Wayne Mapp was complaining a little while ago ,,,, about some of the name calling and emotional posts ….. after the christchurch subhuman supremacist terrorist killings.
I was pretty angry at the time recalling near on two decades of foul behavior by Key, Mapp, SIS / Kittridge, Nacts etc ,,, and the media.
——————-
When thinking about the Afghanistan village lethally attacked …. described and revealed to us in Nicky Hager & Jon Stephensons book ” Hit and Run “…. https://www.hitandrunnz.com/
I realized the terror, injury and death toll that we …. New Zealand …. inflicted on this village was of a greater scale, with much more terror, death and injury ….. than Raymond Ratima and his revenge murders in Masterton.
Both attacks were based on revenge …. but our excuse for the SAS revenge raids horrifc results, was being reckless …. I’m not sure if thats better or worse ,,,, than Raymonds psychopathic hate.
Jon Stephenson believes that Wayne Mapp is remorseful ….. I suspect Jon Stephenson is projecting his own decent personality onto Mapp …. believing him at his core to be a decent man ….
I have doubts about Wayne Mapps sincerity . and suspect the depth of his remourse is nowhere near as deep as he would have us believe.
Ignoring Waynes long posting history …. one specific and fairly recent example shows to me …. his lack of concern for children and others …. either starved, denied medicine … or killed in war.
I had written a post here ….. where I mentioned ” sanctions of mass destruction “, in relation to the half a million Iraqi children killed …. killed by the west for the crime of being born in Iraq ….
I mentioned the similar sanctions / seige put on Syria.
In the same post I also calcultated that the refugee population in Syria …. approx 1 million Iraq refugees and 400,000 Palastinians who had fled into Syria ….
Before the billions of weapons flowed into it … and the slaughter began … forcing refugees to often flee again
That This 1.4 million intake of refugees into Syria ….was equal to over four and a half centuaries of our NZ refugee intake….. or 350,000 refugees into Nz … both population adjusted figures… How would NZ cope under this situation ?
At the end of my post I made a throwaway line about Assad being a novice in the body count business….. compared to the usa in the middle east …. and thats excluding the usa support and billions spent … for the ‘moderate’ killer rebels in Syria.
Wayne stomped into a reply to my post …. and this is after ‘Hit & Run ‘ has been published …..
he started tub thumping for more war, more bombs, and more death into syria….. He didn’t say that specifically ,,, but basiclly used the Same lines as Jenny… roughly put : ….’reason you Hitler Hitler … Ass …Hitler you .. Ass . Ass .. Hitler … Hitler genocide you … Ass dictator you..
He ignored the genocide against the children of Iraq ….
He ignored all the Extra death and suffering more weapons and war into Syria would cause…..
He ignored the suffering and extra deaths from sanctions … Disappeared nothing victims to him…. future and past.
This lead me to suspect he does not care for the children killed in Afghanistan either…. And got me thinking of other child killers.
of course He could disprove my suspicions of all this…
By showing where he has donated money to his victims …. after all he made extra from his jemmied Accommodation money, that he took just like Bill english when in Parliament …. or the money he should not have received for sitting on a ‘ peace board’ http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2016/02/disarmed.html …. or just his fat salery for being the Minister of defense in Govt .
He could show a donation and He could show where he has apologized to the victims and parents of children and others …. whose killings or maimings and injury, he could have prevented.
If I don’t see that …. then I doubt he is sincere ….. and thats where my comparison with Raymond Ratima becomes really becomes apt.
Shamed and reviled …… so present and future Prime ministers and ministers of defense know there is a cost to them for siding with barbarity.
Also Raymond Ratima did not come back three days later and burn down his victims houses …. As Nz did … although no doubt Raymond would have copied the SAS ,,,, but he was locked up facing murder charges ….
aye Wayne ?
p.s …. anyone who thinks our shameful story is only about one raid …. they should watch Jeremy Scahills Movie ‘Dirty Wars’ … it’s about this topic.
🙂
We should probably call it the ‘McKinnon Effect’
You know, there used to be a few half decent Nats that now lament the state of their glorious party and what it’s come to (I mean…FFS! Paula Bennett for starters)
Wayne hasn’t woken up to it all yet – probably ‘cos he’s got fuck all else to cling to. He’ll probably go down with the ship
The USA and Israel have definitely escalated the problems in the Middle East, time for the USA and the Orange Orangataun to tidy up there own backyard ?
Yes, he kept himself clean while those around him wallowed in the mud. He deserves respect for that, but it’s a pity he didn’t publicly separate himself from the mud-slinging that went on over the Key years. Instead he seems to be in denial it ever happened.
I know it is an impossibility, but it would be great to have a couple of midweek days without any public transport in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. None at all.
Experiencing that would be good. It might not affect Hosking much as he drives to work early in the morning and probably doesn’t drive home at peak school/close of work times.
He starts with “More from our theory vs reality file.” The reality of no public transport?
Why are we subject to “Mike Hoskins and Kate Hawkesbury’s Theory of Life” every day, haven’t MSM got some more mature educated commentators who can give us some accurate information rather than just personal opinions ?
Yes skunkweed too many listen in fascinated horror and obsessively pass on the titbits. It’s like a gossip column – ‘Have you heard? Oh did he, isn’t that awful’.
One of the Games is actually called ‘Ain’t It Awful’. It comes in four styles –
‘Parental pastime, Adult pastime, Child pastime and game.’
In this link there is an analysis of someone playing the Parental pastime style, though I am not sure this is the one to apply to Hosking commenters, it might be appropriate. http://www.ericberne.com/games-people-play/aint-it-awful/
This is an example that regular commenters will recognise. In the game entitled “Now I’ve Got You, You Son of a Bitch,” one who discovers that another has made a minor mistake in a matter involving them both, holds the entire matter hostage to the minor mistake.
If the comment was directed at me I make a point of not listening to or watching Mike Hosking. I saw his comment piece on the Herald online. Rather than rubbish the self-centred cretin for self-centred cretinous attitudes the headline indicated, I read through it. As a responsible adult would.
Funny that without asking an adult I found the intellectual basis of what Hosking was on about at a sort of cretin level.
It’s hilarious he’s banging on about this at the same time AT have just released the March ridership stats for public transport in Auckland. 10.2 million boardings for the month, the first time we’ve cracked 10,000,000 rides in one calendar month since the tram network was ripped out in the 50s.
They are looking at adopting something a senior National Party MP is proposing are they? It wasn’t yet formal National Party policy but it was certainly heading that way.
Nick Smith was advocating this about 3 months ago.
“And in a speech last night to Nelson Rotary, Smith doubled down and went public with his call for electoral finance reform, saying he wished to promote “a ban on foreign donations.” https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12195007
I doubt that there will be a full ban though. It won’t happen unless Ardern does a massive flip-flop and Tsar Winston lets her do it.
After all, back in January we had
“The proposals floated by Smith – described as “ideas for discussion” and “not National policy – appear to markedly contrast with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s recent defence of New Zealand’s political donation regime as “pretty good,” and not in need of any reform”
I wonder who had provided so much money to the Labour Party that they couldn’t offend the donor, and whether it is connected to the abject kowtowing she was doing on her rushed trip to Beijing recently?
It wasn’t Nick Smith who prompted a wider discussion on foreign donations. You do recall that awkward phone call with Simon, right? One Asian, two Indians and a Cheque?
But you’ve spun it into some Ardern-based conspiracy about her trip to China?
You think she had to fly there to get the dosh? No eftpos?
Wasn’t Nick Smith? Did you look at the story I linked to?
I assume when you talk about a phone call you mean the one that J L Ross used to rabbit on about?
When it was produced it was clear that Bridges had done everything by the book and it was only Ross who might have been stretching things a it.
As for Eftpos? There is nothing like a brown paper bag when you are trying to hide the source of money.
Just ask a former Labour Party President what he would have done with dodgy donations.
“More locally, a high-profile research paper by professor Brady, and allegations about foreign donation laundering from disgraced former National Party MP Jami-Lee Ross, have put the spotlight on political donations linked to China.”
You reckon there was a brown paper bag delivered in Beijing?
You did notice the most significant words in the quote you gave didn’t you?
They were allegations and disgraced.
As in ” ALLEGATIONS about foreign donation laundering from DISGRACED former National Party MP”
His claims and what he said was “evidence” had nothing in common.
Alwyn, jlr went on leave in October 2018, the article you linked to was about Dr custard doing a talk in Jan 2019.
Maybe Dr custards interest is more like damage control post jlr….
Edit Dr custard has been campaigning locally on the failed southern link dream and a possible fishing museum in port nelson for around 20 years now, he was in government for around half that time and bugger all progress on either. He needed something new going into the coming election and national needed some jlr damage control… funny how things pan out.
“The proposals floated by Smith – described as “ideas for discussion” and “not National policy – appear to markedly contrast with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s recent defence of New Zealand’s political donation regime as “pretty good,” and not in need of any reform”
Interesting stance taken there by Jacinda.
However, with at least four out of every five dollars donated to the two big parties being given secretly (see link below) it’s hard to see anyone seriously sharing her belief.
A nifty domestic diversion from Brexit https://www.theguardian.com/…david-cameron-amritsar-massacre-india
but as Churchill noted it was just a continuation of colonial policy https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/…ologising-for-the-amritsar-massacre
When did May start wearing that patch over her eye, it makes her look like the pirate queen of the Conservatives! But hey, that’s what she is. Monty Python and the good ship The Crimson Permanent Assurance would have had her up on the bridge if she wasn’t still in school learning the arts of the upper class in how to rob the poor of all hope, mishandle a country and still not have to say sorry.
Anzac Day 25 April coming up. I think it should be renamed Remembrance Day, remembering all not just connected with Gallipoli and WW1 in some confused people’s minds. RSAs all should wake up and embrace your fellow defenders and all personnel from war, peacekeeping and similar activities.
A new foundation has been established to help defence force veterans transition to life in civvies. Post Transition has been founded by former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata and his partner Jen Martin.
They say servicemen and women need much more support when they leave the Defence Force – from help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to assistance finding jobs in the private sector.
As an act of quiet semi-subversion I have started watching the 1964 BBC tv doco “The Great War” on YouTube. Four episodes down about another 20 to go. I remember watching it as a kid on the b&w tv on Sunday evenings with mum & dad – it felt fixating, weird and scary as eff at the time. Now I realise that 1964 was only 46 years after 1918, and today is 55 years after 1964. Something of a shock.
I don’t think ANZAC Day should be renamed as us new generations of Veterans will always remember those that have gone before us in war and in peacetime as I do every ANZAC Day and on Cambrai Day.
With ANZAC Day is losing it meaning as it slowly becoming a Dog and Pony Show or as a mate at my bush estate says a bloody “ Moomba March” as we have every Tom, Dick and Harry marching now. With Members of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians who have turned it to Nationalist Day of back slapping of say how great the ADF/ NZDF are with colours flying and troops marching with bayonets fix etc and treat us veterans like we are the best thing since slice bread. But in reality they treat us with contempt over the years denying veterans comp’o for their physical or mental scars. Then have the bloody sky pilots crapping Nationalist religious tripe with all its BS.
Two things cause wars Religion and Politics aka Members of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians.
As the great Clausewitz said “War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.” Yet Members of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians still send members of its Armed Forces overseas or on NonWarlike operations with the cheapest built equipment, poorly equipped, ill suited of the job/ mission or for the operations hand or badly outdated equipment with poor pay and conditions as well to top it off. When we return treat us like shit as veterans, where we have to fight demons to our entitlements that these self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politician promise us in return for our service to the Country.
Tomorrow I head back to the PTSD clinic for 4-6 wks treatment because I had another run down the rabbit hole as result of my Peacekeeping and having to deal with a couple of workplace related and attempted suicides.
Might send my ANZAC Day speech I gave a few yrs ago to be published for ANZAC Day that I presented at Dundee Beach War Memorial on the Timor Sea. Our Drawn service you won’t see a member of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians or a Sky Pilot as they are not welcome to say their bit of tosh/ BS as what have they done for us in return of our service to the ADF or NZDF over the yrs 4/5ths of SFA I say.
Its a tough choice Exkiwi…ANZAC day dying with the returned servicepersons a la a couple of decades ago…or claimed, misappropriated and given new life by (largely) self servers?…..I think I can guess where the old servers would stand.
Keep happy Ex Kiwi though it sounds a wee bit tough for you all from time to time. Thinking of politicians, I was talking to someone from England today and we thought of Tony Blair and how he sent troops to Iraq even though the experts said there was no justification, and Dr Kelly committed suicide.
It bothers me that some people can only think of WW1 on Anzac Day, that is why I was talking about Remembrance Day. The stories I read about forces and the conditions since WW1, and as you say the lack of support when you return, makes it important that there isn’t a general down-grading of the efforts and the suffering of the Forces and not forgetting the enemy.
Here we spent $16 million providing a new War Memorial for the anniversary of WW1, it would have been right to dedicate a statue of a dove or something and put the rest into resources to help with health issues. Good news though – did you see about Willie Apiata V.C. in my comment at #9.?
I found the letter in a cardboard box,
Unfamous history. I read the words.
The ink was frail and brown, the paper dry
After so many years of being kept.
The letter was a soldier’s, from the front—
Conveyed his love and disappointed hope
Of getting leave. It’s cancelled now, he wrote.
My luck is at the bottom of the sea.
Outside the sun was hot; the world looked bright;
I heard a radio, and someone laughed.
I did not sing, or laugh, or love the sun,
Within the quiet room I thought of him,
My father killed, and all the other men,
Whose luck was at the bottom of the sea.
Clifford Dyment
or Dreamers
By Siegfried Sassoon
Soldiers are citizens of death’s grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time’s to-morrows.
In the great hour of destiny they stand,
Each with his feuds, and jealousies, and sorrows.
Soldiers are sworn to action; they must win
Some flaming, fatal climax with their lives.
Soldiers are dreamers; when the guns begin
They think of firelit homes, clean beds and wives.
I see them in foul dug-outs, gnawed by rats,
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain,
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats,
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays, and picture shows, and spats,
And going to the office in the train.
Three trucks crashed , within 10 km, during daylight. What is the cause.
Overlong hours. We can’t get truck drivers to fill the jobs. Why? Is there a trace of meth or marijuana on their breath? Are they not being paid fairly? Are there more crashes because untrained, immature people are being utilised? https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/386849/driver-dies-after-hours-trapped-in-truck-crash
Chris Trotter has a write-up today about the battle between the PMC, Professional and Managerial Class on the one hand and tradesmen on the other in a battle as to who should pay fairer tax. It might be good to look at these responsible jobs with unsocial hours like truckers have and see the truth of our unfair wage setup.
Sometimes, he has a brainstorm and goes right off the reservation.
“Bit of a cognitive disconnect here.
The overwhelming majority of tradies own a business with one to three staff, which depends on the labour and skills of the owner to remain viable. From NZ labour force survey.
Only a very few, are ever worth enough on sale to attract capital gains taxes.
Though many of us hope we get something.
The payers of capital gains taxes, will be that very managerial class that you are talking about, with their three or many more rentals, the children of the wealthy, and corporate farmers with millions of dollars in land speculation.
High land prices, and the necessary borrowing for trade premises, make life difficult for genuine businesses.”
Annette Sykes talks about the success they have had with young people in Rotorua helping them with their literacy and numeracy on the road to getting drivers
licences which gives them something solid to aim to achieve.
Earlier this week the government announced young people in state care, or who receive a benefit, will be eligible free driving lessons.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter says young drivers who have never held a driver licence were involved in 165 fatal or serious injury crashes, and this scheme will make our roads safer. It will cost around $5 million. Annette Sykes is a Maori lawyer. She talks to Gyles Beckford.
This has a really good cost/benefit outcome for those with twitching noses at the smell of a welfare policy aimed towards better outcomes, rather than punitive measures.
One of our comunity constables here in Nelson had a lot of success with this as a positive move for the young people. He was very much appreciated and liked. It would be good if Police had an arm that worked with young chaps at gyms etc as they used to in the UK. It doesn’t stop all crime, but there is a chance of lessening it and having better relations between police and the young.
When Labour announced this on Facebook, there was a whole bunch of comments bashing bennies, getting even more, from self styled “hard working Kiwi’s”.
Here you go whanau 40 % of Amercians make $15 a HOUR I know that all the minority cultures make up most of that 40 % big busness are the biggest RECEVERS of socialism its is just not well published with OUR media being controled by $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ BIG busness get to suppress these facts but they kick the shit out of socialism for the common poor person who has as much right to Papatuanuku resorces as a wealthy person in ECO MAORI EYES. Big busness don’t want strong governence why because they don’t want the goverments to make them shear there stolen wealth and they don’t want goverments to be able to stop them ripping the people off and sending them to JAIL when they get caught THATS A FACT. Not many went to jail for the crimes of the 2008 BIG SHORT .
In his annual letter to shareholders, distributed last week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon took aim at socialism, warning it would be “a disaster for our country,” because it produces “stagnation, corruption and often worse.”
Dimon should know. He was at the helm when JPMorgan received a $25bn socialist-like bailout in 2008, after it and other Wall Street banks almost tanked because of their reckless loans.
Dimon subsequently agreed to pay the government $13bn to settle charges that the bank overstated the quality of mortgages it was selling to investors in the run-up to the crisis. According to the Justice Department, JPMorgan acknowledged it had regularly and knowingly sold mortgages that should have never been sold. (Presumably this is where the “stagnation, corruption and often worse” comes in.)
The $13bn penalty was chicken feed to the biggest bank on Wall Street, whose profits last year alone amounted to $35bn. Besides, JPMorgan was able to deduct around $11bn of the settlement costs from its taxable income.
If this isn’t socialism, what is it?
Yet it’s a particular form of socialism. Millions of homeowners who owed more on their homes than the homes became worth didn’t get bailed out. Millions of workers who lost their jobs or their savings, or both, didn’t get bailed out. No major banker went to jail.
Call it socialism for rich bankers.
It’s a gift that keeps giving. Dimon took advantage of the financial crisis to acquire Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual, vastly enlarging JPMorgan. America’s five biggest banks, including Dimon’s, now control 46% of all deposits, up from 12% in the early 1990s.
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And because they’re so big, Dimon’s and other big Wall Street banks are now considered “too big to fail”. This translates into a hidden subsidy of some $83bn a year, because creditors who face less risk accept lower interest on deposits and loans.
More socialism for rich bankers
Dimon was also instrumental in getting the big Trump tax cuts through Congress. They saved JPMorgan and the other big banks $21bn last year alone.
Dimon was paid $31m last year. He is estimated by Forbes to be worth $1.3bn.
Ironically, a few weeks ago Dimon warned that income inequality is dividing America. He said that a “big chunk” of Americans have been left behind, and, announcing a $350m program to train workers for the jobs of the future, lamented that 40% of Americans make less than $15 an hour.
True, but $350m over five years isn’t even a drop in the ocean for the Americans left behind.
Wall Street bonuses totaled $27.5bn last year, which is more three times the combined annual earnings of all American workers employed full-time at the federal minimum wage. That’s more than 600,000 low-wage workers.
If Dimon were serious about the problem of widening inequality, he’d use his lobbying prowess to help raise the federal minimum wage. He’d also try to make it easier for workers to unionize, and to raise taxes on the super-wealthy like himself.
Ka kite ano links below
You see whanau what ECO Maori knows about computers is when I drag the NZ JUSTICE SYSTEM Over the hot coals of a COURT HOUSE All the evidence of the sandflys stuffing with my divices will be the wait for me to find it as what goes down on the Internet stays there it cannot be totally erased Ka kite ano P.S I have heaps of witnesses as well
You see Whanau it took no fish the PEE adict sandflys over 2 years to to get me out of the whare how do I know he is a PEE adict well who builds late at night he was doing everything at strange times I went to say HELLO and he acted like I was a savage. He cheated to he got his m8 the white churchy owner to falsely claim the flat was going to be sold my last day scrubbing the flat out I asked the neighbours if they were moving out she said no the flat hasn’t been sold next 10 minutes the letting agents rang and told it that the flats were not sold ass covering move the last one Ma te wa whanau Ka kite ano
Eco Maori agrees with this opionion were are leaveing OUR mokopuna a great big MESS in human caused climate change the baby boomers are just lavashing and rolling in the money they have made abusing the Mokopuna future Papatuanuku/WORLD. Ma te wa
The Wall, when I discovered that I was completely obsessed by intergenerational inequality. In particular, by the question of intergenerational inequality linked to climate change. Who knew? Certainly not me.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with intergenerational inequality. At least, there’s nothing wrong with the version of it that existed in the developed world for much of the 20th century. That kind of inequality was based on the idea that life should be gradually better, from one generation to another – more secure, more prosperous, healthier, longer. That means that children got a better deal than their parents, but that was fine; indeed, in this version of the social contract, that was the whole point.
Save for our pensions? We millennials can barely find the money to live
Poppy Noor
This model for a relationship between the generations has broken down. There are numerous reasons for this, and some are side-effects of positive social trends. When the UK state pension was introduced in 1908, it kicked in at the age of 70; but only one in four people lived past that age. In other words, most people died before they were able to collect any state pension at all. Today, life expectancy at birth is 82.9 years for women, 79.2 for men. This is, it goes without saying, a hugely positive development, but it plays havoc with the actuarial mathematics. Our state pension system resembles a benign Ponzi scheme, in which people in work are paying for liabilities accrued by the generation older than them who have now retired. When the retired generation is bigger than the working generation, there are obvious problems with making the sums work. You end up with different versions of the welfare state being experienced by different generations. A huge body of social science has been done on this subject, and you can sum it up in seven words: the baby boomers ate all the pies. Ka kite ano links below.
Here you go Whanau just a few of the many stories about tangata whenua O Atoearoa being suppressed instertutional RACISM Ma te wa whanau you see the people who really control NZ the state servants worked out years ago that Pacific people will out number the European people in a while that is why they flood the land with imagination because they know those people will believe there lies and vote for them Pacific people will control Aotearoa with in 30 years I will be around to help ACHIEVE this
When I sat there and listened to the New Zealand government do their spiel it felt like they put up a tourism brochure, written by PR people who have never been to New Zealand. I don’t know how such intelligent senior public servants could deny the institutional racism that is prevalent in their administration of the public sector. It was quite a bizarre experience to see that,” says the AUT senior lecturer in public health
Lurking behind racism in New Zealand is the clear fact that Pākehā will no longer be the majority here in a few short years and some are hanging on to the old comfortable privilege with desperation. They could save themselves a lot of discomfort by learning the facts of our history, learning to speak Māori and becoming part of the new, inclusive New Zealand which is just around the corner https://i.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/opinion/107143254/racism-thriving-in-new-zealandou have. It includes the house you (may) own, your car, your investments, and the savings you’ve accrued. Generally when comparing wealth across groups in society, you compare the ‘median’ individual – the person who half of a specified group is wealthier than, and half of that group is poorer than.
In 2015, the median NZ European had $114,000 of wealth. The median Māori had just $23,000. That’s a gap of $91,000 Ka kite ano
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ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
This year has been a big one for me personally and professionally. The firm won the Litigation and Disputes Resolution Firm of the year award on November 28 and I was an Excellence Finalist in the category of firm leader for a firm with under 100 staff. I was also ...
Opinion: In 2024, 64 countries were scheduled to hold different types of national elections this year for an array of offices.Some of these, of course, were more democratic than others, but it made for a bumper year for election nerds like me.Incumbents had a bad year – more than three ...
Pacific Media Watch Five Palestinian journalists have been killed in a new Israeli strike near a hospital in central Gaza after four reporters were killed last week, reports Al Jazeera citing authorities and media in the besieged enclave. The journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel were covering events near al-Awda ...
RNZ Pacific A large 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila , shortly after 3pm NZT today. The US Geological Survey says the quake was recorded at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles). Locals have been sharing footage of serious damage to infrastructure ...
By Victor Barreiro Jr in Manila Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan, has condemned the state of Israel on Christmas Eve for its relentless attacks on Gaza that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. “I can’t think of any other people in the world who live in darkness ...
By Cheerieann Wilson in Suva Veteran journalist and editor Stanley Simpson has spoken about the enduring power of storytelling and its role in shaping Fiji’s identity. Reflecting on his journey at the launch of FijiNikua, a magazine launched by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on Christmas Eve, Simpson shared personal anecdotes ...
Summer reissue: From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter ...
Summer reissue: David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. Doug (I’ll call him ...
Summer reissue: I watched all 46 of Tom Cruise’s films over the past 12 months. The question on everyone’s lips: why?The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...
Summer reissue: In recent years, checking online for a green tick has become a necessary habit for Aucklanders heading to the beach. Shanti Mathias tags along with the team tasked with testing the water for pollution – and figuring out how to stop it. The Spinoff needs to double the ...
Summer reissue: After two decades of promised redevelopment, Johnsonville Shopping Centre remains neglected and half empty. Joel MacManus searches for answers in the decaying suburban mall. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter ...
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So much to digest on this ‘black friday’ I think; -. phew!!!!
*Assange arrest.
*Bussiness NZ political Poll 11/4/19. says Labour at 49% National at 41%
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/04/11/latest-poll-labour-49-6-national-41-3-nz-first-2-3-greens-3-9/
Raymond Ratima and Wayne Mapp …..
Wayne Mapp was complaining a little while ago ,,,, about some of the name calling and emotional posts ….. after the christchurch subhuman supremacist terrorist killings.
I was pretty angry at the time recalling near on two decades of foul behavior by Key, Mapp, SIS / Kittridge, Nacts etc ,,, and the media.
——————-
When thinking about the Afghanistan village lethally attacked …. described and revealed to us in Nicky Hager & Jon Stephensons book ” Hit and Run “…. https://www.hitandrunnz.com/
I realized the terror, injury and death toll that we …. New Zealand …. inflicted on this village was of a greater scale, with much more terror, death and injury ….. than Raymond Ratima and his revenge murders in Masterton.
Both attacks were based on revenge …. but our excuse for the SAS revenge raids horrifc results, was being reckless …. I’m not sure if thats better or worse ,,,, than Raymonds psychopathic hate.
Jon Stephenson believes that Wayne Mapp is remorseful ….. I suspect Jon Stephenson is projecting his own decent personality onto Mapp …. believing him at his core to be a decent man ….
I have doubts about Wayne Mapps sincerity . and suspect the depth of his remourse is nowhere near as deep as he would have us believe.
Ignoring Waynes long posting history …. one specific and fairly recent example shows to me …. his lack of concern for children and others …. either starved, denied medicine … or killed in war.
I had written a post here ….. where I mentioned ” sanctions of mass destruction “, in relation to the half a million Iraqi children killed …. killed by the west for the crime of being born in Iraq ….
I mentioned the similar sanctions / seige put on Syria.
In the same post I also calcultated that the refugee population in Syria …. approx 1 million Iraq refugees and 400,000 Palastinians who had fled into Syria ….
Before the billions of weapons flowed into it … and the slaughter began … forcing refugees to often flee again
That This 1.4 million intake of refugees into Syria ….was equal to over four and a half centuaries of our NZ refugee intake….. or 350,000 refugees into Nz … both population adjusted figures… How would NZ cope under this situation ?
At the end of my post I made a throwaway line about Assad being a novice in the body count business….. compared to the usa in the middle east …. and thats excluding the usa support and billions spent … for the ‘moderate’ killer rebels in Syria.
Wayne stomped into a reply to my post …. and this is after ‘Hit & Run ‘ has been published …..
he started tub thumping for more war, more bombs, and more death into syria….. He didn’t say that specifically ,,, but basiclly used the Same lines as Jenny… roughly put : ….’reason you Hitler Hitler … Ass …Hitler you .. Ass . Ass .. Hitler … Hitler genocide you … Ass dictator you..
He ignored the genocide against the children of Iraq ….
He ignored all the Extra death and suffering more weapons and war into Syria would cause…..
He ignored the suffering and extra deaths from sanctions … Disappeared nothing victims to him…. future and past.
This lead me to suspect he does not care for the children killed in Afghanistan either…. And got me thinking of other child killers.
of course He could disprove my suspicions of all this…
By showing where he has donated money to his victims …. after all he made extra from his jemmied Accommodation money, that he took just like Bill english when in Parliament …. or the money he should not have received for sitting on a ‘ peace board’ http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2016/02/disarmed.html …. or just his fat salery for being the Minister of defense in Govt .
He could show a donation and He could show where he has apologized to the victims and parents of children and others …. whose killings or maimings and injury, he could have prevented.
If I don’t see that …. then I doubt he is sincere ….. and thats where my comparison with Raymond Ratima becomes really becomes apt.
Shamed and reviled …… so present and future Prime ministers and ministers of defense know there is a cost to them for siding with barbarity.
Also Raymond Ratima did not come back three days later and burn down his victims houses …. As Nz did … although no doubt Raymond would have copied the SAS ,,,, but he was locked up facing murder charges ….
aye Wayne ?
p.s …. anyone who thinks our shameful story is only about one raid …. they should watch Jeremy Scahills Movie ‘Dirty Wars’ … it’s about this topic.
Disappeared Victims …..
Wayne has a role to play which he does very well.
Unlike others who worked in team shonky he’s not got skeletons like SCF, GSCB, skycity, double dipping etc so he remains on this scene.
This is an elder statesperson of the national party now….there’s your benchmark
Coincidental Donkey proximity to origin global derivatives financial crisis and Brexit??
4th estate also is 5th estate?
🙂
We should probably call it the ‘McKinnon Effect’
You know, there used to be a few half decent Nats that now lament the state of their glorious party and what it’s come to (I mean…FFS! Paula Bennett for starters)
Wayne hasn’t woken up to it all yet – probably ‘cos he’s got fuck all else to cling to. He’ll probably go down with the ship
The USA and Israel have definitely escalated the problems in the Middle East, time for the USA and the Orange Orangataun to tidy up there own backyard ?
Yes, he kept himself clean while those around him wallowed in the mud. He deserves respect for that, but it’s a pity he didn’t publicly separate himself from the mud-slinging that went on over the Key years. Instead he seems to be in denial it ever happened.
Mike Hosking is on about public transport. Again
I know it is an impossibility, but it would be great to have a couple of midweek days without any public transport in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. None at all.
Experiencing that would be good. It might not affect Hosking much as he drives to work early in the morning and probably doesn’t drive home at peak school/close of work times.
He starts with “More from our theory vs reality file.” The reality of no public transport?
Why are we subject to “Mike Hoskins and Kate Hawkesbury’s Theory of Life” every day, haven’t MSM got some more mature educated commentators who can give us some accurate information rather than just personal opinions ?
Yes skunkweed too many listen in fascinated horror and obsessively pass on the titbits. It’s like a gossip column – ‘Have you heard? Oh did he, isn’t that awful’.
This behaviour is one of many we adopt that Eric Berne analysed in 1964 and published in Games People Play.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_People_Play_(book)
One of the Games is actually called ‘Ain’t It Awful’. It comes in four styles –
‘Parental pastime, Adult pastime, Child pastime and game.’
In this link there is an analysis of someone playing the Parental pastime style, though I am not sure this is the one to apply to Hosking commenters, it might be appropriate.
http://www.ericberne.com/games-people-play/aint-it-awful/
This is an example that regular commenters will recognise.
In the game entitled “Now I’ve Got You, You Son of a Bitch,” one who discovers that another has made a minor mistake in a matter involving them both, holds the entire matter hostage to the minor mistake.
Transactional Analysis – a fancy name for asking why did you say that and I reply like this?
http://www.ericberne.com/games-people-play/
I wonder what game I am playing at the moment? And if you look and decide on which, then what game are you playing?
You are not subjected to it – you can easily select another channel to listen to if you don’t like it.
If you don’t have the intellect to change channel by yourself – ask an adult.
Thanks James – you are always there with the intelligent, practical comment.
You’re more than welcome.
If the comment was directed at me I make a point of not listening to or watching Mike Hosking. I saw his comment piece on the Herald online. Rather than rubbish the self-centred cretin for self-centred cretinous attitudes the headline indicated, I read through it. As a responsible adult would.
Funny that without asking an adult I found the intellectual basis of what Hosking was on about at a sort of cretin level.
It’s hilarious he’s banging on about this at the same time AT have just released the March ridership stats for public transport in Auckland. 10.2 million boardings for the month, the first time we’ve cracked 10,000,000 rides in one calendar month since the tram network was ripped out in the 50s.
Seems unlikely there will be a total ban on foreign donations.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018690680/ban-on-foreign-donations-to-nz-political-parties-considered
They are looking at adopting something a senior National Party MP is proposing are they? It wasn’t yet formal National Party policy but it was certainly heading that way.
Nick Smith was advocating this about 3 months ago.
“And in a speech last night to Nelson Rotary, Smith doubled down and went public with his call for electoral finance reform, saying he wished to promote “a ban on foreign donations.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12195007
I doubt that there will be a full ban though. It won’t happen unless Ardern does a massive flip-flop and Tsar Winston lets her do it.
After all, back in January we had
“The proposals floated by Smith – described as “ideas for discussion” and “not National policy – appear to markedly contrast with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s recent defence of New Zealand’s political donation regime as “pretty good,” and not in need of any reform”
I wonder who had provided so much money to the Labour Party that they couldn’t offend the donor, and whether it is connected to the abject kowtowing she was doing on her rushed trip to Beijing recently?
It wasn’t Nick Smith who prompted a wider discussion on foreign donations. You do recall that awkward phone call with Simon, right? One Asian, two Indians and a Cheque?
But you’ve spun it into some Ardern-based conspiracy about her trip to China?
You think she had to fly there to get the dosh? No eftpos?
Wasn’t Nick Smith? Did you look at the story I linked to?
I assume when you talk about a phone call you mean the one that J L Ross used to rabbit on about?
When it was produced it was clear that Bridges had done everything by the book and it was only Ross who might have been stretching things a it.
As for Eftpos? There is nothing like a brown paper bag when you are trying to hide the source of money.
Just ask a former Labour Party President what he would have done with dodgy donations.
“Did you look at the story I linked to?”
Yep. This one here:
“More locally, a high-profile research paper by professor Brady, and allegations about foreign donation laundering from disgraced former National Party MP Jami-Lee Ross, have put the spotlight on political donations linked to China.”
You reckon there was a brown paper bag delivered in Beijing?
Sandwiches?
You did notice the most significant words in the quote you gave didn’t you?
They were allegations and disgraced.
As in ” ALLEGATIONS about foreign donation laundering from DISGRACED former National Party MP”
His claims and what he said was “evidence” had nothing in common.
“His claims and what he said was “evidence” had nothing in common.”
Yet, seems there was enough evidence for the police to pass the case on to the Serious Fraud Office to investigate.
Alwyn, jlr went on leave in October 2018, the article you linked to was about Dr custard doing a talk in Jan 2019.
Maybe Dr custards interest is more like damage control post jlr….
Edit Dr custard has been campaigning locally on the failed southern link dream and a possible fishing museum in port nelson for around 20 years now, he was in government for around half that time and bugger all progress on either. He needed something new going into the coming election and national needed some jlr damage control… funny how things pan out.
“The proposals floated by Smith – described as “ideas for discussion” and “not National policy – appear to markedly contrast with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s recent defence of New Zealand’s political donation regime as “pretty good,” and not in need of any reform”
Interesting stance taken there by Jacinda.
However, with at least four out of every five dollars donated to the two big parties being given secretly (see link below) it’s hard to see anyone seriously sharing her belief.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95945991/new-push-for-transparency-with-four-out-of-every-five-dollars-donated-to-big-parties-given-secretly
Herald continues to it’s right wing whine a day series with a bitch about public transport day.
Ahhh, the many ways to play hide and seek with dodgy deals.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/maryanne-trump-barry-sister-resigns-tax-fraud_n_5caf598be4b0308735d62aa4
Can someone please explain to me what the bloody Brits are up to ?
Monty Python was supposed to be a caricature ..
As for the Amritsar massacre, May has just decided to apologize
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ykYqy9ttg
https://www.financialexpress.com/…/1543333
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jallianwala_Bagh_massacre
https://www.thehindu.com/…/article26756834.ece
A nifty domestic diversion from Brexit
https://www.theguardian.com/…david-cameron-amritsar-massacre-india
but as Churchill noted it was just a continuation of colonial policy
https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/…ologising-for-the-amritsar-massacre
Corbyn calls for a full apology
https://www.mirror.co.uk/…remy-corbyn-says-theresa-should-14274799-
https://www.historians.org/…ic-massacre-of-1919-warrant-an-apology
.. we could do the same for Gate Pa.
When did May start wearing that patch over her eye, it makes her look like the pirate queen of the Conservatives! But hey, that’s what she is. Monty Python and the good ship The Crimson Permanent Assurance would have had her up on the bridge if she wasn’t still in school learning the arts of the upper class in how to rob the poor of all hope, mishandle a country and still not have to say sorry.
Anzac Day 25 April coming up. I think it should be renamed Remembrance Day, remembering all not just connected with Gallipoli and WW1 in some confused people’s minds. RSAs all should wake up and embrace your fellow defenders and all personnel from war, peacekeeping and similar activities.
With Remembrance Day coming up! – here is a positive move on behalf of war-torn personnel in NZ.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018690709/help-to-get-from-the-military-to-civvy-street
A new foundation has been established to help defence force veterans transition to life in civvies. Post Transition has been founded by former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata and his partner Jen Martin.
They say servicemen and women need much more support when they leave the Defence Force – from help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, to assistance finding jobs in the private sector.
As an act of quiet semi-subversion I have started watching the 1964 BBC tv doco “The Great War” on YouTube. Four episodes down about another 20 to go. I remember watching it as a kid on the b&w tv on Sunday evenings with mum & dad – it felt fixating, weird and scary as eff at the time. Now I realise that 1964 was only 46 years after 1918, and today is 55 years after 1964. Something of a shock.
II’ll be standing there with two of my army comrades from our 10th intake in 1964, the year our 161 battery went to Vietnam.
Ah, a Drop Short are we and a follow member of the Cordite Club as well.
I knew there was something I like about you. 😂
Have you got your Aussie UGC yet?
Sorry for coming late on this,
I don’t think ANZAC Day should be renamed as us new generations of Veterans will always remember those that have gone before us in war and in peacetime as I do every ANZAC Day and on Cambrai Day.
With ANZAC Day is losing it meaning as it slowly becoming a Dog and Pony Show or as a mate at my bush estate says a bloody “ Moomba March” as we have every Tom, Dick and Harry marching now. With Members of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians who have turned it to Nationalist Day of back slapping of say how great the ADF/ NZDF are with colours flying and troops marching with bayonets fix etc and treat us veterans like we are the best thing since slice bread. But in reality they treat us with contempt over the years denying veterans comp’o for their physical or mental scars. Then have the bloody sky pilots crapping Nationalist religious tripe with all its BS.
Two things cause wars Religion and Politics aka Members of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians.
As the great Clausewitz said “War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.” Yet Members of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians still send members of its Armed Forces overseas or on NonWarlike operations with the cheapest built equipment, poorly equipped, ill suited of the job/ mission or for the operations hand or badly outdated equipment with poor pay and conditions as well to top it off. When we return treat us like shit as veterans, where we have to fight demons to our entitlements that these self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politician promise us in return for our service to the Country.
Tomorrow I head back to the PTSD clinic for 4-6 wks treatment because I had another run down the rabbit hole as result of my Peacekeeping and having to deal with a couple of workplace related and attempted suicides.
Might send my ANZAC Day speech I gave a few yrs ago to be published for ANZAC Day that I presented at Dundee Beach War Memorial on the Timor Sea. Our Drawn service you won’t see a member of the self intitlement/ self serving- self licking ice creams called Politicians or a Sky Pilot as they are not welcome to say their bit of tosh/ BS as what have they done for us in return of our service to the ADF or NZDF over the yrs 4/5ths of SFA I say.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomba
Its a tough choice Exkiwi…ANZAC day dying with the returned servicepersons a la a couple of decades ago…or claimed, misappropriated and given new life by (largely) self servers?…..I think I can guess where the old servers would stand.
Keep happy Ex Kiwi though it sounds a wee bit tough for you all from time to time. Thinking of politicians, I was talking to someone from England today and we thought of Tony Blair and how he sent troops to Iraq even though the experts said there was no justification, and Dr Kelly committed suicide.
It bothers me that some people can only think of WW1 on Anzac Day, that is why I was talking about Remembrance Day. The stories I read about forces and the conditions since WW1, and as you say the lack of support when you return, makes it important that there isn’t a general down-grading of the efforts and the suffering of the Forces and not forgetting the enemy.
Here we spent $16 million providing a new War Memorial for the anniversary of WW1, it would have been right to dedicate a statue of a dove or something and put the rest into resources to help with health issues. Good news though – did you see about Willie Apiata V.C. in my comment at #9.?
Probably this poem has become a cliche’. But do you think that WH Auden’s poem 1 September 1939 says things well?
http://www.poemdujour.com/Sept1.1939.html
I feel that it takes poetry to give an affect of what it’s like, so looked up
some more.
https://interestingliterature.com/2015/11/02/the-best-war-poems-everyone-should-read/
I think there has to be another agency beyond police to handle matters they feel they are not equipped to deal with. The case where the bridge is down at Waiho might have been one time where there were special conditions placed and warnings given and waivers of some sort signed which would have been passed onto another authority specifically assessing danger.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/386880/police-warning-stops-man-from-transporting-cars-people-in-truck-across-waiho-river
Three trucks crashed , within 10 km, during daylight. What is the cause.
Overlong hours. We can’t get truck drivers to fill the jobs. Why? Is there a trace of meth or marijuana on their breath? Are they not being paid fairly? Are there more crashes because untrained, immature people are being utilised?
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/386849/driver-dies-after-hours-trapped-in-truck-crash
Chris Trotter has a write-up today about the battle between the PMC, Professional and Managerial Class on the one hand and tradesmen on the other in a battle as to who should pay fairer tax. It might be good to look at these responsible jobs with unsocial hours like truckers have and see the truth of our unfair wage setup.
What I wrote in answer to Trotter.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2019/04/making-tradies-pay.html
Sometimes, he has a brainstorm and goes right off the reservation.
“Bit of a cognitive disconnect here.
The overwhelming majority of tradies own a business with one to three staff, which depends on the labour and skills of the owner to remain viable. From NZ labour force survey.
Only a very few, are ever worth enough on sale to attract capital gains taxes.
Though many of us hope we get something.
The payers of capital gains taxes, will be that very managerial class that you are talking about, with their three or many more rentals, the children of the wealthy, and corporate farmers with millions of dollars in land speculation.
High land prices, and the necessary borrowing for trade premises, make life difficult for genuine businesses.”
Thieves to the left of you, rogues to the right, steer down the middle and hope you’re staying tight..
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/386839/employees-salaries-paid-to-thieves-in-new-scam-police
For no good reason
Nice.
Annette Sykes talks about the success they have had with young people in Rotorua helping them with their literacy and numeracy on the road to getting drivers
licences which gives them something solid to aim to achieve.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018690694/hopes-driver-licences-for-at-risk-youth-to-lower-crashes
transport law
8:16 am today
Hopes driver licences for at-risk youth to lower crashes
From Morning Report, 8:16 am today
Listen duration 5′ :22″
There are hopes that a new scheme to help young people get their drivers license wil reduce the number of them who end up in the criminal justice system.
Earlier this week the government announced young people in state care, or who receive a benefit, will be eligible free driving lessons.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter says young drivers who have never held a driver licence were involved in 165 fatal or serious injury crashes, and this scheme will make our roads safer. It will cost around $5 million. Annette Sykes is a Maori lawyer. She talks to Gyles Beckford.
This has a really good cost/benefit outcome for those with twitching noses at the smell of a welfare policy aimed towards better outcomes, rather than punitive measures.
One of our comunity constables here in Nelson had a lot of success with this as a positive move for the young people. He was very much appreciated and liked. It would be good if Police had an arm that worked with young chaps at gyms etc as they used to in the UK. It doesn’t stop all crime, but there is a chance of lessening it and having better relations between police and the young.
When Labour announced this on Facebook, there was a whole bunch of comments bashing bennies, getting even more, from self styled “hard working Kiwi’s”.
Sigh!
Self-styled self-justification of self-gratification.
Well there’s good money in road carnage. Good for the gdp.
this is a good thing. Not only for keeping the road toll down, but also to keep the driving without a license down, and give people a chance at a job.
5 million, wonder how much money in benefits payments will be saved because of these initial 5 million spend.
Here you go whanau 40 % of Amercians make $15 a HOUR I know that all the minority cultures make up most of that 40 % big busness are the biggest RECEVERS of socialism its is just not well published with OUR media being controled by $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ BIG busness get to suppress these facts but they kick the shit out of socialism for the common poor person who has as much right to Papatuanuku resorces as a wealthy person in ECO MAORI EYES. Big busness don’t want strong governence why because they don’t want the goverments to make them shear there stolen wealth and they don’t want goverments to be able to stop them ripping the people off and sending them to JAIL when they get caught THATS A FACT. Not many went to jail for the crimes of the 2008 BIG SHORT .
In his annual letter to shareholders, distributed last week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon took aim at socialism, warning it would be “a disaster for our country,” because it produces “stagnation, corruption and often worse.”
Dimon should know. He was at the helm when JPMorgan received a $25bn socialist-like bailout in 2008, after it and other Wall Street banks almost tanked because of their reckless loans.
Dimon subsequently agreed to pay the government $13bn to settle charges that the bank overstated the quality of mortgages it was selling to investors in the run-up to the crisis. According to the Justice Department, JPMorgan acknowledged it had regularly and knowingly sold mortgages that should have never been sold. (Presumably this is where the “stagnation, corruption and often worse” comes in.)
The $13bn penalty was chicken feed to the biggest bank on Wall Street, whose profits last year alone amounted to $35bn. Besides, JPMorgan was able to deduct around $11bn of the settlement costs from its taxable income.
If this isn’t socialism, what is it?
Yet it’s a particular form of socialism. Millions of homeowners who owed more on their homes than the homes became worth didn’t get bailed out. Millions of workers who lost their jobs or their savings, or both, didn’t get bailed out. No major banker went to jail.
Call it socialism for rich bankers.
It’s a gift that keeps giving. Dimon took advantage of the financial crisis to acquire Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual, vastly enlarging JPMorgan. America’s five biggest banks, including Dimon’s, now control 46% of all deposits, up from 12% in the early 1990s.
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And because they’re so big, Dimon’s and other big Wall Street banks are now considered “too big to fail”. This translates into a hidden subsidy of some $83bn a year, because creditors who face less risk accept lower interest on deposits and loans.
More socialism for rich bankers
Dimon was also instrumental in getting the big Trump tax cuts through Congress. They saved JPMorgan and the other big banks $21bn last year alone.
Dimon was paid $31m last year. He is estimated by Forbes to be worth $1.3bn.
Ironically, a few weeks ago Dimon warned that income inequality is dividing America. He said that a “big chunk” of Americans have been left behind, and, announcing a $350m program to train workers for the jobs of the future, lamented that 40% of Americans make less than $15 an hour.
True, but $350m over five years isn’t even a drop in the ocean for the Americans left behind.
Wall Street bonuses totaled $27.5bn last year, which is more three times the combined annual earnings of all American workers employed full-time at the federal minimum wage. That’s more than 600,000 low-wage workers.
If Dimon were serious about the problem of widening inequality, he’d use his lobbying prowess to help raise the federal minimum wage. He’d also try to make it easier for workers to unionize, and to raise taxes on the super-wealthy like himself.
Ka kite ano links below
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/08/wall-street-socialism-jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-bailout
It’s a good read the comments on the wall slick /street post
https://youtu.be/cEXhZ8PwM-Y
A video for my post above I had to use another device because the sandflys are stuffing with my YouTube feed I can’t even play a good song on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/GT1WqIkg9es
You see whanau what ECO Maori knows about computers is when I drag the NZ JUSTICE SYSTEM Over the hot coals of a COURT HOUSE All the evidence of the sandflys stuffing with my divices will be the wait for me to find it as what goes down on the Internet stays there it cannot be totally erased Ka kite ano P.S I have heaps of witnesses as well
You see Whanau it took no fish the PEE adict sandflys over 2 years to to get me out of the whare how do I know he is a PEE adict well who builds late at night he was doing everything at strange times I went to say HELLO and he acted like I was a savage. He cheated to he got his m8 the white churchy owner to falsely claim the flat was going to be sold my last day scrubbing the flat out I asked the neighbours if they were moving out she said no the flat hasn’t been sold next 10 minutes the letting agents rang and told it that the flats were not sold ass covering move the last one Ma te wa whanau Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/jZHcuKeau8M
The way I see if one is special they stick up for the under Privileged tangata not kick them like some
Eco Maori agrees with this opionion were are leaveing OUR mokopuna a great big MESS in human caused climate change the baby boomers are just lavashing and rolling in the money they have made abusing the Mokopuna future Papatuanuku/WORLD. Ma te wa
The Wall, when I discovered that I was completely obsessed by intergenerational inequality. In particular, by the question of intergenerational inequality linked to climate change. Who knew? Certainly not me.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with intergenerational inequality. At least, there’s nothing wrong with the version of it that existed in the developed world for much of the 20th century. That kind of inequality was based on the idea that life should be gradually better, from one generation to another – more secure, more prosperous, healthier, longer. That means that children got a better deal than their parents, but that was fine; indeed, in this version of the social contract, that was the whole point.
Save for our pensions? We millennials can barely find the money to live
Poppy Noor
This model for a relationship between the generations has broken down. There are numerous reasons for this, and some are side-effects of positive social trends. When the UK state pension was introduced in 1908, it kicked in at the age of 70; but only one in four people lived past that age. In other words, most people died before they were able to collect any state pension at all. Today, life expectancy at birth is 82.9 years for women, 79.2 for men. This is, it goes without saying, a hugely positive development, but it plays havoc with the actuarial mathematics. Our state pension system resembles a benign Ponzi scheme, in which people in work are paying for liabilities accrued by the generation older than them who have now retired. When the retired generation is bigger than the working generation, there are obvious problems with making the sums work. You end up with different versions of the welfare state being experienced by different generations. A huge body of social science has been done on this subject, and you can sum it up in seven words: the baby boomers ate all the pies. Ka kite ano links below.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/06/climate-change-deadliest-legacy-baby-boomers-young-people
Here you go Whanau just a few of the many stories about tangata whenua O Atoearoa being suppressed instertutional RACISM Ma te wa whanau you see the people who really control NZ the state servants worked out years ago that Pacific people will out number the European people in a while that is why they flood the land with imagination because they know those people will believe there lies and vote for them Pacific people will control Aotearoa with in 30 years I will be around to help ACHIEVE this
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/racism-and-white-defensiveness-in-aotearoa-a-pakeha-perspective/
When I sat there and listened to the New Zealand government do their spiel it felt like they put up a tourism brochure, written by PR people who have never been to New Zealand. I don’t know how such intelligent senior public servants could deny the institutional racism that is prevalent in their administration of the public sector. It was quite a bizarre experience to see that,” says the AUT senior lecturer in public health
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thespinoff.co.nz/society/03-12-2017/taking-new-zealands-institutional-racism-to-the-un/%3famp
Lurking behind racism in New Zealand is the clear fact that Pākehā will no longer be the majority here in a few short years and some are hanging on to the old comfortable privilege with desperation. They could save themselves a lot of discomfort by learning the facts of our history, learning to speak Māori and becoming part of the new, inclusive New Zealand which is just around the corner
https://i.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/opinion/107143254/racism-thriving-in-new-zealandou have. It includes the house you (may) own, your car, your investments, and the savings you’ve accrued. Generally when comparing wealth across groups in society, you compare the ‘median’ individual – the person who half of a specified group is wealthier than, and half of that group is poorer than.
In 2015, the median NZ European had $114,000 of wealth. The median Māori had just $23,000. That’s a gap of $91,000 Ka kite ano
Ma te wa
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/JRfuAukYTKg
I’m having time out tonight
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/WpYeekQkAdc
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/LanCLS_hIo4