Open Mike 12/05/2018
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, May 12th, 2018 - 197 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
197 comments on “Open Mike 12/05/2018 ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- The Danger from the Extreme Right
Like other readers, no doubt, I recently experienced a “believe it or not” moment, when I read an account of a crowd at a recent Trump rally cheering the news that the US Women’s Football Team had been beaten at the Olympic Games. The reason for the cheering was, apparently, ...55 mins ago - Zebra Ethics: The Amazon Second Age Series and Lessons from Game of Thrones
Today I stumbled across a genuinely interesting reddit article, which looks at the (positive) influence Game of Thrones may have on the upcoming Amazon Tolkien series: https://www.reddit.com/r/LOTR_on_Prime/comments/oqvi81/amazons_the_lord_of_the_rings_show_going_got/ Essentially, the argument is that the framework of Tolkien’s Second Age material inherently lends itself to “Machiavellian Thriller” stories, rather than to ...13 hours ago - The War over Sex and Gender: Kathleen Stock talks to the Free Speech Union
Speakeasy #1: Free Speech and the War over Sex and Gender from Free Speech Union on Vimeo. ...20 hours ago - Why governments will have to consider the costs of long COVID when easing pandemic restrictions
Richard Meade, Auckland University of Technology With governments worldwide under pressure to ease pandemic restrictions as vaccination rates rise and impatience with border restrictions grows, new threats become clearer. One of the costliest, it is now feared, could be a tsunami of “long COVID” cases. Long COVID is a ...22 hours ago - Taxpayers' Union gets destroyed
The Taxpayers’ Union scored another own goal yesterday when they decided to have a go at well-known journalist David Farrier (not to be confused with David Farrar) over Government funding he’d received to make a documentary.While that slinging match isn’t really worth reporting on, being that it was mainly just ...1 day ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – “Year of the vaccine” at risk
A consensus is emerging that the Government has generally managed the Covid crisis very well over the last 18 months, but they have dropped the ball when it comes to the crucial vaccine rollout. This was nicely encapsulated in opinion polling last week showing that while 69 per cent of ...2 days ago - Profiteering politicians delegitimise parliament
Why aren't politicians interested in actually solving the housing crisis? Because virtually the entire political class is making massive profits from it: MPs have pocketed $50 million in capital gains from their property interests in the last year amid a growing housing affordability crisis, a Stuff analysis has found. ...2 days ago - Democracy wins in SamoaOver three months ago Samoa had an election, in which the people voted out the incumbent Human Rights Protection Party and voted in the opposition FAST Party. The incumbent Human Rights Protection Party ignored the results and clung to power, hoping to get their patsy head of state to call ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: The solution farmers don’t want us to talk aboutRNZ this morning has a piece asking Can NZ really meet its methane emissions targets?. Posing it as a question like this frames it as difficult, more of the "but its too hard!" whine from farmers. But its not hard at all. Pretty obviously, we can meet methane reduction targets ...2 days ago
- A Conversation That Never Happened.
2 days ago - Graham Adams: Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-spee...The Minister of Justice appears to have gone into hiding. Graham Adams provides an update on how the public debate on hate speech regulation is going, especially in terms of whether political opinion should or shouldn’t receive an exemption from new laws. It fell to RNZ to break the ...2 days ago
- Engineering A Miracle: Can Judith Collins Reprise Rob Muldoon?Miracle Worker? But Judith Collins and National cannot regain power by simply hoping for the worst. Elections are won by politicians like Rob Muldoon, who persuade the voters that the incumbent government is the worst choice.WAITING FOR THE MIRACLE, as Leonard Cohen observed, is an agonising test. Especially if its ...2 days ago
- Hearing loss and social isolation – the silent burdenFeature image: this picture was chosen as it illustrates two elderly people in each other’s company. Tying in with the theme of hearing loss and social isolation, this depicts the importance of connection to each other and the world in which we live. Charlotte Gordon* Untreated hearing loss is a ...2 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #30
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 18, 2021 through Sat, July 24, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Extreme rainfall in China: over 25 inches falls in 24 hours, leaving 33 dead, As scientists have ...3 days ago - Capitalists in Space
. . Billionaire Richard Branson did it. Also-billionaire, Jeff Bezos, did it. Both will be the first money-hoarders into space (or sub-orbital near-space, to be more specific). Also-also-billionaire, Elon Musk – not content with sub-orbital ‘jaunts’ – has expressed a desire to go Full Interplanetary and personally colonise Mars. Meanwhile, ...3 days ago - Elizabeth Rata: Responding to Andrew Geddis on Treaty PartnershipsMy recent article about the role that the concept of a Treaty ‘partnership’ has played in the development of ethno-nationalism provoked a critical response from Professor Andrew Geddis. We obviously have different opinions about the value of a Treaty partnership in New Zealand’s liberal democracy. My purpose here is to ...3 days ago
- When tough on crime goes wrongIf there’s one thing that you can safely rely on, it’s right-wing politicians grandstanding with tough on crime rhetoric. It's understandable being that such propaganda is usually a sure bet, obviously because a very large proportion of the public wants to see less crime and fewer criminals in their communities.However ...4 days ago
- Billionaire space race: the ultimate symbol of capitalism’s flawed obsession with growthTim Jackson, University of Surrey Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, laments the Rocket Man in Elton John’s timeless classic. In fact, it’s cold as hell. But that doesn’t seem to worry a new generation of space entrepreneurs intent on colonising the “final frontier” as fast ...4 days ago
- Michael Cullen’s Policy Achievements
Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.Implicit in the title of the Michael Cullen’s memoir Labour Saving is his greatest policy achievement of improving the savings of the economy, as well as his saving the Labour Party from neoliberalism. But first, ...5 days ago - Call to ‘come home’ does not apply to our sleeper cells in Australia, says Government
A map of believed New Zealand sleeper cells in Australia, which the Australian Secret Intelligence Service has described as “painfully obvious” and believes is “pretty much comprehensive.” As the Covid-19 travel bubble with Australia closes once more, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins have made clear ...5 days ago - Cranky Uncle game now being translatedThe Cranky Uncle game is now being translated into multiple languages, paving the way to building public resilience against misinformation across the world. So far, we have had volunteers offer to help translate the game into Danish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian. But we are always looking ...5 days ago
- Andrew Geddis: Responding to Elizabeth Rata on Treaty PartnershipsIn a recent post on this site, Prof Elizabeth Rata expressed her concerns at the growth of what she terms “ethno-nationalism” and the role that the concept of a “Treaty partnership” has played in this development. She does so by telling a story about how this idea of a Treaty ...5 days ago
- The Greatest Cyber-Weapon May Be The Truth.Who's Hacking Who? So, let’s be clear: the very same Western powers who were voicing their alarm at China’s alleged outsourcing of its cyber-attack capabilities to private actors, are the identical Western powers who, for years, have winked at their friends in Jerusalem outsourcing their intelligence gathering to a shadowy Tel ...5 days ago
- Morbid Symptoms: Why Are Māori Vaccination Rates Plummeting?Not Enough Shots In The Arm: The percentage of 8-month-old Māori babies in Counties Manukau receiving their primary course of immunisation on time has fallen from 85 percent in May 2020 to 68 percent in May 2021. A report prepared for the Counties Manukau DHB attributes this startling drop-off to: ...5 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29, 202194 articles Physical science of climate change, effects Three flavors of radiative feedbacks and their implications for estimating Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity Rugenstein & Armour Geophysical Research Letters DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092983 Observations of climate change, effects Multi-decadal change in western US nighttime vapor pressure deficit DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092983 Recent changes in ...6 days ago
- Looking for more coal is indefensibleSiberia is burning. China is flooding. Westport flooded last weekend. And against this backdrop of climate breakdown, the Southland District Council thinks its a good time to approve new coal exploration. This is a terrible idea. But its also a waste of time. Any coal discovered can never be burned ...6 days ago
- An end to imprisoning refugees?Back in May, Amnesty International exposed New Zealand's repuslive system of refugee detention, and the ongoing human rights abuses it leads to. It clearly embarassed the government, because today they've announced a formal inquiry into the practice - the first step to ending it: But following the release in ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Seriousness of the rural revoltIt’s nearly a week since the “Howl of a Protest” took place throughout the country, and we’re still talking about the rural revolt. What are the farmers’ concerns? Are they legitimate? Has the rural-urban divide has become too deep, and will any of this have an impact on politics in ...6 days ago
- Extreme heat warning: what the first-ever UK Met Office alert meansChloe Brimicombe, University of Reading Summer 2021 will mark a turning point in how heat is seen by the public and communicated by experts. For the first time in its 167-year history, the UK’s Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat for much of Wales and parts ...6 days ago
- Hydrogen in Southland?New Zealand wants to move to more renewable electricity. But there's a barrier: the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. It sucks up 13% of our total electricity supply, but its continued threats to shut down create ongoing uncertainty about demand, which puts people off building the additional renewables we need. But ...6 days ago
- When an ancient volcanic ‘supereruption’ caused sudden cooling, early humans got luckyBen Black, Rutgers University and Anja Schmidt, University of Cambridge Around 74,000 years ago, a “supereruption” on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, blasted out an estimated 5,000 cubic kilometres of magma. This was the Toba eruption, the largest volcanic eruption of the past 2 million years. To put 5,000 ...6 days ago
- Talley’s Group Ltd – Arsehole of the Week6 days ago
- Climate Crisis Intensifies Dramatically in 2021
In 2007 an organisation chose its name based on the scientific consensus that 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was the uppermost level to avoid a climate tipping point. We are currently just short of 420pp of carbon and the last seven years have been the hottest ...7 days ago - Samoa’s women’s quota: Have I missed something?(Narrator voice: Yes, yes I did. See correction at the bottom) Another election petition was finalised in Samoa today, seeing the first finding of an illegal practice against a FAST candidate (a party roadshow made a customary gift - koha in NZ terms - during a period where these are ...7 days ago
- A promising startThe "rebate" half of the government's feebate scheme to lower transport emissions came into force three weeks ago. And it looks like its had an immediate effect, with two months worth of EVs registered in the first 19 days alone: More than 1300 electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles ...7 days ago
- Taking shortsighted penny-pinching to a whole new levelOver the weekend Westport was hit by devastating floods. Half the town had to be evacuated, 89 homes (so far) are uninhabitable, and another 400 (of ~1700) need serious repairs. The total cost hasn't come in yet, but its going to be well into the tens of millions of dollars. ...7 days ago
- TORN’s Spy Report on the Amazon LOTR/Second Age Series
It’s been a while since we got an update on the upcoming Amazon Second Age series. Not since the leaked Synopsis. The poor fandom twisted itself into knots speculating about supposed nudity in a Tolkien adaptation, and then… nothing. Well, that has suddenly changed. The One Ring.Net has ...7 days ago - Calling out China for cyberattacks is risky — but a lawless digital world is even riskierAlexander Gillespie, University of Waikato This week’s multi-country condemnation of cyber-attacks by Chinese state-sponsored agencies was a sign of increasing frustration at recent behaviour. But it also masks the real problem — international law isn’t strong or coherent enough to deal with this growing threat. The coordinated announcement by several ...1 week ago
- Could Britain be sued for reopening and putting the world at risk from new COVID variants?Kris Gledhill, Auckland University of Technology With most COVID-19 restrictions now lifted in England, the world is watching to see what this so-called “freedom day” will bring. Some scepticism is warranted, given Britain’s approach throughout the pandemic has hardly been a success. By July 19, there had been 128,985 deaths ...1 week ago
- As scientists have long predicted, warming is making heatwaves more deadlyThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In its 2001 Third Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) foresaw that global warming would lead to increasingly deadly heatwaves. “More hot days and heatwaves are very likely over nearly all land areas,” the world’s top climate scientists warned. “These increases ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: NZ’s statement on China a shot across the bowA statement issued by the New Zealand Government alleging Chinese state involvement in hacking goes much further than a simple, pro forma endorsement of the views of New Zealand’s allies. Geoffrey Miller explains the significance. New Zealand joined Western allies on Monday by issuing a statement that called out ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Calling time on “leakage”When New Zealand was trying to implement carbon pricing back in the early 2000s, polluters whined about "leakage", either threatening to take their production overseas so they could continue to pollute for free, or complaining that paying the full cost of their pollution would mean they would be out-competed by ...1 week ago
- Plague ships put elimination strategy at risk1 week ago
- Doping has become inevitable at the Olympics. And who wins gold in Tokyo might not be certain until...Jason Mazanov, UNSW Another Olympics is upon us, inexorable even in the face of COVID. With it comes the inevitable, salacious speculation around doping scandals. There have been doping scandals at every Olympics in my lifetime and a few before, reaching back to the middle of the 20th century. Now, ...1 week ago
- Baby talk 4: first transfer
Read the full Baby Talk series Content note: this one involves my vagina, like, a lot. Also blood. And that whole infertility/anxiety thing. Of our four fertilised eggs, two were deemed high-quality enough to proceed to the next stage, embryo transfer. The old days of putting multiple embryos back into ...1 week ago - Hate Speech Laws: The Polling
After the March 2019 Christchurch mosque attack, the New Zealand Government set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into matters surrounding the tragedy. The Commission came back with recommendations, including a tightening of laws regarding Hate Speech. The Ardern Government has indicated support for such proposals, but has yet ...1 week ago - Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin: can they be more than ‘space’ joyrides for millionaires?Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University and Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson and his team successfully flew to the “edge of space” on the Unity 22 mission aboard a Virgin Galactic plane on July 12. The event was hailed as the start of space tourism, narrowly beating ...1 week ago
- Exporting their social licenceOne of the slogans of Friday's ugly farmer protests was "no farms, no food". But the truth is that most of what farmers grow is exported, and kiwis are increasingly being priced out of eating it at all: If you feel like red meat is more expensive than it ...1 week ago
- Graham Adams: Ardern’s nightmarish weekendCriticism of the government funding gangs and the media followed hard on the heels of nationwide protests by farmers It should have been a weekend of media adulation to further burnish the Prime Minister’s international reputation as a consensus-builder. Late on Friday night, Jacinda Ardern hosted a virtual Asia-Pacific ...1 week ago
- Why climate change is forcing conservationists to be more ambitious: by moving threatened species to...Sarah Elizabeth Dalrymple, Liverpool John Moores University As climate change brings record droughts and floods, extended fire seasons continue to make headlines, and the role of humans in this terrible situation is now undisputed, institutional change has been slow and unsteady. In particular, conservationists have been wary of pointing to ...1 week ago
- The government needs to act on this warningOver the weekend devastating floods hit the South Island. Half the population of Westport were forced from their homes, and it looks like hundreds have been made permanently homeless. Its a taste of what we can expect in the future due to climate change, and things are only going to ...1 week ago
- Free Speech vs Hate Speech – By Numbers.We Can Stop Guessing: New Zealand owes the newly-formed Free Speech Union (FSU) a debt of gratitude for commissioning Curia Research to find out exactly where the country stands on the Government’s Hate Speech proposals. JACINDA ARDERN faces a considerably less daunting task in selling her Hate Speech laws than many ...1 week ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 11, 2021 through Sat, July 17, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Repustar Fact Brief: Is carbon dioxide incapable of warming the planet any more than it already has?, The ...1 week ago
- Some farmers are very sick puppiesI'm not sure if you're aware, but there's a significant problem within our farming community that needs to be addressed, and that’s this whole belief that Labour is anti-farming. The reality is that the current Government loves farmers. From free trade agreements that open up new markets to keeping farming ...1 week ago
- Why were all these tails wagging the farm dogs through our towns and cities again?
Because for many of these ones it’s often about feelings alone, not the facts. There’s been some entirely manufactured hysterics over the so-called “ute” tax, and rural issues as a whole, coupled with some decidedly off-the-wall, so-called impending Communist takeover and the co-option of issues by the rabid Right, ...2 weeks ago - Mike King needs to get his shit together2 weeks ago
- Weaponising They Are Us: The Draft Script
You may recall that mass shooting at the Christchurch mosque a couple of years ago. It feels an eternity, of course, what with the shooting taking place in the Before Coronavirus era. There is currently an attempt to make a film about the event, under the title They ...2 weeks ago - Milley-tary Intervention.2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s APEC diplomacy could be the start of something biggerGeoffrey Miller looks over the lessons from the special APEC summit Today’s special virtual APEC summit was so modest in its aims that it was officially referred to only as an ‘informal leaders’ retreat on Covid-19’. From the outset, host Jacinda Ardern dampened down expectations for the meeting, warning reporters ...2 weeks ago
- In Defence of Social Democracy
I used to josh Michael Cullen that he should write a memoir about his 27 years in parliament which ended in 2009, including 12 years as a minister. He always said he was too busy and it was not his thing. Sadly things have changed. Learning he has terminal lung ...2 weeks ago - Media Link: “A View from Afar” on YouTube.
I am glad to report that the “A View from Afar” podcast is now available on the 36th Parallel Assessments YouTube channel. As a teaser, the first video is taken from an interview done in Karekare with German TV about the scourge of white supremacism/right-wing extremism. ...2 weeks ago - A howl of uglinessFarmers are protesting today, invading cities with tractors and utes in protest against water and climate change policy. The core message of their "howl of protest" is meant to be "no farmers, no food" - which rather undermines their own case, given that 80% of the food they produce is ...2 weeks ago
- Drawing The Heat.A Matter Of Signals: What is a government saying about itself when it parlays with known criminals? What is it signalling about its willingness to openly confront them? More to the point, what message does it send to all the decent, law-abiding, charity-workers who struggle every day to convince their ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #28, 2021Decomposition of increasing atmospheric methane points to a decomposing Amazon Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, relatively short-lived in the atmosphere compared to CO2 but far more effective at "helping" to retain heat, gram-for-gram. With its radiative effects "super powers," methane is a potentially dramatic additional contributor to disastrous levels ...2 weeks ago
- Proactive release: What is the government afraid of?Last month, Newsroom reported on the government's slow progress on reviewing its proactive release policy. The story quoted Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins as saying that there had been "ongoing reviews" about the effectiveness of proactive releases. Naturally, I asked for these reviews using the OIA. Naturally, I got dicked ...2 weeks ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXV
Session Fifty-Four This session was about tying up loose ends, and transitioning to something different (at last!). Manya gave birth to the shadow creature thing the Hag had cursed her with. The child – which is growing quickly – is an aggressive little psychopath. Annalax still doesn’t ...2 weeks ago - In NZ and around the world, women are still more likely to present and report the news than appear i...Susan Fountaine, Massey University Women are more visible in the world’s news than ever before — but they’re still far from achieving parity with men. According to the just released Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), women made up 40% of reporters and 25% of news sources across print, TV, ...2 weeks ago
- UK plans amnesty for war criminalsEngland's massacres in Northern Ireland during "the Troubles" are just another in its long list of colonial crimes. And like their other colonial crimes, they plan to sweep them under the carpet, with an effective amnesty for their colonial criminals: All criminal prosecutions relating to the Troubles and future ...2 weeks ago
- Nothing Left – Or Right – To Say.Or, Better Still, Start It! When did philosophical literacy cease to be a core competence of political leadership? Past New Zealand political leaders managed to explain themselves and their parties with reasonable fluency, why not the present crop?THE NATIONAL PARTY’s “Demand the Debate” campaign speaks volumes about the Right’s ideological ...2 weeks ago
- The Ministry of health’s transparency problem againRNZ has an interesting piece this morning about the Ministry of Health's efforts to hide the truth about its misleading and nonsensical vaccine rollout graph, which showed second doses being given before first doses. The "graph" was in fact marketing bullshit, and many Ministry of Health staff were uncomfortable with ...2 weeks ago
- Climate explained: is New Zealand losing or gaining native forests?Climate explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz In recent decades, has New Zealand lost ...2 weeks ago
- Four in five New Zealanders plan to get vaccinated, but many people want more information about vacc...Jagadish Thaker, Massey University New Zealanders’ intention to get a COVID-19 vaccine is at its highest since last year, at 81% of the adult population, according to our latest research. Ministry of Health surveys, which have been tracking public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines since last year, also confirm the ...2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Ardern’s foreign policy address pro-US, but not necessarily anti-ChinaJacinda Ardern has delivered a keynote speech on foreign policy. Geoffrey Miller reads between the lines. It was about APEC. And the Indo-Pacific. But most of all, it was about China. Jacinda Ardern’s keynote foreign policy address on Wednesday – at the annual conference of the New Zealand Institute ...2 weeks ago
- Death Valley, California, breaks the all-time world heat record for the second year in a rowThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters For the second consecutive year, Death Valley, California, has set a world record for the hottest reliably measured temperature in Earth’s history. Death Valley National Park’s Furnace Creek Visitor Center hit an astonishing 130.0 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4°C) on Friday afternoon, ...2 weeks ago
- Do you answer emails outside work hours? Do you send them? New research shows how dangerous this can...Amy Zadow, University of South Australia What could be so bad about answering a few emails in the evening? Perhaps something urgent pops up, we are tidying up an issue from the day, or trying to get ahead for tomorrow. Always being online and available is one of the ...2 weeks ago
- Building back better
It’s a three-week recess in Parliament – so, no bills are going through the House and no select committees are meeting. But the hard work of our ministers continues, and many of our MPs are back in their electorates, taking the opportunity to meet with local communities and businesses about ...5 days ago - Greens call for a Warrant of Fitness for rental homes
The Green Party is launching a petition today calling on the Government’s Healthy Homes Standards to be backed up with a proper Warrant of Fitness (WoF) for rental homes. ...1 week ago - Securing our recovery: By the numbersOur plan to secure New Zealand’s recovery from COVID-19 is working, with the past three months seeing the second-highest number of people moved off a main benefit into work since records began. ...2 weeks ago
- More Kiwis in work through recovery planThe latest statistics show the Government’s focus on jobs is working. The net number of people on a main benefit dropped by around 11,190 people during the past three months, with around 31,240 people moving off a benefit into work. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party appoints new Chief of StaffThe Green Party has appointed a new Parliamentary Chief of Staff, Robin Campbell. ...2 weeks ago
- Plan to eliminate hepatitis C as a major health threat by 2030
A plan to eliminate hepatitis C in New Zealand, reducing liver cancer and the need for liver transplants, has been released today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “Around 45,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C, but only around half know they have it,” said Ayesha Verrall. “Symptoms often ...1 hour ago - School upgrades and new classrooms for West Coast, Tasman and CanterburyA funding injection from Budget 2021 to complete four shovel ready projects and new classrooms at six schools and kura will provide a real boost to local communities, Minister Dr Megan Woods announced today. “This Government has committed to providing quality fit for purpose learning environments and 100,000 new student ...3 hours ago
- Warmer Kiwi Homes smashes annual targetThe Government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, is celebrating a key milestone with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June, smashing its target of 25,000 installs for the year. “The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme ...22 hours ago
- Exemption granted for Wallabies to enter NZBledisloe Cup rugby will be played in New Zealand after the Australian rugby team received an economic exemption to enter New Zealand. Travel between Australia and New Zealand was suspended on Friday for at least eight weeks following the worsening of the COVID outbreak across the Tasman. New Zealanders have ...23 hours ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes three diplomatic appointmentsForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced three New Zealand Head of Mission appointments. They are: Mike Walsh as Ambassador to Iran Michael Upton as Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Kevin Burnett as Ambassador to Indonesia Iran “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing and constructive relationship with Iran, despite a ...1 day ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for West Coast and MarlboroughThe Government has activated Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) in response to the West Coast and Marlborough floods, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “To assist with the clean-up, up to $500,000 will be made available to support the recovery in Buller and Marlborough which has experienced ...1 day ago
- Govt support for upgrade of Eden Park players facilitiesMinister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson has announced funding to upgrade the players facilities at Eden Park ahead of upcoming Women’s World Cup events. Eden Park is a confirmed venue for the Rugby World Cup 2021, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and a proposed venue for matches of ...1 day ago
- More jobs and quicker public transport motoring towards West AucklandWork to improve public transport for West Aucklanders and support the region’s economic recovery by creating hundreds of jobs has officially kicked off, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff this morning marked the start of construction on the Northwestern Bus Improvements project. It ...1 day ago
- Government backs critical health researchResearch into some of New Zealanders’ biggest health concerns including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease is getting crucial support in the latest round of health research funding, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The funding, awarded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand, covers 31 General Project grants ($36.64 ...1 day ago
- New Bay of Islands hospital facilities to bring services closer to homePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little have joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa today. The new building will house outpatients and primary care facilities, as well as expanded renal care ...2 days ago
- Cabinet accepts Turkish authorities’ request for the managed return of three NZ citizensCabinet has agreed to the managed return of a New Zealand citizen and her two young children from Turkey, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The three have been in immigration detention in Turkey since crossing the border from Syria earlier this year. Turkey has requested that New Zealand repatriate ...2 days ago
- Govt delivers more classrooms so children can focus on learningExtra Government investment in classrooms and school building projects will enable students and teachers to focus on education rather than overcrowding as school rolls grow across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis say. The pair visited Ruakākā School in Whangārei today to announce $100 ...2 days ago
- New station a platform for AirportLink to take offEvery Aucklander with access to the rail network will now have a quick and convenient trip to the airport, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said during the official opening of the new Puhinui Interchange today. The new interchange links the rail platform with a new bus ...4 days ago
- 10 days sick leave for employees deliveredLegislation doubling employees’ minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days comes into effect today, bringing benefits to both businesses and employees, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Our Government is delivering on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy,” Michael Wood said. “COVID-19 ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on Election WinPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern tonight congratulated Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on her victory in the Samoa’s general election. “New Zealand has a special relationship with Samoa, anchored in the Treaty of Friendship. We look forward to working with Samoa’s new government in the spirit of partnership that characterises this ...5 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel with Australia suspendedQuarantine Free Travel from all Australian states and territories to New Zealand is being suspended as the Covid situation there worsens, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. From 11.59pm today Australians will no longer be able to enter New Zealand quarantine-free. This will be ...5 days ago
- Growing conservation efforts in GisborneA big injection of Jobs for Nature funding will create much-needed jobs and financial security for families in TeTairāwhiti, and has exciting prospects for conservation in the region, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The projects target local communities most affected by the economic consequences of COVID 19 and are designed ...5 days ago
- Flood recovery given further assistanceThe Government is contributing a further $1 million to help the flood battered Buller community, Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Buller is a small community which has found itself suddenly facing significant and ongoing welfare costs. While many emergency welfare costs are reimbursed by Government, this money ...6 days ago
- Funding for five projects to reduce food wasteThe Government is funding five projects to help address the growing problem of food waste, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “New Zealand households throw away nearly 300,000 tonnes of food every year, half of which could still be eaten. By supporting these initiatives, we’re taking steps to reduce this ...6 days ago
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated for West Coast flooding eventThe Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated today - meaning residents on the West Coast of the South Island and in the Marlborough region hit by flooding over the weekend can now access help finding temporary accommodation, announced Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Poto Williams in Westport today. ...1 week ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New Zealand will be paused from 11.59am (NZT) tonight, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. However, people currently in the state who ordinarily live in New Zealand will be able to return on “managed return” flights starting with the next available flight, ...1 week ago
- New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-sponsored actorsNew Zealand has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. “The GCSB has worked through a robust technical attribution process in relation to this activity. New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious ...1 week ago
- Remarks to Diplomatic CorpsIt is a pleasure to be with you all this evening. Some of you may have been surprised when you received an invitation from the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and I would forgive you if you were. New Zealand is unique in having established a Ministerial portfolio ...1 week ago
- Early Pfizer shipment boosts vaccine scheduleThe largest shipment of the Pfizer vaccine to date has arrived into New Zealand two days ahead of schedule, and doses are already being delivered to vaccination centres around the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “The shipment of more than 370,000 doses reached New Zealand yesterday, following a ...1 week ago
- Backing for Bay of Islands predator free effortThe Government is throwing its support behind an ambitious project to restore native biodiversity and build long-term conservation careers, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Predator Free Bay of Islands aims to eradicate predators from the three main peninsulas in the region, and significantly reduce their impact throughout the wider 80,000-plus ...1 week ago
- Government commits $600,000 to flood recoveryThe Government is contributing $600,000 to help residents affected by the weekend’s violent weather with recovery efforts. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have been in the Buller district this afternoon to assess flood damage and support the local response effort. They have announced ...1 week ago
- Government assisting local responses to heavy rainfall and high windActing Minister of Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says Central Government is monitoring the severe weather across the country, and is ready to provide further support to those affected if necessary. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this latest event, particularly communities on the West Coast and ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight. “For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic ...2 weeks ago
- Health Minister welcomes progress on nurses’ payThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s decision to take the Government’s improved pay offer to members and to lift strike notices is a positive move towards settling district health board nurses’ pay claims, Health Minister Andrew Little said. “It’s encouraging that the discussions between NZNO and DHBs over the nurses’ employment ...2 weeks ago
- Boost for Pacific regional businessPacific businesses will get a much-needed financial boost as they recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the new Pacific Aotearoa Regional Enterprise Fund, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The new $2 million fund will co-invest in Pacific business projects and initiatives to create ...2 weeks ago
- PM Ardern call with President BidenPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke with US President Biden this morning, ahead of the APEC Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19. “President Biden and I discussed the forthcoming APEC leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jacinda Ardern said. ...2 weeks ago
- Renewed partnership creates jobs for New Zealand youthThe Government has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, strengthening the partnership to get more young people into work. The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide network of all Mayors in New Zealand, who are committed to making sure all young ...2 weeks ago
- South Island areas prioritised in tourism fundFive South Island areas are prioritised in the latest round of decisions from a tourism fund that is supporting infrastructure projects from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island and the Chathams. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has announced details of 57 nationwide projects to receive support from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF). ...2 weeks ago
- New code sets clear expectations for learner safety and wellbeing in tertiary educationA new code of practice for the pastoral care of domestic tertiary and international students will be in place from January next year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The code, which makes clear that creating an environment that supports learning and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between tertiary providers, ...2 weeks ago
- First TAB New Zealand Board appointments announcedThe members of the first TAB NZ Board come with experience in racing and sport administration, business and governance, the betting industry, broadcasting and gambling harm minimisation. “This Board will progress from the excellent work done by the interim board, put in place in August 2020,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...2 weeks ago
- Northland Maori Pathways initiative introducedThe Government has today launched Māori Pathways at Northland Region Corrections Facility, a ground-breaking series of initiatives designed in partnership with Māori to reduce re-offending and improve outcomes for whānau. A key part of the Hōkai Rangi strategy, Māori Pathways looks to achieve long-term change and involves a number of ...2 weeks ago
- Extended Essential Skills visas being rolled outTwo year Essential Skills visa to provide certainty to at least 18,000 visa holders Streamlined application process to benefit at least 57,000 visa holders The Government is increasing the duration of some Essential Skills visas and streamlining the application process to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders while ...2 weeks ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New Zealand will be paused from 1.59am (NZT) Friday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. The decision follows updated public health advice from New Zealand officials and a growing number of cases and locations of interest. The pause will run for at least ...2 weeks ago
- Hydrogen arrangement signed with SingaporeThe signing of an Arrangement of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore heralds the start of greater collaboration between it and New Zealand as both countries transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods. The cooperation arrangement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ...2 weeks ago
- Hydrogen agreement signed with SingaporeThe signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore signals the start of greater collaboration between the two countries as they transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods. The cooperation agreement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and ...2 weeks ago
- Don't underestimate Covid in children
Dr Jin Russell and Dr Amanda Kvalsvig explain why we shouldn’t rush to come to a judgment on vaccinating children - there is much we still don't know Comment: While policymakers around the world debate the costs and benefits of vaccinating children against Covid-19, in Aotearoa New Zealand we have an ...54 mins ago - How to be a badass: A guide to thriving in male-dominated workplaces
Some of the world’s most exciting and lucrative industries are still largely dominated by men. Maddy King provides some effective ways to help newbies flourish and shine like true badasses. Working with creative technologies like filmmaking, animation and digital art means entering the most exciting, dynamic sectors in the world. These ...1 hour ago - We’re hiring: HR specialist, The Spinoff GroupThe Spinoff Group is looking for an experienced HR specialist to join our dynamic, creative organisation and help us navigate through a serious growth phase.The Spinoff Group is seeking an HR specialist to work across the organisation as it moves into an exciting new era. Digital magazine The Spinoff has ...1 hour ago
- Response To The Chief Ombudsman’s Report Into The High And Complex Framework
The Ministry of Health welcomes recommendations made by the Chief Ombudsman in a report around the care available for people with an intellectual disability. The Ombudsman has been investigating the High and Complex Framework since early 2019. ...1 hour ago - Stop Poisoning New Zealanders With Lead In Drinking Water – Master PlumbersMaster Plumbers is telling the Government to stop turning a blind eye to compelling evidence that New Zealanders are being put at serious health risk by drinking water with high levels of lead. The comments follow the release of a report from the Dunedin ...1 hour ago
- Hepatitis C plan aims to eliminate virus by 2030
More free syringes for drug users and a registry is part of a $2.2 million plan to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, the government has announced. ...2 hours ago - June Home Transfers Remain HighThere were 44,517 home transfers in the June 2021 quarter, the highest June quarter figure since 2016, Stats NZ said today. The number of home transfers was very similar to the March 2021 quarter and was up 18,252 from the June 2020 quarter. “The June ...2 hours ago
- What went wrong with the Pop-up Globe?With five years of sold-out shows and ambitions to go global, Auckland’s Pop-up Globe carved out a dominant place in New Zealand’s creative ecosystem. So why did it all end so abruptly? Adam Goodall investigates.On March 19 2020, the cast of Emilia were debating whether they could keep going. Emilia ...2 hours ago
- GHG Reducing Solutions Already Out ThereWins can be made right now to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from road freight transport, says Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett. In its submission on Increasing the use of biofuels in transport, the RTF says the Government should ...3 hours ago
- 1981 Springbok tour protests revisited – and now Palestine is the new struggle
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk After his release from prison in South Africa and he became inaugural president of the majority rule government with the abolition of apartheid, Nelson Mandela declared in a speech in 1997: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” ...3 hours ago - ECan Must Front Up About Health Risks Of Nitrate Contamination – GreenpeaceGreenpeace is calling on Environment Canterbury to be upfront about health risks of nitrate contamination, following ECan’s release of new data that shows nitrate contamination in drinking water is rising. ECan has released the results of its annual ...4 hours ago
- Live updates, July 28: ‘Vaccination is the key to our freedom’ – Sydney faces another month of...Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 28, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.05am: ‘Vaccination is the key to our freedom’ – Sydney faces another month of lockdownSydney is set to face another month of lockdown after a record number of ...5 hours ago
- Census 2021 is almost here — what’s changed since #censusfail? What’s at stake in this pandemi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University David Crosling/AAP Australian households will begin receiving instructions on how to fill out the 2021 census from early August. The Census of Population and Housing is ...5 hours ago
- Growing evidence suggests Russia’s Sputnik V COVID vaccine is safe and very effective. But questio...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Steain, Lecturer, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney Antonio Calanni/AP/AAP Russia was the first country to register a COVID vaccine, with its health ministry giving emergency approval to the Sputnik V vaccine in ...5 hours ago
- Artificial refuges are a popular stopgap for habitat destruction, but the science isn’t up to scra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darcy Watchorn, PhD Candidate, Deakin University Shutterstock Wildlife worldwide is facing a housing crisis. When land is cleared for agriculture, mining, and urbanisation, habitats and natural refuges go with it, such as tree hollows, rock piles and large logs. The ...5 hours ago
- We can put city and country people on more equal footing at uni — the pandemic has shown us howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Eversole, Professor and Director, RegionxLink, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock University study is out of reach for many people in regional Australia. Most of our universities are based in a handful of capital cities. The ...5 hours ago
- Yes, Naomi Osaka is Japanese. And American. And HaitianSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aoife Wilkinson, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland Netflix On Friday, Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony. This honour sent an important message to the world: Osaka represents a diversifying Japan. Yet, some still ...5 hours ago
- Inside one artist’s fantastical world of felt foodArtist Chloe Smith, who turns everyday food items into meticulously crafted felt creations, talks to Charlotte Muru-Lanning ahead of her first New Zealand exhibition.It’s the feel of food that Chloe Smith is drawn to. “I really enjoy the challenge of trying to make something that has a really complicated texture,” ...5 hours ago
- Retired people and beneficiaries pay the price of inflation – for now
The prices of meat, insurance, petrol and public transport have risen faster than other costs ...5 hours ago - A moment to reflect on the state of the short story
An update on the New Zealand short story A new old book of short stories has appeared quietly but with perfect timing. Six By Six, an anthology of six short stories by six New Zealand writers, was first published in 1989; Victoria University have released a new edition, and the ...5 hours ago - Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsty Wild, Senior Research Fellow, Public Health, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are ...5 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Nitrates in the water, and the risksGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Risks of nitrates in the water, no additional Covid found in New Plymouth, and Westport faces horror flooding cleanup.Groundwater in Canterbury appears to be increasingly unhealthy from the presence of nitrates, a consequence in part of intensive dairy farming. Stuff’s Amber Allott ...5 hours ago
- Women's football on the rise in Oceania
The Oceania Football Confederation has launched a women's football strategy - a first in the region. Ashley Stanley learns how OFC want to get two competitive teams into the 2027 World Cup Torijan Lyne-Lewis’s main sports goal is to play in a women’s football World Cup. The 26-year-old Samoan football ...6 hours ago - Big water decisions shape futures of small communities
The Prime Minister has committed to settling the contested boundaries of the four new regional water authorities by the end of September – and that means some big decisions for some of New Zealand's smallest communities. Near the north-east corner of the South Island, imposing sandstone cliffs look out over Cook Strait. ...7 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 28 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...7 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 28 July
...7 hours ago - Ocean plastic: Small pieces, big problems
Banning the release of balloons outdoors is another small step to making a difference to our oceans, and New Zealand should consider doing the same, writes Ariel-Micaiah Heswall Plastic pollution is a huge threat to marine life worldwide. Every step we can make to reduce our usage, no matter how ...7 hours ago - The one weird trick that could help NZ catch up with the global vaccine champsAs New Zealand’s vaccine effort picks up speed, there are lessons to be taken from countries that are more rapidly vaccinating their populations. Justin Giovannetti reports.With the global vaccination marathon against Covid-19 accelerating in the second half of 2021, new countries are emerging as leaders after overcoming supply issues and ...7 hours ago
- Our coal usage is going up and up. Here’s how much that mattersCoal-powered electricity generation is hitting record levels. Should we be worried? George Driver investigates.Coal electricity generation is surging, with the country importing more than a million tonnes of Indonesian coal and burning it at record levels to keep the lights on, RNZ has reported. The National Party declared we were ...7 hours ago
- Galileo's lesson: How to think smart about living sustainably
We know the many circumstances that cause us to veer away from rationality; we understand enough to abandon this fossil fuel age with haste ...8 hours ago - Why moths matter
Morgane Merien explains why we need to start recognising the importance of these fascinating little insects and their vital role in the ecosystem Moths, they generally go unnoticed except when they flit annoyingly around your lights. They don’t attract much public interest and there is little understanding of the effects ...8 hours ago - The ethics of saving wild animals
Why do New Zealanders get so invested in saving animals that strand themselves? For more than two weeks, the plight of Toa, the baby orca stranded on rocks north of Porirua after he was separated from his pod, gripped the nation. News bulletins provided hourly updates. Volunteers braved the ...8 hours ago - Free clinics for Hepatitis C pop up across the country
This World Hepatitis Day, the Ministry of Health is funding free clinics across the country, as well as unveiling the plan to eliminate Hepatitis C from New Zealand Around 45,000 New Zealanders are living with Hepatitis C - although half of them may be unaware they have it. Clinics are popping ...8 hours ago - My crazy big brother, and other stories
A portrait of an American family in the 1970s Dick is a patient on the seventh floor of a private psychiatric hospital on Chicago’s Near North side. For the first two weeks we aren’t allowed to visit him at all. I bake cookies and send them in a tin. The ...8 hours ago - Fletcher Building gets $5m too much in carbon subsidy
The Government has over-allocated carbon credits worth a minimum of $5 million to Fletcher Building over the past three years, Marc Daalder reports. ...8 hours ago - When the chips are down: Kiwi firms innovate around global shortages
Manufacturers are building products based on available materials as they prepare for shortages to last until late 2022 and beyond ...8 hours ago - Government's flood protection plans dry up
Work to tackle flooding linked to climate change was quietly cut back due to "resource constraints". ...8 hours ago - The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 4
Was there something in Tokyo's water for Kiwi sportswomen as they struggled on the big stage on Day 4? LockerRoom's daily look at the fortunes of our female athletes continues. Performances of the day Luuka Jones lay her head on her paddle after her run in the canoe slalom final, devastated. ...15 hours ago - Flush Housing Agency Needs To Be Reined InResponding to NBR’s report that Kainga Ora made an offer on a property $8 million above its eventual sale price, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Our housing agency is acting like it’s overfunded. First it bought a motel ...19 hours ago
- New Zealand trapped on the moral high ground with Suhayra AdenPower Play - New Zealand may now be claiming the moral high ground as it grudgingly accepts Suhayra Aden and her two children, but its hands are tied, Jane Patterson writes. ...19 hours ago
- Whipping cream canisters have many uses beyond ‘nangs’. Banning them isn’t necessarySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bright, Senior Lecturer of Addiction, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has been considering whether whipping cream canisters containing nitrous oxide should be placed in Schedule 10 of the Poisons Standard. Schedule 10 is the ...20 hours ago
- What’s in the CPI and what does it actually measure?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Nils Versemann/Shutterstock So you don’t believe the official inflation figures. Why would you? They show prices climbing at an annual rate of 1.1% On Wednesday the update for June ...20 hours ago
- Why calling ordinary NZ cyclists ‘elitist’ makes little senseIt’s one of the most common criticisms of those fighting for better bike infrastructure in our cities. But the ‘elitist’ jibe has little basis in reality, argues Timothy Welch.Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a ...20 hours ago
- Public protest or selfish ratbaggery? Why free speech doesn’t give you the right to endanger other...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics. Senior Research Fellow, Moral philosophy, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Law Futures Centre., Griffith University Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major Australian cities at the weekend, to protest ...21 hours ago
- Police Association Acknowledges Guilty VerdictThe Police Association thanks the jury in the Eli Epiha trial for carrying out their difficult duty and finding the defendant guilty of attempting to murder Constable David Goldfinch. Epiha, who had already admitted to the murder of Constable Matthew ...21 hours ago
- Little says Chinese hacking claims were corroborated, rebuke was 'tame'State-sponsored hacking by China was confirmed and corroborated by spy agencies and the embassy's rebuke after New Zealand called it out was "fairly tame", Minister Andrew Little says. ...21 hours ago
- Christchurch City Council’s Bollard Blowout Is BizarreResponding to Christchurch City Council’s $1.1 million spend on a set of 14 bollards , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “The plan should have been abandoned as soon as Councillors learned of the $769,000 price tag. Instead, ...21 hours ago
- Science Organisations Pledge Openness In Animal Research And Teaching In New Zealand21 universities, institutes of technology, non-profits, Crown Research Institutes, government organisations, umbrella bodies, research funding organisations and learned societies commit to communicate openly about animal use. New Zealand will be the ...21 hours ago
- Hard Questions Remain For Openness Conference For AnimalsHow open should researchers be with what they do to animals in experiments? That’s the question being discussed at a conference on openness in animal research. The conference is being hosted by the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care ...21 hours ago
- Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-speech laws
******** The Minister of Justice appears to have gone into hiding. GRAHAM ADAMS, writing for The Democracy Project, provides an update on how the public debate on hate speech regulation is going, especially in terms of whether political opinion should or shouldn’t receive an exemption from new laws. ******** It ...22 hours ago - Yarns from the heart: the role of Aboriginal English in Indigenous health communicationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, Discipline of Linguistics, The University of Western Australia Indigenous Australians experience poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. They are sick more often, die younger and are at higher risk of serious health complications, ...22 hours ago
- It’s all about reducing inequities -and so Maori wellbeing is a big consideration in research fund...
The Government has dished out public money on two fronts in its mission to reduce inequitable outcomes in health statistics. On one front, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay ...22 hours ago - If I cry when I get my vaccination, it will be for MumIt was one of Mum’s great joys that she lived to see polio virtually eradicated worldwide in her lifetime, writes Tim Cadogan, mayor of Central Otago.I got the text message last week advising me that I could go online and book my Covid-19 vaccinations. Despite how I sometimes look, I ...23 hours ago
- How a South Auckland deep tech company grew 440% in a yearA ‘sleepy R&D startup’ has been transformed into a world-leading tech manufacturer in the space of a year, thanks to its groundbreaking nanofibre products.Any company that was in the business of making masks at the beginning of 2020 was poised to do a roaring trade. Covid-19 hit, and, despite the ...1 day ago
- Suhayra Aden repatriation: Gerry Brownlee suggests following Australian laws on revoking citizenship...National Party's foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee's comments about whether New Zealand should follow Australia's law on revoking citizenships - in light of a terror suspect's repatriation - is stirring up debate. ...1 day ago
- Ancient brains: a look inside the extraordinary preservation of a 310-million-year-old nervous syste...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Paterson, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of New England Javier Ortega-Hernández, Author provided Charles Darwin famously discussed the “imperfections” of the geological record in his book On The Origin of Species. He correctly pointed out that unless conditions are ...1 day ago
- Fiji opposition MPs pledge not to be silenced, despite arrests over criticismRNZ Pacific Fiji’s opposition MPs who were arrested after their criticism of a government land bill say they will not be intimidated or silenced. Police have since released several leaders of the opposition who were arrested late Sunday. One of those arrested, the National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad, ...1 day ago
- Local Government Business Forum Annual Newsletter ReleasedThe Local Government Business Forum has released its annual newsletter. "2021 is proving to be a pivotal year for local government and a challenging one for the people who pay the bills," said Michael Barnett, Chair of the Forum. "Major ...1 day ago
- How do we bridge an impossible divide?Despairing in the wake of large anti-lockdown protests in Australia, Emily Writes searches for ways to fight the monster of ignorance and selfishness.This post was first published on Emily Writes Weekly.Many of us here safe and secure in Aotearoa were horrified by the anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protests in Sydney and Melbourne ...1 day ago
- Quarterly Inflation Rising Steadily Across The BoardHigher prices for transport and food have driven up inflation for the all households group in the June 2021 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The ‘all households group’ represents all private New Zealand-resident households. Inflation for the all households ...1 day ago
- Government announces health research funding grantsHealth equity, vaccine hesitancy, and the difficulties of battling both cancer and diabetes are among projects benefiting from the latest round of government health research funding. ...1 day ago
- The Spinoff Book Report #2Books editor Catherine Woulfe introduces a tranche of new books that comprehensively rule. Welcome back to the Spinoff Book Report. To reiterate the deal here: if a book’s on this list you know it’s genuinely great. No qualms. What happens is I eye up the cubic metre of books stacked on ...1 day ago
- Live updates, July 27: Auckland mass vaccination event struggles to attract bookingsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 27, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.05am: Auckland mass vaccination event struggles to attract bookingsA three-day vaccination event in Auckland did not get the attention health officials expected it would. New figures have revealed ...1 day ago
- How the Groundhog Day grind of lockdown scrambles your memory and sense of timeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Osth, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne YouTube With roughly half of Australia in lockdown at the moment, a common experience is a warped sense of time and poor memory. What day is it? What week is it? Did ...1 day ago
- How Australia’s fickleness on COVID vaccines is perpetuating global vaccine inequitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Joseph, Professor of Human Rights Law, Griffith University Despite assurances from Prime Minister Scott Morrison that Australia was at “the front of the queue” for COVID-19 vaccines, Australia’s rate of vaccination ranks last in the OECD. Nevertheless, Australia is still ...1 day ago
- When will we reach herd immunity? Here are 3 reasons that’s a hard question to answerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, University of Sydney As we try to control COVID-19, many people are keen to know what proportion of the population will need to be vaccinated in order to reach “herd immunity”. It’s a reasonable question. People are asking because ...1 day ago
- A wet winter, a soggy spring: what is the negative Indian Ocean Dipole, and why is it so important?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicky Wright, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Shutterstock This month we’ve seen some crazy, devastating weather. Perth recorded its wettest July in decades, with 18 straight days of relentless rain. Overseas, parts of Europe and China have endured extensive flooding, ...1 day ago
- Yes adult literacy should be improved. But governments can make their messages easier to read right ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cath Ferguson, Senior research fellow, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock A parliamentary inquiry is looking into how to improve adult literacy in Australia. Having a low level of literacy is not the same thing as being illiterate. The definition of “illiterate” ...1 day ago
- How a new trade deal could make it harder to improve life for Australians in aged careSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia Ranald, Honorary research associate, University of Sydney Prime Minister Morrison and Trade Minister Birmingham sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement in November 2020, Canberra. Lukas Coch/AAP The 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement signed in November 2020 between Australia and ...1 day ago
- If I could go anywhere: Greek cake shops, the Athenian countryside and the sanctuary of Artemis at B...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland Konstantinos Livadas/Shutterstock In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted. In ...1 day ago
- Big water decisions influence futures of small communities
The PM vows to settle the contested boundaries of the four big new regional water authorities – a decision awaited nervously in some of NZ's smaller communities ...1 day ago - The Bulletin: ‘Government neglect’ blamed for poverty increaseGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: ‘Government neglect’ blamed for poverty increase, suspected ISIS supporter to be repatriated, and Sāmoa’s former PM formally concedes.The country’s leading anti-poverty lobby group has put the blame squarely on the government for an increase in hardship. In a report out this morning, ...1 day ago
- Ombudsman pans council foot-dragging
Christchurch’s council gets a slap on the wrist over delays relating to a $100,000 report. David Williams reports. Delays and transparency at Christchurch’s council remain under scrutiny by Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier. Two years ago, Boshier excoriated the council for its treatment of public information requests, saying reports reflecting negatively ...1 day ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 27 July
...1 day ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 27 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...1 day ago
More interesting material from Craig Murray.
“The Incredible Bias of the BBC
Why is the BBC permitted, day after day after day, to pump out programming which actively promotes a political programme far to the right of where the British population actually stand? With the continual over-representation of nutty right wing groups like the Taxpayers’ Alliance and the Henry Jackson Society, while left wing groups of much larger membership such as Stop the War are completely ignored. Why low tax campaigners but no invitation ever to groups like Black Triangle who represent claimants interests? Not to mention the routine ignoring of the SNP, parliament’s third largest party.”
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/05/the-incredible-bias-of-the-bbc/
This is why State owned media is a bad idea. Even an organisation set up to attempt to be unbiased like the BBC gets accused of bias by people and then they start discussing his it can become more “unbiased”. This is usually code for ‘agree with my side more.
No. That’s why state-funded media is essential. Because it’s the only organisation that will ever be under any meaningful obligation to be impartial.
It’s that fact that makes the debate Ed started even possible. Nobody expects state-funded media to do a perfect job, but at least the obligation is there.
I agree.
We just have to deal with the bias of the senior executives at RNZ.
Why so many Taxpayers’ Union New Zealand Initiative stories?
Why the acceptance of neoliberal premises on economics?
Why the framing of stories from a right wing agenda?
Fortunately we now have alternative news sources to show the lies the mainstream runs.
@Ed +1 You can add to your list…
Why financial updates all through out the day, but no workers news?
Why is it RNZ have nearly all domestic and international financial/economic analysis done by bank economist?…economists who have a ideology that is based on selling and profiting from debt.
It opens itself up for political interference in editorial decisions. That is never a good thing.
State-funded media doesn’t have to be one single entity that might dominate the media landscape. Nor does it have to mean an entity where the Board & Chairman are appointed by the Government of the day. Nor does it have to mean an entity with strict hierarchical structure with strict managerial and editorial over sight where decisions by others are controlled and overruled by superiors all the way to the top. And it also doesn’t have to mean a Charter that demands financial/operational return AKA profit and dividends (to the Government).
Rather than having a one-size-fits-all entity or set-up why not reflect our society’s diversity and pluralism and fund that adequately? Media should cater for all citizens and inform the people so that they can make their own judgements if they wish …
What is wrong with the BBC structure then since people think it is biased
Riiight – and that wretched chip wrapper The Herald never interferes politically at the editorial level? The state model is sound – the only commercial enterprise that even approaches the BBC or Al Jazeera for quality is Reuters.
Gosman: talking the obvious unaccountability of private news organisations you have guaranteed politically based interference in what the populace receives and no one can say a word.
Talking the obvious accountability of state news organisations you have at least the formal capacity for the populace to holler like hell if/when there is the appearance or fact of political interference.
I see you’re still exercising risibly twisted, absolutist zealotry; oligarchs = good while the people = bad.
So does profit oriented privately owned media organisations…
Privately owned and operated media is, by default, a political tool and is open to the political interference of its owners.
The same can be said for state owned media.
Damned if you do etc
It can be but it can also be more open and honest. Depends upon how it’s set up.
Just as a private media will spin a story to its interest as can, and does, the state.
It won’t be The State.
It will be independent journalism.
Sure but again independent journalists also have their own bias.
I try to read everything from a multitude of sources. I read The Standard as much as I read Kiwiblog (though I’d never lower myself to comment there). I read the New Yorker, The Atlantic, Fox News, BBC, NYT, Washington Post, The Listener, AJZ, CNN, NBR , the list goes on and on.
It gets fucking tiring but I’m a news junkie. Then there’s the science mags and the books….it’s a wonder I manage to have job and raise a child while maintaining an alcohol habit.
And there’s nothing that we can or should do about that – except demand that they provide proof and not just ‘reckons’ as we get from so many talking heads in the private sector.
What is wrong with how the BBC is set up?
FWICMO, it’s structured with capitalist, top down, dictatorship control in mind.
State-ownership, in my view, ought to mean that it is owned and managed by the state on behalf of all citizens and it has a (social) mandate to deliver (a service or product) for the public good, not for (financial) profit to the owners. This doesn’t make it immune from political meddling but any (political) benefits may be harder to obtain (and hide from public view) as they tend to be more indirect (arm’s length influence and control). State-owned media have a fundamentally different mandate and governance compared to privately-owned media unless they’re run strictly as a business in the common sense in which case it is an easy step for National & ACT to sell/privatise.
State owned media is no less biased than private media. The difference is our taxes don’t fund private media. State run media is totally surplus to requirements in a modern society.
Good thing the state isn’t running it then, eh. Also, I question your interpretation of the word “modern”.
Re: quality and quantity of bias, I note the presence of a diverse range of opinions on RNZ.
The state IS running state media. With our taxes. Shut the lot down, then maybe Labour can meet some of its broken promises.
Don’t be so stupid.
Sure a state can run a lame media – Pravda or RT – but not all states do.
What’s wrong with the MSM is not state interference, but commercial interference. Murdoch etc. The useless ZB network. Fox.
The citizen has no comeback against their shit short of shutting them down. When you see the crap NZ TV has become it’s looking like a pretty good option.
I agree.
Take back the airwaves from the plutocrats.
At the expense of taxpayers? And in exchange for state propaganda? No thanks.
Who said anything about state propaganda? Can you provide an example of “state propaganda” on TVNZ or RNZ. Be specific: quote the actual article in question and explain how it qualifies.
“What’s wrong with the MSM is not state interference, but commercial interference. ”
Commercial interference is paid for by commercial interests. State interference (and it is endemic in state media) is paid for by tax payers. Stop it all.
Looks like you don’t know what endemic means either.
oops meant epidemic. Thanks.
All you need now is an example.
The airwaves are the commons.
Rich corporate interests should never be allowed anywhere near them.
And under your system babaya the world becomes a plutocracy, where the rich own and control the news.
We are getting closer to that.
Only the state setting up grassroots news and taking the airwaves back can stop the march of the uberrich.
Why do you take the side of the robber barons?
The airwaves are the commons.
State interests and their accompanying propaganda should never be allowed anywhere near them.
So who do you think should have access to the airwaves?
Large corporations?
“So who do you think should have access to the airwaves?
Large corporations?”
Large, small, and in between. Community groups. Special interest groups. Heck anyone but the government.
Do you think Fox News is better than RNZ as a source of news?
Do you think The NewZealand Herald is better than RNZ as a source of news?
“Do you think Fox News is better than RNZ as a source of news?”
Yes, absolutely. Particularly given that Fox news is balanced by CNN and MSNBC.
“Do you think The NewZealand Herald is better than RNZ as a source of news?”
Marginal call.
Ed: Do you think Fox News is better than RNZ as a source of news?
Babyaga: Yes, absolutely.
True believers untie, you have nothing to lose but your sanity and balance 😆
Fox News is unashamedly biased. So is Red Radio.
The differences are:
1. We fund Red Radio and,
2. Read Radio don’t admit they are biased.
Repeating Farrar’s catchphrases is not a good sign of a well thought out argument.
‘
Red RadioRNZ is biased’.That isn’t what you claimed. You claimed them as an example of “state propaganda”. So you’ve now abandoned that claim and are claiming bias.
But once again, you’ve failed to provide any examples of this bias, although perhaps you mean Matthew Hooton.
I expect you’ll cite John Campbell as an example, but then you’d have to show how Checkpoint exhibits a “state” bias, as opposed to John Campbell’s. And if your only objection is that individual hosts bring their own biases to the mix, RNZ is doing no more or less than whoever it is that employs Hoskings et al, and RNZ has the advantage of a wider spectrum of views.
Perhaps it’s that advantage that you don’t like. The very idea that the state might provide something more useful (and popular) than the “free” “market”.
Unless you can link to a specific example of “state propaganda”, that is. Tumbleweeds?
“You claimed them as an example of “state propaganda”.”
Where?
“So you’ve now abandoned that claim and are claiming bias.”
Well when the Minster of Broadcasting has a clandestine meeting with a senior RNZ executive, that both try to hide, I’d say that was a pretty good example of at least an attempt at state influence. Of course you support the Greens, so you are in bed with liars and cheats.
“not on my dime”
Whereas I’m happy to provide it on my “dime”, and since at the last count far more people support my position (even the Trashional Party funds RNZ when in government) than yours, I’m pretty sure we can do without your petty contribution. Tell you what, we’ll fund the things we like and you can contribute to David Seymour’s taxpayer funded trough, eh.
Bully for you. Not my dime.
in bed with liars and cheaters
On this issue, I’m also in bed with the NZLP, NZF and National. We’re having a great time while you’re in line to practise necrophilia with Ayn Rand, and Don Brash took your place in the queue 😉
On what issue? The welfare cheat? The MP who worked for war criminals while claiming to be bringing them to justice? The MP who has gone on to head an organisation who are bullying people for donations?
On what issue?
The continued funding of RNZ. Perhaps if you and Don pooled your resources you could afford a couple of clones of Ayn, and they could humiliate and despise you just like the original.
In case you missed it, the ‘liars and cheats’ I was referring to were the Greens. Here, you’ll get the idea if you read my comment “Of course you support the Greens, so you are in bed with liars and cheats.”https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-12-05-2018/#comment-1483690
Still waiting for a specific example of the
bogeymanstate propaganda.Here’s an example to help you recognise it.
Have you ever heard of Red Radio?
PS great article BTW.
I have already asked you to provide a specific example of an actual article and explain in your own words how it constitutes “state propaganda”.
If you can’t manage that very basic thing your argument isn’t worth very much.
You provided your own example. Do you seriously want me to post examples of state media propaganda from China, Russia, etc etc? If you don’t think it can happen here, perhaps you missed the meeting between Clare Curran and Carol Hirschfeld?
I have heard that term used by right wing nut jobs yes.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12021163
I don’t click on the Herald’s links – following others in boycotting it since its ghastly rubbish a couple of weeks back,
The Herald is rapidly becoming an echo chamber for Farrar and his crazed right wing friends.
You mentioned “Red Radio”, aka RNZ. Provide a specific example of an RNZ article that constitutes “state propaganda”.
You freely admit “commercial interference” in commercial radio. You allege that similar interference, specifically “state propaganda” exists in local state owned media, and cite RNZ as an example.
Yet you can’t point to a single article to illustrate your argument. Don’t get me wrong, I know you’re full of shit, but you might at least make some flailing attempt to justify your conspiracist delusions.
Well said.
“Provide a specific example of an RNZ article that constitutes “state propaganda”.”
All bias on red radio represents state propaganda. Note, not government propaganda. State propaganda. Now John Campbell is biased, and I have no problem with that on private media, but not on my dime.
“You allege that similar interference, specifically “state propaganda” exists in local state owned media…”
No, never said ‘local’.
“and cite RNZ as an example.”
I asked you a question about Red Radio and provided evidence of at the very least interference – Curran’s meeting with Hirschfeld.
But wait, there’s more:
“When Metiria Turei announced she was stepping down from Parliament, Radio NZ’s Checkpoint host John Campbell was a paragon of empathy and compassion, writes Liam Hehir.”
“Like many news agencies, Radio NZ has a mild centre-left bias. If you don’t believe it, my guess would be that you probably have a centre-left disposition yourself.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/99720488/radio-new-zealand-should-appoint-its-own-ombudsman
All bias on
red radioRNZ represents state propagandaMatthew Hooton broadcasts state propaganda. Good to know 😆
Don’t forget they’re out to get you.
“Matthew Hooton broadcasts state propaganda. Good to know ”
No, he doesn’t broadcast it, but he participates in it. You see, Blokey, with private broadcasters we can discern the bias and we’re not paying for it. With public broadcasting we’re getting propaganda and paying for it. No thanks.
“Propaganda”
For which you are yet to provide a single specific example. Is it during the leader of the opposition’s regular slots?
Curran. Hirschfeld. Explain it.
You’ve piqued my curiosity; who is paying (for) private broadcasters? Do they work gratis or pro bono?
Advertisers.
Curran. Hirschfeld. Explain it.
Explain it yourself, you rude prick. You don’t get to make demands: you get to provide some supporting evidence for your assertions of “propaganda”. Put up or shut up.
Look it up. Think about it.
Advertisers? Oh, that’s o.k. then as that would make private broadcasters immune from political meddling because political parties and their lobbyists never take out ads in MSM, never ever. And private broadcasters only broadcast direct messages on behalf of their advertisers, like shampoo manufacturers. That’s why all talkback shows, for example, are about shampoo and other commodities and never about politics. I mean, I can tell when an ad is about shampoo although sometimes it is hard to discern at first because it could also be a lipstick ad …
Talking of lipstick, do you know whether Mike Hosking and Simon Bridges use the same brand of hair gel, by any chance?
One last question, who’s paying the advertisers?
And one very last question, I promise, are advertising and marketing expenses tax deductible in NZ?
“…because political parties and their lobbyists never take out ads in MSM, never ever.”
Of course they do. That’s the point…they are the ones paying, not the taxpayer.
“And private broadcasters only broadcast direct messages on behalf of their advertisers, like shampoo manufacturers.”
Of course not. They broadcast their opinion. How many awards did Newstalk ZB receive at the recent Radio Awards?
You seem to believe private commercial interests having opinions and broadcasting them is bad. It isn’t. What is bad is the government owning the medium for broadcasting ideas.
“One last question, who’s paying the advertisers?”
People who voluntarily buy their products.
“And one very last question, I promise, are advertising and marketing expenses tax deductible in NZ?”
Of course. They are a cost of deriving assessable income.
What a tangled web we weave.
So, private broadcasts are full of political and other direct and indirect advertising but that’s o.k. because the consumers pay for it; the consumers who are also the Taxpayers.
The only accountability and transparency, if any, is to the private owners of the station; the consumers/Taxpayers will have no idea who’s influencing them.
As long as the funding does not come directly from the Taxpayers any opinion or influence that the private broadcaster wants to send out for whatever reason and on whomever’s behalf without either the listeners or consumers/Taxpayers fully in the know is perfectly fine.
All this is perfectly acceptable because consumers voluntarily buy (or not) the products of the advertisers in a free-market exchange. The commercial guys are so much more credit-worthy than politicians, aren’t they? [pun intended]
You do know the saying that if you don’t know what the product is … ?
You are confused.
All media carries bias. I’m fine with that as long as it is declared and I’m not paying for it. The government has no business in media, none. It is a risky and expensive business for little or no benefit. And I don’t trust government’s of any stripe to declare their bias and keep far away from propaganda.
This is why State owned media is a bad idea.
As opposed to rigorously professional outfits like Fox News and MSNBC? You don’t have a clue.
Gosman, your comments are often ignorant and ill judged, but whatever you say this morning, no matter how ignorant and ill judged, will not be worse than what you inflicted on us a few days ago….
Yes Gosman talks silly stuff.
NZME and Stuff are owned by multinational finance corporations.
They wouldn’t be biased would they?
In the corporate media you get biased fools like Garner showing their true colours.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/103843906/duncan-garner-if-twyford-cant-phil-us-in-on-kiwibuybuild-who-can
Eh???
What has a comment about Melanie Trump got to do with me?
Similarly, Ed, I note that David Farrar and Jordan Williams’s ludicrous Taxpayers’ Union and the right wing New Zealand Initiative often set the agenda for “news” on both main TV channels, and on Radio New Zealand. The researchers and analysts of the universities and the unions, by contrast, are rarely given much consideration.
Agreed. And look at the number of ACT members who get on Mora’s Panel.
Who for example?
Stephen Franks. But I’m sure there’s many more..
Interesting point
heres a summary of this show
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/library
names are ( couldnt click and paste ,grrr)
Lisa Scott and Ian Telfer
Jo Mccarrol and Scott Campbell
max Ritchie and Niki Bezzant
Rosemary Macleod and Peter Fa’afui
garry Moore and Miriama Aoake
cas carter and Steve Mccabe
Jock Anderson and Mai Chen
Verity Johnson and Simon Pound
Peter Vial and Paula Penfold
Clare de Lore and Alan Blackman
Ella Henry and John Barnett
Micheal Moynahan and Penny Ashton
Minhingarangi Forbes Sam Johnson
Lynda Hallinan and Chris Clarke
Alexia Russel and Mike Rehu
Mike Williams and Michelle Boag
Bernard Hickey and jenny Moreton
neil Miller Alison Mau
Chris Waikira and Janet Wilson
Lisa Scott and Andrew Hoggard
Gary McCormick and Lizzie Marvelly
Michelle A’ court Peter Fa’aifu
Catherine Robertson and Peter Milne
Nadine Higgins and Matt Nippert
Thats over a months worth and quite a variety. Sometimes certain names are more memorable while a lot of the above arent too well known ( arent yet famous for being famous)
I’ve annotated that list of “talent” accordingly…
[1] vacuous; [2] supporter of Israeli government; [3] close links to National Party; [4] spouse of ex-National Party MP; [5] regularly expresses strident right wing views; [6];
Lisa Scott [1] and Ian Telfer
Jo Mccarrol and Scott Campbell [3]
max Ritchie [5] and Niki Bezzant
Rosemary Macleod [5] and Peter Fa’afui
garry Moore and Miriama Aoake
cas carter [1] and Steve Mccabe
Jock Anderson [5] and Mai Chen
Verity Johnson and Simon Pound
Peter Vial and Paula Penfold
Clare de Lore[4] and Alan Blackman [1]
Ella Henry [1] and John Barnett [2]
Micheal Moynahan and Penny Ashton
Minhingarangi Forbes and Sam Johnson [3]
Lynda Hallinan and Chris Clarke [1]
Alexia Russel and Mike Rehu
Mike Williams and Michelle Boag [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]
Bernard Hickey and jenny Moreton
Neil Miller [5] and Alison Mau
Chris Wikaira [2], [3] and Janet Wilson [5]
Lisa Scott [1] and Andrew Hoggard [1], [3], [5]
Gary McCormick and Lizzie Marvelly
Michelle A’ court Peter Fa’aifu
Catherine Robertson and Peter Milne
Nadine Higgins and Matt Nippert
Really? An ACT party member today?
Stephen was certainly an ACT MP from 1999 until 2005.
However he then joined the National Party and was on the National List in 2008. He has taken no active part in politics since then as far as I can see so, although he may still be a member of the National Party I have seen no evidence at all that he went back to ACT.
Do you have any?
Who said we were talking about current ACT members??
When the comment made is in the present tense
“And look at the number of ACT members who get on Mora’s Panel”
one is certainly entitled to expect that you will find current members to nominate. If the best you can discover is someone who was a member a decade ago you are failing.
On your basis I am entitled to state that the Labour party is the arch-proponent of Rogernomics. You will have to agree if you think your own comment is accurate.
Oh dear, Alwyn… more punctilious crap. Franks remains ACT in thought and word whether he is a current member or not. Get your mummy to put you to bed instead of allowing you to post such rubbish. (I am returning a foolish insult you posted against me, just in case it escaped your university-qualified vigilance.)
That’s nice dear.
In Vino
So what. I presume you believe in free speech; in which case Franks is entitled to his point of view, even if you disagree with it.
Grantoc
You’re missing or ignoring the point raised @ 1.2 and 1.2.1.
Hint: it is not about free speech as such.
Exactly right, I have been emailing the producers of RNZ (nicely) about this exact point for the past 12 months…no reply of course.
Taxpayers Alliance? Taxpayers Union and they all try to behave as if they are not part of a strategy
Ed’s comment is about yet another Craig Murray opinion this time re the BBC. Hence UK related, not NZ; and not about the NZ Taxpayers Union.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance is a right-wing British pressure group and think tank formed in 2004 to campaign for a low tax society. The group, based in London, had about 18,000 registered supporters as of 2008, and claimed to have 55,000 by September 2010.
https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TaxPayers%27_Alliance
I understood that, and was noting that the UK has an equivalent of our Taxpayer Union an arms length group helping right parties get re elected
In the background, where the majority of people can’t see, it’s probably the same group.
Kind of like Trade Unions you mean.
No. Trades Unions are comprised of citizens, not sockpuppets.
In your opinion.
To go along to get along. The whole Thatcherite revolution was essentially a dumbing down and raising fears, all started with Murdoch lowering the bar and mulching any conflict against wealth. Press bias merely reflects the current elites unwillingness to pull its finger out, having been deluded into believing that the market will save their sorry arises if only they distrust the market of ideas that will save their sorry arises from being burnt to a cinder.
Shocking especially because they used to (and probably still do I expect) make everybody in Britain pay a yearly TV licence for the content which clearly should not be biased!!!
You want one image that shows how compromised the BBC has become.
Look at Jo Coburn’s face as the BBC cut an interview when one of their reporters says MI6 was involved in torture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxC8hrMhM6A
That reminds me of another time the BBC ‘unfortunately lost the line.’
Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.
And not just because he looks like Simon Bridges.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/marco-rubio-condemns-fellow-lawmakers-opposing-gina-haspels-confirmation/
The media have really let Bridges off the hook for his liking of Slater’s tweet.
The media routinely take their lead from Slater and Farrar. Jim Mora references Farrar every second day, and has him on as a guest regularly. No doubt he’d do the same with Whalefat if he ever relaxed his ideological ban on appearing on “state media.”
I actually find Mora in many ways more contemptible than Hosking.
At least Hosking doesn’t pretend.
You have to admit they’ve got the bases covered with gentle Jim playing a subtle nuanced role with a stacked panel.
Though remembering that it’s helpful to listen to which fear they are playing up. Of course if it’s all right-wing sledging then do what I do, avoid Hooten, Boag, Frank’s, and just pick one right-wing hack, it’s not like there is any depth to their messaging. Farrier is best of the boring fools.
Yeh, I have noticed that Mora has only just contained himself of the Asia peril at our doorstep re; China, lately…I am pretty sure he is going to slip on this one pretty soon.
Morrisey – If this is true, its totally offset by RNZ giving John Campbell 2 hrs every night to push a left wing agenda.
Are you saying that giving a voice to the disenfranchised and holding power to account is inherently Left Wing?, because I can’t remember Campbell pushing any political ideology…maybe you can refresh me.
He will have forgotten that Campbell caused a labour PM to flunce out of an interview
Given that David Farrar runs the most widely read blog in New Zealand, it is hardly surprising that media commentators refer to him.
And although Standardnistas won’t like this, David Farrar comes across as reasonably balanced, even if he is a well known supporter of National. It is some of his commenters that are extreme.
He regularly gives credit to the government when he thinks it is due. He is not so one-eyed that he condemns every single action of the government. Likewise he is critical of the opposition from time to time
” David Farrar comes across as reasonably balanced, even if he is a well known supporter of National. It is some of his commenters that are extreme. ”
If one were so inclined and had the ability and the facility, one could invent a persona, append a twitty pseudonym and spew vile hate speech unfettered on a totally un moderated website. It’d be like allowing one’s evil alter to have a ‘real life’ or in some cases ‘lives’.
Farrar allows those “extreme” commenters free reign…he is a despicable person.
Most people here know this….why would you even think it appropriate to try and defend the indefensible?
He’s a troll farmer. That earns less respect, not more.
And Wayne is partisan so his view of balanced is jaundiced.
The Standard also allows “extreme” commentators from the left ‘free reign’. Is that ‘despicable’ to?
Or are you trying to “defend the indefensible”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kc6fjIEV3s
Yeah nah – he was hip deep in the dirty politics scam. Nothing unusual for a Gnat of course, but contemptible by the standards of normal people.
Comes across as reasonably balanced…to the likes of yourself perhaps, Wayne…and those who appreciate and support ‘hate’ blog sites such as KB…
But that is no rational benchmark for , balance…
What drives you to keep commentating on this blog, Wayne…you’ve not tendered a response…
Kiwi blog seems a more natural habitat given your documented publicly available history…
The scary thing is that I think you really believe this! Or do I hear a dog-whistle?
The fact that those “extreme” commenters are being ‘invited’ by the posts on KB written by DPF and other authors (…) seems to have escaped your thought. All propaganda has and starts with instigators too.
Further, DPF not only provides an inviting and welcoming forum with ample ‘food for thought’ for those “extreme” commenters but also cries that it is too hard to manage, which is just unbelievably pathetic and has a very disingenuous ring to it.
DPF may give token credit to the Government and express token criticism of the Opposition “from time to time” but that’s just pulling the wool over our eyes, isn’t it? Just like Simon Bridges strongly condemned the DP campaign against Clarke Gayford. Yeah, right!
No resignation calls for his disreslect to oyr falken? We would still be hearing about it if Shearer, Cullliffe, Little or Ardern had taken a taxpayer funded flight to Hawaii on hols instead
Absolutely
Lucky for him he’s just a tool for global capitalism then.
Odd story:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103764952/bridges-mea-culpa-for-titter-faux-pas-too-much-tweeting-maketh-a-twat
Anyway, we now know Mr Bridges
readsscrolls through tweets by WO. We also know that Mr Bridges easily lets his guard down when (or better: in spite of) reading tweets by WO – WO is a well-known and respected comedian in National circles and his tweets are often considered ‘funny’. Maybe Mr Bridges was not wearing his hat as Leader of the Opposition but tweeting in ’private capacity’.“Literally a second” would not have given time for a 3rd party to do a screenshot. Literally
He was just scrolling down tweets from WO, as you do, and literally liked it but that doesn’t mean he literally liked it as it is just one of those things you do when scrolling down through tweets from WO, literally.
In National nothing should be taken literally, only aspirationally. A brighter future for all literally means a slightly less dim future for the dimwits (AKA poor, workers, un- and underemployed,
beneficiaries, most people) and a much brighter future for the few (AKA rich) but you cannot literally say that. Being on the cusp of something special literally means that you’ve got gas and have to do a fart but just like weeing in the shower you cannot literally say that in a public medium so you make it sound expirationally.Anything that this Government says or does is literally bad, of course. It goes without saying that the Opposition and particularly the Leader of the Opposition without question and without reading literally poopoos everything from Government. Coincidentally, this comes naturally to National because they literally have no original ideas, which is why they scroll through WO tweets and KB and literally like posts and comments alike; in National they like what they like ad nauseam, literally.
Effectively, Slick Britches is full of bullshit.
My second share of the day are the words of a great New Zealander, Robin Westenra.
“Ecological and economic collapse in New Zealand
It will be only apparent to those paying attention but New Zealand is collapsing environmentally, socially, financially and politically, not to mention socially.
Every day we read headlines like this. The detail with which these questions are dealt with are usually in inverse proportion to the importance of the crisis in question.
People who react emotionally to things,mostly on social media, but are incapable (or unwilling) to analyse why this might be the case just blame the government.
It is really only the symptoms of social collapse that get any public attention.
While the previous government with its socially-destructive policies of austerity took this breakdown to new, unseen levels. But there is nothing unique in this and the result probably end up being the same.
We cannot look solely to economic policies.
What we are seeing is a neo-liberal response to a very real problem to ongoing and progressive collapse as a result of economic crisis arising out of energy decline along with ecological degradation and accelerating climate change.”
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2018/05/ecological-and-economic-collapse-in-new.html?m=1
Superb piece of writing there once again by Westenra. If only the world had more men like him.
This looks like a good one.
The book is called “The War On Peace: The decline of American diplomacy”
Trevor Noah interviews the author Ronan Farrow, who also broke major stories as a reporter such as the #MeToo movement, among others.
Thanks for the link Ad
This is what happens when:
You let farmers take water to intensify dairy farming on the Canterbury Plains
You let farmers pump fertiliser into the land
You allow foreign corporations to take our water.
“Chlorine levels in some Christchurch water might be enough for swimming pool.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/103631494/chlorine-levels-in-some-christchurch-water-might-be-enough-for-swimming-pool
Neoliberal New Zealand.
A poster boy for plutocrats.
A basket case for its citizens.
Auckland.
35000 empty homes.
Houses too expensive to rent or buy.
People living on the streets.
Neoliberal New Zealand.
A poster boy for plutocrats.
A basket case for its citizens.
https://www.strongtowns.org/the-growth-ponzi-scheme/
Ponzi schemes everywhere you look…..think there may be a message in that.
Capitalism itself is a Ponzi Scheme. A few end up rich, everyone else ends up poor.
Capitalism (and/or politics) may accelerate the process but physics dictate it….
“…A society in which depletion is advanced and M(p)
rapidly increasing relative to C(p), though, may not be able to escape catabolic
collapse even if such steps are taken. Cultural and political factors may also make
efforts to avoid catabolic collapse difficult to accomplish, or indeed to contemplate.”
https://www.ecoshock.org/transcripts/greer_on_collapse.pdf
Scary stuff about new terrorism laws and how they seem to be operating…
Black activist jailed for his Facebook posts speaks out about secret FBI surveillance
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/11/rakem-balogun-interview-black-identity-extremists-fbi-surveillance
That is shocking. Didn’t take long for the FBI to enter into the spirit of the new regime.
First – the Kaiser
Second – Hitler and Mussolini
Third – Trump.
Remember how Hitler was lauded for his so-called peace initiatives in the 1930s? Now we have some calling for Trump to be given the Nobel Peace prize. Beyond belief!
“Beyond belief!”
We are living in Wonderland now Anne….under Rabbit Hole rules.
😀
That film was a brilliant rendition of A in Wonderland. And so appropriate to today’s disordered world courtesy of Donald Trump.
Hitlers peace initiatives ?
Only if you are a Hilter revisionist ( which Im sure you arent)!
http://ihr.org/other/what-the-world-rejected.html
Trump isnt really offering peace either. as we well know his claims one month are abandoned 6 months later.
see his campaign claim to reduce US prescription drug prices is now an attempt to force foreign nations with ‘socialised medicine’ to pay more for their drugs ( ref our Pharmac)
From the “It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy…” files,
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12048706
The company of which Eric Watson holds all of the ordinary shares is being chased down for 60 million Big Ones in avoided tax.
What a tragedy…givealittle page on its way?
Interesting case. Time to tighten up laws so that these transactions, offshore accounts and ‘loans’ which result in avoided tax, are not even possible in this country.
A well written Tobin tax would have collected the tax prior to the money leaving and avoided the lengthy court case.
Makes me wonder if this Current Lot are on a mission. Winston especially has history of going after those who are less than transparent in their business dealings.
Agree mostly with a financial transaction tax/levy….in these time of e-commerce it should be easy to implement.
But the Rich Pricks will find a way around it 🙁
@Rosemary – that is why they should look at putting a micro financial tax on everything and reduce other taxes that benefit those on smaller incomes more aka GST. If something like that was done correctly then if you live on peanuts you pay peanut taxes, if you have a million dollar lifestyle while earning zero profits you pay your share of tax at the point of transacting it… At the moment tax is so easy to avoid, too many variations and loopholes and so costly to fight cases…
Hah savenz! I have a close family member who has been banging on about such a tax for years. Pleased for him it is rising to the mainstream.
yep, I think now with so much global capital whistling around the world it’s time to make it happen. Tax money and transactions so people like John Key, Eric Watson, Peter Thiel, Facebook, Google, etc whether resident in or out of NZ will be taxed a micro amount on their money made or going through NZ, where ever it goes afterwards will be someone else’s problem.
Another case of the SFA tax… this video will brighten up a rainy day for many.. it’s very well done.
Honest Government Ad | Trickledown Economics
This up date on the Pike River Recovery.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/103725677/the-promise-to-pike-river-miners-we-will-not-rest-and-we-will-never-give-up-we-will-return
“Dinghy Pattinson is aiming to fulfil a promise he made as part of a mines rescue team that sealed up the Pike River mine in 2011.
The team left a note on the seal 170m up the mine access tunnel, or drift, promising the men they would return to get them out.
Pattinson was also part of the mines rescue team who were ready and waiting for two weeks to go into Pike River after the explosion that killed 29 men on November, 19, 2010.
‘We will not rest and we will never give up. We will return’ “
Good article, thanks for sharing Rosemary.
Was talking to an ex-coast, long time miner the other day about Pike, was very insightful, once he opened up a bit.
He explained that all along mine tunnels were little rooms with breathing apparatus etc, all one needed to do was get to one of these rooms and they would be able to stay alive for around 36hrs or more, giving rescue crews a chance to come and get them.
The rescue that never happened at Pike.
He believes that many of the men down there died from being abandoned, rather than the explosion. Also said Pike was well known for their shoddy safety, everyone on the coast knows it and that when they finally get in to Pike and get the men out it’s going to open a massive can of worms, and that’s why the prior government avoided rescue at all costs.
So proud of our new government for doing something. I can’t imagine the heartache and suffering of all involved.
The botched rescue including just getting the local police who knew nothing about mine safety is truely horrendous. Even countries with so called much worse human rights and employment safety bother to rescue their workers.
Pike River highlights that something is seriously wrong with how many companies with government assistance are operating in NZ – while pretending it’s all in the interests of health and safety but really to save dollars, avoid responsibility, not bother doing anything and delay tactics being the norm.
I’d like to see a memorial in Wellington for the men, by the beehive, to highlight the sad state of company greed and negligence and the government inaction supporting it and why a u-turn is needed.
Well said SaveNZ.
You say
” Also said Pike was well known for their shoddy safety, everyone on the coast knows it”
What a shame that Andrew Little, yes, that Andrew Little, didn’t see anything wrong at all when he was supposed to be representing the men who worked there.
At the time Andrew said.
“EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said he was not aware of any safety concerns at the site.”
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/experts-raise-safety-concerns
He repeated that a number of times
“It was Andrew Little who, after the first explosion, claimed to the NZ Herald (November 22 2010) that there was “nothing unusual about Pike River or this mine that we’ve been particularly concerned about”.
It was a view he repeated to RNZ National’s Morning Report, also on November 22:
“Every mine on the West Coast takes great care when it goes into production and I don’t think Pike River is any different from that. They’ve had a good health and safety committee that’s been very active. So there’s nothing before now that’s alerted us to any greater risk of this sort of incident happening than at any other time.”
http://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.co.nz/2017/10/andrew-little-and-pike-river-fatally.html
If there is anyone who wants to run a cover-up it looks like Andrew. Who wants to bet on the proposition that he will decide it is unsafe to try for a re-entry next year? He is in the perfect position to shut down any real investigation, isn’t he?
Don’t you think it is appropriate, given that he perhaps erred back in the day, that Andrew Little heads this project?
Even cynical old moi sees the slight aura of integrity around the man. Rare enough for any politician.
Do you honestly think someone like Dinghy Pattinson would let crap like that go unchallenged?
Why not put it on hold for a while alwyn and let them get on with it.
They will never get on with it.
There is no chance at all that there will be any re-entry to the mine that goes right in to the place where they were working. No politician would ever risk it.
Hopes alwyn.
And Gerry Brownlee
Lolz alwyn, would you like to place a wager? I’m keen, 3 month self imposed ban?
alwyn you are familiar with the West Coat yes? It’s a different world there.
I also said… “Was talking to an ex-coast, long time miner the other day about Pike, was very insightful, once he opened up a bit.”….. once he opened up a bit….
I wasn’t aware that Andrew Little came from the West Coast. I was always under the impression that he came from Taranaki. Am I wrong?
What does what the West Coasters think really matter? It is Andrew who is going to make the call, and I believe it is pre-determined. Who can say what might, or might not, have been done at the time. Now it would just be sending people into danger. Let those who died, like people drowned in ships sunk in the war, rest in peace.
I remember visiting the Coast in the mid-1960s. Yes it was quite different, However I can remember talking to a railways driver. There were still steam trains going across to the Coast. He said that the people there threatened to riot if they put Diesel Loco’s instead of coal powered ones on the route. He also said it was just talk and no-one living there had kept a coal range when they could get an electric one. They might talk about keeping coal but they weren’t actually going to use it themselves.
alwyn, I said nothing about Andrew Little, you are the one spinning yarns here.
I said that I was talking to an ex miner, nothing about Andrew.
alwyn, you did say… “Who wants to bet on the proposition that he (Andrew Little) will decide it is unsafe to try for a re-entry next year?”
I’ll take up your bet, I say they will go into the mine, I will wager you a 3 month self imposed ban.
What do you say?
What exactly did you have in mind for this wager. All you seem to be willing to say here is “I say they will go into the mine”.
I suppose you could argue that they have done this. Remember the brave face that Little put on when he, and a couple of the members of some of the deceased miners’ families put on as he went 30 metres into the portal to the point where it was sealed the other day?
What are you proposing? I’ll give you a good example to follow. John Kennedy said
“First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth”.
Quite explicit isn’t it? What to do. When to do it. How to judge success or failure.
How would you word the wager? Do you propose, for example, that people in the mission will travel right to the area where the men were working and, as far as I know, the explosion occurred, before 31 March. 2019? That is all the way into the mine.
If not, what would you suggest?
You are quite right about the first words of this comment. It was Rosemary who was talking about Little, Andrew. I do apologise for seeming to think that you were the one proposing him as an exemplar of integrity.
Nice dancing on the head of a pin alwyn. Cinny made a simple wager suggestion. And yes it was simple. The stakes arent even high but you had to go pseudo intellectual and self righteous rather than just acceptung or declining. Would that you were quite as analytical of Brownlee et al and the profit motive on these deaths as you are on Anrew Little.
Ironic that someone who has voted for those who have neutered unions now criticises a union for letting its members down
I’m sure that Cinny is capable of answering for herself.
Why do you feel the need to “interpret” what she has said?
I rather hoped that Cinny would have responded by now as to what she did have in mind for the wager. It obviously has to have a date. After all it could otherwise turn into something like Winston’s threats to sue the National Party and its MPs.
“I’m still going to do it” Winston says while all is otherwise silent.
I suppose Little supporters could claim in 2050, when no attempt at a proper re-entry has taken place,that it will still happen, sometime.
Why does Little persist in messing with the victim’s families with the false hopes he keeps proclaiming?
For Tracey’s benefit I would note that I am not criticising the Union. I am criticising Andrew Little.
What a ugly man you are Alwyn …
Utilising your long lack of empathy …. out of cameron slater and john key which one do you think was more likely to call bereaved mother of a pike river mine worker a bitch ?? … ,…..
the dead boys mother was a “bitch” who had heckled Key …according to Slater and published in Nicky Hagars “Dirty polictics”
I presume she did so over the hollowness and insincerity of his political stunt …his false promises to the dead pike river miners familys ….
The media nearly always gave key a pass for lieing ….. but not so from a young dead mans mother.
Totally missing from Alwyns mean eyed spit at this woman and other Pike river mine workers mothers: …is the Key and previous Nat Govts part in the criminal negligence that lead to these working mens deaths …….
cutting the number of mine inspectors … not enforcing regulations… Non-Compliant is virtually Nationals Trade Mark.
But what really shows up Key as a nasty arse-hole…. when his Governmnet received a multi-million insurance payout over Pike river…… the suggestion was put that some of that money be given to miners familys as compensation ……
Key “ they can sue “….Alwyn may well agree
We all know …At the end of the day 😉 😉 it was key who ran off from NZ politics
johnny made-off .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRqFBmiVMQU
You may, or may not, realise that I am not John Key.
Neither am I Cameron Slater.
That obviously doesn’t matter to you. You really are a nasty piece of work aren’t you? What gives you the right to abuse me for things I have never done?
What gives you the right to accuse me of things like, in your own disgusting dribble ” Alwyns mean eyed spit at this woman “? I have never done such a thing and I despise anyone who would do so.
I also despise people like you who propagate such lies.
Get back in your hole you miserable little excuse for a human being. If you are unable to tell the truth about me why don’t you just shut up?
Its not about you Alwyn ….. your smeary diversionary blame Little dribble needed putting straight….. its part of the ‘blame the union’ shit your sort cynically use.
Your skewered, one-sided, political statement on pike river was offensive to the victims … a written slap in the face for the mothers on mothers day.
your coming across as ugly as Key … using the victims for political gain ….” let them sue”…..
I don’t place much stock on a cynical ugly repeat liar and hypocrite calling me a liar….
Instead lets be reminded of a New Zealander with morals and Justice challenging the rot and corruption of the last national Government ….
Someone who did care about workers and people …. https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/344562/pike-families-justice-should-not-be-bought
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11939650 … sorry for the Herald link … but it is a rare fair story from them.
“Mum always held that Pike was a crime scene; hopefully it will be treated as such by the new government.” …. a quote from Helen Kellys son
/
Frankly you are a complete nutter.
You have zero interest in the truth, or facts, or simple common-sense.
Crawl back into the cesspit of your fevered imagination.
You are completely beneath contempt.
You start a sentence with “I don’t place much stock ….”.
Well I don’t place much stock in the ravings of an idiot like you.
Stop running from the topic
Pike River,,, and your bat-shit politically motivated appropriation of Blame …
Managers, directors, design and mining safety specs … have all dissapeared behind a little union rep … according to angry Alwyn
By Not engaging with facts , shouty abuse,, and a dose of the shut-ups.. Alwyns providing a good example of an ongoing context … where the ugly and dishonest .. attack lie and deny ,,, those who expose them.
Dirty Politics …its in their blood.
John Key : ” …Nicky Hager is a screaming left-wing conspiracy theorist,”
Key and waynes gutsy Afghanistan attacks: “,,,,, “Stephenson’s integrity and credibility has been questioned by Prime Minister John Key, he’s been accused of fabricating testimony, of being an anti-war activist, of being part of a plot to undermine the New Zealand Defence Force.”
Pike river NAct PR :… John Key: ..”The first thing is I’m here to give you absolute reassurance, we’re committed to getting the boys out, and nothing’s going to change that. So – when people try and tell you we’re not, they’re playing, I hate to say it, but they’re playing with your emotions.”
“Following from the first explosion at Pike Rive Mine, there seemed much positive comment heaped upon the likes of Peter Whittall and John Key.”
versus the ugly actions and real attitudes,,,
John Key ” they can sue”
“Furthermore, – Pike River management barred union access to the site if a delegate attempted to come on site – which was their perfect legal right to do so due to legislation passed by this National government.” https://thestandard.org.nz/qc-describes-pike-river-mine-as-a-homicide-scene/
http://www.unite.org.nz/workers_union_slams_talley_s_work_culture_after_crewman_s_death
*PK … post key
The Mine Rescue guys would have been gutted. My Dad was in Mine Rescue, and he said leaving anyone down a mine was their worst nightmare. So proud of Andrew Little and such respect for the families.
A New Zealand nurse’s diary of one ordinary shift: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12048860
But but but GDP…. growth… when we have that we can treat our nurses and health services properly… oh wait
Not sure of your point here, are you saying less gdp growth would be good for nurses or more, or simply you have confused what ever the correlation is between GDP growth and nurses well being with causation
No wonder you are bewildered. We have been told for decades that growth in GDP is crucial and in some instances THE most important factor in
Wages being raised
Health and Education services being well funded
And so on.
But after 40 decades of constant GDP increases we have largely stagnant wages and nurses workng in untenable conditions.
I hope that clarifies it for you
These characters do that tax rort, and some go the “charity road”, as they can claim any donated money against the “public purse” @ 33% back again.
‘Charities’ are the new rout avenue. Clinton Foundation and so forth are really vehicles to channel money with tax advantages so it doesn’t look quite so much like a bribe or buying influence.
Personally not a fan of modern charities like KidsCan either that have millions in the bank, spend a lot of administration and make many think that government agencies and more austere type charities should be abandoned for the more glitzy marketing type of charity.
And I’ll only mention in passing, because with the rain today there’s gloom aplenty already, the many charities and trusts who have got their snouts firmly in the trough of government funded contracts to provide services in the ‘social’ sector.
They don’t make profits…they have surpluses…and pay no tax.
They can cause the deaths of people in their ‘care’ through under staffing and and are never properly held to account. By “held to account” i mean lose their fat contracts forever.
Hi. Am seeking the best books on recent (post-1984) NZ Political History – am aiming to guide a millenial. Here’s what I have so far:-
Simon Collins. 1987. Rogernomics: Is There A Better Way?;
Nicky Hagar. 2006. The Hollow Men;
Bruce Jesson. 1987. Behind The Mirror Glass;
Bruce Jesson. 1990. Fragments of Labour;
Harvey McQueen. 1991. The Ninth Floor: Inside the Prime Minister’s Office –
A Political Experience.
It’s a bit spartan so far. Anyone have any recommendations?
Also: Are these recommended?:-
Simon Sheppard. 1999. Broken Circle: The Decline And Fall Of The Fourth Labour Government;
Jon Johansson. 2009. The Politics of Possibility: Leadership in Changing
Times.
This is a beautifully written book by a NZ Rhodes scholar, Andrew Dean.
Also scores 4.11 rating out of 5 on Goodreads.
Ruth, Roger and Me
Debts and Legacies
Andrew Dean
https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/ruth-roger-and-me
Also the documentary
Somebody Elses Country
Alister Barry
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuniH7qAecTTf1NeSd1PyRA
scott
Some more thoughts about our interesting economic and political scene.
On Radionz The 9th floor – Book of 5 leaders
http://www.radionz.co.nz/programmes/the-9th-floor/story/201861258/the-book-launch-the-9th-floor
Series – http://www.radionz.co.nz/programmes/the-9th-floor
Dr Bill Sutch Economics – Balanced enterprises less weighted to farming
Read the presentations at the annual Bruce Jesson Journalism awards.
Geoffrey Palmer Unbridled Power
Marilyn Waring Counting for Nothing
Max Rashbrooke
Tim Hazeldine
Fabian addresses – must be on record
Book Till the Cows Came Home
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9282669/Russia-offered-MiGs-tanks-to-settle-NZ-debt
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/book-extract-till-cows-came-home-part-1-hold-holiday-review-dc-150320
Would you add “Bread and Roses” by Sonja Davis?
The Fabian presentations can be found here…https://www.fabians.org.nz/index.php?option=com_weblinks&view=category&id=68&Itemid=72
…and I’d throw in some of this guy’s work… https://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/
Thanks Rosemary for giving us all those links.
I have captured that link for Fabian – it takes so long to find stuff sometimes and have wanted to get them to hand for a while.
And Brian Easton – more good stuff. We need to water the good economists, give them some love, keep them going with their alternative thinking and turning of facts etc and flowering of ideas!
Thanks everybody! Much appreciated. Some good stuff here, natch. Whenever I think of Andrew Dean I think of Max Harris – encouraging that those of younger generations are looking backwards as well as looking forwards.
Brian Easton has, amongst others:-
The Making of Rogernomics (Auckland University Press, 1989)
Here’s a link to the Bruce Jesson awards presentations:
https://www.brucejesson.com/lectures-2/lectures/ with the lecturers list being authors worth seeking out:-
You may not like what is said but an essential book to read is Michael Bassett’s book on the 1984-1990 era, “Working with David”.
http://www.michaelbassett.co.nz/books.php?b=workingwithdavid
alwyn – we can tolerate what is said. We understand where Bassett was coming from. Whether we value what he says is another matter. No unpleasant surprises, so give up the “You may not like what he says.”
Bassett has not written another Bible.
I don’t care whether you agree with him. I couldn’t care less whether you value what he says. It is however essential reading if you want to understand what happened. Have you actually read the book?
Have you read all the books listed?
Stop challenging alwyn in vino. He is the arbiter of what amounts to essential reading, amongst other things
I agree it is essential reading to understand how the Labour Party spawned the ACT Party and people like Bassett kept being used by the media to comment on Labour, following his leaving parliament, as though he represented Labour views.
Rebecca Macfie Tragedy at Pike River Mine: How and Why 29 Men Died
Jane Kelsey. The Fire Economy.
Jonathan Boston, Simon Chapple Child Poverty in New Zealand.
Stunning representation
This is a problem for the Papatuanuku society Sea level rise we are to short sighted we have the technology to exanine Papatuanuku history but we don’t no how to live for the future we live for the NOW for what we can get out of life now and not what we can give to OUR mokopunas lives this mind set has to change the old way was to try and give back better than what we received. We need to change building codes to mitigate SEA level rise now or it will be a 1000x worst than the problem we have that our farmers have at the minute .We can not just ignore the problem because the longer we have OUR heads in the sand the bigger the mess we will have to clean up. A few bold moves now will save lives and billions of$$$$$ for OUR mokopunas THIS IS FACT here.s the link.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/103404456/a-profound-crisis-sealevel-rise-and-the-remaking-of-the-world Ka kite ano P.S I know that we have a housing shortage but ignoring Sea level rise is just pushing a bigger problem to OUR mokos .
Heres a man that has similar views to Eco Maori it is lies and dishonesty that causes a society to collapse Michael Bloomberg heres the link.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/12/michael-bloomberg-epidemic-of-dishonesty-threat-democracy Ka kite ano
We must keep the Mana Wahine movement going Kia kaha ka kite ano here the link.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/12/cate-blanchett-and-kristen-stewart-join-silent-womens-protest-on-cannes-red-carpet P.S Equality for all Eco Maori says
One has to think out side the square to be as successful as this man Eco Maori admires here is the link. Ka kite ano
http://www.euronews.com/2018/04/19/space-x-launches-nasa-planet-hunter
P.S he will be——-them bro kia kaha
Eco Maori has to be careful whom I back because I can see a phenomenon.
The powers that be don’t like to be shown up by a Kiwi Maori Cultured Man from Te Waiapu Vally Tairawhiti like the idiots playing with there sounds and flashing neon lights at the minute . Ka kite ano
Good Evening NewsHub the better we care for the vulnerable mokopunas at the earliest we can the higher they will climb up there ladders of life.
That is reality for the working class poor the hardest hit from inequality in income and the brown poor people get hit the hardest the income disparities are shocking go to the high end of town and you see boats flash cars one million dollar house own by two people the other end and one see nothing but poverty people going with out basic needs.
I can rember 10 years ago life was a lot easier and the cost of living was a lot cheaper .
Ka kite ano