It may interest readers to note that this moral colossus, Harvey Weinstein, is one of the most vicious and brutal denouncers of Kim Dotcom…..
Harvey Weinstein Urged Clinton Campaign
to Silence Sanders’s Black Lives Matter Message
by Zaid Jilani, The Intercept, Oct. 8 2016
HACKED EMAILS SHOW that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, a longtime ally of Hillary Clinton and a major fundraiser for her 2016 campaign, urged her campaign team to silence rival Bernie Sanders’s message against police shootings of African-Americans. He suggested countering it with “the Sandy Hook issue” — a reference to Sanders’s opposition to lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
The emails were released by the group DCLeaks, which in the past has shared hacked emails from U.S. political and military figures. The U.S. Intelligence Community announced Friday that it is “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails” that were made public “on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona.”
The Weinstein emails were among a large number of messages DCLeaks made public on Thursday, from the gmail account of Capricia Marshall, a close Clinton confidant who worked for her in the White House and the State Department, and worked on her 2008 campaign.
In an April 10 email sent to Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, just days before the New York primary, Weinstein invited Mook to meet up. He pointed to a Sanders ad featuring Erica Garner — the daughter of Eric Garner, who was killed by New York City police officers — as well as growing support for Sanders among Latino activist leaders. “I’m probably telling you what you know already, but that needs to be silenced, probably with the Sandy Hook issue,” he wrote…..
The U.S. Intelligence Community announced Friday that it is “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails” that were made public “on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona.”
But is who released them really of more concern than what the emails said?
And they obviously don’t have proof else they’d provide it so this amounts proclaiming guilt without a trial and in such a way as to influence politics which I’m pretty sure that the intelligence services aren’t supposed to do.
A native woman’s view of trump (before the last debate) –
“During his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.” Apparently, he is so ill informed, as are the vast majority of Americans, that he did not know that the myth of Pocahontas is just that, a myth. Pocahontas was not a grown woman who threw herself on a rock to protect the “noble” John Smith. In fact, she was a twelve-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, forced into marriage and Christianity, who died well before the age of twenty…
…As a Native woman, enrolled with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington, I have been told I was a “squaw,” a “dirty Indian,” and “thin skinned” when I spoke up against racism and sexism. It’s a formula response to accuse people of color of being “too sensitive” or “too PC” when we speak up for ourselves. However, as the racists and bigots who bay at the moon for Trump become more vocal, there are more and more women, particularly those of color, who find themselves being triggered and experiencing greater levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder simply on the basis of Trump’s terrible words and the rabid support from the “Trumpette’s…”
That’s a very good article, thanks. And a kind of antidote to some of the pro-Trump rape apologist lines being run by some ts commenters.
This stood out for me,
“The best outcome of Trump’s ugly comments and Billy Bush’s “yuck, yuck, yuck” response would be a national dialogue on the value of people of color, women, and children.”
One of the more disturbing pro-Trump arguments I have heard, and not just from the apologists but from otherwise compassionate progressive men, is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president. Thus if one supported women’s rights one would choose Trump. This is juxtaposed against the idea that one shouldn’t vote for Clinton based on gender. And you know, it’s just those privileged white women who would do that anyway. So good then to have space to listen to a non-white, woman’s voice. You are right about them not being often heard.
Well my horse in the race, Sanders, was nobbled early. I’m left looking on this absolute farce of an election with a sinking heart.
Roughly 15-20% of voters are going to be firmly in Clinton’s camp. Liberal, left-leaning and deeply aware of exactly the issues you advocate for so very well. For you Trump is irredeemably goddamn awful, and I fully respect why.
Equally there is another 15-20% of voters firmly in Trump’s camp, who are hearing him articulate what they cannot; that the establishment is no longer just ordinarily corrupt … but as CV forcefully argues … is rapidly heading into terminal decadence.
And this leaves another 60% or so who are ambivalent, contradictory even. Which to choose? One candidate proposing to extend an already compromised Obamacare program, or another promising to scrap it and start afresh?
One candidate with a lot of public office baggage, or another with way too little?
An alpha-male blow-hard making vulgar derogatory sexist comments, or a deeply establishment operator who seem fully intent on a hot confrontation with Russia?
is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president.
Indeed. What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
I’m absolutely not defending or apologising for Trump here. First Dog on the Moon skewers the noxious, throwback old windbag beautifully. Along with a frankly lunatic GOP which enabled him.
We can rail on about how shit it all is; the fact is within a few weeks millions of Americans will have to make a choice … and the best we can do from this distance is have some sympathy for how unpleasant a task this will be for many.
I don’t actually care about the voter polls in the US Red. I’m not even really talking about the election itself. I’m talking about the culture of the election, esp in the NZ left. Which is why I appreciated marty’s link to a voice that’s not being heard.
What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
Leaving aside the issue of whether Trump supporters are being incredibly naive to think that Trump won’t be a warmonger, I utterly reject the notion that it’s politically valid or viable to say raping women or cementing in a white supremacy state is better than killing a few billion humans (not suggesting that you are saying that, so much as the that appears to be the general argument). I’m sure you did this for hyperbolic effect, but describing the problem with Trump as his ugly trash talk contributes to that. See, I would describe him as a rapist, active misogynist and active racist. By active, I mean not just that he has done things in the past, but that he wants the world to be like this going forward. And no, for anyone else reading, that doesn’t meant I support Clinton and it’s not an invitation to respond with a whole bunch of Clinton bashing in order to excuse Trump.
That is the actual problem here. That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy and then some are using that to promote some pretty vile politics because it suits their political agenda. I think there are more choices than that, and it’s telling that this is what is happening on ts (haven’t followed the Trump threads recently though tbf). We should be having posts like the one marty just linked to, and the reasons why we are not are a micro reflection of the problem at large.
Until those unheard voices are heard (and that requires active listening on our part), then we will continue down the path of the hellhole that is US politics. Fortunately in NZ, we are somewhat better at listening, but I would say NZ is better than ts, which is a sad indictment.
The best we can do is so much better than what we are doing now.
That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy
True, but this doesn’t wish the fact of the election away. In a sane world Clinton will almost certainly win it, but this does not come without it’s own consequences.
Based purely on what was said in yesterday’s debate there is no question Clinton is far more hawkish on a hot military confrontation with the Russians in Syria than Trump. She pretty much stated she would use military assets to attack Assad’s forces. At that awful point all we need is a handful of US Navy ships in the Mediterranean to be sunk by Russian missiles and it’s all on.
The risk of this cannot be hand-waved off. To my mind Hillary Clinton is as unfit for the office of President as is Donald Trump in his own quite different manner. They isn’t an equivalence, it’s simply a fact.
Imagine you had to elect a Chair to the local Community Childcare Centre, and it turned out you had a choice between a pedophile and someone who secretly wanted to sell the place to his sister in law? Absolutely not equivalent, but both equally unacceptable in their own way.
Which to my mind means we need to keep an active conversation about why both are so unacceptable; without always assuming that criticizing one implies an automatic support for the other.
Sorry, but I’m not interested in yesterdays debate, nor in furthering the false dichotomy (and here, again, I’m not talking about Clinton/Trump, I’m talking about the left culture in NZ) that continues to refuse to listen to voices that are directly impacted by what is going on.
I understand reasonably well what you are arguing (as others have argued). But I’m not willing to glide past the argument I just made around what happens when we say it’s ok to harm these people so long as these other people don’t get harmed. I probably haven’t expressed it very well, will think more on this.
I agree with your last comment. I can see ways to discuss the complexity of the situation, including people’s fears about what Clinton will do, without it being about promotion of fascism and rape culture. But like I said, that’s not what is happening, and I’m not ok with supporting that.
I agree regarding Stein (or Sanders!), and I’m no admirer of HRC…but to paraphrase Chomsky – with the lesser evil – you get less evil. And that seems to be a comparatively good thing.
True, but this doesn’t wish the fact of the election away. In a sane world Clinton will almost certainly win it, but this does not come without it’s own consequences.
In a sane world, in a sane establishment, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would be POTUS.
If I was in the USA I couldn’t vote for either of them, they are despicable people though for different reasons but if you were in the USA would you vote for one of them?
The Benghazi attack is one of them and the other is, unfortunately a no smoke without fire type of thing.
If there were one or two allegations of against Bill Clinton then I could dismiss (anyone can allege anything but you need proof)it but like Bill Cosby the sheer amount of allegations is starting to become to many to ignore
You then throw in the allegations of Hillary hounding the same women and her claims of being a feminist and supporter of women doesn’t stack up
All politicians lie, they have to so they can get into power but its the little lies Hillary makes that make look at her and go what else are you lying about
I mean the being under sniper fire in Bosina or claiming to have been named after Sir Edmund Hillary and you then find out shes deleted tens of thousands of emails from her personal email server and we’re supposed to believe its ok because she says so
Clinton represents political business as usual, the establishment, whatever is wrong with the American government it won’t change under Clinton one iota (won’t change under Trump either)
Thanks. With the Benghazi thing, what are your thoughts on there having been eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything to really pin on her?
Well she took responsibility for it so the buck stops with her so maybe not a bad thing but on top of the other issues its just another reason to not vote for her
You throw in Whitewater and the issues around the Clinton foundation and while it may not be proven in a court of law it still adds up to someone involved in some shady dealing
…eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything…
That’s just Benghazi. We’re coming up on a quarter-century of well-funded and very extensive attempts to find dirt on Hillary Clinton that will stick, for a net result of 0. Puckish Rogue files that under “no smoke without fire,” but I file it under “tried and tested,” with a see-also reference to “wow, right-wing Americans really, really hate this woman.” I’d vote for her on that last count alone.
Re your comment “But I think her gender goes a long way to explain why so many American right-wingers hate her so much”
“As a whole, women support Clinton over Trump and Sanders, but 49% of women from across the political spectrum give her an unfavorable rating”- Guardian
So, maybe not just a right wing thing.
Hence the ability of a sexist orange orangutan to make her work so hard for a fairly average win, and her desperate need for a good number of ‘anyone but Trump’ votes.
This may be the first time in American history that someone is voted into the most important position in the country, not on their own ‘merit’, but simply to avoid the horror of their opponent winning.
It depends on the state one lives in. Some states a vote for Stein isn’t going to increase Trump’s chances for getting in, so in that case I would easily vote Stein. In marginal states, I would vote Clinton. I’m a pragmatic voter and so it’s nothing to do with them being despicable people or not. Nothing.
Having said that, I haven’t followed close enough, and I might end up voting Stein anyway, because at some point you have to give up on one election in order to make bigger changes and an increase in the Green vote is something that will pay off over time. I don’t know what’s happening to the ex-Sanders voters either. There are more important things going on than this one election.
Equally there is another 15-20% of voters firmly in Trump’s camp, who are hearing him articulate what they cannot; that the establishment is no longer just ordinarily corrupt … but as CV forcefully argues … is rapidly heading into terminal decadence.
Except that I don’t think he is articulating that it’s heading into terminal decadence.
He’s saying it’s corrupt, and he’ll return the country to its former glory, and he’ll do other things too, like cut taxes for everyone, build a wall and pull out of trade agreements that will hurt their economy far more than it’ll help. The people in small town USA somehow believe that when he is president, their lives will change for the better, when it’s more likely there’ll be no change, or they’ll be worse off.
If Trump were actually campaigning about getting rid of corruption, and had policies that actually supported that view point and could make a difference, then I’d support him and agree with you.
But he’s not.
Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.
“Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.”
Could you explain what you mean by that extraordinary allegation. I think you’ve been listening uncritically to right wing opinionistas again, but please go ahead disabuse me of that sinking feeling.
You’ve simply pointed me to three right wing opinion pieces, including one from the notorious, treacherous anti-journalism Washington Post. That’s not an argument, that’s a lazy substitute for argument.
The first two are by Paul Krugman. This is what Wikipedia says about Paul Krugman:
Krugman describes himself as liberal, and has explained that he views the term “liberal” in the American context to mean “more or less what social democratic means in Europe.”[105] In a 2009 Newsweek article, Evan Thomas described Krugman as having “all the credentials of a ranking member of the East coast liberal establishment” but also as someone who is anti-establishment, a “scourge of the Bush administration”, and a critic of the Obama administration.[123] In 1996, Newsweek’s Michael Hirsh remarked, “Say this for Krugman: though an unabashed liberal … he’s ideologically colorblind. He savages the supply-siders of the Reagan-Bush era with the same glee as he does the ‘strategic traders’ of the Clinton administration.”
The Washington Post article has the input of many experts in their fields. Are they all rightwing? I don’t know, I’m not going to bother looking up the credentials of all of them. At least some of them are leftwing people however.
One of the key themes in the Washington Post article is that Sanders is trying to apply Scandinavian economics to the US, but the countries are so different culturally and historically that it’s unlikely the plans would work as he expected. Simply saying “it works for them, lets apply it here” isn’t good enough, and that’s basically what Sanders was doing – magical thinking.
All of this is further ignoring the point, that even if Sanders had a democratically controlled house and senate (which he wouldn’t), he wouldn’t be able to get all of his changes through anyway.
Could be that Andrew has set a very high bar and from here on in, the staff have to be able to handle it. If you are uncertain leave now.
That seems to be OK to me.
By the way Puck, the PM has a PR staff of hundreds. How many leave each year? One a week perhaps?
Labour would do well to take note of Nationals ability to remove the dead wood (not all the dead wood unfortunately) and present a fresher line up plus the return of Judith Collins!
I wonder if Judith will have any questions to answer today, after all she is responsible for contracting Serco to Mt Eden, what a disaster that is.
Judith and her husband, dang, they’re just as crooked as the Clintons. How’s Oravida Water doing? Jenny Shipley would know. Got any loop holes to exploit? Don’t worry Judiths husband is already on to it.
Dude, be honest, you would add Parata to your list.
I feel sorry for Bill, he just looks so ‘over it’, he would be so much happier out of parliament me thinks, he looks beaten and worn. The type of worn out that only a change in career would fix.
Lack of funding
Failed charter schools
Wrap around services failing students, teachers, families
Salisbury School
School pools
Failing special education
Lack of support from teachers towards the minister
Failing schools
Rotting schools
She’s completely out of touch, I’m surprised the outgoing PM gave her another chance.
Well, Peter Hughes managed to keep a lid on things while he was there but once he left for better things Parata’s been coming out with all sorts of tripe again – most of it already failed policy in other countries.
“Isn’t the point to say, ‘Look, everybody accepts these at-risk kids need support’. And we’re doing that.
Except for the fact that he isn’t. In fact, he’s been actively making it worse.
“It’s not the Government’s intention to have a single definition of poverty,” Mr Key told the Paul Henry programme on Monday.
“You could spend years debating about who’s in and who’s out, what’s the right measure or what’s not,” he said.
If you don’t define it you can’t know what’s causing it and thus you can’t actually address it. This does appear to be what National want because we all know, deep in our hearts, what’s the cause of all this poverty. Just look at the increasing poverty of the last thirty years under the hyper-capitalism that’s been introduced.
There was a double length episode of Last Week Tonight yesterday – aired just after, but recorded before, the debate. The first bit was about the Trump tape (and was appropriately scathing of “Bushy”), but this section was a worthwhile change of topic:
Situations like this were entirely predictable (and I think some of us did indeed predict them when the policy came out),
A woman who took up the Government’s relocation grant to move to Hamilton, says she’s now doing everything she can to get back to Auckland.
Teri Standen said she wanted a fresh start with the $5000 grant – and moved south at the start of July.
But she said she hates her life in Hamilton.
She said the local school isn’t what she expected, and there are gang members living on the street she’s been housed on.
Standen’s warning people to do their own research before jumping on the offer – as she simply trusted Housing New Zealand to disclose “relevant” information.
She said going to check out the option first-hand prior to relocating was not an option for her due to petrol costs and childcare commitments.
Her advice to others tempting by the chance of a fresh start and a bit of cash: “Anyone who’s going to take the relocation grant, research where you’re going to thoroughly, if you can, and be very wary about where they’re putting you.”
A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.
“A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.”
WTF kind of excuse is that? Dang I wonder how many others ‘relocation’ is not working out for. Sounds like another failed plan by the government, dismissed as an operational matter to shut down any further questions.
Al Jazeera intones gravely about “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.”
Sadly, Qatar’s official TV outlet is nothing but a relentless propaganda unit.
Al Jazeera News, 12 noon (NZ time), Tuesday 11 October 2016
I’ve just heard an Al Qaeda newsreader dutifully droning about how the French government is getting ready for “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.” Then, from Paris, one Natacha Butler explains with a straight face and a steady voice: “And that’s because of Russia’s involvement in SYRIA, particularly the bombing of ALEPPO.”
Perhaps there are some Standardisti out there who can supply an example, but I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
…I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
Oh, I expect that if Obama was carrying out indiscriminate, large-scale bombing of urban neighbourhoods in any country, he’d be at risk of people throwing shoes at him on his overseas visits – hopefully Putin will cope one right in the mush. Obama’s predecessor had quite a few “controversial” visits for similar reasons to Putin’s visit being “controversial” – the reason Obama doesn’t get the same treatment is that he doesn’t pull the same shit, not because Al Jazeera is a propaganda site.
“The people of the south know very little about Yemeni politics and do not really understand the Saudi political approach toward Yemen. All they know is that a threat has emerged in Yemen.” The Houthi are being bombed now by the Saudi AF, which is in a way the sincerest form of Saudi flattery. The Saudis are afraid of these Shia Yemeni. One of the reasons that “…people of the [Saudi] South know very little about Yemeni politics” is that the Saudi rulers make sure they don’t get any information. The last thing the Saudi authorities want is for the Shia of SW Saudi Arabia to remember that they were once part of a huge, powerful Shia kingdom that stretched south to the Indian Ocean. Najran was once part of that kingdom. It’s only been Saudi territory since 1934, when the Saud family leased the province from Yemen on a 20-year term. They kept it when the term expired, because by that time Saudi Arabia was rich and closely allied with the US and Britain, while Yemen was weak and poor.
The Saudis, with sleazy friends in Langley and unlimited cash to throw around, have incredible control over world media. They do such a good job of suppressing news about their long war with the Shia of Yemen that, until I lived there and got the story first hand, I didn’t even know that the Shia of Najran had actually risen up in armed rebellion in 2000. And it was an incredible story of a glorious, though doomed, rebellion.
Imagine how bad she smells, man? I’m told her and Obama, just stink, stink, stink, stink. You can’t wash that evil off, man. Told there’s a rotten smell around Hillary. I’m not kidding, people say, they say — folks, I’ve been told this by high up folks. They say listen, Obama and Hillary both smell like sulfur. I never said this because the media will go crazy with it, but I’ve talked to people that are in protective details, they’re scared of her. And they say listen, she’s a frickin’ demon and she stinks and so does Obama. I go, like what? Sulfur. They smell like Hell.
Do you remember what Abe Lincoln is supposed to have said?
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.
The “You” he was talking about was someone like Winston..
Nick, Cinny and DTB are clearly in the group of “some of the people”.
90% of the population saw through Winston’s bluster ages ago.
In an email titled “The Truth” from Hillary’s top confidante Sidney Blumenthal, the adviser writing to undisclosed recipients said that “one important point that has been universally acknowledged by nine previous reports about Benghazi: The attack was almost certainly preventable” in what may turn out to be the big October surprise from the WikiLeaks released of emails hacked from the account of Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta.Then came the money quote: “Clinton was in charge of the State Department, and it failed to protect U.S. personnel at an American consulate in Libya. If the GOP wants to raise that as a talking point against her, it is legitimate,” said Blumenthal, putting to rest the Democratic Party talking point that the investigation into Clinton’s management of the State Department at the time of the attack was nothing more than a partisan witch hunt.Those words sounded really, really familiar. Really familiar. Like, so familiar they struck me as something I wrote. Because they were something I wrote..
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It may interest readers to note that this moral colossus, Harvey Weinstein, is one of the most vicious and brutal denouncers of Kim Dotcom…..
Read more….
https://theintercept.com/2016/10/07/harvey-weinstein-urged-clinton-campaign-to-silence-sanderss-black-lives-matter-message/
https://theintercept.com/2016/10/07/harvey-weinstein-urged-clinton-campaign-to-silence-sanderss-black-lives-matter-message/
+1 Morrissey
But is who released them really of more concern than what the emails said?
And they obviously don’t have proof else they’d provide it so this amounts proclaiming guilt without a trial and in such a way as to influence politics which I’m pretty sure that the intelligence services aren’t supposed to do.
A native woman’s view of trump (before the last debate) –
“During his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as “Pocahontas.” Apparently, he is so ill informed, as are the vast majority of Americans, that he did not know that the myth of Pocahontas is just that, a myth. Pocahontas was not a grown woman who threw herself on a rock to protect the “noble” John Smith. In fact, she was a twelve-year-old girl who was kidnapped, raped, forced into marriage and Christianity, who died well before the age of twenty…
…As a Native woman, enrolled with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington, I have been told I was a “squaw,” a “dirty Indian,” and “thin skinned” when I spoke up against racism and sexism. It’s a formula response to accuse people of color of being “too sensitive” or “too PC” when we speak up for ourselves. However, as the racists and bigots who bay at the moon for Trump become more vocal, there are more and more women, particularly those of color, who find themselves being triggered and experiencing greater levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder simply on the basis of Trump’s terrible words and the rabid support from the “Trumpette’s…”
http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/star-can-anything-want-ugly-truths-donald-trump/
This is a voice not often heard – listen.
That’s a very good article, thanks. And a kind of antidote to some of the pro-Trump rape apologist lines being run by some ts commenters.
This stood out for me,
“The best outcome of Trump’s ugly comments and Billy Bush’s “yuck, yuck, yuck” response would be a national dialogue on the value of people of color, women, and children.”
One of the more disturbing pro-Trump arguments I have heard, and not just from the apologists but from otherwise compassionate progressive men, is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president. Thus if one supported women’s rights one would choose Trump. This is juxtaposed against the idea that one shouldn’t vote for Clinton based on gender. And you know, it’s just those privileged white women who would do that anyway. So good then to have space to listen to a non-white, woman’s voice. You are right about them not being often heard.
Well my horse in the race, Sanders, was nobbled early. I’m left looking on this absolute farce of an election with a sinking heart.
Roughly 15-20% of voters are going to be firmly in Clinton’s camp. Liberal, left-leaning and deeply aware of exactly the issues you advocate for so very well. For you Trump is irredeemably goddamn awful, and I fully respect why.
Equally there is another 15-20% of voters firmly in Trump’s camp, who are hearing him articulate what they cannot; that the establishment is no longer just ordinarily corrupt … but as CV forcefully argues … is rapidly heading into terminal decadence.
And this leaves another 60% or so who are ambivalent, contradictory even. Which to choose? One candidate proposing to extend an already compromised Obamacare program, or another promising to scrap it and start afresh?
One candidate with a lot of public office baggage, or another with way too little?
An alpha-male blow-hard making vulgar derogatory sexist comments, or a deeply establishment operator who seem fully intent on a hot confrontation with Russia?
is that Trump is a better choice than Clinton because of all the women that will be killed overseas if Clinton becomes president.
Indeed. What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
I’m absolutely not defending or apologising for Trump here. First Dog on the Moon skewers the noxious, throwback old windbag beautifully. Along with a frankly lunatic GOP which enabled him.
We can rail on about how shit it all is; the fact is within a few weeks millions of Americans will have to make a choice … and the best we can do from this distance is have some sympathy for how unpleasant a task this will be for many.
I don’t actually care about the voter polls in the US Red. I’m not even really talking about the election itself. I’m talking about the culture of the election, esp in the NZ left. Which is why I appreciated marty’s link to a voice that’s not being heard.
What if it did come down to a nuclear confrontation? What if the worst happened and she was responsible for the deaths of few billion humans? Is this better or worse than Trump’s ugly trash talk?
Leaving aside the issue of whether Trump supporters are being incredibly naive to think that Trump won’t be a warmonger, I utterly reject the notion that it’s politically valid or viable to say raping women or cementing in a white supremacy state is better than killing a few billion humans (not suggesting that you are saying that, so much as the that appears to be the general argument). I’m sure you did this for hyperbolic effect, but describing the problem with Trump as his ugly trash talk contributes to that. See, I would describe him as a rapist, active misogynist and active racist. By active, I mean not just that he has done things in the past, but that he wants the world to be like this going forward. And no, for anyone else reading, that doesn’t meant I support Clinton and it’s not an invitation to respond with a whole bunch of Clinton bashing in order to excuse Trump.
That is the actual problem here. That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy and then some are using that to promote some pretty vile politics because it suits their political agenda. I think there are more choices than that, and it’s telling that this is what is happening on ts (haven’t followed the Trump threads recently though tbf). We should be having posts like the one marty just linked to, and the reasons why we are not are a micro reflection of the problem at large.
Until those unheard voices are heard (and that requires active listening on our part), then we will continue down the path of the hellhole that is US politics. Fortunately in NZ, we are somewhat better at listening, but I would say NZ is better than ts, which is a sad indictment.
The best we can do is so much better than what we are doing now.
That the debate culture has ended up framing this debate as a false dichotomy
True, but this doesn’t wish the fact of the election away. In a sane world Clinton will almost certainly win it, but this does not come without it’s own consequences.
Based purely on what was said in yesterday’s debate there is no question Clinton is far more hawkish on a hot military confrontation with the Russians in Syria than Trump. She pretty much stated she would use military assets to attack Assad’s forces. At that awful point all we need is a handful of US Navy ships in the Mediterranean to be sunk by Russian missiles and it’s all on.
The risk of this cannot be hand-waved off. To my mind Hillary Clinton is as unfit for the office of President as is Donald Trump in his own quite different manner. They isn’t an equivalence, it’s simply a fact.
Imagine you had to elect a Chair to the local Community Childcare Centre, and it turned out you had a choice between a pedophile and someone who secretly wanted to sell the place to his sister in law? Absolutely not equivalent, but both equally unacceptable in their own way.
Which to my mind means we need to keep an active conversation about why both are so unacceptable; without always assuming that criticizing one implies an automatic support for the other.
Sorry, but I’m not interested in yesterdays debate, nor in furthering the false dichotomy (and here, again, I’m not talking about Clinton/Trump, I’m talking about the left culture in NZ) that continues to refuse to listen to voices that are directly impacted by what is going on.
I understand reasonably well what you are arguing (as others have argued). But I’m not willing to glide past the argument I just made around what happens when we say it’s ok to harm these people so long as these other people don’t get harmed. I probably haven’t expressed it very well, will think more on this.
I agree with your last comment. I can see ways to discuss the complexity of the situation, including people’s fears about what Clinton will do, without it being about promotion of fascism and rape culture. But like I said, that’s not what is happening, and I’m not ok with supporting that.
Yes I get what you are saying here and don’t have any quibble with it.
These are tough conversations for everyone.
The lesser of two evils – is still an evil!
Oh how I wish the yanks would turn en masse to Jill Stein – and give the whole world some hope!
I agree regarding Stein (or Sanders!), and I’m no admirer of HRC…but to paraphrase Chomsky – with the lesser evil – you get less evil. And that seems to be a comparatively good thing.
Yep.
Sanders was pretty good as a candidate and senator, and under Clinton will hopefully have some sort of role. Silver linings on turd clouds, lol.
In a sane world, in a sane establishment, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would be POTUS.
If I was in the USA I couldn’t vote for either of them, they are despicable people though for different reasons but if you were in the USA would you vote for one of them?
Puckish, honest curiosity. What are your objections to Hillary?
The Benghazi attack is one of them and the other is, unfortunately a no smoke without fire type of thing.
If there were one or two allegations of against Bill Clinton then I could dismiss (anyone can allege anything but you need proof)it but like Bill Cosby the sheer amount of allegations is starting to become to many to ignore
You then throw in the allegations of Hillary hounding the same women and her claims of being a feminist and supporter of women doesn’t stack up
All politicians lie, they have to so they can get into power but its the little lies Hillary makes that make look at her and go what else are you lying about
I mean the being under sniper fire in Bosina or claiming to have been named after Sir Edmund Hillary and you then find out shes deleted tens of thousands of emails from her personal email server and we’re supposed to believe its ok because she says so
Clinton represents political business as usual, the establishment, whatever is wrong with the American government it won’t change under Clinton one iota (won’t change under Trump either)
Thanks. With the Benghazi thing, what are your thoughts on there having been eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything to really pin on her?
Well she took responsibility for it so the buck stops with her so maybe not a bad thing but on top of the other issues its just another reason to not vote for her
You throw in Whitewater and the issues around the Clinton foundation and while it may not be proven in a court of law it still adds up to someone involved in some shady dealing
…eight congressional investigations into Benghazi, led by people with investigative and prosecutorial expertise and an interest in putting the worst possible interpretation on any findings, that didn’t come up with anything…
That’s just Benghazi. We’re coming up on a quarter-century of well-funded and very extensive attempts to find dirt on Hillary Clinton that will stick, for a net result of 0. Puckish Rogue files that under “no smoke without fire,” but I file it under “tried and tested,” with a see-also reference to “wow, right-wing Americans really, really hate this woman.” I’d vote for her on that last count alone.
and that’s fair enough, I’d vote for neither
“tried and tested” with a see-also reference to “wow, right-wing Americans really, really hate this woman.”
Thanks for getting to the heart of it in a tenth the words I’d need.
Just look at her trustworthiness rating, it’s spectacular 🙄
http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/17/poll-hillary-clinton-least-honest-and-trustworthy-of-all-presidential-candidates/
For what its worth my objection to her has nothing to do with her gender
Sorry, I didn’t intend to imply that. But I think her gender goes a long way to explain why so many American right-wingers hate her so much.
That’s cool and I think you’re right to a degree.
Re your comment “But I think her gender goes a long way to explain why so many American right-wingers hate her so much”
“As a whole, women support Clinton over Trump and Sanders, but 49% of women from across the political spectrum give her an unfavorable rating”- Guardian
So, maybe not just a right wing thing.
Hence the ability of a sexist orange orangutan to make her work so hard for a fairly average win, and her desperate need for a good number of ‘anyone but Trump’ votes.
This may be the first time in American history that someone is voted into the most important position in the country, not on their own ‘merit’, but simply to avoid the horror of their opponent winning.
It depends on the state one lives in. Some states a vote for Stein isn’t going to increase Trump’s chances for getting in, so in that case I would easily vote Stein. In marginal states, I would vote Clinton. I’m a pragmatic voter and so it’s nothing to do with them being despicable people or not. Nothing.
Having said that, I haven’t followed close enough, and I might end up voting Stein anyway, because at some point you have to give up on one election in order to make bigger changes and an increase in the Green vote is something that will pay off over time. I don’t know what’s happening to the ex-Sanders voters either. There are more important things going on than this one election.
Fair enough, I was only asking out of curiosity
🙂
Except that I don’t think he is articulating that it’s heading into terminal decadence.
He’s saying it’s corrupt, and he’ll return the country to its former glory, and he’ll do other things too, like cut taxes for everyone, build a wall and pull out of trade agreements that will hurt their economy far more than it’ll help. The people in small town USA somehow believe that when he is president, their lives will change for the better, when it’s more likely there’ll be no change, or they’ll be worse off.
If Trump were actually campaigning about getting rid of corruption, and had policies that actually supported that view point and could make a difference, then I’d support him and agree with you.
But he’s not.
Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.
“Sanders came a lot closer of course, but his policies seemed to involve a lot of magical thinking too.”
Could you explain what you mean by that extraordinary allegation. I think you’ve been listening uncritically to right wing opinionistas again, but please go ahead disabuse me of that sinking feeling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/opinion/varieties-of-voodoo.html?_r=0
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/what-has-the-wonks-worried/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/03/14/can-bernie-sanders-turn-the-united-states-into-denmark-an-investigation/
You’ve simply pointed me to three right wing opinion pieces, including one from the notorious, treacherous anti-journalism Washington Post. That’s not an argument, that’s a lazy substitute for argument.
“that’s a lazy substitute for argument”
coming from the guy that just dismissed three links because he doesn’t like the message
The first two are by Paul Krugman. This is what Wikipedia says about Paul Krugman:
The Washington Post article has the input of many experts in their fields. Are they all rightwing? I don’t know, I’m not going to bother looking up the credentials of all of them. At least some of them are leftwing people however.
One of the key themes in the Washington Post article is that Sanders is trying to apply Scandinavian economics to the US, but the countries are so different culturally and historically that it’s unlikely the plans would work as he expected. Simply saying “it works for them, lets apply it here” isn’t good enough, and that’s basically what Sanders was doing – magical thinking.
All of this is further ignoring the point, that even if Sanders had a democratically controlled house and senate (which he wouldn’t), he wouldn’t be able to get all of his changes through anyway.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/another-labour-spin-doctor-bites-the-dust-2016101015
“Another Labour Party press secretary has quit the party, the fourth to do so in just three months”
Is it really such a bad place to work?
Could be that Andrew has set a very high bar and from here on in, the staff have to be able to handle it. If you are uncertain leave now.
That seems to be OK to me.
By the way Puck, the PM has a PR staff of hundreds. How many leave each year? One a week perhaps?
Sounds like theres a problem with the hiring going on if they can’t find someone to stay
“By the way Puck, the PM has a PR staff of hundreds. How many leave each year? One a week perhaps?”
Evidence please
Was thinking the same Ianmac.
“Could be that Andrew has set a very high bar and from here on in, the staff have to be able to handle it.”
Sounds like a job for the local union rep to have a wee peek at Mr. Littles workplace practices then.
The outgoing PM is to do a cabinet ‘reshuffle’ before next election. We need a change of government not a ‘reshuffle’.
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/key-signals-cabinet-reshuffle-new-year-b-195290
I predict that ‘Nickoff’ will be a gone burger, gone from the Nelson seat would be my ideal. Will be doing my best to make that a reality. 🙂
Labour would do well to take note of Nationals ability to remove the dead wood (not all the dead wood unfortunately) and present a fresher line up plus the return of Judith Collins!
I wonder if Judith will have any questions to answer today, after all she is responsible for contracting Serco to Mt Eden, what a disaster that is.
Judith and her husband, dang, they’re just as crooked as the Clintons. How’s Oravida Water doing? Jenny Shipley would know. Got any loop holes to exploit? Don’t worry Judiths husband is already on to it.
National is nothing but deadwood. Comes from wanting policies best suited to the 15th century.
That’s easy…get rid of Joyce, English, Bennett, Smith, Parata, Bridges….you get the picture
Well sure if I wanted the left to gain power then I’d agree with you but of that list I’d remove Joyce and Smith
Dude, be honest, you would add Parata to your list.
I feel sorry for Bill, he just looks so ‘over it’, he would be so much happier out of parliament me thinks, he looks beaten and worn. The type of worn out that only a change in career would fix.
Why would I get rid of Parata?
For reals? Where to start…
Lack of funding
Failed charter schools
Wrap around services failing students, teachers, families
Salisbury School
School pools
Failing special education
Lack of support from teachers towards the minister
Failing schools
Rotting schools
She’s completely out of touch, I’m surprised the outgoing PM gave her another chance.
Its damn impressive that Parata is responsible for all that mess
Well, Peter Hughes managed to keep a lid on things while he was there but once he left for better things Parata’s been coming out with all sorts of tripe again – most of it already failed policy in other countries.
+1 Cinny
a message from our sponsor RT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTFG3J1CP8&feature=youtu.be
John Key hits back at UN report on child poverty in NZ
Except for the fact that he isn’t. In fact, he’s been actively making it worse.
If you don’t define it you can’t know what’s causing it and thus you can’t actually address it. This does appear to be what National want because we all know, deep in our hearts, what’s the cause of all this poverty. Just look at the increasing poverty of the last thirty years under the hyper-capitalism that’s been introduced.
There was a double length episode of Last Week Tonight yesterday – aired just after, but recorded before, the debate. The first bit was about the Trump tape (and was appropriately scathing of “Bushy”), but this section was a worthwhile change of topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEbFtMgGhPY
Awesome thanks
Surprised they didn’t try to blame it on Jetstar.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/315357/passengers-cry-as-'flight-from-hell'-lands-in-nz
http://www.interest.co.nz/news/84007/finance-minister-signals-significant-ramping-house-building-housing-nz-corp-land-auckland
there must be an election coming…
Haven’t we read/heard this one before?
Seems like my comment from a couple of weeks ago hit it right on the nose:
https://thestandard.org.nz/polls-2/#comment-1237881
Situations like this were entirely predictable (and I think some of us did indeed predict them when the policy came out),
A woman who took up the Government’s relocation grant to move to Hamilton, says she’s now doing everything she can to get back to Auckland.
Teri Standen said she wanted a fresh start with the $5000 grant – and moved south at the start of July.
But she said she hates her life in Hamilton.
She said the local school isn’t what she expected, and there are gang members living on the street she’s been housed on.
Standen’s warning people to do their own research before jumping on the offer – as she simply trusted Housing New Zealand to disclose “relevant” information.
She said going to check out the option first-hand prior to relocating was not an option for her due to petrol costs and childcare commitments.
Her advice to others tempting by the chance of a fresh start and a bit of cash: “Anyone who’s going to take the relocation grant, research where you’re going to thoroughly, if you can, and be very wary about where they’re putting you.”
A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/winz-relocation-a-disappointment-aucklander-wants-to-come-home/
“A spokeswoman for Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett said she would not comment as it was an operational matter.”
WTF kind of excuse is that? Dang I wonder how many others ‘relocation’ is not working out for. Sounds like another failed plan by the government, dismissed as an operational matter to shut down any further questions.
Al Jazeera intones gravely about “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.”
Sadly, Qatar’s official TV outlet is nothing but a relentless propaganda unit.
Al Jazeera News, 12 noon (NZ time), Tuesday 11 October 2016
I’ve just heard an Al Qaeda newsreader dutifully droning about how the French government is getting ready for “Vladimir Putin’s controversial visit to Paris.” Then, from Paris, one Natacha Butler explains with a straight face and a steady voice: “And that’s because of Russia’s involvement in SYRIA, particularly the bombing of ALEPPO.”
Perhaps there are some Standardisti out there who can supply an example, but I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
More shameful propaganda masquerading as news on Al Jazeera….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22102015/#comment-1085331
…I cannot recall a single time that Al Jazeera, the official television station of the Qatari dictatorship, has described a visit anywhere by Barack Obama, who has for eight years presided over the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as “controversial.”
Oh, I expect that if Obama was carrying out indiscriminate, large-scale bombing of urban neighbourhoods in any country, he’d be at risk of people throwing shoes at him on his overseas visits – hopefully Putin will cope one right in the mush. Obama’s predecessor had quite a few “controversial” visits for similar reasons to Putin’s visit being “controversial” – the reason Obama doesn’t get the same treatment is that he doesn’t pull the same shit, not because Al Jazeera is a propaganda site.
The US has been supporting the Saudi bombing of Yemen with munitions, intelligence and other military support for over a year now.
In the most recent attack, a Saudi-led airstrike on a Sana’a community hall funeral service killed 150 or more people and wounded a further 500+.
… the Saudi bombing of Yemen…
I expect that a visit by King Salman would also be pretty controversial right now. Less so on Al Jazeera, granted.
The War Nerd: A Brief History of the Yemen Clusterf*ck
https://pando.com/2015/03/28/the-war-nerd-a-brief-history-of-the-yemen-clusterfck/
If your point is that the Saudi government is really not very nice, we’ve finally agreed on something.
Oh Milt you really are such a low rent commentator
Mr Jones, Colonial Viper’s go to source –
Imagine how bad she smells, man? I’m told her and Obama, just stink, stink, stink, stink. You can’t wash that evil off, man. Told there’s a rotten smell around Hillary. I’m not kidding, people say, they say — folks, I’ve been told this by high up folks. They say listen, Obama and Hillary both smell like sulfur. I never said this because the media will go crazy with it, but I’ve talked to people that are in protective details, they’re scared of her. And they say listen, she’s a frickin’ demon and she stinks and so does Obama. I go, like what? Sulfur. They smell like Hell.
https://youtu.be/2Ll4wXS2PIo?t=4m
Not very nice that dude.
One of Trump’s … more interesting…supporters.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/trump-supporter-god-harlots-bible/index.html
Single issue nutters, abortion.
Wow out there
Yep, a disgusting basket of deplorables and irredeemables, as Hillary would say.
Indeed, point proven by this cartoon from Trump supporter Sean Delonas making light of the tiny fingered fuckwit’s sexual assault of women.
http://media.cagle.com/226/2016/10/09/185810_600.jpg
(warning, it ain’t nice)
Wow, did CNN really broadcast that?
By ain’t nice, joe is referring to the fact that the cartoon shows Trump sexually assaulting Clinton, plus the way that assault is characterised.
Nah, part of the cartoon.
http://www.caglecartoons.com/viewimage.asp?ID={29B1D885-1636-429B-AF08-7AA38E7E5630}
Why would the outgoing government be wanting to curb immigration?
Was it because of their internal polling?
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1610/S00142/national-panicked-by-polls-on-immigration.htm
Come, come.
You don’t really consider a press release from Winston Peters or his mob as being evidence of anything do you?
The man is a charlatan.
I trust him far more than I trust National.
Alwyn, the only charlatan in the house is the outgoing PM.
ShonKey is the epitome of charlatan.
Do you remember what Abe Lincoln is supposed to have said?
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.
The “You” he was talking about was someone like Winston..
Nick, Cinny and DTB are clearly in the group of “some of the people”.
90% of the population saw through Winston’s bluster ages ago.
So, one of those game changing details in the leaked emails was actually a copy and pasted portion of an opinion piece.
Stupid pricks.
//
In an email titled “The Truth” from Hillary’s top confidante Sidney Blumenthal, the adviser writing to undisclosed recipients said that “one important point that has been universally acknowledged by nine previous reports about Benghazi: The attack was almost certainly preventable” in what may turn out to be the big October surprise from the WikiLeaks released of emails hacked from the account of Clinton Campaign Chair John Podesta.Then came the money quote: “Clinton was in charge of the State Department, and it failed to protect U.S. personnel at an American consulate in Libya. If the GOP wants to raise that as a talking point against her, it is legitimate,” said Blumenthal, putting to rest the Democratic Party talking point that the investigation into Clinton’s management of the State Department at the time of the attack was nothing more than a partisan witch hunt.Those words sounded really, really familiar. Really familiar. Like, so familiar they struck me as something I wrote. Because they were something I wrote..
http://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-sidney-blumenthal-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-benghazi-sputnik-508635