Boo hooo the landed gentry already well off people paying their share of taxes .
Capital gains income should be no different why does a business and an wage and salary earner have to pay full taxes and a property investor less or no tax.
And then effectively tax the tenant and record rental prices forcing the govt to top up rent through the rent subsidy.
Double dipping welfare for landlords who don't want to pay tax because they are investing in property.
Facts and photos are (yet again) ruining the relentless propaganda of the Israeli regime and its supporters….
The Israel Narrative Is Crumbling Because Of Phone Cameras And The Internet
by Caitlin Johnstone
…The mass media are working furiously to spin this in a way that rivals my satire piece from the other day. The New York Times has been cartoonishly re-writing its own reporting in a desperate attempt to make Israel look like an innocent victim of unprovoked attacks instead of the obvious aggressor against people protesting a brutal apartheid regime backed by an entire empire. The New York Post falsely reported that the deaths on Monday were caused by "Airstrikes from Hamas militants" (when did Hamas get an air force?) when sharing an article which falsely implied that those fatalities were inflicted by both sides. DW News framed its headline in a way that suggested the nine children killed had been involved in "fighting" against Israeli forces, and the word "clashes" is being thrown about willy nilly to describe a very one-sided assault.
But it isn't working.
Social media is teeming with viral video footage of police assaulting peaceful worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, of Israelis cheering and chanting "Yimach shemam (may their names be erased)" at the sight of a fire near the mosque, of Israeli soldiers arresting Palestinian protesters using the signature knee-on-neck maneuver made famous by the murder of George Floyd, many of which have millions of views. Mainstream politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are putting out statements explicitly condemning Israel as the aggressor in these attacks, and the White House is facing some actual adversarial journalism for once regarding its refusal to denounce the killing of Palestinian children and its absurd position that Palestinians have no right to defend themselves…
Anyone used this line yet, Morrissey? It seems to have become the standard reply when uniformed thugs are filmed in action (at least Aotearoa):
such videos often exclude relevant context, and the one in question was a small excerpt from a “fast-moving and dynamic situation”
But the Israeli (and Hamas, for that matter – given their rockets' lack of aiming ability) military are certainly engaging in Collective Punishment in violation of International Humantiarian Law. And their own rules for that matter:
Israel’s Manual on the Rules of Warfare (2006) states: “The disciplinary and punishment rules applicable in the army of the imprisoning country will also apply to the prisoners-of-war. Group punishments … are absolutely forbidden.”
Cynicism from someone in a comparative paradise Ad. Palestinians would love to be so hard-stretched as you are. Can you not extend some concern rather than the objective, strong man's overview?
Maybe they are just filling a void that opens up when things start to crack up, and of course there they have cracked up long ago. So which strongman/group gets in? We have a version of that here. So spare me your world-weary comments. I know a bit about what is going on, though not as much as you. And I feel they are all locked into a dance to the death. We should feel sorry for them and try to keep away from being locked in here. There are enough competing negative shits to watch out for here. What you know about Israel may help you to work out how to keep it at bay here, that is if you don't want army law and government stepping in to run the country that is not managing that adequately.
Missiles are flying both ways; land 'confiscations' are one way – BAU.
A Threshold Crossed
Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution
A couple of opinion pieces.
What is happening in occupied East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah? Dozens of Palestinians are facing imminent dispossession from their homes in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, in what they say is a move to force them out and replace it entirely with a Jewish settlement.
The Jerusalem District Court ruled at least six families must vacate their homes in Sheikh Jarrah on Sunday, despite living there for generations.
Jerusalem, the unfolding tragedy Jabotinsky argued that the Palestinians are no fools to be deceived or bribed into giving up their homelands to the Jewish newcomers, and no reward would ever be enough to compensate them for the loss of their homeland, and therefore, they must be driven into total despair by coercion or force.
Israel is a colonial war machine that never sleeps. Its mounting provocations in Jerusalem in recent weeks have predictably driven Palestinians to the streets in protest.
The Israeli occupation, repression, disruption, discrimination, property confiscation or home demolition are a decades-long daily affair. Likewise, racist and violent provocations by Israeli fanatics are common practice in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Evictions in Jerusalem Become Focus of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Palestinians and their advocates consider the evictions — coupled with restrictions on building permits, which force Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to either leave the city, or to build illegal housing vulnerable to demolition orders — as a kind of ethnic cleansing.
“It’s a land grab,” said Sami Abu Dayyeh, owner of the Ambassador Hotel in Sheikh Jarrah, some of whose land has been confiscated by the Israeli state in a separate case. “They are stealing land left and right.”
A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said Friday that the evictions “would violate Israel’s obligations under international law” prohibiting the forced transfer of residents from occupied territory.
So nothing to do the IDF attack on Muslims congregating at Damascus Gate? Or the IDF's heavy handed thuggery with worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque? Or the eviction of Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers?
The current Hamas rocket bombardment by what are basically glorified sugar rockets is classic asymmetric warfare. A Qassam rocket costs around US$800 to make. An Iron Dome missile costs (depending on source) anywhere between US$40,000 to US$100,000 -most say US$70,000. If Hamas can maintain today's rate of fire of around 1000 rockets for even two more days then the Iron Dome system will most likely run out of ammunition. I would guess this is why the Israelis are currently indiscriminately bombing Gaza – they are frantically trying to destroy the Qassam storage areas. Otherwise, they'd just use artillery.
In 2014 this was one of the reasons Israel agreed to a ceasefire – after intercepting around 780-800 incoming rockets they ran out of Iron Dome missiles. So if that happens and if Hamas have enough rockets to keep up the bombardment they'll start giving the Israeli civilian population a taste of their own medicine. At that point Israel will either have to conduct what will likely be a bloody and costly ground attack on Gaza (the mainly occupation duties of repressing people throwing stones has turned the IDF into a sloppy army heavily reliant of massive firepower superiority and it got a rude shock in 2014, losing 67 KIA in the first two days of their operations in the urban rabbit warren of Gaza and I'd bet Hamas will not care about it's losses and has turned Gaza into a defensive position that would attract the admiration of Vasily Chiukov and the 62nd Army) or back down soon and negotiate before they run out of missiles.
And I would be careful throwing around the terrorist label – these are desperate people kept in a squalid ghetto and driven to the edge of human endurance by a brutal apartheid regime. Mandela, Mbeki, Biko – they were all "terrorists" to an apartheid regime as well. Palestinians have a right to self defense as much as Israel, and if Hamas leads that fight then whose terrorists are they? If all you've got is your courage and stones and home made rockets against all the drones and jets and missiles and tanks and artillery and electronic wizardry of an utterly brutal and violent oppressor then perhaps it might be worth considering you don't have quite the same luxuries of target choice as your opponents. What ever you think of Hamas, those guys who are currently going outside to fight back against the Israelis have got a shit ton of guts.
"…In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had said the rocket attacks would continue until Israel stopped “all scenes of terrorism and aggression in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque”…"
We can all wait and see now as to who comes out on top. If the Israelis want a fight, the ball is in their court.
David Seymour and Paul Goldsmith want more bean counters counting leftover lunches at schools. Instead of giving students an education, teachers should be chasing uneaten lunches.
Class won’t start until little Johnny has eaten his lunch!
Perhaps Seymour and Goldsmith can't read. The poor little men scurrying around like ants looking for crumbs of human leftovers to turn into political hot potatoes. What could they do with polluted water or dodgy chemical stodge or sewage overflows. Gather those together with your enthusiasm for recycling and turn those into hot potatoes you dreebs.
From urban dictionary – 'Dreeb' – someone whos cocky on the outside but insecere (sic) on the inside. They over reate themself and under rate others,
Go to Act's website and check out their education policy. Seymour's not out talking about that. He's not on some south to north crusade selling it so that when he's in coalition government with National after the next election it's a surprise to people. He hasn't despatched his caucus buddies to do it either.
"ACT will give every child a Student Education Account at the age of two. Each year until a student is 18, $12,000 will be placed into that Account. At the age of 18, they will receive a further $30,000 for tertiary education, with up to $50,000 available top (sic) academic achievers through a scholarship program. Over half of students will receive a scholarship."
They have reducing 'the number of back office bureaucrats at the Ministry of Education by 50 per cent getting rid of all the backroom Ministry of Education people' so I guess Novopay will run their "Student Education Account' scheme.
'Morale in the teaching profession is at an all-time low. Teachers feel undervalued and overworked with bureaucratic compliance' so with less bureaucrats and a great funding regime, who is to count the leftover lunches?
Maybe the Epsom two, the innumerate and the dweeb will start up the Great Lunch Counting Company.
I have put some peculiar settings in inadvertently. I have removed my comment but there is a tail behind. Sorry mods. I didn't know this would happen – weird. Something carried over from a google dictionary listing. It puts a light border around comments.
Have Messrs Seymour and Goldsmith considered what would happen if not enough food was supplied due to a too tight supply regime?
$5-$7 per lunch delivered is a good price. I bought my lunch on Sunday during a meeting from a public cafeteria. There was nothing there under $5, except a small pastry pie and a banana. Even a simple sandwich was $5.50, pies from $5.
I had experience of the Japanese lunch in school scheme where a varied and nutritious lunch was provided for a low parentally paid fee which it seemed all did pay. The lunch was eaten in the classroom under the supervision of the teacher. There was obviously left over food as Mrs Mac1 and I both sat with these primary students and ate the same food. Student monitors served and cleaned up. The daily menu was displayed in the foyer with its calorific value of IIRC some 700 calories.
The surplus food in NZ is not wasted. it is given away to students or given to food kitchens. It might be surplus to daily requirements based on dietary preference, absentees and pupils providing their own lunch, but it is not wasted.
In supplication to the great God of Efficiency – I suggest that all leftover lunches are supplied to the patrons of Rosie, a very pleasant cafe in the Epsom electorate and doubtless known to its two MPs. The cheese sandwiches might balance the taste of octopus on the palate, provided one has a riesling with sufficient acidity.
Wellington City council is now completely in disarray. People are stressed, crying, feeling bullied……I really don't understand this. Why are they stressed? Because its game over with neglecting the basics for which they have been elected? Have they forgotten that they have been voted into the position to represent the ratepayer, who forks out ever increasing amounts that they hardly can afford? Are they having a bit of an entitlement hissy fit?
If any of the ordinary folks in a job would perform as some of these people they would be sacked. Who is holding these overpaid sandcastle players to account?
Maybe they need to be replaced by a interim management team until all the logistics of maintaining a city is being taken care of.
Well, no. Rates are being increased by double figures because some pet projects have got priority above the basics. You know, drinking water, waste water. Just some fancy stuff that has been invented by the Romans about 800 BC, so not really new technology mind you. But maybe we are travelling back in time? There is no excuse to have basic maintenance that people have to pay for without being able to opt out (compulsion) deferred and instead i.e. put a signage up "Windy Wellington" etc.
If you cant stand the heat go out of the kitchen, we have to stop pussyfooting around drowning in political correctness and achieving nothing. I mean really nothing.
This has nothing to do with being PC. It's just where you aim your wrath. Perhaps I spoke out of turn, but I was thinking of council workers, not council members.
Those calling the shots are the ones calling the shots. The majority of council workers are then obliged to do, or not do, as their masters bid.
All those workers on the frontline can do jack-shit about this, other than vote out the munters failing to address the cities issues adequately. In the meantime, they're getting abuse for things well out of their control.
If you are addressing the office bound idiots making the stupid calls, fair enough, I read it wrong, have at em.
I went to some of the plan meetings. As far as I am concerned fixing the pipes is the number one item and there seems to be quite a lot of public realism about that. What was much more interesting though are the figures for population increase which they are still promoting as 50,000-80,000 range over 30 years which after a lot of previous discussion looks like it is likely to be closer to 30,000 . For politics they had grabbed the largest figure they could see and didn't want to answer questions about it although they looked uncomfortable. Why does central government insist of continuing population increases as well as shovelling that population into existing cities. Letting the population drop could be very cost effective.
Even more interesting was that there seemed to be no breakdown of 3 waters costs between new dwellings/suburbs and upgrading/repairing needed for the existing system. And no idea at all of what the government will pay towards 3 waters. The estimates I have seen for fixing? are in the region of $3 billion to $6 billion over 30 years – so $100 to $200 million per annum. I'd actually like to see the 3 waters costs gathered into a group along with possibly the assets and loans that relate to them plus the existing rates used for this-so that we can look at dedicated funding options whether it's higher rates, bulk rates payments in advance at a discount or loans etc to ensure the money does go to the pipes and doesn't at any point get left in the general take forever. It would be easier to fit the government up with their share for new housing too.
I think I would be happier with a one off dob if that meant the pipes in our suburb got fixed.
This is the result of 20 years deferred maintenance and about 30% of the budget being diverted to some projects that was the fancy of the council. There was and is no accountability. The slogan Absolutely positively Wellington turns out to be an absolutely messy (sewage) Wellington.
The only way to get on top of this is to have GST of the rates returned to councils and some reporting on progress and expenses connected made mandatory. This could work for many.
To increase Rates by double digits is just outrageous. People will not be able to afford this and the elderly in particular.
There was a comment by the Union that 60k is not a high wage and makes it difficult paying rent, living costs etc. Perhaps, just perhaps it should be mentioned that a very large section of people do not earn 60K.
Palestinian writer Mohammed el-Kurd on the #SaveSheikhJarrah campaign and his family's fight to keep their home in the face of threatened displacement.
If the court rules in favor of the landlords, the question remains of what happens to the Palestinian residents, who could be evicted as soon as next week. Israeli law allows Jews to reclaim ownership of land they vacated in 1948, but denies Palestinians the right to reclaim the properties they fled from in the same war.
Mr. Skafi, the Sheikh Jarrah resident, said his family lived in West Jerusalem before 1948, but has no legal recourse to reclaim the property.
“It’s the height of racism,” he said, shortly before the police fired another barrage of skunk water nearby. “Jews can get back their properties, but not the Arabs.”
But Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, a deputy mayor of Jerusalem, said the discrepancy was necessary to preserve Israel’s Jewish character.
“This is a Jewish country,” she said. “There’s only one. And of course there are laws that some people may consider as favoring Jews — it’s a Jewish state. It is here to protect the Jewish people.”
Not in the public service, but still below $60k. So not arguing for my own pay here.
But $60k is far too low, taking in midlevel teachers, nurses, and administrators. Expecting exceptional service to get a basic scale increase at that level is taking the piss, especially when for many of them exceptional is the norm.
But the other thing is that this is levelling down, if even inflation adjustments weren't in the plan. Build up the lower paid, but playing the middle against the poor is a dirty move, in my opinion.
Just bloody make a higher tax bracket at a progressive level if the govt really needs the cash.
I'll also say "pay" doesn't mean "security" – eternal restructurings all over the public service. Not just big ones like Health, even smaller units can suddenly get the notice that they'll have to reapply for fewer jobs.
I'll also say "pay" doesn't mean "security" – eternal restructurings all over the public service. Not just big ones like Health, even smaller units can suddenly get the notice that they'll have to reapply for fewer jobs.
QFT.
Teaching is a prime example now – so many teachers are now employed on yearly contracts, not on a permanent contract, so they never know from one year to the next if they will still have a job. Easy for the school administration to manage their staffing levels from year to year – but shit for the actual teaching staff.
Just bloody make a higher tax bracket at a progressive level if the govt really needs the cash.
Heck yeah, they could increase the taxes at the higher end. And by doing so would not only lift a few select employees from the government up but all of the other low wage workers too.
But i totally understand the government needs money and it needs to come from someone.
My figuring is that they wanted to keep the public service line item static as part of the bigger picture.
But that's a catch-22: increase the public service line item to level-up the lower income workers, the opposition bleats about money for mandarins.
Level-up lower income workers by freezing the mid-to-upper echelons, they're punishing covid workers.
So the alternative to that catch-22 is do a complete tax system overhaul, which would be a gift to the nats. We've still yet to see the fallout from the stumbles the transition to the new health system will inevitably experience.
Anyone who rents in either of these brackets will have less money as rents will go up, just to name one. Never mind that interest rates will go up too, and we already have people who can't afford their mortgages.
Cost of living goes up. cost of everything goes up. 60.000 anual is about 28 NZD per hour, for someone who has a degree, student loans, family etc. Not that much if you consider that you now pay a dish washer 20.00 NZD.
So for this supposedly super educated socially woke, but fiscally austere government to come out with such an idiotic blunder – and i am being very polite here – again just shows how out of touch these guys actually are. Maybe half of them have never earned a dollar outside of government, so maybe they really believe that 100.000 per annum before tax is a lot, but it actually is not. Not when you pay up to 2.000 – 2500 NZD per month just to rent a place. (and going up), and probably more to pay a mortgage.
So you can not keep something static by puting a 'hold' or a 'freeze' on it, as inflation keeps going up, and everything else with it. Dumb, idiotic and total shambles from people who really have no clue just what it means to not live a whole working life on the government tit.
As i said, and many others have said before if you really want to move the lower incomes up, make the first 10 – 20 grand tax free and then roll out a meaningful wealth tax to claw it back.
But this was just so dumb, that i ask what they were trying to hide behind this storm in a teapot.
Stuff is always dumb after it fails spectacularly.
The impulse of increasing incomes for the lower-earners in the public service was a good one.
I suspect they were thinking "office workers", not "nurses".
The budget is next Thursday. This was part of the scheduled announcement dribble that always happens before each budget. Whether the response has resulted in a rewrite is another question.
If truly they were thinking office worker rather then nurses why is that different? Oh, the office worker not worth their wages? So let me get this right, the very rich (and all these people are very rich compared to the nurse or the office worker) will play the almost poor against the very poor – while eating the whole cake? Sounds exactly what a kind, gentle, compassionate, socially minded so called 'workers' party would do.
Seriously? the whole idea of setting the income as low as 60 grand, was dumb. The whole idea of believing that someone on a 100.000 is rich is dumb.
The median wage in NZ is about 54 grand per year. So they decided that 6 grand more is gonna make a huge difference? seriously?
And frankly what about all those that are not in government? Can hang on to their 20 NZD for their part time jobs and shut up? You got plenty?
The problem in NZ really is that the government can not increase the wages fast enough to keep up with rising cost of living, rent being one. IT can also not increase wages fast enough to start saving on various WINZ supplements to keep working people in motels while they still have money to pay food.
The reality is that the only thing this government really needs to do, before literally anything is to reign in the housing market. And the little diddling so far has had absolutely no effect, and chances are will not have any effect. Houses are going still up, rents are going still up, tenants are even less likely to complain as they have no option to find something else, etc etc etc.
So yeah, this was the dumbest action so far from this government. And even worse is to blame the news for their own blunder, and i consider that calling it a wage freeze was actually a polite thing, as actually it was a drop in wages, once you factor in raising costs in inflation and rents/mortgages/rates etc.
That is like blame the housing crisis on people wanting to live in houses, if they were happy to live in ditches we would have no crisis.
Never thought i would be happy for a Labour government to just go home, but heck i am almost there. I really can't wait for all of them to join the UN.
But the thing that i really hope about is that next time people might consider voting for some third party so non of these unsinspiring / mediocre large parties ever get majority again.
In case you haven't noticed, a handy scapegoat for all political parties (especially the rightwing, because it meshes with their hatred of democratic government) is the backroom bureaucrat and mandarin in Wellington.
Sure, it's bullshit. But it makes office workers in the public service more vulnerable than the "heroic" public servants. Of the folks you've seen to be outraged at this measure, how many brought up doctors, nurses, cops, and teachers? How many people brought up funding&planning officers or data analysts, content writers or departmental librarians?
The shopkeepers union (Retail Assn.) has been pushing for this for as long as I can remember. Good to see Labour moving to impose something realistic. National just laughed at us.
Can see the banks trying to recoup in other was though. It costs just under $100 / month to have an eftpos machine sitting on the counter with machine rental, Paymark fee and the $20 minimum charge on the interchange. For a lot of small retailers who’d probably be better off out working 40 hrs at min wage it adds up. Some if the larger retail outfits aren’t a lot better either.
It's not concerning at all. It seems even RNZ employs clickbait
"Small micro-drones could be deployed by Armed Offenders Squads, and police should consider buying one or two much more expensive – and secure – Aeryon SkyRangers or fixed-wing Aerovironment Pumas. The Defence Force has several SkyRangers.
These did not connect to the Internet at all, Shelley said.
"If the risks are controlled, certainly those benefits outweigh the risks.""
If the buyer of the drone has no control over the destination or use of the data collected they'd be fools to buy such drones.
And of course why we should be more worried about the Chinese government having access to data gathered here than the US having access to all our digital communications data is a mystery to me.
Just listened to Luxon speak in the general debate: Labour and the left will underestimate him at their cost.
He reminded me so much of Key – glib, shallow but repeating all the cliches which appeal to the shallow-thinking public who will be swayed by his empty rhetoric.
You know the sort of crap Key used to spout – appealing to the hard-working kiwis who just want to get on etc – Luxon has the patter off pat!
God help this country if we get a couple of terms of a Key-clone!
It seems that we do need a government that is actively participating in our affairs on behalf of us all. Leaving it to business is to leave matters to self-interest, unless it is profitable. How could any set of thinking people in Parliament think any differently. Now we are short of vets. Manpower forecasts and adequate training, preferably with opportunities for bonding with government scholarship would provide well. What a pity that thinking and planning went entirely out of fashion!
Veterinary Association (NZVA) chief officer Helen Beattie said the country is between 50 and 100 vets short, which is affecting the well-being of both people and animals.
What do you want Government to do? Take away the passports of vets and vet nurses that get better job offers elsewhere? Or who go to OZ to have a better wage and maybe a shot at a house?
The government could make studies free of charge, it could bond people to the country in exchange for a free education, but it seems that this country is very happy to see its young people be loaded up with debt, education, housing, and so on and then they wave them good bye when they leave.
But never fear, surely we can import some Veterinarian from some third world nations that would work for cheap as chips and not complain either. As we are doing and have done for the longest time.
The output from our university vet schools is about 70 a year I think so we are short two years grads in the workforce. So an over cooked response from the association? Any part time work on offer for older vets – summer placements for the grads in training – maybe if grads want to a slightly extended academic course along with greater placement work?
There aren't many reasons I would voluntarily go into an Anglican church, but if I'd been in Auckland on Saturday, I certainly would have:
Candlelight vigils have been held around the region to remember Tongan LGBTQIA+ activist, Polikalepo "Poli" Kefu, who was found murdered near his home in Lapaha this month…
New Zealand-based TLA members Ashley Tonga and Eva Tanya Mafi co-organised a vigil at St Peter's Anglican Church in Onehunga, Auckland, on Saturday. It was attended by many more people than Mafi expected.
"The planning and hosting was all about Poli, with the deal between the TLA in New Zealand, to build the service together. I didn't think there would be heaps of people from the community there, but I felt excited to see them there," she said.
So much of the gender-binary normativity has been built on the foundation of christian colonialism, that it just seems peculiar to have such a ceremony in a church. But, I guess, if a type of building is constructed to accommodate a large congregation of grievers, that would be it. It's all just so sad and pointless.
But at least they'll be buried as themselves. Trans/ takutāpui/ leitis aren't often allowed even that much. Which does make it difficult to tell how many of us are being murdered. TGEU puts it at 350 last year, up from 179 a decade before, for; "a total of 3664 reported cases… worldwide between 1 January 2008 and 30 September 2020".
However, these figures are not complete. Due to data not being systematically collected in most countries, added to the constant misgendering by families, authorities, and media, it is not possible to estimate the number of unreported cases.
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
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Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back.‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
A Labour Party Member’s Bill aims to plug a culpability gap between manslaughter and health and safety breaches The post New push for corporate killing laws appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Terence O’Brien had the rare and no doubt undesired distinction of rising to one of the most exalted positions in New Zealand diplomacy, then being unceremoniously recalled to Wellington without explanation just when his career was at its zenith. What is perhaps more surprising is that he appears to have ...
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Big complaints from the capitalists about the capital gains tax rate in Stuff today. Including what seems to be an argument that paying tax under new rules is unfair because they wouldn't have had to pay tax under the old rules?
Easy solution to that complaint – make the new tax rules retrospective. Now that would be harsh.
Boo hooo the landed gentry already well off people paying their share of taxes .
Capital gains income should be no different why does a business and an wage and salary earner have to pay full taxes and a property investor less or no tax.
And then effectively tax the tenant and record rental prices forcing the govt to top up rent through the rent subsidy.
Double dipping welfare for landlords who don't want to pay tax because they are investing in property.
Facts and photos are (yet again) ruining the relentless propaganda of the Israeli regime and its supporters….
Anyone used this line yet, Morrissey? It seems to have become the standard reply when uniformed thugs are filmed in action (at least Aotearoa):
But the Israeli (and Hamas, for that matter – given their rockets' lack of aiming ability) military are certainly engaging in Collective Punishment in violation of International Humantiarian Law. And their own rules for that matter:
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule103
There's an old (grim) joke that; a terrorist is someone with a bomb, but no air-force.
Looks like a Hamas advertising campaign to gain popular support to replace Abbas in their next election. Seems to be working well for them.
Also plays well for Netanyahu for the same reason.
Minor skirmishes are excellent retail politics for both.
I guess the Yahoo really doesn't want Yair Lapid forming a government.
Cynicism from someone in a comparative paradise Ad. Palestinians would love to be so hard-stretched as you are. Can you not extend some concern rather than the objective, strong man's overview?
Spare me the usual.
The vote there is in 11 days.
The Hamas candidate list is chocka with convicted terrorists.
This is a pure electoral play.
Maybe they are just filling a void that opens up when things start to crack up, and of course there they have cracked up long ago. So which strongman/group gets in? We have a version of that here. So spare me your world-weary comments. I know a bit about what is going on, though not as much as you. And I feel they are all locked into a dance to the death. We should feel sorry for them and try to keep away from being locked in here. There are enough competing negative shits to watch out for here. What you know about Israel may help you to work out how to keep it at bay here, that is if you don't want army law and government stepping in to run the country that is not managing that adequately.
Missiles are flying both ways; land 'confiscations' are one way – BAU.
A Threshold Crossed
Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution
A couple of opinion pieces.
So nothing to do the IDF attack on Muslims congregating at Damascus Gate? Or the IDF's heavy handed thuggery with worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque? Or the eviction of Palestinians from their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers?
I guess the next 48 hours will tell.
The current Hamas rocket bombardment by what are basically glorified sugar rockets is classic asymmetric warfare. A Qassam rocket costs around US$800 to make. An Iron Dome missile costs (depending on source) anywhere between US$40,000 to US$100,000 -most say US$70,000. If Hamas can maintain today's rate of fire of around 1000 rockets for even two more days then the Iron Dome system will most likely run out of ammunition. I would guess this is why the Israelis are currently indiscriminately bombing Gaza – they are frantically trying to destroy the Qassam storage areas. Otherwise, they'd just use artillery.
In 2014 this was one of the reasons Israel agreed to a ceasefire – after intercepting around 780-800 incoming rockets they ran out of Iron Dome missiles. So if that happens and if Hamas have enough rockets to keep up the bombardment they'll start giving the Israeli civilian population a taste of their own medicine. At that point Israel will either have to conduct what will likely be a bloody and costly ground attack on Gaza (the mainly occupation duties of repressing people throwing stones has turned the IDF into a sloppy army heavily reliant of massive firepower superiority and it got a rude shock in 2014, losing 67 KIA in the first two days of their operations in the urban rabbit warren of Gaza and I'd bet Hamas will not care about it's losses and has turned Gaza into a defensive position that would attract the admiration of Vasily Chiukov and the 62nd Army) or back down soon and negotiate before they run out of missiles.
And I would be careful throwing around the terrorist label – these are desperate people kept in a squalid ghetto and driven to the edge of human endurance by a brutal apartheid regime. Mandela, Mbeki, Biko – they were all "terrorists" to an apartheid regime as well. Palestinians have a right to self defense as much as Israel, and if Hamas leads that fight then whose terrorists are they? If all you've got is your courage and stones and home made rockets against all the drones and jets and missiles and tanks and artillery and electronic wizardry of an utterly brutal and violent oppressor then perhaps it might be worth considering you don't have quite the same luxuries of target choice as your opponents. What ever you think of Hamas, those guys who are currently going outside to fight back against the Israelis have got a shit ton of guts.
PS I notice in the Guardian just now that Hamas has in fact laid out it's war aims –
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/12/israel-gaza-violence-death-toll-rises-as-un-envoy-warns-over-escalation
"…In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had said the rocket attacks would continue until Israel stopped “all scenes of terrorism and aggression in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque”…"
We can all wait and see now as to who comes out on top. If the Israelis want a fight, the ball is in their court.
A minor skirmish.
https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1392275396704542720
Where is Seymour or any of our politicians on this issue?
I think I heard Golriz Ghahraman on the radio this morning but that may have been about inappropriate investment spending.
How silent will the uk labour party be.
You may have to ask the leader's wife.
Why didn’t you eat your lunch at school today?
David Seymour and Paul Goldsmith want more bean counters counting leftover lunches at schools. Instead of giving students an education, teachers should be chasing uneaten lunches.
Class won’t start until little Johnny has eaten his lunch!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125079039/thousands-of-taxpayerfunded-school-lunches-left-uneaten-by-students
perhaps Johnny can’t read
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VYEm76840Yo
Perhaps Seymour and Goldsmith can't read. The poor little men scurrying around like ants looking for crumbs of human leftovers to turn into political hot potatoes. What could they do with polluted water or dodgy chemical stodge or sewage overflows. Gather those together with your enthusiasm for recycling and turn those into hot potatoes you dreebs.
From urban dictionary – 'Dreeb' – someone whos cocky on the outside but insecere (sic) on the inside. They over reate themself and under rate others,
Go to Act's website and check out their education policy. Seymour's not out talking about that. He's not on some south to north crusade selling it so that when he's in coalition government with National after the next election it's a surprise to people. He hasn't despatched his caucus buddies to do it either.
"ACT will give every child a Student Education Account at the age of two. Each year until a student is 18, $12,000 will be placed into that Account. At the age of 18, they will receive a further $30,000 for tertiary education, with up to $50,000 available top (sic) academic achievers through a scholarship program. Over half of students will receive a scholarship."
They have reducing 'the number of back office bureaucrats at the Ministry of Education by 50 per cent getting rid of all the backroom Ministry of Education people' so I guess Novopay will run their "Student Education Account' scheme.
'Morale in the teaching profession is at an all-time low. Teachers feel undervalued and overworked with bureaucratic compliance' so with less bureaucrats and a great funding regime, who is to count the leftover lunches?
Maybe the Epsom two, the innumerate and the dweeb will start up the Great Lunch Counting Company.
Still on vouchers and voucher equivalents, huh. Bloody dinosaurs.
I have put some peculiar settings in inadvertently. I have removed my comment but there is a tail behind. Sorry mods. I didn't know this would happen – weird. Something carried over from a google dictionary listing. It puts a light border around comments.
Someone will be lined up to harvest those vouchers – like the 'free hearing assessments'.
Have Messrs Seymour and Goldsmith considered what would happen if not enough food was supplied due to a too tight supply regime?
$5-$7 per lunch delivered is a good price. I bought my lunch on Sunday during a meeting from a public cafeteria. There was nothing there under $5, except a small pastry pie and a banana. Even a simple sandwich was $5.50, pies from $5.
I had experience of the Japanese lunch in school scheme where a varied and nutritious lunch was provided for a low parentally paid fee which it seemed all did pay. The lunch was eaten in the classroom under the supervision of the teacher. There was obviously left over food as Mrs Mac1 and I both sat with these primary students and ate the same food. Student monitors served and cleaned up. The daily menu was displayed in the foyer with its calorific value of IIRC some 700 calories.
The surplus food in NZ is not wasted. it is given away to students or given to food kitchens. It might be surplus to daily requirements based on dietary preference, absentees and pupils providing their own lunch, but it is not wasted.
In supplication to the great God of Efficiency – I suggest that all leftover lunches are supplied to the patrons of Rosie, a very pleasant cafe in the Epsom electorate and doubtless known to its two MPs. The cheese sandwiches might balance the taste of octopus on the palate, provided one has a riesling with sufficient acidity.
I suggest that the leftovers are sent by courier to Bellamys where the pollies can 'eat cake' like the plebs.
Its a highly effective multi generation Labour vote harvesting machine.
Let them eat cake.
I can just see those too, cane in hand with little hard ons erect screaming at kids to eat there meat if they want pudding.
Wellington City council is now completely in disarray. People are stressed, crying, feeling bullied……I really don't understand this. Why are they stressed? Because its game over with neglecting the basics for which they have been elected? Have they forgotten that they have been voted into the position to represent the ratepayer, who forks out ever increasing amounts that they hardly can afford? Are they having a bit of an entitlement hissy fit?
If any of the ordinary folks in a job would perform as some of these people they would be sacked. Who is holding these overpaid sandcastle players to account?
Maybe they need to be replaced by a interim management team until all the logistics of maintaining a city is being taken care of.
“People are stressed, crying, feeling bullied”
“Are they having a bit of an entitlement hissy fit”
“These overpriced sandcastle players”
“ordinary folks… would be sacked”
You sure do sound like a bully from here.
Well, no. Rates are being increased by double figures because some pet projects have got priority above the basics. You know, drinking water, waste water. Just some fancy stuff that has been invented by the Romans about 800 BC, so not really new technology mind you. But maybe we are travelling back in time? There is no excuse to have basic maintenance that people have to pay for without being able to opt out (compulsion) deferred and instead i.e. put a signage up "Windy Wellington" etc.
If you cant stand the heat go out of the kitchen, we have to stop pussyfooting around drowning in political correctness and achieving nothing. I mean really nothing.
This has nothing to do with being PC. It's just where you aim your wrath. Perhaps I spoke out of turn, but I was thinking of council workers, not council members.
Those calling the shots are the ones calling the shots. The majority of council workers are then obliged to do, or not do, as their masters bid.
All those workers on the frontline can do jack-shit about this, other than vote out the munters failing to address the cities issues adequately. In the meantime, they're getting abuse for things well out of their control.
If you are addressing the office bound idiots making the stupid calls, fair enough, I read it wrong, have at em.
Not the workers, they have bugger all to say. Most would have possibly rolled their eyes when they installed the signage…
Council members seem to be in a different universe e from those who are head down work work work…
I went to some of the plan meetings. As far as I am concerned fixing the pipes is the number one item and there seems to be quite a lot of public realism about that. What was much more interesting though are the figures for population increase which they are still promoting as 50,000-80,000 range over 30 years which after a lot of previous discussion looks like it is likely to be closer to 30,000 . For politics they had grabbed the largest figure they could see and didn't want to answer questions about it although they looked uncomfortable. Why does central government insist of continuing population increases as well as shovelling that population into existing cities. Letting the population drop could be very cost effective.
Even more interesting was that there seemed to be no breakdown of 3 waters costs between new dwellings/suburbs and upgrading/repairing needed for the existing system. And no idea at all of what the government will pay towards 3 waters. The estimates I have seen for fixing? are in the region of $3 billion to $6 billion over 30 years – so $100 to $200 million per annum. I'd actually like to see the 3 waters costs gathered into a group along with possibly the assets and loans that relate to them plus the existing rates used for this-so that we can look at dedicated funding options whether it's higher rates, bulk rates payments in advance at a discount or loans etc to ensure the money does go to the pipes and doesn't at any point get left in the general take forever. It would be easier to fit the government up with their share for new housing too.
I think I would be happier with a one off dob if that meant the pipes in our suburb got fixed.
On a positive note, I really enjoyed reading this about Wellington.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/08-05-2021/once-a-biodiversity-basket-case-wellington-today-is-the-wind-beneath-our-birds-wings/?
Good article.
I went looking on RNZ site for an article I heard today about what we have lost birdwise and why.
Came across this which is longer but interesting no less.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/fight-for-the-wild/story/2018793166/1-loss-fight-for-the-wild
Good on you citizen for engaging.
If only there were more.
This is the result of 20 years deferred maintenance and about 30% of the budget being diverted to some projects that was the fancy of the council. There was and is no accountability. The slogan Absolutely positively Wellington turns out to be an absolutely messy (sewage) Wellington.
The only way to get on top of this is to have GST of the rates returned to councils and some reporting on progress and expenses connected made mandatory. This could work for many.
To increase Rates by double digits is just outrageous. People will not be able to afford this and the elderly in particular.
There was a comment by the Union that 60k is not a high wage and makes it difficult paying rent, living costs etc. Perhaps, just perhaps it should be mentioned that a very large section of people do not earn 60K.
Call it what it is, a fucking pogrom.
https://twitter.com/MariamBarghouti/status/1392220189706657804
https://twitter.com/NeriZilber/status/1392218653832237060
https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1392166361103691776
Palestinian writer Mohammed el-Kurd on the #SaveSheikhJarrah campaign and his family's fight to keep their home in the face of threatened displacement.
Local government official says it out loud.
If the court rules in favor of the landlords, the question remains of what happens to the Palestinian residents, who could be evicted as soon as next week. Israeli law allows Jews to reclaim ownership of land they vacated in 1948, but denies Palestinians the right to reclaim the properties they fled from in the same war.
Mr. Skafi, the Sheikh Jarrah resident, said his family lived in West Jerusalem before 1948, but has no legal recourse to reclaim the property.
“It’s the height of racism,” he said, shortly before the police fired another barrage of skunk water nearby. “Jews can get back their properties, but not the Arabs.”
But Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, a deputy mayor of Jerusalem, said the discrepancy was necessary to preserve Israel’s Jewish character.
“This is a Jewish country,” she said. “There’s only one. And of course there are laws that some people may consider as favoring Jews — it’s a Jewish state. It is here to protect the Jewish people.”
https://archive.li/Y6isC (nyt)
I find it interesting that Labour are looking at the low paid and aiming to improve their lot (Under $60 000)
Yet I have heard all the noise from the secure. Are we becoming self-centered?
Not in the public service, but still below $60k. So not arguing for my own pay here.
But $60k is far too low, taking in midlevel teachers, nurses, and administrators. Expecting exceptional service to get a basic scale increase at that level is taking the piss, especially when for many of them exceptional is the norm.
But the other thing is that this is levelling down, if even inflation adjustments weren't in the plan. Build up the lower paid, but playing the middle against the poor is a dirty move, in my opinion.
Just bloody make a higher tax bracket at a progressive level if the govt really needs the cash.
I'll also say "pay" doesn't mean "security" – eternal restructurings all over the public service. Not just big ones like Health, even smaller units can suddenly get the notice that they'll have to reapply for fewer jobs.
QFT.
Teaching is a prime example now – so many teachers are now employed on yearly contracts, not on a permanent contract, so they never know from one year to the next if they will still have a job. Easy for the school administration to manage their staffing levels from year to year – but shit for the actual teaching staff.
Exactly! They have the mandate – just do it!
Heck, just make the first 10 – 20 grand earned tax free….that would trickle to all.
But then we tax beneficiaries the full tax rate.
Well, a tax break costs money.
The govt seems to want to make improving the incomes of lower-paid public service workers through some sort of fiscally-neutral policy.
Oh well, nothing can be done than.
Heck yeah, they could increase the taxes at the higher end. And by doing so would not only lift a few select employees from the government up but all of the other low wage workers too.
But i totally understand the government needs money and it needs to come from someone.
My figuring is that they wanted to keep the public service line item static as part of the bigger picture.
But that's a catch-22: increase the public service line item to level-up the lower income workers, the opposition bleats about money for mandarins.
Level-up lower income workers by freezing the mid-to-upper echelons, they're punishing covid workers.
So the alternative to that catch-22 is do a complete tax system overhaul, which would be a gift to the nats. We've still yet to see the fallout from the stumbles the transition to the new health system will inevitably experience.
The world ain't static for a start.
Anyone who rents in either of these brackets will have less money as rents will go up, just to name one. Never mind that interest rates will go up too, and we already have people who can't afford their mortgages.
Cost of living goes up. cost of everything goes up. 60.000 anual is about 28 NZD per hour, for someone who has a degree, student loans, family etc. Not that much if you consider that you now pay a dish washer 20.00 NZD.
So for this supposedly super educated socially woke, but fiscally austere government to come out with such an idiotic blunder – and i am being very polite here – again just shows how out of touch these guys actually are. Maybe half of them have never earned a dollar outside of government, so maybe they really believe that 100.000 per annum before tax is a lot, but it actually is not. Not when you pay up to 2.000 – 2500 NZD per month just to rent a place. (and going up), and probably more to pay a mortgage.
So you can not keep something static by puting a 'hold' or a 'freeze' on it, as inflation keeps going up, and everything else with it. Dumb, idiotic and total shambles from people who really have no clue just what it means to not live a whole working life on the government tit.
As i said, and many others have said before if you really want to move the lower incomes up, make the first 10 – 20 grand tax free and then roll out a meaningful wealth tax to claw it back.
But this was just so dumb, that i ask what they were trying to hide behind this storm in a teapot.
Stuff is always dumb after it fails spectacularly.
The impulse of increasing incomes for the lower-earners in the public service was a good one.
I suspect they were thinking "office workers", not "nurses".
The budget is next Thursday. This was part of the scheduled announcement dribble that always happens before each budget. Whether the response has resulted in a rewrite is another question.
If truly they were thinking office worker rather then nurses why is that different? Oh, the office worker not worth their wages? So let me get this right, the very rich (and all these people are very rich compared to the nurse or the office worker) will play the almost poor against the very poor – while eating the whole cake? Sounds exactly what a kind, gentle, compassionate, socially minded so called 'workers' party would do.
Seriously? the whole idea of setting the income as low as 60 grand, was dumb. The whole idea of believing that someone on a 100.000 is rich is dumb.
The median wage in NZ is about 54 grand per year. So they decided that 6 grand more is gonna make a huge difference? seriously?
And frankly what about all those that are not in government? Can hang on to their 20 NZD for their part time jobs and shut up? You got plenty?
The problem in NZ really is that the government can not increase the wages fast enough to keep up with rising cost of living, rent being one. IT can also not increase wages fast enough to start saving on various WINZ supplements to keep working people in motels while they still have money to pay food.
The reality is that the only thing this government really needs to do, before literally anything is to reign in the housing market. And the little diddling so far has had absolutely no effect, and chances are will not have any effect. Houses are going still up, rents are going still up, tenants are even less likely to complain as they have no option to find something else, etc etc etc.
So yeah, this was the dumbest action so far from this government. And even worse is to blame the news for their own blunder, and i consider that calling it a wage freeze was actually a polite thing, as actually it was a drop in wages, once you factor in raising costs in inflation and rents/mortgages/rates etc.
That is like blame the housing crisis on people wanting to live in houses, if they were happy to live in ditches we would have no crisis.
Never thought i would be happy for a Labour government to just go home, but heck i am almost there. I really can't wait for all of them to join the UN.
But the thing that i really hope about is that next time people might consider voting for some third party so non of these unsinspiring / mediocre large parties ever get majority again.
In case you haven't noticed, a handy scapegoat for all political parties (especially the rightwing, because it meshes with their hatred of democratic government) is the backroom bureaucrat and mandarin in Wellington.
Sure, it's bullshit. But it makes office workers in the public service more vulnerable than the "heroic" public servants. Of the folks you've seen to be outraged at this measure, how many brought up doctors, nurses, cops, and teachers? How many people brought up funding&planning officers or data analysts, content writers or departmental librarians?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/is-this-the-end-of-no-paywave-signs-govt-to-clamp-down-on-merchant-fees/VGHXFM7RDQDUPDPQAL7GS2NRC4/
About time!
About time +1000
The shopkeepers union (Retail Assn.) has been pushing for this for as long as I can remember. Good to see Labour moving to impose something realistic. National just laughed at us.
Can see the banks trying to recoup in other was though. It costs just under $100 / month to have an eftpos machine sitting on the counter with machine rental, Paymark fee and the $20 minimum charge on the interchange. For a lot of small retailers who’d probably be better off out working 40 hrs at min wage it adds up. Some if the larger retail outfits aren’t a lot better either.
Interesting and concerning.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/442377/police-drone-data-risks-ending-up-on-servers-chinese-government-can-access-reports
It's not concerning at all. It seems even RNZ employs clickbait
"Small micro-drones could be deployed by Armed Offenders Squads, and police should consider buying one or two much more expensive – and secure – Aeryon SkyRangers or fixed-wing Aerovironment Pumas. The Defence Force has several SkyRangers.
These did not connect to the Internet at all, Shelley said.
"If the risks are controlled, certainly those benefits outweigh the risks.""
If the buyer of the drone has no control over the destination or use of the data collected they'd be fools to buy such drones.
And of course why we should be more worried about the Chinese government having access to data gathered here than the US having access to all our digital communications data is a mystery to me.
Kim Jong Il birdied his way to a world record 38-under, too.
https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1391893314593513474
Pooty gone full commodus.
Wow! he is so good.
Lotsa mulligans for Poots.
Just listened to Luxon speak in the general debate: Labour and the left will underestimate him at their cost.
He reminded me so much of Key – glib, shallow but repeating all the cliches which appeal to the shallow-thinking public who will be swayed by his empty rhetoric.
You know the sort of crap Key used to spout – appealing to the hard-working kiwis who just want to get on etc – Luxon has the patter off pat!
God help this country if we get a couple of terms of a Key-clone!
Sounds like fun and games in Parliament this afternoon. How much do we pay these people?
Māori Party kicked out of Parliament denouncing 'racist questions' with rousing haka – NZ Herald
It seems that we do need a government that is actively participating in our affairs on behalf of us all. Leaving it to business is to leave matters to self-interest, unless it is profitable. How could any set of thinking people in Parliament think any differently. Now we are short of vets. Manpower forecasts and adequate training, preferably with opportunities for bonding with government scholarship would provide well. What a pity that thinking and planning went entirely out of fashion!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/442409/vet-shortage-nationwide-pushing-staff-to-breaking-point
Veterinary Association (NZVA) chief officer Helen Beattie said the country is between 50 and 100 vets short, which is affecting the well-being of both people and animals.
What do you want Government to do? Take away the passports of vets and vet nurses that get better job offers elsewhere? Or who go to OZ to have a better wage and maybe a shot at a house?
The government could make studies free of charge, it could bond people to the country in exchange for a free education, but it seems that this country is very happy to see its young people be loaded up with debt, education, housing, and so on and then they wave them good bye when they leave.
But never fear, surely we can import some Veterinarian from some third world nations that would work for cheap as chips and not complain either. As we are doing and have done for the longest time.
The output from our university vet schools is about 70 a year I think so we are short two years grads in the workforce. So an over cooked response from the association? Any part time work on offer for older vets – summer placements for the grads in training – maybe if grads want to a slightly extended academic course along with greater placement work?
There aren't many reasons I would voluntarily go into an Anglican church, but if I'd been in Auckland on Saturday, I certainly would have:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/442404/vigils-held-for-murdered-tongan-lgbtqia-activist-poli-kefu
So much of the gender-binary normativity has been built on the foundation of christian colonialism, that it just seems peculiar to have such a ceremony in a church. But, I guess, if a type of building is constructed to accommodate a large congregation of grievers, that would be it. It's all just so sad and pointless.
But at least they'll be buried as themselves. Trans/ takutāpui/ leitis aren't often allowed even that much. Which does make it difficult to tell how many of us are being murdered. TGEU puts it at 350 last year, up from 179 a decade before, for; "a total of 3664 reported cases… worldwide between 1 January 2008 and 30 September 2020".
https://transrespect.org/en/tmm-update-tdor-2020/