’t have the detail then don’t fall into the trap of letting National miss characterise what you are going to do and look indecisive.
As to Ron Mark and his dead rat line. How bad must you be as a party when both sides would consider the policies you hold as a bottom line to be that bad?
I agree that setting up a working group is a good idea, and I don’t have a problem with their leaving their options open; Ardern has also stated that their goal is to shift the tax base onto wealth as well as earnings, which is really quite enough to make a decision on when comparing their proposals to National’s. However, I do think they could say more about their leanings if they so wished, and I think the reason is electoral expediency.
Labour have been saying for a long time that they would have a tax review in their first time (they talked about it last year during the Future of Work thing). You’re probably right about the expediency too.
expedient….no, political yes…inclined to agree with crashcart…if they put forward some of their hoped for detail without a total interconnected package (which doesn’t as yet exist) it opens them up to all sorts of charges when those hoped for details may end up not being implemented at all….if everyone is honest about it,the detail of implementation of any proposed policy is seldom known nor unchanged irrespective of who’s proposing it….this (and all) election will be decided on trust.
John Key was going to have a job summit. No details demanded. A do fest he said, not a talk fest. Whst they did was use it to pretend a mandate for zero contracts, casualisation of the work force and 90 day trials… I do not recall the level of scrutiny being demanded now of Labour
I tend to agree. We saw what happened when they costed spending. It is not like the media have yet to demand independant costings from Bill, and he must have them, cos today he said the extra money for first home buyers(but not of apartments) is not a knee jerk but something in the wings for a while. So let us see them and where is the media scrutiny of this mounting spending from tight fisted Bill.
[nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.]
In other words she is unwilling to address the massive inequity from not taxing imputed rent, but she is willing to tax the capital gains of those ¨evil¨ speculators which will have them laughing all the way to the bank.
mikesh
Oh dear, what a fault that ordinary people can actually accumulate a bit of wealth for themselves in having a home. Disgraceful. Unfair. If there is an upper limit on a valuation perhaps that would make a division between the ordinary person who has a nice home and someone who is using it to escape reasonable investment taxes. What tax would work for the ‘evil’ speculators best in your opinion?
You sound like the government that provides a food voucher for someone who is poor, but denies them a packet of chocolate biscuits. They might get something other than plain rations and some enjoyment.
Peters is flailing about for any publicity he can get. The fact of the matter is Labour in now going to be the biggest party, and if it can get to mid-high forties and the Greens can keep their shit together and get over the threshold they won’t need him, and thank Christ for that.
“The element of fear that was in the business community about a Labour/Green Government, I think, is well gone,” he said.
“Businesses that are good businesses will still be able to do well under everything I’ve seen from the Labour party.”
He said issues could arise with tax complexity under Labour, but the business community also faces problems under National led Governments.
“Business doesn’t necessarily do better under National led Governments,” he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11920633
the winds of change…..and everyone wants to be on the winning side….
Go well in the next 2 weeks Greens, Kia Kaha.
Caught the last 30 minutes of Larry Williams Newstalk ZB leaders breakfast in which Jacinda Ardern eloquently rebuffed, corrected and informed Mr Williams on many counts of misinformation placed in the public arena about Labours policy and intentions by persons opposed to a change in Government.
Have to say that the manner in which Jacinda presented herself, with honesty, integrity and humor was uplifting and proof that Jacinda if elected into the position of prime minister on 23 September 2017 will do our country proud, and currently is IMHO by far the most suited person to lead New Zealand down the path of a more fairer and equitable positive future.
It would be refreshing to have such an inspiring and positive role model championing New Zealand’s and our Pacific Nation’s goals and dream on the world stage…..keeping it positive…..well done Jacinda and the Labour team, supporters and voters.
I am confident that the Greens will come in comfortably above the 5% threshold and poll stronger than has been recently reported and will be a valued asset within a potential new government lead by Labour.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
This is a post about a GP policy, not about Labour. Do you have a view on the GP policy?
Thanks Carolyn_nth….yes I praise and support the 11 initiatives outlined in the Greens Climate Protection Plan, each of the recommendations is well thought out and gives proper direction for which a supportive Government can tackle the increasing issues associated with Climate Change going forward.
I am also glad that the Labour party who hopefully stand to be the largest elected party elected come 23 September, released their Climate Change Policy last week. I see this reflecting Jacinda’s strength of leadership, in that she has fronted first the major climate change issues which Labour have brought to the country during the lead up to the polls closing, to ensure complete transparency.
A lot of the initiatives are shared between the Greens and the Labour Party, although I appreciate that the Green’s Plan is more comprehensive, and thus will have a wider impact on New Zealanders, businesses and primary producers.
In an ideal result come 23 Sept 2017, Labour and the Greens would hold a majority, in order to be able to govern alone, placing the Greens in a position to be able to seek possible concessions and variations to Labour’s climate policy initiatives.
Having said that, if Labour are in the position to form a coalition government, I would also like to see Labour seek memorandum’s of understandings, and or formal coalition talks with the Maori Party and also New Zealand First, for which there are a broad range of shared values and beliefs between all four parties.
If Labour, Greens, the Maori Party and New Zealand formed the Government based on the last Colmar Brunton poll, they would have a solid 59% of the vote and a dominant mandate to effect the changes that are required to redirect National’s past 9 years of management that has favored the more well off sectors of NZ society, and that has opened up cracks in essential social services due to punitive policy and underfunding by National and it’s coalition supporters.
So Yes, the Greens climate plan is awesome and hopefully over the next 9 years the bulk of the Green Policy has been assimilated into legislation for the betterment of New Zealanders and the planet as a whole.
Great to hear. Williams seems to slip under the radar when National cheerleaders are discussed
steven mills said on rnz this morning that UMR have the greens at 7%
I would like to see the GP at 9% so, hopefully, Jack McDonald gets in.
Thanks…my apologies about that….I did not know about Open Mike and appreciate your assistance, and note that your comments were valid as the post was not on topic in the article it was posted in…sorry to anyone who this may have upset….but rest assured that I hope that the Greens help shape the next Government negotiated by Labour, and I have my fingers crossed that the Green’s current polling increases.
Bill English on TV this am talking about suicide…. “We need to try something more and different”. It sounded like “more indifferent”. Which option would you believe from National?
Once again he was flailing around. Time we put him out of his misery.
Try O’Connor’s ‘Ardern happy to let the elderly bump themselves off but weeps over the multiple youth suicides’ .
Emotive, twisted spin of the most basic kind.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96701209/nat-mp-simon-oconnor-jacinda-ardern-encourages-suicide-with-euthanasia-stance
Found it – that gave me a bit of a turn – for a minute I thought you were talking about Greg!
I thought it was Damien ☺
Even National Party cheerleaders like Mark Richardson are appalled by Simon
O’Connor.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/jacinda-ardern-wants-old-disabled-to-kill-themselves-national-mp-claims.html
to Ant at 11.1 : Surely Labour’s promise of big electricity subsidy for winter months would brighten any elderly body!
Which sums up National. Instead of addressing suicide he attacks Ardern for Seymour’s stance on euthanasia 😉
Simon O’Connor trained to be a Catholic priest but decided against it.
O’Connor voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_O%27Connor
Another conservative Catholic? How many are the Nats piling up of the ‘hooked on incense’ bunch. I’m incensed by snide remarks about important matters like euthanasia and suicide. They spell a cold-hearted and authoritarian attitude resulting from dogma and personal choice and party politics rather than rational discussion on moral issues. In fact is it immoral for a deeply religious person to make jibes about such matters?
100% garibaldi
We agree fully ‘put him out of his misery’
“Speaking to Fran O’Sullivan for the Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom series, Campbell said the Jacinda effect of the new Labour leader had “changed the game significantly” and the business and wider community was relaxed about the prospect of a change in Government.”
That is good news for Green and Labour.
Big business only works if theres an economy/society to consume their product so this is more about their bottom line than any moral or social outcome.
I have to disagree. Bob Campbell is something of a shining light amongst Directors precisely because he accepts that profits are not the only responsibility of businesses. And yes I know he is a Chair of Somerset and aged care employers must improve.
All going well, this time in 2 weeks, we will have Labour back in power.
But it isnt over yet. Anything can happen in the next 2 weeks.
According to Federated Farmers…
By the time farmers were paying for 100 per cent of their emissions, the federation said it would cost the primary industry more than $830 million per year.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/96665676/federated-farmers-say-the-ets-will-cost-the-primary-industry-83-million
In other words, farmers (mostly pastoral agriculture) are benefiting by $830m per year by having everyone else pay for their emissions. What does MSD Minister Anne Tolley have to say about that?
Heh, nice one.
Russell Norman has always spoken of a 450m subsidy we are all paying…
They know they’ll be passing on their costs.
Hard to find butter less than $5 a block.
Yes and a couple of years ago NZ butter was cheaper in London than it was here. I guess it still is
I’m prepared to pay my townie share of fart tax if they pay their country share for for themselves and farting animals. Couldn’t say fairer than that.
It’s actually the burping that’s the problem. Not farting so much.
Yes. I was just feeling coarse and grizzly at the time. Actually I try not to do either. I’m a Green and try to be good.
Yep. However National and in particular the current PM designated the ETS as trying to tax cow farts. So lets leave the National stupids in ignorance of reality. It takes too much effort to explain the physical world to people who prefer to believe in silly myths.
Bill English once called Helen Clark a “mad cow”.
http://www.labour.org.nz/5_things_you_probably_dont_know_bill_english
Bet he regrets that now! (He won’t. He should. Helen’s back 🙂
3 positive headlines on NZHerald website front page at the moment….
“Fear of a Labour/Green govt ‘gone’
“Ardern slaps down National MP on euthanasia”
“Ardern tackles smear campaign on abortion stance”
M.Hooten has just capitulated on RNZ…and man does he sound like he needs a drink.
Pat, – what program?
Nine to noon…wont be accessible on demand for about half hour
Thanks pat,
I usually monitor RNZ every morning from 6 am on then transmit to networks.
But I have been caught up with the Florida Hurricane activities for two days now and missed it. (I used to reside there 7 yrs and very familiar with this peninsular even as a kiwi.)
Cheers.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201858055/political-commentators-stephen-mills-and-matthew-hooton
Wow Pat that was a surprise.
So Hooten has given the nod to labour wow, now i need a drink, to keep Tracey happy I’ll say a cup of tea?
There is no nedd for the drinking references Pat.
And he states National now have to choose between Goldsmith or Seymore, below 40 odd percent and Goldsmiths gone from the list.
Ahh.. the bleating begins.
Leading rnz rural news segments: sth island Fed farmers leader grizzling about ‘some political parties kicking cockies around’, followed by more tax-mongering, re cgt: is my farm my home?
As predicted by some here as part of the desperate thrashing about of an ‘election strategy’.
FFS. Really over this type of crap in the herald. Can’t Soper remember his mate John Key and the cult of personality that surrounded him.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11920809
NBR headline – NZ Post annual profit drops by 34% after sale of Kiwi Bank stake.
Just the way to weaken our country’s hold on its own jewels. Next thing we’ll be prostrate.
National are rushing to flog off everything now before their boat sinks the slime balls.
Anyone know when the next Roy Morgan poll is out? They seem to be far less frequent.
If this RM is for the period 28/8-10/9, then it’ll be a few days yet. Maybe Friday (15/9)?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96701209/nat-mp-simon-oconnor-jacinda-ardern-encourages-suicide-with-euthanasia-stance
Starting to wonder if this is deliberate but I’m guessing English now knows what its like to be shat on by your own party
I think the shatting was from old monKey – ditched the ship and left a bozo in charge – bill doing his best but making mistakes across the board and instead of accepting he wasn’t up to it like last time he has hung on and and shat all over the party and his MP’s and now they are looking down the gurgler he backs dildo joyce and his lies – and that is after bill was caught out lying about todd and that affair. ffs is there any such thing as a trustworthy gnat – no there ain’t. Basically the whole gnat crew are shatters and shattees and they love it!!!
This is amusing – poor Leighton:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/11-09-2017/shes-a-fast-talker-comrade-leighton-smiths-warns-nz-about-jacinda-ardern/
Jacinda = a very intelligent lady
See Leighton Smith – it was so easy to describe Jacinda.
ilovejacinda.
To news hub I like fish but not with hooks in it kapai.
I made comments on Marae about the other people respecting Korako Nuk for his seniority in age well I read that wrong Korako had already captivated his ordinance with his kick in the private parts to Shane Jones twice.Now Shane 80 percent of men DO this and the other 20 percent of men that DON’T admit to this are liers like Korakos and his national so Shane DON’T be to hard on yourself because I no Korako thinks like nationals Muppets do and does not give a shit about my privacy rights.
So my remarks about Korako are well placed kapai
There is a blog e2nz.org that purports to give facts about NZ but just seems to enjoy slagging off the country. Leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.
https://e2nz.org/2017/03/01/the-reason-why-nz-needs-migrants-is-because-kiwis-use-too-much-drugs-poor-work-ethic/
Eureka now bill english said so himself that he was happy that there is no constitution signed into law in NZ. So he And national can shit allover our human rights privacy rights and OUR SOCIETY AND environment and they will never be held accountable for there crimes. And this is the reason that national are undermining TOPS and the Greens because they want the principles of the treaty signed into law and this will stop all the bull shit that has been going on in our beautiful country and that is what the snakey bill and his puppets are up to.
Shameful by O’Connor and English. Shameful.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/patrick-gower-english-should-have-slapped-down-o-connor.html
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/national-mp-simon-o-connor-sees-no-reason-to-apologise.html
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/jacinda-ardern-wants-old-disabled-to-kill-themselves-national-mp-claims.html
Thing is, they’re flat out slapping themselves. Good.
Yes Joe90 the national party are idiots and O-Conner is one of bills boys to try and create histera and hate.
But everyone knows what they are up to. We’re do they find them.
Well working 13 hour days trying to catch up with the bills working 2 jobs.
I’m very carefull who I write about as I’m not into upsetting other people life’s but for the cause of changing government some people I will write my point of view on them especially these people whom live in a glass bubbles and lie that our country and our environment and say it’s all good