Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike …
o those commenting on obesity and to bm in particular. Many women who were raped or otherwise sexually abused over eat. Some to hide from me so they protect themselves subconsciously by becoming what they think is fat and ugly…. by eating to feel better when depression or anxiety strikes. So dont assume all obese people are simply fat and lazy as bm puts it. With 1-3 girls sexually abused it may be a hidden factor.
I bet there are some woman that over eat due to a lack of attention, lurid or otherwise, from men. There will also be some that over eat because they only got 54% in school C English.
The one thing they all have in common though is a lack of self control.
And many people who are depressed or without much hope for all sorts of reasons.
Living in poverty, illness or disability without much hope of any improvement leads people to seize on anything which makes them feel better. Eating, Alcohol, gambling etc.
It takes an exceptionally strong person to resist. Mine was eating.
Which is why I am so against people who make a living from gambling and drugs, including alcohol and smokes.
They are making profits off peoples need for hope.
Well said KJT. Easy to judge and criticise for those whose life is one of ease, or that old chestnut “I did it so you can you too” as if we are all the same, experiencing our difficulties the same way.
Another factor in comfort eating/drinking/past times is work stress, and the NZ workplace seems to becoming an increasingly fraught place to be with insecure work hours, poor prospects, low pay, loss of self esteem and diminishing employment law. If some one is working long hours and is stressed and fatigued the easiest thing to turn at the end of a shift is carbohydratey goodness. Instant gratification with undesirable consequences in the long run, eg, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart problems Then again anti depressants can trigger weight gain too, so unless we have the opportunity to live our life well and free from stressors, we face an uphill battle in our dog eat dog world.
Exercise of course is of great benefit to our physical and mental health but for some there is simply no energy just to go for a walk around the block.
As well as the vampires (booze, fags, and junk food co’s and casino’s) who source of profit is derived from stressed people we still live in a society that doesn’t accept differences so for those whose health is sub optimal, they are further punished by non acceptance.
Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a society where people had well paid secure work in safe conditions, access to preventative healthcare (eg counselling), access to cheap gst free, good quality food and secure living arrangements. Whats the bet the health of the population would improve, and we wouldn’t be treating people for preventable illness further down the line.
“..Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a society where people had well paid secure work in safe conditions, access to preventative healthcare (eg counselling), access to cheap gst free, good quality food and secure living arrangements. .”
Agreed phillip, on the do-able bit. It would take a bold socially focused government to promote equality, genuinely, not just as a nice word to throw around, and address that which makes the population unhealthy and unhappy.There will always be individual factors influencing poor health (including genetic and environmental) but decreasing poverty and opening up access to better standards of public health care should be something governments should priortise. All been said before though.
Indeed KJT. I’d love to see the personally responsible KK cope given a life of simply working (2, maybe 3 minimum wage jobs), eating (often a diet of noodles and the cheapest bargains out of one of those duopoly constructed SUPERmarkets), shitting, struggling with artificially constructed power bills designed for efficiency and fectivniss and a return to its shareholders, a MSM – again constructed by a fukwit whose only understanding of life and the universe is that it must make a ‘return’, and tending towards monopoly, getiing the kids to school and worrying about how they might pay for the next train fare or petrol bill; only to repeat without being able to rinse.
And this cycle is week after week, month after month’ year after year.
Any form of escapism is STRICTLY VERBOTEN!
I’d bloody take to drink as well!
Dirty filthy bennies though are NOT allowed to have any fun, or pleasure, and must be monitored at ALL times by a matron (one that’s not just the stereotypical image of 50’s matronliness, but one that’s the biggest nenny-statist, truly UGLY [in EVERY sense of the word] specimen that waddled the green fleur de lis carpit. CHA-OYCE (aye1)
The best metaphor I’ve heard to date is Cunliffe’s “pulling up the ladder”.
The truly UGLY & inadequate control freak hopefully has no conscience (for her sake).
That part of her brain that a conscience would normally occupy has been taken over by EMBUSHIN.
Oh, btw – she’s not alone of course. There’s an utterly incompetent specimen trying to inflict her will on the masses as well – in order to impress her dear dea leader.
Ever noticed her fashion?
Very military-like – not unlike those of colonial oppressors.
She’s rilly rilly in control! (at least in her own mind)
Bridges has to go as a Minister, while not declaring the property held in the personally managed super-fund might be ‘within the rules’ the non-declaration of the Northland property Bridges claims to be holding on behalf of ‘a friend’ is definitely not,
Obviously ‘within the rules’ looks to be a very thin veneer of cover of what is yet another Ministerial rort over housing allowances for MP’s and Ministers where the ‘system’ is being gamed by MP’s and Ministers so as to allow them to dip deeply into the taxpayers pockets collecting ‘rent’ for property that they actually own and rent off of their personal super-fund which they are the personal managers of…
‘Chester Borrows, Simon Bridges, Anne Tolley, Chris Auchinvole, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Mike Sabin – live in the Wellington properties while working in the capital and claim the accommodation allowance or expenses.’
Too right you’re right amirite.
Must be about time for Borrows to announce again how successful he’s been in bashing some more beneficiaries for not taking the lawn-mowing money off their children’s plates and giving it to the Slippery Natz slush-fund party.
—-Paul Dykzeul, Chief Executive of Bauer Media, Mediawatch, Radio NZ National, Sunday 10 November 2013
More liars….
No. 35 Mark Jennings: “I think Paul’s a bright guy and he will be able to bring a discipline to his performance….”
No. 34 Willie Jackson: “I thought we’d been sensitive with her yesterday….”
No. 33 Supt. Bill Searle: “I think what’s happened here is the police officers have done their very best….”
No. 32 Sonny-Bill Williams: “It’s good to get the win over Papua-New Guinea, a strong Papua-New Guinea side, aahhhh….”
No. 31 John Palino: “Suggestions that I am somehow orchestrating some grand right-wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong…”
No. 30 Alan Dershowitz: “I will give $10,000 to the PLO if you can find a historical fact in my book that you can prove to be false.”
No. 29 John Banks: “I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. And never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return. Never ever would I ever.”
No. 28 John Kerry: “…we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence.”
No. 27 Lyse Doucet: “I am there for those without a voice.”
No. 26 Sam Wallace: “So here we are—Otahuhu. It’s just a great place to be, really.”
No. 25 Margaret Thatcher: “…no British government involvement of any kind…with Khmer Rouge…”
No. 24 John Key: “…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.”
No. 21 Tim Groser: “I think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.”
No. 20 John Key: “But if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.”
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: “It is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DON’T!”
No. 18 Ant Strachan: “The All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!”
No. 17 Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.”
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.”
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14 Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No. 13 Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11 Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10 Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8 Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question….”
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
No. 6 Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5 Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.”
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3 John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2 Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1 Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
Yea sock! What we need to counter such utter stupidity, when we can’t come up with any intelligent sort of response – is – ANOTHER Shopping Channel! Could even shove it on Freeview.
Yes – how many shopping channels do people need on Freeview? Does anyone watch one of them, let alone 3? Or is it more? The numbers of such channels seems to be growing daily.
With all that is currently going on re the appalling Roastbusters issues, Dunne’s flights of fancy as to his power to dictate coalition terms, and now the Nat super/accommodation rort, Banks has slipped well down the priorities list.
However, I read Penny Bright’s latest update last night on OM 10 Nov (thanks Penny) and this morning read Justice Heath’s minute linked to on Penny’s website.
In brief, Justice Heath (who is to hear the application for judicial review on 27 Nov) has raised as an alternative or addition to the judicial review, the possibility of the case being transferred to the High Court under section 28J of the District Court Act. It would then be open to Banks to apply under section 347 of the Crimes Act to have the charges dropped.
Personally, I have not taken this as Justice Heath attempting to ‘help Banks out of his difficult spot’; rather as Justice Heath rightly pointing out another legal option open. (I hope so anyway!)
I am not a lawyer but had many years of having to find my way around legislation, understand it etc, so being the pedantic person I am, looked up the sections of the District Court Act and Crimes Act referred to by Justice Heath.
Of interest is that these specific sectons of both Acts appear to have been repealed as of 1 July 2013 – but can presumably still apply in the Banks case because the original procecution application, hearings etc started prior to the repeal of these sections.
(In the case of s28J of the D C Act, new provisions for transfer between the District Court and High Court have been added to the D C Act. I have not found any replacement provisions for S347 of the Crimes Act, but don’t have time to check this further today. )
So, I for one anyway it will be watching closely what both Banks’ counsel and the Solicitor-General decide on this alternative raised by Justice Heath. In the hopes that Banks does not get off on legal technicalities etc.
Penny Bright- hopefully you will keep us informed of further developments. I have appreciated you doing so to date, and thought you might be interested in my quick research.
“Getting a 347” used to mean that the police had made a charge based on insufficient evidence and a judge had thrown it out rather than waste court time. Since a judge has already ruled that Banks should go to trial, it’d be a pretty low blow if they used this to let him walk.
Thanks for that, Murray, although it now leaves me wondering (a) about Justice Heath raising it; and (b) why it (s347) has been repealed (if it has not been replaced elsewhere – haven’t had time to check this further but I am curious as to why it was repealed if it has not been replaced).
It would be a low blow if s347 allowed Banks to walk – hope that was not J Heath’s intention. OTOH it was not just one DC judge who ruled that Banks should go to trial (Gittos). but Judge Mill of Wellington DC also seemed to think that there was a case to answer, as per my comment on OM on 31 Oct.
Willie and J.T. are disgusting.
But they are not unique….
With all the attention on the hapless, hopeless Radio Vile comedians Willie and Hatey recently, some people seem to have forgotten that there is another radio station that has been sticking up for woman-beaters for years….
The disturbing incident with the police commissioner Marshal tracking and contacting the blogger who criticised him has gone semi-public, callers are discussing this on Radio Live morning talkback.
Not so disturbing when the blogger left his name and contact details on the police website along with a compaint.
Didn’t really need the GCSB to track him down then did he? And after laying a complaint he was too chicken to receive a call from the Commissioner following up about the complaint.
Slightly paranoid I guess. Not really James Bond stuff as was first portrayed to be honest.
If I left a complaint on the police website I certainly wouldn’t be expecting the Commissioner to phone me on a Sunday. An email asking to make contact would be more appropriate.
I’d expect the officers carrying out checks around the corner one dark night to abruptly jump in their car and follow me home on my push-bike, then to linger in front of my whare with their headlights shining upon me as I shake my head and proceed round to open the back door… oh wait… 😉
Please confirm YOU will not vote for the New Zealand International Convention Centre (‘Sky City money-laundering’) Bill
Please discuss this as a matter of urgency at the Cabinet meeting today, and at your Party caucuses tomorrow, Tuesday 12 November 2013: and confirm that YOU will NOT vote for the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill at its ‘third reading’ because ‘due diligence’ has not been done on the increased risk of money-laundering.
BACKGROUND:
A) Open Letter /OIA request to the Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce:
6 November 2013
“Why are you continuing with the International Convention Centre (Sky City money-laundering) Bill?
Dear Minister,
I note that the International Convention Centre Bill is now at the Committee Stage: on today’s Parliamentary Order Paper:
Please provide the following information which confirms:
1) That you have considered the following OIA reply from OFCANZ, which shows that they have not done any ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering with the International Convention Centre Bill.
2) That you as the Minister of Economic Development, are knowingly and willingly, continuing to push the International Convention Centre Bill.through Parliament, although this OIA reply from OFCANZ, shows that they have not done any ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering, as outlined in the following Regulatory Impact Statement.
95 Cash intensive industries such as casinos are attractive to money laundering activity. New Zealand’s National Risk Assessment 2010 assessed casinos as presenting moderate to high risk of money laundering.
For this reason, casinos (including all SkyCity casinos) are subject to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism Act 2009 (the AML/CFT Act), which comes into force on 30 June 2013. …”
ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – STEVEN JOYCE:
B) ‘Open Letter ‘ / OIA to Prime Minister John Key:
24 October 2013
‘Open Letter’/OIA to NZ Prime Minister John Key:
”Why have you not ensured that ‘due diligence’ was carried out over the increased risk of money-laundering with the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill”?
Dear Prime Minister,
As an ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner, (and 2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate), I am deeply concerned at the apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, by yourself, as Prime Minister of New Zealand (‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ ) regarding the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City deal) Bill?
Please provide all information which confirms why you failed to do ‘due diligence’ and consult the ‘lead agency’ (OFCANZ) who has responsibility for “making it harder to launder money“,regarding the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City deal) Bill.
c) ‘Open Letter’ to Robert Simpson, Auckland Council Principal Policy Analyst re: ‘Due diligence on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill:
Increased risk of money-laundering at Sky City – no ‘due diligence’ by Auckland Council?
November 4, 2013 | Author Penny
4 November 2013
Local Government Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request to Auckland Council and their reply:
SKY CITY AUCKLAND COUNCIL Penny Bright NZICC Information Request (Oct 13) (3)
SKY CITY AUCKLAND COUNCIL 120928 Submission process flowchart (1)
C) 29 October 2013
Robert Simpson | Principal Policy Analyst
Strategic Advice | Auckland Council
‘Open Letter ‘ to Robert Simpson, Auckland Council Principal Policy Analyst
re: ‘Due diligence on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill.
D) Please be advised that at 12 noon today, myself and fellow community ‘Public Watchdog’ Lisa Prager will be meeting with Auckland District Commander, SuperIntendent Michael Clement, to discuss the lack of ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill, and the potentially increased risk of organised crime in the Auckland region.
E) Please be advised that I shall be attending the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference to be held in Sydney from 26 – 28 November 2013, where I shall be raising this, amongst other matters with international anti-corruption experts. http://www.apsac.com.au/2013conference/index.html
(Please be reminded that I attended the 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference, and 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference).
I’m sure that the following ‘Action Plan’, upon which I campaigned as the 4th polling Auckland Mayoral candidate (obtaining 11,723 votes), will be of interest to both fellow delegates, and speakers (a number of whom I have already met), and Australian media.
There seems to be a reasonable explanation amirite. Rhinocrates (as he is known here) had apparently left a message on the police complaints website last Thursday. That is apparently where Marshall obtained the contact information. Unfortunately Marshall’s call to Rhinocrates coincided with some police criticism he had made on the Public Address site yesterday, so not unnaturally he thought it was connected to those remarks.
As has been suggested Marshall’s intentions were probably honourable, but it was a mistake to make a cold call like that and especially on a Sunday afternoon when you would least expect it.
Not really a mistake – just his paranoid reaction to it.
If I got sick from eating at a fast food restaurant and made an online complaint and then subsequently received a call from the NZ CEO to discuss my complaint I would be over the moon that they were taking my complaint seriously for the CEO to take time out of their day to talk about it.
What Rhinocrates should have done was listen to the Commissioner, politely discuss the points he raised in his complaint and suggest what the Police could do to fix the situation. I mean if he wasn’t prepared to do that why bother making a complaint in the first place?
What you don’t do is slam the phone down and go shrieking online about police states and evil spying and conveniently leave out the fact that he had supplied his own details to the police.
Peter Marshall is probably sitting at his desk wondering what he did wrong.
Perhaps he forgot how the NZ Police treat political activists, and how that informs said activists’ impressions of said Police. It’s all about perception, Jimmie. I think I would have listened to Marshall too, but I completely understand Rhino’s reaction.
Nah, just another internet warrior who stridently spits their bile when hidden behind a screen but is actually a gutless coward when it comes to real life interactions.
I use a pseudonym for professional reasons which I understand is not an issue that you face, having not been employed for a while.
I can assure you though, that I wouldn’t go weak at the knees if I was contacted by anyone in authority to discuss something I had officially registered my interest in.
“I can assure you though, that I wouldn’t go weak at the knees if I was contacted by anyone in authority to discuss something I had officially registered my interest in.”
But then, I’m guessing you’re not autistic like rhino. Am I right?
“I though I read somewhere that we are all Autistic.”
In the sense that we are all part genius and part stupid, but that does’t make everyone a stupid genius does it kk? Only a small % of people have problems relating to others to the point of being diagnosed as autistic.
I’ve lived with a person with Asperger’s and I can see how getting an unexpected phone call from the police commissioner would be disturbing and intimidating. Yes even if they left their name and number on an online form.
Maybe you’d be chuffed about getting such a call, but guess what? Not everyone is like you. Thank God.
I’m afraid I’m not privy to that information chris, maybe try using your imagination? Perhaps he/she thought that by filling in the fields it would help the complaint to be looked at? Maybe just habit? I really don’t know. But that doesn’t change my distaste for kk calling an autistic person a ‘gutless coward’ because they got freaked out by an unexpected call from the police commissioner.
You’re blind to some realities Jimmie. You don’t check out the background to some people’s reactions. You don’t think – typical right-wing response. Go away to some place where your brand of non thinking and stupidity is acceptable.
If I got sick from eating at a fast food restaurant and made an online complaint and then subsequently received a call from the NZ CEO to discuss my complaint I would be over the moon that they were taking my complaint seriously for the CEO to take time out of their day to talk about it.
That would be because you’re an authoritarian follower and kowtow to anyone with more wealth and power than you. You’re actual response to said call would probably be ZOMG, a randian super-hero called me. You’d then take everything he said as gospel and fail to “politely discuss the points he raised in his complaint” which is, most likely, why the commissioner called.
You should study psychology DTB. I am here sitting in my chair weeping as you have spoken my life story before you online……to diagnose my personality and to be able to project future conversations from one paragraph is nothing short of outstanding.
I mean what a gift especially from someone with only one eye.
I’d probably say both “yes” and “no” to that – if it was a pr stunt (“Commissioner Cares”), then it seems the commissioner forgot that some people have legitimate or even paranoid fears about the police (a characteristic that is probably weighted towards people who make complaints on the website), a problem that the NZCEO of McD’s probably doesn’t face so much.
It could be that the blogger raised an extremely important point that the commissioner wanted to discuss (or at least reassure the blogger that their concerns were being addressed), although the above caveat still comes to mind. As others have suggested, easing in with a call from a p.a. might have been nice.
The possible error on the part of the blogger was then to tell everybody on their regular websites, using their regular pseudonym. He’s basically told the police exactly which handles he uses – not that they’d be overly interested, but still…
Does seem weird that one blogger only (that has been made public) gets called in Marshall’s personal charm offensive. Air NZ’s Rob Fyfe used to personally email hundreds of people (union supporters that had sent emails to him) into the small hours during tense times when he was taking on the workers there.
Rhino/Cracklite should maybe take a break from this stoush because the cops do play for keeps and are experts at harassing the vulnerable as BLiP’s extensive list showed the other day.
The police are searching for a new police commissioner – as Peter Marshall prepares to step down.
He was appointed in 2010 and said he would serve only three years.
The State Services Commission is advertising for the position of “chief executive and police commissioner”. The job title invites speculation about whether a non-sworn – or civilian – applicant could be considered.
I suspect blogging is irrelevant/unknown, and it was based purely on the complaint to the police website.
No idea what they wrote, or whether marshall gives random complaints the personal touch, or whether R/C raised something serious that was kicked upstairs automatically (e.g. maybe he wanted to be informed about specific matters that might be raised by members of the public from time to time, e.g. serious allegations).
That is odd…. Ohno it isn’t. As far as the system is concerned since Thursday everyone has been posting comments from the same IP number – the new gateway address. I finally got the correct fix in last night.
Willie and JT are gone, for at least the rest of the year:
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, 11 November, 2013
WILLIE JACKSON, JOHN TAMIHERE OFF AIR FOR REMAINDER OF 2013
Willie Jackson and John Tamihere will not return to RadioLIVE for the rest of 2013. The announcement was made on RadioLIVE just after 12noon today by the two broadcasters.
Announcement from Willie Jackson and John Tamihere:
This will be our last show on RadioLIVE for this year.
We will be taking the next few weeks to review what happened last week with the management here, and agree what action needs to be taken.
We do not condone rape in any way and did not intend to blame the victims. Rape is a terrible crime and the victims who come forward deserve support and respect.
We deeply regret the comments we made last week and the upset they caused so many people.
We also want to apologise to the clients of RadioLIVE who’ve had to deal with negative feedback to their businesses because they advertise in our show.
Closer to home, we regret the impact this has had on our wives, children, grandchildren and communities. We also apologise to the staff at RadioLIVE and throughout the MediaWorks whanau who have had to deal with the fallout.
RadioLIVE will update you on our discussions and plans as is appropriate.
As this will be our last time on the radio this year, we wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas and send our aroha to you all.
JT & Willie
– –
MediaWorks Radio Chief Executive Belinda Mulgrew says: “After discussions with Willie Jackson and John Tamihere it has been agreed that Willie and John will be off air for the rest of 2013.
“We continue to review the situation, and I would like to reiterate that MediaWorks in no way condones the actions of the ‘Roast Busters’ or any violence against women.
My last role in corporate we ate together, drank together, shared good news and bad, supported each other and celebrated successes together – all the actions of a family unit which I hardly found ‘disturbing’.
So? A corporation is made up of people who work together, laugh together and in some cases form tight bonds of friendship. There is nothing disturbing about someone or some organisation self describing themselves as a family.
So? There are still real kinships in corporations. Real connections are made and real enduring friendships follow. It isn’t disturbing and you are making extremely broad statements as if it is always as you say. It isn’t. I’ve worked in poisons were I have had CEO’s go to bat for their staff and treat them as they would their own family. It isn’t disturbing.
The issue is that a foreign residing board of directors doesn’t care how closely bonded your work group is with your local management TC. Chances are they’ve never ever met any of you or set foot in your office/facility.
It would seem from comments from Radio Live that they may be still paying the two announcers. When asked they refused to confirm that they were still paying which I guess means they are.
what is really important at the moment is National sucking up to the rural industrialists and giving them carte blance to foul the county’s waterways as they see fit.
Supposedly farmers care about the environment but that just seems to be as shibboleth for them to hide their ignorance behind and carry on regardless.
More lies retailed as truth.
Reads like a list of wasted opportunities where the electorate had had enough of Labor. And many core Labor blue collar and skilled trades vote walking away from the party.
Urrgh.. Been off doing other things for the last few days.
Testing Beta release 1.06 RC4 – which has now gone gold (the last bug was with shm_open – the block of shared memory had a lock error after several days of stress testing). Getting dragged off by Lyn at ungodly hours of the morning to cart video equipment around for blogacademy that she was shooting. Catching up on sleep (or trying to). Doing the 18 month updates of my home systems.The latter largely dropped me offline for the weekend with video driver issues.
But I see that the tireless spam bots are in action. 380 unsorted auto-spam out of the several thousand that got sent over the weekend. If anyone’s legit comments got caught in that deluge, they will shortly be popping out.
I also see that I have a problem with IPs at present since the site updates last week. They’re reporting a gateway address..
there was an article on te newz about the growth of blogging in the fashion industry, in contrast to the traditional glossy magazines (still coveted by the tactile).
A recent phenomenon I have taken an interest in is the sheer number and variety of niche hard-copy magazines that are published; more variations on Easyriders , Popular Mechanics and NME than a rascal could chew through in a lifetime. 😀
Things seen – on a standard NZ weekend – that give insight into the soul of the common Kiwi…
Few drinks post work Friday, nearly get knocked over by sober driver (assuming he was) driving well over limit…young passenger shouted abuse as they passed…charming.
Got on bus, packed. Woman standing in front of me very obviously late stages of pregnancy…every seated person looking straight through her. Not one offered her a seat. I asked who would, got dagger eyes from a seated young woman….
Watched Luther on TV, said it had course language and violence…cool…the violence bits were so graphic, psycho killer stuff…on prime time TV….
Saw man at dairy run out door and give a woman her purse she left on counter, much thanking.
More TV, rugby test, yawn, the 672 match of the “season”, go Richie and Dan….how does a man stay interested?
Turned to music channel…Mylie Cyrus pretending to have sex on stage…dressed up in next to nothing….looked just like her fans drunk and behaving like louts in heels in Courtney Place.
Put the Roast lads well into context as “us” methinks.
yes, The Hangover 2 was pushing the boundaries on tele.
I was cycling along last week and saw a purse by the driver’s side door of a car parked in front of recently widowed woman’s flat. Instinctively, broke as I often am, I stopped and returned the purse to the front door.
I paid $30 for part of photcopying a/c of poor bene who is trying to create opportunities and the habit of political discussion with meetings flyers posters etc. She has spent $1000 in past year holding the meetings, getting venues, photocopying etc etc. She sees the need and has paid out of her little income but cannot get grant as in past to help with her dental bill of $300. Good people being crushed by this neo liberalism. Little help for those amongst us who need it, whether community and society stalwarts or not.
Ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin: a decent, thoughtful man
—oh sorry, cancel that….
I find this depressing. This guy has a brain, as we see in the first clip. But in this totalitarian climate, he feels obliged to spout the most pernicious nonsense in the second clip…..
CLIP No. 1: Is race still an issue in the NFL?
In this clip, former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin eloquently explains why racist language is unacceptable. He describes the racist putdowns of a team-mate by a white Miami Dolphins player, Richie Incognito, as “the systematic breaking down of another man by using derogatory language.” http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000278848/Is-race-still-an-issue-in-the-NFL
But then, just when you think there’s an American sportsman with a brain, a heart and a conscience, he goes and mouths this piece of offensive propaganda….
Weirdo Colin Craig looks very excited on TV3 News tonight. For ShonKey Python it can at least be said he’s straight-up if brazen – he’ll do whatever it takes to retain power. There is a critical point though…….
Reminds me of one of those Melbourne Lunar Park smiling faces on a chain ….. moving from Left to Right, Left to Right, waiting for some punter to throw ball and claim their prize if they get a direct hit.
Even when they do “strike”, that smiling clown-like visage, representing goodness and wholesomeness just keeps on going.
L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂
Hey Col… I reckon a bit more teeth bleaching – it might trump a coiffure
UK spies continue “quantum insert” attack via LinkedIn, Slashdot pages . . .
. . . As part of the Turmoil system, the NSA places secret servers, codenamed Quantum, at key places on the Internet backbone. This placement ensures that they can react faster than other websites can. By exploiting that speed difference, these servers can impersonate a visited website to the target before the legitimate website can respond, thereby tricking the target’s browser to visit a Foxacid server.
In the academic literature, these are called “man-in-the-middle” attacks and have been known to the commercial and academic security communities. More specifically, they are examples of “man-on-the-side” attacks.
They are hard for any organization other than the NSA to reliably execute, because they require the attacker to have a privileged position on the Internet backbone and exploit a “race condition” between the NSA server and the legitimate website. This top-secret NSA diagram, made public last month, shows a Quantum server impersonating Google in this type of attack . . .
That is very interesting, and very concerning. Just another way for them to directly pick up your login details, passwords etc, imitating your email or banking provider.
The more Craig is interviewed the better I say. He’s such a total dork. Climate Change is all about sun spots and other planets. It’s got nothing to do with mankind. So says the dork.
Its amazing how such overwhelming and orchestrated media coverage is given to someone like him however. A political party with a handful of members, no MPs, and the policy depth of a puddle.
No producer on earth would fail to run a story about a political leader, who the PM is saying he’ll deal with, when you have a quote of him blaming global warming on “the circulation of the planets”
Yes the climax of the other weeks media blitz highlighting Craig and the (not christian) Conservatives was the Reid Poll on TV3, given the contorted nature of this particular poll the numbers given Craig’s Conservatives are questionable,
If my memory serves me right the Conservatives have yet to rate in a Roy Morgan in the last few months and it will be ‘interesting’ to see if the events leading up to Labour weekend where National called in a lot of favors among it’s friendly editors and programers to run a series of stories on the Conservatives has boosted them in the minds of the electorate,
The game being played here is a double edged sword as there is something about Craig that a lot of people will dislike at first sight without being able to elucidate that actual dislike, given that many of us see the current National Government’s numbers around 42-43% max it would seem that Slippery the Prime Minister is going to go ‘all in’ and bet His occupancy of the Treasury Benches after November 2014 on His ability to manufacture Colin Craig into an easily manipulated coalition partner,
The obvious risk in doing so for Slippery and National is that the only support that Craig’s Conservatives can garner from the electorate comes directly from National’s own base, the other risk of course is that the voters in whichever electorate Craig tries to legitimize His political ambitions wave the middle finger in the air rejecting Him in the face of the PM’s obvious desperation…
Yes the 3 news item had a distinct “Hey folks, we just want to talk to you a today about National’s new coalition option. Have ya heard about this?” feel to it. Key has ruled out any ‘cups of tea’ this time, but this seems to be the set up for one. Put the jug on John
I also noticed that of the numbers Gower was going on about, Labour up, Greens Down, Conservative Party vote, none of them were as big as the margin of error that was quietly displayed at the top of the screen without a mention: 3.1%.
One number did crack the margin of error though, National down 3.2%.
I disagree, Anne. I’ve seen Craig a few times on Citizen A. In a longer discussion he can sound fairly reasonable on some issues.
He says things that, while they seem crazy to us (eg re climate change), there are enough people that would be nodding in agreement. Craig doesn’t need to get a popular following in NZ. He just needs to appeal to an electorate, and/or 5% of the population.
Last election, I was surprised when someone I know mentioned him as someone she would be inclined to vote for, as a result of agreeing with lots of things he says. And that person is quite intelligent.
It’s always dangerous to underestimate the potential opposition.
Indeed, in the Rodney electorate Craig came a distant second in 2011, of interest was the 2000 odd votes He took from the National candidate, 1000 odd from the death throes of ACT, and hopefully with the election of David Cunliffe as Labour leader Craig in 2014 will not be able to take 2000 and something more of the Labour vote as He did in 2011,
It will be interesting to see where the new boundaries are drawn in Auckland, will the new Parliamentary seat be to the North of the city or in the central area,
Where ever Craig stands Labour need get a presence in the electorate with Labour’s leaders spending time campaigning there early on in the cycle to try and blunt the rise of Craig considering that National are more or less openly campaigning on His behalf…
Sure, there’s probably enough points out there for Craig to be relavant. But it’s, as they say, a dinnimmic environment.
the closer Craig looks to being really at around 3%, the more pressure goes on key to talk about a deal. that can actually help craig get points as it won;t be a wasted vote.
However, the more he cozies up to Craig, the more he pisses off people in national who aren’t completely daft.
He’s got a fine line to walk. If Key refuses to deal with Craig, or is dismissive of his views, in an attempt to maintain his moderate image, then that pisses off National voters who are sympathetic to whatever Craig was atlking about.
Look at those comments Craig made about the Treaty and global warming. that’s not far at all from where National was just 6 or 7 years ago, when Brash scred them heaps of votes talking on those issues. If Key describes those comments as crazy or radical, then Craig could gain votes.
Key has to be very careful about how he manages this shit. It’s a swamp of their own making.
Key is not dismissive of Craig, PB. He’s very obviously keen on him getting into Parliament – as per tonights TV3 News. And those comments Craig made about the Treaty and Maori are just the sort of thing rightwingers like to hear. He’ll take over from Act and if there’s a “blue” seat hanging around after the boundary changes in the northern part of Auckland, that’s where he’ll be ……. and the Nats will all vote for him there. This is manipulative scarey rightwing stuff – just the sort of thing Key relishes.
Put it another way: National really can’t risk the Conservatives gobbling up a sizeable chunk of their party vote and then not getting any seats. I bet they’re rueing not dropping the threshold to 4% now – Conservatives could easily reach that mark, but I think they’ll struggle to get to 5%.
NZFirst clocking up 4.6% really helped National in 2008. They’ll be really hurt in 2014 if the Conservatives follow in those footsteps.
According to the ‘Provisional’ Order Paper for the NZ Parliament, the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill is set down for its ‘third reading’ on Tuesday 12 November 2013:
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Business before the House
Government orders of the day
Name of bill Stage of Bill
Minister in charge consideration no Times for debate
1 New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill 140–2 12 x 10 m speeches
Hon Steven Joyce Third reading
_____________________________________________________________________________
The NZ International Convention Centre Bill, effectively covers and facilitates money-laundering, because there has been no ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering, by OFCANZ, (Organised and Financial Crime Agency of NZ) the body tasked with:
“Leading, coordinating or contributing to policy or legislative changes to make it harder for organised criminals to operate. There will be opportunities to do so by, for example, making it harder to launder money, or obtain false identities, or by increasing information sharing. …”
Yet – this OFCANZ OIA reply proves that this purported ‘leading’ agency for fighting money-laundering, did NO ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Bill:
(a)to detect and deter money laundering and the financing of terrorism; and
(b)to maintain and enhance New Zealand’s international reputation by adopting, where appropriate in the New Zealand context, recommendations issued by the Financial Action Task Force; and
(c)to contribute to public confidence in the financial system.
(2)Accordingly, this Act facilitates co-operation amongst reporting entities, AML/CFT supervisors, and various government agencies, in particular law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
_____________________________________________________________________________
There are a series of provisions in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009, which deal with the need for ‘DUE DILIGENCE’:
Subpart 1—Customer due diligence
10Definitions
11Customer due diligence
12Reliance on risk assessment when establishing level of risk
13Basis for verifying identity
Standard customer due diligence
14Circumstances when standard customer due diligence applies
15Standard customer due diligence: identity requirements
16Standard customer due diligence: verification of identity requirements
17Standard customer due diligence: other requirements
Simplified customer due diligence
18Circumstances when simplified customer due diligence applies
19Simplified customer due diligence: identity requirements
20Simplified customer due diligence: verification of identity requirements
21Simplified customer due diligence: other requirements
Enhanced customer due diligence
22Circumstances when enhanced customer due diligence applies
23Enhanced customer due diligence: identity requirements
24Enhanced customer due diligence: verification of identity requirements
25Enhanced customer due diligence: other requirements
26Politically exposed person
27Wire transfers: identity requirements
28Wire transfers: verification of identity requirements
29Correspondent banking relationships
30New or developing technologies, or products, that might favour anonymity
Ongoing customer due diligence and account monitoring
31Ongoing customer due diligence and account monitoring
Reliance on third parties
32Reliance on member of designated business group
33Reliance on other reporting entities or persons in another country
34Reliance on agents
35Use of information obtained from third party conducting customer due diligence
36Protection of personal information and designated business groups
Prohibitions
37Prohibitions if customer due diligence not conducted
38Prohibition on false customer names and customer anonymity
39Prohibition on establishing or continuing business relationship involving shell bank
_____________________________________________________________________________
So, how is it that the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill, can be railroaded through Parliament, without any ‘DUE DILIGENCE’, on the increased risk of money-laundering, which the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009, is supposed to help prevent?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Whoever forms the next government should drop student loan interest from the exorbitant 5.9% that’s being charged at the moment. Something like 0% would be my preference, with the scheme done away with completely, but in the meantime 3% would be more reasonable.
And stop charging compound interest on the loans of those who are overseas. That one is a complete and utter rort: don’t bother to invest in your own country, just drive people overseas to earn their living, then track them down and rob them.
Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
Buzz from the Beehive New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
Nick Matzke writes – Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
James Shaw has again said the Greens would be better ‘in the tent’ with Labour than out, despite Labour’s policy bonfire last week torching much of what the Government was doing to reduce emissions. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Green Party has never been more popular than in some ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Poor air quality is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, where the first major outbreak of smog during World War II was so intense that some residents thought the city had been attacked by chemical weapons. Cars were eventually discovered ...
Yesterday I was reading an excellent newsletter from David Slack, and I started writing a comment “Sounds like some excellent genetic heritage…” and then I stopped.There was something about the phrase genetic heritage that stopped me in tracks. Is that a phrase I want to be saying? It’s kind of ...
Brian Easton writes – Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go ...
This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq in mid-2003. With violence soaring, their 12-month deployment ended without being renewed ...
After seventy years, Auckland’s motorway network is finally finished. In July 1953 the first section of motorway in Auckland was opened between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Mt Wellington Highway. The final stage opens to traffic this week with the completion of the motorway part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Aucklanders ...
National’s appointment of Todd McClay as Agriculture spokesperson clearly signals that the party is in trouble with the farming vote. McClay was not an obvious choice, but he does have a record as a political scrapper. The party needs that because sources say it has been shedding farming votes ...
Rays of white light come flooding into my lounge, into my face from over the top of my neighbour’s hedge. I have to look away as the window of the conservatory is awash in light, as if you were driving towards the sun after a rain shower and suddenly blinded. ...
The columnists in Private Eye take pen names, so I have not the least idea who any of them are. But I greatly appreciate their expert insight, especially MD, who writes the medical column, offering informed and often damning critique of the UK health system and the politicians who keep ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 12, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 18, 2023. Story of the Week Guest post: What 13,500 citations reveal about the IPCC’s climate science report IPCC WG1 AR6 SPM Report Cover - Changing ...
Buzz from the Beehive The building of financial capability was brought into our considerations when Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced she had dipped into the government’s coffers for $3 million for “providers” to help people and families access community-based Building Financial Capability services. That wording suggests some ...
Do you ever come across something that makes you go Hmmmm?You mean like the song?No, I wasn’t thinking of the song, but I am now - thanks for that. I was thinking of things you read or hear that make you stop and go Hmmmm.Yeah, I know what you mean, ...
By the end of the week, the dramas over Stuart Nash overshadowed Hipkins’ policy bonfire. File photo: Lynn GrieveasonTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:PM Chris Hipkins’ announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but ...
When word went out that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins would be making an announcement about Stuart Nash on the tiles at parliament at 2:45pm yesterday, the assumption was that it was over. That we had reached tipping point for Nash’s time as minister. But by 3pm - when, coincidentally, the ...
Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go on to attack physics by citing Newton.So ...
Photo by Walker Fenton on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kaka for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on Riverside (we’ve moved from Zoom) for our chat about the week’s news with ...
In a nice bit of news, my 2550-word deindustrial science-fiction piece, The Dream of Florian Neame, has been accepted for publication at New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). I have published there before, of course, with Of Tin and Tintagel coming out last year. While I still await the ...
And so this is Friday, and what have we learned?It was a week with all the usual luggage: minister brags and then he quits, Hollywood red carpet is full of twits. And all the while, hanging over the trivial stuff: existential dread, and portents of doom.Depending on who you read ...
When I changed the name of this newsletter from The Daily Read to Nick’s Kōrero I was a bit worried whether people would know what Kōrero meant or not. I added a definition when I announced the change and kind of assumed people who weren’t familiar with it would get ...
There was a time when a political party’s publicity people would counsel against promoting a candidate as queer. No matter which of two dictionary meanings the voting public might choose to apply – the old meaning of odd, strange, weird, or aberrant, or the more recent meaning of gay, homosexual ...
Photo by Joakim Honkasalo on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:PM Chris Hipkins announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but which blew up ...
Even though concern over the climate change threat is becoming more mainstream, our governments continue to opt out of the difficult decisions at the expense of time, and cost for future generations. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR: Now we have a climate liability number to measure the potential failure of the ...
Thomas Cranmer writesLike it or not, the culture wars have entered New Zealand politics and look set to broaden and intensify. The culture wars are often viewed as an exclusively American phenomenon, but the reality is that they are becoming increasingly prominent in countries around the world, ...
Here’s an analogy for the Stuart Nash saga. If people are to be forgiven for their sins,Catholic dogma requires two factors to be present. There has to be a sincere act of confession about what has been done, but also a sincere act of contrition, which signals a painful ...
Here’s an analogy for the Stuart Nash saga. If people are to be forgiven for their sins,Catholic dogma requires two factors to be present. There has to be a sincere act of confession about what has been done, but also a sincere act of contrition, which signals a painful ...
Human Destabilisers: Russia now has a new strategic weapon – migratory waves of unwelcome human-beings. Desperate people with different coloured skins and different religious beliefs arriving at, or actually breaching, the national borders of Russia’s enemies can wreak as much havoc, culturally and politically, as a hypersonic missile exploding in the ...
Hi,After Webworm contributor Hayden Donnell wrote his latest piece, ‘RIP to Millennials Killing Everything’, he delivered this exciting and important bonus content.It will make more sense if you’ve read his piece.David. Read more ...
Hi,Before we get to Hayden’s column — RIP to Millennials Killing Everything — a quick observation.There was a day last week where it had suddenly reached 10pm and I hadn’t eaten all day. Hunger had suddenly gripped me with a panicky all-consuming force, so I jumped onto Uber Eats and ...
We add some of the CMIP6 models to the updateable MSU comparisons. After my annual update, I was pointed to some MSU-related diagnostics for many of the CMIP6 models (24 of them at least) from Po-Chedley et al. (2022) courtesy of Ben Santer. These are slightly different to what ...
In a memorable Pulp Fiction scene, Vincent inadvertently shoots their backseat passenger in the head. This leads our heroes Jules and Vincent to express alarm about their predicament.We're on a city street in broad daylight here!says Vincent. We gotta get this car off the roads. You know cops tend to ...
Primary, secondary and kindergarten teachers are all on strike today, demanding higher pay and an end to systematic understaffing. While the former is important - wages should at least keep up with inflation - its the latter which is the real issue. As with the health system, teachers have been ...
So the teachers are on strike, marching across Aotearoa today to press their demands for better pay and working conditions.Children remained in bed this brisk morning, many no doubt quite pleased about a day off school. Parents perhaps taking the day off to look after the kids, or working from ...
After the Cold War the consensus among Western military strategists was that the era of Big Wars, defined as peer conflict between large states with full spectrum military technologies, was at an end, at least for the foreseeable future. The … Continue reading → ...
Dairy giant Fonterra has posted a 50% lift in net profit to $546m, doubled its interim dividend, and is proposing a return of capital of 50c a share, injecting a note of optimism into the nation’s dairy industry. Fonterra’s strong performance is against a backdrop of market volatility. It ...
Buzz from the Beehive The bothersome economic news today is that New Zealand’s GDP fell by 0.6% in the December quarter, weaker than market forecasts of a fall of around 0.2% and much weaker than the Reserve Bank’s assumption of a 0.7% rise. This followed the even-more-bothersome news yesterday that ...
Ouch: Hipkins’ policy bonfire has resulted in an expensive self-administered removal of a Budgetary foot with an explosive device. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Bonfires can be dangerous things when they get out of control. They also create a lot of smoke and heat and burn the grass. ...
* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – I teach a first-year course at Victoria University of Wellington about government and the political process in New Zealand. In “Introduction to Government and Law”, students learn there are rules preventing senior public servants from getting involved in big political debates – as we ...
I teach a first year course at Victoria University of Wellington about government and the political process in New Zealand. In “Introduction to Government and Law”, students learn there are rules preventing senior public servants from getting involved in big political debates – as we have recently witnessed with Rob ...
An issue of integrity has claimed the first ministerial scalp in Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ premiership. Police Minister Stuart Nash lasted mere weeks in the role after admitting in a radio interview this morning that he had called Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to ask him if police were going to ...
For some time now we’ve known that the cost and completion timeframe for the City Rail Link would increase. Yesterday we finally learned by just how much. Costs City Rail Link Ltd (CRL Ltd) today confirms it has submitted a formal funding request to its Sponsors – the Crown and ...
The Government’s decision to back peddle on lowering speed limits is hitting potholes. At this stage, although it is part of the Government’s reprioritisation efforts to free up money to alleviate cost of living increases, the speed limit change looks unlikely to do that. And it appears that it ...
The University of Otago – the oldest university in New Zealand – towers over my home city of Dunedin. When classes are on, something like a fifth of Dunedin’s population are university students. It is also the largest employer in the South Island. To say that this is a ...
Last weekend brought the latest instalment in Stuff’s bravura satirical series Of course you can afford a house! Just dig deeper!I love how much their appreciation of humour has evolved in just a few short years since the days when I would get to produce, for a few meagre dollars, ...
Australia’s move to strengthen its defence capability with five nuclear-powered attack submarines underlines how relatively defenceless New Zealand is in the Pacific. Kiwis may gasp that the Labor government in Australia recognises it must outlay $400bn on the nuclear subs, but this ensures that Australia is not exposed ...
Ironically, a repurposed Auckland Ratepayers Alliance placard (with a demand for climate action on the front) featured at the recent climate march. Voting ratepayers don’t want ‘bureaucrats in cushy council jobs’ borrowing or increasing rates, even when the need for investment is becoming increasingly obvious. So is council cost-cutting a ...
The quarterly ETS auction was held today. In the past, these have seen collusion by big players to game the price and force a dump of extra credits from the cost-containment reserve (essentially, trying to pick stuff up cheap now in the belief that it will be more valuable later). ...
Buzz from the Beehive Exempting bikes, electric bikes and scooters from fringe benefit tax looked like something of a sop for a Green Party that had good grounds to grumble after a bunch of climate change measures was tossed on to the PM’s policy bonfire. The combustibles included the clean car ...
Today is a Member's Day, the first of the year. Unfortunately it also looks to be a boring one. First, there's a two hour debate on the budget policy statement (somehow inexplicably "member's business", despite it being fundamentally a government thing). Then there's a couple of "private bills" - people ...
Most days, Chris Hipkins and James Shaw seem a bit like the Seals and Crofts of the centre-left: Earnest, inoffensive, and capable of quite nice harmonies at times. They blow gently through the jasmine in your mind, but you know they’re never going to rock your world. Back in 2020, ...
The reflection gazed back at him. Pale and a little paunchy, he wasn’t a well man.He had a toga made from a fitted sheet and it kept bunching up under his armpits.His Laurel wreath was made from some Christmas tree branches he’d found in the shed, not a real pine ...
Yesterday we covered the government’s latest policy/delivery changes with a focus on light rail. But there was another important transport part of the announcement: The government will also intends to scale back its road safety plans. The programmes that are being reprioritised include: Significantly narrowing the speed reduction programme to ...
Unbridled Consumption: This civilisation we have built (we being the whole human species) is the most astonishingly wonderful thing homo sapiens has ever seen. We love it. We cannot imagine how awful life would be without it. And, we most certainly are not going to co-operate with anyone who advises ...
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 ...
Let’s start with the absolute truisms.Politics is the art of the possibleHalf of something is better than all of nothingLet us now consider these with reference to the Under New Management government.What is a supporter of progressive politics to make of the abandonment of various policies, as announced in recent post-cabinet ...
Chris Hipkins has surprised even some of his closest friends and backers with the bounce he has secured for Labour in public polls since he became Prime Minister. He has been put to the test since he took over from Jacinda Ardern in the top job, and has shown a ...
Buzz from the Beehive It was a big day for the stopping or slowing of a second tranche of government programmes, an exercise which Beehive publicists are pitching as measures to allow the Government to focus more time, energy and resources on “the bread and butter issues” facing New Zealanders. ...
Last night there was a One News political poll which was welcomed by the left and will cause some concern in the opposition camp. A poll that showed no path to victory for ACT and National and which would likely result in another Labour/Greens government, possibly with the inclusion, or ...
Our young renters can vote Labour or Green as often as they like, but will end up paying the price of more and bigger climate emergencies, while also paying most of their after-tax income on rent with little hope of owning their own homes. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTLDR:PM ...
Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Labour’s shift in focus is working. Under Jacinda Ardern they were a party and government focused on the voters and ideologies of liberal Grey Lynn and Wellington Central. Now under Prime Minister Chris Hipkins Labour has a laser-like focus directed at ...
Labour’s shift in focus is working. Under Jacinda Ardern they were a party and government focused on the voters and ideologies of liberal Grey Lynn and Wellington Central. Now under Prime Minister Chris Hipkins Labour has a laser-like focus directed at the working class politics of places like West Auckland ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Chris Baraniuk It was an engineering problem that had bugged Zhibin Yu for years — but now he had the perfect chance to fix it. Stuck at home during the first UK lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, the thermal engineer suddenly had all ...
Hi,I just wanted to say hello as this week really gets going, and check in about a few things. They’re a series of fractured random thoughts, so bear with me! First up — I haven’t watched the Oscars in ages and I’m really glad I watched yesterday. It felt like ...
Yesterday the Prime Minister laid out the next tranche of plans to scale back the ambition of Labour’s policy/delivery programme – and this time the Auckland light rail project gets a mention. “I can also confirm today that we will roll out transport projects in Auckland in stages. “Reducing transport ...
The Hipkins Government revealed its true colours yesterday as it chopped a whole series of “nice to have” policies — many of them promoted by the Greens — and instead diverted the savings to relieve the impact of inflation. His approach is all about taking action; no more excuses, ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
The Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council budget proposals. ...
With calls growing for inquiries and action on bank profits, the Greens say the Government has all the information it needs to act now and put a levy on banks. ...
As large parts of Aotearoa recover from two of the worst climate disasters we have ever experienced, it would be a huge mistake for the Government to deprioritise climate action from future transport investments, the Green Party says. ...
The Green Party is celebrating the signing of a historic United Nations Ocean Treaty, and calls on the new Oceans and Fisheries Minister to urgently step up protection for Aotearoa’s oceans. ...
This year has seen a series of extreme weather events, unparalleled in New Zealand’s recent history. From Cape Reinga in the far north down to the Tararua Ranges, families and businesses across the country have suffered enormous loss and hardship. While the severe weather hasn’t directly affected every part of ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
This morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...
The Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...
$25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...
80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...
The Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...
The health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...
Bikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...
The Government is introducing the Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill to ensure the recovery and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle is streamlined and efficient with unnecessary red tape removed. The legislation is similar to legislation passed following the Christchurch and Kaikōura earthquakes that modifies existing legislation in order to remove constraints ...
Approximately 1.4 million people will benefit from increases to rates and thresholds for social assistance to help with the cost of living Superannuation to increase by over $100 a pay for a couple Main benefits to increase by the rate of inflation, meaning a family on a benefit with children ...
$1 billion in savings which will be reallocated to support New Zealanders with the cost of living A range of transport programmes deferred so Waka Kotahi can focus on post Cyclone road recovery Speed limit reduction programme significantly narrowed to focus on the most dangerous one per cent of state ...
The remaining state of national emergency over the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay regions will end on Tuesday 14 March, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. Minister McAnulty gave notice of a national transition period over these regions, which will come into effect immediately following the end of the ...
The Government is today delivering on one of its commitments as part of the New Zealand Government’s Dawn Raids apology, welcoming a cohort of emerging Pacific leaders to Aotearoa New Zealand participating in the He Manawa Tītī Scholarship Programme. This cohort will participate in a bespoke leadership training programme that ...
Industry Transformation Plan to transform advanced manufacturing through increased productivity and higher-skilled, higher-wage jobs into a globally-competitive low-emissions sector. Co-created and co-owned by business, unions and workers, government, Māori, Pacific peoples and wider stakeholders. A plan to accelerate the growth and transformation of New Zealand’s advanced manufacturing sector was launched ...
New Zealand will provide support for Pacific countries to prevent the spread of harmful animal diseases, Associate Minister of Agriculture Meka Whaitiri said. The Associate Minister is attending a meeting of Pacific Ministers during the Pacific Week of Agriculture and Forestry in Nadi, Fiji. “Highly contagious diseases such as African ...
The Public Transport Futures project will deliver approximately: 100 more buses providing a greater number of seats to a greater number of locations at a higher frequency Over 470 more bus shelters to support a more enjoyable travel experience Almost 200 real time display units providing accurate information on bus ...
All but six schools and kura have reopened for onsite learning All students in the six closed schools or kura are being educated in other schools, online, or in alternative locations Over 4,300 education hardpacks distributed to support students Almost 38,000 community meals provided by suppliers of the Ka Ora ...
A new health centre has opened with financial support from the Government and further investment has been committed to projects that will accelerate Māori economic opportunities, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. Community health provider QE Health will continue its long history in Rotorua with the official opening of the ...
The new three year NZ UK Working Holiday Visas (WHV) will now be delivered earlier than expected, coming into force by July this year in time to support businesses through the global labour shortages Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The improved WHV, successfully negotiated alongside the NZ UK Free trade ...
It seems like only yesterday that we launched the discussion document Enabling Investment in Offshore Renewable Energy, which is the key theme for this Forum. Everyone in this room understands the enormous potential of offshore wind in Aotearoa New Zealand – and particularly this region. Establishing a regime to pave ...
Police has reached a major milestone filing over 28,000 charges related to Operation Cobalt. “I’m extremely proud of the fantastic work that our Police has been doing to crack down on gangs, and keep our communities safe. The numbers speak for themselves – with over 28,000 charges, Police are getting ...
The Government will provide $15 million in the short term to local councils to remove rubbish, as a longer-term approach is developed, the Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Several regions are facing significant costs associated with residential waste removal, which has the potential to become a public ...
$15 million of immediate reimbursement for marae, iwi, recognised rural and community groups $2 million for community food providers $0.5 million for additional translation services Increasing the caps of the Community and Provider funds The Government has announced $17.5 million to further support communities and community providers impacted by Cyclone ...
The Government’s approach of using frontline service providers to address inequities for Māori with mental health and addiction needs is making good progress in many communities, a new report says. An independent evaluation into the Māori Access and Choice programme, commissioned by Te Whatu Ora has highlighted the programme’s success ...
A new investigation on the role of lobbyists raises fresh questions about whether we need better disclosure of who they are and who they work for, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Flip Grater decided to give up her career in music to pursue her other passion of vegan delicatessens. Now, her meat-free versions of chorizo, pastrami, and turkey have launched her business and landed her products in foodstuffs supermarkets. She talks to Simon Pound about Grater Goods’ rapid success, and expanding ...
“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it demands,” says the Green Party’s co-leader and climate change spokesperson, James Shaw. Speaking after ...
Today the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, released its ‘synthesis report’, summarising six previous reports. Greenpeace says that the latest report confirms the industrial drivers of climate change, its dire planetary impacts, and ...
Phase One Ventures chief executive Mahesh Muralidhar has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate in Auckland Central for the 2023 General Election. “I want to thank our local party members for backing me to campaign for ...
On the holy terror and absolute love of parenting Picked up by Octavia outside the book shop, the kid and I clambered into the back, to the soundtrack of classic hits from what seemed to be a tape she was playing. We were thankful to get in. The sun ...
A new investigative series from RNZ reveals just how broken the government communications machine is, writes Duncan Greive.Investigative journalist Guyon Espiner is peeling back the lid on the world of external lobbyists and corporate affairs strategists employed by the public sector. His new series, being published on RNZ this ...
Fresh from a Melbourne rally that attracted neo-Nazi supporters, British anti-transgender rights speaker Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull is scheduled to appear at two events in Aotearoa. So what’s the lowdown? Another controversial international speaker wants to visit New Zealand, and, as expected, reaction has covered the full spectrum from outrage to support. ...
The Emissions Trading Scheme was always a neoliberal, market-based, get-out-of-jail-free plan. Time to lead the way with Tradable Energy Quotas insteadOpinion: The old saying about news – that it’s always bad or it wouldn’t be news – is distressingly true for the climate, both in terms of this summer’s weather ...
The Detail finds out why a law change in 2017 has led to a proliferation of independent taxi drivers – and why they're leaving some passengers feeling ripped off Not all taxis are created equal. RNZ newsreader Evie Ashton found this out the hard way, after Dave Chapelle's recent show at Auckland's ...
Companies have tended to be louder in lobbying politicians against climate change mitigation rather than in favour of it. This election, that needs to change ...
H5N1 only sporadically infects humans - but it kills half of those who catch it. As the largest ever outbreak of the virus continues to rage, is New Zealand prepared?Special report: Kiwi scientist Robert Webster knew two things about the avian flu virus he dripped into his nose one day ...
The hat-trick hero of the Black Ferns’ 2017 World Cup win, Toka Natua is back in rugby – discovering the pros and cons of playing as a mum. And the double international is ready for her next chapter in France. There are the odd moments at training where Toka Natua’s mind goes blank ...
With a number of events planned down the length of the country, the scene at this weekend’s ‘Stop Co-Governance’ rally in Orewa could be just the first of many Social media erupted with pictures of distorted faces, pulled into expressions of anger or yelling gleefully into the camera. The mugshots ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University IISD/ENB The world is in deep trouble on climate change, but if we really put our shoulder to ...
RNZ Pacific New Caledonia’s only daily newspaper, Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes, has folded after the commercial court accepted the publishing company’s request for its liquidation. The court had deferred its decision by a day after an injunction by the public prosecutor who wanted to see if there was still a possibility ...
By Arieta Vakasukawaqa in Suva The installation of the Turaga Bale na Vunivalu Na Tui Kaba, Ratu Epenisa Cakobau, clearly indicates that Fiji’s traditional chiefly system still has a strong footing and chiefs still command respect among the country’s citizens. This is the view of Dr Paul Geraghty, the University ...
ANALYSIS:By Shailendra Bahadur Singh in Suva The long-running row between the former Fiji government and the Suva-based regional University of the South Pacific (USP) has come back to haunt former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who spent a night in a police cell on March 9 before appearing in ...
By Antoine Samoyeau in Pape’ete About 3000 activists of French Polynesia’s pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira party met for six hours at the weekend with the executives insisting that they were “united’ after a recent upheaval over leadership. The party also presented a “renewed” slate of 73 candidates for next month’s territorial ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The first arrest has been made following the Brereton inquiry into allegations that Australians committed war crimes in Afghanistan. Former SAS soldier, Oliver Schulz, 41, has been remanded in custody after his arrest by ...
We have our 2023 finalists after a big Sunday double-header at North Shore Stadium. Alice Soper reviews.Matatū vs BluesMatatū have scored the first try in every match they have played this season. It looked like this streak was going to be broken as the Blues finally found ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Park, Judith and David Coffey Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney Shutterstock Some 70% of the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island has been closed to non-essential visitors in response to a recurrence of the plant ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suranga Seneviratne, Senior Lecturer – Security, University of Sydney Shutterstock Are you tired of receiving SMS scams pretending to be from Australia Post, the tax office, MyGov and banks? You’re not alone. Each year, thousands of Australians fall victim to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Misha Ketchell, Editor, The Conversation Thanks in no small part to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), today few people would be foolish enough to dispute the scientific consensus on the climate crisis. But as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Windholz, Senior Lecturer and Associate, Monash Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies, Monash University Inadequate, inequitable, and in some cases possibly in breach of workers’ compensation laws. That’s how bad the current insurance arrangements are for Australia’s professional sports people, ...
The newly-minted Police Minister, Ginny Andersen, has been called on by the Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO) to investigate how the previous Minister allowed Police to propose extraordinary fee increases for licensed firearm owners without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Kingsford, Professor, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Bill Ormonde, Author provided Millions of dead fish float on the surface of the river. Native bony herring and introduced young carp, as well as a few mature ...
Things make more sense when people are speaking your language! This CAB Awareness Week (20-26 March), we are celebrating diversity and multiculturalism within our service. At the Citizens Advice Bureau, we are committed to making sure our service ...
The second week of the Auckland Arts Festivals showed the versatility of the city’s spaces, even when not matched entirely correctly with shows. Sam Brooks reviews (with assistance from Shanti Mathias).I often dismay at the lack of performance spaces we have in Auckland, and it takes something like the ...
The free and easy SMS two factor authentication (2FA) to log into your Twitter account ends today. That concerns Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster because it takes away one of the most common ways to verify who users are on their free accounts, which ...
New Zealand’s new minister of police will be one of the freshest faces around the cabinet table. Ginny Andersen, the MP for Hutt South, has been named as the new minister taking over from Stuart Nash. Andersen first became an MP in 2017 and only became a minister for the ...
The government has announced further roading reconnections, several weeks on from Cyclone Gabrielle. Earlier this morning it was confirmed the link between Napier and Taupō had been reestablished. And now, transport minister Michael Wood said another six bailey bridges would be constructed. “Our immediate priority has been to reopen lifeline ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has slammed the revelation that government agencies and State Owned Enterprises are spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on lobbying firms as revealed by Radio NZ this morning. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McNeil, Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney Sydney World Pride and Mardi Gras 2023 were a huge success. Sydney was activated in a way rarely seen – block and street parties, cultural festivals and dance parties for ...
For the first time since 2019, a New Zealand minister will head to China this week. Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta will meet with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing. “I intend to discuss areas where we cooperate, such as on trade, people-to-people and climate and environmental issues. I will ...
The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has completed his investigation into complaints about Auckland Council’s role in the National Erebus Memorial project. The complaints relate to the council’s approval and consents process for the memorial site in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Pandemic-generated pressures have left our rental housing market reeling. Australia-wide, vacancy rates are at rock-bottom levels. Rents are soaring at record rates. Queensland has ...
The first edition felt like a breath of fresh, local music-filled air. This year, with many of the same headliners as 2008 (and every year since), the formula has grown stale. It’s finally time to admit that on a cold night in Palmy 20 years ago, I felt Shihad frontman ...
The first edition felt like a breath of fresh, local music-filled air. This year, with many of the same headliners as 2008 (and every year since), the long-running Wellington festival has grown stale. It’s finally time to admit that on a cold night in Palmy 20 years ago, I felt ...
The anti-transgender activist that provoked aggressive protests in Australia over the weekend may not be able to enter New Zealand. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, the British anti-transgender campaigner, is scheduled to visit New Zealand next weekend for two public events. But according to a new statement from Immigration NZ, her ability to ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is pleased to hear that the Minister of Local Government, Kieran McAnulty, has invited concerned mayors to the Beehive to discuss the Three Waters reforms but believe he should meet with the country’s largest ...
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 Dan Himbrechts/Paul Braven/AAP The New South Wales state election will be held on Saturday. I had a preview of both ...
Whether the anti-trans campaigner can enter the country without a visa is now up in the air. Controversy surrounds the upcoming visit by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, the British anti-transgender campaigner on a global tour who is scheduled to visit New Zealand next weekend for two public events. During an appearance in Melbourne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynne Chepulis, Associate Professor Health Sciences, University of Waikato Getty Images The controversial 2021 decision by the government drug-buying agency Pharmac to prioritise Māori and Pacific patients in its funding of two game-changing new diabetes drugs appears to have paid ...
The idea of the Greens flirting with National gets an airing before almost every election. It remains as much of a nonstarter as ever, writes Henry Cooke.This article was first published in Henry Cooke’s politics newsletter, Museum Street. It’s far more reliable than clockwork. Every election cycle – often several ...
With half the value of all Lotto, Powerball and Strike tickets going to cyclone relief, the "Must-be-won" draw for $15.5 million on Saturday went to a Canterbury player. ...
Auckland’s mayor has taken aim at road closures and traffic disruption around the super city, revealing a plan to reduce road cones. Wayne Brown had previously pledged to clean up the city of road cones and set it out as an “immediate priority” for the council’s transport agency. Now, he’s ...
The name's Bond – unhedged Treasury bond. Jonathan Milne argues that bond traders have again become sexy, for all the wrong reasons.Analysis: Giant Swiss bank UBS has agreed to buy its rival Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs (US$3.23 billion) and to assume up to $5.4 billion in losses, in a shotgun ...
‘Don’t fucking come and talk to me, write a submission,’ reckons Mayor Wayne Brown. So how do you do that?Let’s be honest, most people don’t understand local politics. We know that we vote for a mayor and councillors every couple of years, and that’s about it. But local politics ...
The link between Napier and Taupō has reopened this week for the first time since it was damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle. State highway five will be open to all traffic between 7am and 7pm, with overnight closure points at Kaimata Road, Glengarry Road and Matea Road. Kiri Allan, the associate ...
Analysis by By Geoffrey Miller. Political Roundup: NZ’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq War This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq ...
If you find yourself stressing about the cost of living crisis and how it will impact your home loan, talking to your bank as soon as possible is important. If you are experiencing financial challenges or think you might in the future, it’s important to reach out to your bank ...
Despite being entrenched practice in New Zealand schools, the practice of academic streaming in schools might not be around much longer. A plan launched today sets out a pathway to achieve this.If you went to school in Aotearoa, odds are that streaming was part of your experience. The numerically-inclined ...
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand/Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa are very concerned about the high number of tamariki injured by dogs in Aotearoa. Auckland emergency doctor Natasha Duncan-Sutherland says, “Over 2800 dog-related injuries ...
MP Ibrahim Omer will replace Grant Robertson as Labour’s candidate in the Wellington Central electorate after beating former party president Claire Szabo in the candidate selection race. Omer arrived in New Zealand as a refugee and worked as a cleaner before enrolling at Victoria University in 2014. “As someone who has ...
A new report from Australia highlights the significant community exposure to alcohol advertising through social media platforms. Over a one-year period researchers observed nearly 40,000 advertisements from a subset of alcohol-related accounts on Meta platforms ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, The University of Melbourne pexels/tara winstead, CC BY-SA You’ve probably heard about the “great resignation” which saw large numbers of people resigning from their jobs in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Beckett, Senior Lecturer (Food Science and Human Nutrition), School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Shutterstock You’ve probably heard about the medication Ozempic, used to manage type 2 diabetes and as a weight loss drug. Ozempic (and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Menna Elizabeth Jones, Associate Professor in Zoology, University of Tasmania Human life on Earth is utterly dependent on biodiversity but our activities are driving an increase in extinctions. Yet some extinct species continue to hold our fascination. New methods in genetics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Australian schools have been under huge pressures in recent years. On top of concerns about academic progress and staff shortages, schools have faced significant, ongoing disruptions due to ...
The Green Party has made it clear it’s frustrated after being shafted by Labour during last week’s so-called policy bonfire. The prime minister recently ditched a number of policies announced during Jacinda Ardern’s tenure, many of which were backed strongly by the Greens. In a state of the nation address ...
The US banking crisis may help force a rethink by the Reserve Bank here, 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.Did last week’s turmoil stop interest rate hikes in their tracks? ...
The Greens have laid down a challenge to potential coalition partners: come to the table with faster and stronger climate action if you want our support. ...
The early days of Māori Television were chaotic. After the founding CE was fired and imprisoned for fraud, Dr. Jim Mather was tapped to lead the fledging broadcaster. An account with no previous media experience, he was an unlikely choice for the role, but ended up leading the channel through ...
Regional public transport is where money can do the most good in the shortest time. So why is the government giving the regions’ funding to the main centres? I used to think of public transport mainly as a way to reduce our environmental impact. It was only when I started ...
The most recent piece of research on actual menstrual blood volume was conducted in 1964, which has left many people without key health information, writes researcher Claire Badenhorst. Last month, after being in the office for only half a day, I headed home early for the sole reason that I ...
o those commenting on obesity and to bm in particular. Many women who were raped or otherwise sexually abused over eat. Some to hide from me so they protect themselves subconsciously by becoming what they think is fat and ugly…. by eating to feel better when depression or anxiety strikes. So dont assume all obese people are simply fat and lazy as bm puts it. With 1-3 girls sexually abused it may be a hidden factor.
Living in the patriarchy is enough to make one overeat.
I bet there are some woman that over eat due to a lack of attention, lurid or otherwise, from men. There will also be some that over eat because they only got 54% in school C English.
The one thing they all have in common though is a lack of self control.
So rising inequality leads to less self control? Well I never.
…are you a skinny little gorrilla then?….too bad , because I like the BIG sex appeal of Mr Dot Com!
@ King Kong ….what you need is a sugar baby
Unfortunate typo, Tracey. Second line, 9th word should probably have an n on the end of it.
Other than that, I have seen this happen, and as a conscious decision in some cases.
Not hide from me but hide from men
And many people who are depressed or without much hope for all sorts of reasons.
Living in poverty, illness or disability without much hope of any improvement leads people to seize on anything which makes them feel better. Eating, Alcohol, gambling etc.
It takes an exceptionally strong person to resist. Mine was eating.
Which is why I am so against people who make a living from gambling and drugs, including alcohol and smokes.
They are making profits off peoples need for hope.
Well said KJT. Easy to judge and criticise for those whose life is one of ease, or that old chestnut “I did it so you can you too” as if we are all the same, experiencing our difficulties the same way.
Another factor in comfort eating/drinking/past times is work stress, and the NZ workplace seems to becoming an increasingly fraught place to be with insecure work hours, poor prospects, low pay, loss of self esteem and diminishing employment law. If some one is working long hours and is stressed and fatigued the easiest thing to turn at the end of a shift is carbohydratey goodness. Instant gratification with undesirable consequences in the long run, eg, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart problems Then again anti depressants can trigger weight gain too, so unless we have the opportunity to live our life well and free from stressors, we face an uphill battle in our dog eat dog world.
Exercise of course is of great benefit to our physical and mental health but for some there is simply no energy just to go for a walk around the block.
As well as the vampires (booze, fags, and junk food co’s and casino’s) who source of profit is derived from stressed people we still live in a society that doesn’t accept differences so for those whose health is sub optimal, they are further punished by non acceptance.
Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a society where people had well paid secure work in safe conditions, access to preventative healthcare (eg counselling), access to cheap gst free, good quality food and secure living arrangements. Whats the bet the health of the population would improve, and we wouldn’t be treating people for preventable illness further down the line.
“..Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a society where people had well paid secure work in safe conditions, access to preventative healthcare (eg counselling), access to cheap gst free, good quality food and secure living arrangements. .”
it is all do-able..
..it only needs political-will..
and/or a ‘real’ labour party..
..phillip ure..
Agreed phillip, on the do-able bit. It would take a bold socially focused government to promote equality, genuinely, not just as a nice word to throw around, and address that which makes the population unhealthy and unhappy.There will always be individual factors influencing poor health (including genetic and environmental) but decreasing poverty and opening up access to better standards of public health care should be something governments should priortise. All been said before though.
Indeed KJT. I’d love to see the personally responsible KK cope given a life of simply working (2, maybe 3 minimum wage jobs), eating (often a diet of noodles and the cheapest bargains out of one of those duopoly constructed SUPERmarkets), shitting, struggling with artificially constructed power bills designed for efficiency and fectivniss and a return to its shareholders, a MSM – again constructed by a fukwit whose only understanding of life and the universe is that it must make a ‘return’, and tending towards monopoly, getiing the kids to school and worrying about how they might pay for the next train fare or petrol bill; only to repeat without being able to rinse.
And this cycle is week after week, month after month’ year after year.
Any form of escapism is STRICTLY VERBOTEN!
I’d bloody take to drink as well!
Dirty filthy bennies though are NOT allowed to have any fun, or pleasure, and must be monitored at ALL times by a matron (one that’s not just the stereotypical image of 50’s matronliness, but one that’s the biggest nenny-statist, truly UGLY [in EVERY sense of the word] specimen that waddled the green fleur de lis carpit. CHA-OYCE (aye1)
The best metaphor I’ve heard to date is Cunliffe’s “pulling up the ladder”.
The truly UGLY & inadequate control freak hopefully has no conscience (for her sake).
That part of her brain that a conscience would normally occupy has been taken over by EMBUSHIN.
Oh, btw – she’s not alone of course. There’s an utterly incompetent specimen trying to inflict her will on the masses as well – in order to impress her dear dea leader.
Ever noticed her fashion?
Very military-like – not unlike those of colonial oppressors.
She’s rilly rilly in control! (at least in her own mind)
Herald does some great investigative work (!!) in uncovering ministers secret investment properties:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11154765
Bridges has to go as a Minister, while not declaring the property held in the personally managed super-fund might be ‘within the rules’ the non-declaration of the Northland property Bridges claims to be holding on behalf of ‘a friend’ is definitely not,
Obviously ‘within the rules’ looks to be a very thin veneer of cover of what is yet another Ministerial rort over housing allowances for MP’s and Ministers where the ‘system’ is being gamed by MP’s and Ministers so as to allow them to dip deeply into the taxpayers pockets collecting ‘rent’ for property that they actually own and rent off of their personal super-fund which they are the personal managers of…
Dirty filthy rorting Tory rats:
‘Chester Borrows, Simon Bridges, Anne Tolley, Chris Auchinvole, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Mike Sabin – live in the Wellington properties while working in the capital and claim the accommodation allowance or expenses.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11154765
And that’s why the Nats will NEVER move to introduce the CGT or in any other way intervene in the overheated property market.
I agree, I would like to see this area cleaned up or exposed to more daylight…whatever is more effective
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant” and leaves wishes squeaky clean.
Chester Borrows, Simon Bridges, Anne Tolley, Chris Auchinvole, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga and Mike Sabin.
Putting to one side their dishonesty, what a depressing, talentless line-up. Depressing if you’re a National Party backer, that is.
Too right you’re right amirite.
Must be about time for Borrows to announce again how successful he’s been in bashing some more beneficiaries for not taking the lawn-mowing money off their children’s plates and giving it to the Slippery Natz slush-fund party.
It explains why they’re not leaving in the current “clean out”
They still have payments to make on their mortgage!
LIARS OF OUR TIME
No. 36: Paul Dykzeul
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“No we won’t be changing the Listener; it’s got a terrific editor….”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
—-Paul Dykzeul, Chief Executive of Bauer Media, Mediawatch, Radio NZ National, Sunday 10 November 2013
More liars….
No. 35 Mark Jennings: “I think Paul’s a bright guy and he will be able to bring a discipline to his performance….”
No. 34 Willie Jackson: “I thought we’d been sensitive with her yesterday….”
No. 33 Supt. Bill Searle: “I think what’s happened here is the police officers have done their very best….”
No. 32 Sonny-Bill Williams: “It’s good to get the win over Papua-New Guinea, a strong Papua-New Guinea side, aahhhh….”
No. 31 John Palino: “Suggestions that I am somehow orchestrating some grand right-wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong…”
No. 30 Alan Dershowitz: “I will give $10,000 to the PLO if you can find a historical fact in my book that you can prove to be false.”
No. 29 John Banks: “I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. And never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return. Never ever would I ever.”
No. 28 John Kerry: “…we are especially sensitive, Chuck and I, to never again asking any member of Congress to take a vote on faulty intelligence.”
No. 27 Lyse Doucet: “I am there for those without a voice.”
No. 26 Sam Wallace: “So here we are—Otahuhu. It’s just a great place to be, really.”
No. 25 Margaret Thatcher: “…no British government involvement of any kind…with Khmer Rouge…”
No. 24 John Key: “…at the end of the day I, like most New Zealanders, value the role of the fourth estate…”
No. 23 Jay Carney: “…expel Mr Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice…”
No. 22 Mike Bush: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach.”
No. 21 Tim Groser: “I think the relationship is genuinely in outstanding form.”
No. 20 John Key: “But if the question is do we use the United States or one of our other partners to circumvent New Zealand law then the answer is categorically no.”
No. 19 Matthew Hooton: “It is ridiculous to say that unions deliver higher wages! They DON’T!”
No. 18 Ant Strachan: “The All Blacks won the RWC 2011 because of outstanding defence!”
No. 17 Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.”
No. 16 Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months.”
No. 15 Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14 Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No. 13 Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
No. 12 U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11 Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10 Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9 NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8 Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question….”
No. 7 Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
No. 6 Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5 Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.”
No. 4 Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3 John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2 Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1 Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
Oh Morrissey you card……..
Was this writer, i.e., moi, perhaps a tad….well, mean to draw attention to the fact that Pamela Stirling is a no-hoper?
Yea sock! What we need to counter such utter stupidity, when we can’t come up with any intelligent sort of response – is – ANOTHER Shopping Channel! Could even shove it on Freeview.
Yes – how many shopping channels do people need on Freeview? Does anyone watch one of them, let alone 3? Or is it more? The numbers of such channels seems to be growing daily.
Morrissey
A grate list.
there is some good/cool stuff in this one..
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/nov/06/art-guerrillas-turning-left-tate-liverpool-in-pictures
“..From molotov cocktail Coke bottles – to the Guerrilla Girls’s feminist fights for gender equality –
– here’s a selection of the most highly charged political art in history..”
phillip ure..
LOL Coke bottle!
politically progressive tracts a pitch in time.
a piece in defence of link-baiting..
..arguing the quality of the baited-content is what really matters..
(..which brings us to whoar..eh..?..)
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/these-linkbait-links-will-blow-your-mind/
phillip ure..
has not brought me to whoar recently, yet “if there’s a demon in your brain…time to let it out”… of the Penn State again.
a similar vid could be done of/on the same shit being done to nz..here/now..
phillip ure..
Racist photographer targets NZ – radical artists fight back
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-noble-savage-and-toilet-club.html
Lifts the seat.
Is that Tau Henare’s penis I can see in there somewhere? Hard to spot I know – just as well it produces a trickle down rather than a gusher.
thanks for that – and jimmys on 9-noon tmrrw morning – natrad
John Banks – Judical Review hearing, 27 Nov.
With all that is currently going on re the appalling Roastbusters issues, Dunne’s flights of fancy as to his power to dictate coalition terms, and now the Nat super/accommodation rort, Banks has slipped well down the priorities list.
However, I read Penny Bright’s latest update last night on OM 10 Nov (thanks Penny) and this morning read Justice Heath’s minute linked to on Penny’s website.
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Minute-Judge-Heath-27-Nov-Hearing-1.pdf
In brief, Justice Heath (who is to hear the application for judicial review on 27 Nov) has raised as an alternative or addition to the judicial review, the possibility of the case being transferred to the High Court under section 28J of the District Court Act. It would then be open to Banks to apply under section 347 of the Crimes Act to have the charges dropped.
Personally, I have not taken this as Justice Heath attempting to ‘help Banks out of his difficult spot’; rather as Justice Heath rightly pointing out another legal option open. (I hope so anyway!)
I am not a lawyer but had many years of having to find my way around legislation, understand it etc, so being the pedantic person I am, looked up the sections of the District Court Act and Crimes Act referred to by Justice Heath.
Of interest is that these specific sectons of both Acts appear to have been repealed as of 1 July 2013 – but can presumably still apply in the Banks case because the original procecution application, hearings etc started prior to the repeal of these sections.
(In the case of s28J of the D C Act, new provisions for transfer between the District Court and High Court have been added to the D C Act. I have not found any replacement provisions for S347 of the Crimes Act, but don’t have time to check this further today. )
So, I for one anyway it will be watching closely what both Banks’ counsel and the Solicitor-General decide on this alternative raised by Justice Heath. In the hopes that Banks does not get off on legal technicalities etc.
Penny Bright- hopefully you will keep us informed of further developments. I have appreciated you doing so to date, and thought you might be interested in my quick research.
“Getting a 347” used to mean that the police had made a charge based on insufficient evidence and a judge had thrown it out rather than waste court time. Since a judge has already ruled that Banks should go to trial, it’d be a pretty low blow if they used this to let him walk.
Thanks for that, Murray, although it now leaves me wondering (a) about Justice Heath raising it; and (b) why it (s347) has been repealed (if it has not been replaced elsewhere – haven’t had time to check this further but I am curious as to why it was repealed if it has not been replaced).
It would be a low blow if s347 allowed Banks to walk – hope that was not J Heath’s intention. OTOH it was not just one DC judge who ruled that Banks should go to trial (Gittos). but Judge Mill of Wellington DC also seemed to think that there was a case to answer, as per my comment on OM on 31 Oct.
Willie and J.T. are disgusting.
But they are not unique….
With all the attention on the hapless, hopeless Radio Vile comedians Willie and Hatey recently, some people seem to have forgotten that there is another radio station that has been sticking up for woman-beaters for years….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10522644
Morrissey
Radio Vile – tops! Paul Homes is dead, long live Tony Veitch.
And then Paul Henry returns.
The disturbing incident with the police commissioner Marshal tracking and contacting the blogger who criticised him has gone semi-public, callers are discussing this on Radio Live morning talkback.
Not so disturbing when the blogger left his name and contact details on the police website along with a compaint.
Didn’t really need the GCSB to track him down then did he? And after laying a complaint he was too chicken to receive a call from the Commissioner following up about the complaint.
Slightly paranoid I guess. Not really James Bond stuff as was first portrayed to be honest.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=11154818
If I left a complaint on the police website I certainly wouldn’t be expecting the Commissioner to phone me on a Sunday. An email asking to make contact would be more appropriate.
I’d expect the officers carrying out checks around the corner one dark night to abruptly jump in their car and follow me home on my push-bike, then to linger in front of my whare with their headlights shining upon me as I shake my head and proceed round to open the back door… oh wait… 😉
a whiff of truth!
a blast, from the not too distant past.
The Midnight Special shines a light on you……
😀 “…but you better not complain boy you get in trouble with the man”.
Yeah, but if he did phone me, I would take the opportunity to tell him what was on my mind.
I think it’s great that he called.
FYI
URGENT ‘Open Letter’ to all New Zealand MPs:
Please confirm YOU will not vote for the New Zealand International Convention Centre (‘Sky City money-laundering’) Bill
Please discuss this as a matter of urgency at the Cabinet meeting today, and at your Party caucuses tomorrow, Tuesday 12 November 2013: and confirm that YOU will NOT vote for the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill at its ‘third reading’ because ‘due diligence’ has not been done on the increased risk of money-laundering.
BACKGROUND:
A) Open Letter /OIA request to the Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce:
6 November 2013
“Why are you continuing with the International Convention Centre (Sky City money-laundering) Bill?
Dear Minister,
I note that the International Convention Centre Bill is now at the Committee Stage: on today’s Parliamentary Order Paper:
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/0001960125
Please provide the following information which confirms:
1) That you have considered the following OIA reply from OFCANZ, which shows that they have not done any ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering with the International Convention Centre Bill.
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SKY-CITY-OFCANZ-OIA-REPLY-NO-DUE-DLIGENCE-RE-MONEY-LAUNDERING-bright-penny-06-c211711-2-sent-reply.pdf
2) That you as the Minister of Economic Development, are knowingly and willingly, continuing to push the International Convention Centre Bill.through Parliament, although this OIA reply from OFCANZ, shows that they have not done any ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering, as outlined in the following Regulatory Impact Statement.
http://www.med.govt.nz/about-us/publications/publications-by-topic/regulatory-impact-statements/mbie-regulatory-impact-statements/NZICC-RIS-June-2013.pdf
(See paras 95 – 111 )
Potential risk of money laundering
95 Cash intensive industries such as casinos are attractive to money laundering activity. New Zealand’s National Risk Assessment 2010 assessed casinos as presenting moderate to high risk of money laundering.
For this reason, casinos (including all SkyCity casinos) are subject to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of
Terrorism Act 2009 (the AML/CFT Act), which comes into force on 30 June 2013. …”
ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – STEVEN JOYCE:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/SKY-CITY-STEVEN-JOYCE-OIA-ACKNOWLEDGMENT-P-Bright-Nov-7-7.pdf
_____________________________________________________________________________
B) ‘Open Letter ‘ / OIA to Prime Minister John Key:
24 October 2013
‘Open Letter’/OIA to NZ Prime Minister John Key:
”Why have you not ensured that ‘due diligence’ was carried out over the increased risk of money-laundering with the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill”?
Dear Prime Minister,
As an ‘anti-corruption’ campaigner, (and 2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate), I am deeply concerned at the apparent lack of ‘due diligence’, by yourself, as Prime Minister of New Zealand (‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ ) regarding the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City deal) Bill?
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results
Please provide all information which confirms why you failed to do ‘due diligence’ and consult the ‘lead agency’ (OFCANZ) who has responsibility for “making it harder to launder money“,regarding the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City deal) Bill.
c) ‘Open Letter’ to Robert Simpson, Auckland Council Principal Policy Analyst re: ‘Due diligence on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill:
(See http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/ and scroll down to this item, to find ‘Open Letter’ and reply:
Increased risk of money-laundering at Sky City – no ‘due diligence’ by Auckland Council?
November 4, 2013 | Author Penny
4 November 2013
Local Government Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request to Auckland Council and their reply:
SKY CITY AUCKLAND COUNCIL Penny Bright NZICC Information Request (Oct 13) (3)
SKY CITY AUCKLAND COUNCIL 120928 Submission process flowchart (1)
C) 29 October 2013
Robert Simpson | Principal Policy Analyst
Strategic Advice | Auckland Council
‘Open Letter ‘ to Robert Simpson, Auckland Council Principal Policy Analyst
re: ‘Due diligence on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the International Convention Centre (Sky City) Bill.
D) Please be advised that at 12 noon today, myself and fellow community ‘Public Watchdog’ Lisa Prager will be meeting with Auckland District Commander, SuperIntendent Michael Clement, to discuss the lack of ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill, and the potentially increased risk of organised crime in the Auckland region.
E) Please be advised that I shall be attending the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference to be held in Sydney from 26 – 28 November 2013, where I shall be raising this, amongst other matters with international anti-corruption experts.
http://www.apsac.com.au/2013conference/index.html
(Please be reminded that I attended the 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference, and 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference).
I’m sure that the following ‘Action Plan’, upon which I campaigned as the 4th polling Auckland Mayoral candidate (obtaining 11,723 votes), will be of interest to both fellow delegates, and speakers (a number of whom I have already met), and Australian media.
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
Yours sincerely,
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
On the Sky City deal theme, lets not forget this guys’ critical vote:
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=61648
Remarkably, this placard remained in place all weekend, in the vicinity of the UF annual conference.
And has Penny thought of setting up a petition on http://www.change.org to harness public opposition?
I see Jessie Hume has set up the petition:
“Prime Minister John Key: bust the ‘Roast Busters’ and show you take sexual violence seriously.”
https://www.change.org/petitions/prime-minister-john-key-bust-the-roast-busters-and-show-you-take-sexual-violence-seriously
Just over 73,000 have signed and about 1,900 more needed.
There seems to be a reasonable explanation amirite. Rhinocrates (as he is known here) had apparently left a message on the police complaints website last Thursday. That is apparently where Marshall obtained the contact information. Unfortunately Marshall’s call to Rhinocrates coincided with some police criticism he had made on the Public Address site yesterday, so not unnaturally he thought it was connected to those remarks.
As has been suggested Marshall’s intentions were probably honourable, but it was a mistake to make a cold call like that and especially on a Sunday afternoon when you would least expect it.
Not really a mistake – just his paranoid reaction to it.
If I got sick from eating at a fast food restaurant and made an online complaint and then subsequently received a call from the NZ CEO to discuss my complaint I would be over the moon that they were taking my complaint seriously for the CEO to take time out of their day to talk about it.
What Rhinocrates should have done was listen to the Commissioner, politely discuss the points he raised in his complaint and suggest what the Police could do to fix the situation. I mean if he wasn’t prepared to do that why bother making a complaint in the first place?
What you don’t do is slam the phone down and go shrieking online about police states and evil spying and conveniently leave out the fact that he had supplied his own details to the police.
Peter Marshall is probably sitting at his desk wondering what he did wrong.
Perhaps he forgot how the NZ Police treat political activists, and how that informs said activists’ impressions of said Police. It’s all about perception, Jimmie. I think I would have listened to Marshall too, but I completely understand Rhino’s reaction.
Still, it seems they are reaching out to us 🙂
from The Other Side of Midnight
Nah, just another internet warrior who stridently spits their bile when hidden behind a screen but is actually a gutless coward when it comes to real life interactions.
and how many guerrilla might there be in this troop of “gutless cowards”…
@ ‘hidden behind a screen’..
um..!..why did yr parents name you ‘king’..?
..especially when they had a sirname like ‘kong’..?
..school must have been hell for you..
..phillip ure..
I use a pseudonym for professional reasons which I understand is not an issue that you face, having not been employed for a while.
I can assure you though, that I wouldn’t go weak at the knees if I was contacted by anyone in authority to discuss something I had officially registered my interest in.
peoples’ choice of pseudonyms is fascinating..
..slightly further down we have ‘naturesong’..
..who may well be a west coast miner..
..but who..going on that choice of name..probably isn’t..
..whereas your choice of king kong..?
..are you seeing/labeling yourself as kong as raging ape..?
..or kong as broken-hearted/futile-quest/in love/out of place/captive..?
..an essentially sad figure..?
..(i dunno why..but i am leaning to ‘raging-ape’..eh..?..)
..and before wholesale dumping on rhino..
..consider that he/she was quite clear in this forum that they are autistic..and have communication-issues..
..so..y’know..!..
(oh..!..and congratulations on yr ‘professional’ ’employment’..eh..?..)
..phillip ure..
a serious peter jackson fanboy/girl..?
..awed at alliteration..?
..phillip ure..
(NOT a girl Phillip)
“I can assure you though, that I wouldn’t go weak at the knees if I was contacted by anyone in authority to discuss something I had officially registered my interest in.”
But then, I’m guessing you’re not autistic like rhino. Am I right?
I though I read somewhere that we are all Autistic.
it’s a spectrum.
KK is on the tit part of the spectrum.
“I though I read somewhere that we are all Autistic.”
In the sense that we are all part genius and part stupid, but that does’t make everyone a stupid genius does it kk? Only a small % of people have problems relating to others to the point of being diagnosed as autistic.
I’ve lived with a person with Asperger’s and I can see how getting an unexpected phone call from the police commissioner would be disturbing and intimidating. Yes even if they left their name and number on an online form.
Maybe you’d be chuffed about getting such a call, but guess what? Not everyone is like you. Thank God.
So why put the name and number on the form if you don’t want to be contacted?
I’m afraid I’m not privy to that information chris, maybe try using your imagination? Perhaps he/she thought that by filling in the fields it would help the complaint to be looked at? Maybe just habit? I really don’t know. But that doesn’t change my distaste for kk calling an autistic person a ‘gutless coward’ because they got freaked out by an unexpected call from the police commissioner.
Which is what I was talking about.
lol…I bet they had a good laugh at Rhino’s reaction ( I certainly did) ….they were just trying to be friendly!
“Look out – the pigs are trying tracking their critics.”
You’re blind to some realities Jimmie. You don’t check out the background to some people’s reactions. You don’t think – typical right-wing response. Go away to some place where your brand of non thinking and stupidity is acceptable.
“Peter Marshall is probably sitting at his desk wondering what he did wrong.”
He’s spoilt for choice at the moment
That would be because you’re an authoritarian follower and kowtow to anyone with more wealth and power than you. You’re actual response to said call would probably be ZOMG, a randian super-hero called me. You’d then take everything he said as gospel and fail to “politely discuss the points he raised in his complaint” which is, most likely, why the commissioner called.
You should study psychology DTB. I am here sitting in my chair weeping as you have spoken my life story before you online……to diagnose my personality and to be able to project future conversations from one paragraph is nothing short of outstanding.
I mean what a gift especially from someone with only one eye.
I’d probably say both “yes” and “no” to that – if it was a pr stunt (“Commissioner Cares”), then it seems the commissioner forgot that some people have legitimate or even paranoid fears about the police (a characteristic that is probably weighted towards people who make complaints on the website), a problem that the NZCEO of McD’s probably doesn’t face so much.
It could be that the blogger raised an extremely important point that the commissioner wanted to discuss (or at least reassure the blogger that their concerns were being addressed), although the above caveat still comes to mind. As others have suggested, easing in with a call from a p.a. might have been nice.
The possible error on the part of the blogger was then to tell everybody on their regular websites, using their regular pseudonym. He’s basically told the police exactly which handles he uses – not that they’d be overly interested, but still…
Yeah, that last point you raised has crossed my mind as well.
Does seem weird that one blogger only (that has been made public) gets called in Marshall’s personal charm offensive. Air NZ’s Rob Fyfe used to personally email hundreds of people (union supporters that had sent emails to him) into the small hours during tense times when he was taking on the workers there.
Rhino/Cracklite should maybe take a break from this stoush because the cops do play for keeps and are experts at harassing the vulnerable as BLiP’s extensive list showed the other day.
Agreed, TM.
By the way, nobody seems to have remembered that Peter Marshall’s days as commissioner already looked numbered last month,
Stuff reported on 19 Oct 2013:
I suspect blogging is irrelevant/unknown, and it was based purely on the complaint to the police website.
No idea what they wrote, or whether marshall gives random complaints the personal touch, or whether R/C raised something serious that was kicked upstairs automatically (e.g. maybe he wanted to be informed about specific matters that might be raised by members of the public from time to time, e.g. serious allegations).
R/C learnt a valuble lesson from all this…that putting your personal details to a complaint can get reults
and that those results may be unanticipated
an even better lesson
lol….it reminded me of the ‘Young Ones’
Peter Marshall is probably sitting at his desk wondering what he did wrong.”
You might be right which explains the schamozzle of police investigations… focused but on the wrong stuff
Veuto on banks and justice heath…
I read it and wondered if heath wasnt sending them a “think very carefully” message but not in a good way for banks.
“You are posting comments too quickly, slow down”
Has the time frame on that got longer recently? It’s just come up and I haven’t posted for 30 mins.
I got that yesterday – after I hadn’t posted for over two hours. Sounds like the worst possible type of bug – an intermittent one.
Yep been getting it now and then as well. Even after extended breaks.
Me too. Thought I done wrong.
me too..
phillip ure..
That is odd…. Ohno it isn’t. As far as the system is concerned since Thursday everyone has been posting comments from the same IP number – the new gateway address. I finally got the correct fix in last night.
From Public address
Willie and JT are gone, for at least the rest of the year:
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, 11 November, 2013
WILLIE JACKSON, JOHN TAMIHERE OFF AIR FOR REMAINDER OF 2013
Willie Jackson and John Tamihere will not return to RadioLIVE for the rest of 2013. The announcement was made on RadioLIVE just after 12noon today by the two broadcasters.
Announcement from Willie Jackson and John Tamihere:
This will be our last show on RadioLIVE for this year.
We will be taking the next few weeks to review what happened last week with the management here, and agree what action needs to be taken.
We do not condone rape in any way and did not intend to blame the victims. Rape is a terrible crime and the victims who come forward deserve support and respect.
We deeply regret the comments we made last week and the upset they caused so many people.
We also want to apologise to the clients of RadioLIVE who’ve had to deal with negative feedback to their businesses because they advertise in our show.
Closer to home, we regret the impact this has had on our wives, children, grandchildren and communities. We also apologise to the staff at RadioLIVE and throughout the MediaWorks whanau who have had to deal with the fallout.
RadioLIVE will update you on our discussions and plans as is appropriate.
As this will be our last time on the radio this year, we wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas and send our aroha to you all.
JT & Willie
– –
MediaWorks Radio Chief Executive Belinda Mulgrew says: “After discussions with Willie Jackson and John Tamihere it has been agreed that Willie and John will be off air for the rest of 2013.
“We continue to review the situation, and I would like to reiterate that MediaWorks in no way condones the actions of the ‘Roast Busters’ or any violence against women.
Seems like radioLIVE were taking the advice of Bomber on the daily blog…
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/11/09/dear-radio-live-what-you-need-to-do-about-willie-jt-before-your-radio-station-becomes-a-pariah/
That’s disturbing. A corporation is not whanau no matter how much that they like to pretend that they’re family.
PS, got the “You are posting comments too quickly, slow down” error when first posting this.
You realise that a corporation is made up of people who work together, laugh together and in some cases form tight bonds of friendship, right Draco?
In a way you are right TC. There can certainly be a very tribal character to some corporate work groups.
My last role in corporate we ate together, drank together, shared good news and bad, supported each other and celebrated successes together – all the actions of a family unit which I hardly found ‘disturbing’.
Look at the dynamics of small towns who have a large employer (meat works, coal plant etc). There is a very strong sense of family among those groups.
And they can all be fired/made redundant/over-worked/etc without the corporation or its managers batting an eyelid.
So? A corporation is made up of people who work together, laugh together and in some cases form tight bonds of friendship. There is nothing disturbing about someone or some organisation self describing themselves as a family.
Yes there is – the total lack of support from the corporation to its employees. The fact that the corporation considers its employees expendable.
So? There are still real kinships in corporations. Real connections are made and real enduring friendships follow. It isn’t disturbing and you are making extremely broad statements as if it is always as you say. It isn’t. I’ve worked in poisons were I have had CEO’s go to bat for their staff and treat them as they would their own family. It isn’t disturbing.
But not between the corporation and the employees. This is the point that you’ve spent an entire afternoon ignoring.
That is simply not true. Because it happens in some does not equal it happening in all cases. Your black and white thinking strikes again
The issue is that a foreign residing board of directors doesn’t care how closely bonded your work group is with your local management TC. Chances are they’ve never ever met any of you or set foot in your office/facility.
That’s quite right. But Draco is making a broad statement which simply isn’t true
that would be positions (seems alcohol has a lot of explaining to do) 😉
Good move RadioLive. A proper apology this time. What’s the bet someone else wrote it.
It would seem from comments from Radio Live that they may be still paying the two announcers. When asked they refused to confirm that they were still paying which I guess means they are.
what is really important at the moment is National sucking up to the rural industrialists and giving them carte blance to foul the county’s waterways as they see fit.
Supposedly farmers care about the environment but that just seems to be as shibboleth for them to hide their ignorance behind and carry on regardless.
More lies retailed as truth.
Please replace the now vacant space with Radio Live with Matthew Hooton.
Anthony if hooten replaced the it would become a vacant space.
How Labor hit it’s lowest vote since 1903
Reads like a list of wasted opportunities where the electorate had had enough of Labor. And many core Labor blue collar and skilled trades vote walking away from the party.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/06/australian-election-editorial
Crisis Brewing in US – Israeli Relations
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/crisis-brewing-israeli-us-relations-20839099?
just like ABCees.
Regional Insecurity threatens Gulf Food Security
http://www.trust.org/item/20131110234828-gi09o/?source=search
and
Australia’s Rising Debt
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/11/australias-rising-debt-what-happened-to-the-coalitions-budget-emergency?
-reduced tax-take yet cuts for the already well-off.
Urrgh.. Been off doing other things for the last few days.
Testing Beta release 1.06 RC4 – which has now gone gold (the last bug was with shm_open – the block of shared memory had a lock error after several days of stress testing). Getting dragged off by Lyn at ungodly hours of the morning to cart video equipment around for blogacademy that she was shooting. Catching up on sleep (or trying to). Doing the 18 month updates of my home systems.The latter largely dropped me offline for the weekend with video driver issues.
But I see that the tireless spam bots are in action. 380 unsorted auto-spam out of the several thousand that got sent over the weekend. If anyone’s legit comments got caught in that deluge, they will shortly be popping out.
I also see that I have a problem with IPs at present since the site updates last week. They’re reporting a gateway address..
there was an article on te newz about the growth of blogging in the fashion industry, in contrast to the traditional glossy magazines (still coveted by the tactile).
A recent phenomenon I have taken an interest in is the sheer number and variety of niche hard-copy magazines that are published; more variations on Easyriders , Popular Mechanics and NME than a rascal could chew through in a lifetime. 😀
Wondered where you had been 🙂 Did you see this? http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11112013/#comment-725600
Things seen – on a standard NZ weekend – that give insight into the soul of the common Kiwi…
Few drinks post work Friday, nearly get knocked over by sober driver (assuming he was) driving well over limit…young passenger shouted abuse as they passed…charming.
Got on bus, packed. Woman standing in front of me very obviously late stages of pregnancy…every seated person looking straight through her. Not one offered her a seat. I asked who would, got dagger eyes from a seated young woman….
Watched Luther on TV, said it had course language and violence…cool…the violence bits were so graphic, psycho killer stuff…on prime time TV….
Saw man at dairy run out door and give a woman her purse she left on counter, much thanking.
More TV, rugby test, yawn, the 672 match of the “season”, go Richie and Dan….how does a man stay interested?
Turned to music channel…Mylie Cyrus pretending to have sex on stage…dressed up in next to nothing….looked just like her fans drunk and behaving like louts in heels in Courtney Place.
Put the Roast lads well into context as “us” methinks.
yes, The Hangover 2 was pushing the boundaries on tele.
I was cycling along last week and saw a purse by the driver’s side door of a car parked in front of recently widowed woman’s flat. Instinctively, broke as I often am, I stopped and returned the purse to the front door.
Good deed well done, RT.
I paid $30 for part of photcopying a/c of poor bene who is trying to create opportunities and the habit of political discussion with meetings flyers posters etc. She has spent $1000 in past year holding the meetings, getting venues, photocopying etc etc. She sees the need and has paid out of her little income but cannot get grant as in past to help with her dental bill of $300. Good people being crushed by this neo liberalism. Little help for those amongst us who need it, whether community and society stalwarts or not.
More awhi for Aotearoa please.
Amen. God Bless You grey
Ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin: a decent, thoughtful man
—oh sorry, cancel that….
I find this depressing. This guy has a brain, as we see in the first clip. But in this totalitarian climate, he feels obliged to spout the most pernicious nonsense in the second clip…..
CLIP No. 1: Is race still an issue in the NFL?
In this clip, former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin eloquently explains why racist language is unacceptable. He describes the racist putdowns of a team-mate by a white Miami Dolphins player, Richie Incognito, as “the systematic breaking down of another man by using derogatory language.”
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000278848/Is-race-still-an-issue-in-the-NFL
But then, just when you think there’s an American sportsman with a brain, a heart and a conscience, he goes and mouths this piece of offensive propaganda….
CLIP No. 2: ‘Who Must Play Inspired’: Salute to service
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-gameday/0ap2000000278828/Who-Must-Play-Inspired-Salute-to-service
Weirdo Colin Craig looks very excited on TV3 News tonight. For ShonKey Python it can at least be said he’s straight-up if brazen – he’ll do whatever it takes to retain power. There is a critical point though…….
Key looking desperate.
Ha ha. key having to get into bed with an ego bigger than his. Good luck with that!!
Reminds me of one of those Melbourne Lunar Park smiling faces on a chain ….. moving from Left to Right, Left to Right, waiting for some punter to throw ball and claim their prize if they get a direct hit.
Even when they do “strike”, that smiling clown-like visage, representing goodness and wholesomeness just keeps on going.
L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂 L 🙂 M 😉 r 🙂
Hey Col… I reckon a bit more teeth bleaching – it might trump a coiffure
‘
UK spies continue “quantum insert” attack via LinkedIn, Slashdot pages . . .
That is very interesting, and very concerning. Just another way for them to directly pick up your login details, passwords etc, imitating your email or banking provider.
hahahaha
Colin Craig and Key interviewed separately by Gower.
I’d rather National + anyone over National + Craig.
Awful thought.
It seemed almost impossible for someone more loony than Hilary Calvert to turn up.
And then Kooky Craig does.
want to know where clavert is, shes a dcc counciler, & she got the most votes, http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/277266/dunedin-city-councillor-interviews-hilary-calvert
guess the migration south is cancelled then. By the time the conservatives in this country are done, I’ll be in Samoa (or anywhere but here).
The more Craig is interviewed the better I say. He’s such a total dork. Climate Change is all about sun spots and other planets. It’s got nothing to do with mankind. So says the dork.
Its amazing how such overwhelming and orchestrated media coverage is given to someone like him however. A political party with a handful of members, no MPs, and the policy depth of a puddle.
Not really. he gives good copy.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Key-lines-up-deal-with-Colin-Craig/tabid/1607/articleID/320895/Default.aspx
No producer on earth would fail to run a story about a political leader, who the PM is saying he’ll deal with, when you have a quote of him blaming global warming on “the circulation of the planets”
Actually quite true. It’s awesome TV.
Yes the climax of the other weeks media blitz highlighting Craig and the (not christian) Conservatives was the Reid Poll on TV3, given the contorted nature of this particular poll the numbers given Craig’s Conservatives are questionable,
If my memory serves me right the Conservatives have yet to rate in a Roy Morgan in the last few months and it will be ‘interesting’ to see if the events leading up to Labour weekend where National called in a lot of favors among it’s friendly editors and programers to run a series of stories on the Conservatives has boosted them in the minds of the electorate,
The game being played here is a double edged sword as there is something about Craig that a lot of people will dislike at first sight without being able to elucidate that actual dislike, given that many of us see the current National Government’s numbers around 42-43% max it would seem that Slippery the Prime Minister is going to go ‘all in’ and bet His occupancy of the Treasury Benches after November 2014 on His ability to manufacture Colin Craig into an easily manipulated coalition partner,
The obvious risk in doing so for Slippery and National is that the only support that Craig’s Conservatives can garner from the electorate comes directly from National’s own base, the other risk of course is that the voters in whichever electorate Craig tries to legitimize His political ambitions wave the middle finger in the air rejecting Him in the face of the PM’s obvious desperation…
Yes the 3 news item had a distinct “Hey folks, we just want to talk to you a today about National’s new coalition option. Have ya heard about this?” feel to it. Key has ruled out any ‘cups of tea’ this time, but this seems to be the set up for one. Put the jug on John
I also noticed that of the numbers Gower was going on about, Labour up, Greens Down, Conservative Party vote, none of them were as big as the margin of error that was quietly displayed at the top of the screen without a mention: 3.1%.
One number did crack the margin of error though, National down 3.2%.
I disagree, Anne. I’ve seen Craig a few times on Citizen A. In a longer discussion he can sound fairly reasonable on some issues.
He says things that, while they seem crazy to us (eg re climate change), there are enough people that would be nodding in agreement. Craig doesn’t need to get a popular following in NZ. He just needs to appeal to an electorate, and/or 5% of the population.
Last election, I was surprised when someone I know mentioned him as someone she would be inclined to vote for, as a result of agreeing with lots of things he says. And that person is quite intelligent.
It’s always dangerous to underestimate the potential opposition.
I hope you wash your mouth out karol 😉
Indeed, in the Rodney electorate Craig came a distant second in 2011, of interest was the 2000 odd votes He took from the National candidate, 1000 odd from the death throes of ACT, and hopefully with the election of David Cunliffe as Labour leader Craig in 2014 will not be able to take 2000 and something more of the Labour vote as He did in 2011,
It will be interesting to see where the new boundaries are drawn in Auckland, will the new Parliamentary seat be to the North of the city or in the central area,
Where ever Craig stands Labour need get a presence in the electorate with Labour’s leaders spending time campaigning there early on in the cycle to try and blunt the rise of Craig considering that National are more or less openly campaigning on His behalf…
Sure, there’s probably enough points out there for Craig to be relavant. But it’s, as they say, a dinnimmic environment.
the closer Craig looks to being really at around 3%, the more pressure goes on key to talk about a deal. that can actually help craig get points as it won;t be a wasted vote.
However, the more he cozies up to Craig, the more he pisses off people in national who aren’t completely daft.
He’s got a fine line to walk. If Key refuses to deal with Craig, or is dismissive of his views, in an attempt to maintain his moderate image, then that pisses off National voters who are sympathetic to whatever Craig was atlking about.
Look at those comments Craig made about the Treaty and global warming. that’s not far at all from where National was just 6 or 7 years ago, when Brash scred them heaps of votes talking on those issues. If Key describes those comments as crazy or radical, then Craig could gain votes.
Key has to be very careful about how he manages this shit. It’s a swamp of their own making.
That they are going to need to traverse through for the next 12 months. Ouch.
Key is not dismissive of Craig, PB. He’s very obviously keen on him getting into Parliament – as per tonights TV3 News. And those comments Craig made about the Treaty and Maori are just the sort of thing rightwingers like to hear. He’ll take over from Act and if there’s a “blue” seat hanging around after the boundary changes in the northern part of Auckland, that’s where he’ll be ……. and the Nats will all vote for him there. This is manipulative scarey rightwing stuff – just the sort of thing Key relishes.
Put it another way: National really can’t risk the Conservatives gobbling up a sizeable chunk of their party vote and then not getting any seats. I bet they’re rueing not dropping the threshold to 4% now – Conservatives could easily reach that mark, but I think they’ll struggle to get to 5%.
NZFirst clocking up 4.6% really helped National in 2008. They’ll be really hurt in 2014 if the Conservatives follow in those footsteps.
it is sad state of affairs indeed. Long may they ooze.
Why does Martyn Bradbury give Colin Craig political ‘oxygen’ on his show?
Meanwhile – he bans me from making ANY comments on his Daily Blog.
Go figure……
Penny Bright
I reckon it’s just a space limitation thing, Penners.
where you been hiding Arfamo
According to the ‘Provisional’ Order Paper for the NZ Parliament, the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill is set down for its ‘third reading’ on Tuesday 12 November 2013:
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/0001968117
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Business before the House
Government orders of the day
Name of bill Stage of Bill
Minister in charge consideration no Times for debate
1 New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill 140–2 12 x 10 m speeches
Hon Steven Joyce Third reading
_____________________________________________________________________________
The NZ International Convention Centre Bill, effectively covers and facilitates money-laundering, because there has been no ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering, by OFCANZ, (Organised and Financial Crime Agency of NZ) the body tasked with:
“Leading, coordinating or contributing to policy or legislative changes to make it harder for organised criminals to operate. There will be opportunities to do so by, for example, making it harder to launder money, or obtain false identities, or by increasing information sharing. …”
http://www.ofcanz.govt.nz/about-ofcanz
Yet – this OFCANZ OIA reply proves that this purported ‘leading’ agency for fighting money-laundering, did NO ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Bill:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SKY-CITY-OFCANZ-OIA-REPLY-NO-DUE-DLIGENCE-RE-MONEY-LAUNDERING-bright-penny-06-c211711-2-sent-reply.pdf
The NZ International Convention Centre Bill, thus effectively undermines the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2009/0035/latest/DLM2140726.html
3 Purpose
(1)The purposes of this Act are—
(a)to detect and deter money laundering and the financing of terrorism; and
(b)to maintain and enhance New Zealand’s international reputation by adopting, where appropriate in the New Zealand context, recommendations issued by the Financial Action Task Force; and
(c)to contribute to public confidence in the financial system.
(2)Accordingly, this Act facilitates co-operation amongst reporting entities, AML/CFT supervisors, and various government agencies, in particular law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
_____________________________________________________________________________
There are a series of provisions in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009, which deal with the need for ‘DUE DILIGENCE’:
Subpart 1—Customer due diligence
10Definitions
11Customer due diligence
12Reliance on risk assessment when establishing level of risk
13Basis for verifying identity
Standard customer due diligence
14Circumstances when standard customer due diligence applies
15Standard customer due diligence: identity requirements
16Standard customer due diligence: verification of identity requirements
17Standard customer due diligence: other requirements
Simplified customer due diligence
18Circumstances when simplified customer due diligence applies
19Simplified customer due diligence: identity requirements
20Simplified customer due diligence: verification of identity requirements
21Simplified customer due diligence: other requirements
Enhanced customer due diligence
22Circumstances when enhanced customer due diligence applies
23Enhanced customer due diligence: identity requirements
24Enhanced customer due diligence: verification of identity requirements
25Enhanced customer due diligence: other requirements
26Politically exposed person
27Wire transfers: identity requirements
28Wire transfers: verification of identity requirements
29Correspondent banking relationships
30New or developing technologies, or products, that might favour anonymity
Ongoing customer due diligence and account monitoring
31Ongoing customer due diligence and account monitoring
Reliance on third parties
32Reliance on member of designated business group
33Reliance on other reporting entities or persons in another country
34Reliance on agents
35Use of information obtained from third party conducting customer due diligence
36Protection of personal information and designated business groups
Prohibitions
37Prohibitions if customer due diligence not conducted
38Prohibition on false customer names and customer anonymity
39Prohibition on establishing or continuing business relationship involving shell bank
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy/criminal-justice/aml-cft
_____________________________________________________________________________
So, how is it that the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill, can be railroaded through Parliament, without any ‘DUE DILIGENCE’, on the increased risk of money-laundering, which the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009, is supposed to help prevent?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
Whoever forms the next government should drop student loan interest from the exorbitant 5.9% that’s being charged at the moment. Something like 0% would be my preference, with the scheme done away with completely, but in the meantime 3% would be more reasonable.
Making the younger generation pay more and more is the ethos of the (rulership) age.
You only pay interest on your student loan if you leave the country. Seems fair to me.
Agreed.
And stop charging compound interest on the loans of those who are overseas. That one is a complete and utter rort: don’t bother to invest in your own country, just drive people overseas to earn their living, then track them down and rob them.
Yep. That’s why most of us are overseas. The jobs don’t exist at home, so why should they make a profit out of us?